Great Zhou World
Finally, at the door to the woodshed, Ning Yangyang successfully blocked Xiao Ziyi's path. She placed her hands on her hips, her slender fingers gripping the coarse cloth at her waist, her knuckles white from the strain. She tilted her palm-sized face slightly upward, her chin raised stubbornly, her watery almond-shaped eyes widening like a roadblock. The sun shone obliquely from behind her, elongating her frail figure and making her appear even more menacing.
"Brother, aren't you here to pick me up?" Ning Yangyang's voice was trembling with a carefully suppressed tremor. She suddenly reached out and grasped Xiao Ziyi's sleeve, the veins faintly visible on the backs of her bony hands. Her fingertips were cold, but upon contact, they suddenly tightened as if grasping at a lifeline. Her eyes, always smiling, were now filled with tears, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly, as if tears were about to roll down.
Xiao Ziyi retreated half a step imperceptibly, his dark brocade boots leaving a shallow imprint in the mud. He was tall and slender, his dark brocade robe setting off his jade-like complexion. The mutton-fat jade pendant dangling from his waist swayed gently with his movements. His brow furrowed slightly, his narrow, phoenix-like eyes scoured the girl who claimed to be his sister, his gaze as if examining a suspicious object.
"You're my sister? Ning Yangyang?" His voice was as cold as a mountain stream, its tail rising slightly, a hint of obvious suspicion. Sunlight filtered through the shadow cast by his tall nose, splitting his handsome, almost fierce, face into two halves of light and dark. He suddenly chuckled, a hint of sarcasm at the corner of his lips, revealing two sharp fangs, and his whole person suddenly took on a more menacing air.
Ning Yangyang looked up at the man, who towered over her, and swallowed unconsciously. She noticed that his fingers, hanging by his side, were unconsciously stroking the hilt of the sword at his waist. His bony index finger rhythmically tapped the gilded scabbard, making a subtle "tapping" sound. This discovery made a thin layer of sweat break out on her back—a sign that his patience was running out.
"System, has he really ignored this sister for ten years?" Ning Yangyang asked anxiously in her mind, forcing herself to release her grip on his sleeve. During her background research, she'd always harbored doubts about such a callous and indifferent personality. After all, blood is thicker than water, and the bonds of family are often difficult to break. Ning Yangyang lowered her head, pretending to adjust her clothes, but in reality, she was masking the panic in her eyes. The coarse cloth thread unconsciously tangled in her fingertips, quickly leaving a red mark on her pale skin.
The system's cold reply made her shoulders slump almost imperceptibly. When she looked up again, she had put on a bright smile, tears still lingering in the corners of her eyes. "Yes, brother, my full name is Ning Duoyu, and my nickname is Ning Yangyang. Look at the Luo River over there, the water is vast." She deliberately enunciated each word, as if to carve this name into his bones.
Without hesitation, she took Xiao Ziyi's arm. This movement practically hung her whole body on him, her thin shoulders pressed against his hard arms, her protruding wrist bones digging into his sleeves. She could feel his muscles tensing instantly, and the cold air that suddenly mingled with the faint scent of ambergris—a sign of his anger.
Perhaps her brother was simply not good at expressing himself and had been silently watching over his sister? Ning Yangyang pondered this inwardly, trying to find some reasonable explanation for him.
However, the answer given by the system ruthlessly shattered her fantasy: "The system will not lie. There will absolutely be no deviation from the character setting in this world. Please rest assured, host."
Ning Yangyang's mood instantly plummeted. She had held onto a glimmer of hope, but now it was completely shattered. It turned out that her brother not only didn't pay attention to her silently, but he didn't even care about her at all.
"As expected, people with incomplete families are most likely to become perverts..." Ning Yangyang muttered to herself, an indescribable sadness welling up in her heart. She took a deep breath, pushed open the door to the woodshed, and decided to bravely face whatever was coming next.
The moment the door to the woodshed was pushed open, the rotting wood creaked harshly. Crown Prince Xiao Yuhuan, standing behind it, was caught off guard by the gust of dust that blew across his face. This distinguished heir apparent, clad in a moon-white brocade robe, his waist adorned with dazzling jade pendants, now awkwardly concealed his face with his sleeves, revealing only a sliver of his fair wrist. The veins on his neck bulged slightly as he coughed, and the jade crown holding his hair trembled slightly, sending his carefully braided hair swaying in chaotic arcs as he moved.
In stark contrast to the Crown Prince's embarrassment was Ning Yangyang's composure. Like a nimble cat, she slipped into the woodshed, her ragged skirt stirring up fine dust as it swept across the floor. She tiptoed through the storage room, occasionally turning back to offer a playful smile, revealing two playful little canine teeth. As she pointed at the wild cat in the corner, her slender wrist became almost transparent in the sunlight, revealing the purplish veins beneath.
