Chapter 37 The Frightened Bird "Thanks to Miss Ning."
After enduring the torture in the dungeon, Ning Lu was completely traumatized by the place, and her desire to go home reached its peak.
The day after her release from prison, she thought about climbing over the wall to go to Yanchunlou to find Suyun, and then ask Suyun about that crazy woman.
But things are never as simple as she thought.
I originally thought that the fact that I could still move freely after being tortured was due to the original owner's superb physical abilities, but I never expected that it was just because the time was not long enough.
When she woke up the next day, she was so sore and numb all over that she couldn't get out of bed, let alone climb walls and trees to escape.
Even with the best doctors, the best medicines, and the best tonics in Changzhou being delivered to her residence every day, she still had to stay in the house for ten days before she could barely move around freely.
Xie Qinghe has also been very busy lately.
Since that day she left, she rarely saw him. Most of the time, they would just glance at each other and pass by.
However, legends are just legends; though the person never appeared, we heard plenty of gossip and rumors.
It is said that he gave several officials in Changzhou a hard time as soon as he made his move.
First, several officials were invited to the government office under the pretext of discussing matters. They arrived, but Xie Qinghe did not.
The three men sat in front of the hall for a long time, filled with anxiety and apprehension. Pan Xingxue was the most anxious, followed by Jiang Hong, the magistrate of Pingcheng County.
Before dawn the next day, Xie Qinghe's subordinates invited the three officials to the government office again, but he himself did not arrive for a long time.
The same thing happened on the third day.
On the fourth day, Wei Chun and Wei Zhan carried boxes upon boxes of grain tax records from Changzhou over the past few years into the government office, standing there without uttering a word.
Pan Xingxue and Jiang Hong, the magistrate of Pingcheng County, could no longer sit still. Someone spoke first, and the two began pushing and shoving each other in the hall. Later, Lord Cen also joined in. The three argued fiercely, creating utter chaos.
At this point, Magistrate Xie arrived late. He threw the two county magistrates into prison for insubordination, and Prefect Pan punished them with a beating for lax governance.
Currently, the governor of Changzhou is recuperating at home, and the two county magistrates are imprisoned. Two civil officials have been transferred from a neighboring prefecture to assist the imperial guards in investigating cases, firstly to check backlogged cases in the dungeons, and secondly to review the accounts of the two counties and one prefecture.
"If you ask me, it's because Lord Pan injured you so badly that you won't let him off so easily. I'm afraid this is just the beginning."
After waking up from her afternoon nap, with nothing to do, Ning Lu put on a cotton coat and went outside, choosing a stone path she hadn't walked on before and strolling along it.
Qingzhi stayed by her side, telling her one interesting story after another.
Ning Lu looked up at the wall, half of what Qingzhi said had entered her mind and the other half had been forgotten.
After only a few days together, she realized that, as expected of someone from a wealthy family, even the maids and servants were more knowledgeable about the current political situation than she was.
Having been bedridden for several days, Ning Lu was finally able to go out for a walk, only to realize that the inn was completely surrounded by Xie family soldiers. Without Xie Qinghe's permission, she couldn't possibly walk out openly.
The only way is to find a gap in the defense and get out once you're almost fully recovered.
"Miss, did you hear what I said?"
Qingzhi tugged at Ninglu's sleeve.
"I heard that. Your parents are amazing. They can stop dogs from barking and children from crying at night."
"That's not it." Qingzhi helped Ninglu up the stone steps. "What I meant was that Lord Xie's kindness to you, Miss, is unprecedented. He has never been so kind to anyone else before."
Ning Lu turned her gaze from the wall to Qingzhi's face.
With unwavering conviction and absolute certainty.
Her eye twitched, and she forced a smile.
She believed that. Given Xie Qinghe's reputation, even if he were willing to be nice to someone, probably no girl could handle it.
However, she also knew where the little girl's misunderstanding came from.
According to them, these girls were selected from the capital and sent to Xie Qinghe's side a month ago. Qinghuai was steady and reliable with a long-term vision, while Qingzhi was clever and knowledgeable.
These two people always manage to find something new or interesting to tell her every day.
The three of them got along very well, and even if she didn't go out, she didn't feel bored at all.
The maids were all marveling at Xie Qinghe's thoughtfulness and care for them, but Ning Lu was calculating the purpose of this powerful figure lurking by her side.
She was still unsure whether Xie Qinghe knew that she was Liu Yunying.
The winding path leads to a secluded spot, stretching towards the pavilion overlooking the water.
Ning Lu stepped onto the stone steps and suddenly stopped.
In the distance, behind a pavilion with curtains drawn on all sides, a man dressed as an imperial guard was giving a reply.
The man turned to the side, revealing Xie Qinghe's figure.
From a distance, he sat on a large rosewood couch, leaning against a pillow, his head slightly turned to the side.
He mostly listened with his eyes down, and when he occasionally frowned and spoke, he would cough for a long time while his body trembled.
Through the curtain, Ning Lu couldn't see him clearly, but he seemed more and more like a jade statue covered in dust.
