Chapter 36: Running Away in the Wind.
Ning Lu sensed disappointment in that soft sigh and reflexively asked, "How...how could this be?"
Oh no, I forgot I'm a people-pleaser.
But Xie Qinghe's seemingly random question made her realize that she might not have to be tortured today.
Not only will she not be tortured, she might not even have to stay in this dark and gloomy place anymore.
A pair of small hands silently rose and huddled in front of Xie Qinghe, tentatively asking, "Now that it's untied, can we leave here?"
Xie Qinghe glanced at the forced smile on her face and silently helped her unlock the chains on her wrists.
Ning Lu couldn't tell whether his fingers or the iron chain were colder.
Wei Chun, who had been standing behind Xie Qinghe, saw him bend over and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Master, let me do it."
After a night of twists and turns, whether he can stand up after squatting down is another matter.
"I can do it myself."
Ning Lu prided herself on her keen observation skills, but Wei Chun gave her a resentful look, and she quickly fell silent.
With the chains on his feet loosened, Xie Qinghe had already climbed the steps.
Ning Lu glanced back at the people in the prison, feeling a mix of emotions, her legs still too heavy to move.
"Miss Ning, please."
Wei Chun blocked her view and gestured to the side.
She gritted her teeth, turned around, and followed Xie Qinghe.
"Ji Amin... uh... Lord Xie, are you here to save me?"
The man paused slightly, then continued forward, and Ning Lu followed him unimpeded out of the dungeon.
No one stopped him, and naturally no one stopped her either.
It was a bright and sunny day outside.
But the snow has melted, and winter has arrived.
As Ning Lu slowly adjusted to the bright light, she inevitably shivered and instinctively reached out to grab his sleeve.
Then, remembering his current identity, he slowly withdrew his hand that was suspended in mid-air.
The next instant, a brocade cloak was thrown into his arms.
At the dungeon gate, jailers and guards knelt on the ground, while the imperial guards lowered their eyes, not daring to look directly at them.
The carriage bearing the Xie family's insignia was already prepared.
Xie Qinghe stood a few steps in front of Ning Lu, turned to her and asked, "Haven't you had enough?"
She clutched the valuable garment in her arms, looked back at the bottomless dungeon, and tiptoed forward to get close to him.
"They...took my money. And my clothes too."
The jailers lying on the ground were clearly not expected Ning Lu to bring up this old grievance. They pushed each other, and no one dared to speak up.
Xie Qinghe's hand, which was supporting him on the side of the car, slowly fell down: "You are involved in a major case, I will not let you leave."
Ning Lu continued to struggle: "That money is my hard-earned money."
The man frowned upon hearing this and nodded to Wei Chun.
The jailers were always adept at reading people's expressions. Without waiting for Wei Chun's signal, they hurriedly began to pull out money from their pockets.
There was a lot of money on the ground, but most of it was silver ingots; there was no trace of her copper coins.
Seeing those people who used to yell at her and act so domineeringly now kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy, she, a modern person, felt completely out of place.
Can……
It felt really good.
Her watery eyes darted around, and she bit her lip slightly, looking troubled. "Actually, the money is secondary. The main thing is a handkerchief. A handkerchief for wrapping money... belongs to Lord Xie."
Upon hearing this, the jailers were stunned. They started to pass the buck to each other and began to pull things out of their pockets.
In the blink of an eye, besides the silver coins, jade pendants, money bags, handkerchiefs, flints, and all sorts of other things were laid out on the ground.
Ning Lu picked up the plain handkerchief from the pile, folded it neatly, and put it into her bosom.
She only wanted to get back her two hundred coins, but the jailers looked so sincere and obsequious that it seemed they really wanted to give her all the money.
Just then, the jailer jogged over and brought her clothes and shoes. On a whim, she picked out the largest pieces of silver from each of the jailers who had beaten her and stuffed them into her pocket.
Xie Qinghe saw through her little scheme and let her make a fuss, then got into the carriage on his own.
