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Chapter 68: Jam

Warm the bed?

Yu Lingxi blinked her eyes slowly, familiar with this situation. Moreover, she was indeed tired.

Yu Lingxi got up, took off her cloak, and carefully hung it on the nearby wooden rack. Her black hair flowed down her waist from one side, and she climbed onto the bed from the other side.

Ning Yin’s gaze swept over the indentation of her waist where she had lain down. Before he could fully appreciate it, he saw her rolling over and gracefully rolling into the quilt, leaving only the tip of her nose and clear eyes visible.

Their movements seemed synchronized, even their hair neatly placed on both sides of the pillow.

Ning Yin remained silent for a while.

For a moment, he felt as if he had seen this scene long ago, incredibly familiar. The warmth filled the hall, and the faint smell of blood on him seeped out, contrasting sharply with the light floral fragrance on the young girl.

Ning Yin wrinkled his brows with some disgust, stood up, and went to the adjacent bathing room.

The door opened, and the cold light of snow spread on the ground.

The door closed, and the sound of wind and snow ceased.

Ning Yin walked to the corridor and summoned a soldier.

“Whip Wang Lingqing’s body three hundred times and publicly display the corpse,” he said coldly.

The soldier was somewhat surprised. “Liver and brain smeared on the ground” was already a severe punishment, but not sparing even the corpse indicated that the lord was truly angered.

The soldier mused with a puzzled expression, “What foolish thing did Wang Lingqing do to incur the wrath of His Highness?”

In the sleeping chamber, Yu Lingxi lay motionless. As Ning Yin left, the entire hall fell silent.

She relaxed her body and yawned.

The crazy man in this lifetime had some humanity, not as many annoying quirks as in her past life. Surprisingly, she didn’t mind him dressing neatly, and he could easily please her.

Yu Lingxi raised the corner of her mouth and shifted her body towards the inside the quilt more, her heart finally settling down. Having been on edge for a long time due to the palace turmoil, she was exhausted.

She closed her eyelashes and, after a brief moment, fell into a gentle dream. When Ning Yin entered the hall with a refreshing moisture, Yu Lingxi was already asleep. He stood by the bedside, his ink-black hair scattered, a large area of firm and cold white chest exposed, and he didn’t feel the cold.

Yu Lingxi always liked to sleep on her side, slightly curled up, her shoulders slender and delicate, quiet like a shy flower.

Ning Yin bent down, turned Yu Lingxi’s shoulder, and stared at her face for a long time. She was in a deep sleep and didn’t wake up.

Well, she was really carefree.

Ning Yin blew on her eyelashes. Seeing no reaction, he casually picked up the ointment next to him and applied it to her wounds. Then he lifted the quilt on the bed, adjusted their positions, and hugged her soft body completely into his arms.

Lifting his sleeve to extinguish the candle, he expressionlessly tightened his arms, forming a perfectly fitting bow with her.

…

Yu Lingxi felt like she was suffocating.

Around her waist, it seemed as if she were gripped by an iron clamp, unable to break free, causing her to have a strings of nightmares. When she woke up, the day was already bright, and the bed beside her was cold, with no sign of Ning Yin’s figure.

She rubbed her eyes and noticed that the swelling on her wrist had reduced, and it no longer hurt. There was a faint medicinal fragrance lingering.

Yu Lingxi gathered her thoughts. The torn wedding attire lay on the ground, reminding her of the chaotic bloodshed and the intruders into the mansion yesterday, as if everything had happened in a dream. She hadn’t seen anyone all night and wondered how her family at home was coping.

Yu Lingxi got up, and discreet palace maids brought in a copper basin, clothes, and other items one by one, arranged in a row.

The leading senior palace maid respectfully bowed, “Miss, please get up, wash, and have your meal.”

Yu Lingxi glanced at the setup and saw that the clothes, skirts, and cloak were all there, but the hairpin for styling was missing.

“Is something missing?” she asked.

“No, Miss,” the leading palace maid replied. “These are the instructions from His Highness.”

What does Ning Yin trying to imply?

This was related to yesterday’s incident involving the jade hairpin. Was he punishing her for hitting a sore spot? But he explicitly forbade her from going home to fetch it, and Yu Lingxi didn’t quite understand.

The palace maids left after putting down the items, respectful but not overly warm, treating her as if she were a favored concubine. Yu Lingxi had to pick up one from few ivory chopstick from the table, quickly tying her hair into a simple bun. Paired with the apricot-red winter clothes and skirt, she displayed a delicate and gentle appearance.

After the meal, she tried to peek out of the sleeping quarters. Under the azure sky and amidst the cold mist, eunuchs stood on the corridor without stopping her. Feeling bolder, she lifted her skirt and walked out, wandering around the mansion.

The accumulated snow was thick, and everything in sight was a vast expanse of white. Yet, she could still make out some familiar outlines.

She stopped a passing eunuch holding an empty food box and asked, “Where is His Highness?”

The eunuch stepped aside respectfully, saying, “His Highness is handling matters in the side hall.”

