Chapter 71: Red Beans

The Yu family had produced many military generals, but none could be considered a truly gifted young talent except for Yu Huanchen.

At this moment, his figure cast a shadow against the azure eaves and snowy courtyard. His white martial robe fluttered without wind, and with his sole strength, he had broken through the interception of the royal guards and reached the central courtyard without drawing his sword.

As he had come uninvited, he didn’t even bother to unsheathe his sword.

Yu Lingxi ran breathlessly and called out from the corridor, “Brother!”

Yu Huanchen halted, turning his gaze towards her.

Yu Lingxi descended the stone steps, her face flushed as she solemnly said, “Stop all actions!”

The guards instinctively glanced at each other, and without knowing whose order it was, they obediently sheathed their weapons and stood aside.

Yu Lingxi breathed a sigh of relief, but suddenly felt a tug on her wrist as Yu Huanchen led her to the side.

“How are you? Are you injured?” Yu Huanchen saw her disheveled appearance and the thin clothes, his strong brows furrowing even more. “On such a snowy day, without proper warm clothing, did he deliberately mistreat you?”

“No,” Yu Lingxi shook her head. “I heard that my brother had come, and I was so happy that I didn’t have time to dress properly.”

Yu Huanchen took off his cloak and wrapped it around his sister, expressing concern, “He… bullied you?”

Yu Lingxi was momentarily stunned before realizing the meaning of “bullied” in this context. After all, her appearance clearly indicated that she had hurriedly come from her bed.

She revealed a clean smile and said gently, “No bullying at all. Everything is fine.”

This statement wasn’t entirely untrue. Although Ning Yin occasionally played tricks to scare her, he never crossed the bottom line. Even when he went mad, he only dared to hold the blade in Yu Lingxi’s hand and press it against his own throat.

Yu Huanchen looked at her with skepticism. “During the palace incident, the security in the mansion was lax, causing abduction of the sister. It’s my fault. After returning and not seeing you, we were all going crazy.”

He tightened his voice, “It wasn’t until the morning court that I saw the sachet around Prince Jing’s waist, recognized it as the one you embroidered, that I was sure you were indeed in Prince Jing’s mansion.”

The only pattern that his sister excelled at embroidering was the auspicious rabbit. Everyone in the Yu family had one, and they were all familiar with her needlework. Yu Huanchen had worn the rabbit sachet for three or four years until he got married this year, and only then did he switch to the grape-patterned silver sachet given by Su Gong. 

“I knew my brother could recognize it. However, this matter has nothing to do with Ning Yin. He knew the sachet was used for communication with you, yet he still chose to wear it. This already shows his stance.”

Yu Lingxi, fearing misunderstandings would deepen, explained, “After the failure of Wang Lingqing’s rebellion, he became desperate. Hearing that the Seventh Prince had fallen into slavery, he captured me and presented me to the Seventh Prince in exchange for a chance at survival.”

“Wang Lingqing?” Yu Huanchen pondered. The details of the Seventh Prince’s exile were not publicly known. How did a mere minion of the Eastern Palace know about it?

Before he could figure it out, he heard his sister ask, “How is the situation in the court now?”

“It’s a mess,” Yu Huanchen replied. When he mentioned this matter, his expression became even more serious. “The old party and the new nobility are itching for trouble. There are always some who aren’t afraid of death and want to take advantage of the chaos.”

No wonder there were always fresh bloodstains on Ning Yin these days. Yu Lingxi lightly furrowed her brows.

“Let’s not discuss these for now. The other day, Father and I tried to use our merits to persuade the Emperor to revoke the decree of the arranged marriage, but the Emperor pretended to be ignorant. Probably he cannot make a clear decision.”

Yu Huanchen said, “Before the grand wedding, who knows what changes might occur. You should go home with your brother first.”

Yu Lingxi gathered her brother’s large outer robe but did not move.

Yu Huanchen turned around and called, “Sui Sui?”

“I don’t want to go back,” Yu Lingxi said.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head and said, “I want to stay by Ning Yin’s side.”

“Sui Sui won’t go back?” Yu Huanchen was somewhat surprised. Then he lowered his gaze, “Did Prince Jing threaten you, forcing you to stay as a hostage?”

“I’ve told you, it’s my choice to stay,” Yu Lingxi exhaled a breath of white air and said softly, “Last time, I had no choice; this time, I don’t want to leave him again.”

Although the court was in turmoil, at least Ning Yin was no longer the disguised guard who had to endure humiliation and danger. However, Yu Huanchen still couldn’t rest assured. The court was in constant chaos, and Ning Yin’s edge was too sharp. How could he possibly feel at ease leaving his sister alone here?

