Chapter 28: Rock Candy

Yu Lingxi's slightly raised almond eyes reflected the spring water in full bloom, and her eyelashes, dyed with ink-like lines, were captivating. Fingertips circled around Ning Yin's black hair, and she felt as if she had fallen under a spell.

It wasn't until she met Ning Yin's deep black eyes that her heart buzzed, and as if awakening from a trance, she slowly lowered her hand. The strand of hair slipped through her fingers, feather-light and cool, causing a tingling sensation.

"Miss, just now," Ning Yin, maintaining the posture of holding the paperweight, pondered for a moment and slowly asked, "were you flirting with me?"

The wind ruffled the spring water, and the water pavilion's light gauze swayed. Yu Lingxi felt the heat rising again, and even the tips of her ears couldn't help but turn a faint red.

It was surprising that someone as cold-hearted as him could understand the word "flirting."

"The desire for beauty is inherent in all people; it was just involuntary admiration," Yu Lingxi replied, not knowing what she was saying, feeling slightly uneasy. She decided to change the subject and stood up, saying, "I'll go get another pen."

After saying this, without looking at Ning Yin's expression, she hurriedly left, holding the paper.

Ning Yin stood up straight, watching Yu Lingxi's figure disappear. Slightly dissatisfied, what kind of move was that—flirt and then run away?

He stood in the water pavilion for a moment, raised his hand to flick the tangled black hair, reminiscing for a while. In his ink-colored eyes, a hint of interest spread.

If it looks good, why not touch it a bit more?

He made a light "tsk" sound, stepped over the broken brush on the ground, and in the fragile sound of jade breaking, he left with his hands behind his back.

In the hidden corner of the flower garden, Yu Lingxi stopped in her tracks, leaning gently against the wall. One hand held the crumpled paper, the still-wet ink forming a mess in her palm, while the other hand covered her slightly warm face.

What just happened?

Yu Lingxi was truly puzzled. How did she blurt out such frivolous words to Ning Yin when her mind was a mess? Could it be a bad habit left over from her past life when she served him with her beauty?

Clouds obscured the sun, and the cool breeze of late spring rustled, but it couldn't dispel the lingering warmth.

...

On the eighth day of the fourth month, the Bathing Buddha Festival was celebrated with open doors in the city's temples, with chanting and almsgiving creating a lively atmosphere. In this dynasty's Buddhist rituals, during the Bathing Buddha Festival, wealthy families would cook salted beans and sweet soup, distributing them to passersby for blessings.

The sky was overcast, contributing to the unusual heat. Yu Lingxi tidied herself up and leaned on the couch, fanning herself. Suddenly, Hutao entered with an invitation.

"Miss, it's an invitation from the Xue Mansion. They must be inviting you to participate in the almsgiving." Hutao said, presenting the invitation with excitement.

In her eyes, the Xue Mansion inviting their young miss to participate in such a significant event during the Bathing Buddha Festival was akin to publicly acknowledging their engagement. If the Xue family treated her with such respect, marrying into it would undoubtedly bring comfort and happiness—what a perfect match!

Yu Lingxi took the invitation and opened it; it was written in Xue Cen's handwriting, and the seal was also his personal mark.

She asked, "Was this invitation personally delivered by the Xue Mansion's steward?"

"Not exactly. I heard from the guards that it was a servant boy from Second Young Master Xue who made the trip," Hutao replied.

Hutao brewed tea for her, puzzled, "Isn't it the same no matter who delivers it? Why is Miss inquiring about this?"

After a brief speculation, Yu Lingxi understood that this invitation was not from the elders of the Xue family but a personal invitation from Xue Cen himself.

The Xue family was known for their strict family traditions and adherence to etiquette. The rumors of her "loss of virtue" not only delayed the marriage with the Crown Prince but also made Xue Prime Minister hesitant. Hence, the marriage arrangements between the two families were not finalized.

Most likely, Xue Cen was afraid she would misunderstand, so he insisted on personally inviting her to express his determination to marry her.

Although his intentions were good, unfortunately, he chose the wrong approach.

Yu Lingxi ordered a servant to bring paper and ink, and with a pen in hand, she wrote a letter politely declining Xue Cen's invitation. She didn't want to cause trouble for herself or Xue Cen by rashly visiting.

After sending out the letter, Yu Lingxi saw an attendant from Yu Huanchen's side approaching, reporting in the corridor, "Miss, it's time to participate in almsgiving."

This year's almsgiving ceremony for the Yu Mansion was arranged by Yu Huanchen and was set at the intersection of the main street in front of the mansion.

At this moment, Yu Huanchen was stirring salted beans in the pot, lacking his usual vitality.

Yu Lingxi knew that her family had sent three proposals and conducted the six traditional rituals to propose a marriage alliance with the Su family's young lady. Yu Huanchen preferred straightforward and heroic women. Upon hearing that the other party was a delicate and pampered young lady, he felt a headache. As the wedding date approached, his frustration and reluctance deepened.

Wearing a veiled hat, Yu Lingxi walked over and found Ning Yin under the porridge shed.

