Chapter 1343: [NCheng] Holding hands
By the time Shangguan Ze came back, Ning Cheng had realized he’d fallen into a big hole.
“Cheng’er, you lied to me,” he murmured.
“What did I lie to you about?” Cheng’er asked innocently.
“Your assassin said you were forced into slavery!” That’s right, Ning Cheng was very unstable right now.
“So you came to rescue me?” Cheng’er giggled.
Ning Cheng couldn’t answer and fell silent. Cheng’er couldn’t bear to let him go, afraid that he’d run as soon as she released him. Shangguan Ze saw her hugging him and could barely stand it, but he didn’t know how far the two of them had gone. Since the guy was willing to sell himself to save Cheng’er, at least he still had heart. He stood at the entrance and said, “Ah-Cheng, let’s settle the agreement like thus. You can sign the deed of sale with my little sister.”
Ning Cheng didn’t answer, though it was useless for him after falling into the wolf’s den. He remained remarkable silent until Shangguan Ze left, then asked, “Have you fussed around enough?”
His voice was so fierce that Cheng’er was a little timid. She reluctantly let go and stood behind him, not knowing what to do.
“What is going on?” Ning Cheng asked.
Cheng’er sighed. “Let’s talk inside the rooms.”
Once inside, Ning Cheng smelled the strong scent of alcohol. Only then did Cheng’er remember she’d been brewing wine here. She quickly ran to the table and saw the bottom of the pot hadn’t been burned out. Breathing a sigh of relief, she said, “Thankfully, thankfully, this is the 300-year Snow Sculpture Wine my brother found for me.”
Ning Cheng glanced at it wordlessly. He was addicted to wine, but wine itself didn’t affect him much. He didn’t get drunk on his own wine or covet the wines of others. Cheng’er poured him a cup attentively and said, “Taste it, it’s definitely to your liking.”
Ning Cheng didn’t accept it. “What’s going on here. Are you tell me or not?” he demanded icily.
“Drink the wine first and I’ll tell you,” Cheng’er grinned. Leaving aside those who knew her, even those who didn’t could guess she’d tampered with the wine based on her roguish grin.
“Speak!” Ning Cheng’s patience was at its limit.
“Are you worried I drugged the wine?” Cheng’er asked with amusement.
“Yes,” Ning Cheng nodded without hesitation.
“Hey, who do you take me for?” Cheng’er was a little angry.
“Aren’t you that kind of person?” Ning Cheng retorted.
Cheng’er simply splashed the wine on Ning Cheng’s face after his words. “Ah-Chen, let me tell you,” she said seriously, “Your Shangguan Cheng’er really did grow up with a bunch of men! But I’m clean and pure. You can see me however you like, but you can’t take me to be one of those women!”
Ning Cheng was stunned on the spot. He allowed the wine to slowly flow down his face. Droplets hung off his eyelashes and made his vision blurry. This scene was so familiar yet so distant. Although it happened a few years ago, it might as well have been from a different lifetime. He even clearly remembered the wine from that year was cold, while this one was warm. That angry face of the past seemed to overlap with this furious one. He blinked and looked closer, the droplets falling with the motion. The face before him was clean and pretty and…wasn’t angry, but amused.
Cheng’er was smiling.
Cheng’er used to be full of anger, but she couldn’t help grinning after seeing Ah-Cheng make a fool of himself. She never expected such a fierce, cold man to fall for her bluff one day. She handed over a handkerchief. “Sorry, I did it on purpose.”
Yes, she said, “I did it on purpose.”
“You!” Ning Cheng didn’t know what to do with such a woman. He didn’t accept her handkerchief, but took his sleeve to wipe the alcohol off his face. Whether it was anger, stuffiness, or helplessness, he ended up exhaling a long breath.
“All right, I’ll count it as you drinking the wine. Let me tell you what happened,” Cheng’er sat down and carefully told him the truth.
Ning Cheng could hardly believe it. He was still reeling when Cheng’er handed him paper and brush. “Go ahead and write. My big brother promised to let me go, so you write the deed of sale to me.”
Ning Cheng snorted. If he really signed, it’d be the biggest loss he did in his lifetime. He stood up. “Since you’re unharmed, I’m leaving. The skies in the south, the earth in the north, may we never meet again.”
Cheng’er panicked. She grabbed his right hand and stuffed a brush into his hand with a warning. “You promised yourself! If you don’t write, I promise you won’t take a step out the Shangguan door!”
“Stop fussing,” Ning Cheng said.
“You don’t have to write it either. Just stay and live with me,” Cheng’er added.
“No can do! Stop clinging to me,” Ning Cheng said word by word.
“You clearly care about me, so why don’t you admit it?” Cheng’er was really anxious. The indifference in his eyes scared her.
“I only pity you, that’s all.” Ning Cheng put down the brush and circled around Cheng’er to leave. She couldn’t grab his right hand and went to take his left, tightly gripping his fingers.
Ning Cheng stiffened and didn’t struggle free like he did with his right, but snapped, “Let go!”
“I won’t!” Cheng’er grew stubborn.
“Just what will it take for you to let me go?” Ning Cheng had never been so stifled in his life, much less to a woman.
Cheng’er sniffled. She was clearly on the verge of tears, but still wore a capricious look. “Say you like me. Say it, and I’ll let you go.”
Ning Cheng fell silent.
