Chapter 16 A Misunderstanding "That Xie Qinghe is truly a scoundrel..."
"Hmm?"
"Why?"
Ji Ming sat up straight again, his fingertips tracing the rim of the bowl, already confident of success.
As expected, he couldn't be fooled.
Ning Lu opened her mouth, thinking of saying something in her own defense, but seeing his bored and impatient look, she gave up struggling.
"It's me."
Sit down obediently, cross your arms, and lower your head to wait for his next reaction.
Ji Ming didn't ask any more questions, and silently picked up the medicine bowl and sipped it.
"that……"
"I haven't tried the medicine yet."
The hand holding the medicine bowl paused in mid-air, and he glanced over with a complicated expression, but still did not stop.
So, we could have stopped her from testing the drugs a long time ago?
Ning Lu shut up in frustration, tapping on the wooden edge of the table. No matter how she thought about it, she felt like he was looking at her like she was an idiot.
After finishing the medicine in the bowl, Ji Ming casually placed it on the table. Without looking at her again, he slowly and laboriously got up, supporting himself on the table and chair.
The earthen bowl spun repeatedly on the wooden table. Ning Lu noticed his sluggish movements and lowered his head even further.
Ji Ming sat down on the edge of the bed and began packing his things.
Seeing that he had no intention of pressing the matter further, Ning Lu got up and walked around the bed twice. He still ignored her, so she stomped her foot and sat down on the edge of the bed with a thud.
"I know that I acted on my own initiative this time and caused you trouble."
“But there’s really no other way. The village chief and the others don’t say anything because they think you’re authoritative. You don’t know until you go out, but the government has been really going too far lately. Every few days, people come to confiscate our grain. If we can’t produce it, they beat and scold us and arrest us. If we hand over the little grain we have, none of us will survive the winter.”
"I...I know that rashly writing a letter to the authorities to plead my case might be useless. The letter might even be blocked before it reaches the government. But..."
“But I think that since you are the one who wrote the letter, there might be a turning point.” Ning Lu had never felt so honest before, and in a moment of impulse, she poured out all her thoughts.
"The day you picked me up on that rainy night, I encountered government officials looking for you. They said you were a person of vital importance to the court, and I saw that you were knowledgeable and experienced, unlike an ordinary person. Perhaps you are well-versed in the ways of facilitating things for the government."
“I don’t think writing a petition for leniency is a good strategy. I just think that if the village chiefs meet you and you hear about their difficulties, perhaps… you can give them some advice.”
Her voice grew softer and softer, her index fingers intertwined, inseparable.
Ji Ming lowered his eyes and remained silent, finding it increasingly amusing, and eventually burst out laughing.
Seeing the mocking and sarcastic look on his face, Ning Lu became even more flustered and secretly watched him through the bed curtains.
"Are you feeling unwell? You looked terrible just now."
Actually, she noticed him the moment he opened the door. However, with everyone watching, she didn't know how to ask, and she also felt there was a time for urgency.
But it was these words that made Ji Ming raise his head and look at her properly.
The terrifying gaze swept over her from top to bottom, then he snorted coldly and shook his head, giving up.
Ji Ming flicked his sleeve heavily: "As you can see, I have no other way."
"But you also reminded the village chief."
“They’ve sent the letter out, the authorities are coming, and neither you nor I will have peace.”
"Of course I know," Ning Lu muttered, looking down. "It can't get any worse."
Ji Ming sensed something was wrong and glanced at her sideways.
"Everyone's been having a tough time lately... and our income isn't much either."
Living off the land is a matter of mutual benefit and shared loss. He wasn't surprised.
Judging from Ning Lu's expression, it's probably not that people can't afford to pay, but that she herself can't accept the money.
"But don't worry, we can hold on." She moved a little closer to him and said mysteriously, "There's something else you don't know. Do you want to hear it?"
Seeing him close his eyes and tilt his head back, as if he were in "Do Not Disturb" mode, Ning Lu stopped being mysterious: "Recently, there have been fewer and fewer soldiers delivering messages at Pingcheng Post Station. So most of the things and messages are delivered through me. If the village chief and the others have discussed it and decided to deliver a message, they will definitely ask me to do it."
"If you feel it's not suitable at that time, we can think of another way."
"You are very considerate of others."
Oblivious to Ji Ming's sarcasm, she waved her hand modestly, "It's not that kind of righteousness. It's just that this matter involves our safety, so I definitely have to think about it more carefully."
As soon as he said it, he glanced at her again, and Ning Lu realized what he meant.
After stammering for a while, she was so angry that she simply turned her back on him and refused to look at him anymore.
