Jade of Another World

Lin Ning hurriedly arrived at the Crown Prince's residence and headed straight for Peng Yingchun's room. Along the way, the servants in the residence all kept their heads down and looked normal, which made Lin Ning's originally tense nerves relax a little.

Upon entering the room, she saw the person lying on the bed with their back to her, covered by a blanket. Judging from their figure, they really looked like her good sister, Peng Yingchun. Lin Ning quickly stepped forward and softly called out, "Sister, I'm here. Where are you injured? Let me take a look."

The woman on the bed, "Peng Yingchun," who was actually Lin Wan, responded weakly and slowly stretched out her hand. Lin Ning quickly took her wrist, preparing to carefully check her pulse to see how badly she was injured and what her physical condition was like.

Just then, while Lin Ning was focused on taking her pulse, Lin Wan secretly took out a packet of powder she had prepared beforehand from under her pillow and, taking advantage of Lin Ning's inattention, suddenly threw it towards her mouth and nose. Caught off guard, Lin Ning inhaled a lot of the powder and immediately felt dizzy and her body began to heat up. She was shocked and instantly realized that she had been poisoned, and judging from the symptoms, it was that vile aphrodisiac.

Lin Ning was both shocked and furious. She wanted to stand up and question Lin Wan, but the drug took effect very quickly, and she felt weak all over, unable to muster any strength. Seeing this, Lin Wan revealed a triumphant sneer, but pretended to be anxious, supporting Lin Ning and saying, "Sister, what's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly like this? Quick, go lie down and rest."

As she spoke, Lin Wan half-dragged and half-carried Lin Ning to the bed, and thoughtfully covered her with a blanket, saying, "Sister, you rest first, I'll go find a doctor for you right away." But as soon as she turned around, a smug smile appeared on Lin Wan's lips. She quickly walked out of the room, not forgetting to close the door tightly behind her.

Meanwhile, Lin Ning lay in bed, her consciousness beginning to blur. She desperately tried to regain her senses, but the aphrodisiac continued to erode her reason. She was filled with regret, regretting that she shouldn't have trusted the letter so easily, and even more so, that she shouldn't have walked into the Crown Prince's residence so unguarded, falling into Lin Wan's insidious trap.

After leaving the room, Lin Wan hid in a corner and waited quietly. As scheduled, the Crown Prince soon approached. Lin Wan thought everything was going according to plan; Lin Ning wouldn't be able to escape now. She'd made her suffer so much entering the Crown Prince's residence, and now she'd make her taste the bitterness of being pointed at and gossiped about. Although she had used Lin Ning's scheme to enter the Crown Prince's residence, her innocence was completely ruined, and even the servants sneered at her behind her back. This made Lin Wan hate Lin Ning even more. Today, she'd let her taste what it felt like to be called a prostitute. Lin Wan thought to herself.

The Crown Prince, on the other hand, was just waiting for the right moment to consummate the marriage and then naturally marry Lin Ning. With both of his daughters in his hands, he could finally relax and have peace of mind.

Overjoyed, the Crown Prince hurried towards the room where Lin Ning was. His mind was already racing, imagining how he would tenderly caress her after he had her, and how he would seize the opportunity to make her willingly stay by his side. His face unconsciously radiated excitement and anticipation. Thinking of Lin Ning's fair complexion, rosy cheeks, large, watery eyes, and increasingly voluptuous figure, the Crown Prince couldn't help but swallow hard.

But just as he was not far from the house, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him, followed by a shrill shout: "Your Highness!"

The Crown Prince frowned and turned around. It was Eunuch Zhang from the palace. Eunuch Zhang was panting heavily, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead. He was holding an urgent report in his hand and said in a flustered manner, "Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned you with urgent business. This is extremely urgent. This old servant has been ordered by His Majesty to come and invite Your Highness to the palace immediately."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's expression changed drastically. He was extremely unwilling; he was about to get his hands on Lin Ning, but at this crucial moment, he was urgently summoned by the Emperor. How could he dare disobey the Emperor's decree? He gritted his teeth, feeling extremely reluctant, and could only helplessly say, "Eunuch Zhang, do you know why Father is in such a hurry?"

