Late spring, the long-brewing storm surged forth like a fierce wave.

After several claps of thunder, it devoured heaven and earth, instantly rendering all things vague and hazy in the vast misty expanse.

Who knows how long it lasted before the rain gradually subsided, leaving only traces of dampness, dripping intermittently from the roof ridges and gutters.

The secret chamber was very quiet, with only faint rhythmic breathing audible.

The lamplight flickered on the wall as Yu Lingxi’s bitten lips bloomed with blood, her eyelashes clumped together with moisture.

The second attack of poison was too agonizing; all her energy had been depleted, as if she had died once and come back to life.

Ning Yin still wore the apricot-colored ribbon blindfold, though its position was no longer as neat as before, loosely askew as if it might fall off at any moment.

He raised his long, powerful fingers, languidly threading them through Yu Lingxi’s loose hair, seemingly to comfort her, or perhaps just idly toying with it.

“Better now?”

Ning Yin lowered his head in her direction, his lips still stained with fresh blood from the detoxification, adding a splash of color to his otherwise cold countenance.

Yu Lingxi nodded, sitting up, silently smoothing her wrinkled skirt.

Her breathing was still unsteady, revealing her unsettled state of mind.

Ning Yin reclined casually, seemingly lost in thought, his slender fingers tapping intermittently on the edge.

After using him, she wouldn’t refuse to acknowledge it, would she?

Just as he was pondering this, he felt his eyes suddenly freed, followed by a flood of blinding light into his vision.

Her face still flushed from the poison attack, but her eyes had regained some clarity as she pressed her lips together and gazed at him for a long while.

Was this Ning Yin?

Yu Lingxi momentarily lost herself: the scene of him lowering his dignity to detoxify her was something she wouldn’t have dared to imagine in her previous life.

“Is the young lady planning to thank me for suicide again?” Ning Yin retrieved the ribbon from her hand, his voice slightly hoarse.

“No.” As her thoughts returned, Yu Lingxi shook her head.

When her breathing became less urgent, she shifted her gaze away from Ning Yin’s reddened lips.

After a pause, she added: “The poison has already taken effect. Dying wouldn’t change anything.”

Ning Yin fingered the ribbon, smiling faintly: “The young lady hasn’t lost anything, so there’s no need to speak so gravely.”

Yu Lingxi remained silent, only lowering her damp eyelashes, wordlessly smoothing out his crumpled clothes. The lower hem was soaked in a small area, unclear if it could be cleaned properly.

“Wei Qi is not a tool,” Yu Lingxi’s voice was brief and soft, her gaze paused, then slowly raised.

As if seeing through something, she quietly looked into Ning Yin’s inscrutable eyes, “Tools have no feelings.”

Ning Yin’s hand playing with her hair paused imperceptibly.

How interesting.

Though she was the one in disarray from the poison, her first reaction was neither avoidance nor disgust. So calm and familiar, as if she had done this countless times for someone.

The smile on Ning Yin’s lips faded slightly, his gaze lowered, then lifted again.

His fingertips running through the ends of her hair, he said: “I was careless. I’ll be more attentive next time.”

This poison… there would be a next time?

Before Yu Lingxi could react, Ning Yin pinched the dampened hem of his robe and asked coolly: “But I am curious, which other wild man has the young lady commanded?”

Every move she made hit his weak spot as if she knew all about detoxification.

Thinking of this, Ning Yin’s momentary satisfaction vanished, and he even felt somewhat murderous.

Yu Lingxi dared not say that the wild man was himself.

In her previous life, she had accompanied Ning Yin for two years, and he was a capricious master, tormenting her endlessly. If Yu Lingxi hadn’t learned to find joy amidst suffering, she would have died of frustration long ago.

Of course, such truth was something Yu Lingxi absolutely could not reveal.

Ning Yin was too clever; he could follow the trail from a single flaw, and she wouldn’t be able to maintain her lies.

She simply changed the subject, glancing around, asking: “Where is this place?”

Earlier, her mind had been hazy, and she hadn’t had the chance to observe her surroundings. Now, looking carefully, she realized it was an airtight secret chamber.

“A secret room,” Ning Yin answered.

Yu Lingxi knew it was a secret room.

She was about to inquire further when Ning Yin smiled faintly and said: “You’ll die if you hear the answer. Does the young lady still want to ask?”

