Jade of Another World

That day, sunlight streamed through the streets and alleys of the capital. Lin Wan was tormented by the vague memories that kept recurring in that nightmare. Her memories of the pawnshop in the west of the city made her feel that it seemed to hold some important secret. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she disguised herself and her personal maid, Xiao Cui, and decided to find out. They left the Lin Prime Minister's residence and headed towards the pawnshop in the west of the city.

The two walked carefully, trying to avoid being seen by others, and walked briskly along the street. When they passed a river in the west of the city, they suddenly heard a noisy shout: "Help! A child has fallen into the water!" Lin Wan and Xiao Cui quickly looked in the direction of the sound and saw a small figure struggling in the river, about to be completely submerged.

The people around looked panicked, but didn't know what to do, since at that time, many people still couldn't swim.

Although Lin Wan couldn't swim either, she couldn't help but feel pity and decided to go over to help. Xiao Cui anxiously said, "Miss, what should we do?" Lin Wan gritted her teeth and said, "Let's go over first and see if we need any help." Although it was best not to contact others after sneaking out, and it was also not good to reveal her medical skills, saving lives was the priority. Lin Wan thought to herself and went over with Xiao Cui.

At this moment, several men who knew how to swim heard the cries and jumped into the river. With great effort, they managed to pull the drowning child out of the water. However, when the child was pulled ashore, his face was bluish-purple, his lips were bloodless, and he had stopped breathing. He lay motionless on the ground, and his condition was extremely critical.

The crowd gathered around, shaking their heads and sighing. Just then, an elderly doctor, whom the child's father had found, rushed over with his medicine kit. The crowd quickly made way for him. The doctor knelt down, carefully examined the child's condition, and then frowned, saying helplessly, "This child has been underwater for too long. He has no breath and I'm afraid he can't be saved."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked regretful, and some even began to sob softly.

Lin Ning looked at the child's small body lying on the ground and couldn't bear it. As a doctor, she felt like a parent. She didn't care about anything else and quickly pushed through the crowd to the child's side.

"I can save her."

"Really?" The child's mother rushed over and knelt down. "Please, please save my child."

"Even doctors can't save you, what can a little girl like you do?" a fierce-looking man said.

“That’s right, saving lives is no joke.” The others chimed in.

"Young lady, I have practiced medicine all my life and seen hundreds of patients, and I have determined that none of them could be saved. Why are you trying to be so quick-witted?" The old doctor seemed dissatisfied with others questioning his judgment.

"That's right, that's right. Even the experienced doctor said there's no way to save her. This woman is just lying here. I don't know what her purpose is." Some people started whispering.

"Don't waste your time here. If my young lady says she can save you, then she can. Why would we lie to you?" Xiao Cui said angrily.

Although she knew her young mistress didn't know how to heal before, she had acquired many new skills since returning from the estate. Healing was perhaps just one of her many abilities. Now, Xiao Cui completely believed whatever her mistress said she could do. Because her mistress was truly amazing now.

Time was of the essence, and Lin Ning didn't want to waste words with them. She simply walked up to the child's parents and said, "Since the doctor has said it's hopeless, let's give it a try. I will do my best. Of course, you can choose not to let me save you, but I think if we try, there might still be a chance."

The child's father was also weighing the options: there was still a chance to save him, but if he didn't, his child would be gone.

He bowed to Lin Ning and said, "Please, young lady, make your move."

Lin Ning instructed Xiao Cui to disperse the crowd and, after ensuring sufficient airflow, quickly knelt down and began performing CPR on the child.

She gently laid the child flat, loosened his clothes, cleaned his mouth and nose, and then, with her hands clasped together, rhythmically pressed on his chest, again and again. Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on her forehead, but her eyes remained incredibly focused, and she silently counted the number of presses. After a while, she pinched the child's nose and blew air into his mouth, repeating this process. Everyone around held their breath, watching with bated breath.

There were also whispers, "Will this work? What kind of treatment is this? It looks really strange."

"Unheard of."

"Who says it's not?"

