Chapter 9: Falling Sick

The guards supported Ning Yin through the corner gate, finding a clean and secluded spot for him to lie down in the covered room.

"As the New Year approaches, it would be inauspicious if someone freezes to death at the entrance of the mansion," remarked Yu Lingxi, instructing the guards on night duty outside, "With my father and brothers occupied with state affairs and my mother still unwell, I'll handle these trivial matters. No need to disturb them."

The guards respectfully agreed with clasped fists.

Yu Lingxi surveyed the furnishings in the room. There was only a table, a chair, and a bed with an old mattress. Next to the bed stood a slightly damaged screen, simple and small, yet clean and tidy. It provided ample protection from the wind, suitable for recovery, though not particularly warm.

The young man lay on the hard bed, his face pale. Only his eyes retained a hint of stubborn brightness. The little wild cat he had rescued huddled helplessly in the corner, whimpering softly.

Yu Lingxi crouched down, her fair hand gently stroking the cat's fur, dampened by the snow. She scratched its chin, and the cat quickly ceased its whimpering, even affectionately rubbing against her palm.

"Fetch two quilts and make a nest for the cat," Yu Lingxi ordered. A faint smile appeared on her lips, quickly suppressed. She glanced at Ning Yin lying stiffly on the bed. "Don't let him freeze to death."

The attendants understood her implied meaning and hurriedly went to make arrangements.

The dim oil lamp cast a faint light, and Ning Yin's weakened gaze remained fixed on Yu Lingxi. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something.

However, Yu Lingxi stood up, interrupting his words. A rabbit fur scarf adorned her delicate and charming face as she calmly said, "I cannot keep you here. Once the snow stops, you must find your own way. In any case, do not linger here."

Ning Yin's Adam's apple moved, his eyes lowered, lips tightly pressed together.

Without saying more, Yu Lingxi turned and left the covered room. Behind her, more than ten attendants followed with lanterns.

Continuing, a dazzling river of light was carved out in the wind and snow. Ning Yin watched as the graceful figure outside the door gradually receded, dimming, and finally leaving only the silent darkness.

His eyes, like the night, seemed bottomless. Even though he was mentally prepared, seeing her unveiled face under the eaves moments ago couldn't conceal the stunning effect. He had encountered many beauties in the Immortal City, but they were like caged birds, their heavy makeup unable to conceal the numbness of a life filled with dust. None compared to her natural cleanliness, without the need for cosmetics, yet capable of outshining a myriad of lights.

However, he could sense that she did not like him.

He still couldn't fathom the source of her contradictions. Every time her complex gaze turned towards him, it seemed like she saw the shadow of another person.

Wanting to stay by her side for a long time might be even more challenging than he had imagined.

As he contemplated the next steps of his plan, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door. Ning Yin, alert, closed his eyes and remained still. It turned out to be an attendant carrying an old mattress, cursing the freezing weather as he entered.

The attendant tossed the mattress onto the bed, pulled it a couple of times, added a cold tea and two steamed buns, and then left, rubbing his hands. Perhaps due to being careless or neglecting to attend to a "beggar," he forgot to close the door securely.

The half-open wooden door clanged as the north wind blew, and Ning Yin's gaze gradually turned colder. He absentmindedly tapped the edge of the bed with his fingers.

The little cat in the corner, perhaps hungry, boldly climbed onto the table, greedily biting into the steamed buns.

Ning Yin raised a faint, pale smile and reached for the nape of the little creature. The cat, as if facing a terrifying beast, pupils narrowed into slits, fur standing on end, and it struggled with a meow.

"Move again, and I'll crush your neck," the young man's hoarse voice echoed from the darkness.

The small creature immediately stopped meowing, trembling and motionless.

Ning Yin threw it into the old bedding, then ignored it, lying down with closed eyes. The door remained partially open, letting in the cold wind that stung his skin.

The oil lamp was blown out, and the dead silence of darkness engulfed everything.

...

Awakening from a deep sleep, the snow had cleared, and the sky was beginning to clear. Yu Lingxi, yawning, sat in front of the dressing table, supporting her chin and looking at her slightly blue eyes in the mirror. Lazily, she asked, "How is that person doing?"

