Chapter 89: Reminiscence

Yu Lingxi shook the bell for half the night, tired to the point of sinking into the bedding, taking a while to regain her senses.

Her slender and fair ankles hung down the edge of the bed, adorned with delicate red strings, with two golden bells on top still trembling slightly, casting a golden-orange shine in the dim candlelight.

She remembered in her past life, being forced by Ning Yin to dance, and had worn golden bells once. However, at that time, the golden bells were not worn on her feet but tied around her body, biting into…

In two lifetimes, the little madman’s preferences hadn’t changed at all.

Blushing, Yu Lingxi muttered to herself, not yet having the chance to rest her eyes when Ning Yin pulled her into his embrace once again.

“Your voice is really pleasant to listen to.”

Ning Yin raised an eyebrow, reaching out to move aside Yu Lingxi’s damp hair. It wasn’t clear if he was complimenting the sound of the bells or her.

Being so close, Yu Lingxi could see the “Lingxi” characters on his chest, a vivid red contrasting with his cold and handsome face, displaying a completely different charm.

Slightly pouting, Yu Lingxi said with a weak tone, “You’re just finding an excuse to bully people.”

“Yes,” Ning Yin admitted straightforwardly, looking confident. “So what?”

“What else can I do?” Yu Lingxi blinked her moist lashes and hummed, “I can only go crazy with you.”

Ning Yin was momentarily stunned, then hugged her tightly, chuckling lowly. His chest trembled along with the laughter.

Yu Lingxi made a sound, almost suffocating. She quickly twisted her body and said, “I need to take a bath.”

Only then did Ning Yin mercifully release her, putting on his outer robe and covering her with a large cloak, carrying her along with the cloak to the adjacent clean room.

Beneath the ink-colored cloak, only a glimpse of a bright and pink toe was visible. The muffled sound of the golden bells accompanied his steps, sending tingles through the bones.

…

Yu Lingxi unexpectedly fell into a deep sleep, waking up not knowing whether it was night or day.

It had rained during the night, the sky still overcast. By the endlessly burning candlelight, Ning Yin sat leisurely, flipping through a register with his fingertips. He wore a set of bright red ceremonial attire, the intense color diluting the cold oppression on him, making his ink-black hair and fair, handsome face more prominent.

Seeing his outfit, Yu Lingxi recalled that on the third day of their marriage, they needed to return to her family’s house. She hurriedly asked, “What time is it?”

As she spoke, her voice was unexpectedly soft, almost like a coquettish hum. Unable to help blushing, Yu Lingxi cleared her throat and withdrew her arm back into the bedding.

Ning Yin closed the register, his eyes filled with content laziness. “It’s just past noon.”

“What?” Yu Lingxi was shocked.

“Noon,” Ning Yin calmly repeated, getting up and pinching her cheek. “What would you like for lunch?”

How could Yu Lingxi think about lunch at a time like this? According to the agreement, she was supposed to return to her family’s house at the appointed hour, and she was two full hours late!

“What’s the rush?” Ning Yin reached out to stop Yu Lingxi, who was hastily getting dressed. He leisurely said, “I have already sent word to the Yu family, postponing the return ceremony.”

“Really?” Yu Lingxi’s hands, in the midst of dressing in a hurry, paused, showing some doubt. “How did you say it?”

Ning Yin recalled for a moment and calmly repeated, “Yu’er, I sleep without waking up. Let them wait.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

Such dominant and indifferent words were in line with Ning Yin’s style.

“If the return is delayed without reason, my parents will worry and start imagining things. Let’s hurry back.” Yu Lingxi, with her hands momentarily frozen in the dressing process, quickly finished dressing. She glanced at Ning Yin with clear eyes and said, “Don’t do this again in the future; it’s harmful to health.”

However, Ning Yin had never seen any harm come to him from such intimidating words.

“Doesn’t make sense,” Ning Yin leaned against the edge of the bed, innocently saying, “Clearly, it’s your mischief, begging this prince…”

Palace maids entered with clothes one after another. Yu Lingxi hurriedly reached out to cover Ning Yin’s annoying mouth. Ning Yin’s straight nose pressed against her little finger, and with a smile in his dark eyes, he slowly licked her palm.

The return ceremony to the Yu residence was changed to an evening banquet. At the rooster hour, as the twilight enveloped everything, the entire Yu residence was waiting at the steps.

As soon as Yu Lingxi got off the carriage, she headed straight for her mother’s embrace, calling out with a smile, “Mother!”

Madam Yu saw her daughter in a rosy complexion, noble and radiant, and finally relaxed the worry that had been with her all day. Ning Yin wore a red outfit matching hers, with a jade belt and black boots. He calmly ascended the stone steps, accepting the salutations from the Yu residence.