"Miss." Ning Yin greeted when he saw Yu Lingxi.

Dressed in a dark martial robe, the young man stood tall, with his hair partially tied and partially hanging. Even the roots of his hair were neatly arranged in ink-like darkness. Since Yu Lingxi praised his hair a few days ago, he rarely tied it all up, always letting half of it fall on his shoulders, adding a touch of elegant youthful charm.

Unable to resist, Yu Lingxi stared at him for a long time until Ning Yin approached with an oil-paper umbrella. He deliberately lowered his voice and asked, "Is it really that good?"

Catching a glimpse of the playful smile in his eyes, the heat rushed to Yu Lingxi's ears again. She felt a feather-like, ticklish sensation. Fortunately, her veiled hat and draped veil concealed her expressions, preventing him from detecting her feelings.

Yu Lingxi took the oil-paper umbrella from Ning Yin's handl, asking, "Why are you here?"

Ning Yin casually replied, "Qingxiao isn't here, and they need help here."

Yu Lingxi lightly said, "Oh," turned around, and received the salted beans scooped by Yu Huanchen, which she then wrapped and distributed to beggars and passersby along the road.

"Sui Sui!"

A crisp call came from the crowd. Tang Buli had arrived, pushing through the crowd and running over. "I want to pray at Jinyun Temple today. Are you coming?"

Yu Lingxi had been feeling quite lethargic due to the heat these days and hesitated. However, Tang Buli took the umbrella from her hand and pleaded, "Come on, come on! The marriage divination sticks in the temple are particularly effective today. Don't you want to pray for Mr. Xue?"

Behind her, there was a light sound of a porcelain spoon falling from the table. Ning Yin laughed coolly, "Sorry."

For some reason, Yu Lingxi suddenly thought of the white jade pen with purple-hair brush that fell by the waterside.

Unable to resist the persuasion, Yu Lingxi could only say, "Alright."

Tang Buli cheered, holding Yu Lingxi's hand and smiling at Yu Huanchen, "Eldest Young Master, I'm taking Sui Sui away! I'll make sure to safely bring her back before long!"

Yu Lingxi was pulled a few steps before she retreated. She lifted a corner of her veil, revealing half of her exquisite and beautiful face, and said to Ning Yin, "Wei Qi, come with me."

Ning Yin glanced in the direction of Jinyun Temple, lowered his eyes, covering the dark color in his eyes, and nodded.

Yu Huanchen watched his sister's group leave and casually pointed at a personal guard, "You follow them and protect Second Miss."

The guard clasped his fists and followed closely.

The market was lively, and from afar, the temple's chants and the fragrance of incense could be heard.

Tang Buli was a restless person. Along the way, she either touched this or looked at that at various stalls without stopping. Yu Lingxi followed behind, glancing at Ning Yin, who was a half step away.

She took out an object from a small bag she carried and then turned around, saying, "Hold out your hand."

Ning Yin might be lost in thought, but hearing her words, he stopped his steps.

After a while, he obediently raised his hand. Yu Lingxi let go, and a small candy wrapped in oil paper fell into Ning Yin's palm. Opening it, he found a sweet, fragrant rock candy.

Ning Yin raised an eyebrow, sniffed it, and looked at Yu Lingxi.

With people coming and going around them, the perpetual prosperity of the capital city was evident.

Yu Lingxi fanned away the heat with her hand fan and stuffed the candy into Ning Yin's mouth, saying helplessly, "This one doesn't have chili powder. You can eat without worries."

After feeding the candy, both Yu Lingxi and Ning Yin were stunned.

It was an almost subconscious action, and Yu Lingxi didn't think too much about it. It seemed that in the past few days, her mind had become more relaxed and scattered, and she involuntarily made some strange moves towards Ning Yin.

Fortunately, there were many passersby around, and nobody paid attention to the actions of a young couple on the street.

Ning Yin didn't say anything, rolling the candy on his tongue and squinting his eyes.

Yu Lingxi speculated that he must be satisfied and asked, "Is it sweet?"

Ning Yin nonchalantly bit into the candy, but his eyes were fixed on Yu Lingxi.

After watching her for a long time, he said meaningfully, "Quite sweet."

So Yu Lingxi laughed with relief, and even the clear veil couldn't conceal her brilliant smile.

"Sui Sui, what are you standing there for?"

Seeing that she didn't catch up, Tang Buli turned back to find her, grabbing her wrist and urging, "Hurry, don't keep people waiting."

It was only after arriving at Jinyun Temple that Yu Lingxi understood the meaning behind Tang Buli's words, "Don't keep people waiting."

Facing the Buddha statue, Xue Cen turned around upon hearing the laughter of the young girl, his eyes carrying a refined and restrained smile.

"Younger Sister Yu'er."

Xue Cen greeted Yu Lingxi first and then bowed to Tang Buli, "I appreciate the presence of Princess Qingping."

"Alright, I've brought her to you. Take your time chatting." Saying this, Tang Buli waved her hand and happily skipped out of the door.

Helpless, Yu Lingxi turned to Xue Cen and asked, "What brings Brother Cen here?"