The few remaining traces of human presence that had finally warmed up in the suburban courtyards have all disappeared.
The imposing and upright leader of the Imperial Guard bowed and took his leave, then slowly turned around after taking two steps back.
Upon catching sight of Ning Lu, he paused, met Wei Chun's gaze, and then drew Xie Qinghe's attention.
A short while later, Wei Chun appeared in front of her.
"Miss Ning, what a coincidence! We just had a new doctor come to take your pulse today, and the master just said he'd send him to you for a checkup. Since you're here, why don't you come and sit in the pavilion?"
It's already winter, and instead of staying in a room, they're sitting in the lakeside pavilion. Isn't that crazy?
Ning Lu rubbed her hands together, unable to understand.
Since she was eating his food and using his things, she couldn't be too pretentious or refuse, so she nodded and followed.
After taking two steps, he realized that no one was behind him. When he turned around, Qingzhi was already standing sideways with her head down, no longer looking forward.
The two looked at each other, and Ning Lu realized that it was Xie Qinghe's rule again.
There are so many rules.
As she drew closer, the man sat up slightly, allowing her to see him more clearly.
Her dark blue casual clothes were loose, and her eyes were slightly dark. Seeing a few traces of color on her face, she casually pointed to the cushion.
Ning Lu opened her mouth, racking her brains but unable to recall what those grand gestures were like. After a long while, she could only manage to utter, "Thank you, sir."
The stars in his eyes fell in response, but he didn't say anything, only nodded.
The charcoal fire in the middle of the lake was burning brightly, and it wasn't as cold as she had imagined.
Are you feeling better?
"I feel much better, thanks to your medicine."
Ning Lu rubbed her fingertips together and smiled brightly.
His gaze paused briefly, then slowly moved downwards before landing on the ground.
The doctor hadn't arrived yet; Wei Chun and Wei Zhan stood outside, and the room was deathly silent.
She looked left and right, then stole a glance at Xie Qinghe.
Stacks upon stacks of documents lay on the desk, almost burying a person in them.
Seeing his noticeably more haggard appearance than before, Ning Lu couldn't help but sigh, "Sure enough, anyone would look haggard on this shift."
"It was me before..."
"I've been waiting for you to come back."
"Huh?" Ning Lu didn't understand what he meant, leaning forward with a puzzled look on her face.
Xie Qinghe was stunned, smiled bitterly, and shook his head gently.
Although I didn't hear clearly, why did he suddenly feel wronged?
She seems to be the one who was kept in the dark and made a fool of, right?
But……
She glanced at that face; it was devilishly handsome.
She hadn't seen him for the past few days, and she had been thinking a lot.
At first, I was angry and felt cheated.
But then he thought back to when he said he didn't want to deceive her, and she accepted it without any objection.
Since she didn't want to take on other people's secrets in the first place, she didn't intend to criticize him for keeping them hidden now. Besides, their relationship was at most that of hiking buddies who met by chance, and not digging into their secrets was a matter of adult boundaries.
Without much thought, I managed to calm myself down.
While inwardly cursing herself for being unprincipled, Ning Lu forced an awkward smile and tried to appease the old man: "I got arrested, you know. I had already escaped and was thinking of buying some wine to take back, but then I ran into Zhao Yue."
Mentioning that guy surnamed Zhao inevitably reminded her of the fact that she was Liu Yunying at that moment, so she immediately peeked at Xie Qinghe's reaction.
"Um... are you alright?"
His half-dead state is really worrying.
"It's alright."
Hearing her concern, a warmth spread across his face.
"What about the wound on your chest? Have you had the doctor here take another look?"
"It's all better now."
"That's good." She changed the subject, muttering to herself, "The wound was quite deep back then. I wonder who was so ruthless."
Xie Qinghe tilted his head and stared at her as his fingertips, which were resting on the pillow, twitched slightly.
"Hiss—" Ning Lu thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "I remember you were looking for someone named Liu Yunying before. Was it her who did it?"
Hearing this, and seeing her stiff, pretentious demeanor as she shook her head, he instantly guessed what she was thinking.
His eyes curved slightly at the corners, and as he lowered his head and coughed, he curled the corners of his lips into a smile.
Xie Qinghe's cough came on so badly that his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
Ning Lu watched from the side. At first, she could sit still, but after listening for a while, she became restless.
In the past, she would have nagged and stuck it on, but now...
There are differences between men and women.
There is a distinction between the noble and the lowly.
Xie Qinghe's chest heaved as he gasped for breath, the smile in his eyes turning into impatience and exhaustion.
After a while, he finally caught his breath, raised his arm from the pillow, and pointed to the teacup on the table: "Excuse me."
The voice was hoarse from coughing, but Ning Lu didn't suspect anything and quickly ran forward to pick up the teacup on the table and hand it to him.
Seeing that he didn't answer and was just panting with his eyes closed, she looked back. Wei Chun, who was usually very perceptive, was completely still at this moment.
Ning Lu had no choice but to lift the teacup up slightly and lean it close to him, using it to support his swaying body.
