Chapter 439 - 227: Settling the Engagement, Returning to Ning’an

Chapter 439: Chapter 227: Settling the Engagement, Returning to Ning’an

"Tomorrow."

Chen Sheng answered without hesitation.

It had been nearly a month since he left Ning’an and made his way to the State City.

The situation in Ning’an was volatile. Although Chu Zhengnan hadn’t explicitly urged him to hurry, Chen Sheng knew in his heart that he could delay no longer.

Upon hearing this, Nie Lingxi fell silent for a moment before looking up at him, her eyes filled with concern.

"I heard my grandfather mention that your return to Ning’an might be perilous. You must... be careful with everything. Don’t forget, you still have to officially marry me."

Her final words were a mix of girlish pouting and genuine warning.

"Don’t worry. I know my limits."

Chen Sheng nodded in agreement.

With the Celestial Book in his possession, he would be alerted and retreat if he ever encountered a truly fatal crisis. He wouldn’t recklessly push his luck.

"Here... keep this safe."

Nie Lingxi took an object from her sleeve and held it out to Chen Sheng.

It was a warm, smooth piece of white jade, about the size of a palm. Its substance was pure, and its surface was engraved with complex, arcane runes using a Secret Technique. It faintly emanated a reassuringly stable aura.

"This is the Protective Talisman my father refined for me years ago, the Lingxi Jade. If you’re in danger, just activate it with your True Essence. It might shield you from a calamity. But... this treasure was difficult to refine, and its inherent power is limited. It can be used three times at most."

"You... you mustn’t rely on this and act recklessly."

"This is too precious. I..."

Chen Sheng subconsciously started to refuse.

This item was clearly a memento from her late father; its significance was extraordinary.

"I am in the Nie Family, safe as a rock. I’m in no danger."

Nie Lingxi, however, wouldn’t take no for an answer. She pressed the Spirit Jade into his palm, her tone serious, even carrying a hint of insistence that brooked no argument.

"You are a Prefectural Inspector now, shouldering heavy responsibilities. All the more reason you must take care of yourself. Don’t refuse, and stop this childish hesitation."

It was warm and smooth in his hand and seemed to still carry the faint, sweet fragrance from her sleeves.

Chen Sheng grasped the heavy Talisman Treasure, a warm current flowing through his heart. He could no longer refuse.

He turned his hand, gently taking hold of the delicate fingers that had offered him the jade. "Alright," he said solemnly, "I’ll accept it. One day, I will find something even better to give you."

A blush rose on Nie Lingxi’s cheeks, but she didn’t pull her hand away. She only lowered her gaze slightly, glancing at the quiet night outside the door. Seeing they were undisturbed, she then whispered:

"I’ll be holding you to that."

"Lingxi..."

Looking at her lovely face so close to his, feeling the soft, smooth touch in his palm and that faint, elusive fragrance, Chen Sheng’s heart stirred, and he couldn’t help but lean in closer.

Nie Lingxi seemed to sense it. Her pupils contracted slightly, the blush on her face deepened, and she subconsciously tried to pull back.

But Chen Sheng’s other hand had already quietly cupped the nape of her neck, the movement gentle yet carrying an undeniable strength.

"Mm..."

The moment their lips touched, the warm, soft sensation instantly captured all of Chen Sheng’s senses. It was delicate and sweet, utterly intoxicating.

Nie Lingxi’s body tensed for a moment, as if momentarily flustered. Then she relaxed, her long eyelashes trembling as they fluttered shut. She was inexperienced, but she obediently let him lead the sudden kiss.

Their breaths mingled in a moment of tender affection.

Not until she felt Chen Sheng’s hand begin to wander did Nie Lingxi seem to snap out of her daze. She shoved him away, glaring at him with a face flushed red. Her eyes shimmered, a mix of embarrassment and reproach.

"You... You should get some rest. Tomorrow... I’ll come see you off."

With that, Nie Lingxi gathered her skirts, turned, and hurried away, leaving a faint, sweet fragrance lingering in the air.

Chen Sheng stood where he was, smacking his lips lightly as if savoring the taste. The corners of his mouth slowly curved into a pleased smile.

Outside, after hurrying some distance away, Nie Lingxi stopped. She glanced back toward the guest courtyard, the blush still on her face. But then her lips unconsciously curved upward, forming a sly and triumphant little smile.

’Everything just now, that perfectly timed shyness, the feigned reluctance... It seems it all went according to plan.’

...

"Lingxi, your... where’s the rouge on your lips?"

In her chambers in the Simurgh Phoenix Pavilion, Nie Lingshan, who was removing her makeup in front of a mirror, suddenly leaned in close. She stared at her younger sister’s lips, blinked, her face full of surprise.

The jade comb in Nie Lingxi’s hand paused. She glanced at her sister in the mirror, then nonchalantly resumed combing her long hair and answered casually:

"Chen Sheng ate it."

"What?!"

Nie Lingshan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Lingxi! You... What happened to your usual dignified and virtuous demeanor? What about the Nie Family’s years of upbringing? You’ve only just been betrothed, and you two already..."

"The marriage contracts have been exchanged. I’ll be his woman sooner or later."

Nie Lingxi put down the jade comb and turned around. There was little shyness on her face; instead, she wore an expression of matter-of-fact calm.

"Besides, he’s returning to Ning’an tomorrow. And over there... there are other women. I have to give him a little taste of sweetness first, to capture his heart. Can’t have him going back and being so bewitched by all the pretty faces that he forgets which way is up."

"You... You’re already scheming and starting fights?"

Nie Lingshan put a hand to her forehead. She felt like she could no longer keep up with her younger sister’s thoughts.

"Fights?"

Nie Lingxi chuckled lightly. Her gaze sharpened, and while her tone remained gentle, it carried the unique certainty and composure of a future primary wife.

"I am the future primary wife, a fact announced to the heavens, the earth, and our ancestors. What do they have to fight me with? In the future, if they know their place and behave themselves, I can be magnanimous. But if they overstep..."

Her unfinished sentence carried its own weight.

"Where did you learn all this?"

Nie Lingshan was stunned. She suddenly felt that when it came to matters between men and women, she, the older sister, was the clueless novice.

"Self-taught."

Nie Lingxi gave a radiant smile, her eyes sparkling with intelligence and the confidence of someone with a master plan.

...

The next day, the sky was clear and vast.

A magnificent, cyan giant bird spread its wings, hovering in the void above the Nie Family estate. Its feathers shimmered with light, a truly extraordinary sight.