AWB Chapter 500 Xie Jingchun's storyline: Wasn't he dead?
Chapter 500 Xie Jingchun's storyline: Wasn't he dead?
Just then, a pair of fair and delicate hands suddenly appeared in front of him, placing a piece of braised chicken with mushrooms on his chopsticks.
Xie Jingchun was stunned for a moment.
Looking in the direction of that hand, he realized it wasn't the person he was thinking of.
He looked up at the person in the main seat.
Sure enough, Nan Nan was standing beside Qin Jiuwei, holding a small porcelain plate in her hand, carefully serving Qin Jiuwei food.
She was docile, keeping her eyes down and not glancing in his direction once in a row.
Stay far away from him.
Xie Jingchun's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth.
This girl really does what she says; she said she would stay away from him, and she really did disappear completely!
What did she think he would do? Eat her, of course?
Xie Jingchun felt a tightness in his chest from anger, and suddenly grabbed a steaming hot bun and took a big bite.
The dough was bitten out of shape, and the filling was scalding hot, but he bit it with all his might.
It was as if he was chewing up all the anger in his stomach and swallowing it down.
She swallowed down that inexplicable sense of grievance as well.
The sun was not strong in the afternoon.
Under the east corridor of the main courtyard, Nan Nan was squatting in front of a bamboo tray, carefully spreading out the petals one by one.
These are fresh gardenias and peonies that I picked this morning.
After drying off some of the moisture, it can be used to make the flower tea that the princess liked.
Her movements were meticulous, and she picked up each petal with extreme gentleness.
Suddenly, a light, quick footstep approached.
"Sister Nan Nan."
A young maidservant hurried over from the other end of the corridor.
Nan Nan looked up. "What's wrong?"
The maid handed over a small item wrapped in a cloth. "A man at the door sent this through someone. He said it was for you and asked me to hand it to you personally."
Nan Nan lowered her head and slowly unwrapped the cloth.
The next moment, her fingertips trembled slightly.
It was an old silver lock, its silver color worn away by time, turning slightly gray. A plum blossom was engraved on the corner, small yet meticulously carved.
Her eyes suddenly reddened.
This is the silver lock she wore when she was a child.
It was tied on by her mother herself when she was a month old.
But later, my mother died of illness.
Her gambling father soon started losing money everywhere again.
He finally lost everything again, and all the things in his house had been sold off.
He ripped the silver lock off her neck and immediately pawned it.
Later, he lost the bet again.
This time, it was her who was sold.
The day she was taken away, it was drizzling. She clung to the door frame, refusing to let go, and cried until she couldn't breathe.
But no one came to save her.
Nan Nan held the silver lock, her fingertips icy cold, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
She looked up almost immediately and asked, "What did that man look like? Describe him in detail."
The maid was startled by her sudden expression and paused for a moment before replying.
"Hmm...not very old, not even forty, a little lame, his left leg walks with a limp."
Nan Nan's face turned pale instantly.
It's really him...
But isn't he dead?
She remembered clearly that after he sold her to the casino, the money was still not enough, and the casino staff beat him to death at the door.
How is he still alive?
She suppressed her panic and immediately pressed for answers.
"Where is he? Is he still at the door? Did he say anything?"
The maid shook her head.
"No, he handed the things to the gatekeeper and left, saying he would personally deliver them to you, without even leaving his name."
Nan Nan panicked even more after hearing this.
Doing nothing is not his way of doing things...
Evening, the main house.
Nan Nan lowered her head, holding the teacup with her usual light and skillful movements.
Just as she handed the teacup to Qin Jiuwei, her fingertips trembled slightly, and tea spilled out, dripping onto the roster spread out on Qin Jiuwei's desk.
The tiny water droplets quickly spread.
Nan Nan's face turned pale suddenly, and she immediately knelt down and kowtowed, her voice tight.
"Your Highness, please forgive me. It was my mistake. I was distracted and disturbed you."
Qin Jiuwei's eyes narrowed slightly, and she gently put down the booklet. "Get up quickly, the ground is cold. Why do you have to kneel for such a small thing?"
"It's just a little spilled tea, it's nothing serious."
Seeing that Nan Nan was still kneeling, looking bewildered, Qin Jiu sighed softly.
“You’re usually the most reliable person, I know that. If you weren’t preoccupied with something, how could you make a mistake?”
"If you are tired, take a rest. I will allow you to skip your shift tomorrow and have a good rest."
"Go get a good night's sleep and stop overthinking."
Nan Nan paused for a moment, then slowly looked up, her eyes already slightly red.
She replied softly, "Yes, thank you, Your Highness."
Xie Jingchun sat to the side, originally drinking tea with his head down.
Upon catching a glimpse of this scene, his lips tightened and his eyes darkened.
After a long while, he turned his head away and looked out at the night scene, his eyes filled with indifference.
The next morning.
Nan Nan did not get up immediately after waking up early in the morning.
Instead, she sat by the tatami mat and silently reorganized her clothes, utensils, and small wooden box, one by one.
She folded the clothes with extra care, smoothing out even the wrinkles on the plain handkerchief, and carefully wrapped the silver lock before putting it back into the bottom of the wooden box.
Looking at what she had, Nan Nan finally felt at ease.
Dinner.
The atmosphere at the meal was as usual, with the food hot and fragrant.
Xie Jingchun suddenly spoke up, "Tomorrow I will be going to the western suburban camp with General Shen for a temporary training mission."
Xie Yanli said, "When you go to the main camp, you not only need to get to know General Shen better, but you also need to keep an eye on the roster sent by the Ministry of War to make sure no one tampers with it."
"Yes, father."
Upon hearing this, Qin Jiuwei put down her chopsticks, her tone carrying a hint of worry.
“You’ve only just returned, and you’re already leaving again. Even if it’s for important military duties, it’s still quite tiring.”
Xie Jingchun smiled and comforted her, "Mother, don't worry, it's not far this time. It's just to the western suburbs, not beyond the city's outskirts. It'll be a round trip in a day at most."
"The one who will truly be stationed permanently is General Shen. I am only temporarily assisting."
Qin Jiuwei still frowned, "When are you coming back?"
"If all goes well, within half a month. If things drag on, within three months."
Qin Jiuwei sighed softly, "That's far too far off."
She turned to Xiaohe and instructed her, "Go and help Chun-ge pack his luggage later. He's the type who always forgets things. Even though we live nearby, we should at least make sure it's all tidy."
"Fortunately, it's not military business in other provinces. Whatever is lacking, our Prince's Mansion can send it over."
Xiao He stood to one side, bowing her head and replying, "Yes."
Xie Jingchun wanted to say no, but when he met Qin Jiu's slightly worried eyes, he had no choice but to give up.
The following morning, Xie Jingchun left the mansion on time and set off with General Shen to the western suburban camp.
He left decisively, setting off on horseback before dawn.