Chapter 136 After Marrying the Crippled Prince, 16 Mountain Fires
"Yi'er, how else could I see you?"
Lin Tingyu tried to hug Yun Chiyi, but she blocked him with her foot.
Are you trying to provoke me?
Lin Tingyu suddenly stood up, pointing at her with his finger: "Or do you also think that I am a fugitive and not worthy to touch you?"
Yun Chiyi sat with her legs drawn up, burying her face in her chest, still using the same "out of sight, out of mind" approach.
Lin Tingyu became more and more excited as he spoke: "Do you know how much I've done for you? When Lord Li wanted to kill you, I swore to protect you with my life. Otherwise, do you think I really couldn't break through that shabby manor?"
"Now I think that perhaps Lord Li is right. You are a femme fatale, making me think about you every day. If it weren't for wanting to take you with me, I would have been in the Northern Frontier long ago."
Hearing this, Yun Chiyi's doubts that had troubled her for many days were resolved.
The people who ambushed her that day were Lin Tingyu and Lord Li fighting amongst themselves, each trying to kill the other.
Lin Tingyu, his face flushed and neck red, commanded, "What are you doing with your head down? Raise your head and look at me!"
Yun Chiyi raised her eyes indifferently.
Lin Tingyu sneered a few times: "Don't forget, you've been groveling before Lin Jinyuan all this way so that you could share wealth and glory with me. I still have a chance to rise again. If you nod your head today and come with me, I will make you my empress when I achieve great things in the future."
Yun Chiyi pursed her lips, her eyes hesitant, looking around as if she couldn't make up her mind. She put her hands behind her back and nervously took a few steps back.
"You're hesitating? What, have you really fallen in love with Lin Jinyuan?"
Lin Tingyu slapped his forehead as if suddenly realizing something: "I understand now. No wonder I heard that Lord Chen privately asked my father to keep Lan Yihan in the capital. It turns out that you and Lin Jinyuan reached an agreement to have him ask his maternal grandfather."
Yun Chiyi's hand touched the dusty candlestick. Upon hearing Lin Tingyu's words, she gripped it tightly and finally dared to look him in the eye.
Seeing Lin Tingyu's increasingly agitated and delirious ramblings, "Your ability to change your mind is truly impressive. Since you are unwilling to leave me..."
As he spoke, he bent down to pick up the large knife from the ground.
Yun Chiyi parted her red lips slightly and calmly called out, "Lin Tingyu."
Upon hearing her voice for the first time, Lin Tingyu turned around in surprise, only to be met with a blinding flash of dark candlelight that struck his temple.
Lin Tingyu cried out in pain and fell to the ground, his head spinning for a while, and he saw countless Yun Chiyi stepping over him.
The moonlight was dim, and the road was obscured.
Yun Chiyi dared not let go of the candlestick and ran out of the dilapidated temple in one breath. Looking back, she saw Lin Tingyu staggering to his feet, holding a knife and covering his head as he leaned against the door frame.
The withered grass in the courtyard buried half of Lin Tingyu's body.
Yun Chiyi took out a tinderbox from her purse, blew on it, and threw it into the haystack. The sparks were extinguished by the ice and snow, which was really bad luck.
Seeing that Yun Chiyi was determined to burn him to death, Lin Tingyu cursed loudly, "Yun Chiyi! When I catch you, I will cut you into a thousand pieces."
Yun Chiyi replied, "Go to hell yourself, I'm not seeing you off."
After saying that, Yun Chiyi lifted the hem of her skirt and continued running. After running a few steps, the neighing of wild horses came from the snow, and dozens of rockets fell from the sky and shot into the dilapidated temple, forcing Lin Tingyu to retreat.
Yun Chiyi focused her gaze and looked ahead. The north wind howled, and a white horse galloped in, breaking through the wind. The man on the horse wore a white mask and a black robe. He was tall and slender. He rode up to Yun Chiyi's side, and without saying a word, he stretched out his long arm, pulled her onto the horse.
