Chapter 87 Becoming a Real Couple
As evening approached, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a rosy glow on the horizon.
As the number of pedestrians and carriages entering and leaving the city gate gradually decreased, the guards became slightly lax. Just as they were preparing to change shifts, they saw dust rising not far outside the city gate, with shadowy figures appearing indistinctly.
Only when you get closer can you see clearly that there are three or four strong horses running closely together, one after the other, which is particularly eye-catching. The one in the lead is especially majestic and robust, snorting and with a glossy mane.
There were two people riding on horseback, a man and a woman, which was very conspicuous and hard to ignore.
Once inside the city, there were more pedestrians on the streets, and naturally, more people around them began to scrutinize them.
Bai Hua had previously lived a very low-key life at the Rong Mansion, not interacting with outsiders. Few people in the city had seen her. However, yesterday, Yang Qianjin specially invited a painter and forced the maids in the Rong Mansion who had seen her to describe her appearance to the painter. The Rong family could not stop her, and Rong Linyan could not make decisions for Yang Yun. In the end, Bai Hua's portrait was posted all over the city, and she became the subject of much discussion.
Because many people had seen the portrait, Bai Hua was quickly recognized by sharp-eyed people as soon as she entered the city and walked to a crowded place. She was the young lady from the Rong family who had been robbed and disappeared the day before.
Seeing her sitting on horseback with a stranger, everyone was suspicious. This Miss Bai was engaged to the young master of the Rong family. After being kidnapped, her fate was unknown. How could she appear unharmed after only one day, riding into the city with a strange man? This... is outrageous!
Of course, the gossip was kept to themselves. Apart from the White Girl and another young and beautiful girl riding on these horses, the rest were all strong and imposing men, carrying swords and knives. They were all skilled fighters who were not to be trifled with. While they were watching the excitement, no one wanted to be so tactless as to go and cause trouble for the other side.
Ning Jue and his companions deliberately lingered in crowded areas for a moment. Seeing that some people recognized Bai Hua, they realized their goal had been achieved. They then reined in their horses and continued galloping into the city. Soon, they passed a street corner and disappeared from people's sight.
Those who had been looking around came to their senses and huddled together, whispering and discussing how to go to the Rong residence to report the news.
It wasn't out of kindness, but out of curiosity; everyone wanted to see what kind of show this was all about.
...
Upon receiving the news, Rong Linyan didn't have time to figure out who had brought his cousin back; he was anxious to confirm her safety with his own eyes.
Hearing that Bai Hua ended up at the residence of the Great General, Rong Linyan was puzzled, but he didn't think too much about it. He immediately prepared his horse and set off, not even having time to call his attendants, and went alone.
Yang Yun gritted her teeth and watched her husband walk away, then stomped her foot angrily behind him.
Half an hour later, Rong Linyan successfully met with the Grand General, but before he could even speak, the other party spoke first.
"Lin Yan, I know why you've come. Miss Bai is from your household and is your betrothed. Of course you're worried about her. Don't worry, Miss Bai is perfectly fine and unharmed. She's currently in the inner courtyard and being well taken care of."
Hearing this, Rong Linyan breathed a sigh of relief, and the tension that had been building up all day finally eased temporarily.
Rong Linyan pleaded earnestly, "Your Highness, I want to see Hua'er before I can feel at ease."
This was certainly a reasonable request. Rong Linyan thought that after they met, the two of them would thank the prince for saving them. After that, he would take Hua'er back to the manor safely, and everyone would be happy. It would all be a false alarm. After a few days, they would choose an auspicious day to remarry, and everything would proceed as before without any deviation.
However, the General's next words once again disturbed his recently calmed emotions.
"The situation is somewhat complicated, Lin Yan. Let me explain slowly. Recently, bandits have been rampant outside Jiling City. I have suffered at their hands before, and the matter of suppressing them is urgent. Although I have already ordered Prefect Sun Tong to carry out the pursuit, it is not something that can be accomplished in a day. Unfortunately, Miss Bai was caught in the crossfire during this period, and all parties have failed in their duties. This time, if it were not for my guards who happened to be passing by the outskirts of the city and heard Miss Bai's cry for help, and had not rescued her safely from the bandits, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Miss Bai's escape from the jaws of death is also her own good fortune."
Upon hearing this, Rong Linyan felt a chill run down his spine. He composed himself and, being adept at polite conversation, bowed and said, "So it was Your Highness's men who came to our rescue. Please, Your Highness, summon Hua'er's savior for a meeting. He is Hua'er's benefactor, and therefore my benefactor. Our entire Rong family should remember his kindness."
The Grand General's expression changed slightly, but he smiled and waved his hand, saying, "He just happened to be passing by and helped me out. You don't need to worry so much. Of course, everyone is happy to have rescued him safely, but..."
