Jade of Another World

While Lin Ning was engrossed in researching Nangong Jin's poison, Lin Wan came to see her. This surprised Lin Ning. Of course, Lin Wan's purpose in seeking her out was even more unexpected.

That day, Lin Ning went into the pharmacy to do his research as usual.

The maid Xiao Cui rushed in, panting, and said, "Miss, Miss Lin Wan has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning paused in her actions, her face filled with surprise. She truly couldn't understand why Lin Wan, who was always at odds with her and constantly trying to cause her trouble, would suddenly come to see her. It was truly as if the sun had risen in the west.

However, Lin Ning quickly regained her composure, straightened her clothes, and said, "Xiao Cui, let her in."

A moment later, Lin Wan walked in with graceful steps. Today, Lin Wan was wearing a pale yellow silk dress, with several delicate pearls and jade ornaments in her hair, giving her a gentle and graceful appearance, but her eyes still revealed a calculating look.

Lin Wan slowly walked to Lin Ning's side, leaned closer and said, "Lin Ning, I'm here today for your own good. Look at you, you're always so close to that Nangong Jin, do you know that you're bringing trouble upon yourself?"

Lin Ning felt increasingly disgusted. She hadn't expected Lin Wan to say such a thing, and immediately asked, "What makes you say that, sister? The prince and I are just friends. I helped him detoxify out of a doctor's compassion. Besides, the emperor knows about this. How did it become a disaster?"

Lin Wan smiled lightly, but there was a hint of triumph in her smile. She continued, "Sister, don't be so naive. What is Nangong Jin's status? He is the most valued prince by the current emperor. So many eyes are on him. You are just a daughter of the Prime Minister's family. If you get entangled with him, what will others think of you? In the end, all the rumors and gossip will drown you out, and it might even implicate the entire Prime Minister's family."

Lin Ning was disdainful of Lin Wan's words. She knew Lin Wan had ulterior motives and was just trying to scare her away from Nangong Jin. However, she remained calm and said, "Thank you for the reminder, but I've done nothing wrong, so why would I be afraid of baseless rumors? Besides, I'm engaged to her; what do I have to worry about?"

Seeing that Lin Ning wasn't falling for it, Lin Wan's expression changed slightly, a hint of annoyance flashing in her eyes. However, she quickly regained her feigned innocence and said in a low voice, "Don't be stubborn. There's something else I haven't told you. Do you think Nangong Jin is truly sincere towards you? Hmph, I've heard that he's only using you to help him detoxify. Once you're no longer of use, he might just throw you aside. Do you think he'll marry you? Since you came back, he hasn't once mentioned agreeing to an engagement. I've also heard that he has another woman in his heart."

Hearing this, Lin Ning's gaze turned cold. She said, "If you came today just to say these things, then I'll pretend I didn't hear anything. Please don't bother with my affairs anymore. I know what I'm doing." Lin Ning didn't really want to marry Nangong Jin; she just owed him a debt of gratitude for saving her. She had helped him several times, so they were friends. The thinking of these ancient people was too rigid; the more you interacted with them, the more complicated things became. Even if it wasn't Nangong Jin, even a stranger would have helped. What kind of trouble is Lin Wan going to cause today? So annoying.

Seeing that Lin Ning remained unmoved, Lin Wan was filled with anger and resentment, but she knew that she would not achieve her goal today. She snorted coldly, flicked her sleeves, and said, "Fine, you'd better not regret it. We'll see." With that, she turned and stormed out of the pharmacy.

Lin Ning watched Lin Wan's departing figure, shook her head slightly, and sighed inwardly. Lin Wan really was as fond of causing trouble as ever. However, she couldn't imagine what kind of methods Lin Wan would use to deal with her next.

After Lin Wan stormed off from Lin Ning's place, Lin Ning stood there, her brows slightly furrowed, still pondering Lin Wan's inexplicable behavior and provocative words. She knew that Lin Wan never came without a reason, and there must be a deeper reason behind her actions today.

Meanwhile, Lin Wan returned to her residence, also seething with anger. She plopped down in a chair, clutching her handkerchief tightly, her face filled with frustration and anxiety. She had gone to see Lin Ning because of her marriage prospects, but Lin Ning had completely ignored her, leaving her both angry and helpless.

It turns out that Peng Yingchun's affair had caused quite a stir. After the engagement banquet, the Crown Prince also realized that the poisoning incident seemed to be related to Lin Wan. He was furious and from then on, he completely ignored Lin Wan, as if she didn't exist.

Lin Wan knew in her heart that she was already the Crown Prince's woman. In this secluded mansion, if word got out that she couldn't marry the Crown Prince, her future would be ruined, and she would be reduced to a life of seclusion. Therefore, she had to find a way to marry the Crown Prince no matter what. The person who could help her wasn't in the capital yet, and waiting like this wasn't a solution.

After much thought, she felt that Lin Ning must have a way. Lin Ning was usually cunning and resourceful, and she was also very close to Nangong Jin. If Lin Ning could help her find a solution, then there would still be a chance for her to marry the Crown Prince.

The next day, Lin Wan came to see Lin Ning again. This time, she spoke frankly, asking Lin Ning to find a way to help her marry into the Crown Prince's household. After saying that, she left without looking back.

Lin Ning found it utterly absurd after hearing this. She simply couldn't understand what kind of person Lin Wan was, that she would have the audacity to ask her for help in marrying into the Crown Prince's household.

You have to understand, the two of them are like oil and water. Normally, even if someone else came to ask for help, he might consider it a little, but with Lin Wan like this, how could he possibly help her?

