Chapter 17: Name

Yu Lingxi searched the backyard but couldn't find Ning Yin. She turned and headed straight for the corner gate stable. Guard Qingxiao was leading a horse, seemingly preparing to go out. Without time for greetings, Yu Lingxi snatched the reins from Qingxiao, mounted the horse on the stone steps, slapped its hindquarters, and shouted, "Let's go!"

"Miss, this horse..."

Qingxiao was shocked: the horse hadn't been equipped with a saddle and cushion yet!

Unable to stop her, the spirited horse carried the girl in plain clothes, disappearing into the dark street corner night.

Yu Lingxi searched around the front of the mansion but didn't find Ning Yin.

It's so dark, and he's injured. Where could he go?

A sudden thought crossed Yu Lingxi's mind. She immediately turned the horse's head and galloped towards Yongning Street. 

At midnight, the market was closed, and the streets were dimly lit, empty. The burned houses in the Immortal Realm City stood like black bones protruding into the darkness. Under the charred and ruined archway, there was Ning Yin, leaning against it in solitude.

He heard the sound of hooves, straightened his body, and his shadow cast a long and lonely figure at his feet. But his gaze was calm, without a hint of surprise.

In that moment of dust settling, Yu Lingxi overlooked the shadow of a falcon flying over the eaves.

After the peace settled, a dense and spreading sourness followed.

Perhaps Ning Yin had no home, "expelled" from the mansion by his family. Subconsciously, his refuge was still in this Immortal City that had inflicted endless harm and humiliation upon him. Or maybe he deliberately hid here, where she could find him.

Intentional or not, Yu Lingxi had to bring him back.

Whether he was a god or a demon, she would make him the guardian of the future of the Yu family.

"Sigh..."

Ning Yin slightly tilted his head, his eyes reflecting her petite figure on the horse in a sudden stop.

The spirited horse lifted its hooves high, and the girl on its back held the reins tightly. Her disheveled ink-black hair fluttered and fell, creating a dazzling glow behind her.

She hadn't had time to groom or change clothes. Wearing a plain white dress, she chased after him, revealing a glimpse of her fair ankles and delicate embroidered shoes as her skirt fluttered.

The horse's back was bare, without a saddle. Yu Lingxi controlled the horse to trot lightly, and her clear and beautiful almond eyes looked down at Ning Yin.

"Miss."

Their eyes met, and Ning Yin tried to hide his tightly bandaged left arm behind him.

Yu Lingxi still saw the oozing red through the gauze. She pursed her lips, and a taste of bloody warmth seemed to overflow between her lips and teeth.

She suddenly spoke, "You said you have no name, so I'll give you one."

Ning Yin looked at her, silently listening.

"Your original code 'Twenty-Seven' is too cumbersome. I'll take the last character 'Seven', Qi and use the country name 'Wei' as your surname."

Yu Lingxi's chest rose and fell slightly, her gaze seeming to penetrate the young man in front of her, returning to the distant past. Word by word, she said, "Before you find your true name, you will be called 'Wei Qi'."

Ning Yin is the seventh prince among many princes, and "Wei Qi" is the alias taken during the previous life when Yu Lingxi and he left the capital for the palace to recuperate. It is a name known only to her.

Ning Yin slightly widened his eyes, a hint of strangeness crossing his dead-like gaze. Though he had never heard this name before, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"Wei... Qi?" he repeated.

With a low and slightly puzzled soft voice, accompanied by the gentle sound of the wind, Yu Lingxi nodded. Holding the reins, her hand tightened and loosened. She leaned down slowly on the horse, extending her hand towards Ning Yin for the first time.

"Come home with me, Wei Qi," she said, her red lips slightly parted as she spoke.

The word "home" was perhaps the most ridiculous word in the world, but when uttered from her lips, it had an oddly convincing tranquility. Ning Yin's Adam's apple moved, hesitating for a moment before slowly raising his clean right hand and gently placing his fingertips in her palm.

