Jade of Another World

The more Lin Ning and Nangong Ruoli talked, the more depressed they felt, their doubts and...

The unpleasant feeling lingered in her heart, and she couldn't shake it off no matter what she did. So, the princess suggested, "Sister Lin, why don't we go to a restaurant and have a drink until we're completely drunk, okay?"

Lin Ning had the same idea, so she nodded in agreement. The two of them got up and headed towards the most famous restaurant in the vicinity. Upon arriving at the restaurant, the manager hurriedly welcomed them into an elegant private room and laid out fine wine and dishes.

At first, the two simply sipped their wine slowly, chatting idly about other things. But as the wine flowed, their sorrows intensified with each sip, and they drank cup after cup, losing count of how many they had consumed.

Gradually, a blush spread across the princess's face, and her eyes began to glaze over, clearly indicating she had drunk too much. Her eyes reddened, tears welled up, and finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears, sobbing, "Sister Lin, do you know? That time I was in danger, I almost lost my life, but Brother Jin… Nangong Jin, he actually stood by and watched me die. I was so hoping he would save me, but he just watched... I'm so disappointed, so heartbroken, I will never forgive him again."

The princess wept, her face streaked with tears. She wiped them away and continued, "If it weren't for Sister Lin appearing in time to save me, I would have been in a terrible situation by now, and I might even be dead. From then on, I realized that there are very few people in this world who are truly good to me, and you, Sister Lin, are one of them. From now on, I will only treat you as my own sister and will never rely on anyone else again."

Hearing the princess's tearful lament, Lin Ning felt a pang of sorrow. She herself had also drunk quite a bit and was feeling dizzy, but thankfully, she was in much better shape than the princess. She quickly put down her wine cup, sat down beside the princess, and gently patted her back, comforting her, "Your Highness, please don't cry. It's not good for your health. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding. His Highness the Prince might have had his reasons. Don't take it too hard. No matter what, I'll always be by your side."

The princess leaned against Lin Ning's chest, still sobbing, muttering her grievances over and over again. Lin Ning patiently comforted her while secretly pondering what was going on with Nangong Jin's refusal to help her in her time of need. It seemed the hidden story behind it was far more complicated than she had imagined.

Seeing the princess crying her heart out after drinking too much, Lin Ning felt anxious and helpless. She knew she couldn't let the princess stay in the restaurant drinking like this; she had to get her back home quickly. So, she hurriedly instructed the maid beside her, "Go and get someone to help us take the princess back to her residence."

The maidservant was at a loss for words, scratching her head as she asked, "Miss, then... then who should we call for help?"

Lin Ning was also flustered and didn't think much before blurting out, "Call Nangong Jin and have him send the princess back."

The maid responded and hurriedly went out to find someone. But as soon as the maid left, Lin Ning suddenly came to her senses and immediately regretted it. She raised her hand and gently patted her head, secretly fuming, "Oh dear, how could my brain be so muddled? I actually asked to call Nangong Jin. I forgot about the current situation."

She knew in her heart that Nangong Jin was so distant and indifferent to her and the princess now, so if she called Nangong Jin, he probably wouldn't come.

Lin Ning paced back and forth in the private room, her heart pounding with anxiety. She wondered what would happen if Nangong Jin didn't come, or if she could call Young Master Liu over. But for the moment, she was at a loss, and could only wait anxiously. A short while later, the door to the private room was gently pushed open, and the maid indeed called Nangong Jin over. Lin Ning looked up, but this time she didn't see Rosa. However, Nangong Jin's gaze towards her remained as unfamiliar and cold as ever, as if they were complete strangers.

Lin Ning was full of questions, with many things she wanted to ask him, such as why he refused to help the princess and why he was so distant from her. But when she met his cold and distant gaze, it was as if something was stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say anything in the end.

After a moment of silence, Lin Ning took a deep breath and tried to make his tone sound calm as he said, "Send the princess back. I was just in a hurry and couldn't think of anyone to ask for help, so I sent the maid to call you."

Nangong Jin nodded slightly, his expression remaining calm, and replied, "Alright, Miss Lin, do you need me to arrange for someone to take you home as well? After all, it's late at night, and it wouldn't be appropriate for a young lady like you to go home alone if something happened to you."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning felt a bitter smile. She thought to herself, "Is it really unnecessary for a cold-blooded animal like you to worry about me?" However, she still politely replied, "No need, I'm fine on my own. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

Nangong Jin didn't say anything more. He simply turned and walked to the princess's side. Looking at the princess, who was completely drunk and unconscious, he frowned slightly, gently picked her up, and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he glanced back at Lin Ning, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but it quickly returned to its coldness. Then, he carried the princess out of the private room.