Wei Chun had no choice but to urge again, "Please, young lady."
The carriage had a blue curtain and a black canopy, and the white jade bells at the corners of the curtains swayed in the wind.
A servant was bowing and bending over in front of her, allowing her to step onto the carriage.
Ning Lu looked at her blood-soaked clothes.
"Or I'll ride a horse."
"Girl, please don't make things difficult for us."
Wei Chun's voice was not loud, and it was completely different from his frivolous and intimate tone that rainy night.
Ning Lu smiled apologetically and nodded, bowed slightly and said "excuse me" softly, then hesitated before lifting her foot.
She still couldn't bring herself to step on the other person's back, so she simply spread the cloak she was holding on the edge of the carriage, walked around the servant, and leaned onto the carriage with one hand.
The injury aggravated his face, causing it to contort in pain.
Lifting the curtain and stepping inside, the spacious and luxurious interior was even more astonishing.
Xie Qinghe leaned back, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, or perhaps plotting something.
In short, it was a picture of utmost integrity and purity.
Ning Lu examined herself again, carefully using her large outer robe to cover the dirt on her body, and then quietly sat down in a spot by the door, furthest from Xie Qinghe.
Her mind raced through the scenes of her journey from Zhujia'ao to Yingxian, and she relentlessly complained about Xie Qinghe.
What did she say? Insidious, cunning, ruthless, and deserving of death...
She even imagined a romantic love story between Xie Qinghe and the emperor...
Fortunately, she didn't say this out of consideration for societal norms and social norms, fearing he wouldn't appreciate it.
Ning Lu secretly rejoiced that she had been cautious back then. Before she could even let out a sigh of relief, she recalled that one night in Zhujia'ao, she had asked Ji Ming why he didn't join her in cursing Xie Qinghe...
What was Ji Ming's reaction at that time?
Silence? A bitter smile? A half-smile?
He shivered, huddled in his cloak, buried his head in it, and pinched his thigh hard to tell himself not to think about it anymore.
On the contrary, those chaotic thoughts ran rampant in her mind like wild horses.
For example, after coming down from Siyun Mountain, she risked her life to protect him and prevent him from meeting with Wei Zhan.
On a night of torrential rain, she used her silver tongue to deceive Wei Chun and tell him that she had never seen such a person.
And then… she suddenly remembered the day Zhao Yue chased after Da Cheng to his house.
So, it seemed quite peaceful inside before she rushed in and unleashed the dogs and chickens.
So it seems that it wasn't her doing everything she could to save his life, but rather that she was doing everything she could to prevent them from meeting.
This kind of joke would be too melodramatic even in a stand-up comedy show, how did she actually manage to do it all by herself?
Ning Lu felt increasingly guilty as she thought about it, and before she knew it, she was covered in a cold sweat.
It's not funny at all.
She secretly peeked at Xie Qinghe, whose eyes were still closed, and he seemed to be drowsy.
Perhaps it was the effect of the official robes, but despite having the same face, the demeanor and bearing in his eyes and brows were completely different from Ji A'ming in the bamboo hut.
Looking at him from afar, it seemed that he had always been like this, calm and composed, with everything under control.
From beginning to end...
At first, he wanted to find Liu Yunying, so he tested her in every way, harboring murderous intent, but later he rarely mentioned her again.
In an instant, a flash of inspiration struck Ning Lu, and she silently swallowed.
In Zhujia'ao, he made her test medicines and dishes, and also made her shoot birds, kill birds, and pluck birds' feathers...
It's less of a prank and more of a...
To test the waters.
In an instant, all the previous wariness of the person in front of me suddenly seemed to have a valid reason. Her own jumping around seemed like a fool's performance.
She almost confessed that she was a time traveler.
Judging from the current situation, this person probably won't believe her, and will likely label her as insane and kill her on a whim.
As her mind cleared, Ning Lu bit her lips until they turned white, her fingertips circling the drawstring on her clothes.
