章 16: Chapter 16: Solitude
Yu Lingxi was awakened by the damp, cold wind. Her whole body ached, and she instinctively moved, immediately hearing the sound of scattered stones falling into a deep ravine beside her.
Fully awake now, Yu Lingxi held her breath, stiffened in place, not daring to move. This was a mid-section of a cliff, only about four feet wide and not too long, forming a protruding depression. Above her head, an old pine tree with a half-curved shape extended, densely blocking the view above, and she couldn't tell how far the forest at the top of the cliff was.
Below, there was a misty abyss that couldn't be seen to the bottom. A slight misstep would result in certain death with shattered bones.
Turning her head, she saw Ning Yin lying unconscious beside her, with his eyes tightly closed.
Yu Lingxi remembered. When she fell off the cliff, Ning Yin caught up with her, flying to grab her as she fell from the horse's back over the cliff. He didn't say a word, just tightly held her wrist, the other hand constantly grasping and scraping against the rugged rocks protruding from the cliff, leaving a trail of blood.
In the end, he climbed up the twisted and gnarled mountain pine, slowing down the fall of the two.
Before running out of energy, he used all his strength to throw himself and Yu Lingxi onto this barely accommodating platform.
He was still unconscious, lying face down, with his legs hanging outside the stone platform. The disheveled cloak rustled in the mountain wind, with the constant danger of falling. Without hesitation, Yu Lingxi quickly knelt, leaning down, and used all her strength to drag the slender and heavy young man up, moving him a bit towards the cliff.
With effort, she turned Ning Yin's body over, only to find a small wound on his eyebrow bone, and his left hand fingers were blurry with blood, presumably scraped while searching for support during the fall.
Since she met Ning Yin, he had been getting injured.
Even with her intervention in this life, he continued to get hurt relentlessly. In his past life, with no one to take care of him, she didn't know what kind of life he lived.
The wind whistled in the air, dark clouds rolled on the horizon, and the sturdy pine above made a rustling sound in the wind. Yu Lingxi clearly felt the hardest part in her heart softening, melting, and eventually overflowing like a disaster.
Her eyes were slightly red, and she lightly tapped Ning Yin's cheek with cold fingertips, calling out in a hoarse voice, "Hey, wake up..."
As soon as her fingertips touched his cheek, Ning Yin suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes, as cold and desolate as a wild beast, were pitch black and couldn't reflect any light. In just a moment, those ancient, emotionless eyes gradually focused, landing on Yu Lingxi's pale and frozen face.
"Miss," he called, then sat up.
Yu Lingxi saw his left arm twisting in an unnatural position, soft and twisted towards the back, with countless abrasions on the palm, bleeding profusely.
Her eyes darkened, murmuring, "Your hand..."
Ning Yin's gaze followed Yu Lingxi's eyes, falling on his limp left arm. He then casually smiled, "It's nothing, just a broken hand."
A broken hand... just that?
Yu Lingxi's breath caught in her throat, and she trembled, saying, "Little madman, do you even realize the situation you're in?"
Ning Yin remained expressionless, placing his palm on the shoulder joint of his left arm and forcefully twisted. With a chilling crack, the dislocated joint was snapped back into place by him, as if his body was a detachable puppet.
"You..."
Yu Lingxi was momentarily speechless, facing the indifferent eyes of the young man devoid of pain, showing a hint of his past demeanor.
However, Yu Lingxi did not feel afraid; instead, there was an inexplicable bitterness. Ning Yin tried to move his left arm and, seeing that it could barely function, looked around and said, "Miss, we are trapped in the middle of the cliff, about twenty feet below the ground. We can't avoid the wind and cold, and there's no water or food..."
He looked at Yu Lingxi and continued, "An ordinary person would die in three days."
When he mentioned "death," there was no ripple or fear in his tone, almost numb.
Another barrier formed in Yu Lingxi's heart. She curled up against the rugged rock wall, softly acknowledging with a slight "hmm."
Ning Yin glanced at her. The delicate girl's body kept trembling from the cold wind, but her eyes remained calm, fragile yet beautiful, yet resilient. A hint of interest appeared in his eyes as he leaned towards her, propping up one leg and asking, "Aren't you afraid, Miss?"
In her heart, Yu Lingxi thought that in her previous life, thanks to him, she had witnessed even more terrifying scenes. The current danger was nothing.
"Don't be afraid," she buried her pale lips in the crook of her arm, still having the mind to comfort Ning Yin. "Elder sister and Brother Cen will come to rescue us."
Upon hearing Xue Cen's name, a shadow inky as ink diffused in Ning Yin's eyes.
That was indeed a troublesome and unnecessary guy.
"You shouldn't be stuck here with me."