"Look, the wild cat in the southwest corner is so interesting! When it's late at night and everyone is asleep, it always finds some free time to sneak onto my bed and sleep with me." Ning Yangyang's face was filled with an excited smile.
Then she walked over to the pile of firewood, gently stroked one of them, and said, "And these firewoods, I especially like the sandalwood scent they emit. Every time I smell this scent, I feel particularly happy."
Ning Yangyang continued her introduction without stopping, completely oblivious to the Crown Prince's increasingly grim expression. When she finally finished, she realized her brother was still frozen in place, like a wooden man, completely unresponsive to her words.
I could only add a little more fuel. "Brother, do you remember this kite?" She suddenly pulled a faded kite from under her stained pillow, her movements so eager that she almost tripped over the firewood. The mottled paint from the kite stained her fingertips, staining her already rough fingers even more. When she looked up, a bead of sweat slid down her pointed chin, leaving a dark mark on her collar.
A crack finally appeared in Xiao Ziyi's expression. He stared at the kite, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and a few fine lines formed between his brows. When Ning Yangyang said, "It rained heavily on the day we parted," he suddenly sneered, a smile that could be described as wicked: "It was a sunny day." His voice was soft, but it pierced Ning Yangyang's heart with the precision of a knife.
"But my heart is raining." Ning Yangyang's tears burst forth suddenly, large tears rolling down her sunken cheeks. She cried quietly, only the slightly red tip of her nose and the rapid rise and fall of her chest betraying her emotions. When she said "every evening afternoon," she even bit the tip of her tongue in the choking sobs, letting out a soft hiss of pain.
Ning Yangyang has already roughly figured it out. What was previously written in the PDF about Xiao Ziyi's concern and love for her sister was all fake. The protagonist's true character is indifferent, but he longs for unrequited love.
Xia Weiya interjected at the perfect moment. The matron of the household was wearing a crimson-purple, double-breasted gown. The golden hairpins in her hair swayed gently as she spoke, catching a dazzling glint in the sunlight. Her well-maintained face was beaming, but the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes betrayed her true age. As she reached out to pull Ning Yangyang's hand, her painted nails inadvertently left a red mark on the back of his hand.
"Nephew, it's been a while since we last met." Xia Weiya's voice was cloyingly sweet, like a knife dipped in honey. As she spoke, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief embroidered with delicate peonies, but it couldn't hide the glint in her eyes.
The moment the kite was blown away by the wind, Ning Yangyang instinctively reached out to catch it, her thin arm tracing a futile arc in the air. She remained frozen in that position for a moment before slowly withdrawing her hand, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably. As she turned and walked away, her frail figure seemed almost transparent in the sunlight, as if it would dissipate in the wind at any moment.
Ning Yangyang watched the kite fly away, feeling a pang of loss. She knew that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hold onto that moment of warmth. Helplessly, she could only take the first step and resolutely leave this oppressive place.
Because there was an additional task waiting for her to complete, she had to spare no effort.
The Ning Mansion held this curry favor banquet in what should have been a picturesque back garden. However, the mere furnishings of the mansion revealed the emptiness behind it. Duckweed covered the entire pond, leaving only a pool of clear water in the southeast corner, reflecting the half-tilted hexagonal pavilion on the bank. Inside, the stone table lay overturned, and a half-broken wolf-hair brush lay beside a broken Duan inkstone. The small seal characters engraved on the penholder had long been swallowed by moss.
The power to manage the Ning Mansion seemed to be firmly controlled by Xia Weiya. Apart from the fact that the main seat should be occupied by Crown Prince Xiao Yuhuan according to etiquette, even the nominal master Ning Xuyou could only sit a full 800 meters away from the main seat.
The family's enthusiasm was fully reflected in the way they served the dishes. While they didn't dare to flatter the Crown Prince excessively, they also didn't dare to be disrespectful with their words. Respectful titles and inquiries about his well-being were indispensable. Thus, a variety of delicacies from land and sea were picked up and poured into Xiao Ziyi's bowl like water, and the delicious food in her bowl never diminished in the slightest.
Between Ning Yangyang and Xiao Ziyi, there was Ning Bihuan. This made Ning Yangyang feel somewhat helpless. Even being a lackey was being fought over by others.
However, Xiao Ziyi had no intention of speaking up for her. His current body, which was too heavy even for clothes back then, had a buff that gave him maxed-out combat power. Someone would definitely question this setup. Seeing his sister emaciated, he hadn't even considered whether she'd been abused. Well, he was quite good at abusing the heroine. The tiny dungeon had all sorts of things going on. Even just imagining it while reading the text was horrifying.
