Chapter 79 The Journey Home: "I won't defend myself, nor will I regret it."...
Xie Qinghe's people are efficient and reliable; once he gives an order, she hardly has to worry about anything.
From the moment she received the news until her official departure, Ning Lu only had two things to do personally: inform Qinghuai and Qingzhi of the list of things she needed to bring with her, and bid farewell to Yu Lanzhou and Hongyu.
Neither of these two things is too troublesome.
When Xie Qinghe arrested the man, he was locked up in the west wing. After Ning Lu returned, she simply moved him to the east wing.
Although the inn was not a grand mansion, it was much better than the meditation room and the single cell in the dungeon of Yongning Temple.
The three of them gathered together and didn't feel crowded.
When they first heard that they had to leave in a hurry, Hongyu cried and made a fuss, and Yu Lanzhou also had some doubts.
"Given the current situation, whether it's a blessing or a curse for you to travel with him is uncertain."
Whether in the past or present, Xie Qinghe's ruthlessness was something he had witnessed firsthand, while the tenderness and cunning Ning Lu spoke of were merely hearsay.
She was still a little worried.
Whether it's a blessing or a curse, we should give it a try.
Ning Lu swung her legs, gently patted the exhausted Hongyu, and teased, "Look, I'm using the courage of Liu Yunying now. If I chickened out, wouldn't I be the one who loses face?"
Amused by her strange argument, Yu Lanzhou shook her head reproachfully.
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” She said seriously, “The capital is full of people and eyes, and it’s the center of power and wealth. Even I don’t know if A-Ying has made enemies with anyone. I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle it…”
"I've thought about that too. But then I realized that the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. If I follow Xie Qinghe, those who have no grudges in the past might become enemies from now on."
Ning Lu leaned back, her expression calm and composed: "There are only those who steal for a thousand days, not those who guard against thieves for a thousand days."
"Too."
Yu Lanzhou remained noncommittal, shrugging in agreement while carefully examining Ning Luzai through the candlelight.
That face, which she used to know so well, now shone with a radiance she didn't recognize.
In her glances, compared to before, there was less gloom and heaviness, and more girlish liveliness.
After looking at her for a while, I also found her beautiful and alluring.
"A couple of days ago, when you were unconscious, I had a dream." Yu Lanzhou hesitated for a moment, "I dreamt that Aying came to say goodbye. She said she was doing well, and with your help, she would get what she wanted. She told me not to worry."
The lighthearted ease in her expression came to an abrupt halt, and Ning Lu looked back, holding her breath.
"I woke up that night with my pillow wet with tears, but I also felt relieved. Today, looking at you again through the moonlight, Ning Lu, I suddenly felt that the one who appeared in my dream was her. Or perhaps, it wasn't a dream at all."
"Lanzhou".
"Thank you for letting me see her again. Talking to you feels like something is still there."
"If you don't mind, you can treat me as a friend."
Ning Lu hesitated, then slowly looked up at Yu Lanzhou.
A radiant light shone between his brows and eyes.
Hongyu murmured in her sleep, greedily eating the osmanthus cake of autumn.
Upon hearing this, the two stopped crying and started laughing.
"I thought we were friends a long time ago."
Yu Lanzhou teased Ning Lu, causing her eyes to redden.
The wind howled.
Ning Lu and Yu Lanzhou sat side by side on the bed, chatting casually.
The conversation started with Liu Yunying's past, then moved on to Yu Lanzhou's past, and finally to Ning Lu's past.
They laughed one moment and wept the next, chatting happily until dawn. Ning Lu was about to set off.
Before leaving, they hugged each other repeatedly and promised to meet again.
The servants from the main house rushed over and urged her repeatedly. Ning Lu, still half asleep, picked up the small bundle that Qinghuai and the others had prepared and followed the servants around to the back door like a lost soul.
Xie Qinghe was already waiting in the carriage.
"Why didn't you go through the main gate? Were you afraid of being assassinated?"