He said, "Okay."

That small hand was delicate and tender, warm and soft. With a gentle tug, Yu Lingxi pulled Ning Yin onto the horse. The destitute youth and the delicate girl, both at this moment and this night, began a gamble with unknown futures.

"Your left hand is injured, and your posture is unstable. It's better to hold onto me. If you fall, I won't be responsible for picking you up," the girl's lowered voice came from the front.

Ning Yin lowered his gaze, hesitated, and then reached out, encircling her slender waist with a firm grip.

Delicate and soft, as if the palms could pinch it.

For the first time in his life, he felt curious about a woman's body.

Just as he was wondering what material was under his palm, an elbow poked him. The girl's gentle warning came, "Hold onto the clothes, no touching allowed."

"Yes, Miss."

The soft voice behind her was obedient, but his eyes clearly revealed a dark and playful smile.

The general's residence remained brightly lit.

Yu Lingxi entered through the side door, taking Ning Yin to a side hall. Along the way, attendants bowed and greeted, but none dared to look or say anything more.

Seeing his daughter return, General Yu and Lady Yu first sighed in relief, then their gaze fell on the black-clothed youth behind her. The slightly relaxed brows furrowed involuntarily.

"Father, Mother, older brother, I'm back."

She carefully watched the reactions of her father and brother, wondering if they would recognize Ning Yin's identity. Unexpectedly, their expressions, aside from a slight headache, showed no abnormality.

They did not recognize Ning Yin.

Facing General Yu's imposing scrutiny, Ning Yin remained calm, his eyes only slightly darker. Seeing Yu Lingxi's gaze, he immediately smiled, like a spring breeze melting snow.

"You go down to rest first. I'll have food and medicine sent to your room."

Yu Lingxi slowed down her voice, her almond eyes determined, delicate yet dazzling. Ning Yin obediently followed orders, bowed to General Yu and Lady Yu, and then retreated.

"Young sister, your heart is too soft."

Yu Huanchen took a deep breath and spoke first, "You are not yet married, and during the Spring Search, even if that nameless servant is loyal to you, he cannot..."

"He is not a servant or beggar," Yu Lingxi interrupted.

Looking at Yu Huanchen, Yu Lingxi said seriously, "He has a name, and it's Wei Qi."

"The name is not important at all. Your reputation is the most important," Yu Huanchen said, stepping forward. "Even if he saved your life, you once saved his life in the heavy snow. It's a mutual debt, and you don't owe him anything. It's best to reward him generously and send him out of the mansion."

Yu Lingxi took the cloak handed to her by a maid, wrapped it around herself, and smiled slightly. "Brother, you actually know in your heart. Saving him was just a small effort on my part, but he risked his life to save me. How can the two be compared?"

In the corner of the corridor, Ning Yin's footsteps slightly paused. Although everything was under his control, these gentle and firm words still caused ripples in his silent heart, fleeting. He curled his lips, with a smile that wasn't a smile, and walked into the shadows at the end of the long corridor.

In the side hall, Yu Lingxi spoke unhurriedly, "Father taught me from a young age to be loyal, upright, and open-hearted. When someone sacrifices their life for me, how can I do something against my conscience out of fear of gossip?"

"We haven't mistreated him. The silver I gifted him is enough for a lifetime, but he refused..."

Yu Huanchen muttered, but was stopped by Yu Xinyi with an elbow to his side.

Yu Lingxi, usually obedient, was unusually stubborn this time. Lady Yu could only sigh and signaled her husband with her eyes. General Yu's face softened, showing a pleased expression. He nodded repeatedly, "Indeed my daughter, so righteous and responsible!"

"Husband, Sui Sui is not a young man. What's the use of righteousness?" Lady Yu scolded him with a glance.

"Sister, let me say a few more words. Sui Sui, you shouldn't be..." Yu Huanchen hesitated, worried that his sister's pure heart might sacrifice her lifelong happiness for gratitude.