With her curled eyelashes raised, Xie Qinghe looked down at the rippling tea in her cup, leaned slightly forward, and took a sip from her hand.
As their fingertips collided, a chill emanated from him, and Ning Lu immediately felt half of her arm go numb.
Not this trick again?
Just as I was about to lash out, I saw him cough again.
It doesn't seem like he's faking it.
After he finished drinking, Ning Lu quickly pushed the teacup onto the incense table beside her and said with a forced smile, "Lord Xie, please don't mind, and don't get agitated. I didn't mean to pry. I was just thinking, you are of noble status, and your health is not good. In that desolate wilderness, the other party was so vicious. It was truly inhuman..."
Xie Qinghe's eyelids twitched, and he spoke softly.
"You guessed right, it was her."
Ning Lu thought she was hallucinating and suddenly looked up at Xie Qinghe.
"Liu Yunying".
The two were not far apart to begin with. Seeing that she stammered for a long time without being able to speak, Xie Qinghe took the opportunity to grab her wrist, pointed to his chest, and gestured up and down along the scar through his clothes.
“From here, to here, it’s this long, half a finger deep.”
Without him saying it, Ning Lu had seen that scar before.
The doctor at the time said that he had a pre-existing heart condition, and that the slightest mistake during the incision could cost him his life.
Upon noticing the faint purple tinge on his lips, Ning Lu didn't dare to struggle any further.
She forced herself to remain calm and looked back into his eyes, where her reflection was clearly seen in Xie Qinghe's bright eyes.
At this moment, she was wearing a peach-pink jacket, her cheeks flushed, looking exactly like a ripe shrimp.
"It really is her..."
"Thanks to Miss Ning." Xie Qinghe lowered his eyes: "If it weren't for you, I really would have died in the mountains."
"No, no, no, sir, you are blessed with good fortune. Good people are rewarded. This is your good luck..."
Ning Lu's brain completely shut down. Apart from feeling guilty, she was filled with lingering fear and completely forgot that half a month ago, she had denounced Xie Qinghe as an utterly wicked person in front of Ji Ming almost every day.
Unfortunately, Xie Qinghe has a very good memory.
"Huh? Xie Qinghe was a good person after all?"
He pretended not to understand and tilted his head to ask in return.
"Yes! How could it not be?"
Ning Lu nodded vigorously.
"How could that be?"
"You... are magnanimous... a gentleman of integrity... and kind... kind..."
"Master! The doctor has arrived."
Wei Zhan's loud voice came from outside the pavilion, rescuing Ning Lu from danger.
She felt as if she had been granted a pardon, quickly pulled away from his grasp, crawled backward, and stood up.
He turned and gave Wei Zhan a grateful look, but Wei Chun looked around hesitantly to enter, while Xie Qinghe's face was gloomy.
The atmosphere was eerie.
She straightened her clothes, cleared her throat, and tried her best to look presentable.
"Lord Xie was coughing badly just now, Doctor, please take a look at him first."
"No need." Xie Qinghe stood up leisurely, his eyes darkening. The doctor immediately understood and placed the medical record next to Ning Lu.
At first, everything went smoothly, involving nothing more than observation, listening, questioning, and palpation.
Later, the doctor examined her neck and the back of her head through a handkerchief, and asked her some strange questions before he stopped.
Finally, the day ended. Ning Lu made up an excuse and ran away from the pavilion in the middle of the lake without looking back.
She locked the door, jumped onto the bed, and buried herself under the covers, screaming in despair.
She couldn't even imagine Liu Yunying assassinating Xie Qinghe.
So, what exactly was Liu Yunying, this great master, busy with before the soul swap? Was she causing trouble everywhere?
She gasped for breath, her eyes closed, and wailed.
The original owner is suspected to be the biggest winner of this time travel and soul swap, while she herself is undoubtedly the biggest victim.
I felt tightness in my chest, shortness of breath, cold sweat pouring down my face, and my fingertips trembling. Lying in bed with my eyes closed, Xie Qinghe's phoenix eyes, which seemed to be smiling but weren't, kept appearing before my eyes.
Ning Lu sighed, got out of bed, poured herself a glass of water, and before her lips even touched the teacup, she remembered the temperature of the water he had held when she drank it.
Startled, I slammed the water glass back onto the table.
"It's okay, Ning Lu. Don't overthink it, don't stoop to his level."
"Think about it, it's quite normal for someone like him, who can control everything and is chronically ill, to have some mental health issues."
"What does it matter? As long as he doesn't kill you and can help you fend off Prince Jing's pursuit, it doesn't matter."
"But this reaction is very strange."
"Does he know that I am Liu Yunying?"
Ning Lu sat up straight on the bench with a thud, gasping for breath.
Just now, how was Xie Qinghe's tone of voice when he spoke to her different from when he teased Pan Xingxue?
Thinking of this, Ning Lu broke out in another cold sweat before the cold sweat had subsided, and her fingertips trembled slightly.
No matter what, we can't stay here any longer.
She needs to go find Su Yun right now.
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