34

The candlelight in the guest room flickered twice.

Qing Chen was resting with his eyes closed in the guest room, his mind as still as water, circulating his energy to dissipate the alcohol.

Suddenly, a strange tremor surged through him, and his body shuddered.

He abruptly opened his eyes, then silently left the guest room like a ghost.

After a while, Qing Chen arrived at a door, gently pushing it without leaving a trace.

The door opened with a click, and he entered. This was the bedroom of Li Muyun and his wife.

Qing Chen's gaze swept across both sides of the bed, confirming there were no hidden guards or traps, before he darted to the foot of the bed.

He looked at the unconscious Li Muyun, his fingers curling, a wisp of energy gathering at his fingertips. With lightning speed, he pressed the "Shentang" acupoint on Li Muyun's back and the "Zhangmen" acupoint on his waist.

Blocking these two acupoints would render the person immobile without stopping their breathing; to an outsider, it would appear as if they were in a deep sleep.

Sure enough, Li Muyun's snoring paused for a moment, then resumed, his body limp as a puddle of mud.

Qingchen reached out and carefully lifted Li Muyun from the bed, his arm under his armpit, his steps extremely light, moving step by step to the side room on the west side of the bedroom.

The side room was cluttered with miscellaneous items, and there was an old couch. He placed Li Muyun on the couch.

Having done all this, Qingchen slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the dressing table in the center of the bedroom.

Zhao Ningyi had changed out of the gorgeous clothes she wore at noon, and was now wearing the red dress she had worn when she saw Qingchen off that evening, making her appear even more beautiful and charming.

"You..."

Zhao Ningyi's voice trembled, her lips moved as if she had a thousand questions to ask, but only one word came out.

She wanted to speak, yet feared waking Li Muyun in the side room;

She wanted to retreat, but the dressing table was right behind her, leaving her no way out. She could only watch helplessly as Qingchen approached her step by step.

Qingchen looked at her expression, a mixture of surprise, fear, and anticipation, and sighed inwardly.

He stepped forward, his fingers gently brushing the hem of her skirt.

......

As the saying goes:

At the luncheon, their first meeting stirred her heart, a beautiful woman was startled to see her former lover.

Her eyes held a deep resentment, her words sharp with sarcasm, concealing old wounds.

Fine wine filled her cup, intoxicating her senses, her red dress shone brightly, stirring up longing.

Her husband lay soundly in the quiet side room, Qingchen quietly entered her dreamland.

Her delicate hand lightly loosened her silk sash, her crimson lips parted slightly, her jade-like skin fragrant.

Her disheveled hair couldn't contain her passion, her rosy cheeks flushed with unbridled desire.

The warm tent, the rich fragrance, the scattered flower shadows, the gentle breeze, the hidden moon, her dream raging.

They shared a passionate tryst at Wushan, their love lingering until the night was long.

The candlelight gradually dimmed, and moonlight filtered through the paper window, casting a hazy, silvery glow on the floor.

...

After more than half an hour, Zhao Ningyi slowly opened her eyes.

She felt weak all over, as if she had just been pulled from warm water.

Qingchen lay beside her, his breathing even, his warm breath brushing against her neck.

"Awake?" Qingchen asked softly beside Zhao Ningyi.

"Mmm," Zhao Ningyi responded softly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet carrying a hint of the allure of someone just waking up.

"Do you hate me?" Qingchen asked.

"Yes, I hate you for lying to me, I hate you for not coming to find me, I hate you for bullying me now." Zhao Ningyi turned her head away, tears welling in her eyes.

Qingchen didn't rush to comfort her, but slowly recounted a little-known story:

"Ningyi, do you know, more than half a year ago, I was just a homeless person being besieged at my door. If it weren't for your father's act of giving me porridge, I would have starved to death."

Zhao Ningyi was surprised upon hearing this, her eyes filled with astonishment:

"How could this be? You're a second-rate expert, and a seventh-rank Zuo Sima! How could you have fallen to such a state?"

"Because I don't believe in fate." Qingchen's gaze hardened as he looked at Zhao Ningyi and said these words:

“I want to climb higher, I want to live a better life. Someone like me, even if I give it my all, risking my life, I might not even reach your starting point, or I might die along the way.

But you, you can get whatever you want. So, I lied to you. Because I don't have the same confidence as you, I can't afford to lose, and I dare not lose.

If I lose this gamble, I will die, and my stepmother and younger siblings will be driven from the house and forced to live on the streets, or even sold into brothels.”

Zhao Ningyi had never experienced the struggle and hardship Qingchen spoke of.

She stared blankly at this young man, a strange emotion welling up inside her.

So, he had endured so much hardship to get to where he was today.

“Then…then why did you…treat me like that today…”

Zhao Ningyi blushed, her voice tinged with shyness.

Qingchen's gaze fell on Zhao Ningyi's face. He said softly, "I couldn't afford to gamble back then, so I didn't dare come to you.

But today, since I've run into you, I won't hide anymore. By the way, your red dress is really beautiful."

A ripple of emotion stirred in Zhao Ningyi's heart. She asked curiously, "Then...then why did you come to my residence today?"

Qingchen was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing something, before saying with feigned sincerity:

"Well...I don't want to lie to you. I was able to rise so quickly because I sent Li Muyun specially made Five-Stone Powder, women, men, and money. That's why he was willing to help me."

Zhao Ningyi was shocked. She looked in disbelief in Li Muyun's direction.

The guilt she had felt towards him vanished, replaced by waves of nausea and disgust.

"What? Him? He's been so cold to me all these years because he doesn't like me?"

"Yes, that's why he's been making me search for Five-Stone Powder and handsome men and beautiful women." Qingchen sighed, his tone filled with helplessness.

"Then stay with me from now on, okay? Li Muyun comes from a noble family in Jincheng. Give me some time, and we can be together forever."

Zhao Ningyi looked at Qingchen nervously.

Qingchen remained silent, only nodding slightly.

She'd taken the bait; all his effort and thought hadn't been in vain.

......

Time flew by, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three months, Qingchen met with Zhao Ningyi only four or five times through a secret passage in the backyard of the City Lord's mansion.

Each time they met, Zhao Ningyi was more proactive than the last.

In the secret passage, she would throw herself into his arms, bring him homemade snacks, and even pester him to stay a little longer.

She looked as if she was afraid he wouldn't come again next time.

Qingchen knew that only those who were hungry truly understood the feeling of being well-fed.

Zhao Ningyi's dependence on Qingchen grew stronger each day.

Unconsciously, this dependence seemed to have quietly transformed into deep affection.

Her courage also grew.

Once, when Qingchen hadn't arrived for a long time, she disregarded everything and left the City Lord's Mansion, secretly going to Qingchen's residence in the West City to search for him.

That day, Qingchen came to Zhao Ningyi's secret room again.

The room wasn't large, and her usual incense burned. Zhao Ningyi sat beside him, peeling an orange for her.

Qingchen looked at her gentle profile and suddenly sighed softly.

Zhao Ningyi asked with concern, "My lord, why do you sigh?"

"Ningyi, do you know why I sneaked into the City Lord's Mansion last time?"