“Shao Yao Er.” Jin Siyu called her softly after sitting down behind the desk, “I am going to deal with today’s paperwork first, you rest if you get tired.” (Adding “Er” behind a name is a term of endearment.) 

Hearing the name made him shiver in disgust– Shao Yao, only she could think of a name like that. 

“En.” She answered with an upbeat voice, light and docile “Can I look at the books on the bookshelf?”

He raised his eyebrow behind the bookshelf– this woman had never used such a tone of voice when she talked to him before. She was either all serious businesslike or wearing a fake smile that seemed intimate on the surface yet far away in reality. 

“At your pleasure.” Jin Siyu smiled and dived into the pile of documents on the desk. 

Her body was half laying on the daybed as she surveyed the books on the bookshelf, allowing him to see her face completely from where he was at. 

He saw the scar on her forehead, saw the redness between her brows, saw that for someone who never liked makeup had used it to conceal the paleness on her face. She was as thin as a piece of paper. Her condition had not improved quickly even with the best physician of this world at her side. 

She is actually this ill? This knowledge plunged him into deep thoughts. The poison that was in the military rations must have already been cured by Zong Chen when he arrived but the redness between her brows indicates that she has some other illness. It is reasonable to assume the poison that day must have caused the onset of her old illness. However, judging by Zong Chen’s calm mannerism, it could be presumed that her life is not at risk. 

He also wondered if Jin Siyu had medicated her but with a descendant of Xuanyuan family around there is no cause to worry about that. (For those of you who have watched/read The Legend of Fuyao, Xuanyuan is the male second lead who was the doctor in there. His family is legendary for their medical…and poison skills so that’s why Ning Yi is saying that. Of course, this is also the first firm indication we have from Ning Yi that he knows who Zong Chen is, which also mean he is fully aware of Zhi Wei’s real identity since no one other than the last princess of Dacheng would have the loyalty from the Xuanyuan family.) 

However, with her current condition, it would be very difficult to get her safely out of this dragon’s lair. No wonder Zong Chen and Gu Nan Yi who are clearly already at her side have not made any moves yet. 

He leaned against the wall, fingers clasped on a protrusion beside the bookshelf, watching her movements intently. 

She reached out a hand to choose a book from the shelf, her really long sleeves covering her fingers as her hand moved across the books shelf by shelf until abruptly stopping at a book. 

There, is a book named “Encyclopedia of Da Yue”, a collection of classics, history, astronomy, and geography. Each volume is as thick as a person’s palm. The book is directly in front of his face. Even if there was still a curtain but once the book is pulled out, the light that would come through would easily reveal the outline of his face. 

The finger stopped there, and without any hesitation, slowly pulled the book out. 

He smiled ruefully in silence. 

“You want to read that book?” Jin Siyu said when he turned and saw her “It’s too heavy. I will help you get it.” He walked over. 

“Ah.” She looked up and her hand stopped, “You reminded me, it is really too heavy. I am afraid I won’t be able to hold it. I’ll pick a different one.” 

“Alright.” Jin Siyu walked away, got a book from the next bookshelf titled “Poem Selection” and grinned “You women, can cultivate your temperament by reading this.”

She laughed and glared at Jin Siyu “Are you hinting that I am not cultured?”

Jin Siyu smiled without replying, his expression gentle and filled with warmth. 

She didn’t press for an answer, but simply pursed her lips in a small smile, the candlelight shining on her misty and bright eyes. 

The air was filled with the sweetness of young lovers flirting and teasing each other. 

He suddenly felt an aching pain gripping his heart. 

She has never smiled at him like this, had never been that close to him. She has seemingly never done so even in pretense. 

She laid back down lazily, flipping through the book of “Poem Selection”, mumbling and reciting all the while, seemingly quite immersed in it. Watching her, the corner of his lips curved up, thinking inside that this woman is indeed the noblest natural-born actress. No matter what she does, be it fake or real she will hit it right on the nose– he remembers that she had clearly said that poetry is just meaningless tricks, words chosen to confound one’s emotion, the more addicted one is, the more dogmatic one become. Therefore, she never read those sorts of books, even if she does, it is to help her go to sleep. 

But look at her now. She is reading quite happily. 

Over there, Jin Siyu is enjoying her reading immensely and would even discuss a few words with her, filling the air with laughter and enjoyment. Suddenly, Jin Siyu stopped writing and said “Hmm?” 

She put down the book and looked up but didn’t ask any questions. 

Jin Siyu was about to speak but suddenly raised his head and said “The wind has started to blow outside.” The howling of wind could immediately be heard coming fast and close. Northern Da Yue often has sudden strong winds during the winter so Jin Siyu immediately stood up to go close the windows. 

As soon as he got to the window, the wind slammed in and the light suddenly went out. 

Because of the strong wind, even the lanterns outside have been blown to the ground and there were no lights at all, plunging the whole study into pitch-black darkness. 

“Such strong wind.” Jin Siyu knew that she must not get blown on by the wind. Afraid that she would catch a cold, he didn’t have time to light the lanterns but immediately go to shut the window first but had some trouble finding the window latch right away. 

 She silently stayed in the darkness. 

Suddenly, a faint familiar presence came right up close, a hand seemingly appearing out of the darkness, grabbed her with extreme accuracy.

It was her injured hand that was grabbed, pressing on her still unhealed bones. Her brows knitted at the pain but she didn’t scream nor speak. 

The hand took her and gently tugged her towards the direction of the back of the bookshelf. 

She didn’t move, her breath was calm and even in the darkness. 

Not insisting after that failed tug, the person didn’t leave either. The slightest surge of air flowing around her, the familiar presence pressed close. 

She didn’t move, frowning, she gave a push with her hand. 

Her hand met empty air. He has suddenly disappeared. Stunned, her hand hang in midair, seemingly in a daze. 

In the next breath, her hand is being held again. 

This time, the grasp is extremely light, like a light blade of grassing falling among the flowers, not disturbing the delicate petals, his fingers quickly and softly caressed her hand, pausing on her slightly deformed knuckles. 

Immediately, she felt something cold on her hand, something moist and soft pressing against it. 

She froze as if lightning had just passed through her body. 

In the darkness, Jin Siyu stood at the far side in front of the window, shutting the windows one by one. The study is lined with a long role of windows, he closed them one by one, the constant sound of windows closing and bolts falling drowned out any slight noises.

By the daybed in the darkness, the soft warm lips pressed against her deformed fingers, like the wind with rain, or the crying clouds, coming from afar, everywhere it passed, it left its trace. 

All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com

Would you guys believe it…next week is going to be even better than this week’s! 

Anyhow, a reader had commented on Ning Yi being on the weaker side physically on last week’s post so I actually want to discuss that for a moment. Actor Chen Kun did an amazing job portraying Ning Yi in the drama so I am sure all of us are reading the novel while imagining the drama Ning Yi who was indeed more on the fragile looking side. However, that really is the drama’s interpretation of Ning Yi’s character since we actually don’t have much indication that Ning Yi in the novel is on the weaker side physically. While I LOVED Chen Kun’s portrayal of Ning Yi as the poor outcast prince who on the surface is only interested in weaving, that was never Ning Yi’s situation in the novel. In fact, Ning Yi started the novel as a prince who already has enough power to toy with his brothers and get rid of them without too much trouble so he didn’t have to pretend to be “fragile” or “useless”. 

Ning Yi in the novel is also a good fighter. Obviously not as good as Gu Nan Yi or Ning Cheng but still a good fighter no less. Come to think of it, our poor heroine is the sickly one in the novel compared to Zhi Wei in the drama.

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