Yu Lingxi understood her brother's meaning and quickly shook her head, "Brother, rest assured, I can distinguish between gratitude and romantic feelings."

During these days, Yu Lingxi had been contemplating how to reveal Ning Yin's identity to her father and brother, convincing them to support Ning Yin and using him as the formidable support to expose the true mastermind behind the plot against the Yu family.

However, reasons like "past life and present life" were too extraordinary for family members to believe. Moreover, the trajectory of fate had already deviated, and Yu Lingxi had changed the crisis of the Northern Expedition. Every day was a new experience, making it impossible to predict future events as evidence.

Seeing her father and brother unable to recognize Ning Yin as the Seventh Prince, Yu Lingxi concluded that she couldn't convince them using the excuse of being reborn. Otherwise, it would be inexplicable that the exiled prince, whom even the current court officials couldn't recognize, was recognized and brought back by her, whether it was Ning Yin or her family, it would make things messy.

At present, the only option was to drop some hints and let her family discover Ning Yin's identity on their own.

When her father and brother found out about Ning Yin's identity, perhaps she had already changed Ning Yin's cruel and ruthless nature. By then, it might be easier to convince her family to support a fallen prince with both talent and virtue than to convince them to support a violent lunatic.

With this in mind, Yu Lingxi pursed her lips. "In fact, the way he treated me, besides being moved by his sincerity, is also because his eyes and temperament shows that he is not an ordinary person."

She looked at her father with clear eyes, gambling on her appreciation for talents, and whispered, "Dad once said that the Yu family's army will not bury any talent. Isn't that so?"

"Sui Sui's reminder makes me recall. That young man looks frail but is extremely..." Yu Huanchen started to say but hesitated.

"The courage to cut one's wrist and feed blood is something I would deeply respect even if I witnessed it."

Yu Xinyi crossed her arms, frowning. "Just now, when he stood on the steps, he displayed neither humility nor arrogance. His demeanor is far from that of an ordinary servant."

On the side, General Yu's resolute gaze had softened. Pointing to the armrest of a chair, General Yu sighed, "My obedient daughter, how do you plan to arrange for that boy?"

Without hesitation, Yu Lingxi raised her gaze. "Free him from slavery, appoint him as a guest official, and treat him with courtesy from now on."

...

After four or five consecutive days of rain, the clouds finally dispersed in the afternoon, revealing a sunny sky. All the peach blossoms in the courtyard had bloomed. The spring breeze brushed by, raindrops dripped, and the moist floral fragrance spread.

Princess of Qingping Prefecture Tang Buli brought generous gifts and personally visited to apologize. After all, her close friend had encountered such a major accident during the Spring Search event she organized. Anyone in her position would feel guilty and self-blame.

"Grandmother was furious, punished me to kneel in the ancestral hall, and even refused to give me food. It's really unbearable!"

As soon as they met, Tang Buli began to babble and cry, hugging Yu Lingxi. "Sui Sui, I'm sorry! It's my lax discipline that caused trouble for you."

"Silly Ah Buli, what does it have to do with you?"

Yu Lingxi smiled and put aside the needle and deer leather in her hands, preventing her impulsive friend from accidentally pricking herself.

"As for the mad horse incident, have you found out the cause?"

"Junior Prince was almost injured. How could we not investigate? It's said that there was a problem with the fodder, and it contained a powder that made the horses uncontrollable. In my opinion, it's probably the work of the Zhao family."

Their thoughts coincided, and Yu Lingxi asked, "Why do you say that?"

"In the first round of hunting, the Zhao family had the lowest harvest. On the second day, everyone's horses were poisoned and difficult to control, except for the Zhao family, which reversed the situation and gained a lot. Who else could it be if not them?"

Tang Buli took a bite of a pear pastry, expressing her indignation. "Unfortunately, I have no evidence, and Zhao Xu seems to have fallen off his horse and is still unconscious. Zhao Yuming can only cry and wail; I can't get any information..."

