Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 44

“If we don’t bring them here, they’ll go to the battlefield, which is just as dangerous. And if you do something foolish here, it’ll be even more dangerous. It’s better to get together. You’ll feel at ease, and she will feel at ease. Isn’t that better?”

"I feel very uneasy right now," Nie Chengyan said with a dark expression.

"Serves him right." Long San showed him no sympathy whatsoever. The two looked at each other for a while before Long San finally asked, "So, what are you planning to do?"

Nie Chengyan turned to look in the direction where Feng Ning and Han Xiao had disappeared, frowned and replied, "I asked Yun'er to take me to see the divine doctor who saved her. The old man's disappearance might be related to that divine doctor."

Long San spun the cup, a gesture somewhat similar to Feng Ning's. He said, "This matter is not simple, Ayan. Although it's unpleasant to hear, I still have to say it. Although Xie Jingyun's words are watertight, the matter is too suspicious. Too many coincidences indicate a conspiracy."

“Yun’er has no ulterior motives.” Nie Chengyan said with certainty, which made Long San frown. He thought about it for a while, and looking at Nie Chengyan’s expression, he suddenly understood: “You mean…” Nie Chengyan nodded: “The one with the ulterior motives is someone else. I will dig it out. Don’t worry, I’m not stupid.”

Long San breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back lazily in his chair: "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I only dared to be truly certain yesterday."

"Well, at least I didn't run for nothing. Those two girls are incredibly daring. If I hadn't arrived in time, Ziming and Feng'er would probably be dead in Green Valley. Speaking of which, I don't think I've settled the score with my wife yet." He stroked his chin, ignoring Nie Chengyan, and muttered to himself, "No, I can't leave this girl alone. The more she runs, the more dangerous it gets. What will become of her later..."

Nie Chengyan also looked pale: "How dare you run all the way to Qingshan Valley! Last time I asked Chishou to deliver a message, why didn't you mention this?" Judging from He Ziming's actions, he wouldn't have left no instructions. The message must have been intercepted. He had been waiting for so long, only to receive those sixteen words of reprimand. The more Nie Chengyan thought about it, the angrier he became. He turned around and called out, "Let Ziming come see me."

The two men were sulking, and the two women were also in a bad mood. Han Xiao was pulled into the house by Feng Ning, and finally couldn't help but hug her and cry. She hadn't had a good day since Nie Chengyan left. The journey from Yanhun Pass to Qingshan Valley was exhausting and mentally draining. She rushed here in a panic, only to see Xie Jingyun and Nie Chengyan being so intimate. Han Xiao seemed to be crushed by the weight of the situation, and she couldn't hold back her grief any longer, crying her heart out.

Feng Ning was indignant and felt sorry for Han Xiao. She didn't know Xie Jingyun, nor was she very clear about Nie Chengyan's past relationship with this woman, but Han Xiao was her friend. Regardless of what happened between them in the past, now that they were bullying her friend, she would definitely not stand idly by.

"Xiaoxiao, don't cry, I'm here for you. If he wants to enjoy the bliss of having two women, we will never let him get away with it."

Han Xiao shook her head while wiping away her tears. Feng Ning asked in surprise, "Are you really willing to do as he wishes?"

"No, I know that Master is not such a promiscuous person, but seeing them together makes me so sad."

Feng Ning sat down next to her and comforted her, "If you're sad, just cry it out. You'll feel better after you've cried it out."

Han Xiao felt flustered and couldn't help but ask, "Fengfeng, if Xie Jingyun is really as she says, then her separation from Master back then was just a misunderstanding. Now that they've reunited, what should I do?"

"What should we do?" Feng Ning waved her hand: "Do whatever you want. If you still like him, try your best to win him over. If you find him annoying, or if he's not worth your love at all, just kick him to the curb and find someone better."

Feng Ning's expression made Han Xiao want to laugh, but she couldn't. She sniffed and said, "It's not that easy. What if you both like and dislike someone, don't want to stay but can't bear to leave?" Feng Ning felt melancholy upon hearing this. Why did she feel that she could understand this feeling so well?

