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Chapter 41: Showdown
Between half-dream and half-awake, Yu Lingxi felt a chilly sensation on the back of her neck. She drowsily opened her eyes, meeting the pitch-black gaze of Ning Yin.
“Awake?” He was leaning on the side of the bed, lightly pinching her neck.
The touch was cool and tingling, instantly dispelling any drowsiness Yu Lingxi felt. Fragmented memories surfaced; she vaguely remembered revealing something before falling into a deep sleep.
She hoped it was just a dream, but Ning Yin’s expression told her it was anything but.
Yu Lingxi never expected to confess at this moment, in this manner. Ning Yin’s clothes were loose, his posture relaxed, as he carefully examined her expression. “Miss, don’t be afraid. My hands are quick; you won’t feel any pain.”
Now hearing him address her as “Miss,” Yu Lingxi only detected a cold mockery in his tone. She knew negotiating with Ning Yin couldn’t show any hint of fear or hesitation. Denying without thought was also not an option; he was too clever.
So, she calmly met Ning Yin’s scrutinizing gaze and said, “You’ve saved my life, it would be a loss to kill me, wouldn’t it?”
Her voice was light, with a soft post-sleep tone. Her eyes were clear, like a clean pool of autumn water.
Ning Yin chuckled, “Miss, have you figured out how to lie?”
A person like Ning Yin, when truly ruthless, had no emotions, no familial attachments. Appeals to “sentiment” wouldn’t bind him. At this moment, she had to talk about interests—compelling interests.
“I haven’t thought about lying to you.”
Facing the weighty oppression reminiscent of her past life, Yu Lingxi tightened her grip on the bedding and adjusted her breathing. “Killing me would only add another enemy for you, with no benefit. We currently share a common goal and shouldn’t become enemies.”
She knew Ning Yin’s goal and presented her sincerity, her apricot eyes gazing directly at him, unblinking.
Surprisingly, Ning Yin remained expressionless, showing little emotion in his eyes. Yu Lingxi’s heart jumped to her throat: could it be that Ning Yin’s true desire wasn’t to reclaim power in the palace?
It shouldn’t be.
“Miss, you’re daydreaming again; that deserves punishment.”
The pain in her jaw brought back her senses by a pinch. Ning Yin, slightly dissatisfied, leaned down to scrutinize her. “Miss, when did you find out?”
He was referring to his identity.
Yu Lingxi couldn’t reveal her knowledge of the past life; such a ridiculous reason would likely be crushed by him before she finished speaking. “Wolf Country,” she answered, her red lips lightly parting.
“At the Spring Banquet, when you saved me, you wore the attire of a eunuch. It indicates your familiarity with the Princess’s residence. You must be a noble with authority. Later, you even intervened in the Eastern Palace…”
Yu Lingxi said, “With a little connection, the scope is already quite small.”
Ning Yin raised an eyebrow slightly. The information he released was indeed intentional, but he thought that with Yu Lingxi’s knowledge confined to the inner chambers, at most, she would guess he was a noble or a strategist for a certain faction. Unexpectedly, she connected it to the “Wolf Country” story and accurately unraveled his long-concealed identity.
Not that he minded the exposure of his identity. Eventually, Yu Yuan would have to know, forcing him to make a choice. However, Ning Yin was accustomed to being in control; actively revealing information and having it guessed were two different things.
Under Ning Yin’s cold and probing gaze, Yu Lingxi couldn’t help but tense her throat.
“I don’t have a hobby of digging into others’ privacy. If you’re unwilling to say, I won’t ask,” she said, trying her luck. “Apart from me, no one else knows. If you’re still not at ease, you can kill me now.”
Ning Yin remained silent for a while. Rationality told him to crush her neck bone and burn down the Yu residence. He wouldn’t allow any wavering in his existence until all the damned people were exterminated. However, after some contemplation, he couldn’t bring himself to harm this life that he had just saved—it would be a pity to kill her.
Indeed, the little life he had saved after feeding her medicine was too precious to be lost.
