Chapter 57 Fear Hidden: As for Xie Qinghe, she'd already touched him...
After leaving the main house, Ning Lu ran into the bedroom.
Sitting down in front of the bronze mirror, she realized that she had blushed without even noticing.
Ever since she found out that Xie Qinghe wouldn't kill her, she's become increasingly outspoken.
"Who in modern society has nothing better to do than give someone CPR?"
He buried his face in the table, his eyes tightly closed, and muttered a weak complaint.
As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Qinghe's pained and anxious expression appeared before her eyes.
My heart was pounding, and my throat felt tight.
She frantically rubbed her already messy hair a couple of times, then buried her head in her hands like an ostrich.
That guy is a real troublemaker...
"evildoer……"
She turned her head and gently touched the jade pendant hanging on one side.
Strangely enough, back in the bamboo garden of Ying County, when she met those affectionate eyes, her heart skipped a beat, and even after she was in the dungeon, she regretted not having enjoyed his beauty sooner…
Now that her return date is uncertain, and knowing that this guy has power, influence, and money, her unrealistic desires have vanished.
She initially found it strange, but as the bond deepened, she would occasionally have moments of realization that getting involved in relationships would only create more trouble.
Although her return date was uncertain and her future was unpredictable, she still wanted to go home. The deeper her relationship with the people here, the more complicated it would be when she left.
She wasn't worried about Lan Zhou, after all, she had always been waiting for her A Ying.
But Xie Qinghe was different...
Ning Lu thought of those reddened, sinister eyes from just now, and suddenly felt anxious.
If that guy is a womanizer and it's just a passing fancy, that's fine. But what if he's a devoted lover...
What if he goes crazy and prevents her from going home when she is able to, and then starts playing the imprisonment role again, or he gets so angry that he dies...
Although this idea was narcissistic, the other party was Xie Qinghe, whom she couldn't figure out, so anything was possible.
Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, how could a man like Xie Qinghe, who is handsome, of noble birth, and orphaned, lack women around him?
With her more than 20 years of experience watching countless films, maintaining a simple working relationship with such a high-quality man would undoubtedly be the most worry-free option.
As the night watchman's drum sounded, Ning Lu snapped out of her reverie, staring blankly at the warm waist token, and sighed softly.
She had touched and kissed Xie Qinghe.
As long as we don't lose money, that's fine.
The sun rises in the east.
As dawn breaks, the morning glow streams through the paper windows into the room, casting beams of light.
Ning Lu, still sleepy-eyed, lazily sat up.
The charcoal fire was blazing, the aroma of rice filled the air, and the warmth and fragrance were irresistible.
Once she came to her senses, she was already dressed and made up, all thanks to the help of Qinghuai and Qingzhi, and sat down at the dining table to eat a small bowl of rice and dishes.
She ate a few more bites, filling her stomach to about 80% full, but her attention was still drawn to the exquisite pastries on the table.
"Why haven't I seen this before?"
"These are special supplies from Changzhou Prefecture. They were delivered to the main house a few days ago. The master said the young lady liked them, so he sent them all over."
She really likes it.
Ning Lu picked out two nice-looking and large ones and stuffed them into her bosom before hurrying towards the door.
As he peered into Xie Qinghe's room, he saw Wei Chun standing at the courtyard gate.
What are you doing here?
"The master is already waiting for the young lady."
Waiting for her?
What are we waiting for her for?
Clutching the pastries in his arms, he climbed into the carriage. His long hair was tied up, and he sat upright on the couch in a long robe and light fur coat, holding a book in his hand and flipping through it.
Unable to fathom his thoughts, Ning Lu simply chose a seat not too far from him and secretly observed him.
She's alright; her complexion is better than last night.
She seems to be in a good mood.
"Didn't I tell you to rest more? Why did you get up so early again?"
"Since you're helping me investigate the list of traitors, how can I let you go through all that trouble alone?"
That's it?
Ning Lu smiled apologetically, not believing he was being so kind.
Seeing her like this, Xie Qinghe closed the book and threw it on the table, then leaned back onto the soft couch to examine her expression as she looked around.