The two girls talked intimately for a long time. Han Xiao cried her heart out, venting all her bad emotions. Suddenly, she felt incredibly tired, her head throbbing, and she collapsed and fell asleep. Feng Ning, having spent the entire night trying to support Han Xiao and prevent her from awkwardly interacting with Xie Jingyun and Nie Chengyan, had stuffed herself with a huge amount of food. As the night deepened, her stomach began to ache. She curled up, gasping for breath, but the pain only intensified. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she got up and put on a coat.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Long San standing guard at the door. Feng Ning was feeling unwell, and when she saw her husband, she couldn't help but act spoiled. She stretched out her arm to him and softly called out, "Long San, my stomach hurts."

Long San was forced by Nie Chengyan to clear out his family so he could be alone with Xiao Xiao. Long San was resentful; if it weren't for them, he and Feng Ning wouldn't be separated. They hadn't been intimate in a long time, and he was already thinking of going back to their own wives and homes. After listening to the noise outside for a while, it seemed the two girls were asleep. He was worried about how to get his troublesome daughter out when he saw Feng Ning open the door herself.

Seeing that her face was pale and she looked listless, he went over and hugged her with heartache: "Did you eat too much for dinner? Who told you to starve like a reincarnated ghost? You deserve it."

Feng Ning was in so much pain that she had no strength left. Ignoring his harsh words, she whined, "It hurts so much, I feel like throwing up."

In his haste, Long San scooped her up in his arms and carried her away, muttering to himself, "There should still be some of your stomachache pills in the bundle. Let's go back inside and see if you'll still be greedy. You glutton, all you know is eating. People who don't know better would think your husband doesn't feed you..."

Once the couple had gone some distance, Nie Chengyan emerged from the shadows and went into the house alone, locking the door behind him. The house was dark, but fortunately, the back window was open, letting in moonlight that illuminated the furnishings. Nie Chengyan's large wheelchair made movement difficult, and he bumped into the corners of chairs and tables several times, prompting him to mutter a few curses under his breath.

In the past, no matter where Han Xiao went, she would always move the tables and chairs in the room to make way for his large wheelchair. Now, however, she ignored this and clearly had no intention of letting him into the room. Nie Chengyan thought about it and felt a surge of resentment. He pushed the chair to the bedside, feeling like he had so much to say to her, but when he saw her frowning and curled up in a ball as if she couldn't sleep peacefully, his heart softened completely.

He missed her so much. Although her arrival was ill-timed, her presence by his side truly brought him a sense of peace. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, speaking softly, "Are you overthinking things again?"

Han Xiao was fast asleep and ignored him. He leaned over and kissed her furrowed brow: "I told you to wait for me in Gusha City, but you wouldn't listen." Han Xiao still didn't move. Nie Chengyan stroked her lips, then couldn't resist pinching her chin and kissing her lips. She still hadn't woken up. Nie Chengyan gently pried her lips open, his tongue probing inside, and then pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

Like a child secretly doing something naughty, Nie Chengyan felt both excited and nervous. She hummed softly, and her gentle voice made him feel extremely happy. He had clearly planned to come in to settle scores, but he was won over by her without saying a single harsh word. She didn't even move a finger or open her eyes to look at him, yet he felt his heart pounding. She rarely slept so soundly...

Nie Chengyan's heart skipped a beat, and he finally realized something was wrong. Her tongue was burning hot; she was sleeping so soundly. He had made so much noise since he entered the room, and even now, hugging and kissing her, yet she was still asleep. He released her, examined her carefully by the moonlight, touched her forehead, and took her pulse. Then, he angrily shouted, "Han Xiao!"

She has a fever and is sick.

Very well, before he even started to scold her, she was already being difficult and giving him the cold shoulder. Now, before he could even say a word to her, she dared to get sick and make him worry and fret.

Nie Chengyan was furious. Was she born to bring him bad luck or something?

