The accumulated snow made a cracking sound as it weighed down the dried branches in the backyard.
The hand gripping Yu Lingxi's wrist was scalding hot, restraining her like a powerful force, far from resembling a frail and sickly youth. Yu Lingxi's pupils reflected the handsome and fierce face of Ning Yin, as if overlapping with a past life. For a moment, she thought he would snap her neck without hesitation.
But in an instant, Ning Yin seemed to snap out of instinctive alertness. The chill in his eyes dissipated, and his tense posture gradually relaxed.
Only then did Yu Lingxi catch her breath and struggled to say, "Let go!"
Perhaps she touched Ning Yin's injured area; he grunted and fell straight down, his hot breath like fiery embers spraying near her ear.
Too close!
Yu Lingxi's heart twinged. She quickly pushed his head away, stood up, and tidied her slightly disheveled hair and clothes. If it were the past, Yu Lingxi would never dare to defy him in the slightest. She couldn't forget the consequences of the kick she gave him before dying. But now was not the past. It was Ning Yin who was at the mercy of others, not her.
Yu Lingxi raised her fair palm, but seeing Ning Yin's reddened cheeks, she hesitated to bring her hand down.
Instead, she grabbed the bedding, shook it, and covered Ning Yin's pitiful yet hateful face. Out of sight, out of mind.
"Miss, the doctor has arrived," Hutao's voice timely broke the deadlock.
The charcoal basin crackled. The little stray cat, having eaten and drunk its fill, found a warm spot and curled up to sleep.
The old doctor felt Ning Yin's pulse for a long time, then opened Ning Yin's clothes to inspect the injuries. His furrowed brows deepened.
Yu Lingxi also frowned and asked, "How is he?"
"Two broken ribs, bone fragments pierced the lungs, significant blood loss, coupled with exposure to cold, multiple symptoms and complications, causing a high fever."
The old doctor stroked his graying beard, shaking his head. "To endure such severe internal injuries until now is a miracle. I'll prescribe some medicines, both for external application and internal use. If he can survive tomorrow night, consider it a life saved."
Perhaps, in his past life, he was too madly powerful, destroying everything in his path, so much so that Yu Lingxi overlooked that he, too, was a vulnerable mortal, capable of feeling pain and death.
If only she hadn't seen the miserable state of his youth, but unfortunately, she had to witness it again.
Staring at Ning Yin's pale lips, her heart sank, unable to reach the bottom.
For the first time, her indifferent heart was moved. Yu Lingxi signaled to Hutao, whispering, "Burn two more charcoal braziers for warmth, find two clever lads to brew medicine and attend to him. Also... if he wakes up, report immediately."
Hutao was puzzled about why the mistress cared so much about a "beggar," but seeing Yu Lingxi's solemn expression, she had to follow orders and arrange things more seriously than the previous night.
As the room warmed up, attendants changed Ning Yin's medicine. Yu Lingxi finally left with a relieved heart.
That night, dark clouds covered the moon.
The young man lying on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.
Years of training in assassinations and crises had forged a resilient will, enabling him to maintain an extraordinary level of alertness, whether he was sick or severely injured.
He sat up, and upon a glance, he could vaguely discern the clean and tidy bandages on his chest in the darkness. The swollen area of his wrist, dislocated the day before, was now coated with a balm for reducing inflammation and bruising.
It seemed that the cold wind of the previous night was not in vain.
During his half-day of unconsciousness, he had received meticulous care. He didn't need to guess; it was undoubtedly her handiwork.
Ning Yin raised his hand, his five fingers clenched, and the palm seemed to still retain the soft warmth of a girl's wrist. He vaguely remembered burning with a fever, mistaking that girl for an enemy, almost harming her...
Fortunately, he didn't reveal any flaws.
The Grand General's mansion was the best hiding place. It was much more convenient to stay by this young girl's side than in the bustling Immortal Realm City. He had to find a way to stay.
But before that, he had more important things to do.
Ning Changrui was dead, and the person in the palace would eventually investigate the Beast Fighting Arena. He had to clean up everything before that happened.
Thinking of this, a dark color flashed in Ning Yin's eyes. He propped himself up, stepping over the sleeping lad on the floor, and headed toward the back door.
Avoiding patrols, he leaped over the wall and landed. His face was as white as the accumulated snow, and he spat out a mouthful of dark blood with a grunt.
As if he felt no pain, he calmly wiped away the crimson from the corner of his mouth, raising his finger to whistle.