The Great General was not one to procrastinate, but for once he paused, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself, and did not continue speaking.
Rong Linyan didn't think too much about it, only concerned about his cousin's safety. Now that he was sure she was safe, other twists and turns, buts and buts, were not important.
The Great General Wang glanced at Rong Linyan, coughed lightly, and finished speaking: "However, after the two risked their lives to escape from the bandits, they were relentlessly pursued and forced into a corner. They had no choice but to jump into the river to survive. Although this jump saved them from the bandits' capture, my guards saw Bai's wet body underwater."
Upon hearing this, Rong Linyan's face stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
He feigned magnanimity and said, "In a critical moment, of course human life is more important. I will not hold anything against you because of this. Please rest assured, Your Highness."
The Great General shook his head, indicating that there was more to say: "Miss Bai cannot swim, and during their escape, physical contact between the two was unavoidable. After reaching the shore, Miss Bai choked on water and fainted, so my guards had no choice but to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to help her breathe smoothly, otherwise she probably would not have survived. After Miss Bai woke up, the two helped each other to hide in the mountains for a night. It was cold on the mountain at this time of year, and both of them were soaked in water, but they dared not light a fire to attract the attention of the bandits. If they stayed there, they would probably freeze to death. Therefore, under special circumstances, the two of them followed their survival instincts and had physical contact."
With each word spoken by the Great General, Rong Linyan's expression grew increasingly grim. His feigned magnanimity became increasingly difficult to maintain, and his fists clenched slowly behind his back.
He couldn't respond, didn't know how to express his opinion, or what to say. He didn't want to say anything. His most urgent task was to see Hua'er. He didn't believe other people's side of the story, but only her.
The Grand General, seeing through his thoughts, said sensibly, "Alright, I'll call them over, and you can talk things out yourselves. Actually, I already asked Miss Bai about it myself earlier. She meant that fate is cruel, and she has no chance of entering your Rong Mansion in this lifetime. Lin Yan, now that you're married, I know a thing or two about your family situation. If you take this opportunity to let go, your household will be peaceful from now on, and it won't be a loss. Besides, my guard is someone I trust. Your cousin accidentally ended up with him; perhaps it's a good match."
Given the other party's distinguished status, Rong Linyan could not and dared not turn against him on the spot.
His chest heaved uncontrollably as he forcibly suppressed his anger, but he still feigned humility on his face: "Thank you for your concern for my family matters, Your Highness. I will certainly handle them properly and live up to Your Highness's expectations."
The Great General nodded and gestured for his servant to go to the backyard to fetch someone.
During the wait, Rong Linyan was restless, irritable, and felt extremely tormented.
Before a cup of tea could be brewed, footsteps approached from outside.
The door opened, and Rong Linyan looked up, involuntarily taking a deep breath.
A familiar figure came into view, and his heart softened. He subconsciously wanted to step forward to greet her, but before he could take a step, the person following closely behind his cousin also stepped over the threshold and entered the room.
Upon seeing the other person's features clearly, Rong Linyan froze instantly, feeling a chill creep up his spine and neck.
It is Ning Jue.
It was Ning Jue!
How did he, a carefree wanderer of the martial world, become a guest of honor of the Great General King, and even be appointed to an official position and become the king's close bodyguard?
Too many mysteries were surfacing in Rong Linyan's mind, but he couldn't bother to answer them one by one. He only wanted to resolve Hua'er's matter first.
Rong Linyan looked at his cousin. Her expression showed no sign of panic; instead, she was calm and composed. The more composed she was, the more uneasy Rong Linyan felt.
He looked at Ning Jue again, and the other man still had that annoying indifference on his face, as if he had everything under control, arrogant and aloof.
He gritted his teeth, and the thought that the person who had been intimate with Hua'er was likely Ning Jue fueled a burning hatred in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to draw his sword and stab several bloody holes in the center of Ning Jue's chest. If he had the chance to do so, he would show no mercy.
"Hua'er, you've suffered. It's all my fault for not protecting you properly. Shall we go home? Your family is waiting for you."
Rong Linyan earnestly called to her, took a step forward, and tried to tug at Bai Hua's sleeve.
Ning Jue quickly blocked his arm and moved between him and Bai Hua, saying without giving way, "Since Young Master Rong knows the ins and outs of the matter, why not be magnanimous and let go? It would be better for everyone. If you insist on getting entangled, I'm afraid Miss Bai will be caught in the middle and it will be very difficult for her."
General Wang had warned Ning Jue beforehand to speak politely, as not everyone was as tolerant of him as he was. Now it seemed that his advice had gone in one ear and out the other.
He wasn't in the mood to listen to the young people's arguments and quickly left under the pretext of having a meal.
With the prince gone, Rong Linyan had fewer reservations and drew his sword, pointing it directly at Ning Jue.