The white horse galloped, stirring up a biting wind. The warm fragrance emanating from the person in front of her was carried by the cold wind and wafted into Yun Chiyi's nostrils. She recognized him almost instantly as Lin Jinyuan.
The mountain road was bumpy, and Yun Chiyi skillfully hugged his waist, turning her head to look at the dilapidated temple behind them, which was ablaze with fire.
The faint sound of Lin Tingyu's howling could be heard from deep within the mountains.
Now, Lin Tingyu will no longer appear in her sight.
At this moment, Lin Jinyuan, who was wearing a mask, focused his gaze on Yun Chiyi's hands.
The red marks on her fair skin were so obvious and shocking.
Lin Jinyuan was momentarily distracted, and before he knew it, he had already grasped Yun Chiyi's wrist with one hand and was gently stroking it with his fingertips.
He immediately realized that the gesture was too intimate; he was now just a stranger wearing a mask.
Unexpectedly, Yun Chiyi grabbed his hand instead.
Lin Jinyuan frowned as he saw Yun Chiyi gesturing to thank him and trying to explain her identity, asking him to escort her back to her residence.
He didn't say a word, galloping on his horse, the mountain wind whistling past his ears. Yun Chiyi shrank under his cloak, clinging tightly to his waist.
How can she be so close to strangers?
Lin Jinyuan's eyes darkened, and he continued to whip the horse.
He escorted Yun Chiyi to the city gate, where people from the Prince Cheng's residence were already waiting to meet her.
Finally, Yun Chiyi returned safely. Zhenzhen suppressed her sobs, draped a warm cloak over Yun Chiyi, and was about to kneel down to beg for forgiveness when Yun Chiyi grabbed her and shook his head.
Zhenzhen was in tears, filled with guilt: "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have left you alone on the street."
Yun Chiyi raised her finger to make a "shh" gesture, then smiled faintly and reached out to wipe away Zhenzhen's tears.
Zhenzhen sobbed uncontrollably, stammering, "Where have you been... Just a quarter of an hour ago, the manor received a letter instructing the Prince's residence to send someone here to fetch you... Thank God, you're back..."
It seems that Lin Jinyuan didn't want to make a big deal out of it, so he suppressed the news of her disappearance, and even Zhenzhen didn't know the truth.
Yun Chiyi patted Zhenzhen's head and took her back to the manor.
Upon returning to the manor, Yun Chiyi immediately went to look for Lin Jinyuan. Unexpectedly, he was quick to act, returning first and changing his clothes before continuing to sit in his wheelchair as the frail prince.
The mansion was brightly lit, and Lin Jinyuan's gaze flickered between light and shadow. Yun Chiyi, supported by Zhenzhen, walked quickly over. Meeting his gaze, she bent down and threw herself into his arms.
Lin Jinyuan felt a sharp pain in his chest from the impact, and Yun Chiyi's soft arms immediately wrapped around his waist.
Seeing this, Chao Sheng waved for the others to leave, leaving only four people in the corridor.
As everything quieted down, Lin Jinyuan held Yun Chiyi for a while before finally pulling her off. He didn't feign concern about Yun Chiyi's whereabouts as before, but instead asked her directly if her hand injury hurt.
Yun Chiyi nodded, holding back her tears.
Zhenzhen hurriedly said, "This servant will go and fetch the medicine."
Lin Jinyuan said, "Leave it to Chaosheng. You don't need to serve him tonight. It's getting late, go and rest."
Zhenzhen mustered her courage to refuse, but when she noticed that Lin Jinyuan's gaze was fixed on Yun Chiyi, she decided not to bother him any further.
Lin Jinyuan had prepared hot water in his room. After entering the room, he gently wiped Yun Chiyi's wrists and arms with a wrung-out towel, and then carefully applied medicine to her.
Yun Chiyi found it novel and stared at him without blinking.
Does it hurt?