The Yu family had evidently prepared extensively, and the evening banquet was sumptuous. Servants carrying dishes entered in an orderly manner, but the atmosphere at the table remained quiet, with only the subtle sound of utensils clinking.

Although Ning Yin had lived in the Yu residence for almost half a year, he had never had the opportunity to dine with the Yu family. Returning now, he was the esteemed Prince Ning. No wonder the expressions of her parents seemed a bit restrained and unnatural.

Yu Lingxi personally poured tea for her parents, smiling and saying, “This lotus shrimp dish, you can tell at a glance that Mother made it.”

As soon as she spoke, the atmosphere at the banquet became lively. 

Madam Yu continued in a gentle tone, “Knowing that you would be coming back, we prepared this specially.”

After saying this, she peeled a plate of shrimp and intended to have a servant send it over for her daughter to taste. However, before the plate could be taken over, Ning Yin, sitting at the main seat, casually peeled a shrimp and placed it in Yu Lingxi’s bowl.

He did it so naturally, as if he had returned to the days when he used to serve her as Wei Qi.

Yu Lingxi remembered that although Ning Yin was excited by the sight of fresh blood, he wasn’t fond of eating meat. She handed the bowl of green porridge in front of her to him.

Madam Yu exchanged a glance with her husband, and in the end, she withdrew the plate of shrimp, not wanting to disturb the sweet moment of the newlyweds. After the dinner, the newlyweds still needed to stay overnight at the bride’s house, chatting with the parents.

Accompanying her mother to the flower hall for a brief chat, when Yu Lingxi returned, she saw Ning Yin and General Yu each sitting on one side, facing each other in silence.

“Finished talking?” Yu Lingxi entered with a smile, her gaze wandering between her father and Ning Yin’s indifferent faces.

Since General Yu and the son-in-law didn’t seem to get along well, she decided to lighten the mood.

General Yu sighed and waved his hand. Yu Lingxi nodded and then followed Ning Yin out.

“What did Father say to you?” 

Walking side by side under the brightly lit corridor, Yu Lingxi looked at Ning Yin’s handsome face that revealed no emotions and asked softly.

Ning Yin turned his eyes, and his lips moved slightly. “The General asked about my future plans. My answer didn’t please him.”

Future plans… Was it related to the succession and the throne?

Yu Lingxi opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, she heard hurried footsteps approaching.

A guard from the Quiet Prince’s residence rushed over and whispered, “Your Highness.”

Ning Yin didn’t shy away from handling matters in front of Yu Lingxi, and the guard didn’t avoid it either. He spoke in a low voice, “There’s trouble in the palace.”

Ning Yin’s expression remained unchanged.

He smiled at Yu Lingxi and flicked her little finger. “Go to sleep by yourself, be good.”

Yu Lingxi knew that if it wasn’t something very urgent, the guard wouldn’t disturb them at this time.

She nodded, still smiling, “Alright.”

She let go of his hand, took a couple of steps towards the bedroom, and then stopped. Before Ning Yin could speak, she had already turned around swiftly, rushing into Ning Yin’s arms, completing the motion in one go.

“Be careful when you’re out at night.” Yu Lingxi patted Ning Yin’s back, giving him a gentle hug.

Ning Yin’s lips lifted slightly, the hand hanging at his side lifted, encircling her waist. Watching Yu Lingxi return to the room, the faint smile in Ning Yin’s eyes faded, turning into a deep, cold indifference.

The carriage headed straight for the palace gate without anyone daring to stop it. In the Emperor’s Palace, the conspicuous Buddha statue presented an eerie compassion, overlooking the dying, sobbing old man on the dragon bed.

The once powerful emperor, now resembled a defeated dog with its spine removed, gasping for breath. His face was purplish-blue, and his thin fingers twitched and contorted, hardly retaining any signs of vitality.

The palace maid responsible for serving him knelt on the ground, and with each step of Ning Yin’s approach, she stirred up waves of extreme panic and tremors.

With candles illuminating the surroundings, Ning Yin sat in the only chair in the hall, picking up the unfinished edict on the desk and chuckled. The laughter was light, making it particularly abrupt in the silent hall.

“With this appearance, you still refuse to calm down.” Ning Yin raised his eyes, smiling with a hint of mockery.

Speaking gently, “Now, why don’t you tell us who gave you the courage to struggle in the face of death?”

……

Ning Yin didn’t return the entire night. When Yu Lingxi woke up, the bedding beside her was still cold.

After having breakfast, guards from the royal residence arrived to escort Yu Lingxi back. The leader was Zhaji.

Before getting on the carriage, Su Guan, with her five-month baby bump, specially brought over freshly made pastries.

“One box of lotus seed pastries and one box of red bean cakes, both are things Sui Sui loves to eat on regular days,” Su Guan said, her cheeks a bit fuller and her voice gentle. “Not as good as the craftsmanship of the royal residence, but consider them snacks to satisfy your cravings on the way.”

