NFBE Chapter 40
Chapter 40
She didn't look back even once before the door closed, but she could clearly feel the burning gaze fixed on her.
Night after night, I was disturbed by fleeting dreams, red and blue figures moving back and forth, only to disappear again, like a handful of clear water that vanishes without a trace.
Who is the one in red...?
Her face was blurry and indistinct.
Why did it appear in her dream?
No one can provide the answer; it is destined to remain unsolved.
Startled awake once again, Nalan Jingwen got up, casually put on a coat, and watched as a light drizzle began to fall outside the window, continuously pattering against the eaves. It should have been a pleasant and melodious sound, but she had no heart to appreciate it.
She opened the window, and the invading cold air refreshed her somewhat. It carried the fragrance of morning earth and a light drizzle, blowing away the restlessness and irritability in her heart.
His gaze gradually moved downwards, but when it fell upon the figure downstairs, his eyes flickered slightly.
The sky was hazy. He knelt there upright, his eyes lowered, letting the drizzling rain pelt his body and soak his clothes.
As if sensing something, he stirred, stiffly raising his head to meet her gaze through the rain, his lips moving, which she could clearly see.
He is talking.
"Please, miss, let me stay."
Nalan Jingwen's indifferent eyes remained unchanged as he watched quietly, unmoved by the man's self-destructive behavior. He raised his hand and closed the window, shutting out the burning, pleading gaze.
"Red Clouds".
Hongyun had been standing guard at the door, listening to the sounds inside. She knew that she had gotten up, and only when she heard someone call her did she push the door open and come in.
"What time is it?"
"Miss, it's just past 5 a.m. (Mao Shi)."
How many more days until we reach Beijing?
"Three days."
Nalan Jingwen pondered for a moment, nodded, and then asked, "How long did he kneel down there?"
Hongyun reacted quickly and immediately knew who Nalan Jingwen was referring to.
“Miss, he has been kneeling down there ever since you ordered me to throw him out yesterday.”
Nalan Jingwen's eyes were dark and deep, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
From the moment she met him, she saw him kneeling like that, from beginning to end, without stopping for a moment. This man was delicate, and if it were an ordinary person, they would have given up long ago, their legs would be almost broken, not to mention that they were being soaked in the rain. She didn't know when the rain had started.
But he knelt so uprightly that no one could find a single fault with him.
"Fetch water, I need to wash up and have breakfast before setting off immediately."
Hongyun thought that Nalan Jingwen had softened his heart when he mentioned the man and wanted to bring him to stay by his side. After all, the man was so persistent that an ordinary woman would have been unable to bear it and would have softened her heart and started to coax him. Moreover, it was a man with such a beautiful appearance. In the capital, apart from her own master, she had never seen a man with such a unique appearance.
No, there's another one: the man standing beside the prince when they found him.
Nalan Jingwen raised his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible danger.
"Hongyun, don't try to guess what our master is thinking, understand?"
Upon hearing these warning words, Hongyun suddenly snapped back to reality, her whole body trembled, and she immediately bowed down to beg for forgiveness.
"Miss, I know I was wrong."
She couldn't help but scold herself inwardly, realizing she had committed a grave mistake.
Nalan Jingwen stared at her, remaining silent for a long time. His gaze, like a stern pressure, fell on Hongyun, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.
After a long while, Nalan Jing finally let her go.
"Go get ready."
Hongyun breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if she had been granted a pardon.
"Yes! Miss."
After breakfast, everyone was ready, and the carriage was waiting downstairs for Nalan Jingwen.
She went downstairs, got into the carriage without looking to either side, and didn't even spare a glance for the man in the rain.
"Let's go."
The wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs, making a clattering sound that drowned out the rain. Inside the carriage, incense burned, and a warm, cozy feeling enveloped the whole body.
She leaned against the couch, closing her eyes and focusing her mind.
The carriage stopped at the city gate, and Hongyun's voice could be heard outside.
"Miss, it's Miss Liu."
Nalan Jingwen opened his eyes and said, "Please let her in."
Before Hongyun could speak, Liu Qingxu spoke.
"Miss Jing, let's talk outside."
Upon hearing this, Nalan Jingwen got up and went out. Hongyun came over to hold an umbrella for her, which she took.
"I have something to discuss with Miss Liu."
Hongyun understood, handed the umbrella to her, and withdrew.
After seeing Hongyun leave, Liu Qingxu looked at Nalan Jingwen.
"Miss Jing, him?"
Her gaze turned toward Nalan Jingwen's back. Nalan Jingwen followed her gaze and saw, not far from the back of the carriage, a person could be vaguely seen kneeling through the misty rain.
It took about an hour to get from the inn to the city gate. He followed behind, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
Nalan Jingwen turned around and said, "Never mind him, Miss Liu, please speak."
Seeing that she really didn't care, Liu Qingxu didn't say anything more. After all, it was her business, and she, as an outsider, had no right to interfere.
However, recalling what she whispered in his ear yesterday, he couldn't help but grit his teeth, but he quickly regained his composure.
“What Miss Jing said yesterday, I have seriously considered when I returned to the manor.”
"What has Miss Liu decided?"
Liu Qingxu's eyes darted around, and he smiled smugly.
"I've decided..."
She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, wanting to see Nalan Jingwen's reaction, but to her disappointment, he remained indifferent, as if he didn't care at all.
Wasn't it she who came to us first?
“I’ve decided not to cooperate with you. I think things are fine as they are now. My mother always said that we should do things within our means and not ask for too much. I’m very satisfied with myself now.”
Upon hearing this, Nalan Jingwen simply nodded, seemingly unsurprised.
"Okay, I respect Miss Liu's choice."
Liu Qingxu, however, was somewhat surprised. She stared at Nalan Jingwen's face, trying to see something different.
"really?"
Nalan Jingwen nodded, then paused before continuing, "However, if Miss Liu needs anything in the future, she can come to the Prince Xian's residence in the capital to find me."
Now it was Liu Qingxu's turn to be shocked. Her eyes widened, her expression was somewhat blank, and she staggered back a few steps, almost falling. Nalan Jingwen reached out and helped her to steady herself.
Liu Qingxu stared in disbelief, his expression as if he had seen something terrifying.
"You...you...you! You're that wise prince?!"
She screamed in surprise, then quickly stopped, looked around, and thankfully there was no one else around.
Nalan Jingwen remained calm and composed, standing amidst the rain like a splashed ink painting.
Liu Qingxu steadied himself and began to scrutinize her again, but this time, his scrutiny was tinged with apprehension.
In the Phoenix Kingdom, everyone knows that the current Empress has an extremely beloved younger sister, the Wise Prince Nalan Jingwen.
His record is full of misdeeds, and whenever it is mentioned, people wish they could kill him to appease their anger.
These merchants naturally had their own networks, knew about business trends in various countries, and had heard some rumors about the royal family. But this Prince Fengtian didn't need to make any special inquiries; everyone from eighty-year-old elders to three-year-old children knew about him.