Jade of Another World

Lin Ning rushed back to the Prime Minister's residence from the pawnshop in a great hurry. Without daring to delay for a moment, she immediately summoned Uncle Zhong. Her face was pale with anxiety, and her eyes were full of worry. She spoke rapidly to Uncle Zhong, "Uncle Zhong, something terrible has happened. Manager Wang of the pawnshop in the west of the city has been arrested by the authorities. This is definitely not a simple matter. You must quickly find someone to pull some strings and make sure to find out why Manager Wang was arrested and by whom. Also, how many people were arrested in total? We need to find out all these details."

Seeing Lin Ning's anxious appearance, Uncle Zhong knew the seriousness of the matter and immediately agreed, then hurriedly went out to contact people to handle the matter.

Lin Ning, meanwhile, paced restlessly in the mansion, her eyes constantly glancing towards the door, hoping Uncle Zhong would bring back news soon. Every second of waiting felt like torture; her mind was filled with all sorts of terrible speculations. She worried that Manager Wang's arrest would implicate Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun, fearing they were currently in danger and she was powerless to help. This worry was like an invisible net, tightly enveloping her, keeping her heart constantly in her throat. Just when Lin Ning felt she was about to collapse from the torment of this long wait, Xiao Cui rushed in and reported, "Miss, Young Master Liu Si of the Liu family requests an audience, saying he has important matters to discuss."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning was taken aback. She immediately thought that Liu Si didn't usually have much contact with her, and she and Grand Tutor Liu had practically no relationship to communicate. Why would he come to see her, and now suddenly say he had important matters to discuss? Could it be related to Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun? Without time to think further, she quickly said, "Quickly, please invite Young Master Liu to sit in the flower hall. I'll be right there." With that, she straightened her clothes and hurried towards the flower hall. However, her mind was still preoccupied with these matters, and she was filled with doubt about the important matter Liu Si was about to discuss, wondering what news awaited her.

Lin Ning rushed to the flower hall, and upon seeing Liu Si, her face still held a hint of wariness. After all, the current situation was complex, and she had to be cautious.

Seeing this, Liu Si didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point. He first took out the note from the medicine packet from his pocket, placed it on the table, and then slowly said, "Miss Lin, last night, I received a medicine packet from the pharmacy's assistant containing this. At first, I was a little puzzled, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a secret letter and a rather strange-looking picture."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning's heart tightened, and she stared intently at the medicine packet. Her intuition told her that this must be related to Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun.

Liu Si continued, "I read the contents of the letter carefully. Although it was unsigned, I guessed it must have been sent by Lin Wan, because there were some symbols that only the two of us could understand. The letter described some of the situation and included a code and a coded diagram that guided me to a cave. I followed the diagram and indeed found a cave, where I discovered the seriously ill and unconscious Yingchun."

At this point, Liu Si's face was full of heartache and worry. He paused and continued, "I quickly took Miss Peng Yingchun back to my private residence and have already asked a doctor to treat her. However... what is even more worrying is that I have not found Wan'er in that cave."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning's face turned deathly pale. Her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, and her voice trembled slightly: "Then... then Lin Wan, she..."

Liu Si sighed softly, his expression grave, and said, "I suspect that Lin Wan has already been captured. There were no signs of a struggle around the cave, so something must have happened, and Lin Wan couldn't escape. This situation is truly worrying."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning's eyes reddened, her heart filled with self-blame and anxiety. She blamed herself for failing to protect Lin Wan, and was anxious that Lin Wan was now in someone else's hands, not knowing what kind of torture she would suffer. She forced back her tears, bit her lip, and said, "Young Master Liu is right. We must find a way to locate Lin Wan as soon as possible."

Liu Si frowned slightly and said with a worried expression, "Miss Lin, I will try my best to find out where Miss Lin Wan is. However, Miss Peng Yingchun is seriously injured. Although I have already asked a doctor to treat her, I am still worried. I thought that since you have a deep friendship with her, I hope you can go to my private residence to treat her and take care of her."

Lin Ning looked surprised. She truly hadn't expected Liu Si to be so eager to help. After all, in this complex and unpredictable situation, many people operated on the principle of "the less trouble, the better." Moreover, he was the son of Grand Tutor Liu; was he genuinely trying to help? Lin Ning was deeply worried. She looked at Liu Si and then asked, "Young Master Liu, I am truly grateful for your trouble in helping me, but I wonder what I can do right now?"

Liu Si sighed softly, his face full of worry, and said, "I am also Lin Wan's brother. You have been helping them all along, and I should be thanking you. Now it's Yingchun. After I rescued her, she was in a very bad state. She didn't say a word, just kept crying silently. It was really heartbreaking to see her like that. The doctor also said that she not only has physical injuries, but she probably also has too much grievance and fear accumulated in her heart, which is why she is so listless. I was thinking that since your medical skills are so superb, could you treat her and also give her some advice?"

Lin Ning quickly nodded and replied, "Of course. Yingchun is like a sister to me, and I will do my best to take care of her."