Eunuch Zhang hurriedly replied, "This old servant doesn't know the specific reason either, Your Highness. Please don't delay any longer, come with me to the palace. His Majesty is waiting for you."

The Crown Prince had no choice but to agree and head out of the palace. However, he kept looking back as he walked, his eyes constantly glancing towards the room where Lin Ning was. He thought to himself that Lin Ning was currently poisoned and unconscious in her room, and no one should know what was happening yet. As long as he went into the palace, dealt with the situation quickly, and rushed back without stopping, it should still be in time for the good news.

Lin Ning was struggling to maintain her fading consciousness, trying to think of a way to save herself. She knew how potent the aphrodisiac was, and with the last vestiges of her sanity, she had quickly pressed several acupoints on her body in an attempt to slow the spread of the poison. But she knew in her heart that this was just a drop in the ocean and wouldn't last long.

She recalled her instructions to Xiao Cui before leaving home. At the time, she had a vague feeling that something unexpected might happen, which was why she told Xiao Cui that if she hadn't come out of the Crown Prince's residence within half an hour, she should quickly find Uncle Zhong for help and ask him to send secret guards to rescue her. But now, time was of the essence. Every second that passed was making the poison more rampant. Lin Ning knew that if she waited another half hour, it would be too late, and even if the secret guards arrived, it would probably be too late to save her.

Just as Lin Ning was frantically searching for any other way to save herself, the window on the side of the room suddenly creaked open. The sound was particularly abrupt in the quiet yet dangerously pervasive room. Lin Ning's nerves immediately tensed. Her eyes widened as she stared intently at the open window, her hand instinctively reaching for the small knife hidden in her sleeve. Although her body was still weak from the poison, she couldn't care less at this moment. She was completely focused on defense, wondering what might emerge from the window—was it Lin Wan coming to cause trouble again, or some other dangerous person? Her heart was in her throat, and she was so nervous that she didn't dare to breathe.

Lin Ning kept a wary eye on the open window while quickly analyzing the situation in her mind. She thought to herself that the person coming couldn't possibly be the Crown Prince. If it were, and he wanted to possess her, he would make it public knowledge. His intentions were wicked, and his calculations were meticulous. Judging from the Crown Prince's previous actions, especially his eager and calculating manner after the Crown Princess's disappearance, Lin Ning understood that this was probably a scheme planned by the Crown Prince from the very beginning. But even so, if the Crown Prince were to come, he would definitely walk in openly through the door to create the illusion of a "chance encounter."

Who could this person who had silently slipped in through the window be? Lin Ning frowned deeply, her heart filled with doubt and worry. It was hard to say whether they were friend or foe. If it was yet another conspiracy orchestrated by Lin Wan, sending someone to continue harming her, that would be terrible. She was currently poisoned by the aphrodisiac and completely powerless, with no ability to resist. But what if the person was one of Uncle Zhong's men, coming to help her? Lin Ning both hoped for the latter and feared an even worse situation. She held her breath, gripping the small knife tightly, her eyes fixed on the window, waiting for the person to appear so she could quickly ascertain their intentions.

The dim light inside seemed to shroud everything in a mysterious and dangerous veil, making it difficult to see clearly. Lin Ning stared wide-eyed at the window, her gaze fixed on the approaching footsteps. As the light footsteps drew closer, the figure gradually became clearer. When she recognized Nangong Jin, Lin Ning's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up and threatening to spill over. She felt both excited and wronged; she never imagined that in this critical moment, when she was isolated and helpless, it would be Nangong Jin who came to her rescue.

Nangong Jin strode to Lin Ning's side. Their eyes met, and Lin Ning saw concern and anxiety in his gaze, a clear determination to save her. Looking at Lin Ning's weak and pitiful state, Nangong Jin frowned, his heart aching. Without a word, he quickly helped Lin Ning up, softly saying, "Don't be afraid, I'll take you away from here."