We have to run.
The carriage jolted and swayed, and the person sitting inside silently frowned and coughed.
Ning Lu's heart skipped a beat.
The original owner of this body had a special identity, and too many people wanted to kill her.
Pan Xingxue in the yamen, Zhao Yue who is rarely seen, and Prince Jing, whose name is only mentioned but never seen...
These people were determined to kill her, but Xie Qinghe, who was standing in front of her, had not yet laid a hand on her and had even saved her.
After thinking it over, Ning Lu realized with a start that she had fallen into that vicious cycle again.
She had no better way to survive than to stay by his side.
Just like when she first transmigrated, there was no faster and safer way for her to understand this world than saving Ji Ming and binding herself to him.
The only slight improvement in her current situation compared to before is that she can better master the original owner's skills, she has gained acquaintances through Su Yun, and...
Whether Xie Qinghe acknowledges it or not, there is still a little bit of affection between her and Ji Ming.
Guh—
Xie Qinghe slowly opened his deep eyes and looked at her stomach.
"Hold on a little longer, we'll be at the post station soon."
"Um."
Ning Lu shrank back, trying her best to disappear under the cloak.
His sharp, eagle-like eyes lingered on her for a long time before disappearing again.
She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.
We have to run, but we have to wait.
The dungeon was damp and dark, making it difficult to sleep.
The carriage had a heater and sandalwood and pine resin, making it not only dry and warm but also fragrant, making it a very pleasant place to sleep.
Swaying slightly, accompanied by the calming incense, she unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
The carriage slowly came to a stop, and the scattered whispers outside failed to wake her.
With a soft sigh, my body was enveloped in a cool, soft embrace.
At first, the other person hurt her, and she mistook him for a cruel prison official. Without opening her eyes, she whimpered and instinctively begged for mercy, and the man's strength immediately became much lighter.
The skin and flesh at the wound site were torn open, burning and aching, but this guy's body was cool, soft, and very comfortable.
Ning Lu subconsciously leaned closer to it, until her fingertips touched the gold embroidery thread and she realized something was wrong, opening her eyes in horror.
It was pitch black.
She was completely covered from head to toe in clothes and was being carried horizontally in someone's arms.
"Don't move." Xie Qinghe's emotionless voice rang out above her head. As if afraid she wouldn't obey, he added a harsh threat: "If you're discovered, you'll have to go back to the dungeon."
Upon hearing this, Ning Lu dared not move again and silently tightened her grip on his shoulder.
“You’re the boss here now. If you’re not planning to kill me, don’t try to scare me.”
Her chest heaved, producing a deep sound that she couldn't tell if it was laughter or a soft hum.
Anwen settled down on the edge of the bed, but before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, she noticed that Xie Qinghe's movements were sluggish and his breathing was heavy.
Ning Lu wanted to help him up through his clothes, but then she felt that his official robes were too precious and prickly to the touch. While she hesitated, the man slowly straightened up.
With a rustling sound, the medicinal fragrance belonging to Xie Qinghe completely faded away.
She then used her hands and feet to push aside the furry cloak covering her body, revealing her head.
Xie Qinghe was nowhere to be seen; in his place were a room full of kneeling maids and doctors.
She tugged at his dark brocade robe, stunned. Before she could react, the doctor and maid took turns tending to her.
First, they took my pulse, then hot water was brought into the room one after another, and finally, there were exquisitely packaged porcelain bottles and medicinal powder.
The cumin-like powder was described by the maid as the best medicine for wounds.
Ning Lu stared at the gradually melting powder on her arm and suddenly remembered that it was the same when she first applied medicine to Ji Ming.
His skin was very white, like streaky pork.
I made a wish on a whim back then, and later I actually got to eat barbecue.
A young girl who called herself Qingzhi brought over a set of light yellow cotton clothes and helped her put them on piece by piece.
"Miss, Lord Xie knows you are hungry and has instructed the kitchen to serve dishes in the outer room."
