Chapter 40 Tracing the Past "I'll try my best to return your friend to you as soon as possible..."
Ning Lu climbed through the window and rolled onto the bed in a flash.
The candle went out, and Qinghuai, who was on guard outside, simply turned over and fell into a deep sleep again.
Ning Lu clutched the jade pendant, took a deep breath, and covered her wildly beating heart.
That's terrifying.
Xie Qinghe is truly terrifying.
She couldn't figure out his intentions at all.
This ambiguous attitude is similar to the feeling of being called to the teacher's office when you were a child and asked where you went wrong on a question you didn't know.
I just know something's wrong, but I don't know what's wrong.
It's not that I don't know at all.
At least for now... her mouth doesn't look right.
She covered her burning face with both hands.
This wasn't the first time such a near miss had happened, to the point that Ning Lu always felt he was doing it on purpose.
Isn't he the one who values the difference between men and women the most?
Ning Lu buried herself in the blankets, moaning softly, silently reminding herself that it was Ji A'ming, not Xie Qinghe, who insisted on the distinction between men and women.
The unchanging truth is that men with power tend to become bad.
She reached out and fiddled with the waist tag, remembering the jade pendant she had pawned to save Ji Ming.
Why isn't it considered what she deserves?
Ninglu pushed it under her pillow, sighing with sorrow.
Although having power and influence makes everything easier, I still miss Ji Amin, who always obediently listened to everything I said.
When I opened my eyes again, it was bright and sunny outside.
She stood up and bumped into Qingzhi and Qinghuai, laughing so hard she was shaking. She looked down blankly and saw that she was still holding the waist token in her hand and still wearing the men's clothes.
What you did last night is obvious to anyone who pays attention, and it's easy to get inspiration for making a story.
"Let me explain."
Ning Lu raised her hand timidly.
Qinghuai smiled and said, "Miss, there's no need to explain. Lord Wei came early this morning to tell you that if you want to go to the dungeon today, you don't need to climb over the wall. Just take your waist token and go through the main gate."
Xie Qinghe...
She gritted her teeth, wishing she could tear him apart.
Reason told Ning Lu that seeing Su Yun was the most important thing right now...
Do not argue with petty people.
After having breakfast and changing clothes, we left the inn through the main gate, boarded a carriage bearing the Xie family's insignia, and traveled smoothly towards the dungeon.
Ning Lu stepped off the car onto a wooden stool and handed over her waist tag.
The imperial guards and jailers at the gate bowed and scraped, being extremely attentive.
It was just like how she fawned over Xie Qinghe last night, pouring him tea and greeting him.
Ning Lu's lips twitched. She felt a moment of shame for the secret joy she had gained, but then comforted herself and told herself to accept it with a clear conscience.
How could a respectable person call herself a lackey? She's just a clever person who knows how to leverage resources and influence.
"Young lady, walk slowly and watch your step."
The jailer who came out to greet them was a new face. He carried a lantern and helped Ning Lu with his bent arm.
Su Yun was kept in solitary confinement, and there were no other prisoners around her.
Upon seeing her, a flicker of light appeared in the man's eyes, but upon noticing the dignified presence behind her, his gaze dimmed again.
Qinghuai bribed the jailer who brought them in, and then, quite smugly, chose a spot far away to stand.
The chains in the cell had been unlocked, and the bystanders had left, giving the two enough space to talk.
Previously, few people knew Liu Yunying, so she could act however she wanted.
The person before me is an old friend of Liu Yunying.
Having finally managed to stand in front of her, Ning Lu was at a loss for words.
Why are you here?
Su Yun wore a simple prison uniform, which made her look more delicate and beautiful than when she was heavily made up.
She gave a faint smile, neither rising to greet her nor showing any surprise at the reunion with an old friend.
Ning Lu sensed something was wrong, composed herself, and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Compared to entertaining guests at Yanchunlou and being humiliated by Pan Xingxue, how can this place not be better?"
"Su Yun..."
Upon hearing this, the man raised his delicate eyebrows, sighed, turned to the side, hugged his knees, and stared blankly at her.
A pair of almond-shaped eyes fell on Ning Lu's face, gazing at her intently without saying a word.
"What's wrong?"
Ning Lu felt uneasy under his gaze.
Her understanding of Liu Yunying was limited to her being an assassin, and she was truly not good at playing the role.
I tried my best to keep a low profile when I went out today, wearing simple, plain clothes.
"You are not Aying."
Su Yun didn't beat around the bush with her, and went straight to the point, leaving Ning Lu speechless.
"Who are you? Why are you impersonating her?"
Ning Lu never imagined she would want to play role-playing games in such a dangerous place.
But she wasn't stupid enough to tell someone she'd only met twice that she was a time traveler.