Lin Ning was too weak to speak, only nodding slightly as Nangong Jin supported her. Nangong Jin carefully led Lin Ning, avoiding the guards and spies of the Crown Prince's residence. Relying on her familiarity with the layout, she meandered towards the back gate. Along the way, Lin Ning felt her consciousness growing increasingly blurred, relying solely on willpower to stay awake. She silently prayed that she wouldn't collapse now, that she would hold on until they reached safety.

Finally arriving at the back gate of the Crown Prince's residence, they found a carriage parked there. Nangong Jin helped Lin Ning into the carriage, but as soon as they sat down, Lin Ning's willpower, which she had been holding on to, finally reached its limit. She felt a sudden darkness before her eyes and fainted, her body going limp as she fell to the side. Seeing this, Nangong Jin quickly reached out and pulled Lin Ning into his arms, looking at her with worry and gently calling her name, but Lin Ning did not respond. Nangong Jin was extremely anxious and hurriedly instructed the driver to hurry on their way, to take Lin Ning back to find a doctor as soon as possible. The carriage sped away in this urgent atmosphere, kicking up a trail of dust.

After Lin Ning fell into a coma, she seemed to be enveloped in a chaotic mist, her consciousness hazy. In that dreamlike state, she vaguely felt as if she were in Nangong Jin's cave, with everything around her giving off a hazy and illusory feeling.

She vaguely saw Nangong Jin standing beside her. His usually carefree and unrestrained face was now filled with focus and seriousness. Nangong Jin held silver needles in his hand and was carefully applying them to her body. Although his movements were not very skillful, they were steady and composed, as if he were treating her.

Lin Ning was utterly astonished; this scene was completely unexpected. In her understanding, Nangong Jin had never possessed any healing abilities, so how could he now be performing acupuncture treatment on her so convincingly? If he could heal, he would naturally heal himself; why would he need her? She felt that she might not be fully awake yet, perhaps this was all a chaotic dream. She tried to open her eyes to clear her mind, but her heavy eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, and she couldn't lift them no matter what. She could only remain in this half-awake, half-asleep state, feeling Nangong Jin's touch as he performed the acupuncture, her heart filled with doubt and confusion, yet also a faint sense of relief. After all, whether this was a dream or not, having Nangong Jin by her side made her feel less afraid.

Lin Ning slowly woke up, feeling a little dizzy and weak. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the dim environment of the cave and Nangong Jin guarding her side.

When Nangong Jin saw that Lin Ning had woken up, a look of joy immediately appeared on his face. He quickly stepped forward and asked with concern, "How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Lin Ning shook her head gently, then looked at Nangong Jin with a puzzled look in her eyes and asked, "How exactly were the toxins in my body cleared? I remember that the poison I was given shouldn't be so easy to cure, normally speaking."

Nangong Jin smiled slightly and patiently explained, "Don't worry, I gave you a medicine that I received in Nanzhao. This medicine is very precious and has extremely magical detoxification effects. I thought it might work on the poison in your body, so I quickly gave it to you. Fortunately, it finally cured the poison in your body."

Lin Ning was astonished upon hearing this. She hadn't expected Nangong Jin to have such a miraculous encounter in Nanzhao, obtaining such a powerful antidote. She was filled with gratitude; if Nangong Jin hadn't arrived in time and saved her with this precious medicine, she didn't know what tragic fate awaited her. Looking at Nangong Jin, her eyes filled with emotion, she softly said, "Nangong Jin, I'm truly grateful to you this time. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid..."

Nangong Jin waved his hand, interrupting her, and said with a smile, "Why are you still telling me these things? As long as you're alright, that's all that matters. You'd better be more careful in the future, and don't fall into other people's traps so easily again."

Lin Ning nodded slightly, secretly vowing to be more cautious in her future actions. However, after this experience, her feelings for Nangong Jin seemed to have deepened even further.