Raiders of the Duke and Duchess

Chapter 910 Winter in the Heart

Acupuncture is indeed exhausting, and the main reason is that she did not get enough rest last night, so Ji Wuyan was brought to this side hall by Ning Xiuyuan with a pale face after giving acupuncture to the emperor. She should have been nervous and uneasy, but in the scent of ambergris, because of the person who was quietly guarding and protecting her beside her, she fell into a sound sleep in the blink of an eye, almost unconscious.

It was not until she heard Zhang Dexian's voice at the door that she slowly woke up. After waking up, she was still confused and could only hear the sound of talking. The content of the words was distant and vague.

When she woke up from her half-asleep state and slowly stood up, she saw Zhang Dexian bowing and leaving. Ning Xiuyuan closed the door and turned around. Seeing Ji Wuyan wake up, he was slightly startled, and then smiled lightly, "Did I wake you up? Zhang Dexian said that His Majesty has woken up and said he wants to reward you. He came to ask if you want anything... I thought you probably don't want anything, so let him follow the rules."

After saying that, he sat down next to her and said, "Your Majesty has woken up. Just keep an eye on the imperial physician. Li Yiwei will surely come over soon. There's no need for us to go near them. You can rest for a while and then we'll go back."

Ji Wuyan had no objection, nodded, and whispered, "Okay."

He just responded like this, but he didn't lie down. He leaned against the pillow with his eyebrows frowned, and his expression was a little dull. The atmosphere was a little awkward. Ning Xiuyuan opened his mouth and found his voice again, "Would you like some water?"

Ji Wuyan still nodded, "Okay."

She was well-behaved but also a little dull, as if she hadn't woken up yet, and didn't seem to want to talk to anyone. Ning Xiuyuan was worried, but he didn't show it on his face. He poured a glass of water and tested the temperature with the back of his hand before handing it to Ji Wuyan. Ji Wuyan held the teacup in both hands, sipping it in small sips, with no expression on his face. He didn't speak, and didn't even look at anyone.

Ning Xiuyuan sighed softly. He knew that this was not the place to talk, but he couldn't stand Ji Wuyan's rejection of him, so he called out, "Ningning... don't be like this. If you're mad at me, you can scold me or beat me up. Just don't keep it to yourself. I, I feel uncomfortable watching you."

Ji Wuyan then raised her eyes to look at him. In her dark pupils, it was as if dark clouds were gradually gathering and a storm was about to come. She stared at him and shook her head for a long time, "I'm not angry with you... I haven't been angry for a long time. I even convinced myself that the medicine that was originally intended for Xu Si Niang was finally used on Shen Luoxin, which was also another kind of repayment..."

In the closed room, the only sound was the lingering sound of the slowly burning high-quality silver bone charcoal.

The girl's skin was very fair, and the blue color under her eyes was even more obvious. She frowned slightly and chose her words with some sadness, "I'm just angry at myself... I speak so righteously and solemnly, but when it really happens to me, I only think of using this or that excuse to explain and excuse myself. I'm just angry at... myself for being such a hypocrite."

She bit her lips, leaving deep and shallow teeth marks on them, with tiny blood beads oozing out from the serious areas.

The blood color is blinding.

Ning Xiuyuan tried to hold back, but couldn't help it. He gently wiped away the blush with his fingertips, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have kept it from you... But in that case, no one knows whether Yanjing City will become a hell on earth with corpses floating everywhere. You always like to take the blame, so you definitely don't want to leave at this time... I... I have to keep you safe first."

After wiping off the blood on his lips, he did not withdraw his hand, but carefully moved it behind her ear. Seeing that she did not resist, he exerted a little force and brought her into his arms. The familiar scent of soapberry in the little girl's hair filled his breath, and Ning Xiuyuan almost instantly sighed with satisfaction - his little girl, finally came back. She had never resisted such an embrace, so everything would pass, just like the winter in Yanjing City, no matter how long the snowy season is, there will always be a day when the ice and snow melt and spring flowers bloom.

He had the patience to accompany her and endure the winter in her heart bit by bit.

Ji Wuyan rested her chin on his shoulder, quietly letting him hold her. Even if Ning Xiuyuan didn't say these words, she knew that Ning Xiuyuan always put her first, and would sacrifice for her, even if he committed crimes for her, he would not frown... It was precisely because of this that she would blame herself more in this matter, and even...

"That day, I sat under the window, thinking over and over again. The question was not how I should explain to Luo Xin, but... how to keep it a secret." She sniffed, her voice was a bit soft and nasal, as if she was still a bit sleepy. "It is said that there is no wall that is impenetrable in this world, not to mention that this matter is really not a secret. But even if I racked my brains, I just wanted to keep it a secret for one day at a time, and take it one step at a time..."

A faint nasal tone, sounding a little aggrieved.

Ning Xiuyuan patted her back gently, "I know... If the day comes when I can no longer hide it, I will explain it to her. Even if she hates me and blames me, she shouldn't take it out on you."

Ji Wuyan leaned against him quietly, without saying a word, only sighing in her heart. How could she bear to see him being hated and resented by others?
The house was warm as spring, and the burning charcoal made a slight "crackling" sound. The brief barrier finally showed signs of cracking. Ning Xiuyuan was preparing to take the people back and end this thrilling trip to the palace. As for how Ji Wuyan managed to wake the emperor with acupuncture, he would wait until he returned to ask about it.

But at this moment, a voice begging for mercy was heard from outside, "Your Majesty, spare my life! I am innocent! I am innocent!"

The hoarse and sharp voice instantly broke the silence in the room. The two looked at each other and saw the solemnity in each other's eyes. They tacitly thought of one person - Li Yiwei.

Ning Xiuyuan didn't want to get involved in this matter. "Now that your Majesty has woken up, there is nothing for you to do here. The so-called reward is probably just some gold and silver, which will be delivered to the Ji family by the palace servants later. I will take you back now while there is chaos."

Coincidentally, Ji Wuyan had the same plan. She nodded, stood up, straightened her wrinkled dress, took the cloak handed to her by Ning Xiuyuan and put it on, opened the door and prepared to leave quietly from the other side. However, as soon as she walked out of the door, her feet stopped.

Over there, two people were heading this way.

One of them, wearing official uniform and looking haggard, was an acquaintance - Imperial Censor Shen Qian, Shen Luoxin's father.

The other person was wearing casual clothes, a dark blue robe, and looked more robust than Shen Qian. He was also an acquaintance... or rather, even more of an acquaintance...

“Grandfather…” Ji Wuyan was stunned and just stood there, “Why is he here?!”