Yu Lingxi knew he wouldn’t reveal anything more, so she reluctantly kept quiet.

“The young lady has yet to answer my previous question.”

Ning Yin brought the topic back, his tone carrying a trace of acidity that even he hadn’t noticed.

Seeing no escape, Yu Lingxi supported her dizzy head and could only evade: “It was all due to the poison. I don’t remember what I did.”

“Don’t remember?”

Ning Yin repeated the words emphatically, asking her, “Shall I help the young lady recall?”

“Not necessary!”

This topic seemed endless, so Yu Lingxi rose to her feet saying: “It’s getting late, I should return…”

But her body was too weak after the poison attack; she had barely straightened up before collapsing back onto Ning Yin’s lap, instinctively grabbing his shoulders to steady herself.

Both of them grunted in pain and numbness.

“Why is the young lady in such a hurry?”

Ning Yin stiffened, one hand firmly supporting her waist, his brow slightly raised, his voice noticeably huskier.

Yu Lingxi, as if scalded, hurriedly pushed him away and stood up.

Caught off guard, Ning Yin was pushed backward, supporting himself on his elbow on the couch. After a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly burst into laughter.

His youthful, unrestrained laughter made his features stunning, like a bewitching demon in the night.

Yu Lingxi couldn’t understand what was so funny about this awkward situation. What happened to “not listening, not looking, not speaking”?

“Little madman, stop laughing!” She was slightly annoyed but lacked the strength to cover his mouth.

Once both had calmed down somewhat, they left the secret room.

This chamber must have had another exit, leading to who knows where, but Ning Yin didn’t reveal it, only leading her back the way they came.

The secret passage was narrow and dark, with Ning Yin’s torch barely illuminating a small area around them.

Yu Lingxi had expended too much energy and walked along the wall unsteadily, completely unlike Ning Yin who moved as if on level ground.

This long secret passage held too many secrets; Yu Lingxi wanted to inquire, but after consideration, she chose to remain silent.

Someone like Ning Yin was naturally vigilant and ruthless, with a stubbornness about his domain that brooked no interference. That he had brought Yu Lingxi in for relief and shelter was already a great compromise.

If she probed further, she would cross his boundaries.

“What is the young lady thinking?”

In this maddening silence, Ning Yin’s cold voice came from ahead, startling her, “Thinking of how to kill me, or about this secret passage?”

Yu Lingxi’s fingertips trembled, and she hesitantly looked up.

“The young lady should have killed me.”

Half of Ning Yin’s face was hidden in darkness, but the half illuminated by the light was extremely handsome and clear. Holding the torch, he smiled and said: “I know the young lady’s secret, have tainted her reputation, and truly deserve to die.”

“Reputation is something I haven’t had since ruining my marriage to the Eastern Palace.”

Yu Lingxi bit her lip, and said with effort, “Shut up, will you.”

Ning Yin chuckled, seemingly barely satisfied with this response.

But when he truly fell silent, Yu Lingxi felt eerie.

The passage was too long, too quiet; before she could see the path revealed by the torch, darkness immediately enveloped her from all sides, as if a black beast behind her had opened its huge mouth to devour her.

Yu Lingxi disliked enclosed darkness.

In her previous life after death, Ning Yin had placed her corpse in a confined ice coffin, her soul wandering without a place to rest. That trembling fear was something she could never forget in this lifetime.

Just as she stumbled along, Ning Yin ahead stopped his steps.

When she staggered to the wall and caught up, he placed the torch on the ground and said lightly: “I’ll carry the young lady out.”

Yu Lingxi was startled and quickly said: “That’s not necessary.”

She had not yet fully recovered and feared being carried by him would make it even harder to exit.

Ning Yin looked at her for a moment, then raised his hand and said: “Give me your hand.”

His palm was long and powerful, with proportionate knuckles, naturally a hand born to control everything.

But now, Yu Lingxi was somewhat hesitant about this hand, especially after what had just happened…

Seeing her unwilling to move, Ning Yin let out a very light “tsk,” took out the apricot-white ribbon, wrapped it twice around her palm, and held the other end himself.

That was…

Yu Lingxi’s eyes warmed. That was her ribbon; a quarter of an hour ago, this ribbon had still been blindfolding Ning Yin as she pressed her burning lips against him repeatedly.

“Hold on.”

