Chapter 16 Taking advantage of her drunkenness
Back in the bamboo house, Ning Jue was slightly out of breath.
The weight he was holding in his arms was negligible, but she was restless like a cat the whole way, whimpering and rubbing against him. If she was even slightly uncomfortable, she would move around to protest, making it difficult for Ning Jue to apply pressure or loosen his grip.
After walking up the mountain road with such tension, when they finally put her on the soft couch, Ning Jue's injured right arm felt slightly numb.
He stood up, trying to restore blood circulation in his arm by clenching his palms, when suddenly a fair and delicate hand tightly grasped the hem of his clothes.
Her slender fingers crumpled his robes haphazardly, then stretched upwards, drawn to the white jade pendant at his waist. As she grasped it, her arms swung wildly, her fingertips wreaking havoc on his waist and below, utterly fearless.
Ning Jue gritted his teeth, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, and gave him a warning glance.
Bai Hua blinked her eyes, looking at him innocently, but her hands remained domineering, insisting on the jade pendant he wore at his waist, otherwise she would not let go.
At this point, it's too late to argue with her, but we absolutely cannot let her run wild.
Ning Jue took the initiative to step back, moving half a step so she couldn't touch it. Seeing her face fall and her unhappy expression, he reluctantly compromised, taking off the jade pendant his master had given him, allowing her to hold it and play with it for a while.
This is something he cherishes, something that no one else is allowed to touch. This is the first time he has ever offered it to someone else on his own initiative.
Bai Hua calmed down, lay on the couch, raised the jade pendant high, and carefully touched the patterns on it. The patterns were very strange, and from a distance, they looked like a white hydrangea bud.
After playing for a while, she looked at him again and said in a soft, whimpering voice, "I'm thirsty, I want some water..."
Ning Jue glanced at him and said, "Give me back the jade pendant, and I'll help you pour it out."
Having satisfied her curiosity, Bai Hua returned the item voluntarily, showing a surprisingly sensible side this time.
Ning Jue carefully put it away, then sighed helplessly.
He had never served anyone before, and now that he had this new experience, the feeling was subtle and indescribable. He went out of the room to pour a glass of warm water, returned to the bedroom, walked to the bedside, and helped Bai Hua up by the shoulder so that she could sit up more easily to drink.
Bai Hua cooperated; her delicate and supple body made her easy to manipulate.
Ning Jue handed over the cup, but Bai Hua's eyes were glazed over, and she showed no intention of taking it. Ning Jue pursed his lips, remained silent, and decided to play the good guy to the end and continue serving her.
He sat down by the bed, letting Bai Huachao lean closer to him. She placed her hand on his knee, and he remained motionless for a moment before moving to lift her chin.
Its texture is warm, smooth, and soft, tempting people to deliberately roughen and polish it.
Ning Jue took a heavy breath, not understanding why he was so nervous. In the past, when he was fighting against many alone and facing danger, his heart was not beating this fast and he could not control himself.
He held the cup and slowly moved the rim to Bai Hua's lips, tilting the cup to gently coax her to eat.
After drinking half a cup, which moistened her throat, Bai Hua felt much better.
With her flushed, tipsy face, she clicked her tongue, winked at Ning Jue, and said, "...It's sweet."
Ning Jue nodded: "I added honey to help with the hangover."
After speaking, he once again held the cup and leaned forward, the rim of the cup gently pressing against Bai Hua's alluring reddish-brown lips, glistening with moisture, much like a crimson plum blossom waiting to be picked.
Bai Hua turned her head away, not wanting to drink anymore.
Ning Jue continued drinking, urging, "Your stomach will feel better after you finish."
Bai Hua hesitated, her eyes darting around as if she were considering whether or not to obey him.
Finally, she understood, took his hand, and obediently tilted her head back to gulp down the remaining half-cup of wine.
With each movement of her lips, Ning Jue's eyes deepened.
After finishing the cup, Ning Jue's fingertips were stained with a few beads.
Bai Hua noticed this, hesitated for a moment, and then, still slightly drunk, tilted her head and stuck out her tongue to lick it clean.
A warm, moist sensation traveled from my fingertips to my scalp, and in an instant, a tingling, trembling feeling spread through my limbs and every inch of my skin.
Ning Jue froze, his hand trembled, and the cup suddenly fell, rolling down the quilt to the floor with a thud, but it didn't break.
Swordsmen have the steadyest hands, a fact unanimously acknowledged by masters across the martial world. This tremor caused Ning Jue to doubt himself, his mind in complete disarray.
He forced himself to remain calm, got up, picked up the cup, walked two steps away without saying a word, placed the cup on the table, and then stood still.
With his back to Bai Hua, he spoke after a long while, his voice hoarse: "From now on, when I take you out, I absolutely cannot let you go drinking. If I'm not around, who are you planning to go with?"
Bai Hua watched him standing quite a distance away, and murmured to his back, "Anyway, since you're here, you'll take me home."