Finally, thanks to Lin Ning's persistent efforts, the child coughed up some water, slowly opened his eyes, and began to breathe weakly. Upon seeing this, everyone gasped in surprise, praising Lin Ning's superb medical skills and calling him the child's savior. Lin Ning simply smiled, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said to the old doctor, "Although the child is temporarily out of danger, he still needs proper care. Please take a look." The old doctor then snapped out of his daze, quickly examined the child again, nodded repeatedly, and began to treat him.

Knowing she shouldn't linger, Lin Ning gave Xiao Cui a wink, and the two hurriedly left. Unbeknownst to them, in a corner not far away, Prince Xian, Nangong Jin, was quietly watching everything. From the day Lin Ning returned to the Prime Minister's residence, Nangong Jin had been secretly observing her every move.

Seeing her save the drowning child today, Nangong Jin felt even more curious about her. Watching Lin Ning's departing figure, he narrowed his eyes, secretly pondering: This eldest daughter of the Lin family is more interesting than the rumors suggest. The legends not only contradict her, but she's also far from simply hiding her abilities. This supposedly weak and incompetent eldest daughter is not only intelligent and decisive, but also incredibly capable, constantly surprising everyone with her skills. Who exactly is she? How many secrets does she hold? Come to think of it, from the moment she returned, the first time he saw her, he felt a sense of déjà vu. No matter how hard Nangong Jin tried to recall, he couldn't recall ever having interacted with her before. This strange feeling… Lost in thought, Nangong Jin quietly followed her, wanting to see what she would do next.

After Lin Ning and Xiao Cui hurriedly left the riverbank, as they walked, Lin Ning suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if a pair of eyes were watching her intently from the shadows. She subtly slowed her pace and casually glanced back a few times, but with pedestrians coming and going on the street, she couldn't discern anything amiss for the time being.

But with her keen intuition, she became increasingly certain that someone was following her. Lin Ning thought to herself, she didn't know what would happen if she went to the pawnshop today, and it was best if no one else knew about it. Now that she was being watched, she couldn't go to the pawnshop.

She frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then whispered in Xiao Cui's ear, "Xiao Cui, something's not right. We're probably being followed. We can't go to the pawnshop. Let's go to the nearest shop that Mother left behind." Xiao Cui was startled and instinctively wanted to turn around to look, but Lin Ning gently pulled her back, signaling her not to alert the enemy.

So, the two subtly changed their route and headed towards the bookstore left by Lin Ning's mother. Along the way, Lin Ning deliberately led Xiao Cui through several alleys, sometimes walking quickly and sometimes stopping to look around in front of some shops, pretending to be casually strolling, trying to shake off the hidden follower.

Finally, the two arrived at the bookstore. From the outside, the bookstore's signboard looked somewhat worn, but the characters on it were still clearly visible, exuding a rustic charm. Pushing open the door, a faint scent of ink mixed with the aroma of paper wafted out.

The bookstore was filled with rows of bookshelves, brimming with all sorts of ancient books, many of them rare and unique copies, their pages slightly yellowed, as if telling stories of bygone eras. The walls were adorned with ancient paintings, each with a distinct style—some depicting magnificent landscapes, others sketching delicate figures—each clearly a forgery. This piqued Lin Ning's curiosity. Looking at the shop assistant, Lin Ning recognized the familiar and friendly Uncle Zhong from memory, and a wave of emotion washed over her. Uncle Zhong was no ordinary shop assistant; he had always been loyal to her mother, Ning Yuhuan, remaining steadfastly devoted for years without a single act of disloyalty.

Back when her mother was still alive, Uncle Zhong had already been by her side, helping her with many things. Later, her mother entrusted this bookstore to Uncle Zhong, instructing him to run it well, and telling him to wait here for her daughter, Lin Ning, to grow up and return.