She dragged a bench into the cell and sat down comfortably: "Why do you say that?"
“Aying never calls me Suyun.”
She said the word "酥" (su) was vulgar, a word that disgusting men liked.
"How can you determine that I am not Liu Yunying based on just one title?"
Ning Lu continued to ask questions.
As soon as I said it, I suddenly felt that this way of chatting seemed familiar.
One who is near ink gets stained black.
Xie Qinghe's tactic of never answering questions directly has somehow permeated her language habits so quickly.
Pulling her thoughts back, she silently looked at Su Yun, and couldn't help but sigh at the abstractness and contradictions of this world.
When Ji Ming and Zhao Yue first saw her, they both insisted that she was Liu Yunying.
No matter how she tried to explain, no one listened and they all wanted to kill her.
Now that she's met the original owner's friend, before she can even feel relieved, the other party immediately insists that she is not Liu Yunying.
The most outrageous thing is that, in order to survive, she had to prove to Su Yun that she was Liu Yunying, and to insist to Xie Qinghe that she was just Ning Lu.
She's lived for over twenty years and all she knows is how to be herself.
Every day entangled with this identity made her feel awkward and uncomfortable.
Noticing Su Yun's determined gaze, Ning Lu simply brought out the excuse she had prepared long ago.
"Maybe I just have amnesia."
"After I assassinated Xie Qinghe, I was chased by Zhao Yue. They forced me to the edge of a cliff, and I had no choice but to jump off to survive. I survived, but I lost most of my memories."
"You're not going to say that after falling off the cliff and losing your memory, you accidentally saved Xie Qinghe, and the two of you became fellow travelers."
Su Yun continued along with what she was saying.
How did you know?
Ning Lu blurted it out.
"Xie Qinghe is the most treacherous and suspicious person. Why would he keep you by his side for no reason? Besides, Zhao Yue said that you broke the contract first when he came that day."
She's curious too, isn't she?
She still can't figure out why Xie Qinghe hid his identity and ate meager meals with her.
Surely it can't be an incognito visit to experience the lives of ordinary people, can it?
That Zhao Yue...
Ning Lu was unable to refute, and spread her hands: "Then you say I am not Liu Yunying, you must have evidence to prove that I am not."
The burden of proof lies with the one who raises the question.
Anyone who tries to prove their innocence is a fool.
Caught off guard by her sudden nonchalance, Su Yun abandoned her confident demeanor and began to have doubts.
She indeed had no conclusive evidence to prove that the person in front of her was not Liu Yunying.
All we have are feelings, and feelings can't be used as evidence.
Su Yun spoke softly, as if recounting a familiar story.
"Aying's lightness skill is first-class, and few people in the world can surpass her."
“You saw me run away from your window that day.”
"Aying is an excellent archer, never missing a shot."
Ning Lu picked up a pebble and threw it with her backhand.
The candlelight deep in the dungeon flickered and one went out.
Su Yun hesitated, "Take off your clothes and show me your right shoulder."
Ning Lu was speechless again and could only comply.
Half a finger's width, pinkish-white raised, clearly scar hyperplasia caused by lack of timely care after a serious injury.
Su Yun seemed incredulous and leaned closer to examine it more closely.
Her fingertips were also cold, which made Ning Lu shiver.
Seeing this, the man gave up, slumped back onto the haystack, and stared blankly at her.
"Now you believe me?"
That's the good thing about soul transmigration: verifying your identity is no problem.
Ning Lu asked a question as she finished tying her clothes.
"You really don't remember anything?"
Su Yun was half-believing and half-doubting.
Ning Lu was initially a little annoyed. She had already taken off her clothes, so how could she prove it?
Looking up suddenly, I saw Su Yun looking tearful and dejected, like the regretful sight of ancient people meeting but not recognizing each other.
Her eyes inexplicably felt hot, and the tip of her nose tingled.
I wonder if her best friend, seeing her drastic change in personality, would immediately notice something was wrong, just like Su Yun did, and then be speechless with astonishment...
The familiar musty smell of the dungeon filled Ninglu's nostrils, helping her recall the gloomy memories of her time there not long ago, and the urgent desire to go home.
She immediately came to her senses and steered the conversation toward the crazy woman.
"I heard that there's a girl at Yanchun Tower who was frightened and then became a completely different person. Do you know the details of this?"
Why are you asking this?
Su Yun was somewhat bewildered, as this seemed to be the least relevant issue to her current situation.
Ning Lu shrugged and dragged the stool closer to her: "On my way to Changzhou, I heard that she also became a completely different person overnight. If we both have the same illness, maybe I can return the Liu Yunying you remember to you."
"You're making it sound like you've really gone mad." Su Yun smiled bitterly, her gaze falling on the thin calluses on Hong Yu's hands. She lowered her guard considerably and became more talkative: "Hong Yu was driven mad. You're a witness to that, too."