Just as she was thinking this, the soft and hoarse voice of the girl came again, urging, "While it's not raining yet, and the cliff is dry, if you can climb up now, you should go. Look for help and then come back for me."
Although his arm was injured, she knew Ning Yin's arm strength was extraordinary. Taking a chance might help him survive.
Upon hearing this, Ning Yin's movement of rubbing his fingertips paused slightly.
This stone platform was only twenty feet away from the top of the cliff. With his abilities, he could indeed climb up and escape. However, if he did that, everything he had done would be meaningless. Since he gave up the goal of Ning Zizhuo and chose her, he had to make his decision yield the maximum benefit. An excellent predator would never let go of the prey in its mouth.
When he raised his eyes again, Ning Yin had put on a clean smile.
He took off the red cotton cloak on him, raised his clean right hand to dust it off, and then gently draped the cloak over Yu Lingxi.
"I'm injured, so I'll stay by Miss's side and not go anywhere."
He leaned in, the pitch-black eyes reflecting Yu Lingxi's surprised expression. "As long as I'm by Miss's side, there's nothing to fear."
The swift wind swept through, blowing away the dust of memories.
In her previous life, when Ning Yin's leg acted up, he would tightly bind her, almost suffocating her. When she couldn't stand it anymore and moved slightly to adjust her breathing, he would wake up with a pale face and coldly say, "I'll break your hands or legs, so don't move. You choose."
So, Yu Lingxi dared not move.
Ning Yin would suddenly burst into laughter, almost twisting her waist with his arm, displaying a crazy and manic state, "Stay by this king's side, don't go anywhere."
The cold and dark eyes in her memory seemed to overlap before her, gradually becoming clearer.
Regardless of the truth of his words, Yu Lingxi surrendered.
She bore too many regrets and past burdens, and she was too tired to argue or calculate anything. She silently divided the large cloak in half and covered Ning Yin's shoulders. They huddled in the small space between the cliffs, like two stranded birds seeking warmth before the imminent storm.
As the night fell like a monstrous beast, Yu Lingxi didn't wait for reinforcements but was greeted by an icing on the cake – a heavy rain. The cliff was pitch-black and silent. The cold raindrops fell densely, rendering a thoroughly soaked and sticky cloak useless against the cold.
Yu Lingxi felt the chill penetrating her bones, and she started running a high fever. Her breath was scorching, but her body became heavier and colder. She could no longer distinguish if the person sitting beside her was Ning Yin or someone else. Subconsciously seeking warmth, she leaned towards him.
Yu Lingxi didn't know when the night rain had stopped. She was cold, hungry, and had a high fever, quickly losing consciousness. Her body felt like it was in an ice cellar or boiling in hot oil, her throat dry and painful.
A faint dawn appeared on the horizon. Ning Yin, with one hand behind his head, closed his eyes, contemplating the next steps. Suddenly, he heard the murmurs of the hot-lipped girl in his arms.
Leaning closer, he realized she was repeatedly saying, "My lord, I'm thirsty..."
Ning Yin's eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes momentarily revealed the cold and sharpness of the night as he asked hoarsely, "What lord?"
Moving his ear closer, he found that Yu Lingxi had closed her teeth tightly, unable to utter a single word. The mention of "lord" seemed like an illusion brought by the sobbing wind.
Deep in thought, Ning Yin, who had recently been granted the titles of prince and county prince, recalled only one royal figure associated with Yu Lingxi – Nanyang's Junior Prince, Ning Zizhuo, whom they met in the hunting grounds in recent days.
While he was pondering, he felt a weight on his shoulder. Yu Lingxi's head tilted, completely losing consciousness. With her underlying illness, no food or drink, and being exposed to wind and rain, she probably wouldn't last much longer.
After a moment of contemplation, Ning Yin's fingertips moved, sliding out a short blade hidden in his wristguard.
The blade's reflection in his smiling eyes was chilling.
...
In the dense forest at the bottom of the cliff, dozens of people held torches, trudging along muddy mountain paths in search.
Yu Xinyi's face was covered in mud, her throat hoarse from shouting, but there was still no trace of her sister. Their horses stood at the edge of the cliff, but the people seemed to have vanished into thin air. Both the top and bottom of the cliff had been thoroughly searched, but there was no sign of anyone.
Her sister was frail, and with the storm raging, how could she survive this through the night?
Thinking of this, Yu Xinyi clenched her fists and struck the large tree beside her, causing the trunk to shiver. Self-blame filled her eyes.
Xue Cen's eyes were also bloodshot, his clear voice turning hoarse from the overnight exhaustion. "Miss Yu, don't be anxious. For now, no news is the best news."