Ning Lu yawned, found a comfortable corner next to Xie Qinghe, and lazily lay down, turning over and sprawling on his lap.
"Yes, you guessed right."
Their forces split into two groups: one group disguised themselves and took the official road, while the real Xie Qinghe's group sneaked along the mountain path.
Seeing that she was tired, Xie Qinghe did not explain much. He simply took off the fox fur coat from his shoulder and draped it over her, then shook and patted her gently.
Last night, laughter and howling alternated in the east wing room. Sometimes they sang loudly, sometimes they shouted. They must have been up all night and were waiting to catch up on sleep now.
Fortunately, Ninglu doesn't care where she sleeps. No matter how the carriage bumps and sways, her soft snores rise and fall without her being disturbed.
It was afternoon, and the girl tossed and turned, sighing at how comfortable the fabric she was wearing was.
Opening his eyes for a closer look, he caught a glimpse of a luxurious cloak on his shoulders and a sturdy bundle of fine clothes in his arms.
He buried his head inside, carefully opened a corner, and counted them carefully. Sure enough, they were all her things.
Ning Lu breathed a sigh of relief, then sat slumped on the edge of the couch, lost in thought.
"Awake? What are you thinking about?"
Hearing the sound beside him, Xie Qinghe put down his pen and ink, and like her, leaned back and stared blankly at the corner of the carriage.
"I'm thinking about this."
She slowly held up the thing she was holding to his eyes.
"That's all you brought?"
"These?" Ning Lu's eyes widened as she tugged at his sleeve. "Lord Xie, do you remember? When I came here, it was all empty and I was all alone."
Xie Qinghe narrowed his eyes and looked at her arms again.
"So this is what it feels like to gradually build up a fortune."
Upon hearing this, Xie Qinghe once again examined the soft fabric in her arms, raised his hand and pressed it against the top of her head, caressing it wantonly.
"There will only be more in the future."
What would I do with so many material possessions?
Ning Lu didn't take it to heart and casually unfolded her cloak to huddle together with him.
His gaze swept across the carriage, catching a glimpse of the black and white writing on the low table, its words resounding and forceful.
Her doe-like eyes narrowed involuntarily as she scrutinized him for a long time before turning his wrist over to examine it closely.
Blood seeped out of the wound again.
The little face, which had just been beaming with pride at its success, was immediately filled with disapproval.
Regardless of his physical condition or the injury to his hand, his calligraphy is always vigorous and powerful, showing no signs of weakness or fragility.
It is said that one's handwriting reflects one's personality...
She pursed her lips and glared at him, scrutinizing his profile from top to bottom, and said sarcastically, "What kind of letter would require the Grand Chancellor to write it personally?"
"A reply sent to the capital."
"It's finished."
He pressed his fingertips against the letter and gently pushed it outwards, revealing neat, small characters in regular script.
Ning Lu had no interest in those flowery classical phrases, strategies for governing the country, or the intentions between ruler and subject; instead, she was drawn to the word "thank you" at the end of the signature.
Words stop at the mouth, and thoughts are uttered in the inch.
I remember that the character '谢' he wrote in Zhujia'ao was written in the same way.
It doesn't look like a mistake; it looks like it was intentional.
Seeing her curiosity, Xie Qinghe simply smiled faintly, making no attempt to avoid the topic.
"It's just a matter of avoiding the topic."
"I've only ever heard of people avoiding their given names before; this is the first time I've ever heard of someone avoiding their surname."
Speechless at her words, Xie Qinghe shook his head and chuckled.
After a long while, the carriage rose and fell. Xie Qinghe coughed and frowned, turning his head to look outside through the crack in the window.
"Perhaps, as the world says, there is still guilt."
The voice was very soft, even carrying a barely perceptible hint of laughter.
Ning Lu thought she had misheard and hurriedly looked up, only to be caught off guard by Xie Qinghe's unfathomable eyes.
A bitter smile was indeed reflected on that person's aloof face.
“I heard Cen Wei say yesterday that the Xie family treated you coldly.”
People are always good at finding reasons for those they are close to.