Thinking of the Zhao siblings standing tall amid the frenzied horses that day, Yu Lingxi lowered her long eyelashes, and her eyes deepened.

In the past life, she hadn't paid much attention, only feeling that Zhao Yuming's thoughts might not be as simple as her appearance. Now, it seemed to be true.

"Let's not talk about that."

Tang Buli clapped off the crumbs from her hands, interrupting Yu Lingxi's thoughts. "I saw you sewing deer leather boots when I came in. They look like men's styles... For whom? Oh, I know, could it be for Lord Xue?"

Tang Buli leaned over with a playful smile. "He is the hero who saved you, carrying you up from the cliff."

Spring search incident, it seemed that everyone only remembered Xue Cen. Yu Lingxi gently opened her lips, biting off the loose thread, and casually replied, "The deer leather I obtained from the last hunting, I was just idle and thought to practice."

Fortunately, Tang Buli didn't pry more. She quickly changed the topic. "In half a month, there will be the Spring Banquet organized by the Empress Mother. Apart from the princes and noble sons, all unmarried court ladies and eunuchs are also invited. I don't know how many people are eyeing Second Lord Xue on this occasion! Sui Sui, you must dress beautifully and outshine them all!"

Spring Banquet…

Yu Lingxi paused, realizing that she had forgotten about this matter.

During her previous life when she lived in the Zhao residence, her uncle had mentioned that the Spring Banquet, though named as a feast, was actually a selection event for the royal family to choose wives and concubines. At that time, her uncle had entertained the idea of sending her to the banquet to establish connections with powerful figures. However, due to Yu Lingxi's refusal and concerns about her health, he reluctantly dropped the idea.

Since it was a selection event for the royal family, attending this banquet might not be wise.

...

After the evening meal, the deer leather boots were finally sewn.

Yu Lingxi pondered for a moment, dismissed the maidservants, and took the boots herself, carrying a lantern as she went to the backyard alone. Since she would rely on him in the future, it was necessary to show some sincerity.

Ning Yin's residence was much more spacious than before. The door was half-open, and a faint warm yellow light emanated from inside.

He hadn't slept yet.

Yu Lingxi arrived quietly, fearing to wake up the guards in neighboring rooms. Instead of knocking, she directly pushed the door open. Just as she stepped in with one leg, she froze in place holding the lantern.

Next to the candlestick and table, Ning Yin had removed the left side of his clothes, exposing his chest and arms. He was changing the bandage on the wounds he had inflicted on his forearm, bleeding for the wound. The warm glow of the candlelight blocked the well-defined and symmetrical muscles on his chest. Unlike before, it wasn't a cold white light; instead, it radiated a warm and jade-like glow—

If you ignored the fierce and twisted scars on top.

Seeing Yu Lingxi entering, Ning Yin didn't show any signs of surprise. He tilted his head, biting the end of the bandage, smiling before fully dressing, revealing only a half-smile with a demeanor as if seeing her was an extremely delightful matter, calling out, "Miss."

Yu Lingxi was holding the lantern, standing still as she entered. Witnessing Ning Yin dressing his wounds, she couldn't help but feel a gentle smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Putting down the lantern on the table, she walked over to him. "Your injury, how is it?"

"Not painful." He shook his head, and his black eyes emitted an inexplicable and faint light.

Unable to hold back, Yu Lingxi bent her lips.

Putting the deer leather boots on the table, she directly said, "For you."

Ning Yin touched the deer leather boots, his fingers with bandages slowly moving over the fine stitches. He raised his head and asked, "Miss made these for me?"

"Found them in the storage."

Yu Lingxi didn't even look up, calmly saying, "Try them on and see if they fit."

Whatever Yu Lingxi told Ning Yin to do, he obediently did it. He was remarkably well-behaved. He put on the boots, took a few light steps, and stood up.

"Very suitable."

When he raised his head, the smile in his eyes deepened slightly, and he asked, "Miss, how did you know my shoe size?"

"...," Yu Lingxi almost choked.

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