Consciousness slowly cleared from chaos, and pain washed over her like a tide. Every breath Sui Ning took tugged at the wound on her abdomen.
When she opened her eyes, a figure in green came into view.
Concubine Shu, her complexion rosy, sat at the bedside wiping away tears. "Ning'er has such an ill-fated life—these past few days, first she fell into the water, then she was assassinated… If we hadn't castrated Feng Ying that day, this disaster would never have come."
The young boy Jun Yao stood at Concubine Shu's side, his childish, delicate face bearing a fierceness rarely seen on it. His eyes were like ink spilled by a storm, black and deep. Through gritted teeth, he said, "If he hadn't been taken away by Nanxingsi, I would avenge my sister with my own hands!"
"Mother, A-Yao…" Sui Ning called out hoarsely, looking frail.
"Royal sister! You're finally awake!" Jun Yao's gloomy expression vanished instantly, his pale face filled with delight.
Concubine Shu reached out and tucked in her blanket, saying gently, "It's good that you're awake. You've been asleep for two days. Mother was so worried I couldn't eat or sleep."
Jun Suining lowered her eyes, her trembling lashes concealing the mockery in her expression. "Thank you for your concern, Mother."
"Royal sister, I will definitely avenge you!"
Sui Ning didn't take Jun Yao's words to heart.
It wasn't until Concubine Shu left with Jun Yao, who kept looking back with every step, his reluctant gaze, that Jun Suining truly began to doubt.
Could it be that Jun Yao still didn't know about her origins? Otherwise, why would he look at her so reluctantly, as if there were real affection, so different from the person in her past life who wanted to kill her.
Chonghua Palace.
Cang Ling carried large and small bundles into the main hall, saying in a casual tone, "Your Highness, the various palaces have all sent condolence gifts."
"In the two days I was unconscious, did the Nine-Thousand-Year Lord come?" Jun Suining's voice was weak, yet carried hope. Then she remembered he wouldn't care about her at all, and said despondently, "Never mind. He definitely didn't come."
"The Nine-Thousand-Year Lord he…" Cang Ling hesitated, then finally said softly, "Lord Pei did come. Your Highness might as well transfer your affections to Lord Pei."
"…" She knew he hadn't come.
Cang Ling's expression was poor. Because the princess said she liked the Nine-Thousand-Year Lord, she hadn't slept well for three days straight!
These past few days, she had been paying special attention to the Nine-Thousand-Year Lord's movements, but he…
Thinking of the gossip she had heard, Cang Ling felt reluctant, but steeled herself and said, "The second daughter of the Zhenbei General's household has gone missing. Normally, it wouldn't concern the Nine-Thousand-Year Lord, but he's leading the Nansi Guard to search the entire city… Everyone privately says they were childhood sweethearts, and if the Nine-Thousand-Year Lord hadn't entered the palace, perhaps…"
Cang Ling didn't continue.
Sui Ning felt her wound ache even more—and this incident Cang Ling spoke of had also happened in her past life.
The Zhenbei General had originally been a subordinate of the Marquis of Zhenbei. His daughter, Wei Yexue, and Yue Tingyu could be considered childhood sweethearts, but the Marquis of Zhenbei had arranged another marriage for Yue Tingyu when he was born, so Wei Yexue's secret love could only remain buried in her heart.
In her past life, after Sui Ning married Yue Tingyu, Wei Yexue still never married. It was only later that Sui Ning accidentally learned that Wei Yexue's disappearance at seventeen had been orchestrated by herself.
A talented lady famous throughout Shunjing was willing to destroy her own reputation to avoid marriage proposals, all in hopes of staying by her beloved's side.
…
It was quite pitiful, indeed. But Sui Ning would never sympathize with that covetous love rival!
"Hiss—" Caught off guard, she pulled at her wound.
"What are you doing, Princess?" Cang Ling hurried over to examine her wound.
Outside the door, a young man dressed in a dark purple brocade robe with white patterns had been standing silently for a long while. He raised his hand and knocked, and only after hearing a response from inside did he enter.
A-Qi walked straight to the bed curtains. Cang Ling frowned. "This is the Princess's private chamber. How can you just come in?"
"It's fine. Did you have something to tell me?" Jun Suining sat up with Cang Ling's support, leaning against the headboard.
Cang Ling sat on the edge of the bed keeping watch. Only then did it belatedly dawn on her—the Princess had deliberately opposed Feng Ying that day, and it had nothing to do with her boudoir at all! Sure enough, A-Qi entering her chamber was no problem at all!
A-Qi stood before the bed and handed a note to Sui Ning.
Both his hands were covered in black leather gloves, and the small white slip of paper lay on his palm, strikingly conspicuous.
Jun Suining opened the note. The small, crooked characters read—
His Majesty sent me to apologize.
The crooked handwriting looked like a child just learning to write, yet it was full of earnestness—though it never actually contained the words "I'm sorry."
Sui Ning didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was only a part-time Hidden Guard, after all, and what happened yesterday was her own fault for being careless and keeping danger close by.
She smiled lightly and consoled him with effortless calm: "It has nothing to do with you. I was the one being careless."
A-Qi didn't move an inch, thinking who knew what behind his mask.
A flicker of light suddenly flashed through Sui Ning's eyes. "A-Qi, would you teach me martial arts?" she asked, her gaze bright.
Her voice was soft, yet it carried a force that could not be refused. A-Qi looked into those luminous eyes, shimmering with hope and anticipation for the future, like warm winter sunlight.
Seeing that A-Qi still hadn't responded, Sui Ning thought he was about to refuse, so she said simply and directly, "I want to protect myself."
The young man, who had been silent for so long, gave her a deep look, nodded in agreement, then strode out with long, swift steps.
"Does the Princess really want to learn martial arts?" Cang Ling looked at her with an expression hard to describe. "Wouldn't it be better to ask His Majesty to find a top military graduate to teach you?"
An inexplicable peace filled Jun Suining's heart. She didn't know why, but whenever she saw A-Qi, a strange sense of safety arose within her.
Perhaps this trust came from that day at the high altar, when she turned around and found him quietly standing behind her. Or perhaps it was his sword dance, so fluid and masterful, that gave her this sense of security.
"A-Qi can teach me well," Sui Ning affirmed with a smile.
Seeing her like this, Cang Ling hesitantly asked, "Princess, you're not transferring your feelings for the Nine-Thousand-Year Lord to A-Qi, are you?"
"Shut up." Jun Suining shot her a glare. This little girl's mouth was getting chattier and chattier.
In this life, she would only ever love her A-Yu!
It was just that… thinking of him, Sui Ning couldn't help wondering—what was A-Yu doing right now?
Was he still searching for Wei Yexue?