Ning Lu was honest and straightforward. Even with Liu Yunying's calm and composed face, she couldn't hide what she was thinking.
After ascertaining the direction of travel, the driver started the carriage.
Meeting those focused eyes, Ning Lu could only make small talk: "Have you eaten?"
The man crossed his arms, tilted his head, pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head, a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth.
"You haven't eaten?"
Ning Lu frowned.
Logically speaking, Xie Qinghe had many servants and many rules, so it shouldn't be that he was starving.
Remembering how he had taken his medicine on an empty stomach yesterday and kept vomiting, she couldn't bear it. She tried the two pieces of pastry in her arms, hesitated, and then took them out and held them in front of him.
Would you like some?
Unexpectedly, she actually managed to produce food. Xie Qinghe raised an eyebrow and continued to shake his head.
"I feel dizzy, I won't eat."
She was reluctant to take it out, but when she heard his reason for refusing, Ning Lu didn't feel relieved at all.
"If you want some, just ask me, and I'll keep it for you."
Xie Qinghe's smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, a hint of melancholy appeared as he stared blankly at her eyebrows and nose, as if trying to see right through her.
She was unaware of what was going on and initially pretended not to know, but when she became really uncomfortable being stared at, she swayed her body from side to side.
Finally mustering up the courage to speak again, the two voices collided.
"Thank you, sir."
Ning Lu.
"Um?"
What did you originally look like?
Xie Qinghe leaned forward and sat up straight, asking in a low voice.
His tone was already quite gentle, but it still startled Ning Lu.
"I?"
He thought about it all night.
If she leaves, as she said, and returns to her own world and her own body, he doesn't even know what she looks like, so how is he supposed to find her?
He didn't want that to happen.
Xie Qinghe pulled the table in front of him and began grinding ink with his eyes down.
"We still have some time before we reach the outskirts of the city, let me paint a picture for you."
"For me? Really?"
Ning Lu, unsuspecting, immediately became interested and moved closer to him.
Every morning she would look at herself in the bronze mirror, and she gradually got used to Liu Yunying's face, but almost forgot what she originally looked like.
"You mean, if I just tell you what I originally looked like, you can draw me?"
She had long heard of Xie Qinghe's calligraphy and painting skills, and the fact that he had sketched two distinctive faces with just a few strokes last time had broadened her horizons.
She has never been depicted in a traditional Chinese ink painting.
While he was talking, he had already ground the ink and spread out the paper.
Seeing that he wasn't joking, she couldn't help but get excited and started gesturing wildly.
"I have shoulder-length hair, willow-leaf eyebrows, double eyelids, round eyes, and an oval face..."
"My nose is a little higher. Not quite this high, and the tip is a little rounder. My mom always says that my nose was flattened when I was breastfeeding in her arms as a baby, but it wasn't. It's still quite upturned."
"The ears are a bit big, and the earlobes are small, that's right. The mouth should also be small, but the lips could be a little thicker. Thicker lips are sexier."
"Too thin, you need to be a bit more plump."
"A little taller. I'm quite tall."
How tall?
Xie Qinghe turned his head to look at her.
At this moment, Ning Lu was curled up beside him, looking like a pendant that could be picked up with one hand.
The person, absorbed in the self-portrait, paid no attention to the emotions in his eyes and gently tapped his shoulder.
"Standing up, it should be about this height." Before she finished speaking, she pulled Xie Qinghe's body down again: "Here, here, your cheekbones should be a little higher."
The carriage traveled slowly westward from the city gate.
Ning Lu's laughter spread along the street, all the way to the outskirts of the city.
Xie Qinghe let her gesture and guide him, patiently making revisions.
Finally, before the carriage came to a complete stop, he finished drawing a portrait.
Is that so?
He put the purple brush back on the brush rest, leaned back, and asked with a smile, tilting his head.
The image on the paper depicts a tall, bright young girl with shoulder-length hair, bright eyes and white teeth, and a clever and lively expression.
Ning Lu sat curled up beside him, resting her head on the table, admiring him and praising him endlessly.
"Amazing! Xie Qinghe!"