Awkwardly expressing feelings

Han Xiao rarely got sick. Even when she and Han Le trekked through mountains and rivers seeking medical help, enduring periods of hunger and cold, their feet blistered from the journey, she never fell ill. Having served Nie Chengyan for so many years, despite the hard work of caring for him and studying medicine late into the night, she had never even been slightly sick. Now, this illness seems to have made up for all the years she had missed.

In the latter half of the night, her face was flushed, her body burning hot, and she remained in a daze, unable to wake up. Nie Chengyan, used to Han Xiao's lively and energetic self, was extremely worried to see her suddenly so ill. He took her back to his room, wrote a prescription, and ordered the servants to quickly prepare the medicine. But she wouldn't wake up. When he tried to feed her with a small spoon, she choked violently. Nie Chengyan felt sorry for her and slowly fed her spoonful by spoonful. She vomited after just one bowl. Completely exasperated, he ordered another bowl of medicine to be prepared, and he fed her again. After three bowls, she finally drank it. In this way, Nie Chengyan felt he had taken more medicine than she had.

It was already dawn when she drank the medicine, but Han Xiao still hadn't woken up. Nie Chengyan let her sleep for a while, but seeing that her fever wouldn't go down, he took off her clothes, took out acupuncture needles, and started to insert them into her body. Since it was inconvenient for him to turn around in his wheelchair, he climbed onto the bed and knelt beside her, crookedly, to insert the needles. As soon as the needles went in, she started to fuss, struggling to turn over. Nie Chengyan had no choice but to forcibly hold her down. Han Xiao started crying, her eyes still closed, but tears streamed down her face. Nie Chengyan couldn't free his hands, so he leaned over and touched his forehead to hers, gently coaxing her. She cried uncontrollably, and he kissed her cheek repeatedly, telling her to be good and to be patient.

After the acupuncture was finished, Han Xiao seemed to be exhausted and fell asleep, while Nie Chengyan was covered in sweat from the ordeal. He put away the needle bag and planned to get out of bed to wring out a hot towel to wipe her face. He reached out to pull the wheelchair over and leaned on his body to move over, but the wheelchair slipped, and Nie Chengyan lost his grip and fell heavily to the ground with a "thud".

He gasped in pain, glancing at Han Xiao, who was curled up in the blankets, tears still streaming down her face, her eyes closed, looking pitiful. Nie Chengyan gritted his teeth; she really was his nemesis. A knock came at the door. Huo Qiyang softly asked, "Master?"

"It's nothing." Nie Chengyan didn't want anyone to see him in such a disheveled state. The area outside the door was quiet. He turned to look at the wheelchair; the fall had sent the chair flying. He crawled a few steps, finally managing to sit down with difficulty. He turned the chair to a corner of the room where a basin of hot water sat high on a small stove. He wrung out a cloth, turned the chair around, but bumped into a low cabinet. The items on the cabinet fell to the ground with a thud.

Huo Qiyang knocked on the door again and asked, "Master?"

"It's nothing." This time, Nie Chengyan finally couldn't hold back his temper and shouted, "Nobody cared about me." The door fell silent again. Nie Chengyan angrily pushed the chair to the bedside, leaned over and wiped Han Xiao's face while saying fiercely, "Wait until you get better, I'll deal with you." He spoke harshly, but his hands were gentle so as not to disturb her.

Han Xiao didn't give him any response. Her brows were furrowed and her face was haggard. Nie Chengyan touched her forehead, sighed, and finally couldn't help but gently kiss her cheek, softening his voice: "Get well soon."

Outside the door, Huo Qiyang was also sighing. His master was inconvenient to move around, yet he insisted on taking care of Miss Han himself. He could tell from the clattering noises inside that this was going to be a lot of trouble. But as a group of grown men, they knew that their master would be extremely unwilling to get close to Miss Han. It would be better to go and ask for help.

Huo Qiyang went to find Long San, who dawdled for a long time before opening the door. Upon seeing Huo Qiyang, he immediately said, "It's just in time that you're here. Go and invite Miss Han over for me. Feng'er isn't feeling well."

Huo Qiyang was taken aback. Well, it seemed there was no reinforcements left. He told him about Han Xiao's illness and Nie Chengyan's stubbornness, and Long San only said, "Ignore him, he deserves it." He clearly showed no sympathy whatsoever.

