The moonlight spilled on the uneven road surface of Ranfang Street. There were no lights around, and the chirping of summer insects in the deep alleys could be heard:
"Jiji——"
The man and the woman, who had returned late at night, walked side by side along the path beside the street.
The woman was dressed in a green dress, with her black hair coiled at the back of her head, forming a beautiful bun. Her dignified and cold and charming temperament made her seem like a celestial maiden from the Moon Palace walking under the moon.
The man had his arm draped over the woman's shoulder. His sleeves were tattered. He kept touching her from time to time as they walked, his eyes wandering around, and he even tried to lean towards the woman's cheek to give her a kiss.
"Little rascal, don't use the medicine as an excuse. If you move around again, don't blame me..."
"Lady Luo, I really can't help it. I've been very well-behaved already... How about I go and see the princess? Otherwise, it's going to be a disaster..."
Luo Ning's face turned red. She carried Ye Jingtang with all her might and walked towards Shuanggui Alley. When she saw that there was no one around, she took out the medicine box, picked up a pill, and was about to put it in her mouth.
But just as she raised her hand, Ye Jingtang stopped her.
Luo Ning frowned slightly and said coldly: "What's wrong? Are you afraid that it will be exposed and don't dare to let me take it?"
Ye Jingtang held Lady Luo's hand. Looking at her cold and charming face so close, he said seriously:
"You really won't be able to resist the effect of the medicine. Taking it is just giving in for nothing. Whether you believe me or not, I have to make it clear to you. If you don't want to take it in your heart but are just taking it out of spite, I won't stop you. Otherwise, I'll really be that shameless little rascal who only has eyes for your body, won't I?"
Luo Ning looked at Ye Jingtang's suddenly pure eyes. Her lapel rose and fell a few times. She slowly pulled her hand back and gritted her teeth:
"You think I'm as weak-willed as you? If I can't resist it, it means you really have no choice. It's also a matter of expediency for me to find a way to suppress the effect of the medicine for you. If something happens between us, I won't blame you. But if I can resist it and find out that you've been lying to me! I..."
Ye Jingtang raised his hand slightly: "I won't lie to you. Since Lady Luo is so reasonable, what else can I say? If you dare to take it, then go ahead."
"..."
Luo Ning held the little pill in her hand, opened her red lips, but when it was about to reach her mouth, she stopped again. After hesitating for a long time, she finally made up her mind, opened her red lips, and threw the pill into her mouth.
Her throat moved slightly, and she swallowed it.
?!
Ye Jingtang blinked his eyes: "Lady Luo, are you really serious?"
Luo Ning's eyes were determined: "I, Luo Ning, always keep my word. If I really can't suppress it, it's my own fault."
Ye Jingtang secretly sighed and also understood Lady Luo's intention. He put his arm around her and walked out:
"Let's go. Let's find an inn."
Luo Ning pulled Ye Jingtang back and walked towards Shuanggui Alley:
"You're up to no good. Since I can keep my mind stable, why should I be afraid to go home?"
Ye Jingtang became much more well-behaved with his hands and feet. He gently persuaded her:
"You're Yunli's martial aunt. Yunli is only fifteen years old. It's best if you can suppress the effect of the medicine. In case you can't, what if Yunli sees me carrying you and doing something inappropriate... "
"Don't talk nonsense. I can keep my mind stable. If you dare to act recklessly again, I won't hold back."
Ye Jingtang let go of Luo Ning's shoulder, stood up straight, his face stern and his eyes free of any evil thoughts:
"Fine. If I take the initiative to touch you tonight, I'll be a dog. But just to be on the safe side, we'd better go and open a room and compare our willpower slowly. We always have to leave ourselves a way out in everything, don't you think?"
Luo Ning pursed her lips and didn't say anything. She stubbornly pulled Ye Jingtang back to the small courtyard where they first met.
The horse was still at San Niang's house. In the courtyard, besides the flowers and plants, and the dried fish and garlic hanging by the kitchen window, there was nothing else. It was clean and tidy.
Luo Ning entered the courtyard quietly. After a brief look around, she could see that the lights in the main house had been turned off, and there was a slight sound of breathing.