It didn't hurt too much. Yun Chiyi was lost in thought, paused for a moment, and then nodded slightly.
Lin Jinyuan held her hands in his own and whispered, "I'll have to keep a close eye on you from now on. What if you get lost again?"
He then asked with an unreadable expression, "Are you hungry? There's some porridge simmering in the kitchen. Have Chaosheng bring some over."
Before heading up the mountain to search for the person, he instructed the kitchen staff to prepare porridge. No matter what, he would bring the person back before sunrise.
Yun Chiyi was indeed hungry, and told him honestly.
After Chao Sheng brought in and out the congee, Lin Jinyuan picked up the bowl on the table, slowly blew on it to cool it down, and fed it to Yun Chiyi.
The porridge was soft and sticky, with shredded ginger and finely chopped chicken. Yun Chiyi felt warm after taking a bite.
While feeding you, Lin Jinyuan said, "Tomorrow I'll have them make you something nice to eat to help you recover."
Each time he feeds you a spoonful of porridge, your favorability rating increases by one point.
Yun Chiyi stared at his eyes in surprise. What strange fetish had he awakened?
Are you planning to fatten her up so she can't run fast?
Yun Chiyi straightened her back, pushed the bowl of porridge away with one hand, and slowly shook her head.
Lin Jinyuan asked, "Were you scared? Have you lost your appetite?"
With all the excuses presented to her, Yun Chiyi went down the stairs.
Lin Jinyuan summoned Chaosheng to clear the dishes and then ordered other maids to bring in hot water. He personally washed Yun Chiyi's body, and when it was dawn, knowing that Yun Chiyi was tired after a night's sleep, he coaxed her to go to bed for a nap.
Yun Chiyi nestled in the warm quilt, Lin Jinyuan's large hand patting her back lightly and then heavily. She closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.
A ray of morning light streamed into the room. Lin Jinyuan hooked his pinky finger and brushed away the stray hairs from Yun Chiyi's eyes. Her butterfly-like eyelashes fluttered and lightly brushed against his fingertips.
He shielded his eyes from the sunlight with his hand and said gently, "It's still early, sleep a little longer."
Yun Chiyi murmured "Mmm," turned over to face his chest, and because she was afraid of the cold, she put her hands on his narrow waist and buried her head in his neck.
Lin Jinyuan's eyes were half-closed, his gaze flickering as if he were deep in thought.
The Prince of Lin perished in the fire, yet she slept soundly as if nothing had happened.
Before she was married, she was madly in love with Prince Lin, and she kept saying, "I wish we could be birds that fly wing to wing in heaven."
When did she stop loving Prince Lin...?
Yun Chiyi's soft sigh in her dream interrupted Lin Jinyuan's thoughts. Lin Jinyuan's pupils trembled, and then he gently stroked her thin shoulder.
"I'm not afraid."
Lin Jinyuan stayed with Yun Chiyi until the sun was high in the sky before leaving the bed.
As spring arrived, they stayed by my side without fail.
After enduring the chilly early spring days, Yun Chiyi felt the weather was getting better.
She never left the manor, only occasionally hearing about the changes in the city from Zhenzhen.
That day, while she was resting her head on Lin Jinyuan's lap and waiting for him to paint, she heard Zhenzhen's voice coming from outside the door.
"Your Highness, Miss Yun Er requests an audience."
Yun Chiyi propped herself up on Lin Jinyuan's legs and sat up. Yun Shuxue didn't even have any contact with her during the New Year, so why did she come to visit this time? The sun must have risen in the west.
Lin Jinyuan touched Yun Chiyi's earlobe and said softly, "Go ahead, if you need anything, have Zhenzhen call me."
Yun Chi reluctantly went out.
A moment later, Zhenzhen led Yun Shuxue, who was six months pregnant, to the pavilion in the backyard.
Upon seeing Yun Chiyi sitting and drinking tea, Yun Shuxue burst into tears, looking extremely aggrieved.
"Please, elder sister, do me a favor."
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