While Ning Yangyang didn't possess much literary talent, she possessed a remarkable ability to meticulously examine words. She pursued a single goal: to bring the punishment those individuals deserved. The charges she brought against them and the methods she employed to achieve this goal were of little concern to her.
After all, no one seemed to really care about what she was going through. However, she knew that her life as the second female lead would at least occupy a few chapters in the novel.
"System, open the fruit category in the prop library." Ning Yangyang ordered.
The system's voice then rang out: "Host, why do you suddenly want to eat fruit? Are you tired of all the delicacies and want some dessert?"
Ning Yangyang replied somewhat helplessly, "Can you even hear me? I'm not in the mood to joke with you right now! You've been slacking off since the first world, and you've been slacking off all the way to the second. How are you going to complete the mission at this rate? Since you're so laid back, can I become a regular system customer service representative after the mission is over?"
The system was silent for a moment, then said, "Alright, alright, stop complaining. Since you've worked so hard, I'll give you a mango for free, okay?"
Ning Yangyang, as she had expected, became the least noticeable person at the dinner. She silently finished the mango in her hand, but this action did not attract anyone's attention.
At this moment in the dinner, everyone was busy with their own things: some were currying favor with the powerful, some were exchanging pleasantries, and still others were too allergic to pay attention to anything else. The entire scene was like a bustling stage, and Ning Yangyang, in a corner of this stage, quietly waited for her "part."
Once the drunken scene began, Ning Yangyang's performance was masterful. She staggered toward the Crown Prince, her steps as light as cotton. Her wrist shook violently as she raised her glass, splashing the wine across her washed-out sleeves, leaving a dark stain. Her tongue stammered as she spoke auspicious words, her gaze perfectly unfocused, even her earlobes flushing unnaturally.
The wine glass in her hand trembled constantly as her body swayed, and she finally raised the glass to Xiao Yuhuan's lips. Then, without hesitation, she opened her mouth and blurted out a series of auspicious words: "Cousin! No! Your Highness, this is the second time I have met you. I wish you a son soon!"
However, this blessing made people laugh and cry. After all, the current Crown Prince had just passed the age of twenty and was not yet married, so how could he expect to have a son early?
Hu Mi, watching from the side, thought to herself, "This isn't right." She knew Ning Yangyang was probably a little drunk. This girl was always like that. Even with her big belly, she still had to bite the bullet and persuade her to leave. Hu Mi couldn't help but think of Ning Yangyang's melancholy look in the woodshed just now. At that time, she had a premonition that something bad might happen. Now it seemed that this child was clearly holding back a lot of anger.
Xiao Yuhuan stared at the wine glass in front of him, his hand frozen in place, completely unable to move. A trace of embarrassment crossed his face, unsure how to respond to this unexpected blessing. Just as he was momentarily stunned, the drunk's eyes suddenly rolled back, his body slumped forward as if unsupported, and he flung himself straight into Xiao Yuhuan's arms.
It all happened so suddenly that Xiao Yuhuan didn't even have time to react. He could only instinctively reach out to catch the drunk. However, when he hugged the drunk, he felt a strange sense of lightness. He looked closely and realized that the drunk was so thin that it seemed as if a gust of wind could blow her down.
What surprised Xiao Yuhuan even more was that, although the person in his arms looked lifeless, she was actually still trembling slightly. Her bones were unusually prominent, and the hardness could be felt through her clothes, which made Xiao Yuhuan feel pity.
At the same time, Ning Yangyang's head swayed from side to side, as if it had lost its support. The jewels on her head kept falling with her movements, making crisp noises. These sounds intertwined together and completely masked her weak breathing.
Xiao Yuhuan was so anxious that he didn't even have time to check Ning Yangyang's breathing. He just shouted someone else's name in panic: "Xiao Luoluo, is this your sister? Is she poisoned?"
Xiao Ziyi heard Xiao Yuhuan's cry and hurriedly squeezed through the crowd. He looked solemnly at Ning Yangyang, who was lying in Xiao Yuhuan's arms, and then carefully stretched out his finger and placed it on her nose.
The entire scene became unusually quiet, and everyone held their breath, awaiting Xiao Ziyi's judgment. Time seemed to freeze at this moment, with only the sound of Ning Yangyang's golden hairpin falling, each sound like a knock on everyone's heart.
Xiao Ziyi checked her breathing with extreme restraint, placing only two fingers lightly under her nose. His thick lashes cast a fan-shaped shadow across his face as he lowered his eyes, obscuring any emotion. When he announced, "She's still alive," his voice was calm, without a ripple, and only the tightening of his jaw betrayed his inner displeasure.
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