Uncle Zhong deeply understood the weight of this entrustment. From then on, he remained at the bookstore, quietly managing everything as its manager. He meticulously organized the ancient books and paintings, treating every customer with warmth and attentiveness, all to prevent the bookstore's business from declining and to leave Lin Ning a stable legacy. However, if business were too good, Liu would seize it, so much of the business was conducted privately. On the surface, he only sold fake paintings, creating a false impression of trouble so that Liu wouldn't want to take over. Without drastic measures, the Lin family would likely seize the shop. Uncle Zhong also feigned compliance with Liu, who lacked any cultural refinement, and the Lin family, who disliked calligraphy and painting and preferred scheming and speculation. They reasoned that the capital was full of high-ranking officials and nobles; who would buy fake paintings? Therefore, the bookstore's business was indeed poor on the surface, sometimes even requiring subsidies, making it impossible for Liu to ever take over the shop. The other silk shops, jewelry stores, and restaurants remained firmly under the control of Madam Liu—no, they should be said, under the control of the Old Madam. The Old Madam disdained Lin Ning's mother's merchant status, yet simultaneously profited from her dowry and the lucrative business dealings. She truly had it both ways.

At this moment, Uncle Zhong looked at Lin Ning, his eyes slightly red, and his voice was filled with excitement and relief as he bowed and said, "Miss, you've finally arrived! This old servant has been waiting for this day for far too long. Over the years, this old servant has been following Madam's instructions to guard this bookstore, hoping that you would come."

Lin Ning stepped forward, gently took Uncle Zhong's hand, her eyes filled with gratitude: "Uncle Zhong, thank you for all your hard work. You've been taking care of this place for my mother for so many years. I don't know how to thank you enough."

Uncle Zhong quickly waved his hand: "Miss, what are you saying? This old servant's life was given to him by the madam. Doing these things for the madam and you is just my duty. There's no hardship in it. It's just that seeing how graceful and beautiful you have become, the madam would be gratified if she knew in the afterlife."

Lin Ning nodded slightly, a pang of sorrow rising in her heart as she thought of the original owner's mother. She composed herself and asked, "Uncle Zhong, how has the bookstore been doing all these years? Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Uncle Zhong smiled and said, "Don't worry, Miss. Although we occasionally run into minor troubles, this old servant has dealt with them all. Although our bookstore may seem poorly managed, it's all for the benefit of Madam Liu and the others. Masterpieces and genuine articles will be auctioned at the Jingji Auction House. That auction house is located in the territory of Prince Jin. I acquired the property there for Madam Liu through a clever substitution. Madam Liu and the others have no idea that the most famous auction house in Shengjing is actually your mother's property. Of course, even if she knew, she couldn't do anything about these savings and properties. After all, it's Prince Jin's fiefdom. Prince Jin's reputation is terrifying. There are many rich people in the capital, but not many who are both rich and powerful."

Lin Ning felt slightly relieved upon hearing this, but she was also curious about the connection between Prince Jin and Uncle Zhong. What was their relationship? Since it was her first day here, she knew it wasn't appropriate to say too much yet, and she needed to hurry back to her residence. Thinking about these matters, she added, "Uncle Zhong, I originally had other business to attend to today, but I felt like I was being followed on the way, so I changed my route and came here instead. You should keep a close eye on the surroundings; I'm afraid someone might be eyeing our bookstore."

Uncle Zhong's face hardened, and his expression became serious: "Don't worry, Miss, this old servant will be careful and cautious to protect the safety of this bookstore and not give anyone an opportunity to take advantage of it. But I wonder who is following you. Miss, you must be careful. The capital may seem calm on the surface, but there are undercurrents surging beneath."

Lin Ning frowned slightly, her heart filled with worry. She knew the situation she found herself in was complex, with various factions deeply entrenched in the capital. She was completely ignorant of many things and could easily be used as a pawn by those with ulterior motives. Lin Wan and Aunt Liu were jealous of her, and while they themselves weren't a threat, the Liu family behind them was not to be underestimated. Since the old emperor's time, the Liu family had held a high position in the palace. Although Grandpa Liu had passed away, the matriarch of the Liu family was still a first-rank noblewoman, and her son was the Grand Tutor, having previously been the Crown Prince's teacher. Her grandsons, Liu Jia and Liu Si, were also young talents. This family was wealthy and powerful. Lin Ning thought she would have to be even more careful in the future, as the people in the palace were even more complicated. However, she was also becoming more confident. Not only had she found much of the wealth left by her mother, but she also had Uncle Zhong's bookstore here, which gave her a sense of security, as if she had found a safe haven in this scheming world. She was no longer fighting alone. She was becoming more and more comfortable in this unfamiliar place. Although she still didn't know why she was here, she had to survive, right? Ugh... so frustrating.