Hutao, holding a comb, puzzled, replied, "Which person?"

Yu Lingxi frowned, "The one we brought back last night."

"Oh, you mean that injured beggar?" Hutao thought for a moment and truthfully answered, "There was no movement from the covered room when I got up this morning. I suppose he is still asleep."

Could it be that he intends to stay in the mansion? The future Regent, unexpectedly pulling such a cheeky move. In any case, this time, she must not be soft-hearted again.

Yu Lingxi harbored her thoughts, picked a pair of jade flower earrings from the jewelry box held by a maid, thinking that by the time the snow melted, she must send him away.

Regardless of his future authority, as long as he doesn't come to bother her, it's fine.

Having made up her mind, Yu Lingxi got up to go and serve medicinal soup in Madam Yu's room.

The Yu family father and son did not return until noon, both looking exhausted. Especially Yu Huanchen, covered in black ash, with red eyes, clearly having worked all night without sleep.

Yu Lingxi was shocked by her brother's disheveled appearance and hurriedly asked, "Brother, were you busy all night?"

Yu Huanchen drank several cups of water in succession, wiped the corner of his mouth, exhaled a breath, and said, "Yongning Street burned the whole night. Several residences were completely destroyed, and over sixty people in the residence of the Prince of Xichuan perished without a survivor."

Prince of Xichuan?

Yu Lingxi pondered for a moment, not having much impression. She then asked, "Were they burned to death?"

Although this wasn't a state secret, it involved a tragic event of wiping out an entire family, making it inappropriate to discuss with a young girl.

Yu Huanchen rubbed his sister's head, which was now covered in black ash, with a playful smile, "Little girl, don't inquire about such matters."

His hands were covered in black soot, smudging her hair.

"I'm not a little girl anymore." Yu Lingxi helplessly avoided Yu Huanchen's hand, gave him a glare, and turned to leave the room.

Just as she walked to the corridor, she heard the slightly solemn conversation between the father and son in the hall.

Yu Lingxi couldn't help but stop in her tracks.

Yu Huanchen said, "Father, I always feel that this matter is not so simple. Although the Prince of Xichuan is cruel, he is just a puppet. How could he have the ability to counter-kill such a skilled slave? Even if the slave rebelled against the master, wiping out every living soul in such a huge mansion is too strange."

General Yu spoke in a deep voice, "If there's an issue, the Grand Tribunal will investigate."

"I'm afraid they won't find anything. People who came to put out the fire last night were coming and going, either trampling the snow or having it melt in the large fire. No traces will be left behind."

At this point, Yu Huanchen sneered, "A person who raised and nurtured slaves to kill each other finally died at the hands of a slave. It could be considered his retribution."

"Enough, this is not something we should casually discuss."

General Yu interrupted his son, "After lunch, go to the Southern Guard's barracks. We can't keep Immortal Realm City. The Imperial Capital cannot tolerate the bloody and combative atmosphere stirred up by the Beast Arena."

"So soon!" Yu Huanchen paused and asked, "Is the Emperor planning to destroy Immortal Realm City?"

"The Prince of Xichuan was, after all, of imperial blood. Dying at the hands of a slave, it must be eradicated."

General Yu said, "Especially with the Beast Arena harboring filth and contributing to the bloodthirsty and combative atmosphere in the capital. It's time to root it out."

Outside the door, snow fell from the branches, and Yu Lingxi's heart sank.

Could it be that the destruction of Immortal City is related to the reasons her father and brother mentioned?

But the time was several months earlier than in her previous life, and Yongning Street should have perished in a large fire. Could it be that many things are quietly changing with her rebirth?

She thought of Ning Yin.

He had just escaped desperately from Yongning Street last night, and today, it was about to be razed to the ground. Could it be... too much of a coincidence?

She felt like something was being overlooked. Thinking of this, Yu Lingxi closed her eyes and walked quickly towards the covered room in the backyard.

