Chapter 39 The Jade Bone Whistle Sounds
Ning Jue has dealt with similarly difficult situations twice before.
The difference is that last time she was in a daze and completely unconscious. When she woke up, she didn't remember anything. As long as he kept quiet, he could pretend nothing had happened, and the two could continue to get along naturally.
However, at this moment, her mind was clear. If she really did it, after the effects of the drug wore off and she had completely calmed down, she would remember all the scenes in her mind. The two of them would share such a memory. How would they get along in the future? Would she be anxious to escape?
Ning Jue was certainly willing to help her alleviate her distress, but he hesitated due to concerns, unsure of what to do or how far to go.
Bai Hua shed tears, like a fish lying in a frying pan, enduring the scorching heat, tossing and turning, struggling to breathe. She pressed her legs together as if grasping at a straw, feeling the slightest comfort in his palm. She looked at Ning Jue, her eyes wet, her lips parting as if she were murmuring something.
Ning Jue leaned closer, trying to hear what was being said clearly.
Bai Hua took a deep breath, making an inviting gesture while bargaining with him: "I... I want to see your swordsmanship, young master... You said that if we have shared a bed, I would consider myself one of your own and be able to see the secret sword techniques passed down in your sect. If you help me today, please also grant my wish."
Ning Jue squinted, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.
He wasn't annoyed by her scheming against him; those things didn't matter. It was just that the thought of the two of them facing each other, so close yet she was preoccupied with figuring out how to escape after obtaining the sword technique, while their hearts were so far apart, inevitably made him feel frustrated.
Bai Hua nuzzled his palm ingratiatingly. Ning Jue, wanting revenge, snorted coldly and pinched her hard.
Her waist went limp instantly, unable to twist, and she looked at Ning Jue with a panicked expression, her toes curling slightly.
Ning Jue's tone was unpleasant: "Who wants to share a bed with you?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Hua was taken aback, pursed her lips, and looked embarrassed.
It turns out the young master was unwilling... She was just being presumptuous and had a misunderstanding, thinking that she could use her decent looks to make the young master interested in her.
However, she was wrong. The truth was that even if she offered herself to him, the young master was unwilling or even disdainful of touching her.
She looked away in frustration, feeling embarrassed and unable to look him in the eye again.
But the young master's hand was still under her skirt, teasing her from time to time, and twisting her with his thumb.
Bai Hua bit her lip, her eyes red as she glared at him, and said aggrievedly, "Since you are so unwilling, young master, please stay away. Why pretend to help and take the opportunity to play tricks on me?"
Ning Jue frowned, almost laughing in exasperation.
He pressed his gaze down on her, drawing closer, and asked, "Am I the one who won't let go, or is someone enjoying having their cake and eating it?"
Bai Hua's cheeks were already flushed, but upon hearing this, she couldn't help but feel her face burning again.
She used the last of her strength to push Ning Jue away, breaking free from contact with his skirt, then turned to the side, facing away from him, trying to hold her breath and calm herself, undisturbed by anyone else.
But the pills were far more potent than she had imagined.
No matter how focused she was, even if she tried to memorize the scriptures, it was no use. In the end, her mind wandered and all she could think about was Ning Jue.
Bai Hua was extremely annoyed, and the fire in her heart burned brighter and brighter, making her feel even more tormented.
Just as she was about to lose her breath, a pair of cool, large hands landed on her shoulders, and then he leaned over her, his presence very strong.
Bai Hua tried to push him again, but couldn't. She frowned and said reproachfully, "Go away..."
Ning Jue gripped her wrist with one hand, tightening his grip, and stared at her as he asked, "Fine, so you're the one who's angry now. Tell me, are you still willing to negotiate with me?"
Bai Hua blinked blankly, no longer able to figure out what the young master was concerned about.
She paused for a moment, then tentatively and cautiously asked again, "Young master... will you help me?"
Ning Jue glanced at her, noticing the darkness in her eyes and the slight sway of her waist. After a moment of silence, he leaned down and pressed down on her, supporting himself on his arms beside her head. He tilted his head and bit Bai Hua's reddened earlobe, deliberately biting her until it hurt.