Lifting his eyelashes slowly, he neither spoke of killing nor letting go. With a sneer, he said, “So, Miss took me in earlier and treated me well just to use my identity?”
Yu Lingxi knew he would find fault and be difficult.
Moreover, if we talk about “using,” who could surpass Ning Yin, who had chased her carriage in the snow, and then stirred up trouble behind the scenes?
“I just wanted to protect my family, nothing else,” she replied calmly.
Looking at the handsome face before her, Yu Lingxi responded calmly, “The Crown Prince is narrow-minded and incompetent. The grievances between him and the Yu family run deep. If he is promoted in the future, my father and brothers will have no way out.”
Ning Yin sneered, “Miss, why do you think I’m better than him?”
“Based on the countless opportunities you had but never harmed me.”
This was the debt she owed Ning Yin in both her past and present lives.
“Miss is overestimating me. I’m not a good person by any means.” Ning Yin lightly touched her fragile neck and coldly said, “Have you forgotten the three strokes outside the Oulian Pavilion back then?”
How could Yu Lingxi dare to forget? She had a gut feeling that this was the key to the problem.
“I am just a weak woman, ignorant of court affairs and factional struggles,” Yu Lingxi breathed softly, articulating each word. “I only know that someone dangerous yet never harmed me is far more reliable than a group of hypocrites who plot and harm at will. Of course, by the same logic, if I feared you and plotted against you, wouldn’t it be better to bind you and present you as a merit?”
Ning Yin’s actions of kneading the back of her neck slowed down, as if weighing the significance of her words. He was unreasonable in killing, but he cared about a sense of initiative. After the conversation, it wouldn’t be justifiable to act on murderous thoughts.
Yu Lingxi tried to read something from his inscrutable face, but to no avail. However, the invisible pressure seemed to dissipate a bit.
Emboldened, she raised her hand against Ning Yin’s solid chest, gently pushing. “Can you get up first?” Her voice was soft, trying to make her eyes look more sincere. “You’re too heavy, and it’s making me uncomfortable.”
Ning Yin stared at her for a while before leisurely saying, “Miss doesn’t hesitate to deal with a tiger but finds me heavy? It doesn’t make sense.” Nevertheless, he eventually loosened his arm as he sat up, bending his knee to the side.
Feeling like she had been granted a reprieve, Yu Lingxi quickly got up, turning her back to him to straighten her dress. In the dim light from the table, she discreetly checked her dress a few times. Although the underskirt was a bit wrinkled, there were no suspicious stains, and her body felt no pain.
It seemed that Ning Yin had spared her again.
She sighed, realizing her socks were missing, and her two fair feet were exposed, feeling chilly. The candle burned down and extinguished with a sputter.
The distant sound of the drum announcing the fifth watch echoed in the back alley, and the first crow of a rooster heralded the dawn. In another two moments, the servants in the mansion would wake up.
Thinking of this, Yu Lingxi slowed down her movements while tidying up, taking a deep breath. “You…”
“Miss, just call me Wei Qi.” Ning Yin spoke indifferently.
“Alright, Wei Qi.”
Seeing him revert to this name, Yu Lingxi knew that the turmoil tonight had finally passed without much danger. She couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief and said, “Thank you for tonight. I need to go back.”
A faint blue light slanted in from the window, casting Ning Yin’s silhouette in dim obscurity, with only his eyes shining exceptionally bright.
He glanced at Yu Lingxi’s bare feet and asked, “The courtyard has a stony path. Are you going back like this?”
Despite being in the darkness, Yu Lingxi felt like he could see through her, so she instinctively pulled her feet under her skirt.
After thinking for a moment, she had no other choice but to say, “The stony path is only a few steps away. I’ll endure it…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Ning Yin got up from the bed, draped his robe over himself, and lifted Yu Lingxi’s bent knees.