"No wonder they say your calligraphy and painting are unparalleled in Jiang State." She gave a thumbs up without hesitation, and after her exclamation, she was very satisfied: "It looks much better than my photos with filters."
What is beauty filter?
He was not ashamed to ask questions of those less knowledgeable than himself.
"It's just that it's been edited to restore its original beauty."
Xie Qinghe frowned, narrowed his eyes, and smiled.
Therefore, she herself and this picture are probably not exactly a perfect match.
"Anyway, I like it very much. Thank you, handsome and kind-hearted Lord Xie."
Bending down to blow away the ink, Ning Lu pretended to fold the painting and put it into her bosom, her slender fingers descending from the sky.
Her fair fingertips touched the paperweight, and she asked innocently, "Who said I was going to give it to you?"
"This is a painting of me."
A hint of disdain flashed in the man's eyes, followed by a slight smile.
Ning Lu suddenly understood what he meant.
No one can prove that it is her.
"Lord Xie, you have no use for this painting."
How do you know it won't work?
Xie Qinghe asked a serious question, leaving the person being questioned speechless.
His eyelashes cast shadows beneath his eyes, and light squeezed through the gaps in the carriage, making his face appear pale and translucent.
"Master, Miss Ning has arrived."
"good."
Seeing Xie Qinghe's insistence and his genuine interest in the room outside, Ning Lu reluctantly gave up.
She looked reluctantly at the portrait on the table and muttered softly, "Fine, take it. I'll just look at myself in the mirror every day when I get home."
Unexpectedly, Xie Qinghe's expression immediately turned cold, and his fingertips shifted from the paperweight to gripping her wrist.
Ning Lu.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and all traces of a smile vanished from his face.
Seeing this, Ning Lu realized she had misspoke and felt a strange emotion welling up inside her. She placed her hand on the back of his hand and said with a smile, "I meant that it is my honor that you like this painting, sir. You can keep it."
She lifted the curtain of the carriage window and peered out, pretending to be busy, saying, "I'm going to help you find the jade pendant, sir."
With a deft flick of her wrist, she vanished from the carriage like a gust of wind.
A cold wind slipped in through the crack in the door, and the sparks in the warm basin flickered twice in the wind before finally turning to ashes and falling to the side.
His hand, which had been suspended in mid-air, fell limply to his side. Xie Qinghe took a deep breath and exhaled with difficulty.
The dizziness and nausea that rose during the bumpy ride surged in the man's chest and abdomen. He could only close his eyes tightly, silently endure it, and swallow it all.
"grown ups?"
A slow knock sounded on the car window, and Wei Chun's voice seemed to come from near and far.
Xie Qinghe struggled to raise his hand to press against his throbbing chest, trying to respond.
"master?"
Shen Weichun was already beside him when Shen Weichun returned, pressing against his shoulder to keep him from looking down.
Xie Qinghe forced his eyes open and squeezed out the words through gritted teeth: "Don't make a sound."
Wei Chun was more experienced than Ning Lu in handling such situations. She efficiently served him hot tea, and once the man had caught his breath, she tried to minimize her presence so as not to annoy him.
But his complexion had indeed visibly worsened, and even Wei Chun, who was most adept at reading people, couldn't help but advise, "Your attacks have become more frequent lately. This is probably not a solution."
He didn't say the second half of his sentence, but Xie Qinghe understood.
It was nothing more than saying the same thing as Wei Zhan last night, urging him to return to the capital.
Prince Jing and Ning Lu are both here.
He can't leave yet.
Xie Qinghe mustered his strength to speak: "Where is she...?"
"They've already gone inside."
Having known each other for years, Wei Chun understood that this man didn't want to beat around the bush any longer regarding the matter of returning to the capital, so he could only report what the man was concerned about: "I have inquired and confirmed that this property was indeed purchased by Liu Yunying herself. However, the deed is not in Miss Liu's name."
Xie Qinghe nodded slightly.
Not surprising.
"ah!"
Suddenly, the sound of weapons whistling through the air was heard, followed by Ning Lu's startled cries and curses.
Xie Qinghe's heartbeat, which had just slowed down, accelerated again. He suddenly opened his eyes, stood up, and staggered out of the carriage.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com