...
Back at the Prince Ning's residence, the Prince Ning was determined to give Lord Ling a hard time. However, he tossed and turned in bed for two hours without being able to fall asleep. Finally, he comforted himself, telling himself that Lord Ling would definitely not be able to sleep without him warming the bed. He quietly got up, dressed, and rushed to Ling Xiao's residence in the middle of the night.
Fortunately, they weren't far apart, and Prince Ning returned shortly afterward, arriving at Ling Xiao's room without disturbing anyone. Seeing that Ling Xiao had indeed left the door and window open for him, he felt a slight sense of relief.
He tiptoed into the room, only to be greeted not by the sleeping Lord Ling as he had expected. Seeing Ling Xiao struggling to his feet at the table, looking extremely pained, he was startled and rushed over to help him.
"Get out!" Upon hearing Ling Xiao's sudden low rebuke, Prince Ning frowned, then realized that Ling Xiao wasn't speaking to him. Instantly, his brows furrowed even more.
Prince Ning supported Ling Xiao firmly with his arm to prevent her from losing her balance, intending to lead her to the bed. After doing this, he noticed that Ling Xiao was completely unaware of his presence and kept talking, from the table to the bed and even after she lay down, without stopping.
He didn't quite understand what they were saying.
Ling Xiao said, "From the moment you successfully drowned yourself, you ceased to exist. Even if you are unwilling now, it's useless; you're already dead."
"That wasn't my own choice, but I've fulfilled the conditions we agreed on. You're the one who broke your promise. I don't want to understand or know how you feel; it's none of my business."
"Heh, if you could come back, you would have done so long ago. Why wait until now? Even if you've been hiding for two years, you're still a piece of trash. I advise you to give up sooner rather than later."
"Yes, I'm scared, I'm absolutely terrified."
Prince Ning: "..."
Ling Xiao kept her eyes closed, her face displaying an unprecedented coldness, and her words grew increasingly sarcastic. The Prince of Ning was completely bewildered, unsure if she was having a nightmare. He tried to wake Ling Xiao, only to find her forehead covered in cold sweat.
In an instant, Ling Xiao finally stopped speaking. Her face, which had been indifferent, turned extremely painful in the blink of an eye. She gripped the Prince of Ning's arm tightly, like a drowning person grasping at a straw, gasping for breath with all her might.
After waiting for a while, Ling Xiao's breathing gradually returned to normal. Prince Ning sensed this but didn't rush anything, sitting by the bed waiting. After another long while, Ling Xiao finally opened his eyes.
Her gaze refocused, settling on the brightly lit face looming before her. Ling Xiao's mood was already bad, and seeing Prince Ning didn't improve it much. After a moment, she realized she was gripping his arm tightly. Ling Xiao released her grip and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Prince Ning asked worriedly.
Although she couldn't understand what they were saying, she could tell that she wasn't having a nightmare. She wasn't afraid; the moment she opened her eyes, they were cold, and the seriousness and wariness she exuded suggested she was guarding against some known danger.
But he also sensed that Ling Xiao most likely didn't want to tell anyone these things; otherwise, he wouldn't have only discovered it by chance today. Prince Ning held her hand, trying to offer her some comfort and support.
Ling Xiao composed herself, realizing she was covered in cold sweat. Seeing Prince Ning wasn't surprising... but she knew he'd probably overheard something. Could someone have a nightmare and end up at the table? The steps Zhang Ye had found for her were truly dilapidated.
"Isn't it that I can't sleep without you, and my heart aches from thinking of you?" Regaining his composure, Ling Xiao smiled and immediately began to tease Prince Ning as usual.
Even though her emotions shifted rapidly, and she seemed perfectly normal with every smile and word, Prince Ning still felt uneasy and had no desire to joke with Ling Xiao. Seeing that her forehead was damp with sweat and that she was hiding her other thoughts, Prince Ning stood up and said gently, "I'll go and call someone to bring in some hot water."
Seeing Prince Ning's retreating figure as he walked towards the door, Ling Xiao tapped her head with her fist, a little worried. She lay helplessly on the bed with her arms outstretched, staring wide-eyed at the top of the bed curtains. After a long while, she finally let out a soft sigh.
The Prince of Ning's voice came from outside. After a moment, he came in again. Noticing that Ling Xiao was sweating a lot, the Prince of Ning first went to the table to pour her a cup of cold tea before walking to the bedside.
Ling Xiao, on the contrary, forgot that she had gotten out of bed to get water because she was thirsty. She took the teacup from Zhang Ye and silently gulped down a cup of tea. When she looked up and saw Ning Wang's surprised and amused expression, she handed the teacup to him, slightly raised her chin, and Ning Wang poured her another cup of tea.
The atmosphere in the room was inexplicably awkward. After Ling Xiao drank the water, the two of them suddenly found themselves speechless, each lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until the maidservant whispered outside that the hot water was ready that Ling Xiao managed to shake off his slight discomfort.