The sound of wings cutting through the swift wind, a messenger falcon flew over the moonlight, landing steadily on his arm. The moon waned in the west, and the capital slept in a peaceful silence. Gradually, thick smoke rose from the direction of the Ascending Peace Street. The remaining moon was tinged blood-red by the firelight.
Yu Lingxi was awakened by the noisy clangor of gongs.
Slightly uneasy, she asked, "What's happening?"
Hutao hurriedly came, dressed in a hurry, and said anxiously, "Miss, it seems Immortal Realm City is on fire, a massive one!"
Her heart tightened. Yu Lingxi said, "Let's go outside and take a look."
She put on her cloak, walked to the corridor, and saw ashes floating in the air. Half of the sky in the direction of Shengping Street was red.
The scene was exactly the same as in her previous life, except this time, she remained comfortably in the Grand General's mansion, which was flourishing at the moment, rather than the cold backyard of her uncle's mansion.
She had turned a small part of her fate, but it ultimately failed to offset the inevitable calamities in the capital.
"Two major fires in a row this year; it's truly terrifying."
Hutao sighed for a while, advising, "It's cold outside. Miss, don't watch. Let's go back and rest."
The burnt ashes were carried by the wind in the air, falling over half the city—a remnant of the destruction of countless splendors.
Thinking of something, Yu Lingxi whispered, "Bring a lantern; let's go to the backyard."
The servant who was deep in sleep, upon hearing the sound of the door being pushed, rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "Who is it? So late..."
Seeing the graceful figure standing at the door in the play of light and shadow, his drowsiness instantly disappeared. He hastily rolled out of bed, saying, "Miss, why have you come?"
Yu Lingxi glanced past the flustered servant and walked to Ning Yin's bedside.
She placed the gauze lantern on the table, and the faint light illuminated Ning Yin's handsome and delicate profile. His eyes were tightly closed, looking tranquil and fragile.
"Has he not woken up at all?" Yu Lingxi asked.
The servant didn't dare to admit he had fallen asleep and missed any potential movements. He hurriedly shook his head, "No, no. I've been in the room, and he hasn't woken up."
Well, since there's been no noise, he probably hasn't woken up, the servant thought to himself.
Yu Lingxi breathed a sigh of relief.
She didn't know where the ominous feeling from a moment ago came from, eager to confirm something. When she realized it, she was already in the covering room.
Ning Yin's injuries might not be as serious as she feared. After hesitating for a moment, Yu Lingxi reached out and touched Ning Yin's forehead. Still running a slight fever; she wondered if he could make it through.
Ning Yin lay there motionless. With the cat he saved unattended, Yu Lingxi took it into her arms and instructed the servant, "Take good care of him. If I catch you slacking off, you'll be the one to answer."
The servant quickly agreed, respectfully escorting Yu Lingxi out.
Almost simultaneously, the young man on the bed opened his eyes.
He lifted his cold, pale fingers and gently touched his forehead, seemingly savoring the delicate warmth he felt a moment ago.
So, this is what a woman's touch feels like?
In the palace, when he was on the verge of death due to illness, the woman who gave birth to him never caressed him like this.
A faint white smile appeared on his lips. It seemed like he had found something interesting, suddenly looking forward to the days spent in the General's mansion.
...
Two consecutive days of clear skies melted the snow. Icicles under the eaves reflected a cold light in the sunlight.
Yu Lingxi leaned on the small window couch, playing with the cat.
Ning Yin was still in a deep sleep. The cat he picked up had been under Yu Lingxi's care for two days, and its fur had become much smoother, no longer as timid as before.
She scratched the cat's head absentmindedly, saying, "Clearly, in my past life, I suffered, but now, he's the one seeking protection. Is there any justice in this world?"
While playing, she heard the urgent sound of horse hooves outside, followed by her father entering with a dark face, accompanied by the armored Yu Huanchen.
"What's wrong, father?" Yu Lingxi stood up, grabbing her elder brother.
Yu Huanchen glanced at General Yu, approached, and whispered, "Immortal Realm City is on fire. Father and the Southern Forbidden Army are extremely busy. Unfortunately, someone from the Eastern Palace sent people to investigate a slave in the burnt corpse pile. Father tried to prevent it, fearing it would damage the crime scene, but they ended up having a big argument and left on bad terms."
So that's what happened.
However, what does it have to do with the Eastern Palace?
Before she could figure out the situation, Hutao's brisk footsteps approached, carrying joy as he said, "Miss, that beggar has awakened!"
"What beggar?" Yu Huanchen asked.
Not paying attention, Hutao accidentally let slip, and Yu Lingxi gave her a discreet glare.