Yu Lingxi bit her lip, hastily grabbing onto his clothes, suppressing any unexpected exclamation between her teeth. Ning Yin was a prince, and she was just a court lady. She had expected that, with Ning Yin’s character of retaliation, once the identities are revealed, he would naturally reverse their positions…
“Miss used to order me around effortlessly. Why act coy now?” Ning Yin’s low voice sounded from above, and being this close, his chest vibrated slightly as he spoke.
Opening the door and stepping onto the stone path, Ning Yin showed no intention of putting her down. It wasn’t until they reached the corridor that Yu Lingxi realized he intended to directly escort her back to her room.
What did this mean?
With the final layer of identity already revealed, he didn’t need to appease or please her with a low profile. She would still respect and trust him as usual.
Lost in these thoughts, the voices of people came from the backyard – the yawns of servants going about their early morning chores.
Yu Lingxi suddenly tensed, gently tugging on Ning Yin’s clothes. She wasn’t afraid of damaging her reputation if seen by others; she was just afraid that the news would reach her family, causing unnecessary worry.
Ning Yin glanced at her, his steps uninterrupted as he continued towards the direction of the conversation.
….
Yu Lingxi’s heart was pounding in her throat, and she buried her face in Ning Yin’s chest as if covering her ears with a stolen bell.
Ning Yin held her securely, a smirk playing on his lips, as he turned around the corner of the corridor, heading towards the cool loft. Almost simultaneously, a servant pushing a cart for procurement passed through the courtyard gate, just narrowly avoiding them.
Yu Lingxi’s suspended heart dropped back into her stomach, and her whole body relaxed, devoid of any strength.
That scheming lunatic Ning Yin must have done it on purpose to scare her!
A light turned on in the earthen house. It was probably the old caretaker waking up. She was getting older, and she would wake up before dawn to check on things and tuck Yu Lingxi in.
Yu Lingxi tiptoed, whispering, “We’re here.”
Ignoring her, Ning Yin continued to escort her into the bedroom, placing her on the bed.
Remembering something, Yu Lingxi reached out and grabbed his sleeve. “The medicine.”
Ning Yin turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. “What does Miss want? Be clear.”
Yu Lingxi pursed her lips and grumbled, “The medicine you gave me, the antidote.”
Though she didn’t remember the specific details of their night together, she couldn’t forget the bitter pill Ning Yin had put in her mouth, which she assumed was the antidote.
Her body still felt a bit dry, indicating the poison wasn’t completely cleared. Having a few more pills would be safer.
“Can’t give it to you,” Ning Yin said, shaking his head, cold and resolute. “Miss knows my secret, but I don’t have any leverage over Miss. Despite Miss’s nice words, I still need to be cautious.”
Before Yu Lingxi could explain, he pressed her lips shut with his fingertip.
“Every midnight, Miss can come to my room to get the medicine,” Ning Yin innocently said. “Whether I give it or not depends on Miss’s sincerity.”
“At noon,” Yu Lingxi bargained.
Going to his room in the middle of the night was too dangerous; Yu Lingxi wouldn’t fall for that.
After a brief consideration, Ning Yin chuckled, “Miss prefers daytime, that’s fine.”
With that, he stood up and walked to the open window. With a single push, he leaped straight down from the second floor.
Yu Lingxi was startled, quickly crawling barefoot to the window.
At the same time, the caretaker’s exclamation came from the doorway. “Oh my, Miss! Why are you standing by the window without wearing shoes and socks? You’re just standing there, catching a cold!”
Yu Lingxi hastily turned around, taking advantage of the caretaker closing the window to glance down.
In the dim night, Ning Yin’s figure was long gone, and only then did she let out the breath she had been holding.
There was still a lingering sweet fragrance on her clothes from the aftermath of the poison. Yu Lingxi sniffed and detected a faint, cold scent, as if it was the fragrance absorbed from Ning Yin’s body…
Suppressing the chaotic images in her mind, she took off her clothes and put on dry ones, then hugged the embroidered pillow and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, the father and son from the Yu family in Luozhou finally returned home safely. Yu Lingxi hadn’t been this happy for long when her parents called her to the side hall.
Upon entering, she saw Lady Yu standing up, waving gently, and said, “Sui Sui, come here.”
