Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Night With Madam Liu and Ling Jiaxuan escorting her, Ling Jiayue returned to her room. Lingxue and Lingzhu helped her lie down and rest. Yet Ling Jiayue tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. A series of events had taken place over the past few days, and the Third Prince had clearly come to hold a grudge against her. She had no choice but to guard against him. Although Madam Zhang had been dealt with, who knew whether another Madam Zhang might emerge in the Ling Residence? Besides, who exactly had sent the death warriors she encountered the last time she went to treat Elder Xu? And then there was the Seventh Prince, Mu Yuheng, who had appeared like a divine soldier descending from the heavens when she was in danger. Mu Yuheng. Whenever she thought of that man, Ling Jiayue felt a jumble of emotions. There was no denying that Mu Yuheng had saved her twice, but he had repeatedly taken liberties with her. Now he was using the favor of saving her life as an excuse and refused to leave her alone. Ling Jiayue had no choice but to heighten her vigilance. Winter had just begun, and the weather was growing colder by the day. Curled up beneath the quilt, Ling Jiayue listened to the bleak wind howling outside the door. It was as though she had returned to that freezing day, watching helplessly as her family and the brothers who had once fought alongside her through life and death all died before her eyes. And so, Ling Jiayue fell asleep. At the Seventh Prince’s Residence, every lamp was lit. Mu Yuheng was dressed in water-blue robes, which accentuated his handsome and distinguished appearance. The candlelight softened his firm features with a touch of gentleness. He held a cup of tea and sipped it slowly, as though waiting for someone. Feng Yan entered, travel-worn, and bowed to Mu Yuheng. “Master, after Miss Ling returned home today, she was nearly harmed by Madam Zhang and Ling Ziqi.” Mu Yuheng’s brows furrowed. “What exactly happened? Explain it clearly.” Feng Yan then recounted the entire affair to Mu Yuheng, word for word. After listening, Mu Yuheng waved his hand, dismissing Feng Yan. Feng Yan, however, asked, “Master, Miss Ling has suffered such an injustice. Should we go check on her tomorrow?” Mu Yuheng looked at him with a half-smile. Feeling embarrassed under his master’s gaze, Feng Yan said, “Well, I was just wondering whether Lingxue was injured.” Mu Yuheng looked at him as though he could not live up to his expectations. “Have you fallen for that girl Lingxue?” Feng Yan’s thoughts had been exposed. He smiled and said, “She’s quite cute when she’s baring her claws. Thinking that she might have been hurt made me a little worried.” Mu Yuheng set down his teacup. “It seems our Feng Yan’s heart has begun to stir as well.” Feng Yan fearlessly replied, “Master, haven’t you fallen in love too? Otherwise, why would you treat Miss Ling like this?” Mu Yuheng snatched up the folding fan on the table and smacked it against Feng Yan’s head. “How dare you meddle in your master’s affairs!” Feng Yan clutched his head and made a show of fleeing in panic. Mu Yuheng lowered the fan. “Enough. Since I’m considerate of you, I’ll accompany you to check on her.” “Hmph. Clearly, it’s because Master can’t let go of Miss Ling, and you’re only making an excuse by saying you’re accompanying me,” Feng Yan muttered behind him. Unfortunately, Mu Yuheng heard him. Walking ahead, he said lazily, “Oh? If someone doesn’t want to go, then we’ll return and go to sleep. It’s quite tiring going out so late at night.” Behind him, Feng Yan immediately became obsequious. “Master, it’s me who can’t let go of Lingxue. Please accompany me to see her.” Only then was Mu Yuheng satisfied, and he set off for the Ling Residence. On the way, Mu Yuheng asked curiously, “When did you fall for Lingxue? I don’t remember you two ever having any interactions.” Feng Yan scratched his head awkwardly. “Didn’t Master ask Miss Ling to treat you last time? Later, when I was leaving with Lingxue, that girl was baring her claws and kept saying things like, ‘Don’t do this or that to her mistress.’ I thought she was cute, so I teased her a little.” “And then?” “Then she tried to hit me. I stepped backward, and she accidentally threw herself into my arms.” As he spoke, Feng Yan smiled shyly. Mu Yuheng thought about it seriously before saying, “You’ve followed me for many years. If you truly like Lingxue, I’ll certainly help you marry her. Just treat her well.” Feng Yan, however, replied earnestly, “Master, when you get down to it, I’m the only one who likes her. I don’t know whether she likes me. If Lingxue doesn’t like me, forcing her to marry me won’t make her happy. I’ll wait until she falls in love with me. And if she truly doesn’t like me in the end, that’s all right too.” Looking at the serious Feng Yan before him, Mu Yuheng fell into thought. He nodded, accepting Feng Yan’s words. Feng Yan sidled up to Mu Yuheng with a sly grin. “Master, when did you fall for Miss Ling?” Did he like her? Perhaps it was because she resembled that Empress from his past so much. Perhaps it was when he kissed her after she awoke that morning. Or perhaps it was when he watched her reject him. That girl… As he thought of her, Mu Yuheng began to smile. “Master, you should wipe away your drool,” Feng Yan said, pretending to be serious. Mu Yuheng’s smile vanished. He raised his hand and gave Feng Yan a knock on the head, but Feng Yan dodged quickly. Mu Yuheng snorted twice, and beneath the night sky, master and subordinate continued toward the Ling Residence. Inside the room, Ling Jiayue had finally fallen into a deep sleep. She curled into a ball on the bed, but in her dreams, she was once again trapped by a nightmare. “Don’t leave Yue’er! Don’t!” “Father, don’t die! Older Brother, don’t die!” “You can’t treat them like this! You can’t!” Lingxue, who was keeping watch nearby, heard Ling Jiayue’s voice and hurried over to light the candle. Ling Jiayue vaguely heard Lingxue’s voice and suddenly woke with a start, sitting up in bed. Lingxue asked worriedly, “Miss, what’s wrong?” Ling Jiayue was still immersed in her nightmare and did not hear a word Lingxue said. Her nightclothes were soaked through with cold sweat. Deeply concerned about her master, Lingxue asked again, “Miss, are you all right? Please say something.” After a long while, Ling Jiayue finally spoke. “Bring me another set of nightclothes and burn some calming incense in the room.” Lingxue did as she was told. After changing her nightclothes, Ling Jiayue lay down again and eventually fell asleep. Lingxue, however, found it strange. Her mistress seemed especially unusual this time. She was always sleeping poorly at night and often having nightmares. Lingxue thought that she absolutely had to report this to Madam Liu the next day. Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly smelled a peculiar fragrance. Her body went limp and she collapsed, only to be caught securely by a pair of hands that reached out of nowhere. The owner of those hands was Feng Yan. Holding Lingxue in his arms, he said to Mu Yuheng, “Master, this subordinate will take his leave first.” Mu Yuheng nodded, and Feng Yan carried Lingxue away. Mu Yuheng entered Ling Jiayue’s room. Seeing that her brows remained tightly knitted even in sleep, he felt a pang in his heart. When he smelled the calming incense burning in the room, he knew that even in her dreams, this girl could not find peace. Mu Yuheng stood silently beside Ling Jiayue’s bed. He did not dare embrace her, afraid that he would act too abruptly toward her. Yet his heart ached to see her suffering even in her dreams, so he simply remained there, quietly watching her.