Finest Servant

Chapter 577 Trouble

"What do you mean she won't live long? What are you talking about?!" Lin Wanrong's eyes widened in shock.

The Fairy shook her head and chuckled. "You're always so slow to catch on. Let me ask you, do you know what Junior Sister An did to Yujia that night in your tent?"

‘What did Sister An do to Yujia? I think she only took off her clothes!’ Realizing Lin Wanrong had no clue, Ning Yuxi raised her little hand and playfully slapped his neck. "When you both were questioning Yujia, did Junior Sister An lay a hand on her?"

Lin Wanrong thought for a moment, puzzled. "I vaguely remember Sister An slapping Yujia on the neck like that. Does that count as laying a hand on her? If so, then I must be laying my hands and feet on you every day!"

"Why is this suddenly about me?" Ning Yuxi's cheeks flushed a light pink. She gave him an exasperated look. "A slap or two naturally doesn't count as much! But if you add this, it changes everything."

Smiling, the Fairy revealed a gleaming silver needle from her hand. Lin Wanrong thought for a moment and suddenly exclaimed, "You're saying Sister An also injected Yujia with a needle? What's the big deal? I get pricked by her needles every day!"

Ning Yuxi laughed softly. "Do you really think Yujia holds the same place in Junior Sister An's heart as you do?"

He hesitated and nodded. "Then what was in the needle she gave to Yujia?"

‘A lethal needle?’ Lin Wanrong's face changed. "How is that possible? Why would Sister An want to kill Yujia without reason?"

"There's no 'without reason,' you're either truly naive or pretending to be. Yujia is so cunning that even Junior Sister An has to be wary of her, let alone a brazen rogue like you. Non-family members have different hearts. Seeing how Yujia seems set on getting close to you, how could Junior Sister An leave such a threat alive? Given her temperament, not killing her in front of you is already leniency towards Yujia."

Lin Wanrong felt a chill. The Fairy had a point; with Sister An's White Lotus Holy Mother character, if she got jealous, killing would be as simple as cutting vegetables—ten Yujias wouldn't be enough to satiate her.

He nervously chuckled. "Well, Sister An is really something. I never saw it coming."

"There are many things you've failed to notice," Ning Yuxi replied, her eyes filled with mild irritation. She then sighed softly. "As for Yujia, she's an exceptional choice in both looks and intelligence. It's just unfortunate she's a Turkic woman with ill intentions towards you. Having only five months to live is genuinely a waste."

‘Five months? So, you're saying Sister An gave her slow-acting poison? Yujia is skilled in medicine; I wonder if she could detoxify herself.’

"What are you thinking?" Noticing his prolonged silence, Ning Yuxi took his hand and softly asked.

Lin Wanrong gave a dry chuckle. "Fairy Sister, what kind of poison did Sister An use? It's so potent. Is there a way to counter it?"

Ning Yuxi looked at Lin Wanrong with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "What, you want to save this Turkic woman?"

"No, no!" Lin Wanrong hurriedly waved his hands, speaking with a serious expression. "I just wanted to discuss some detoxification techniques with you. I've always been a diligent and eager learner." ꞦἈƝ𝐎𝐛Ęʂ

Ning Yuxi chuckled softly. "Who could you possibly deceive with that? When Junior Sister An poisoned her earlier, I was quite disapproved of it. But seeing how you are now, I realize that she understands you better than I do! If I asked you to kill Yujia yourself, you'd never do it!"

"You misunderstand me, Sister," Lin Wanrong shook his head gently and grasped her small hand tightly. "Killing is not a joyous act. But if anyone dares to harm my loved ones or my brothers, no matter who she is, I won't let her off."

Ning Yuxi stared at him, her heart warming like a fire. After a long moment, she lowered her head and softly said, "You always know how to charm me. No wonder Junior Sister An said the most important thing when dealing with you is to keep your mouth shut."

Sister An has indeed taught her a lot of killer moves, thought Lin Wanrong, laughing heartily. "Enough of this. This ice cave is fine and a peaceful sanctuary. But for the sake of our children, we need to find a way out. Don't you agree, Sister?"

