Chapter 7: Not That Kind of Person

Page (1/3)

Ye Jinchen was momentarily stunned, allowing her to hold onto him, his gaze somewhat uneasy. His eyes lingered on her face for a moment as he carefully observed her features, and seeing her lips drained of color, he felt a pang of pity. The girl, once healthy and lively, had lips that should have been as red and delicate as cherry petals—a trait she had since the first time he saw her. Even the time he lost control and came to the Sansheng Hall, pinning her against the door, gripping her neck, and kissing her fiercely, her lips had been like that.

Huh?

His pupils suddenly constricted sharply, as if petrified, thunder roaring in his mind. When had he done such things to her? Why did he have no memory of it? More ambiguous scenes flooded his mind, making his heart race wildly. No wonder there were so many unexplained palm marks on his face. So much had happened yesterday; he hadn’t yet had the chance to confront her, only to realize he was the one at fault first.

He abruptly took a step back. Yun Qing, still half-asleep, rolled over and placed his hand on her cold cheek. Feeling the scorching warmth of his palm, she greedily rubbed against it. Ye Jinchen swallowed hard, watching her faintly furrowed brow filled with unease, as if losing him meant losing everything. He did not struggle further, only stiffened his waist straight as if all thought had left him, turning his gaze away and no longer looking at her.

The dream took on a hazy beauty.

Yun Qing lingered in the Marquis’s bed for a while, and when she heard the morning birds singing outside the window, she slowly rose. Hearing noise outside, she opened the door and saw her father’s somewhat aged back as he practiced swordplay in the courtyard. Every time she met her father in dreams, she felt happiness.

She smiled softly and approached, only to hear Sheng Yuting angrily shout, “Damn Ye Jinchen! I will never reconcile with you!”

Yun Qing choked on her saliva and coughed sharply. “Father, why curse Ye Jinchen for no reason?”

Page (2/3)

Hearing Yun Qing’s voice, Sheng Yuting was stunned and dropped his sword. He hurriedly turned around, grasped her arm, and examined her from head to toe. “Oh, my poor little one, are you hurt anywhere? Is there any pain?”

Yun Qing sighed helplessly. “Father, you forget, there’s no pain in dreams.”

Tears welled in Sheng Yuting’s eyes as he embraced her. “I worry about you. Last night was so dangerous. What if something had gone wrong?”

Yun Qing bit her lip awkwardly and muttered guiltily, “Su Lan really caused you unnecessary worry…”

Sheng Yuting’s anger flared. “How dare you say that! You hid such a big matter from me! And last night, you even coaxed me to sleep and locked me up. Were you trying to kill your father’s ghost?”

Yun Qing patted his back to soothe him, then led him to the swing under the tree, pushing it gently. “Father, I’m fine now. I haven’t even entered the Marquis’s residence yet. How could I die before that stinky girl?”

Sheng Yuting snorted. “You can deal with Jin Xiu, but why bother with that brat’s life or death?”

Yun Qing smiled mischievously. “I have my reasons for keeping Ye Jinchen. Father, you don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

Ye Jinchen glanced at the sleeping Yun Qing on the bed, then opened the exquisite jewelry box beside her. Inside lay a delicate pear blossom hairpin of smoky blue jade. At dawn, Su Lan had sent it over, saying it was a personal item Yun Qing must never part with.

Curiously, Yun Qing, who frequently broke into cold sweats at midnight, slept much more peacefully with the hairpin nearby, even smiling occasionally in her sleep, appearing at ease.

He picked up the hairpin and examined it carefully; the craftsmanship was indeed exquisite. Suddenly, the hairpin seemed to emit a shifting glow. Frowning, he noticed a burning heat spread through his fingers. Instinctively, he released it, and the hairpin fell onto the soft bedding.

He picked it up again, bewildered, only to feel a chilling cold that made his fingertips almost frostbitten. After some study, he put the hairpin back in the box, no longer daring to touch it.

This girl was strange. Though her face had been as pale as death last night, enough to make him think she’d need at least ten days to recover, after just one night, her complexion was rosy and her lips returned to a healthy cherry hue.

After bidding farewell to Sheng Yuting, Yun Qing slowly woke from the dream, her long lashes fluttering. Unlike the ease in the dream, she felt physically drained upon waking. A steady stream of nourishing energy flowed into her right side, gradually restoring her strength.

Page (3/3)

She propped herself up on the bed and looked around. The bed was carved from golden nanmu wood, with soft gauze curtains swaying gently in the breeze through the window lattice.

Rubbing her temples, she muttered, “This isn’t my room. Where am I?”

“Ye Palace.”

At the sound from her right, Yun Qing turned to see Ye Jinchen in a dark, noble robe sitting on a pearwood chair by her bedside. He had sat rigidly all night, still bearing faint palm marks from yesterday on his handsome face. His refined phoenix-like eyes were bloodshot and weary, a look of utter despair.

After she had Su Lan summon him last night, she lost consciousness. What had happened since, she had no idea.

Seeing him there startled her. She suddenly sat up straight. “Brazen scoundrel! How dare you spy on me while I sleep!”

Hearing this, Ye Jinchen glared at her sourly, his voice hoarse and drained of all strength and means. “You let go of me first.”

Yun Qing looked down, realizing she had somehow taken hold of his hand. Panicked, she shook it off, rubbed her own hands, crossed her arms, and leaned back. “How could I be holding your hand?”

“You covet my beauty,” said Ye Jinchen, sleepless and with red-rimmed eyes, no longer his usual proud self but instead radiating an indescribable grievance.

“Pah, pah, pah!” Yun Qing exclaimed, pointing at his nose. “I was minding my own business at Sansheng Hall. You forcibly abducted me! Tell me, what exactly is your purpose?”

Ye Jinchen clenched his teeth in anger, grabbing the finger she pointed at him. “Ungrateful white-eyed wolf! If you weren’t on the brink of death and your enemies hadn’t come after Sansheng Hall, do you think I would have taken you in?”

After saying this, he hastily looked down at her hand in his grip and quickly let go.

Yun Qing frowned suspiciously and leaned closer, staring into his eyes. “Really just helping me? Not taking advantage of me?”

Ye Jinchen felt uneasy under her gaze. Thinking of what happened yesterday, even a glance made him feel burning heat. He turned his head away. “I am not that kind of man!”