Liu Si responded and hurriedly led Lin Ning towards his private residence. Along the way, Lin Ning was filled with worry for Peng Yingchun. She secretly vowed to take good care of Yingchun and help her recover from her injuries and fear as soon as possible. At the same time, she silently prayed that Liu Si could successfully find out Lin Wan's whereabouts and help her escape this dangerous and difficult situation.

Lin Ning and Liu Si hurried to the house. As soon as they entered, they heard faint sobbing coming from inside. They rushed in and saw Peng Yingchun sitting on the edge of the bed, her hair disheveled, her face still as pale as paper, her eyes red, and tears rolling down her cheeks like broken beads. The doctor beside her looked helpless, wanting to treat her but unable to get close. Whenever he touched her, Peng Yingchun struggled to get away, muttering incomprehensible words.

Seeing this, Lin Ning felt extremely distressed. She quickly walked to the bedside, sat on the edge of the bed, gently held Peng Yingchun's hand, and said softly, "Yingchun, it's me, it's Lin Ning. Don't be afraid, I'm here to take a look at your illness. It's important for you to get better."

Liu Si also gently advised, "Miss Peng, you can't resist treatment like this. We can figure out a solution together. You don't want Miss Lin to worry about you, do you?"

When Peng Yingchun heard Lin Wan's name, her crying subsided a little, but she was still sobbing and her body was trembling uncontrollably.

Lin Ning quickly turned to Xiao Cui and said, "Xiao Cui, go and boil some brown sugar ginger juice to warm Yingchun up." Xiao Cui responded and hurried out to prepare.

Before long, Xiao Cui came in carrying a steaming bowl of brown sugar ginger juice. Lin Ning took it, blew on it gently, and then held it to Peng Yingchun's lips, saying, "Yingchun, come on, drink some of this first to warm yourself up." Peng Yingchun hesitated for a moment, but finally opened her mouth slightly and drank a few sips.

With Lin Ning and Liu Si's constant comforting, Peng Yingchun's emotions gradually calmed down, and she was no longer as resistant as before. Liu Si stood to the side, his gaze always gently fixed on Peng Yingchun, his eyes filled with concern, pity, and a hint of a different emotion that was not easily noticed by others. Lin Ning was naturally perceptive, and looking at Liu Si's expression, she seemed to see something. She secretly pondered that Liu Si's concern for Yingchun was probably not just out of enthusiasm for helping; could it be that Liu Si also liked Yingchun? However, this was not the time to explore such matters; the most important thing was to help Yingchun recover.

Seeing that Peng Yingchun's emotions had gradually calmed down and her face was no longer as pale as before, Lin Ning breathed a slight sigh of relief. She knew that the most important thing right now was to find Lin Wan as soon as possible, since Lin Wan's whereabouts were currently unknown, and every moment of delay would increase the danger.

So Lin Ning looked at Liu Si and said in a sincere but urgent tone, "Young Master Liu, Yingchun is much better now. I will stay here to treat and take care of her. However, Lin Wan is still missing and in critical condition. I will have to trouble you to find out where she is as soon as possible. Every moment I wait, I become more worried. I am really afraid that something bad might happen to her."

Liu Si nodded slightly upon hearing Lin Ning's words, his face full of solemnity. He knew that Lin Wan's current situation was precarious and could not be delayed. He immediately replied, "Miss Lin is right. I will go and investigate right away. You have taken good care of Miss Peng here. If you need any help, just send someone to let me know. I will do my best."

Lin Ning said gratefully, "Thank you very much, Young Master Liu. I hope to hear good news soon."

Having said that, Liu Si didn't linger any longer, turned around and quickly walked out of the house, clearly determined to find Lin Wan's whereabouts as soon as possible. Lin Ning turned back, looked at Peng Yingchun, who was still weak and asleep on the bed, and sighed softly.

Lin Ning carefully arranged for people to guard outside Peng Yingchun's room to ensure she could recuperate peacefully. She then went to the main hall, sat at the table, and prepared to write a letter to Uncle Zhong. Her brow was furrowed, her heart filled with worry about the current situation. She dipped her pen in ink, pondered for a moment, and then began to write furiously on the letter paper.

In the letter, she gave detailed instructions to Uncle Zhong to do everything he could to investigate the whereabouts of Manager Wang of the pawnshop. After all, Manager Wang's arrest was likely to be closely related to Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun's affairs. Only by figuring out this matter could they find more useful clues and also investigate Lin Wan's whereabouts.

After writing the letter, Lin Ning carefully folded it, called Xiao Cui over, handed the letter to her, and solemnly said, "Xiao Cui, quickly take this letter to Uncle Zhong, and be careful on the way." Xiao Cui nodded obediently, then took the letter and went out.

Xiao Cui walked cautiously towards Uncle Zhong's direction, not daring to relax for a moment, her eyes constantly observing the surrounding movements. Just as she passed through a small alley, she suddenly heard a familiar voice. She subconsciously turned her head and saw that it was Manager Wang.

Xiao Cui was both surprised and delighted, and quickly stepped forward to ask, "Manager Wang, you've finally appeared! We were so worried about you! What happened?"