Lin Ning stood quietly, watching Nangong Jin's departing figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions, confusion, and helplessness. She simply couldn't understand how the Nangong Jin she once knew so well had become like this.

Supported by her maid Xiao Cui, Lin Ning staggered out of the restaurant. She felt dizzy and her body swayed uncontrollably, completely losing the dignified demeanor she usually possessed as a lady of high birth.

The two walked towards the Lin family's carriage. Lin Ning looked at the carriage, thinking that she should hurry up and go back to the mansion to rest. She reached out to grab the carriage shaft and tried to climb onto the carriage. She thought to herself that she hadn't drunk much, so this shouldn't be a problem. But the alcohol had already taken effect, and her hands and feet were no longer under her control.

She had just managed to climb a little higher when her body suddenly lurched, and she uncontrollably fell to the ground. Lin Ning instinctively closed her eyes, thinking, "This is terrible, I'm going to get a hard fall."

However, just as she was about to fall to the ground, she suddenly felt a pair of large hands catch her steadily. Lin Ning was startled, and the alcohol sobered her up a bit. She quickly opened her eyes and looked back. To her surprise, she saw a very familiar face – it was Nangong Jin.

Nangong Jin frowned, a hint of concern in his eyes, and said to Lin Ning, "Miss Lin, you should be more careful after drinking. How could you be so reckless? What if you fell?"

Lin Ning stared at him blankly, momentarily unable to come to her senses. Just a moment ago, she felt that he was so unfamiliar and distant, but now his sudden concern stirred up a complex emotion in Lin Ning's heart, as if she had returned to the time when they got along fairly well.

Lin Ning composed herself and tried to break free from Nangong Jin's embrace, but her body was still a little weak. She could only blush and say, "Thank you for your help, Your Highness. It was my oversight. I... I'm fine now. Your Highness, please put me down."

Nangong Jin did not let go immediately. Instead, he looked at Lin Ning, hesitated for a moment, and said softly, "Miss Lin, how will you get back to the manor like this? I'll escort you there. Otherwise, I won't be able to rest easy."

Lin Ning didn't know whether she should accept Nangong Jin's kindness, but given the current situation, she was in a rather awkward predicament and found herself in a dilemma.

Nangong Jin seemed to have completely changed. Before Lin Ning could say anything more, he pulled her towards his carriage without explanation, his movements swift and decisive, giving Lin Ning no chance to resist.

Xiao Cui stood there, eyes wide with astonishment, completely unprepared for this situation. The Lin family's carriage sat there all alone, the driver looking equally bewildered.

Lin Ning was pulled along by Nangong Jin, feeling both surprised and frightened. She never expected Nangong Jin to act this way suddenly. His aloof and indifferent demeanor from before was still vivid in her mind, yet now he was so forceful. She couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, are you taking me back to my residence?"

As Nangong Jin pulled Lin Ning forward, he said without turning his head, "I'll take you to my hot spring. You've been drinking, so you need to soak in the hot spring to feel better."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning hurriedly broke free from Nangong Jin's hand and shook her head repeatedly, refusing, "I won't go, Your Highness. Men and women should not touch each other. How can I go to your place to soak in the hot spring? It's against etiquette. Please send me back to the Lin residence."

Nangong Jin stopped and turned around, looking at Lin Ning with a firm gaze. He said in an unquestionable tone, "You have to go. I have something to say to you. Besides, if your family sees you in this state, it won't be easy to explain, will it? Go soak in a hot spring to sober up, and we can talk things out."

Lin Ning's heart was pounding. Looking at Nangong Jin's serious yet somewhat anxious expression, she became increasingly uneasy. She didn't know what Nangong Jin wanted to say to her, but the idea of ​​going to the hot springs really made her feel that it was too inappropriate. For a moment, she was caught in a dilemma in the carriage, but the carriage was speeding along, and it seemed that it was time to make things clear today.

Before long, the two arrived at the hot spring. Wisps of steam rose from the pool, and everything around them seemed veiled in a thin gauze, exuding a hazy, ethereal beauty.

Lin Ning, however, was filled with resistance. Standing by the hot spring pool, she frowned and said, "Your Highness, I have already said that I do not soak in hot springs. Please send me back to my residence. This is really inappropriate."

However, Nangong Jin seemed not to hear her words. Without saying a word, he stepped forward, hugged Lin Ning in his arms, and then jumped into the hot spring pool with Lin Ning in his arms.