Enjoying the peace and quiet, Ji Ming pressed his chest and closed his eyes to rest.
He didn't stay still for long before she started shaking him again, her hands gripping his shoulders.
Ning Lu recalled the way he looked at Da Cheng and his wife, and her heart warmed instantly.
"By the way, Ji Amin. You! You didn't help them just now, were you standing up for me?"
idiot.
Ji Ming didn't want to say anything more and continued to pretend to be asleep, but she shook him hard twice, and his face instantly turned pale.
Ning Lu immediately patted his chest and apologized with a sheepish smile.
"I was reckless."
"So you're not angry with me either?"
A hint of bitterness appeared on his face; he didn't know how to respond.
It's really not worth getting angry with her. If anyone should be angry, it's probably myself, for I was manipulated by her with just a few words.
However, despite her impulsive and confused behavior, she inadvertently allowed him to overhear a lot of information.
Pingcheng and Changzhou were more complicated than he had imagined.
Ji Ming remained silent. Fortunately, Ning Lu had long understood his temperament and immediately interpreted his silence as him not being angry.
Come to think of it, how mature and steady can someone be who can scare a little girl with a dead bird?
She got up and tidied up the room and herself, then returned to the bedside listlessly. Regardless of whether he was asleep or not, she started a new conversation.
"Ji Amin, aren't you curious about what I said to the officials?"
The memory of her lying to protect him still lingered in his mind, and the fact that he was still here safely was enough to prove what she had answered.
Perhaps because Ning Lu had saved him so many times, Ji Ming, for the first time ever, developed a vague sense of trust in someone.
He rarely showed any interest in playing along, so he turned to look at her and asked, following her words, "What did you say?"
"Of course I mean I've never seen it before and don't know about it."
...
Ning Lu hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had been bothering her for a long time: "But... why did they arrest you?"
Actually, she had wanted to ask him earlier. But he was too fragile, and she was afraid that mentioning painful things would make him have another attack and feel unwell, so she hadn't spoken up.
At this moment... curiosity finally won out.
"Arrest?" Ji Ming coughed a few times upon hearing this, looked up at her eager expression, and smiled wryly, "Perhaps... it's my duty..."
"So what did you do wrong? They say that after the new emperor ascended the throne, Xie Qinghe instigated him to confiscate the property of many powerful families. Your family..."
Is she one of them?
Before she could even utter a word, Ning Lu realized how tactless her words were. Her tongue darted around in her throat, and she quickly tried to embellish them: "I meant...you..."
She racked her brains, but to no avail, she was at a loss for words and scratched her head in embarrassment.
"My family is not among them."
Ning Lu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Taking in her reaction, Ji Ming felt a urge to tease her and said slowly, "Yet... he was not spared from the factional strife either."
He lowered his eyes, seemingly oblivious to the past, as if it were nothing more than fleeting smoke. This was enough to make Ning Lu feel apologetic, wringing her hands and shrinking back.
After a long pause, she pursed her lips, and with a look of sympathy, she carefully composed her words of comfort: "Then... it must have been very difficult for you to escape."
Originally intending to have some fun, Ji Ming was stunned and bewildered by her sudden sympathy. His gaze drifted away, as if he were held back by the past.
As he took a breath, he noticed her self-reproach and unease. He chuckled softly and said in a hoarse voice, "There's a lack of warmth in the family... don't worry about it."
"So the wounds on your body were from that time too?"
Seeing that he nodded, Ning Lu took a deep breath, straightened her chest, and stopped talking.
After a long silence, she spoke angrily: "That Xie Qinghe is a real scoundrel. I thought he might have some difficulties, but looking at him now, he's just plain evil. He deserves everyone's criticism."
He... doesn't seem to have said that Xie Qinghe did it.
Before Ji Ming could react, Ning Lu tugged at his sleeve and said softly, "The doctor said that your illness is most aggravated by stagnation. If you feel unwell, it will make you feel better if you vent like I am."
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.
"You're still too dignified. A friend's enemy is a friend, so it's the same if I help you curse him."
Ning Lu lay back on the bed, then suddenly seemed to remember something and tilted her head to ask him, "Then, was Liu Yunying, whom you're looking for, captured by Xie Qinghe? You said she's an important person to you..."
She pointed to herself, then to the bed, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
What's going on?
Ji Ming frowned and shook his head: "It's not that kind of relationship."
"That's good." Ning Lu lay back down. "Don't worry, we're forced into this situation by circumstances. I won't ask you for a title or threaten you with your reputation in the future."
Without even looking in the mirror, Ji Ming knew that his complexion must be much worse right now.
This woman's thinking is unpredictable, absurd, and unprecedented.