“Father, Mother.”
Yu Lingxi smiled and greeted them, asking, “Did you call for me? What’s the matter?”
“It’s a significant matter.”
Lady Yu had obviously discussed it with her husband. She took out a thick stack of name cards from the table and said softly, “You are already sixteen this year, at the age to marry. Here are the name cards of various young gentlemen. Take a look and see if there is anyone you like.”
The top name card was from Xue Cen. Without looking at the others, Yu Lingxi closed the stack.
Helplessly, she said, “Mom, haven’t I already said it? I don’t want to marry into the Xue family or anyone else.”
Lady Yu thought she was just being playful and scolded, “Silly child, where does a girl not get married in her lifetime?”
General Yu’s expression was quite serious, as if he had something on his mind. After fiddling with the cup for a while, he said, “Due to the incident in the Eastern Palace last time, there have been many rumors about you in the streets, delaying the marriage. Now that the storm has subsided, and your brother is about to marry and establish his own household, your parents can’t protect you forever. The marriage cannot be delayed any longer.”
“Choose a candidate first, and the wedding can take place in a couple of years.”
Lady Yu patted her daughter’s hand and smiled, “No hurry, take your time. Your parents have no other requests, just hoping that both men you and your sister marry are people you love. They don’t have to be from wealthy families, but they must have good character and be gentle and upright.”
In the backyard, the news about the precious gem of the Yu family choosing a husband spread like wildfire. Servants, during their occasional breaks, would guess which talented young master would become the future son-in-law of the Yu family.
“It’s Second Master Xue, for sure.”
A servant sweeping the corridor said, “Who else in the capital is worthy of our young lady?”
“Not necessarily.”
A maid, holding a chicken feather duster, argued, “Our young lady has a wealthy and noble fate. She might become a royal consort. Didn’t the Nanyang Prince personally escort our young lady back the other night?”
Ning Yin stood with his hands behind his back under the moon gate, squinting his eyes.
These servants and maids were too noisy; their tongues should be cut off.
…
After returning to her room, Yu Lingxi felt something was strange. Why was her father, who was reluctant to see her married, in such a hurry to arrange a marriage for her as soon as he returned from Luozhou?
After contemplating for a while, feeling a bit warm, she pushed open the window and asked, “What time is it?”
Hutao answered, “Miss, it should be noon soon.”
It was almost noon, the time to go for the medicine. Yu Lingxi collected her thoughts and walked alone towards the backyard covered pavilion.
Under the shade of the courtyard trees, the stone table was empty, and there was no sign of Ning Yin. After a moment’s thought, she lifted her skirt and climbed the stone steps, knocking on the door.
The door was slightly ajar, and she walked right in.
Sure enough, Ning Yin was sitting behind the desk near the window, casually lifting one leg in a lazy posture, as if he had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Yu Lingxi enter, he pointed to the side of the desk, signaling her to take a seat.
Outside the window, the sky was a clear blue, with a few kites the size of green beans floating up and down, creating a picturesque scene. However, Yu Lingxi keenly sensed that his mood seemed to be not so good.
Whenever he was in a bad mood, he liked to sit like this, either tormenting himself or others.
“What are you thinking?” Yu Lingxi asked.
Ning Yin glanced at her and said meaningfully, “Thinking that if Miss Lingxi were a celestial guqin, it would be nice.”
No matter how high it flew, as long as he pulled the string, it would obediently return.
After saying this inexplicable sentence, he played with the white jade bottle in his hand, not speaking again. Yu Lingxi lowered her eyes, looking at the medicine bottle he was rotating between his fingers, her gaze filled with anticipation.
Seeing that he remained motionless, she couldn’t help but remind, “It’s time to get the medicine.”
Ning Yin played enough, satisfied his desires, and then placed the porcelain bottle on the desk, making a light tapping sound.
“If you want this medicine, come and get it yourself.”
Using his thumb, he uncorked the bottle, took out a pill, and held it delicately between his pale lips right in front of her.
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