Ning Lu felt a tightness in her chest and couldn't help but harbor some resentment towards the Xie family elder, whom she had never met.
The starlight in the man's eyes narrowed, and he didn't immediately realize where she had heard these words.
After a moment's hesitation, he understood and chuckled.
He pulled his clothes closer, turned to face her, and asked with interest, "What if I become cold and indifferent?"
"Can I be forgiven for surviving by stepping on the blood of my people?"
These words were too heavy for Ning Lu.
His lips moved, but he pursed them together, unable to answer.
Xie Qinghe couldn't bear to make things difficult for her, so he waved his hand and continued nonchalantly, "It's alright, Ning Lulu. I won't defend myself, and I won't regret it."
"Didn't you say that living itself is the right thing to do?"
"Ah, that..."
She remembered a story she had casually told to the children in Zhujia'ao. Embarrassed, she silently moved closer to Xie Qinghe.
Sitting side by side, he generously patted his shoulder, which was half a head shorter than his: "Here, you can lean on me for a while."
Xie Qinghe didn't stand on ceremony and relaxed, lying face down.
His body was already quite delicate, and he never had a moment of relaxation after long journeys.
At this moment, fatigue is inevitable.
He buried his face in her neck, enveloped by Ninglu's unique, vibrant fruity scent. His weariness, like accumulating clouds of smoke, was swept away by her large hand, and Xie Qinghe sighed softly.
"You also said... Life is only 30,000 days long, so live one more day as you can."
"You remember that?"
She suddenly raised an eyebrow and teased smugly, "Could it be that you were already in love with me back then?"
Xie Qinghe didn't reply, and instead fell into deep thought.
He has an excellent memory; he remembers almost every word she said, including her expressions and gestures while speaking.
He didn't care much when she was by his side during the day, but when they were separated at night, he would recall and savor each and every one of the things that had happened.
This tells me that she won't leave now that she's back.
After a long silence, Ning Lu assumed he was tired and calmed down herself, looking back at the letter on the table.
The ancients were quite interesting; they would add or omit strokes under the guise of avoiding taboos, as a sign of respect or... guilt.
She, a person with little education, looked at those few characters from left to right, and still felt that the missing two strokes made the character "谢" (Xie) not look like the character "谢", and made Xie Qinghe no longer Xie Qinghe.
As my fingertips glide over the ink stains, they seem to touch Xie Qinghe's fingertips, and I feel a slight coolness.
Just then, Xie Qinghe's slightly hoarse voice reached her ears as his breath brushed against her neck.
"Didn't you say you wanted to hold a special event so people could come and listen to your stories?"
"Let's hold the first show as soon as we get back to the capital."
His fan-shaped eyelashes swept up and down his neck, sending a shiver down Ning Lu's spine.
Turning her head, she saw that the man had opened his eyes again at some point and was staring at her with great interest: "Tell me a story, and I'll provide the initial investment. After the profits are made, we'll split the profits 30/70."
"You get three, I get seven?"
Ning Lu tentatively asked a question.
Xie Qinghe pondered for a moment, then said, "Deal."
"Really? What if we lose money?"
"Then keep going until we make money."
"Xie Qinghe, something's definitely fishy going on. This doesn't fit your image of someone who only acts when there's something in it for them."
"Who said it's not good for me?"
"You don't lack that little bit of money."
I neither agree nor disagree.
He doesn't lack that little bit of money.
Xie Qinghe quietly tightened his grip on her waist.
"I'll think about it some more." Ning Lu pinched her chin with two fingers.
The jokes she stayed up all night memorizing back then seem way too trendy now.
A hobby is just a hobby; it's unlikely to make a living from it.
She has her own plans regarding the people here.
"but……"
Changing the subject, she looked at Lord Xie, who seemed oblivious to the world around him and focused solely on his studies, and wondered why he had suddenly become interested in this matter.
Before he could speak, they heard arrows whistling through the air and the neighing of horses.
Wei Zhan shouted sharply, "Protect the lord! There's an assassin!"
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