Huo Qiyang had no choice but to slink back home. Long San closed the door and went back inside. Feng Ning had vomited twice that night and was very weak, lying in bed sick. Long San fed her some hot water and told her what had happened. Feng Ning wrinkled her nose: "Is Lord Nie's medical skill any good? Don't let Xiao Xiao make things worse for him."

Huo Qiyang was amused by her and hugged her, saying, "Don't worry about it. Her medical skills are excellent."

Feng Ning was still worried and said, "Long San, I'll be fine after a rest. Don't let City Lord Nie treat my illness. What if he's petty and takes the opportunity to mess with me?"

"Don't worry, he is indeed petty. This is not a serious illness, and you are not in dire need of treatment. Even if you beg him, he may not be willing to treat you."

"That's great." Feng Ning was satisfied, hugged Long San and closed her eyes: "I'm not sick, I just need to sleep a little longer. Have them make me a pot of meat porridge, stew it until it's very soft, I'll eat that when I wake up."

"Still thinking about food?" Long San was truly impressed by her.

Feng Ning didn't even open her eyes: "You need to eat something to relieve your stomach pain. It will hurt more if you're hungry. I don't need anything else, just some porridge."

"Wife," Long San sighed, "Xiao Xiao got sick from overwork, but you got sick from overeating. Aren't you ashamed?"

“I’m not ashamed.” Feng Ning said matter-of-factly, “Stop talking and don’t bother me. I need to rest a bit more and get my energy back so I can help Xiaoxiao fight the bad guys.”

"Bad guy?" Long San smiled wryly. The things they couldn't bring themselves to do, Feng Ning really was capable of. He looked down at her; she was closing her eyes, ready to sleep again. He shifted her position, making her more comfortable nestled in his arms. Once he'd dealt with Nie Chengyan's troubles, it was time for him to deal with his own.

Feng Ning was absolutely right. She slept until the afternoon, drank a bowl of porridge, and felt much better. So, she took Long San's hand and strolled over to Nie Chengyan's room to visit Han Xiao. Han Xiao's fever hadn't completely subsided; she was sometimes lucid and sometimes delirious, her head throbbing, and she was crying and refusing to take her medicine. Compared to her usual obedient self, she seemed like a completely different person.

Nie Chengyan sat by the bedside, holding a bowl of medicine and trying his best to coax Han Xiao, but Han Xiao just kept complaining that her head hurt so much and the medicine was so bitter, her eyes brimming with tears and refusing to give in. Several servants stood by with trays, not daring to step forward and interfere. Feng Ning had originally thought that Han Xiao was indeed quite ill and wanted to help, but Han Xiao stubbornly pushed away the medicine that Nie Chengyan was about to offer her, and her hand bumped into the bowl of medicine. Nie Chengyan lost his grip and was splashed with medicine.

His face was extremely pale, glaring at the medicine stains on his body. Several servants quickly lowered their heads and pretended not to see. Feng Ning saw that his hair was disheveled and he was in a sorry state, a far cry from his former splendid appearance. Yet, they still had to patiently change his medicine and continue feeding him. Feng Ning laughed heartily without any politeness. After laughing, without waiting for Nie Chengyan to chase them away, she grabbed Long San and swaggered away.

Nie Chengyan had a dark expression, but Han Xiao didn't care. She cried until she couldn't breathe, so Nie Chengyan had to abandon the medicine bowl and press her acupoints to calm her down. After all that, she was drowsy and about to fall asleep again. Only then did he manage to coax her into drinking some medicine.

After the servants finished tidying up and serving, they all left. Nie Chengyan changed into clean clothes and wrapped Han Xiao in two thick quilts to help her sweat. Han Xiao slept quietly for a while, then suddenly started sobbing again. Nie Chengyan propped himself up on the bed and held her, gently comforting her.

"Father..." Han Xiao seemed to still be recovering from her grief, her hoarse voice low and soft, filled with grievance, making it almost impossible for him to hear her.