Cheng’er was thrilled and quickly added, “You don’t have to say it for a lifetime, either. But if that’s the case, you have to stay here for a lifetime.”
Ning Cheng really had it with this woman. “Why bother?”
“Because I like you!” Cheng’er was direct. She subconsciously tightened her grip, only to find out something was wrong with Ning Cheng’s hand. She quickly let go and took a closer look before exclaiming in alarm, “Your hand…”
At first she thought he was stiff because he was resisting her, but after holding him tightly, she realized that wasn’t the case. His fingers were stiff originally.
“What happened to your hand?” Cheng’er cried. “Did Han Xiang hurt you?”
Ning Cheng didn’t answer. This hand…this whole arm had been wasted for the sake of reviving West Qin. Inside it was hidden the West Qin princess’s item.[1] Now there was no West Qin, only Great Qin; no West Qin princess, only the Great Qin empress, but his hand had become a force of habit. If Cheng’er hadn’t reminded him, he…would have forgotten by now.
Remembering it was intentional.
Turning it into a habit was forgetting it instead.
Ning Cheng was lost in his own world while Cheng’er was almost mad with anxiety. She tugged at Ning Cheng and asked, “Say something, was it Han Xiang who did this to you? Where else does it hurt? Say it!”
She dragged at him and inspected him from head to toe. “Will you tell me or now? Where else are you hurt? I won’t force you anymore, can you speak?”
Since Ning Cheng wouldn’t give her any answers, Cheng’er released him and walked towards the door. “Big brother…big brother…help me kill Han Xiang!”
“Cheng’er!” Ning Cheng called out quickly.
Cheng’er turned back and Ning Cheng’s whole heart seized. Because he saw this cheery, careless, sharp-tongued girl wear a face full of tears…
“I…I’m all right. It’s not Han Xiang who hurt me.” He didn’t notice how gentler he sounded.
Cheng’er quickly strode back and asked, “Then what’s going on with your hand?”
Ning Cheng looked at her and turned serious. He said, “Cheng’er, I’m not only blind in one eye, but crippled in one arm. What do you like about me?”
“I liked that you won over me,” Cheng’er blurted out. Perhaps that wasn’t the real reason, perhaps she didn’t know why either.
Ning Cheng broke into a bitter smile. “Many people can win against you.”
“But I just happened to run into you!” Cheng’er replied stubbornly back.
“You don’t even know what kind of person I am, yet you still dare to like me?” Ning Cheng asked.
“It’s not like I like you because of who you are,” Cheng’er answered.
Ning Cheng usually argued with her. After all these years, he’d never lost, but today he was rendered mute.
“Tell me who you are!” Cheng’er asked.
Ning Cheng didn’t hesitated but told her his origins. She was shocked.
“So you’re that Great General of Northern Li! The head of the Ning Clan!”
Seeing her reaction, Ning Cheng couldn’t help smiling. “It’s not too late to regret now.”
Cheng’er only slapped his hand. “Ning Cheng, I worship you most out of all the other Great Generals of Great Qin! You didn’t have a single losing battle in Northern Li, how did you do it? And why did you leave after you won? I was hoping you’d be the Northern Li King and fight your way to Wintercrow to destroy Le Zheng.”
Ning Cheng arched his brow at her, not expecting her to pay attention to the battlefront.
“Was your hand injured on the battlefield?” Cheng’er asked.
“You could say that,” Ning Cheng replied simply.
Cheng’er took his hand again. Ning Cheng wanted to avoid her, but she wouldn’t let go. She didn’t understand. “How was it hurt? Why can’t you move your hand anymore?”
A complex look flitted past Ning Cheng’s eyes. “If you let go, I’ll tell you.”
Cheng’er did and Ning Cheng took out a dagger before cutting open his palm to take out a tiny acupuncture needle. She couldn’t help covering her mouth in fright. “This needle…how did it get there?”
“It belongs to my master,” Ning Cheng replied honestly.
“The Great Qin Empress Han Yunxi?” Cheng’er was again surprised. “Why did you hide it in your hand? You shouldn’t ruin your arm just because it’s crippled, ah. Is this a very precious needle?”
“This needle is…” As Ning Cheng spoke, Cheng’er came to wrap up his injuries with her handkerchief while testing his fingers and palm.
Before he could finish, she was already interrupting. “With the needle out, it seems you can move your hand again!”
“Mm, it can move. It just has no strength,” Ning Cheng answered.
Cheng’er quickly took his hand and wound their fingers together. “That’s fine. As long as it can hold my hand, it’s enough.”
She tightened her grip and asked, “What were you saying about this needle’s origins?”
Ning Cheng looked at their entwined hands and fell silent for a while without saying a thing. Cheng’er was quite alert and worried, frightened that he’d shake her off again to leave. So she stayed silent too.
It wasn’t clear what Ning Cheng thought, but he slowly lifted their hands and rested it against his lips, kissing the back of Cheng’er’s hand.
He said, “Cheng’er, I’ll stay. I only have one condition.”
Cheng’er’s heart bloomed as she stared at her kissed hand as if drunk. She didn’t ask for the terms but said, “I agree!”
Ning Cheng couldn’t resist rolling his eyes before he said, “Forget about my identity. I’m only Ah-Cheng.”
Cheng’er happily agreed. “I wasn’t part of your past, so of course I can forget it!”
1. As a reminder: Han Yunxi’s acupuncture needle, which he stuck inside himself and kept there. Yeah.
