“Do you believe you are someone who can give up or sacrifice for someone else?” Her smile was soft but sharp as a knife “Your heart is as hard as steel with an unwavering determination. You would never change your direction because of someone else. See, you wouldn’t even allow me to show my abilities in such a small place as this. Even someone as small and unimportant as me could make you uneasy, become the subject of your constant testing. In the future, even if I did end up being one of your three thousand concubines, what sort of freedom would you give me?”
“Based on all the points above, if it was a test at the academy…” All smiles, Zhi Wei fills Ning Yi’s cup with tea “Prince Chu, Ning Yi. Fail.”
His hand on the cup, after a moment of silence, Ning Yi suddenly bursts out in a loud laugh.
“I was wrong.” Putting down the cup, Ning Yi continues with eyes bright with laughter “Even if I would like to embrace you, but how be it that the lady is unwilling. I realize now that no one could put a woman such as you in a cage. At least not before you are tamed!” (Tamed is the best word I could find here but it is not quite the right translation. The Chinese word here doesn’t have the bringing a wild animal to heel implication as the English word does. The word is more like impressing someone enough that they willingly decide to follow you.)
Zhi Wei smiles without replying.
“You have to be willing after all.” Ning Yi sighs “It’s just…”
Pausing suddenly, a look of unease and helplessness showed up on Ning Yi’s face. Zhi Wei has seldom seen such expressions on him but before she could say anything he had already changed the subject.
“I failed, then what about them?” Glancing towards the back, Ning Yi finally showed a bit of the chagrin he felt at her rejection “Excellent, extraordinary?”
Blinking innocently, Zhi Wei asks “Who?” Her acting of a confused damsel impeccable.
His expression turned another shade darker, Ning Yi silently sips his tea.
Pleased for some reason by his expression, Zhi Wei smiles “Prince Helian might be the soaring eagle of the wild grassland but he is not without troubles. The 12 tribes are not one heart so the distribution of the resources are often uneven which means there are never-ending conflicts. His Highness might be the rightful heir but marriages are messy and complex in the wild grasslands, creating many complicated and intricate family relations. Just counting those who have some tangible claim to the heir seat, there are already over 10 possible candidates! Even if he could make it so that his seat is secure but then one would only be one of the many concubines. After a few decades, he dies, one would have to worry about the wild grassland’s tradition of having sons marrying step-mothers or brothers marrying sisters-in-law… Fail!”
Ning Yi glances over at a tree that is a bit of distance away from them…a tree whose leaves are waving wildly despite the fact there is no wind.
His mood improving considerably, Ning Yi laughs “Gu Nan Yi?”
Zhi Wei fell silent. Her silence made Ning Yi’s expression fall and the tree leaves stopped moving.
After a long moment, Zhi Wei slowly answers “You asked the wrong question.”
Tapping his hand on the table, Ning Yi smiles “I hope my question was wrong. It would be better if that’s the case for all of them.”
The author doesn’t elaborate on what exactly Zhi Wei meant by that answer. My take is that while Gu Nan Yi could arguably be our heroine’s best friend/family/trusted guard he is not someone Zhi Wei had ever considered romantically. Gu Nan Yi’s emotional state is so pure and non-existent that it would be like asking our heroine to fall in love with a child. Zhi Wei said Ning Yi had asked the wrong question because that question was not for Gu Nan Yi to answer in the very first place.
His turn to top off Zhi Wei’s cup with tea, Ning Yi’s expression has returned to his usual calm “Zhi Wei, you are exceedingly smart but love (the Chinese word is not love, but more like affection. However, affection in English doesn’t have strong enough of romantic sense to it so that’s why I used love here instead) is not an emotion that can be dissected like politics. If love becomes something like a mathematical problem that could be added on or subtracted, then what fun would it be?”
“Your Highness is going to teach me?” Rising an eyebrow, Zhi Wei silently thought you who are the most ruthless of all want to talk to me about love?