Luo Ning signaled with her eyes for Ye Jingtang to wait in her room. Then she entered the main house and rummaged through the medicine for bruises and sprains.
Dingling gulu——
On the bed in the main house, Zhe Yunli was sleeping with a knife in her arms, dressed in her clothes. Hearing the commotion, she opened her eyes and found that her martial aunt was carefully looking for something by the cabinet. She propped herself up:
"Martial aunt, you're back? I heard some commotion over on Dongzheng Street just now..."
Luo Ning's eyes flickered. She put on the appearance of a dignified mother and sat down beside the bed:
"It was your Jingtang brother catching a thief. Well... Your Jingtang brother fought too fiercely and strained his arm. I'm going to put some medicine on it for him."
Zhe Yunli blinked her eyes and sat up:
"Then why don't you rest, martial aunt? I'll go instead."
Luo Ning's face darkened. She quickly held down Zhe Yunli, who was about to offer herself:
"Go to sleep properly!"
Zhe Yunli had to give up. Just as she was about to lie down again, she suddenly looked at Luo Ning's face in confusion:
"Martial aunt, why is your face red?"
Luo Ning felt that her cheeks were a bit hot, and a wave of heat rose in her chest and abdomen. She guessed that the effect of the medicine had really kicked in...
A hint of panic flashed in Luo Ning's eyes. Remembering the words "always leave a way out", she said softly:
"I was just angry because of the fight with Xu Bailin. Well... Yunli, can't you fall asleep?"
Seeing that her martial aunt wasn't injured, Zhe Yunli didn't think too much:
"I'm a bit unable to fall asleep. How about..."
Dong dong~
There was a soft sound.
Zhe Yunli's back was tapped twice. Immediately, she swayed and fell backwards:
"Martial aunt... Is this really necessary? I just wanted to go out and take a stroll... stroll..."
Before she could finish her words, she fell on the pillow with her limbs spread out, breathing steadily and making no more sound.
Luo Ning laid Yunli down properly, covered her with a thin quilt, and then picked up the medicine box and walked out of the main house.
Ye Jingtang lived in the west wing. The candlelight had already lit up in the side room. The silhouette of the man could be seen on the window paper, walking back and forth. It seemed that he was making the bed...
?!
Luo Ning's eyes turned slightly cold. She walked slowly down the steps and came to the door of the west wing:
"Yunli has just fallen asleep. You'd better behave yourself."
Ye Jingtang's room wasn't big. There was a wooden plank bed by the window, a standing cabinet by the wall. There weren't many tables and chairs in the room. There were only two books, a small wooden donkey, and a turtle ornament bought for the bird on the windowsill. It was neatly tidied up.
The candle was placed on the cabinet, emitting a dim yellow light that illuminated every corner.
Jingtang's face was stern and calm. After smoothing out the bed sheet, he sat down by the bed. He turned to look at the door and was slightly taken aback.
Luo Ning stood gracefully in front of the door. Her slender and graceful figure, coupled with her peerlessly cold and charming face, looked gentle and delicate under the dim yellow light.
Those captivating eyes reflected the light in the room. There was a hint of pink on her cheeks. Her hands were folded at her waist, and she was still carrying the small medicine box.
This scene was beautiful, but it somehow looked like she had come for a "service session" (a euphemism here, meaning an improper situation).
Ye Jingtang felt rather strange in his heart and blurted out:
"Don't be nervous. It's my first time too... Bah..."
"…?"
Luo Ning was confused. She entered the room, closed the door behind her, and then walked gracefully to the front. She sat down sideways, with her buttocks resting on the edge of the bed, forming a perfect curve:
"Stretch out your hand. I'll treat your injury."
Ye Jingtang sat upright, stretched out his right arm, picked up a leisure book with his left hand, and looked at it by the candlelight, his posture like Guan Gong reading "The Spring and Autumn Annals" while having his bones scraped.
Luo Ning's mind was clear, but her internal qi was unstable. Her eyes flickered. She didn't dare to look at Ye Jingtang's body. She just took out the Yulong Ointment, poured it into her palm, and then gently applied it to the purple and blue arm. After applying it a few times, she let go:
"Do it yourself. Do you really think you're a young master?"