"Younger Sister Yu'er, please don't blame Princess Qingping. I asked her to invite you." With that, Xue Cen took out a piece of sheep-fat jade from his robe and handed it to Yu Lingxi. "This is a jade pendant I had consecrated by a high monk at Jinyun Temple. It can ward off disasters and bring blessings. Originally, I wanted to personally present it to you today in front of our family elders, but..."

He paused, and a slight blush appeared on his earlobe. He spoke gently, "However, giving it to you here is just as meaningful."

In front of the Buddha hall, there was a Bodhi tree that had been standing for over two hundred years, with lush branches and leaves. Many devout men and women came here every year to make wishes and tie their worldly desires written on red paper to the branches with red strings.

Ning Yin, holding a brush, swiftly wrote and stopped. After sealing the still-wet paper, he handed it to a young novice monk who had come forward. Instead of hanging the paper on the branches, the novice monk tucked it into his sleeve and, taking advantage of the crowd of pilgrims, hurriedly walked towards the meditation room in the back.

Having completed all of this silently, Ning Yin stayed and kept staring.

Arriving at the side hall of the temple, Yu Lingxi happened to see Xue Cen handing a jade pendant adorned with water-blue tassels to her. 

His hesitant appearance clearly indicated that he had ill intentions.

Crack! Ning Yin, expressionless, bit and crushed the rock candy in his mouth, as if chewing on bones.

"It's bad, sour."

He spat out the candy, and a hint of darkness passed through his eyes.

In the main hall, Yu Lingxi was unaware of what was happening outside. She looked at the jade pendant and sighed, "Brother Cen, you've already given me too much."

And she had nothing to offer in return.

"What I give you is never too much..."

Xue Cen was still talking, but Yu Lingxi couldn't hear him anymore.

It was strange; she watched Xue Cen's lips move, but the words were incomprehensible, creating a buzzing noise. She widened her eyes, but everything in front of her seemed to disperse and distort. Her gaze became uncontrollably sluggish.

Dang! A deep bell sound echoed from the pagoda, and Yu Lingxi felt a rush of heat surging to the top of her head, burning her cheeks, and then spreading into her limbs, converging in her lower abdomen.

It was so strange, so peculiar.

This sensation was like... like that day in the confined warehouse when she reacted to the scent of the drug.

No, it was even worse than that time.

Sensing that something was wrong with her complexion, Xue Cen showed concern and quickly approached, asking, "Younger Sister Yu'er, what's wrong with you?"

"Don't come over!" Yu Lingxi subconsciously avoided his reaching hand but stumbled, knocking over the table with the burnt incense ash.

A loud clang echoed, attracting the attention of the novice monk from outside.

Ignoring Xue Cen's reaction, Yu Lingxi, supported by her last bit of consciousness, quickly put on her veil and walked out of the hall. Instinct told her that she absolutely couldn't stay in a crowded place; something bad would happen!

Today, there were many pilgrims, and the crowd was almost colluding shoulder to shoulder. Her vision was blurry and distorted, and in her panic, she didn't realize that she was getting farther and farther away from the guards waiting by the wall.

By the time the guard and Hutao noticed her leaving, Yu Lingxi had already moved in the opposite direction, dispersed by the crowded pilgrims.

Breathing rapidly and feeling feverish, all the faces around her became blurred, and everyone seemed to be smiling at her. Although she was in a temple, it felt like a splendid uproar was approaching, like a dream, enticing her to fall into it.

Yu Lingxi stumbled and staggered, not knowing how far she had walked and unable to find an exit. Her consciousness began to drift away, leaving only despair, a painful despair.

Suddenly, a tightening sensation on her wrist.

Someone was moving against the crowd, grabbing her wrist.

Yu Lingxi instinctively wanted to shake it off, but she saw a familiar blurry figure – tall, erect, standing in the crowd like a sharp sword.

"It's me," came the familiar low, cold voice.

Yu Lingxi stared at him, the hot palm holding onto his fingers, as if a drowning person had grasped a life-saving piece of driftwood.

"Qi... Wei Qi, something's wrong..."

She bit her lips pale, sweat streaming down her temples, and in a trembling voice, she said, "I don't know... what's happening..."

As she spoke, her body went limp, and she was caught in time by Ning Yin.

His palm touched her slender waist, feeling the intense heat through the fabric.

Her face showed an abnormal blush, eyes filled with charm, and a faint sweet fragrance emanated from her breath...

Similar to the last time in the warehouse.

Ning Yin frowned, knowing what was happening. 

There were only two exits in their current location. One led to the front courtyard, blocked by pilgrims and chanting monks. If they forcefully broke through, it would undoubtedly attract attention. The other led to the untouched back courtyard meditation room...

A place he never brought living people into.

Ning Yin carried Yu Lingxi and kicked open the door of the meditation room.

As the novice monk was about to open the red paper note, he was surprised to see Ning Yin barging in.

He was about to speak but noticed Ning Yin carrying a woman in his arms.

Ning Yin laid Yu Lingxi flat on the bed and gave a cold glance, "Leave."

The novice monk didn't dare to look and immediately left, standing guard ten steps away.

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