Once this thought emerged, it completely occupied all of Ji Lingchuan's mind.
Spending the rest of his life with her was what he desired in his heart, but for now, it wasn't the right time.
There were still many issues between them. For example, there was Song Nanxin, the nominal princess of the Prince of Ningqin in name, and her younger brother who suffered from a heart disease. All these matters awaited resolution.
Ji Lingchuan walked behind Song Yihuan, frowning as he pondered.
Back then, when the Empress Dowager selected a princess for him, academic performance at the Imperial College was the primary criterion. In the eyes of outsiders, the one with excellent academic performance should have been Song Nanxin.
But only he knew that in fact, most of the time, someone else had attended school on Song Nanxin's behalf.
This matter was extremely confidential, and Song Nanxin had taken away all the test papers. How to uncover this truth was indeed a difficult problem.
What he was worried about was that both Song Yihuan and Song Nanxin came from the Marquis of Ding'an's Mansion. They were half - sisters with the same father but different mothers. If the matter that Song Nanxin had someone attend school on her behalf was exposed, it would be equivalent to deceiving the emperor.
The crime of deceiving the emperor was a serious one. He knew the temperament of his aunt, the Empress Dowager, very well. She couldn't tolerate even a single grain of sand in her eyes. Now that she held real power, if she knew she had been deceived, the entire Marquis of Ding'an's Mansion would be in big trouble. Then Song Yihuan would not be able to escape punishment either, which would also cut off all the paths for her and Song Yixuan.
This matter needed to be carefully planned.
Moreover, there was the person in Tinglan Courtyard who had been diagnosed by Doctor Zhong as having had a miscarriage. The secret hidden in the dark also needed to be secretly investigated and not be made public. Otherwise, it would also affect Song Yihuan's reputation. Even if he divorced and remarried, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager and his mother would not allow her to enter the mansion as his wife.
This situation was indeed difficult to resolve.
Song Yihuan didn't completely ignore Ji Lingchuan. From time to time, she would take the opportunity to turn around and observe his reaction. Seeing his calm and solemn face, as if he was unmoved by her words just now, she frowned.
She knew that he was not such an easy - to - deceive person. His mind was as deep and difficult to fathom as a nine - ring puzzle. Otherwise, her elder sister would have captured his heart long ago, and wouldn't have to endure his cold looks every day.
However, no matter how difficult the nine - ring puzzle or the Kongming Lock was, she had ways to solve them. He just had a temperament that responded better to soft persuasion than to force.
From afar, she saw a herd of horses grazing on the grass. Song Yihuan lowered her eyes, pretended to stumble, and fell to the side.
The next moment, the man stepped forward and supported her elbow: "Be careful."
Song Yihuan stood up straight with his support, gently pulled away her hand, and whispered, "Thank you, Brother Ling."
She took a step forward. A sharp pain came from her ankle, and she gasped softly.
Ji Lingchuan had been paying attention to her. Seeing her in such pain, he didn't hesitate to hold her wrist, made her sit on a rock by the roadside, then knelt on one knee in front of her, held her injured ankle, and began to knead it for her.
He exerted some strength with his hand, and the pain made Song Yihuan take a sharp breath. Ji Lingchuan looked up at her, with a bit of helplessness on his face.
"How many times is this that you haven't watched your step while walking? At the Guanyin Temple before, you almost fell down the stairs. I don't know what's going on in your head?"
Song Yihuan whispered, "I was thinking about how we should explain this to others after we've been away for two days. And..."
She carefully looked at Ji Lingchuan: "How should I repay you for saving my life, Brother Ling?"
Ji Lingchuan looked into her eyes. His dark pupils reflected her figure and the mountain forest behind her.
"How do you want to repay me?" His voice was hoarse, and he added a little more strength with his hand.
She looked at his tattered outer robe and tentatively said, "Last time you saved me in the market and even injured your shoulder for that. I embroidered a money bag for you. How about I sew you a new set of clothes this time?"
Wearing clothes embroidered by her own hands? Just thinking about it made him look forward to it. But if so, should he just let her get away with it so easily this time?
"Is your life only worth a money bag and a set of clothes? If I had known you regarded yourself so cheaply, I might as well not have saved you." He said indifferently.
Song Yihuan gently bit her lower lip.
What did he mean? Could it be what she was imagining?
"Then how does Brother Ling want me to repay you?" she asked tentatively.
Suddenly, Ji Lingchuan exerted a strong force and put her dislocated ankle back into place, making her let out a cry of pain. A layer of cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
Standing up, Ji Lingchuan said indifferently, "I'll let you owe me this life - saving debt for now. I'll tell you when I've thought it through. However, you do need to embroider a set of clothes for me as you said just now. As for the problem of how to explain this, it's not difficult to solve."
"Fuzhou will hide my whereabouts for me. No one will know that we've been together for these three days."
"I also have a question for you. Have you thought about how to deal with the person who wanted to kill you after you go back?"
Song Yihuan's breath caught in her throat. Her face changed. She didn't say a word but bit her lower lip hard.
Seeing her like this, keeping things to herself and not willing to talk to others, Ji Lingchuan felt a bit annoyed.
"Forget it. I'll find a maid who knows some martial arts to take care of you. If you encounter danger again, she can protect you to some extent."
Song Yihuan blurted out, "No! Don't!"
Ji Lingchuan's gaze swept over: "Oh? Why? Do you have any concerns?"
She pretended to be calm and said, "I still have a maid named Chunxing by my side. That girl has been with me since childhood. She can take care of me. After all, I probably won't go back to the Prince of Ningqin's Mansion after I go back this time. It's not appropriate for you, brother - in - law, to send a maid to me all of a sudden."
Ji Lingchuan stared at her. His gaze made people feel flustered. Until Song Yihuan unconsciously averted her eyes, he said, "Really? Since this is what you want in your heart, then I'll follow your wishes."
"Wait here. I'll go and get a horse for you to ride." After saying that, Ji Lingchuan turned around and walked towards the nearby herd of horses.
Song Yihuan watched his back and let out a barely audible sigh.
Although he always reminded her to remember her identity, he had already unconsciously crossed that boundary with her.
This was her bargaining chip.
She had calculated every step. She wanted to plant the seeds of doubt in his heart bit by bit and make him suspect who the person who had served him in the night was.
In this way, even if the truth came out one day, relying on his bit of pity, she could take the initiative in this situation and save her own and Xuan'er's lives.
Taking down the curved bow on her back, Song Yihuan put a long wooden arrow on the string and aimed at a pheasant hiding under a tree not far away.
The long arrow left the string and accurately shot the pheasant dead on the ground.
The shyness that Song Yihuan had when facing Ji Lingchuan just now disappeared. She became calm and composed.
She looked at her hand and clenched it satisfactorily.
Dear elder sister, I'm going back to your side today. Are you ready to take my move?
Next, it's your turn to live this miserable life of uneasiness.