As Prince Ning helped her up from the bed, Ling Xiao, still half-sitting, didn't rush to get down. Instead, she opened her arms to Prince Ning and smiled, "I'm giving you a chance to show off." It was clearly a gesture of seeking a hug.
It was rare for Ling Xiao to be so enthusiastic, and even if there were other reasons, Prince Ning did not refuse. He looked at Ling Xiao, smiled, and then directly picked her up and carried her to the washroom to bathe.
Ling Xiao obediently reached out and put her arm around Prince Ning's neck, feeling that the two of them should reach a conclusion. She didn't mean to deliberately keep him hanging, but she still had some uncertainties and some things she hadn't finished dealing with, but... that didn't matter so much now.
She admired Prince Ning's ability to refrain from probing into her affairs. Even if there were strange things about her, Prince Ning could hold back his questions and wouldn't argue with her about it. She couldn't help but worry that he would go crazy from holding it in... Ling Xiao thought to herself.
Prince Ning kept his eyes on the road ahead, but just as he crossed the moon gate, Ling Xiao pulled him down with force, causing him to pause and lean in to listen to what she had to say.
Ling Xiao immediately leaned in, but hesitated to speak. Prince Ning turned his head slightly to look at her, only to have Ling Xiao, who had been waiting for the right moment, silence him with a kiss. She leaped from his arms to the ground, tiptoeing to embrace him in a passionate kiss. Faintly, Prince Ning heard her say—
"I've come to propose to you, I'll marry you."
·
The passionate night that began with the bath together, and Ling Xiao's willingness to share some of his innermost thoughts, all greatly pleased Prince Ning. The next day, though there was no need for morning court, he was preoccupied with the marriage proposal and eager to finalize it. Therefore, he rose early and returned to Prince Ning's residence to make some arrangements.
When Prince Ning returned, Ling Xiao had already gotten up, but besides that, the manor had also welcomed a special person. He squinted at the person sitting with Ling Xiao in the main hall drinking tea and asked the steward, "Whose family is that?"
"It was someone sent by General Nie's mansion."
Prince Ning glanced at the steward, and seeing that he didn't intend to lie, he pursed his lips slightly. Thinking of Nie Zhiyuan and his hidden intentions, he chuckled again. Prince Ning walked straight into the main hall without any hesitation.
Sitting with Ling Xiao in the main hall was a middle-aged matchmaker, dressed in a flamboyant manner. The matchmaker was gesticulating wildly as she told Ling Xiao how wonderful this marriage was, and how well she and the young master of the family that proposed the marriage were matched... She was so enthusiastic that she wanted to praise Nie Zhiyuan to the skies.
When Prince Ning appeared outside the main hall, Ling Xiao noticed him and was annoyed that he was taking so long to come in. As he approached, Ling Xiao, who rarely spoke except for "hmm," "oh," and "is that so?", showed a different reaction.
She abruptly stood up, smiling as she greeted Prince Ning, her tender gaze as if she were welcoming her husband back home, leaving the matchmaker stunned. Hinting at his cooperation, Ling Xiao turned around and finally responded to the matchmaker.
"There's no need to say anything more, and you can go back and tell him that I'm already engaged. You can also tell that my fiancé is taller, stronger, better-looking, richer, and more considerate than him... So, I don't respect someone as arrogant, self-righteous, and malicious as him."
"Also, remember to advise their whole family to stop bullying others. Who knows if they'll hold a grudge for life and want to pay for it later? They should bear the consequences of their actions. Complaining and feeling like everyone owes them something, I just want to ask, why don't you join the fray?"
Of all Ling Xiao's words, the matchmaker only understood the first two or three sentences. Prince Ning, however, was more concerned with her using the word "fiancé," and the fact that she praised him throughout. "Hmm, it must all be from the heart," she thought. "She definitely didn't say it before because she was shy and embarrassed."
After speaking, Ling Xiao specifically asked the person in front of him, "Your Highness Prince Ning, what do you think?"
“Lord Ling is absolutely right,” Prince Ning’s face quickly darkened. He glanced at the matchmaker, who was clearly stunned, and asked in a deep voice, “Have you heard me clearly? Why aren’t you leaving?” His tone was clearly authoritative.
Upon hearing Ling Xiao emphasize the words "Your Highness Prince Ning," the matchmaker subconsciously glanced at the dashing figure before her, inwardly realizing something was amiss. She dared not utter another word, quickly excused herself from the two men, and hurriedly left the main hall.
"Lord Ling, did I do well?" As soon as the matchmaker left, Prince Ning smiled at Ling Xiao and asked ingratiatingly. Ling Xiao patted his shoulder, offering a rare compliment, "Very good, very satisfactory."
Prince Ning raised his chin smugly.
"You said he bullies others by abusing his power... Has he ever bullied you?" After a moment of smugness, Prince Ning did not ignore Ling Xiao's words, and seized on the point that concerned him, asking a question.