Ning Yin's identity was special, and revealing it would surely cause a great stir in the mansion.
Cradling the cat in her arms, Yu Lingxi explained, "It's nothing. There was a severely injured beggar lying at the mansion's gate the night before. Since it's a human life, I took the liberty to let him recover in the servant's covering room."
Anyway, she was only accommodating Ning Yin for a few days. Once he healed a bit, she would promptly send him away. Yu Lingxi thought it unnecessary to cause trouble by disclosing his identity to her father and brother.
Yu Huanchen didn't suspect anything and casually said, "That's fine. When he recovers, let him leave. With the recent major events in the capital, it's wise to be cautious."
"I know." As she spoke, Yu Lingxi sneezed heavily.
The cat in her arms purred comfortably.
Yu Lingxi wrinkled her nose, and two more sneezes made her stumble. Itchy rashes began to appear on her arms...
Yu Lingxi never expected that, having lived two lifetimes, she would be allergic to cat fur.
Several red rashes appeared on her body, taking almost half a month to fade away.
Madam Yu strictly forbade her from keeping the stray cat. However, the obedient cat, not suitable for being left outside in the cold, stayed. Madam Yu, being kind-hearted, caressed her daughter's delicate face and said, "Among the servants, find those who love cats and give the stray to them. In the years to come, you can still see it from a distance. Just don't touch it."
The stray cat was named Hua Nu by Yu Lingxi because it was a three-colored cat.
The cat was exceptionally well-behaved and endearing, making it worrisome to entrust it to just any servant. It had to be someone who genuinely loved cats. After much thought, she thought of Ning Yin.
The cat was picked up by him, and when he was injured and unconscious, the only warmth was the cat...
In her previous life, Ning Yin might have been indifferent, but in this life, the young Ning Yin seemed to have some human emotions.
Anyway, it was his cat. Entrusting him to take it away seemed fitting. After pondering for a moment, Yu Lingxi had someone bring the cat and went to the covering room in the backyard.
Having not come for half a month, upon entering, a strong medicinal smell mixed with a faint scent of blood hit her.
Yu Lingxi subconsciously furrowed her brow, glanced around the room – tea was ready, the charcoal brazier warmed the place, and the slender young man was leaning on the bed. His complexion was still somewhat pale, but he appeared much more spirited.
Seeing Yu Lingxi enter, a hint of brightness flashed in his dark eyes. He lifted the quilt from the bed.
His voice still had a hoarseness from the illness as he greeted, "Miss."
Yu Lingxi was startled by his address, finding it both novel and unfamiliar.
In the previous life, Ning Yin always called her with a cold smile, looking down on her: "Lingxi, come here."
Never before had he used such a polite and obedient tone, addressing her as "Miss."
Surprisingly, it felt quite pleasing.
Soon, Yu Lingxi noticed that Ning Yin was still wearing that black military uniform, which was torn, dirty, and emitted a strong smell of blood.
Feeling unusually calm, Yu Lingxi said to a maidservant, "Based on his figure, go fetch two sets of men's winter clothing."
The maidservant acted swiftly, and in no time, she brought the clothes—two surplus guard uniforms from the mansion.
"Everyone, leave," Yu Lingxi dismissed the attendants.
Turning back, Ning Yin stood quietly, not taking the initiative to touch the two clean sets of clothes.
Yu Lingxi knew he was waiting for her instructions and had to say, "Hurry up and change; you can't wear these clothes anymore."
Only then did Ning Yin obediently pick up one set of clothes and unfold it.
His docile behavior intrigued her, and she watched without blinking.
Yu Lingxi thought he might avoid suspicion and change behind a folding screen, but unexpectedly, he directly untied his belt, tore open his shirt, revealing a bandaged and slender, strong upper body.
The clothes were glued to the scabs from the wounds, and tearing them open caused fresh blood to flow, yet he didn't furrow his brows.
If it were the fifteen-year-old Yu Lingxi from before, she would have blushed and scolded him, "You little rogue!"
However, in reality, Yu Lingxi was only surprised for a moment and quickly regained her composure.
Having spent two years together in her past life, scenes like this were nothing extraordinary.
Although the young Ning Yin was thin and lacked the robust strength of his older self from the previous life, he still possessed well-defined muscles. Ignoring the various wounds covering his body, it was undeniably an exceptionally attractive physique.
Broad shoulders, long legs, and tight abdominal muscles were evenly distributed, forming an attractive waistline that extended below...
Kindly visit the link below to show your support. Your gesture is highly valued!
https://ko-fi.com/nnm88