"Ning Jue, you despicable villain, what exactly did you do to Hua'er! Are you deliberately seeking revenge against us? If you have a problem, come at me. I'll exchange a few blows with you. What kind of skill is it to bully a weak woman?"
Ning Jue didn't even want to look at him properly, finding him disgusting.
People in the martial arts world value integrity and uprightness. Rong Linyan tricked his way into obtaining sword techniques and skills, and instead of feeling ashamed, he felt proud of it. It's truly pathetic and laughable.
"Put away your sword. You can't beat me, you just stole a few moves from me, and you dare to be so presumptuous? Your courage is truly commendable."
Ning Jue's sarcastic words enraged Rong Linyan. He gripped the hilt of his sword and thrust it straight forward, but Ning Jue deftly deflected the attack without even taking a step to dodge.
Rong Linyan felt utterly humiliated, especially in front of his cousin. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to rush forward again to save face.
Bai Hua tried to dissuade him, saying, "Cousin, please sheathe your sword. This is the private garden of the Great General King. How can you be so rude as to attack?"
However, Rong Linyan could no longer hear any of this at this moment. Ning Jue had taken away what he loved, and he truly hated him.
In less than ten moves, with only a few stools scattered around the room, Rong Linyan's sword was knocked from his hand.
Ning Jue was used to it and not surprised at all, while Rong Linyan stood there stunned, watching his sword fall to the ground with a clatter, his eyes full of disbelief.
How could this be... He had clearly mastered the Lone Goose Sword Technique and integrated it with his original sword moves. After practicing for so long, he was still no match for Ning Jue. Moreover, Ning Jue did not draw his sword today, but used a knife.
For a moment, Rong Linyan felt utterly defeated and lost the confidence to continue questioning.
Ning Jue spoke, his tone indifferent: "I told you, you can't beat me, so why do you insist on humiliating yourself? Some of the sword techniques Hua'er gave you came from our master, but others were developed by me. The variations and key points can't be grasped just by reading them once. You treasure the sword techniques I inherited and developed, and have practiced them for so long. Shouldn't you call me 'Master' with gratitude? Maybe if you call me that, I'll be in a good mood and actually tell you a few tricks."
Rong Linyan, now without his sword, pointed at Ning Jue and said tremblingly, "You're taking revenge on me, taking revenge on us! Hua'er, you absolutely must not go with him. Ning Jue must still be holding a grudge about how you helped your cousin go up the mountain to deceive people, and he's planning to get revenge. He'll be so happy to have you, won't he? He just wants to play us all like puppets to vent his anger."
Ning Jue found him annoying and her eyes turned cold: "Rong Linyan, you are the mastermind behind this. You get all the benefits, while Hua'er suffers all the injustices. She is a weak woman who can't even kill a chicken. Just because of your selfish desires, she has been forced to take risks time and time again. Do you care whether she is willing or not? Since you chose to send Hua'er to my side, you have no right to interfere in anything after that. I pity her and have wanted her for a long time."
Bai Hua's face, which remained calm, flushed slightly. She felt that Ning Jue's words were too embarrassingly blunt, and she couldn't help but lower her head.
"Ning Jue, you...you scoundrel, you've ruined my cousin's reputation with your nonsense. I won't talk to you, I'll talk to Hua'er." Rong Linyan stammered, clinging to his last hope, turning to Bai Hua with pleading eyes, trying to persuade her to stay. "Hua'er, don't be fooled by his sweet talk. Come home with your cousin, okay? Don't worry, you won't suffer any gossip after you come back with me. With me here, no one will wrong you. Even if something really happened between you and Ning Jue last night, I won't care. Hua'er, come back with me..."
After hearing Rong Linyan's heartfelt speech, Ning Jue felt a little uneasy, fearing that Hua'er might soften her heart towards him and hesitate in her choice.
He was just about to show weakness and say something to increase his competitiveness when, unexpectedly, Bai Hua spoke first.
Bai Hua's voice was calm: "Cousin, I'll tell you the truth. Actually, what happened between me and the young master last night was not. We became husband and wife and consummated our relationship when we went south to Ye City. I'm not lying to you, I'm telling you the truth. You can call me ungrateful or shameless, it doesn't matter. I only know that I should firmly choose Ning Jue this time."
Ning Jue didn't know how Rong Linyan felt after hearing these words. He only knew that after hearing them, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and then his heart started pounding uncontrollably.
It wasn't unexpected, nor was it overwhelming; rather, it was... a sense of security.
Yes, even a heart pounding like that can feel like a sense of peace, a feeling of settling down after a wish has been fulfilled.
Ning Jue looked at Bai Hua and saw not only her delicate face, but also himself in her bright eyes, and the image of the two of them walking forward side by side.
After his master and mistress passed away, he found someone in this world again to cherish and care for, and fortunately, that person also cared for him.
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