Ning Yuxi blushed, lightly chiding, "What are you talking about—nonsense. I can't be bothered with you!"

The fire flickered intensely. The cave's entrance was a crack in the ice cliff to the side, about several feet wide and unfathomably deep. Lin Wanrong peered out; a chilling wind sliced across his face like a knife, prompting him to quickly withdraw his head.

The ice cave, situated within the belly of the mountain, was formed when Ning Yuxi shattered an ice chamber with her palm as they fell. She had meticulously smoothed its jagged edges. Sitting inside felt like being in another world—cozy and serene. Lin Wanrong was reminded of the vow he had made on Thousand-Forsake Peak and felt deeply moved.

At that moment, he was wrapped in Ning Yuxi's robe, its light scent wafting through the air. A lump formed in his throat as he suddenly took her small hand, "Sister, may I borrow your precious sword?"@@novelbin@@

Seeing his stern face, Ning Yuxi handed him her treasured Autumn Water Sword with a smile, "What for? You don't even practice martial arts."

Lin Wanrong shook his head, looked around, and identified two large pieces of ice connected closely together. He chuckled, darted over, measured a few times, then looked back and said, "Sister, wait for me a moment!"

He took the sword and began carving on the ice, frequently glancing back at Ning Yuxi to assess her figure, sometimes shaking his head and sometimes nodding. Gradually, faint marks appeared on the ice.

Watching him chip away cautiously, Ning Yuxi was puzzled. What is this mischievous fellow up to now?

After what felt like an eternity, he looked all around—left, right, up, down—and finally let out a long sigh of relief. Clapping his hands excitedly, he called, "It's done, it's done. Sister, come and see!"

He sidestepped, making way for her. Ning Yuxi glanced at the ice sculpture and gasped, transfixed by what she saw. It was a dress, intricately carved from crystalline ice, matching her height perfectly. A diaphanous scarf seemed to float above the headpiece, fluttering as if carried by the wind. The dress featured a peach-shaped neckline, exposed shoulders, and a long, ethereal sash cinching the waist. From the waist down, the voluminous skirt flowed gracefully, its pristine hem resembling a blossoming white lotus. The dress seemed to trail into the distance along the icy floor.

The exquisite ice gown shimmered luminously under the lights, resplendent in its splendor. It was as if it were the most enchanting, most beautiful crystal in the world.

Mesmerized, Ning Yuxi's eyes sparkled. She murmured, "Rogue, what... what is this?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Ah, in my hometown, it's called a wedding dress. Only the happiest women are privileged to wear it, and only once in a lifetime. A dress crafted entirely from ice—there's only this one in the world."

"A wedding dress?" Ning Yuxi touched the dress gently, her cheeks flushed. "Why would you make a wedding dress for no apparent reason?"

Lin Wanrong took her hand and softly said, "Don't you remember, Sister? On Thousand-Forsake Peak, I promised to make you the most beautiful garment in the world—this is it. I doubt I'll ever create anything better. Do you like it?"

Even the usually aloof Ning Yuxi was stunned. Tears trickled down her face like unstoppable rain. She turned away, her voice choked with emotion, "You, you infuriating rogue—"

Lin Wanrong embraced her, "Sister, you haven't said whether you like it or not."

"I, I—" Ning Yuxi looked at him, tears streaming down her face.

Laughing heartily, Lin Wanrong scooped her up and carried her toward the icy gown.

"What are you doing?!" She nestled into his arms, her heart pounding.

Lin Wanrong parted the section of the gown that had been left open and gently inserted her into the icy fabric. He then carefully mended the opening. Ning Yuxi stared at him, her emotions a mixture of joy and astonishment, her tears turning into beautiful ice crystals.

Ning Yuxi, enveloped in the icy fabric, was a picture of blushing beauty with tear-stained eyes. Her radiant skin seemed even more translucent than the ice itself. The sparkling gown, awash with a kaleidoscope of colors, made her appear as if she'd descended from the clouds, surpassing all earthly beauty.