Shocking and unconventional.
The room was quiet for a while, then Ning Lu turned and nudged Ji Ming.
"If that's the case, you've fought Xie Qinghe before? You seem to know him quite well, don't you?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Ming focused his gaze, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded gently.
"Do you know if he's truly bloodthirsty?"
Seeing his confusion, Ning Lu continued to explain, "I mean, if there are any traitors who have escaped from the Prince Xian's mansion, will he exterminate them all?"
"The Wise King?"
"Hmm. Is it possible that he felt he had killed enough people, so... he stopped?"
"never mind?"
This wasn't the first time Ji Ming had heard this word from Ning Lu.
She seems to really like... never mind.
It's as if saying "never mind" is an easy thing to do.
He didn't speak, but listened quietly as she continued.
"I don't know if I am, but... I think I am." Ning Lu swung her toes, her voice muffled: "Of course, I also hope I'm not."
The sentence was abrupt and incomplete, but Ji Ming understood it, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
Needless to say, all officials in the court act with extreme caution, striving to eliminate any threat at all.
Hearing her dejected tone, Ji Ming felt a dull ache in his heart and couldn't help but look at her small face again carefully.
Her features were still plain and ordinary; she would be hard to spot in a crowd.
Only those eyes were always full of interest and sparkling.
This was the first time in his life he had ever seen eyes like these.
Ji Ming looked away and said with difficulty, "I don't know."
"Rumors say he's petty and has a photographic memory. Although I've never met him, just in case..."
Ning Lu shivered, crossed her arms and sat up. Seeing his troubled expression, she cheered him up to comfort him.
"There's no chance of anything going wrong, Ji Amin. Don't worry. We're allies now. No matter what, I'll do my best to protect you."
"Do your best? Protect?"
"Hmm. I'll try my best." Ning Lu retorted, "Otherwise what? Do I need to swear an oath to you?"
"Let me tell you, doing my best means giving it my all, and that's the highest level of commitment I can make."
"Did you understand, Ji Amin?"
She leaned close to him, forcing him to nod before she finally gave up.
They chatted about other things for a while. It wasn't until Ning Lu finished her impromptu talk show and didn't receive a perfunctory response that she sat up abruptly and realized that Ji Ming had already fallen asleep.
The person lay on their side on the edge of the bed, their hair hanging in front of their eyes, and their lips veiled in a faint purple mist.
Ning Lu was startled and grabbed his wrist.
It was indeed cold.
His breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling noticeably with each breath, and a deep weariness shrouded his brow.
Just now, when he picked up the pen to write, his temples were sweaty and his fingertips were cold; it was the same when he took his medicine…
She noticed several times that he looked unwell, even though she remembered telling him to rest early.
Ning Lu cursed herself for being a fool, tiptoed up the man's upper body, spread out the pillow with one hand, and then helped him sit back down.
At this point, she only frowned and pursed her lips, not waking up; she was truly exhausted.
After finishing everything, she sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that her actions just now were too smooth and natural, which made her both annoyed and amused.
Actually, sometimes you can't blame her for being careless.
This person always speaks and acts with perfect composure, and you never feel like he's a patient when he talks or does things.
Even his occasional attempts to appear weak and submissive through a manipulative tactic leave people somewhat skeptical.
She wasn't a negotiation expert; if he deliberately put on a brave face and held back, how could she tell the difference between truth and falsehood?
Thinking about it this way, she couldn't figure out whether his good patience made him easy to manage or not.
As the stars shifted and the sun rose, the sky became bright.
When Ji Ming woke up, Ning Lu had already gone out to do errands.
On the table sat steaming hot vegetable buns and herbal soup, just like always.
I habitually moved my hands and feet, and vaguely felt that today was much easier than before.
He lowered his gaze and saw that Ning Lu's thin blanket was also draped over him, which kept his hands and feet warm.
After regaining my senses, I put on my clothes and got up, and then I noticed a half-sized sheet of Xuan paper pressed under the bowl.
Press down with your fingertips and slowly pull it towards you.
The paper had something that could barely be considered handwriting.
It is delicate and neat, with simple strokes, but it only resembles the shape.
Ji Ming frowned and stared at it for a long time before he could vaguely make out the meaning.
I'm so sorry to have troubled you. Take good care of yourself and have a nice meal tonight. Thank God. I'm so sorry.
The three characters for "apology" were all blurred into black mist, and I could only guess their meaning through comprehension.
He examined it for a long time, chuckled and breathed a sigh of relief, folded the Xuan paper in half and put it back in his sleeve, then shook his head helplessly.
Only someone who can write like this could not be Liu Yunying.
A note from the author:
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