“Your father is gone, but you have me.” Nie Chengyan didn’t want to be someone’s father anymore, even though he already had a very close relationship with him.

Han Xiao called out "Father..." again. Nie Chengyan lay down and hugged her tightly, pressing his ear close to her to listen carefully to what she was saying. Han Xiao called out "Mother..." again. Nie Chengyan was furious and said harshly, "They're all gone. You only have me."

"I'm so sad..." Her soft voice made him feel sad too. He rested her head on his shoulder and said, "It's okay, don't cry. Even without Yun'er, I promise, Xiaoxiao, we'll still be the same as before. Without Yun'er, it's just the two of us. Don't be sad anymore. You have me."

Han Xiao burst into loud sobs, saying, "Father, I'm sick... I'm so sad..." Nie Chengyan took a few deep breaths, suppressing his temper. What was it about her that was making her sad? He comforted himself, telling himself that patients were just being unreasonable and that he should ignore her. But Han Xiao couldn't sleep soundly, muttering incoherent nonsense. He couldn't understand what she was saying, but he could vaguely make out words like "Lele." Finally, Nie Chengyan couldn't help but shake her: "You don't have a father, you don't have a mother, you don't have Lele, you don't have Yun'er. You only have me, you know?"

Han Xiao frowned, finally drifting off to sleep, but the shaking made her instinctively turn her head to hide, muttering, "Ugh." Those two words were clear enough that Nie Chengyan was startled and almost couldn't resist pulling her out to spank her. He stood there staring at her, frozen, while she gradually drifted off to sleep and began to snore softly.

Nie Chengyan hugged her again, gritting his teeth: "Wait until you get better, then you'll see what I do to you."

But Nie Chengyan didn't keep his word. Two days later, Han Xiao's fever subsided, and she finally regained her senses and energy. She took her medicine obediently, ate well, and slept peacefully. Within a few days, she was completely recovered. Nie Chengyan had long forgotten his harsh words. Seeing her gradually recover, he was overjoyed and didn't think about tidying up anymore. However, although Han Xiao's condition improved, she was no longer as lively as before. She wasn't as close to Nie Chengyan as before. When he held her, she would stiffen up; when he kissed her, she would close her eyes tightly; and when he held her at night, she would secretly try to move away. Once she could get out of bed and move around, she even went to Feng Ning to discuss moving into the same room as her, which, of course, was met with strong opposition from Long San.

Upon hearing the news, Nie Chengyan pushed a wheelchair to arrest the person. He personally led Han Xiao back to the house, locked the door, and glared at her. He finally remembered that he hadn't carried out his plan to deal with her. Han Xiao lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes, and remained silent. She had lost a lot of weight since her illness, and standing there, she looked as if she could be blown away by the wind, appearing pitiful.

"Tell me, what exactly happened to you?" Nie Chengyan waited for her to speak for a long time, but she didn't say anything, so he had to take the initiative.

Han Xiao remained calm and didn't say anything.

"Didn't I tell you? Yun'er won't affect us. I'll need some time to resolve things here. Yun'er won't be involved. We'll be the same as before."

"How could she not be there? Then who did you go to see just now?" Han Xiao finally shouted, "I'm not stupid, and I'm not so ungrateful. If you want to resolve this, then go and resolve it. Can't I just hide from you because I'm upset?" Han Xiao was unhappy. He went to see his ex-lover every few days. Was she supposed to pretend that nothing had happened?

"You're not allowed to avoid me." Nie Chengyan had been suppressing his temper all this time, but now he felt he couldn't hold back any longer. He slammed his hand on the armrest of the chair, his anger blazing.

Han Xiao gritted his teeth and remained silent. Did he really mean it was forbidden just because he said so?

"Did you hear me? Speak!" Her silence only fueled his anger. Han Xiao's eyes were blurry with tears, and she rubbed them hard. Nie Chengyan pursed his lips, unable to bring himself to scold her when he saw her crying. A tightness in his chest pressed against his heart, and he snapped, "Stop crying." Han Xiao didn't speak, but tears streamed down her face. Nie Chengyan gritted his teeth. Was she deliberately trying to provoke him? Yet, he was completely helpless against her.