“Thank you, sister-in-law.”

Yu Lingxi took the food box, and her gaze fell on Su Guan’s gradually rounding belly. She curiously asked, “Mother mentioned last night that the little one inside alreade started kicking?”

Su Guan covered her belly and nodded, “Occasionally, he stirs around a bit, quite lively, as if he were a little boy.”

“That’s great.”

Yu Lingxi imagined the gallant demeanor of her elder brother and the delicate and lively nature of Su Guan. That would undoubtedly be an outstanding child.

Su Guan covered her mouth and smiled, “Enough about me. When does Sui Sui plan to have same kick?”

“Me?” Yu Lingxi was caught off guard by the question. She had never thought about it, not in this lifetime or the previous one.

In the previous life, Ning Yin’s temperament was unpredictable, and he was pathologically dominant. Naturally, he wouldn’t allow her to casually conceive. In this life, except for the initial incident, Ning Yin had not left any traces.

Yu Lingxi didn’t mind. She always felt that having a child was a distant and blurry matter, unable to imagine what kind of child Ning Yin’s offspring would be like. 

Back at the Prince’s Palace, she quickly dismissed the question from her mind.

Madam Yu had prepared twelve pieces of jewelry and hairpins as gifts for the return banquet, symbolizing a prosperous and happy life for her daughter. While Hutao and maids were busy on the side, Yu Lingxi leaned on the couch and noticed two sandalwood boxes placed on the table.

It was the feather pen and the white jade spiral hairpin that Wei Qi had given her when she was in the Yu residence. Yu Lingxi opened the sandalwood box and touched them, her gaze softened.

She intended to place these two items in a conspicuous place within easy reach. However, the drawers of the dressing table were already filled with newly acquired jewelry. Yu Lingxi looked around and her eyes fell on a small cabinet beside the couch.

The drawers of the short cabinet were not locked; they should be usable, right? Yu Lingxi thought for a moment, then sat on the edge of the couch and gently pulled open the first drawer.

Inside were several bottles of various colored medicine, a short blade, a booklet tucked at the bottom, a pair of golden bells, a jar…

Yu Lingxi’s cheeks flushed. No one knew better than her what the delicate and fragrant ointment in that jar was used for. 

Feather pens and hairpins certainly couldn’t be placed together with these items. She closed the drawer and opened the second one.

Then she was stunned.

This layer contained nothing strange. It only had a stack of apricot-white fluttering ribbons, a beauty seal carved from ink jade, a five-colored longevity thread, two melted candies stuck together and paper with writing, and…

There was also a neatly laid out, meticulously repaired paper kite with a green phoenix motif at the bottom of the drawer.

“Legend has it that paper kites can carry bad moods and misfortunes to the sky.”

“Feeling better now?”

Yu Lingxi recognized it. This kite was the one she and Ning Yin had flown together after the third poisoning incident last year.

At that time, her parents were in a hurry to arrange a marriage for her, and Ning Yin had a very strange temper. So, she pulled him to fly kites together for some fun. As a result, they didn’t manage to fix it properly, and the kite string broke, causing the paper kite to drift away into the distance.

Unexpectedly, it appeared again in Ning Yin’s drawer.

Did he secretly pick up the paper kite and repair it so beautifully with glue?

Yu Lingxi looked at the half-filled drawer of things, her gaze becoming gentle.

It turned out that every item she had given, even those small objects given casually and forgotten about, Ning Yin had carefully collected in a secret corner. Clearly, he was such a ruthless and cold person, yet he had such patience and meticulousness. It was truly…

It was truly maddening.

Yu Lingxi propped her chin up, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Lost in thought, she suddenly saw a shadow casting over from behind.

“What are you looking at?” Ning Yin’s voice rang out.

Yu Lingxi snapped out of her reverie, subconsciously trying to close the drawer.

But it was too late. Ning Yin’s arm reached from behind and pressed down on her hand closing the drawer in a semi-circle motion, then he uttered a nonchalant “oh.”

“Caught in the act, huh?”

He rested his chin on her shoulder and elongated his tone.

Yu Lingxi quickly withdrew her hand and turned around, saying, “I just wanted to put something away, not intentionally peeking at anything.”

Ning Yin chuckled, his face, sleepless for a night, was somewhat pale and cold, but his eyes were full of indulgence.

“I am entirely yours, there’s no need to get upset over looking at a couple of things.”

His gaze swept over the drawer, as if picking something out.

Then his slender fingers hooked onto the apricot-white fluttering ribbon, and he gently said, “Our intimacy began with this ribbon. How about using it to relive those initial moments?”

Relive… What initial moments?

Before Yu Lingxi could question, the ribbon floated lightly onto her eyes, casting a hazy veil.

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