Since that day, Shi Ning'an only went to see Rong Sui, who was still in a coma in bed, when she moved back to her own courtyard. Then, the Princess Zhaoming was so afraid that the two children would be frightened that she didn't even allow them to leave the courtyard.
It had been ten days by now, and it was actually the first time she had seen Rong Sui again.
Shi Ning'an's face flushed instantly. She had kept what had happened that day from others. Only Rong Sui, Zeng Haomiao, and she herself knew about it. In order to keep it a secret these days, Shi Ning'an had pretended to be weak in front of the elders. She didn't even dare to get out of bed for fear that they would notice something from her walking posture.
It was only in the past two days that she felt much better and dared to get out of bed.
However, seeing Rong Sui, she couldn't help but think of what had happened that day. In fact, there had been more fierceness than tenderness, more pain than pleasure, but she was very happy because it was him.
Rong Sui gave Rong Heng a cold look and asked, "Why are you here?"
Rong Heng pointed inside and then scratched his head, not knowing how to answer.
It was Shi Ning'an who asked softly, "You... Why did you come out? Are you feeling better?"
Rong Sui had lost a lot of weight, and his face was pale and bloodless. He had lost too much blood that day, and it was impossible for him to recover in such a short time.
His eyes were cold. Instead of letting Rong Ping push the wheelchair for him, he wanted to push it into the room by himself.
Seeing this, Shi Ning'an quickly walked over, motioned for Rong Ping to step aside, and pushed the wheelchair herself. She asked, "Your body isn't fully recovered yet. You should rest well. Otherwise... the family will be worried."
Rong Sui's voice was also cold: "I'm not like you. I can't bear to lie in bed for ten days without getting up."
So he just couldn't bear to lie in bed. Shi Ning'an nodded. She could understand. When she had pretended to be ill in bed a few days ago, she had also felt extremely stuffy.
Seeing that Shi Ning'an didn't answer, Rong Sui snorted angrily: "I heard from Aunt yesterday that you were feeling better... and could get out of bed."
Shi Ning'an nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. She pushed Rong Sui to the door and said, "Yes, I felt much better yesterday and could go out for a walk."
Rong Sui was as cold as ice.
Rong Heng had been standing in front of the door for a long time, still wondering what "cooked rice from raw rice" meant. When he saw his elder brother's cold, knife-like gaze, he shivered and forced a smile: "Well, bro, what a coincidence."
Seeing that Rong Heng was standing in the way and didn't know to step aside, Shi Ning'an quickly reached out and nudged him, glaring at him.
Rong Heng finally realized and quickly jumped to the side. However, when he looked down, he wondered why his elder brother's face had turned even darker. Did he blame him for blocking the way too tightly?
Rong Sui asked, "Did Mother send you here?"
Rong Heng thought for a moment, then mumbled an answer and quickly shook his head: "No, I came here on my own. I just wanted to see... well, I just wanted to see my cousin."
Rong Sui sneered: "She's lively and kicking now. What's there to see?"
Shi Ning'an felt that she had at least been frightened and had even sacrificed herself to save Rong Sui. Why couldn't she hear a single kind word from him?
Rong Heng gave a dry laugh and didn't answer.
It was Rong Ping who couldn't help but speak up: "Miss, Young Master woke up several days ago, but he couldn't get out of bed. I sent someone to tell Miss Lu'er, but did Miss Lu'er... forget to tell you?"
Rong Sui glanced at Rong Ping obliquely but didn't say anything in the end.
Shi Ning'an stammered, "Lu'er told me. I... I knew about it..."
Rong Sui clenched the armrests of the wheelchair. He forced a smile and said, "I guess you're very busy. You have to see this person and that person every day."
Shi Ning'an was confused. She whispered, "I... I don't have anyone to see."
Rong Sui kept a cold face and didn't say a word. The others didn't dare to speak either.
It was Zeng Ruoyun behind the screen who burst out laughing. She walked out and said loudly, "Cousin, you're really too much. After all, Brother Rong was so seriously injured. Now that you're feeling better, you didn't even go to see him once?"
Shi Ning'an finally realized that these days, she had been so afraid that others would notice that she had lost her virginity that she had been too shy to go out. She had also been worried every day, thinking about what had happened that day. Moreover, although they were engaged and there weren't so many taboos in the capital for engaged men and women to meet, she was still too shy to go and see him.
So Rong Sui was angry because of this.
Shi Ning'an blushed and lowered her head, smiling with narrowed eyes. This Rong Sui was actually a bit cute.
Having his thoughts directly exposed, Rong Sui's ears turned red involuntarily. He covered his lips with his hand and coughed a few times to cover up. Then he asked, "Why is Miss Zeng here..."
He didn't know what had happened between Zeng Ruoyun and Rong Heng that day. Only after he asked did he realize that it was inappropriate. Just now, Zeng Haomiao had come to see his injury and told him that they would be returning to Nanling with Second Master Zeng in three days. Zeng Ruoyun must have come here to say goodbye to Ning'an.
Rong Heng finally understood the meaning of "cooked rice from raw rice" at this moment. He stepped forward and raised his hand to pat Shi Ning'an on the head. However, before his hand could reach her, a jade pendant came out of nowhere and hit his wrist, making him grimace in pain.
When he came to his senses, he picked up the jade pendant, looked back at Rong Sui, and said, "Bro, why did you hit me?"
Rong Sui said with a straight face, "What do you want to do?"