"Come here." Nie Chengyan's command made Han Xiao simply turn her back to him and refuse to look at him. Just as she was sulking, she suddenly felt a tightness around her waist. Looking down, she saw Nie Chengyan's long whip. Before she could react, a force pulled her up from behind, and Han Xiao screamed in fright as she fell into Nie Chengyan's arms.

"Are you bullying me because I'm lame?" He bit her cheek.

"Are you bullying me because I don't know martial arts?" She wiped her face vigorously and glared at him.

"Yes, I'm just taking advantage of the fact that you don't know martial arts. You're already worrying enough as it is, if you became more skilled, you'd be flying away. It's good that you don't know martial arts." He narrowed his eyes, very dissatisfied with her wiping away his marks, hugged her tightly, and this time bit her neck.

She twisted and struggled, but she was no match for his strength and was firmly restrained. Her neck ached, and she screamed in fright. Nie Chengyan had his fill of tormenting her, so he loosened his grip slightly. Seeing the tears clinging to her eyelashes, looking so pitiful, he sighed softly, leaned over, and kissed away the tear stains. He said gently, "Don't be stubborn with me. Why don't you believe what I said? She's not Yun'er."

"Then she's a ghost?" Han Xiao turned her head and saw a living person standing in front of her. She had seen it with her own eyes, so how could she say she wasn't?

“It’s not a ghost, it’s a person, but she’s not Yun’er.” He sighed, stroking Han Xiao’s face: “Yun’er is dead, really dead.”

Han Xiao looked into his eyes, her heart pounding: "Are you saying she's changed? Or that she's dead?"

"Xiaoxiao, my medical skills may not be as good as yours, but I can't mistake whether a person is dead or alive. Besides, when Yun'er was treated in Baiqiao City, I often took her pulse. People's pulses are not all the same. Even if they look the same and have similar voices, their constitutions are different. She is not Yun'er, Xiaoxiao, I can't mistake her."

Han Xiao sat up straight immediately: "She's an imposter? She's trying to fool you?"

“I finally understand the truth today. Yun’er has twin sisters, her family is manipulated by Chi Yanxing, the old man disappeared after arriving here, and Chi Yanxing must be in this city, waiting for me to take the bait. So Yun’er’s resurrection is a good show. But he has his trap, and I have my plan. Now, I’m just waiting for them to slip up. Don’t argue with me anymore, okay?” His words made her feel guilty, but then she felt resentful: “You didn’t explain it to me clearly.”

"You throw tantrums when you're sick, and then you get upset again when you're better. How am I supposed to explain this to you?"

Han Xiao curled her lip: "Just like this time, didn't it make things clear? There's no reason why something can't be explained if you don't want to say it."

Nie Chengyan pinched her cheek: "You're getting sharp-tongued more and more. Tell me yourself, what is the punishment for disobeying your master?"

"Kick me out of the manor then." Han Xiao had become even bolder after her illness: "Fengfeng said that if I wanted to run away from home, she would definitely take me in." After she finished speaking, she hid a bit, knowing that Nie Chengyan would yell at her again.

Nie Chengyan didn't shout. He just squinted at Han Xiao for a long time, making her feel uneasy. After waiting for a while, she finally decided it would be better to change the subject: "Master, what else have you found out? Tell me so I can be mentally prepared."

Nie Chengyan was still staring at her when he said, "I'm tired. Help me to bed to rest."

Han Xiao carefully observed him for a moment, and seeing that he didn't seem unhappy, she jumped down, helped him to the bedside, offered her shoulder, and helped him move onto the bed. She took off his shoes and put his legs up on the bed.

Nie Chengyan kept staring at her movements. For some reason, Han Xiao felt his gaze was very intense. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him, and whispered, "Alright, you should get some rest."

"How can you sleep without taking off your clothes?" His voice had a certain flirtatious quality that tickled Han Xiao's ears. She reached out to unbutton his shirt, but her eyes met his gaze. Han Xiao's face flushed instantly, and she stammered, "Master, I was wrong."