"Before coming to Yanchunlou, she was a maid in Pan Xingxue's household. Because she was obedient and charming, she caught Pan Xingxue's eye and became his ninth concubine. His first wife did not agree and sold Hongyu to Yanchunlou."
"What does that have to do with me?"
“When Hongyu came to Yanchunlou, business was booming. I had a lot of free time. You also didn’t have much business during that period, so you often came to see me. We would play cards in the room, while Hongyu was entertaining customers next door. She kept crying and got beaten up by her patrons.”
Recalling the incident of her hitting Pan Xingxue, Su Yun said calmly, "It's common in our line of work. You knew back then that you couldn't change it unless you redeemed yourself and left."
Upon hearing this, Ning Lu pursed her lips guiltily.
"What happened back then?"
“You secretly extinguished the candle and pretended to be a ghost to scare away your patron.” Su Yun’s dejected expression brightened with a smile as she mentioned this incident: “I didn’t expect Hongyu to faint from fright as well. That child had been frightened by Pan Xingxue for more than half a year and was humiliated at Yanchun Tower. In the middle of the night, she couldn’t think straight and threw herself into the lake.”
"After she was pulled out of the water, she didn't die, but she fell seriously ill and started talking nonsense. Madam Kang didn't want to keep her anymore. You and I even discussed that if we couldn't save enough money to buy her freedom, we might as well pretend to be crazy too."
Seeing Ning Lu's somber expression, Su Yun sighed softly and let the matter drop.
How is she now?
“Master Tongguang sent a message a few days ago saying that after performing several rituals, he is much better and can now remember some people.”
Perform a ritual...
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Ning Lu asked, "Do you know where she is now?"
She remembered that when she was in Ying County, there were rumors that this madwoman had returned to Yanchunlou.
"I suppose you're still at the Taoist temple. A few days before you came to see me, Zhao Yue came by and forced me to lure you into a trap. This news was also meant to lure you out." Su Yun lowered her eyes: "I didn't expect you to have amnesia and forget our code."
Ning Lu's expression grew increasingly confused.
Su Yun wasn't in a hurry and slowly explained, "You always say that you live on the edge of a knife, so you go your own way and don't want to burden others."
At this point, Ning Lu remembered that the note said she must go alone.
"You are Liu...your only friend?"
"Hongyu might count too. But she can't say anything now."
Su Yun's tone was low, filled with regret and sorrow.
Ning Lu suddenly realized what was going on when she heard this.
She had heard from Xie Qinghe that Liu Yunying was elusive, skilled in assassination, and few had ever seen her true face.
Su Yun, who was standing in front of her, said that she was her only friend.
He doesn't usually have much of a social life, so why would he insist on going alone?
No wonder Su Yun was so surprised when she first arrived at Yan Chun Lou.
No wonder she was never recognized by anyone after she came into this world.
No wonder, after every moment of extreme excitement, she always felt a lingering loneliness in her heart.
She thought it was because she was too lonely, too confused, and too eager to go home.
What's even funnier is that she has no memory of it and originally had a real chance to avoid getting involved in this mess.
Ning Lu bit her dry lips and asked in a hoarse voice, "Where is the Taoist temple you mentioned?"
"On Yongning Mountain, three miles outside the West Gate." Seeing her about to leave, Su Yun quickly grabbed her: "Where are you going?"
"Go to the Taoist temple and find Hongyu."
“I don’t understand.” Su Yun stepped in front of her, her tone urgent: “I don’t care if you are A Ying or not, or how much you remember after you lost your memory, or what kind of relationship you have with Xie Qinghe now.”
"If you fail to assassinate Xie Qinghe, Prince Jing will not let you off. Right now, since Xie Qinghe is willing to protect you, you are safest by his side."
The deep concern in Su Yun's eyes warmed Ning Lu's heart.
She was telling the truth.
Ning Lu's breathing quickened slightly.
But she still wanted to get closer to the possibility of going home as soon as possible.
“I know all this. I will send someone to inform Xie Qinghe of my whereabouts. It’s not even noon yet, and I will be back in the city before dark.”
Before leaving, Ning Lu remembered something and asked her, "You said I didn't call you Su Yun before, so what should I call you now?"
"Lanzhou, Yu Lanzhou".
"Okay, Lanzhou. I'll try my best to return your friend to you as soon as possible."
The girl skipped along excitedly, lifting her skirt and striding up the steps.
It was a spirited and vibrant energy, completely different from Liu Yunying's.
Separated by a wall, in a dark room, one cannot see facial features or the person's expression in the darkness.
After a long silence, the person spoke, his voice gloomy and weak, like a ghostly fire floating aimlessly in hell.
"Follow her."
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