Yu Lingxi thanked him and headed towards the side hall, encountering no obstacles on the way. Strange, even though it was her first time at Ning Yin’s mansion, why did every brick and tile here feel so familiar?

Upon reaching the side hall, Yu Lingxi understood the source of this familiarity. This mansion was surprisingly the prototype of the Regent’s mansion in her past life, even the decorations in the side hall were almost identical.

Ning Yin wore a deep purple silk robe, half of his ink-black hair was tied with a jade crown. He was holding a memorial, leaning against the couch, and his excellently crafted robe flowed down the edge of the couch without a single wrinkle.

Catching sight of the beautiful woman peeking cautiously at the door, Ning Yin’s faintly drawn lips curled slightly, and he called out, “Come over.”

Yu Lingxi walked in confidently, her dress swaying with each step, and two strands of loose hair hanging by her ears, adding a touch of tenderness and beauty to her demeanor.

She had ingeniously used ivory chopsticks to tie up her hair into a bun.

The small punishment turned into a playful display. The beauty approached and, finding no extra chairs, naturally sat on the other side of the low table.

In front of Ning Yin, there was a plate of golden and sweet chestnut steamed cakes and a bowl of bright red and translucent hawthorn fruit jam. 

Her almond-shaped eyes curved, as clean and bright as they were in the Yu Mansion, and she took the initiative to speak, “Has His Highness had his meal?”

Ning Yin did not respond, retracting his intense gaze, and tossed the memorial into the charcoal brazier. As the flames surged, turning the document into black ashes, he casually pushed the chestnut steamed cakes towards Yu Lingxi.

Thinking that Ning Yin was offering her the cakes, even though she had just finished her breakfast and wasn’t hungry, Yu Lingxi politely took a piece, dipped it into the sweet and sour hawthorn jam, and gently took a bite.

Ning Yin observed her, his expression becoming subtly intriguing.

He raised the corner of his attractive eyes and asked, “You were sent to my mansion by someone. What is the purpose of your arrival?”

Yu Lingxi was momentarily stunned, then realized that at the moment, she was a “gift” brought to please him.

Having been a simple girl for too long, she almost forgot how it felt to serve someone.

Yu Lingxi broke into a generous and unrestrained smile, showing no awareness of being a “gift.”

“Well then,” she set down the half-eaten pastry and picked up another piece, offering it to Ning Yin’s lips. “Your Highness, please.”

Ning Yin shifted his posture, criticizing, “No dipping sauce.”

Yu Lingxi had to carefully dip the sauce, but as she extended it towards him, Ning Yin caught her wrist.

Gently holding her injured wrist, his warm palm pressed against the bruised area, causing a tingling sensation.

“Not like this,” Ning Yin smiled, using his other hand to pick up a little hawthorn sauce with his index finger and slowly spreading it over Yu Lingxi’s soft lips.

Yu Lingxi’s lips were full and beautiful. With the bright red sauce, they appeared glossy and enticing, contrasting against her fair skin, making her even more alluring.

As Ning Yin leaned in, Yu Lingxi momentarily forgot to breathe, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

He inclined his head, first letting his lips touch the tempting sweetness, then using his tongue to trace and slowly savor the hawthorn sauce. Ning Yin half-closed his eyes, deliberately slowing down his movements, delicate and lingering, as if savoring something more than just the sauce.

“Your Highness, Minister Xue and Second Minister Xue seek an audience.”

The servant’s voice came from a distance.

Yu Lingxi snapped out of the intimate moment, attempting to withdraw, but Ning Yin firmly held her and pulled her into his embrace.

Ning Yin opened his eyes, the depths of his gaze becoming profound.

During the exchange of breaths, Yu Lingxi heard his husky voice, “Announce.”

Announce?

Yu Lingxi did not want to see Xue Cen in this situation—more precisely, she did not want to face the marriage matter she had briefly escaped.

The palace door swung open, footsteps echoed in the corridor, but Ning Yin showed no sign of stopping.

Different from the gentle ambiance moments ago, this time it seemed to transcend the scope of tasting hawthorn sauce. The scorching breath, like a vortex, pulled Yu Lingxi down.

“Ning…”

Yu Lingxi placed her hand on Ning Yin’s solid chest, trying to push him away, but he remained unmoved.

What did Ning Yin want to do?

With wide-open eyes, her heart pounded wildly, and her blood throbbed painfully.

Footsteps sounded as if trampling on her heart, getting closer. However, Ning Yin’s hand moved upward, forcefully gripping the back of her head, as if devouring her soul. He was insane, wanting to drag her into madness.

Yu Lingxi tensed her body, feeling like she was about to catch fire. Her heart pounded like a drum, and she couldn’t breathe. The footsteps reached the entrance of the hall, and her mind went blank. She tightly clutched Ning Yin’s clothes.

With a wave of his hand, the half-drawn curtain fell, blocking the view from outside.

Almost simultaneously, Xue Song and Xue Cen stepped in.

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