Super Allrounder

Kapitel 49

Yin Wuxiao entered the prison and saw Man Si looking desolate, wearing dirty prison clothes, trapped in wooden bars. The cell was filled with mud and water, and infested with insects and rats. He couldn't help but shed tears.

"Mansi, why are you doing this to yourself?"

"Xiao'er, it's you." Shi Mansi looked at her in a daze and then lowered her head.

"Mansi, why is the princess angry with you?" Yin Wuxiao perked up and asked about the important matter first.

Shi Mansi smiled bitterly: "She's not just angry with me, she clearly wants to kill me."

"Mansi!" Yin Wuxiao scolded her, "What time is it? Why don't you tell me the whole story?"

Man Si glanced at her lazily and said, "Xiao'er, you don't need to save me. It would be useless to save me anyway."

"What do you mean?" Yin Wuxiao asked in a panic.

"There is only one person who can save me. If he doesn't come to save me, I'll just die here." Shi Mansi lowered her head and said sadly, completely different from the lively and energetic Miss Shi a few months ago.

"Mansi!" Yin Wuxiao gasped. "You...you mustn't be talking nonsense! You have many friends in the martial arts world, getting out of this Ministry of Justice prison shouldn't be difficult for you, right? At the very least, I'll pay someone to break you out of prison, I'll get you out!"

“Xiao’er…” Shi Mansi’s eyes welled up with tears. “I am grateful to you. You have truly lived up to our lifelong friendship. But, but, I would rather die than escape like this without knowing why.”

"You...you're afraid that if you escape, your crimes won't be cleared, and you'll never dare to show your face in front of that person again?" Yin Wuxiao instantly understood her thoughts.

“That’s right.” Shi Mansi smiled. “I want to be by his side openly and honestly, so no one can say anything.”

"Mansi!" Yin Wuxiao exclaimed anxiously, "For a man, for love, you're willing to risk your life? What if he doesn't come to save you? What if that princess is determined to kill you..."

“Then I shall die here; it is my fate.” Shi Mansi’s words were as sharp as steel.

“You…” Yin Wuxiao gritted her teeth. After a long while, she slumped back, glaring at Shi Mansi’s back, and said fiercely, “Fine, whatever you want, I will do for you. If you want to leave with a clean record, I will clear your name. In this life, you are my only sister, and now you are my only family. What can’t I do for you?” She sighed, turned around and left without looking back.

Shi Mansi wept uncontrollably behind her.

"Xiao'er, what I owe him, I can repay; but what I owe you, I can never repay."

※ ※ ※

Yin Wuxiao spent a large sum of money to bribe the jailer, repeatedly instructing him to take good care of Mansi. After returning to the Yin residence, she racked her brains for a plan, but after thinking for half a day, she still couldn't come up with a good one. By the morning of the second day, she finally gave up, sighed, and called Yun'er.

"Take this jade pendant and go to Baili Mansion in Liu Family Alley in the west of the city to find Young Master Baili in blue. Tell him that Yin Wuxiao is in trouble and ask him for help."

"Young Master Baili in Blue?" Yun'er blinked. "Is he the handsome young man in blue whom Yun'er kicked out last time?"

Yin Wuxiao sighed.

"Exactly."

Each facing a red lantern

When Baili Qingyi gave away the jade pendant, he didn't think that Yin Wuxiao would ever need it. He knew that after the last time, given her personality, she would never ask him for help even if there was a sharp blade in front of her. Unexpectedly, just two days later, someone came to his door with the jade pendant. He dared not be careless and knew that she must be desperate, so he rushed to the Yin residence.

However, along the way, he kept thinking that no matter what difficulties she encountered, if he really helped her, he was afraid...

She fears she owes him this favor and will try her best to repay it for the rest of her life, but she will never accept his feelings.

He didn't ask her what was troubling her, forcing her to defy her pride and beg him for help. He didn't ask why she wanted him to bring her into the palace, nor did he ask who the elegantly dressed old woman she secretly met in the deep palace was. If she felt he shouldn't know, then he had no interest.