“No, I…”

“I want to take a gamble, brother,” Yu Lingxi’s eyes were determined, and her thoughts were clear. “If there is no final result on the day of the grand wedding, then it’s the time for me to accept my fate.”

“There are only four days left until the grand wedding, how can you make it in time?” Yu Huanchen spoke with seriousness. “You are gambling with your own life, Sui Sui.”

“If I don’t choose him, I will regret it for the rest of my life.”

Seeing that Yu Huanchen was unwilling to relent, Yu Lingxi pursed her lips and smiled.

“Let me tell my brother a secret.”

Her eyes sparkled with clarity as she took a step forward and said, “Do you think it’s only us who are anxious about the arranged marriage? Isn’t Ning Yin also anxious?”

That person would gnash his teeth whenever her marriage with the Xue family was mentioned. So, Yu Lingxi wanted to take a gamble on her position in Ning Yin’s heart. Yu Huanchen remained silent, his eyes showing a hint of struggle.

Gently pulling on Yu Huanchen’s sleeve, Yu Lingxi cajoled, “Let me accompany my brother out of the mansion, okay?”

After looking at his sister for a long time, Yu Huanchen finally let out a long sigh.

Wearing a clear and transparent smile, Yu Lingxi personally escorted her brother to the front gate of the mansion.

“It’s not feasible; it’s too risky!” Yu Huanchen left the mansion but turned back. He grabbed his sister’s wrist and said, “Brother is not at ease!”

Just as he touched Yu Lingxi’s wrist, a series of whooshing sounds came through the air. Yu Huanchen, with his reflexes honed on the battlefield, immediately let go. A feathered arrow flew past, narrowly missing him, embedding itself into the frozen ground behind.

The frozen ground instantly cracked with a spiderweb of patterns, penetrating two inches into the ground, while the arrow continued to buzz. Yu Huanchen glanced at the torn sleeve and his face darkened. If he hadn’t quickly pulled back his hand, the arrow would have pierced more than just his sleeve.

“Sui Sui, brother hopes you think it through.” Yu Huanchen pointed at the arrow on the ground. “Do you want to stay with such a dangerous person?”

Yu Lingxi knew that her time was up.

“He’s just afraid you’ll take me away, like last time,” Yu Lingxi pressed her lips, took off Yu Huanchen’s outer robe, and handed it back. “I’ll write to the family every day to report my safety. Can you indulge Sui Sui just this once?”

Yu Huanchen’s emotions were incredibly complex. He took the outer robe and walked a few steps away before stopping. Turning back, he looked at his sister for a long time until she waved with a smile. Only then did he heavily descend the stone steps, mount his horse, and leave.

Snow fell from the eaves, making a light tapping sound.

After her brother left, Yu Lingxi lowered her gaze and looked at the feathered arrow stuck in the crack between the bricks, sighing lightly. Using both hands, she pulled out the arrow, weighed it in her hand, and then turned to the sleeping quarters.

Now, it was time to settle the score with the madman.

There was no attendant in the sleeping quarters. Ning Yin, barefoot, sat on the bed, maintaining the same posture as when she left, playing with a black jade carving in his hand, lost in thought.

Yu Lingxi rarely saw him in such a quiet state.

Seeing Yu Lingxi enter with a calm expression, he visibly hesitated for a moment before slowly breaking into a smile.

“You’re back.”

Casually sitting up, he locked the black jade carving in the hidden compartment at the head of the bed. “Two quarters late.”

“What’s the matter with this?” Yu Lingxi asked, showing him the arrow.

Yu Lingxi furrowed her brows, angrily slapping the feathered arrow on the table in front of him.

“This?” Ning Yin picked up the arrow, flicking the icy arrowhead with his fingers, making a “ding” sound. “I’ve always held grudges, so I told Li Jiu that if Yu Huanchen dared to take you away, I would cripple one of his hands.”

Seeing Yu Lingxi’s furious expression, he casually continued, “Just one hand, not killing him.”

“That’s my brother,” Yu Lingxi stood opposite him, her expression serious and solemn. “If you want to harm him, it would be more satisfying to harm me.”

“How could I bear to harm Lingxi?” Ning Yin smiled, speaking slowly, “Lingxi never makes mistakes; it’s always others who are wrong.”

“I’m sorry for ruining your plan by not leaving with my brother,” Yu Lingxi said, arms crossed. She sat down beside him, saying, “Now that Your Highness has willingly abandoned your status to be my lover, why should I leave? Besides, it’s Prince Ning who insisted on keeping me. Your Highness couldn’t bear to part with me.”