Ning Yin held the torch in one hand and the ribbon in the other, leading her forward. Though still cold and distant in manner, his pace was noticeably slower.

Yu Lingxi gazed at his tall back; after the heat had passed, endless emptiness remained.

She couldn’t say she regretted it, just felt somewhat melancholic.

Living this life again, she thought she would have a different beginning with Ning Yin. Whether a mutually beneficial cooperation or forgotten on opposite ends of the world, they shouldn’t have followed the path of her previous life, confusedly getting entangled.

Today was the Buddha Bathing Festival; she had wanted to show Ning Yin the lanterns and goodwill of the world, but in the end, she ruined it.

After walking for who knows how long, a light appeared, dispelling her thoughts.

Pushing open the door of the meditation room, the rain-washed banana leaves shone brilliantly green.

Yu Lingxi released the ribbon from her hand and said softly: “Thank you.”

Ning Yin naturally folded the ribbon and held it in his palm, looking down at her lovely face: “Have you thought of an explanation?”

“Yes.” Yu Lingxi took a deep breath of the cool, damp air, regaining her composure. “Let’s go.”

At the door of the meditation room was a paper umbrella, left there by someone unknown.

Yu Lingxi vaguely remembered that there had been no umbrella when she arrived.

Ning Yin, however, recognized the umbrella, casually picked it up, opened it, and waited at the steps.

In the misty rain, Ning Yin’s umbrella-holding figure was especially tall and handsome as he pointed to the space under his umbrella.

Yu Lingxi collected herself and walked under the umbrella, and Ning Yin burdened one arm to tilt the umbrella slightly toward her side.

On the other side.

Xue Cen, having reached the bamboo path in front of the meditation room, spotted Yu Lingxi from afar and felt relieved.

Just as he was about to step forward and greet her, he saw a young man holding an umbrella standing beside her.

The young man was handsome but cold, like an unsheathed sword. Xue Cen involuntarily halted his steps.

“Young master, isn’t that the youth who was once trapped on the mountain cliff with Second Miss Yu?” asked Xue Cen’s servant, rising on tiptoes, dissatisfied. “With such a stain, how dare General Yu keep him in the mansion? And to be so close to Second Miss Yu.”

“Mind your words,” Xue Cen looked at his servant.

The servant complained: “Your servant is only thinking of you, young master. Second Miss Yu doesn’t have you in her heart, yet you still protect her so…”

“Silence.” Xue Cen’s tone rarely sank. “These words, you are forbidden to say to anyone else.”

He glanced once more toward the bamboo path, not pursuing the question of where Yu Lingxi had disappeared for most of the half-day.

As long as she was safe and sound, it was enough.

Xue Cen turned and left, without an umbrella.

On the bamboo path, Ning Yin stopped, looking toward the direction Xue Cen had departed.

Yu Lingxi also paused, asking: “What’s wrong?”

Ning Yin shifted his gaze from beneath the moon gate of the temple wall, coldly curving his lips to say: “Nothing, just an eyesore.”

When they rejoined Hu Tao, she was indeed extremely anxious, constantly asking where Yu Lingxi had been.

“I was just feeling unwell and went to the meditation room to rest for a while.”

At the temple gate, Yu Lingxi covered her slightly warm cheeks, explaining softly three times before Hu Tao reluctantly accepted it.

“Hey, Wei Qi.”

Hu Tao supported Yu Lingxi into the carriage, her gaze catching a glimpse of white hidden in Ning Yin’s sleeve. Unable to tell if it was a bandage or something else, she curiously asked: “Are you injured?”

Yu Lingxi followed Hu Tao’s line of sight, and her breath immediately stalled as the “poison” she had just suppressed surged up again.

Ning Yin had wrapped her apricot-white ribbon around his wrist like a bandage, winding it several times and tying an elegant knot.

“This?”

Ning Yin smiled at Yu Lingxi, his little finger hooking the end of the ribbon, gently rubbing and twirling it.

Having successfully made her wide almond eyes stare at him, he then concealed that slender white in his sleeve and clasped his hands behind his back: “It’s my souvenir.”

Hu Tao muttered as she lowered the carriage curtain: “What a strange person, coming to the Golden Cloud Temple not to seek fortunes or talismans, but this.”

Yu Lingxi silently arranged her hair, not daring to let Hu Tao discover her missing ribbon.

Indeed, she should never have provoked this little madman.