Shopkeeper Wang dusted himself off and said with lingering fear, "Sigh, the people from the Ministry of Justice said they wanted to investigate whether my pawning was true, but they arrested me without any reason. However, after interrogating me for a long time, they couldn't find any substantial evidence, so they released me."

Xiao Cui and Manager Wang exchanged pleasantries for a while, but they both knew that this was a warning to them.

Suddenly, Manager Wang whispered, "On my way back, I heard from my informant that Princess Nangong Ruoli has returned."

Xiao Cui was surprised to hear this. She knew that Nangong Ruoli had always gotten along very well with her young lady and they were like sisters. However, they hadn't been in contact for so long, and she didn't know whether her return was a blessing or a curse.

Xiao Cui quickly said, "Manager Wang, why don't you go back to the pawnshop and rest? I'll go back and tell Miss this news right away."

After saying goodbye to Manager Wang, Xiao Cui quickened her pace and headed towards Lin Ning.

Upon hearing the news brought back by Xiao Cui that Princess Nangong Ruoli had returned, Lin Ning's heart stirred, and a thought flashed through his mind, as if he had found a new direction for investigating Lin Wan's whereabouts.

She paced back and forth in the room, her thoughts drifting back to the past. She and Nangong Ruoli had once been inseparable, like sisters, confidants who shared everything. Now, for Lin Wan's sake, she felt perhaps she could set aside her concerns and seek Nangong Ruoli's help again.

After all, due to various changes, Nangong Jin and she had gradually grown distant, but he wouldn't tell her anything. Since Nangong Jin returned to the capital, he hadn't visited her even once. Lin Ning also knew that Nangong Ruoli, as a princess, must have many connections. If she could get her help, there might be a turning point in finding Lin Wan. However, they hadn't been in contact for a long time, and now that they had just met, she was asking for help. She wasn't entirely sure if Nangong Ruoli would agree. She thought she would treat Yingchun first today, and once Yingchun's condition stabilized, she would go to the princess's residence.

After Peng Yingchun slowly woke up, she was still in terrible condition. Lying in bed, her eyes blankly staring at the bed curtains, tears streamed down her face like broken beads, soaking the pillow. Hearing the movement, Lin Ning rushed to the bedside, looking at her with heartache, and said softly, "Yingchun, you're awake. How are you feeling? Come, let me take your pulse and see if your condition has improved." As she spoke, Lin Ning reached out to grasp Peng Yingchun's wrist.

But to everyone's surprise, Peng Yingchun suddenly pulled her hand back like a startled deer, shrank back into the bed, and remained silent, only shedding tears. Her appearance was so pitiful and helpless.

Seeing this, Lin Ning became even more anxious. She leaned forward and said in an even gentler tone, "Yingchun, I know you're upset, but you can't keep resisting treatment like this. You need to get better. Only when you're healthy can we work together to find Lin Wan. If you keep going like this, what am I supposed to do?"

However, no matter how earnestly Lin Ning tried to persuade her, Peng Yingchun seemed not to hear her, remaining immersed in her own sorrow, her lips tightly closed, refusing to let Lin Ning take her pulse. Lin Ning's eyes reddened with anxiety. She didn't know whether to sit or stand by the bed, feeling both worried about Peng Yingchun's health and heartbroken by her depressed state.

Lin Ning looked at Peng Yingchun, who was still immersed in grief and unresponsive to her words of comfort. She felt anxious and pained, her eyes reddened, and her voice choked with emotion. She took Peng Yingchun's hand and said earnestly, "Yingchun, we've known each other for so long and been through so much together. Don't you still consider me a sister? If you have any grievances or anything to say, you must tell me."

She paused, sighed softly, and continued, "Think about it, when you were imprisoned in the Crown Prince's residence, what a difficult situation you were in, yet you all escaped with your courage and wisdom. How strong and brave you were back then, I have always admired you."

Lin Ning's eyes were full of pity as she looked at Peng Yingchun and continued to persuade her, "But now, at least we're out of that dangerous place. Although Lin Wan's whereabouts are still unknown, which is heartbreaking, we can work together to find her. How did you become like this? What happened that made you so distressed and so despondent?"

At this point, Lin Ning took a slight breath and continued, "Besides, do you know that not only am I very worried about you, but Young Master Liu is also very concerned about you. I can tell that his feelings for you are quite special. Didn't you like Young Master Liu before? I was thinking that after this matter passed, you two might have a good outcome. How come now, you don't even care about your own health? How heartbroken those who care about you must be."

When Peng Yingchun heard the words "Young Master Liu," her body trembled slightly, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she did not make a sound. Instead, her tears flowed even more fiercely, each drop falling onto Lin Ning's hand that was holding hers. They were scalding hot, as if each one carried the full weight of her pain and grievances.

Seeing this, Lin Ning knew that her words might have touched a nerve, so she pressed her advantage and continued softly, "Yingchun, cheer up! No matter what happens, we sisters will face it together. What will happen if you keep being so depressed?"