Lin Ning frowned, watching Lin Wan's departing figure, secretly pondering that there must be something behind Lin Wan's unusual behavior today, and it was definitely not as simple as just those few words.

Sure enough, a short while later, just as Lin Ning was about to continue studying Nangong Jin's antidote method, Lin Wan returned. She had changed her previous angry demeanor, and now had a smug look on her face. She slowly walked up to Lin Ning and lowered her voice, saying, "Lin Ning, I know you're thinking that you'll never help me, right?"

Lin Ning snorted coldly, not bothering to hide her thoughts, and said bluntly, "You're right. Our past interactions haven't been exactly harmonious. I'm afraid I can't agree to your request today."

Lin Wan ignored Lin Ning's refusal and instead sneered as she walked up to Lin Ning's ear and said, "Lin Ning, I advise you to think it over carefully, otherwise you may never find your mother's body."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning's eyes widened in shock, her heart churning with disbelief. She never imagined Lin Wan would use this to threaten her. Lin Ning's mother had died young, and Lin Ning's longing for her mother and her desire to uncover her past had always been hidden deep within her heart. For many years, she had visited the Lin family ancestral graves to pay her respects to her mother. But what did she mean by that? Her mother's body?

Lin Ning's face turned pale. She stared intently at Lin Wan, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, "What... what do you mean by that?"

Seeing that Lin Ning finally reacted, Lin Wan was quite pleased with herself. She crossed her arms and said slowly, "Hmph, why don't you go and dig it up yourself and you'll see what I mean? But, I'll only tell you this. If you agree to help me marry into the Crown Prince's mansion, I'll tell you the whereabouts of your mother's body. How about that? Isn't this a good deal?"

Lin Ning bit her lip, feeling both angry and anxious. She knew Lin Wan was taking advantage of her mother's misfortune, but her mother's body was far too important to her. She tried to calm herself and said, "Lin Wan, you're threatening me! How could you be so despicable as to use something like this to blackmail me!"

Lin Wan shrugged nonchalantly and said, "I have no other choice. If you don't help me, then I can only make sure you never find your mother again. Think about it carefully, I don't have much patience to wait for your answer."

After saying that, Lin Wan swaggered away, leaving Lin Ning standing there blankly, her mind a jumbled mess. She was caught in a dilemma: on one hand, there was Lin Wan, whom she had no intention of helping; on the other hand, there was her mother's corpse. She knew that if what Lin Wan said was true, she had to help Lin Wan marry into the Crown Prince's household, because she couldn't be unfilial. Although she wasn't the real Lin Ning, she had been here for so long that she, Zhang Yin, and Lin Ning were an inseparable whole. Her thoughts and heart were influenced by Lin Ning, and her memories and past were filled with Lin Ning. Sometimes, she even felt that she might be Lin Ning, the Lin Ning from that timeline, because the Lin Ning of this timeline had been persecuted, and she had to come to save her, help her, and avenge her.

After hearing Lin Wan's malicious threats, Lin Ning felt a surge of anger rise from the bottom of her heart, burning so intensely that she trembled slightly. She never imagined that Lin Wan and Liu Shi could be so despicable and shameless as to hide her mother's body—such a heinous act.

Thinking of this, Lin Ning's eyes reddened, and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. But she felt no pain at this moment, her heart filled with resentment towards Lin Wan and Liu Shi. Her mother's death was already the greatest pain in Lin Ning's heart, and now they wanted to use her mother's body as a bargaining chip—it was simply too much.

Lin Ning suppressed her anger and grief. As soon as Lin Wan left, she immediately called Xiao Cui over and solemnly instructed, "Xiao Cui, find a few reliable people right now and go to Mother's grave tonight to check it out. I want to see if they are really so heartless."

Seeing Lin Ning's pale face, Xiao Cui understood the seriousness of the matter, quickly agreed, and turned to make arrangements.

That night, the darkness was as black as ink, and all around was silent, save for the occasional chirping of insects, which added to the eerie atmosphere. Lin Ning, along with Xiao Cui and several people arranged by Uncle Zhong, quietly left the mansion and headed towards her mother's grave.

Throughout the journey, Lin Ning felt incredibly heavy-hearted. She was both terrified that what Lin Wan had said was true, and clinging to a sliver of hope that it was just a lie Lin Wan had made up to threaten her. But when they dug open the grave and, by the dim moonlight, saw the scene before them, Lin Ning felt a wave of dizziness and almost lost her balance and fell.

The grave where her mother's coffin should have been placed was now empty, with only a few pieces of clothing her mother had worn lying scattered inside, as if silently recounting this heinous crime. Tears welled up in Lin Ning's eyes and streamed down her cheeks. Trembling, she slowly knelt down, gently stroking the clothes, her voice choked with sobs as she said, "Mother, they... how could they do this..."

Xiao Cui couldn't help but cry along with her. She said angrily, "Miss, Lin Wan and Liu Shi are too cruel. How could they do such a thing? What should we do now?"

The people Uncle Zhong had sent also showed expressions of indignation.

Lin Ning bit her lip and slowly stood up. She wiped away her tears, a resolute glint in her eyes, and said bitterly, "Do they think they can control me like this? I will never let them get away with this. No matter the cost, I will get my mother's body back. I will make them pay for what they did today!"

At this moment, the night wind blew, and Lin Ning's hair fluttered in the wind. She stood in front of the empty tomb, her mind made up. A real battle between her and Lin Wan and Liu Shi had begun. Before, they could be said to have exchanged blows, and Lin Ning did not intend to kill them. Although Lin Wan and Liu Shi had always wanted to kill Lin Ning, Lin Ning had not completely decided to fight to the death. But at this moment, her conscience would no longer spare those mother and daughter.