This distance is perfect for listening.
He replied in a hoarse voice, "I'll help, I can't bear not to help."
The voice was very soft, and the pain in her earlobe was not obvious, but these two contacts temporarily brought the raging fire in Bai Hua's heart under control... She belatedly realized that being in contact with him could be so comfortable.
Bai Hua had tasted the sweetness of it all.
She was poisoned, and the antidote was right there in front of her. She wanted to get close, to cling to him, to embrace him, to get rid of the poison...
In front of her, Ning Jue slowly untied the jade bone whistle hanging around his neck from the rope, placed it in his palm, and examined it for a while.
This jade bone whistle was purchased from a Fujian merchant. Compared to the common styles from the Great Yan, it is thicker and longer, but the sound it makes is indeed exceptionally beautiful.
He held it in his hand, clenched his fists, and looked around once more.
There was a copper kettle in the room, filled with warm water. He simply rinsed the jade bone whistle clean and then took it out and dried it.
He didn't say it explicitly, but subtly showed the jade bone whistle to Bai Hua, and then put two fingers of his right hand together, indicating that she should compare them—the thickness of the jade bone whistle was greater than the size of the two fingers put together.
Bai Hua didn't know why she reacted so quickly. At this moment, in her eyes, the jade bone whistle was no longer an elegant object that could produce music, but a vulgar and filthy thing!
Having been a young lady from a respectable family and having received much discipline, Ning Jue worried that his bold move might frighten her, so his tone softened unconsciously, and he added a word of reassurance.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt you. The outer layer is made of high-quality jade, polished smooth, and the jade is delicate and gentle, so it won't cause any discomfort."
Bai Hua's voice was barely audible, too shy to look up, and her volume was naturally as low as it could possibly be: "Is there really no other way..."
How easy is it for her to accept the jade being placed in her body while she is fully conscious?
Ning Jue shook his head, replying directly: "Other methods... or, my finger?"
After saying that, he reached out and blatantly brushed his hand across Bai Hua's face, with a hint of frivolity and recklessness.
But not in an annoyingly frivolous way; rather, it's an exceptionally alluring pose.
Bai Hua's mouth was dry, and she pursed her lips in response.
Ning Jue didn't waste any words. He simply pulled his robes up, not minding letting her see firsthand how full his true desire for her was.
Under Bai Hua's shocked gaze, Ning Jue calmly said, "Or perhaps, it can only be what you said, sharing a bed and sleeping together."
Bai Hua quickly looked away, no longer staring at that spot, her heart pounding wildly as if it were about to burst out of her chest.
He was clearly a refined and elegant young man in white, even more like a celestial being when the sword was not drawn. His loss of composure just now was so inconsistent with his cold and aloof face.
But that's him.
As long as there is still room for maneuver, Bai Hua will not go all the way, so she has no choice but to use the Jade Bone Whistle.
The jade itself has a cool feel, and since it has just been soaked in water, it feels even cooler.
But his hands were warm, and when he touched her occasionally, the thin calluses would gently rub against her, as if he were both helping her detoxify and adding fuel to her fire.
Ning Jue asked, "Is it alright?"
Bai Hua couldn't respond, so she could only nod weakly.
Ning Jue asked again, "Can the jade body be pushed in further? Do you allow it?"
Bai Hua gripped the bedsheet tightly, glared at him, and said reproachfully, "...It would be better if you didn't say anything, young master."
Ning Jue curled his lips slightly, but remained silent, continuing to hold the jade tip in his hand and move it rhythmically like spinning silk or grinding a millstone, then like pounding garlic, rising and falling gently, then falling heavily.
Bai Hua began to feel affection.
Ning Jue looked at the direction he was holding, and his eyes deepened. The jade tube was hollow, so perhaps it could still be played now?
The jade body is deeply encased; can such a whistle be heard?
He was curious and wanted to bend down and try it out.
...
Flames shot into the sky from the outskirts of the city, crackling and billowing thick smoke.
Because the villa was in a secluded location and the neighbors were far away, it was too late to fetch water to put out the fire. By the time someone arrived with buckets of water, more than half of the houses in the villa had already been burned to ashes.