She spent a day and a half in jail and only ate one moldy steamed bun.
Of course I'm hungry.
He scrambled to the door, where the table was piled high with vegetables, fish soup, meat, noodles, rice, and all sorts of other dishes.
Ning Lu was lured across the threshold, only then did she see Xie Qinghe sitting upright in the seat of honor.
The doctor and maid who had just examined her pulse and applied medicine were kneeling on the ground responding to her. Upon seeing her arrive, they fell silent and withdrew at Xie Qinghe's signal.
He didn't speak, but the servants around him quickly and orderly withdrew. The only remaining Wei Zhan was also dragged outside by Wei Chun.
Only the two of them remained in the room. Ning Lu smiled ingratiatingly, took a step forward, unsure whether she should speak directly or follow the example of the others by bowing twice before politely thanking them.
"Aren't you hungry?"
Xie Qinghe spoke, but unlike before, he seemed uninterested.
She felt as if she had been granted a pardon, nodded frantically, chose a seat not too far from him, and wolfed down her food with her chopsticks.
These dishes would have been delicacies for Ning Lu, who had been starving in prison for two days, even if she had been able to live a month ago without worrying about food and clothing.
Looking at the half bowl of rice that she had shoveled down in one go, Xie Qinghe smiled wryly and picked up a few chopsticks of vegetables and put them in her bowl.
"Eat slowly, it's all yours."
Ning Lu then noticed that he hadn't touched a bite.
Aren't you going to eat?
Seeing him shake his head, Ning Lu slowly slowed down her eating, took a few more bites, and then put her chopsticks back on the chopstick rest.
"Are you full already?"
Upon hearing this, she looked down at what was in front of her: half a bowl of rice, a braised pork knuckle, chicken, duck, fish, and vegetable noodle soup. She had tasted almost everything.
We should be full by now.
"I don't think I've thanked you for saving me yet."
With good food and warm clothes, even if Ning Lu was slow to notice, she could sense that this person had no intention of killing her.
"Didn't you treat me the same way?"
Xie Qinghe countered with a question.
Aside from the one in the palace, he had never taken the initiative to be nice to anyone else. All of this was done in the same way she had treated him.
"Did I... also count as saving you?"
Ning Lu didn't grasp the meaning behind it, and smiled bitterly, with a hint of self-mockery.
"I'm afraid Lord Xie is just teasing me because he thinks I'm silly."
Xie Qinghe tilted his head and thought seriously for a while. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a noise outside the door.
"Master, the three magistrates of Changzhou are already waiting at the government office."
After a brief silence, Xie Qinghe straightened up: "This is a separate courtyard of the inn, no one else will come. You can rest and recover."
He paused, then added, "It's not safe outside, don't go out."
Ning Lu fiddled with the rim of her bowl, intending to naturally filter out the sentence, when she heard Xie Qinghe say leisurely, "Yan Chun Lou is especially off-limits."
She looked up abruptly and saw the man's expression, a half-smile that seemed to see right through her.
A surge of inexplicable anger welled up inside her. She pursed her lips and gave a muffled "hmm."
The man walked unhurriedly to the door, which opened from the outside, revealing the orderly waiting of his attendants.
"The Book of Songs says, 'Both bright and wise.' 'Both bright' is my courtesy name. You can call me that if you like."
After Xie Qinghe finished speaking, he didn't pause and walked away.
Ning Lu, however, stared at the scattered grains of rice in the bowl for a long time before slowly coming back to her senses.
At that time, two or three maids came up to serve her, and after she said she had eaten her fill, they brought the dishes down one by one.
Only a bowl of dark, terrifying-looking herbal medicine remained on the table.
"Is this medicine for me?"
"Yes, miss, it is Lord Xie."
When the maid spoke, Ning Lu seemed not to hear her and took a small sip.
It's cold, and...
It's so bitter. Much more bitter than the medicine she tried in Zhujia'ao before.
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