With a splash, water sprayed high into the air, catching Lin Ning off guard and pulling her into the water. When she surfaced, her hair was wet and clung to her cheeks, her face full of anger. She shouted, "Nangong Jin, what do you mean by this? Before, you always acted like you didn't know me and ignored me. Now you're acting like you care about me. What do you want?"

Looking at Lin Ning's angry expression, Nangong Jin's eyes flashed with a complex emotion. He reached out and gently brushed the hair from Lin Ning's face, saying, "I'll tell you when you're sober. You might not listen to me now anyway."

After saying that, the two remained in that ambiguous embrace, quietly staying in the hot spring. The warm water enveloped their bodies, and the rising steam made their faces flush red, whether from the heat of the hot spring or from the subtle and awkward atmosphere between them.

Lin Ning was both angry and embarrassed. She tried to break free from Nangong Jin's embrace, but his arms held her tightly, making it impossible for her to move. She could only turn her head away, blushing, wondering to herself what Nangong Jin was up to and why he acted so unpredictably. She could only hope that after the hot spring bath, he would give her a reasonable explanation.

After soaking in the hot spring for a while, Nangong Jin finally released his grip on Lin Ning and stepped out of the pool first. Lin Ning watched his retreating figure, feeling both angry and confused, but she didn't say anything more and simply followed behind silently.

Nangong Jin led Lin Ning to a relatively secluded corner inside the cave, where a partition made of bamboo curtains had been built, cleverly creating a small space that was quite suitable for changing clothes.

Nangong Jin walked straight behind the bamboo curtain partition, and soon changed out of her wet clothes with a rustling sound.

Lin Ning stood to the side, her gaze inadvertently falling on the bamboo curtain partition. A sudden realization struck her; she couldn't help but recall how she had complained to Nangong Jin about the lack of a place to change clothes in the cave, which was quite inconvenient. Could this partition have been specially built for her by Nangong Jin?

She felt a mix of emotions, a little touched but also full of doubt. Thinking back to Nangong Jin's cold and distant attitude towards her before, treating her like a stranger whenever they met, yet now he was doing these seemingly thoughtful things, taking her to the hot springs and setting up this changing room. What was he up to?

Lin Ning frowned, pondering to herself, "Could it be that Nangong Jin's previous cold demeanor was all an act? But why would he do that?" So many questions lingered in Lin Ning's mind, making it impossible for her to understand. She could only wait for Nangong Jin to come out and ask him properly to see what his intentions were.

After changing his clothes quickly, Nangong Jin walked out from one side of the bamboo curtain partition. He was holding a set of dry clothes in his hand, which he gently placed on the rack in front of the partition. The clothes were clearly women's clothing.

Lin Ning stood there, her clothes already soaked through by the hot spring water, clinging to her body and feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Seeing the dry clothes on the rack, she didn't have time to think and quickly went into the changing cubicle.

When she went inside, she discovered that Nangong Jin had prepared a perfectly fitting women's outfit for her. The quality of the fabric and the exquisite embroidery showed that it had been carefully chosen. Lin Ning gently stroked the clothes, and a wave of sadness welled up in her heart again. She thought to herself, "Nangong Jin, Nangong Jin, why are you doing this? You were so cold to me before, but now you've gone to such lengths to prepare this. What does this mean?"

Lin Ning changed her clothes and came out of the cubicle. Looking at Nangong Jin, her eyes were filled with confusion and grievance. Unable to contain her questions any longer, she launched into a barrage of questions at him: "Nangong Jin, I really don't understand your actions today. Before, when you saw me, you acted like you'd never met me before, ignoring me completely. But now, you've brought me here to soak in the hot springs and prepared all this. Are you playing hard to get, or is there another reason? Or perhaps all this was prepared for someone else, and I just happened to be here? Whatever you're thinking, I'm not one of those foolish, love-struck fools. Don't try these tricks on me; it's pointless."

Looking at Lin Ning's puffed-up and aggrieved expression, Nangong Jin frowned slightly, opened his mouth as if to explain, but seemed unsure of where to begin. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "Miss Lin, I know my previous actions have caused you confusion and made you feel wronged. However, I cannot explain the reasons to you right now. Please give me some more time, and when the time is right, I will tell you everything."

Lin Ning snorted coldly and said, "You're making me wait again, Nangong Jin. You always do this. Why should I trust you?"

Looking at Lin Ning's angry yet expectant expression, Nangong Jin hesitated for a long time before finally speaking slowly, "Miss Lin, if I tell you the truth, can you guarantee you won't be angry?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ning frowned even more deeply. She replied irritably, "Hmph, that depends on what truth you're telling. You haven't even said it yet, how am I supposed to know if I'll get angry? Don't try to fob me off with that. Just say what you have to say. I don't have the patience to keep you beating around the bush."