The servants of the Xue family, holding torches, moved forward. Lowering their voices, one of them said, "Young Master Xue, we've searched this entire valley. The cliff is too steep. Miss Yu might have..."
Before he could finish, Xue Cen interrupted sternly, "She'll be fine! If anyone else speaks nonsense, deal with them on the spot!"
He, usually gentle and mild, displayed anger for the first time. The servants of the Xue family were frightened, kneeling on the ground and hastily saying, "Yes."
A faint light appeared on the horizon as the wind subsided. The accumulated raindrops dripped from the leaves in the forest, falling onto Xue Cen's forehead. He raised his hand to catch the icy droplets, following their direction up, and fixed his gaze on the mist-covered cliff.
Following his line of sight, Yu Xinyi immediately understood, a bright gleam passing through her eyes, "There's still one place we haven't searched."
On the cliff, the stone platform.
Yu Lingxi, thirsty and hungry, her mouth dry and parched from the fever, vaguely sensed a warm and moist touch on her lips.
She wanted to open her mouth to receive this "nectar," but her trembling teeth seemed tightly closed, like the shell of a clam, and she couldn't summon the strength to open them.
The person beside her seemed to realize this issue, and the warm nectar temporarily receded.
After a moment, the shadow leaned down again, and something soft and cool touched her dry and trembling lips. Then, a hot stream opened her clenched teeth, pouring warm liquid, carrying a strong rusty taste, into her mouth.
The liquid was difficult to swallow, and Yu Lingxi unconsciously frowned, trying to move but unable to lift even a finger. Blinking her eyelashes, she opened a narrow gap. The dawn was dim, and in her blurred vision, she saw Ning Yin's magnified handsome face. His lips were stained with a color even more vibrant than the cloak, feeding her something into her burning stomach.
The last thing Yu Lingxi remembered was his ancient well-like eyes, void of any emotion.
...
Upon waking again, Yu Lingxi found herself lying on a soft bed. Opening her eyes, she saw the familiar canopy of her boudoir. The candlelight on the table was dim, and outside the window, the night was deep and profound.
As she sat up, she saw Hutao, excitedly shattering a cup in her hand, running outside and joyfully shouting, "General, Madam! Young General and Miss are awake!"
Pressing her throbbing head, Yu Lingxi sat up, pursed her lips, immediately tasting the lingering, indescribable metallic taste on her tongue.
Like... the smell of blood.
"Sui Sui!"
Yu Lingxi had never seen her mother so anxious. She almost stumbled to her daughter's bedside, grabbing her hand and asking, "My daughter, my child, you finally woke up!"
"Mother, I'm fine."
Yu Lingxi's head was not yet clear, subconsciously showing a cute smile to comfort, "Just a little accident, don't cry, please."
"You dare to say it's just a 'little accident'? You've been unconscious for a whole day and night!"
Yu Xinyi's eyes were as red as if she hadn't slept for three days. She sat in front of the bed, tightly hugging her sister, "You little brat, do you know how scared I was!"
"I'm fine, thanks to..."
Looking around, Yu Lingxi asked, "What about the young man who saved me?"
Yu Xinyi's expression paused subtly.
She let go of Yu Lingxi and cleared her throat not very naturally, "It was Xue Cen who first found you trapped in the middle of the cliff and didn't see any young man."
"How is that possible?"
Yu Lingxi clearly remembered how Ning Yin had jumped off the cliff to catch her, how he had shielded her from the wind and rain on the cliff, and even...
She pursed her lips, looking at Yu Xinyi with suspicion, "Sister, tell the truth, what really happened."
Yu Xinyi, straightforward by nature and not good at lying, stomped her foot, "Oh, Yu Huanchen, come explain!"
As the younger sister had reached adulthood, Yu Huanchen couldn't enter the bedroom, so he stood behind the folding screen.
After a moment of silence, he answered, "Sui Sui, you are a girl. Staying with a servant for a day and night would be detrimental to your reputation if it spread. So, we chose Xue Erlang, who has a good reputation and high social status, to cover up this matter for you."
"So, you chose a man with a good reputation and high social status, Xue Erlang, to cover up this matter for me!"
Yu Lingxi's breathing stopped for a moment. Lifting the blanket off the bed, she said, "Where is he?"
"Sui Sui, you're still unwell..."
"Where is the young man who saved me?"
A moment of silence.
Madam Yu couldn't bear it and gave her son a meaningful look.
Yu Huanchen sighed, "Sui Sui, theoretically, if a servant damages the reputation of the master, the only way to mitigate the damage is for him to disappear completely from this world. But he did save you, so I rewarded him generously and sent him out of the mansion..."
Before the words had fully fallen, Yu Lingxi rushed out of the room.
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