“Not talking about gains or losses, nor about the future, just emotions of the heart.” Ning Yi reaches for Zhi Wei’s hand “Your heart.”
Zhi Wei lowers her eyes to stare at her hand that is completely enveloped. His grasp was firm, blocking her retreat. This man, even in such a simple action does not like to leave a person any possibility of escape.
He values her and even indulges her. She knows. However, how much value and indulgence could there be? Once self-interest is on the line then how fast would those evaporate?
To give one’s heart, to ordinary people, is bliss. To someone like him or her, it is venturing into danger.
Moreover…
There is still that face that’s shockingly similar to hers. As long as she doesn’t get an answer, she doesn’t dare to ignore it.
“My heart is where it should be.” Zhi Wei pulls her hands away with a soft smile “Perhaps one day there will be a tempest that will overturn it.”
“I don’t want to overturn it, I just want to have it.” Ning Yi flashes a confident grin “You just wait and see, not every man in this world is as cold as your father.”
Zhi Wei lowers her head to hide a smile as she silently thought, you are not cold? Your older brother (she meant the crown prince) is probably crying in the underworld right now.
Turning back to the business at hand, Ning Yi asks “Fifth is making a ruckus lately. After the stunt you pulled today you have backed yourself into a corner. Tomorrow he will show up to lure you to his side, what are you going to do then?”
“If I had the guts to offend you I obviously have a way to make it up to you.” Zhi Wei replies with a laugh “You spent so much energy on those monkeys, you just lack a fire now. This fire, I will light it for you.”
Ning Yi doesn’t answer but looks at her with half of a smile.
“I am the “nation’s scholar”. The whole world knows the prophecy of Da Cheng. To gain the nation’s scholar is to gain the world. Going by the situation right now, Fifth prince needs me so he will surely come to persuade me to be on his side. Before that happens, I need to make my stand obvious…” A glint sparkling in her eyes, Zhi Wei leans close to Ning Yi ear and says with a laugh “Now…let’s put on a show!”
Zhi Wei abruptly bites Ning Yi’s earlobe!
All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com
❤❤ cant wait to read what happens next!
Aaaaaaaa ❤️ Zhi Wei seems to know what she’s doing more in the book than in the show huh? Can’t wait til next week!!!
Cliffhanger?!?!?!???!!!!
She really does seem more self possessed in the novel then in the drama. I wish they would have incorporated a little more of that into the later episodes. I feel like the last 20 episodes she had a lobotomy and completely changed her personality. She went from being clever and crafty (though not to the extent we have seen in the novel) to basically crying all the time and needing someone to save her. So frustrating!!!
Thank you so much for your translating- I really really love the side notes you add in to further explain little details or translating choices.
Haha, agreed.
Just love the interaction between the two leads. I love how the novel portrays her bold moves. In the drama, she is a lot more cautious and less of a risk taker. At this point in the novel can we say that Ning Yi has already fallen for ZW. He is a lot more expressive in the novel, in the drama is a character is very aloof most of the times. I can’t wait to read Ning Yi reaction next week. Great translation, thank you………..
What is that comment Ning Yi made about ZW father’s being cold? What was he referring to?
Cold as in aloof. It is obvious from our heroine’s description of her childhood that her adoptive father really wasn’t much of a father figure (or husband for that matter). So Ning Yi is making a promise that he is not going to be what her father was.
Get it, guurrrrl! Gosh, the earlobe biting must have turned NY into a volcano ready to explode. The sharp witted and subtle exchanges between them are like foreplay, the best kind there is, waaaaay better than the fast, furious, and brainless courting in movies these days. I love the strength and clarity of her character. What a role model! Looking forward to seeing how NY responds to the bite.
I agree with everyone else here. I much prefer the bolder ZW and the more expressive NY from the novel.
Already 28 part of your translation of the novel. And now I no longer compare the differences between the book and the series. Now I think what is the similarity? These are completely different works: different characters, different motives, other personalities of minor characters. The screenwriters read the novel and created a completely different story. No, I do not see the similarity …