Jade of Another World

Chapter 182 Going Mad

Wanyan Qing's bedchamber was in complete disarray, with precious porcelain shattered all over the floor. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes glazed over, and she was screaming wildly, appearing completely insane. The palace maids and eunuchs all kept their distance, afraid to approach, lest they be harmed by this sudden outburst of madness.

Soon, the news reached Nangong Jin's ears. He frowned, pondered for a moment, and then ordered someone to summon Lin Ning. Before long, Lin Ning was brought to the outside of Wanyan Qing's bedchamber. Looking at the chaotic scene, she already had some guesses in her mind.

Entering the bedchamber, Lin Ning was slightly taken aback upon seeing Wanyan Qing's appearance. Nangong Jin stood to the side, his gaze fixed on Lin Ning, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes. "Ning'er, look at her, what happened? Did you drug her?"

Lin Ning raised her head, looking directly into Nangong Jin's eyes, her gaze firm and calm. "Your Majesty, it wasn't me. You know that my relationship with Wanyan Qing is strained. But I wouldn't resort to such despicable means. Besides, if I truly wanted to harm her, I wouldn't do it so lightly; I would take her directly!"

Nangong Jin narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly trying to determine the truthfulness of Lin Ning's words. He didn't speak, but simply watched Lin Ning quietly.

Lin Ning paused, then continued, "Although I have conflicts with her, I would never stoop to such a thing. But given her current condition, I will not treat her. I do not wish to settle our grievances in this way."

After saying that, Lin Ning turned to leave. Nangong Jin watched her retreating figure, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him. He hadn't expected Lin Ning to be so resolute, neither admitting to drugging him nor offering any help.

"Lin Ning!" Nangong Jin suddenly spoke, his voice deep and authoritative. Lin Ning stopped, but did not turn around. "Are you truly unwilling to save her?"

Lin Ning took a deep breath and slowly said, "Your Majesty, my mind is made up. Her life or death is none of my concern." With that, she strode away from Wanyan Qing's bedchamber without looking back, leaving Nangong Jin standing there, gazing in the direction she had gone, lost in thought…

Since experiencing this series of hardships and setbacks, Lin Ning seemed to have lost her soul. After returning to Cuiyuxuan, she sat quietly by the window, staring blankly at the scenery in the courtyard. The once vibrant flowers were now just blurry colors in her eyes, and the chirping of birds seemed to come from a distant world, unable to attract her attention in the slightest.

The maids around her served her carefully, but Lin Ning seemed oblivious to their presence. When the maids brought out the carefully prepared meal, she only glanced at it casually before looking away; the aroma of the food could no longer whet her appetite.

Friends? Lin Ning laughed self-deprecatingly. In this court filled with intrigue and scheming, how many so-called friends could be truly sincere? Nangong Ruoli was genuinely kind to her, but what could that change? In the end, she still couldn't escape this endless pain and torment. As for her enemies, whether it was Wanyan Qing or Nangong Jin, their actions had already disillusioned her. She no longer cared how they treated her, and had absolutely no desire to respond to them.

To Lin Ning, life and death were no different. To live was merely to continue struggling in this abyss of suffering; death might at least bring a moment of peace. Whether it was her own life or the lives of others, they were all as worthless as weeds in her eyes. Just like when Wanyan Qing went mad, she felt no pity or schadenfreude, only a sense that it was all irrelevant to her.

Once, she too had aspirations for the future, her own dreams and pursuits. But now, those beautiful fantasies have been shattered, crushed by reality. Her heart is numb, no longer moved by anything.

As night fell, Lin Ning remained seated by the window, watching the moonlight dapple the ground, creating patches of light and shadow. Her eyes were unwavering, as if she had merged with the darkness, losing interest in everything, left only with endless indifference and numbness…

Lin Ning's change left Nangong Jin somewhat bewildered. In the past, although Lin Ning showed resistance and dissatisfaction towards him, there was still life and a yearning for freedom in her eyes. But now, her gaze was like still water, completely devoid of emotion.

Nangong Jin sat in his study, a scroll of memorials in his hand, but he had no interest in reading it. His thoughts were entirely on Lin Ning, and he couldn't understand why she had suddenly become like this. In his view, he had only captured Ouyang Qingchuan, who had tried to take advantage of Lin Ning, and taken some measures to prevent Lin Ning from escaping. He believed that all of this was out of concern for Lin Ning and a desire to keep her by his side.

"Your Majesty," a eunuch spoke cautiously, interrupting Nangong Jin's thoughts, "about Miss Lin..."

Nangong Jin waved his hand, signaling the eunuch to leave. He stood up and paced back and forth in the study. He didn't know what Lin Ning had experienced during those time travels, but he felt that she had become increasingly unfamiliar.

Lin Ning sat in the Jade Pavilion, oblivious to everything around her. Lying on her bed, the scenes of her time travels kept replaying in her mind. Each time she traveled, it felt like she had survived a life-or-death ordeal; the conspiracies, betrayals, and pain were deeply etched into her heart. As for Nangong Jin, although he seemed to have special feelings for her on the surface, his actions filled her with fear and despair.

In Lin Ning's view, Nangong Jin not only restricted her freedom, but his controlling and possessive nature suffocated her. He captured Ouyang Qingchuan, seemingly to protect her, but in Lin Ning's mind, it was merely one of his methods of controlling everything. Moreover, Nangong Jin was unaware that during her transmigration, she had encountered so many people and events, and those complex emotions and experiences filled her with disillusionment with the world.

"Miss Lin," the maid called softly, "His Majesty sent some things over."

Lin Ning didn't even lift her eyelids, still lost in her own thoughts. The maid, helpless, could only place the gifts aside. Lin Ning knew that Nangong Jin was trying to curry favor with her again by sending gifts, but she never cared about such things. When Nangong Jin came to Cuiyu Pavilion again, he was met with Lin Ning's indifferent demeanor. He walked to Lin Ning's side, trying to take her hand, but Lin Ning subtly avoided it.

"Ning'er, what's wrong with you?" Nangong Jin's tone was filled with anxiety and confusion.

Lin Ning raised her head and looked at Nangong Jin, her eyes devoid of any emotion. "Some things can only be understood by those who have experienced them. You thought everything you did was for my own good, but to me, it was nothing more than a constraint."

Nangong Jin felt a pang of unease listening to Lin Ning's words. He couldn't understand why his sincere feelings had become a constraint in Lin Ning's eyes. He wanted to explain, but looking at Lin Ning's cold gaze, he felt that any explanation would be futile.

"Lin Ning, I..." Nangong Jin had just started to speak when Lin Ning interrupted him.

"Your Majesty, you need not say any more. I no longer care about you, or anything in this palace." After saying this, Lin Ning closed her eyes and ignored Nangong Jin.

Nangong Jin looked at Lin Ning, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He suddenly realized that he truly didn't understand Lin Ning, didn't understand the pain and despair she had endured during those time travels...