Lin Wanrong was dumbstruck, "Sister, I, I—"

"You what?" Ning Yuxi lowered her head, her voice tinged with shyness.

"I, I want to kiss you!" After hesitating for so long, he felt embarrassed by his own words. "Damn, I'm really going backwards."

Ning Yuxi couldn't help but chuckle, casting him a shy glance, "So mischievous. Tell me, who taught you to make this wedding dress?"

"No one, no one. I learned it myself!" He hastily raised his hand in response.

"Hmm," Ning Yuxi nodded, then inquired, "Have you ever made one for anyone else? For example, for Junior Sister An—"

"No, no. My relationship with Sister An is as pure as ink—utterly chaste!" Lin Wanrong was sweating profusely.

Ning Yuxi simply hummed in acknowledgment, then softly asked, "Will you make one for her in the future?"

"This—this—" Lin Wanrong's hands and feet were trembling. It was a matter of life and death, and yet at such a critical moment, the Fairy had the audacity to ask such a question. Each query was clearly a trap, and what made it unbearable was that he had no choice but to step into it.

"Is it difficult to answer?" Fairy Ning looked at him with a half-smile.

"Perhaps, maybe, probably, should—" Lin Wanrong spoke in circles, constantly gauging Fairy Ning's facial expression while mustering the courage to express his thoughts.

Fairy Ning glanced at him disdainfully, chuckled and said, "Better to betray the world than your conscience. At least you understand the words 'emotions' and 'feelings'. Given how Junior Sister An treats you, if you dare to speak insincerely, don't expect me to deal with you again!"

Indeed, Fairy Ning was not easy to get along with. Even at this point, she was still testing him, Lin Wanrong thought as he quickly wiped his sweat, laughing nervously. "Absolutely, absolutely. There should be integrity between heaven and earth, and one should live conscientiously. Everyone knows that this is my principle!"

"How absurd!" Fairy Ning lightly chided, then suddenly lowered her head shyly. "Thief, come here!"

"Okay." Lin Wanrong hopped over in a few quick steps, his heart filled with unease. ‘Dear God, who knows what kind of difficult questions the Fairy has in store for me this time? If only I had studied psychology more diligently.’

Fairy Ning's face was flushed. After hesitating for a long time, she finally asked softly, "Is—Is this wedding dress really made for me?"

At this question, Lin Wanrong let out a long sigh of relief and nodded hastily. "Of course, who else could it be for?"

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she murmured something so softly that even Lin Wanrong, standing right beside her, couldn't hear clearly.

"Ah, what did you say? Can you speak louder?" he hurriedly asked.

Her face flushed crimson and her eyes sparkled through her tears. "The dress looks really good—I—I like it—"

"Really?!" Lin Wanrong jumped up in joy. "I love this dress too, just like how much I love you!"

"Thief—" Fairy Ning's voice wavered, and tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. She suddenly wiped the tears from her eyes and softly asked, "Do you—Do you not have a suit?"

‘My suit?’ Lin Wanrong was momentarily stunned. Seeing her blush, he immediately cheered up, "I do, I do! Just wait a moment!"

In a flash, he scrawled a few marks on the icy cliff next to the wedding dress and hurriedly crawled inside. In his haste, he was a bit careless, but fortunately, men never valued their suits as much as women did their wedding dresses. After what seemed like Herculean effort, he finally stretched his hand out from the ice hole and firmly grabbed Fairy Ning's hand, laughing, "This is my suit!"

Noticing his hair sprinkled with fluttering snowflakes, Fairy Ning's hand trembled slightly. Lowering her eyelashes and her head, her face flushed as she softly said, "In life and death, we have our promises, and together we shall fulfill them—"

She held his hand tightly and, after uttering that line, lowered her head in shyness, as if waiting for him to complete the verse.

‘Oh, this poem sounds so familiar,’ Lin Wanrong thought, nodding proudly. But as he opened his mouth to continue, his face turned pale: ‘Damn, what's the next line?!’

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