The area with the greatest fire and the most severe damage was Baoxiang Garden, the very center of the villa. Almost all the roof beams collapsed, and all the items inside were engulfed by the fire. Whether it was the magnificent canopy bed or the layers of curtains, everything was burned to ashes.
Actually, there was a farmhouse nearby that was closest to the villa, and the tenant farmers on that farmhouse should have been the first to notice the fire when it first broke out.
But Fang Lun had brought this upon himself. At the beginning of this year, he had been disrespectful to the youngest daughter of the head of the estate. If he hadn't been caught in the act, the innocent girl would have been violated by him.
Afterwards, Fang Lun's attitude was terrible, and he refused to admit his mistake, causing the two families to become enemies. Now that they see Fang Lun's house has unexpectedly caught fire, how could the people of the estate be kind enough to go and help? It would be good enough if they didn't add a bucket of oil to vent their anger.
Missing the best opportunity to put out the fire, the fire spread rapidly, and it became impossible to save it later.
Duan Yi's men, who had been left behind, silently observed from a distance not far from the courtyard gate. Once they confirmed that the situation was under control, they left with peace of mind and returned to report.
Duan Yi was not idle either. After leaving Fang Lun's villa, he quickly found a reliable female doctor in Ye City and took her to a secluded courtyard in the suburbs to prevent the girl's condition from worsening and Ning Jue from being unable to handle it.
As soon as he entered, he waved to the servants in the courtyard and asked which room Ning Jue and his men had gone to rest in.
The maidservant answered the question from the second side room on the east side, and then took the initiative to lead the way.
Duan Yi frowned and asked, "How did you arrange for the guests to stay in the side rooms? What did you do?"
The maid quickly explained, "It was because the young master heard that the side room was vacant and had never been occupied, so he decided to stay there at the last minute."
Duan Yi said nothing more and quickly led the female doctor to the entrance of the side courtyard.
The group did not rush in. They stopped at the entrance of the garden and heard faint whistling sounds coming from the side rooms inside.
It wasn't very clear; it sounded muffled and low. Only by listening carefully could one confirm that it was a whistle.
Duan Yi's close confidants, being more alert, immediately guessed upon hearing the sound, "Master, is this whistle a signal for you and Young Master Ning to secretly exchange information? The rhythmic blowing doesn't seem like a random disturbance."
"Never before..."
Duan Yi pondered carefully, confirming that he had not established a secret code with Ning Jue. He then thought about it further, wondering if this was a habit Ning Jue had developed when he was an Embroidered-Robe Envoy.
To his shame, although he was once the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he had not mastered some of the skills of espionage.
Instead of racking his brains to guess, Duan Yi decided to ask directly, "How is the young lady? I brought a female physician with me. Would it be convenient for her to come in and take her pulse?"
The whistle stopped as soon as the words were spoken.
After a long while, Ning Jue's unusually hoarse voice finally came from inside: "Wait a moment."
After a while, Ning Jue came out of the side room and gestured for the female doctor to come in.
Duan Yi walked to Ning Jue's side, turned his head, and asked in a low voice, "What did you mean by blowing the whistle just now? I thought you were giving me some instructions in secret. Don't show off your skills as an Embroidered-Robe Envoy in front of me in the future. I'm an old man. Although my official rank is higher than yours, I used to only talk about things on paper. You and I can't match the secret signals."
"No code was given."
Ning Jue answered, his eyes dark. He pursed his lips and added, in a serious yet somewhat frivolous tone, "Just now... I was putting her to sleep."
That's exactly what it means to lull someone to sleep.
That complete, tender melody was quite long. He knelt and lay prostrate on the quilt, closed his eyes, stretched his neck, and played it for so long that even the most tender melody turned into a lullaby.
The gurgling water inevitably wets the bridge of his nose.
Calls came from outside the door. Bai Hua trembled in fear. In order to finish quickly and cover up the incident, Ning Jue decisively pulled out the Jade Bone Whistle. Then he pressed his palms against Bai Hua's knees and, under her resistance, finally served her with his mouth.
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