Yin Wuxiao knelt down in front of the old woman: "If you don't save her, I will kneel before you forever."

The old woman frowned: "Miss Yin, you are very intelligent and should know that this is not my business."

Yin Wuxiao touched the ground with his forehead: "But if you want to manage it, you definitely can. You also know what Mansi means to... to that person. Although he is not clear about his own feelings now, if Mansi dies, that person will definitely not live alone."

The old woman pondered for a moment and said, “What you say makes sense, but the court has its own rules. Besides, I have already promised the younger generation that I will no longer meddle in their affairs. Whether it is good or bad, they have to bear the consequences themselves.”

Yin Wuxiao was startled and stood up abruptly, looking directly at the old woman without fear: "Forgive my bluntness, but you have never been one to follow the rules, and there is no matter in the world that you cannot interfere with. I have always admired you for this very reason, but I never expected that you would become so timid and hesitant as you get older!"

Whether it was her age or the words "timid and hesitant" that provoked the old woman, she flew into a rage: "How dare you! Who do you think you are talking to?"

Yin Wuxiao knelt down again with a thud: "It was my rudeness. But you absolutely cannot sit idly by and do nothing about this. In the end, you also bear a great responsibility for how things have come to this."

The old woman scoffed, "You, the one who started this, dare to ask me to take responsibility?"

"I know that I am the one who should bear the greatest responsibility, so I beg you, I beg you to save Mansi!" Yin Wuxiao kowtowed repeatedly, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

Baili Qingyi stood to the side, calmly watching Yin Wuxiao's near-self-harming behavior without stopping her. He thought to himself that when she knelt for three days and three nights at the foot of Mount Tian to beg for medicine for him, the scene must have been even more extreme than what he was experiencing now.

He walked to Yin Wuxiao's side, knelt down and kowtowed in the same manner: "I beg the old lady to have mercy and save Miss Shi's life. Baili Qingyi will be eternally grateful."

The old woman was taken aback: "You are Baili Qingyi?"

"Exactly."

"The young master in blue robes from Baili Prefecture in Jiangnan, the arbitrator of the martial arts world, Baili Qingyi?"

"good."

"That Baili Qingyi who's supposedly dying?"

"Thanks to Miss Yin, Qingyi is still alive in this world."

The old woman looked on with great interest.

"Miss Yin, you've surprised me quite a bit."

Baili Qingyi felt that Yin Wuxiao seemed to tremble slightly.

"You flatter me, ma'am." Her voice was a little unsteady.

The old woman stood up, pondered for a moment, and then smiled: "Actually, it's not that difficult for an old woman like me to meddle in other people's business again. Miss Yin, how about we make another deal?"

Yin Wuxiao forced himself to speak: "Please go ahead."

The old woman pointed at Baili Qingyi: "I've heard of the name of the Young Master Qingyi. But I've never seen the mysterious Qingyi couple."

Baili Qingyi hurriedly said, "That's just a simple poem. If the old lady is interested, I can write it down for you right away."

The old woman waved her hand: "Do you take me for a curious three-year-old? What's the point of writing this down for me?"

Baili Qingyi was taken aback; he had never seen such a strange yet kind old lady before.

“Miss Yin, three years ago, your poetry contest at Yunge Pavilion humiliated all the scholars and poets of my court, leaving them utterly humiliated. How about this: three days from now, I will have the young master in blue set up a poetry contest, using his literary talent to find a husband. The location will still be Yunge Pavilion, and I want all the unmarried young ladies in the martial arts world to attend. As for the specific arrangements, I will leave them to you. What do you think?”

Yin Wuxiao stared wide-eyed, her lips slightly parted, unable to close them for a long time.

"Well... three days is a bit too rushed..."

"Hey, your Yin family is rich and powerful, I believe this little thing won't be difficult for you."