Seeing this, Ye Jingtang handed the book to Luo Ning, took the Yulong Ointment, and applied it himself. He casually said:
"Lady Luo has a sworn enemy, the Monk Shenchen, right?"
Luo Ning felt very uncomfortable. She was a bit hot, and there was an ache in a certain place. She really wanted to rub her legs together. She gritted her teeth to stay calm:
"Why are you asking this?"
Ye Jingtang smiled: "Give me a few years, and I'll definitely beat that sanctimonious old bald donkey to the ground for you."
Luo Ning did have this little thought in her heart, but she said seriously:
"Why do you want to help me? Once you save Qiu Tianhe, we'll be even."
Ye Jingtang was applying the ointment to his arm: "We've fought in several fierce battles together. We can be considered friends through life and death, right? When I killed Zhou Huaili, you gave me that token to save my life. If you have a grudge, shouldn't I step in without hesitation?"
Luo Ning looked down at the book and gave a soft snort:
"Wait until you have the strength before saying such big words. Xue Baijin couldn't do anything to Monk Shenchen. You... If you really avenge me, you'll have a great kindness towards me..."
Luo Ning felt it was a bit difficult to endure as she said this. She raised her beautiful eyes and looked at the little rascal who seemed to be fine:
"Are you feeling very uncomfortable?"
Ye Jingtang's eyes were clear. He raised his hand slightly:
"I'm not uncomfortable at all. My mind is extremely clear."
?
Luo Ning blinked her eyes. She felt something was wrong. She wanted to say something, but she held it back and lowered her head to continue reading:
"It's good that you can suppress the effect of the medicine. Well... I was a bit wrong to blame you just now..."
Ye Jingtang said seriously: "You didn't blame me wrongly! Lady Luo set an example. I've also had an epiphany. As long as one has a firm will, this medicine can be completely suppressed. Look at me. As long as I don't think about those things, I'm perfectly fine now."
"..."
Luo Ning's cheeks turned as red as peach blossoms in February. Her breathing was uneven. She pursed her lips. Following the guidance, she tried not to think wildly and read the book quietly.
But the miscellaneous books that Ye Jingtang usually read were all like...
No, no, you bad guy, you're so annoying~
A man's not charming if he's not bad. Women love bad men...
?!
Luo Ning's face turned cold. She closed the book that disturbed her mind and sat up straight with an effort:
"Do you usually read such things?"
Ye Jingtang nodded: "They're just miscellaneous books. If I don't read these, should I read military strategies and the ways of governing the country?"
Luo Ning didn't dare to look Ye Jingtang in the eye either. Her beautiful peach blossom-like eyes glanced around and landed on the knife leaning against the head of the bed. She tried to find something to talk about:
"This knife of yours looks of good quality. Did your adoptive father give it to you?"
"Yes. This knife was my adoptive father's beloved. According to reason, it should have been buried with him. He left it to me, probably because his wish wasn't fulfilled yet."
"Is there any special meaning behind this little wooden donkey?"
"No. It's just because it was cheap."
"What about this little turtle..."
"This actually has a bit of a story. The bird is a descendant of the Vermilion Bird, and the turtle is a descendant of the Black Tortoise. Buying this for the bird..."
Jiliwala...
Luo Ning listened quietly as Ye Jingtang, who seemed like a gentle and refined gentleman, told the story. Her eyes were wandering, and she didn't even know what she was thinking.
The last time she left the capital city, she realized that in her heart, there was only this old courtyard in Shuanggui Alley left. And every time she dreamed at midnight afterwards, the face in front of her now and every touch between them came to her mind.
That feeling was deep in her bones, unforgettable, like the strongest wine and poison, making it hard for her to control herself.
Now all these memories came flooding into her mind at once.
Luo Ning knew that it must be the effect of the medicine and the environment that had stirred up her emotions, and she tried her best to restrain herself and calm her mind.
But even if she could suppress the effect of the medicine, how could she forget every bit of their experiences together...
The little rascal really didn't lie to me...
No wonder when I found him, he was sitting at the door with Pei San Niang and didn't go inside...
I guess he was afraid that if he went inside, he wouldn't be able to control himself and offend Pei San Niang...
How on earth did he manage to hold on until now...