Rong Heng pointed at Shi Ning'an and then at himself. He sat down aggrievedly and mumbled, "Bro, you're being too partial. How did cousin just attack me? I didn't even touch her! Besides, she was the one who was rude first. She..."
"She's going to be your sister-in-law."
Rong Heng was stunned.
Shi Ning'an's face was as red as blood. She couldn't help but look up and glare at Rong Sui: "Nonsense. She... She's not yet!"
She turned around and went behind the screen. She called out to Yingtao, "Yingtao, my boudoir is in such a mess. Anyone can just come in and take a look. Hurry up and drive them all out."
Rong Sui squinted his eyes. There was only a screen between the inside and the outside, and the distance was very close. If they didn't lower their voices, they could naturally hear everything clearly.
He rarely showed a hint of a smile and only asked, "Do you have other thoughts now?"
Zeng Ruoyun clapped her hands and laughed, "Alright, alright. You two are so in love. I won't be a nuisance here. I'll go back and pack my things first."
As soon as Zeng Ruoyun left, Rong Heng immediately followed her out, shouting, "Miss Zeng, wait for me..."
Rong Sui ignored the two of them. He motioned for Rong Ping to guard the door and then turned his wheelchair into the inner room.
He saw Shi Ning'an covering her face with a handkerchief. When she saw him coming, she immediately turned her back and didn't look at him: "You... Go back. I'll go and see you when I'm free."
However, Rong Sui didn't leave. He stood up from the wheelchair and took a few steps forward. Due to lack of strength, he fell onto the bed.
Shi Ning'an was startled and quickly came over to help him up: "What are you doing? Be careful not to hurt yourself..."
Although Rong Sui's body hadn't fully recovered, he was very strong. In an instant, he pulled her onto the bed and pressed himself on top of her.
Shi Ning'an didn't dare to struggle. She stammered, "Rong... Rong Sui... You... Don't act recklessly..."
Rong Sui kissed her gently on the tip of her nose: "Now you're afraid?"
Shi Ning'an wanted to push him away but didn't dare to use too much force. She was so shy that she didn't know what to do: "That day... I was just trying to save you... I had to take quick action. But now you're making fun of me with this?"
Rong Sui turned over and sat on the bed. He helped her up and then reached out to hold her hand, rubbing it gently in his palm: "Ning'an, I miss you."
Shi Ning'an deliberately put on a straight face and ignored him.
Rong Sui insisted on turning her body around and hugging her in his arms: "Ning'an, I... I miss you every day. If I could have come out earlier, I would have come to see you sooner."
Shi Ning'an's face was as red as blood. She was held tightly in his arms and lowered her head without saying a word. In her previous life, even after she got married to Wei Hongmiao and had heard many sweet words, she had never heard anything as direct as Rong Sui's.
In her previous life, she had always abided by the rules. How could she be so intimate with Wei Hongmiao during the day? Not to mention during the day, even at night when they had sex, she had been extremely restrained. It had only lasted for a little over half a stick of incense before it was over. She was very clean and always had to take a bath before going to bed, while Wei Hongmiao thought it was noisy and got up and went to the study.
Shi Ning'an was a bit dazed. She didn't understand why, now that she had been reborn, she would still think of those things with Wei Hongmiao.
She looked up at him, at his thin face. She couldn't help but reach out to touch his face. She had seen him not long ago, even seen him taking off his clothes and sparring with Rong Heng. He had been so strong and powerful, but in just a few days, he had become so thin.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Rong Sui couldn't hold back anymore. He reached out and tilted her chin up, then kissed her deeply.
The kiss was lingering and tender, but much more affectionate than the previous two times. Shi Ning'an's heart throbbed. She felt as if she was floating in the clouds, not knowing where she was.
I don't know how long it took before Rong Sui finally let her go.
Shi Ning'an was out of breath, with teary eyes. Her nose and cheeks were all tinged with a rosy color.
Rong Sui scratched her nose and then hugged her in his arms again: "Ning'an, I love you."
Shi Ning'an replied with a soft "um". She was too shy to say more, but there was a bit of uneasiness in her heart.
Rong Sui's voice was a bit hoarse: "Why... Didn't you come to see me?"
Shi Ning'an's face turned even redder. She had to confess, "I... I was afraid that Aunt would notice something..."
Rong Sui rubbed her fingers. They were soft, with a few calluses on them. She loved embroidering on weekdays and often practiced acupuncture. The calluses felt a bit itchy.
He was a bit distracted. He kissed her on the tip of her ear: "I've checked the date. The sixteenth of next month is a very auspicious day. I'll tell them that I'll marry you on that day."
Shi Ning'an quickly shook her head: "In the middle of next month, it's Tang Chuyao and Zheng Chi's wedding..."
Rong Sui smiled softly: "Who cares about them? Ning'an, I want to marry you earlier. I want you to truly belong to me."
Shi Ning'an naturally didn't agree. She kept saying, "No, no. I've already promised Zheng Chi that I'll give her a good send-off. And we've just gotten engaged. Do you want to simplify everything when you marry me?"
Rong Sui held her hand in his. In fact, he was trying to control the throbbing in his heart. He was afraid of hurting or offending her, so he could only play with her hand.
"No, Ning'an. Your wedding ceremony should be the most grand one in the world."
Shi Ning'an's eyes were a bit hot. Her wedding ceremony in her previous life had been simple, but he was going to create a grand occasion for her.
She looked up at him, with stars shining in her eyes: "Sanlang, thank you."