The guards were on duty in the mansion, and the covered room was empty, with no one clearing the accumulated snow. It felt desolate. In the secluded room, the door was half-open, and there was no sign of movement inside.

"Has he left?" Yu Lingxi asked a maid.

Hutao shook her head, looking bewildered, "This servant has been paying attention since morning and did not see him leave."

Just as they were speaking, a faint sound of a cat came from inside the room.

Without hesitation, Yu Lingxi climbed the stone steps and hastily pushed open the door.

An instant blast of cold air hit her face. The room, with the door wide open, felt colder than the ice and snow outside. Yu Lingxi tightened her neck and quickly clutched the hand warmer in her palm.

Looking up, she saw the familiar and slender figure curled up on the bed, lips pale.

The yellowed, old cotton quilt hung half on the ground and half piled at his feet.

In the quilt, a furry head popped out, and a pitiful "meow" sounded towards Yu Lingxi. The room lacked even a charcoal basin, with only a pot of cold, murky tea and two hard buns that felt as solid as iron on the table. Yu Lingxi glanced at the scene in the room and realized that the servants disdained Ning Yin, treating him like a "beggar," showing negligence even in bothering to close the door.

Such behavior, how was it different from mistreating him? The only bedsheet was shared with the injured little cat, leaving most of Ning Yin's body exposed to the cold wind...

Despite Yu Lingxi's resentment towards Ning Yin, witnessing this scene made her anxious. She didn't pay attention to the meowing cat, instead, she approached and nudged Ning Yin's shoulder, saying, "Your... hey, wake up!"

Her palm barely touched his scorching shoulder, but she quickly withdrew it. The black-clothed youth, covered in wounds, trembled while hugging his arms. His lips were pale and dry, his cheeks unusually flushed, and his breathing was heavy and rapid, indicating that the night in the cold wind had worsened his injuries, leading to a high fever.

If this continued, he might not survive.

Yu Lingxi's heart sank, and she turned around, saying, "What are you waiting for? Go and call the doctor."

Even Hutao was startled and hurriedly replied, "Yes!"

"Wait." Yu Lingxi stopped her, "Enter and exit through the side gate, don't disturb father and brother."

Especially her overly clever brother.

"I understand." Hutao agreed repeatedly.

After the maid went to fetch the doctor, Yu Lingxi stared at the eyes-closed, critically ill Ning Yin, feeling a complex mix of emotions. The only chair in the room had a thin layer of dust, and being someone who valued cleanliness, she didn't dare to sit.

After some thought, she moved to the bedside, pulled a corner of the quilt, and carefully sat on the edge of the bed, scrutinizing the seriously ill Ning Yin.

In her previous life, when Ning Yin's leg ailment flared up, he would be in pain, shivering all over, relying on snuggling with Yu Lingxi for warmth. She would stay by his side the whole night. However, even at that time, he was strong and domineering, as if there was nothing in the world that could break him.

Now, he seemed so frail, weak enough to die at any moment. Would such a youth be related to the destruction of Yongning Street?

How did he become the feared madman step by step?

Ning Yin's breathing was rapid and scorching, and as memories of the past intertwined, Yu Lingxi felt a bewildered emotion for the first time. She reached out, hesitated, and covered Ning Yin with the quilt.

"I'm not as heartless as you think. If you die, I'm willing to give you a straw mat. It's just..." She lowered her eyes, "I never thought of harming you."

Lost in thought, her hand, holding the quilt corner, accidentally brushed against the side of Ning Yin's neck.

With a very gentle force, the unconscious youth seemed to wake up abruptly, opening his dark eyes.

In the next moment, Yu Lingxi's wrist stung. Her vision flipped, and she was fiercely pressed onto the bed by Ning Yin. His ink-like hair spread across the bed like clouds, and the hand warmer rolled to the ground with a gurgling sound.

The young man dominated her from a higher position, his gaze unfocused, the scorching breath spraying on her neck in bursts, bringing a long-lost and familiar tremor...

Wide-eyed, Yu Lingxi reflected the weak yet fierce expression in Ning Yin's eyes, as if she had returned to the luxurious tent of her past life.

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