Ning Jue was satisfied with the answer, but the itch that welled up from the bottom of her heart was not completely soothed.
Bai Hua lay down, unwilling to wait for him to speak to her. Her head was already dizzy, and now she was feeling sleepy, her eyelids were really heavy.
She just wanted to get some sleep as soon as possible.
After a long silence, Ning Jue turned around and saw that she was already preparing to go to sleep without a care in the world. He felt a surge of restlessness and knew he would not easily give in.
He walked over with a stern face, refusing to let her sleep. He stubbornly helped her up and said to her in a commanding tone, "Answer me a few questions. If you don't, don't even think about sleeping."
Bai Hua struggled against his strength but couldn't break free. After giving up, she simply lay on his lap, closed her eyes wearily, and verbally cooperated.
"What's the problem...?"
Her tone was soft and gentle, with a long, drawn-out ending. It was the kind of speech Ning Jue used to hate the most—the kind where people couldn't speak clearly. But whether it was because he got used to it or because the person speaking was different, he went from barely accepting it to now enjoying it very much. She was acting coquettishly towards him by pulling at the end of her words.
But the question at hand is of utmost importance. He can't get angry at her or show her a stern expression. Does he really want to willingly offer himself as a pillow and let her lie on his back?
Never mind, let her be.
Ning Jue had no choice but to put on a stern face and sit closer to her so that she could rest her head comfortably.
He gently placed his right hand on her shoulder, stroking it lightly, and asked his first question seriously: "What's your name?"
"Bai, Bai Hua."
Unfamiliar words.
Ning Jue remained calm and continued to ask, "Which two words?"
Bai Hua was deeply drunk and had no defenses. Upon hearing this, she replied honestly, "'Bai' is the 'Bai' in black and white, and 'Hua' is taken from the 'Ode to the Goddess', which says, 'She is graceful and serene in the quiet, and she is also graceful and charming in the human world.' It means beautiful and tranquil. My mother spent a long time reading ancient books before giving me such a beautiful name."
As she spoke, her eyes shone with joy and happiness, but then dimmed and sadness appeared in an instant.
Ning Jue, not knowing why she was sad, softened his tone and asked again, "Are you a local from Jiling?"
Bai Hua shook her head and introduced herself: "I come from Jingqi."
Ning Jue thus confirmed that she was by no means a seasoned spy who had undergone professional training. She was weak-willed, made many mistakes, and was also very spoiled. If someone else had infiltrated in this way, he would have called them foolish. But since it was her, he would describe her as inexperienced and naive.
He casually touched her with his fingertips. Such a boneless, delicate body, without any martial arts skills or cunning tricks, dared to approach him. It was simply reckless. If she had encountered the wrong person, she would probably have been devoured without a trace.
Especially the person behind her who made the moves was extremely foolish and vicious.
Ning Jue snapped out of her thoughts and continued, "You said earlier that you wanted to see me practice swordsmanship. That wasn't just a casual remark, was it?"
Bai Hua closed her eyes briefly, her voice tinged with sadness: "Only in this way can I... I have a home."
"What?"
Bai Hua's voice grew increasingly indistinct; it could only be barely heard by leaning close.
Ning Jue bent down and smelled the faint scent of wine on her breath, as well as the unique fragrance of her body.
He was somewhat engrossed in it.
Bai Hua: "My cousin said... your swordsmanship is similar to his, and he wants me to go up the mountain and stay by your side to find an opportunity to secretly memorize your sword moves. That way, he will be able to defeat you on the arena set up by the general and successfully embark on his official career. Once I successfully complete my mission and return to the Rong Mansion, he will promise to marry me, and then... I will have a home."
Ning Jue scoffed, stopped his fingertips, and his eyes darkened as he glanced down at her: "Is that so?"
Bai Hua sighed softly, turned over, and continued to speak melancholyly, her head resting on his arm: "I had no parents to protect me, and for some reason, I couldn't find the protection of my blood relatives. After wandering around in a foreign land, my cousin and aunt became my only support. I received kindness from the Rong family, and I couldn't remain unaffected. To repay their kindness, I had to agree to go up the mountain... I was very scared, afraid of being bullied, afraid of being beaten, and I didn't want to be a liar. You know, I told so many lies. I used to hate lying the most..."
As she spoke, her emotions fluctuated slightly, her eyelashes trembled, and glistening tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, making her look pitiful.
Ning Jue silently wiped away her tears, and then the two fell into a silent coma.
Bai Hua was very drunk. After her initial sadness, she closed her eyes again, too weak to continue the conversation. Ning Jue, on the other hand, did not want to take advantage of her drunkenness to try and get more information out of her.
"Don't worry, I won't hit you. I'm not as vicious as you initially thought."
After asking the question, Ning Jue sighed and slowly extended his hand.
He was afraid that the calluses on his fingertips would make her uncomfortable, so he rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand to soothe her and help her fall asleep.
Once Bai Hua's breathing had gradually calmed down and he was sure she was asleep, Ning Jue asked wistfully, "Does it really have to be him?"
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