Ning Yin raised his eyes, scrutinizing her expression for a while before asking, “What are you saying?”

“I mean, I want to stay right here!” Yu Lingxi said each word clearly. “Even if the bridal sedan has no one, and the wedding banquet is in chaos four days later, it has nothing to do with me! In any case, it was Prince Ning who insisted on keeping me, and Your Highness can’t bear to let me go…”

“Impudent,” Ning Yin narrowed his eyes.

“Isn’t that so? My brother was angered by me and left, my parents won’t care about me anymore. I have no family left,” Yu Lingxi spoke more and more passionately, unable to suppress the sourness in her nose. She turned her face away and said, “If Your Highness doesn’t care, we can die together in four days.”

Ning Yin remained silent for a long time. The usually sarcastic and argumentative Ning Yin, at this moment, became exceptionally docile. His cold eyes looked at Yu Lingxi steadily, revealing unknown shades.

After a moment, those unknown shades calmed down, turning into a deep and unfathomable abyss.

“Lingxi lied to me again.”

He seemed to be saying it to himself, sweeping a glance over the disordered sachet hanging from his waist. He sneered slowly, “After all, even the sachet you personally made was just for passing messages to the Yu family.”

Yu Lingxi looked at him in disbelief. Sometimes, she really wished she could open Ning Yin’s head and see what twists and turns were inside.

She reached out and pulled the sachet off him.

With a light tap, the faint smile in Ning Yin’s eyes vanished.

He grabbed her wrist, pulled her closer, and looked into her eyes with a warm voice, “Taking advantage of my good mood! Come back. Be obedient.”

“Since you know my intentions, why were you willingly wearing this thing?” Yu Lingxi couldn’t help but ask, “You’re so clever; why didn’t you think of opening the sachet to take a look?”

She angrily threw the sachet back to Ning Yin and then turned to sit at the end of the bed, ignoring him.

Ning Yin, suspicious, pinched the dark green bottle-shaped sachet. The feel of it was indeed a bit strange. He had been busy with official duties after receiving this item yesterday, only taking a sniff of the fragrance when exhausted.

Like drinking poison to quench thirst, it brought a near self-flagellating awakening. Indulging in the captivating enchantment, Ning Yin did not suspect the contents inside.

After hesitating for a moment, Ning Yin finally loosened the tight cord of the sachet and poured out the fragrance and cotton inside. In addition to common spices like peppermint and cloves, there were two red beans the size of fingertips inside.

The red beans were engraved with characters, one with “Sui” and the other with “Qi.”

Ning Yin suddenly became quiet, lowered his eyelids, and used his fingertips to caress the two poorly inscribed red beans. Shaking the sachet again, a folded piece of paper fell out, with two sentences elegantly written in small characters.

【Fortunate to have lived twice, seeing you without regret.】

“Fortunate to have lived twice, seeing you without regret.”

Ning Yin silently repeated it in his heart, then chuckled lightly, pretending to be calm, “They say one lifetime is not enough, but why did Lingxi write ‘lived twice’?”

Turning her head, Yu Lingxi responded in a deep voice, “Because one lifetime is not enough for you to misbehave!”

Putting red beans in the sachet was a symbolic token used by women in the capital for expressing love and commitment, symbolizing a lifelong bond of enduring affection. She spent most of the night making this thing, and this crazy guy Ning Yin didn’t even comprehend it from the beginning, no wonder he was being weird since early morning.

A bright and gentle young girl, even her sulking appearance was a pleasing sight. Ning Yin stared at the piece of paper in his hand for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, more and more unrestrained, until he laughed with trembling shoulders, and even the corners of his eyes turned watery.

Yu Lingxi had never seen Ning Yin laugh so uninhibitedly, and couldn’t help but frown at him. Ning Yin reached over her shoulder. Yu Lingxi, remembering she was still angry, turned away.

When Ning Yin touched her again, she resisted. This rare show of backbone.

So, Ning Yin gathered her into his arms, tightened his arms, used his chin against the top of her head, and gently caressed.

He didn’t say a word. He would never say “I’m sorry.” This was his way of apologizing.

“You’re done for,” Yu Lingxi muffled in his embrace, accommodating yet delicate, “I’ve become attached to you, little madman.”

Ning Yin tightened his embrace even more, as if wanting to melt her whole into his bones and blood, hidden at the tip of his heart.

“Good.” He laughed tenderly and wildly, biting her earlobe gently, “Accompany the madman to hell.”

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