"This is...this is the most important matter of the young master's life, how can I...how can I make such a decision?" Yin Wuxiao lowered her head. As expected of the cunning old woman, the question she asked this time was too tricky, and she really couldn't handle it.

The old woman's eyes darted around, and she asked Baili Qingyi with a smile, "She said she can't make the decision. Young Master Qingyi, tell me, can Miss Yin make the decision about your life's most important matter?"

Baili Qingyi smiled bitterly: "If she can't make the decision, then no one in this world can."

Yin Wuxiao blushed and glared at him.

The old woman clapped her hands and laughed, "That's perfect. Miss Yin, I'll take care of your business. I guarantee your Miss Shi will return to your mansion unharmed tomorrow. As for you, hehe, I believe you'll keep your word. I'll be waiting for your show in three days."

Could it be that asking Baili Qingyi to take her into the palace was a mistake? Yin Wuxiao secretly lamented.

However, the thought that Mansi's life could be saved made her breathe a sigh of relief.

Baili Qingyi took in her reaction and couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.

※ ※ ※

He and she walked silently down the long, dark street. Dark clouds obscured the moon, and a rumble of thunder was brewing in the air.

Yin Wuxiao said softly, "I've arrived." She looked at her own porch, then at the gloomy sky, wanting to remind him to hurry back to avoid getting wet in the rain, but hesitated. She walked straight to the door.

"Xiao'er, are you really going to find me a husband?" Baili Qingyi called out to her.

She didn't turn around: "I have to save Mansi. I must save her." She inexplicably felt that he understood her feelings.

"So, what if... if someone else wins against me?"

Yin Wuxiao turned around in shock, meeting Shang Baili Qingyi's dark eyes. His gentle and unassuming expression, coupled with his words, exuded a pitiful charm.

“Don’t ask me,” she protested weakly. “Why, why do you always ask me what will happen?” she yelled at him. “How should I know what will happen? I don’t know! I don’t know!”

With a deafening roar, the rain poured down, sweeping through everything in its path in an instant.

Yin Wuxiao suddenly turned around and glared at Baili Qingyi. He stood still in front of the porch, seemingly unaware of the raindrops hitting him.

"Can't you see it's raining! You idiot!" Yin Wuxiao scolded. She was only three steps away from him, she was protected by the eaves, but he was soaked to the bone.

"Xiao'er, I saw it."

"You see that? Hurry up and find shelter from the rain!"

"Xiao'er, since you say so, then I'll go over there. I'll go over there now, okay?"

Yin Wuxiao opened his mouth to curse, but then stopped himself. He wasn't asking her if she would let him take shelter from the rain; he was clearly asking if she would let him stay by her side.

She hesitated. Everything she'd done with him—what was all that? Things had come to this point; it was clearly a battle of pride.

He stood there in the rain, staring intently at her, his gaze both tender and sinister.

She gritted her teeth, reached out and grabbed his wet collar, pulling him under the eaves with even more ruthlessness than he did.

"You bastard, you treacherous cunning..." Her anger was suppressed, and a barrage of kisses, mingled with rain, overwhelmed her.

Yin Wuxiao's mind was in chaos. She didn't know how she got back to her room. All she knew was that Baili Qingyi's hands were wrapped around hers, his body wrapped around hers. He breathlessly put his lips close to her ear and said, "Xiao'er, I will never ask you what will happen to you again. No matter what happens to you, I will always have you."

Yin Wuxiao leaned against him, feeling dizzy. The icy rain seeped from his body onto hers, penetrating her skin.

"Yin Wuxiao, I've decided on you."

She turned around in his arms, put her hands on his shoulders, and cupped his face in her hands.

“I hate you. I hate you so much,” she gasped, glaring at him.

"What should I do? I love you, I love you to death." Baili Qingyi frowned and looked back helplessly.

Yin Wuxiao burst into laughter, burying her face in his chest, her breathing heavy. She laughed for a long time before finally stopping.

"This isn't right," she questioned him indignantly. "How could you... how could you..." How could he say such sweet words? How could he be so...