Chapter 37: Found

“It’s a bit hot. Drink it when it’s cooler, but don’t let it get too cold. I was busy earlier. You… you rest well.”

Shi Yuning set the medicine bowl on the stool beside the bed, not daring to lift her head to look at Xie Zhaoran’s face.

She blurted it all out in a rush and quickly slipped away.

Her nervous demeanor made it seem like a monster was chasing her from behind.

Xie Zhaoran let out a soft chuckle. She was that monster.

She had wanted to ask about what had happened earlier but hadn’t expected Shi Yuning to be quite so shy.

This gave Xie Zhaoran a fresh perspective on Shi Yuning. In the past, she had always seen her as bold and carefree, with a simple heart that didn’t hold onto secrets.

Now, though, she realized Shi Yuning had her delicate moments too—bold when she was bold, and timid when she was timid.

But the more she learned, the more captivated she became.

After Shi Yuning bolted like her feet were greased, she felt she’d been too obvious. She hadn’t even waited for Xie Zhaoran to finish the medicine before taking the bowl away.

She smacked her forehead hard. Lately, her mind was filled with all sorts of improper thoughts. Just being in the same room with Xie Zhaoran made it impossible to stop her imagination from running wild.

She needed to find something to do. Shi Yuning glanced around. Tian Dame was truly a neat freak; the house was spotless even before she left.

There was nothing for her to clean.

With light footsteps, Shi Yuning wandered out into the courtyard. Her eyes immediately fell on the small vegetable patch, where vibrant green cucumbers dangled thickly from the trellis.

“Perfect!”

Shi Yuning clapped her hands together in delight. She would make something to eat.

Seeing those cucumbers reminded her of a dish Tu Chunhua absolutely loved—one that was especially appetizing in the summer heat.

After choking down that bitter medicine, Xie Zhaoran surely needed something to tempt her appetite.

Shi Yuning got right to work. She hiked up the hem of her skirt to form a pouch and picked it full of cucumbers, deliberately choosing the ugliest, most misshapen ones.

The dish wasn’t complicated to make, though it took some time. She wasn’t sure when they’d be able to go home. If her family found her in a few days, she could bring some back for her mother.

Thinking of Tu Chunhua made Shi Yuning’s steps grow heavy. She wondered how her mother was faring.

Xie Zhaoran had analyzed it, though, and her mother should be out of mortal danger. Shi Yuning trusted Xie Zhaoran’s sharp mind. Still, no mortal danger didn’t mean no suffering.

She wondered if her mother had endured any hardship. Sigh, she herself had suffered plenty. When she got back, she’d pour out her woes to Tu Chunhua, soften her up, and then bring up her relationship with Xie Zhaoran.

Shi Yuning was already mentally apologizing to Tu Chunhua in advance for her scheming. She’d used this trick since childhood to melt her mother’s heart.

Back when she’d secretly gone off to learn martial arts behind Tu Chunhua’s back, this was the very tactic that had finally won her over.

Shi Yuning was sure it would work this time too.

With that thought, a bit of worry crept in. She’d only glimpsed Xie Zhaoran’s mother from afar once. Was it her imagination, or did Xie Zhaoran’s mother seem to dislike her?

What a headache.

Shi Yuning carried her skirt-pouch of cucumbers to the well in the back courtyard. She set them in an empty wooden basin, drew a bucket of water, and let them soak.

She fetched a kitchen knife and cutting board from the house, then dragged over a square stool to use as a table. After thoroughly washing the basin of grotesquely shaped cucumbers, she chopped away with loud thwacks.

Before long, the entire basin was sliced.

Her chopping was noisy enough that Xie Zhaoran came out to check twice, only to be shooed back inside each time.

Shi Yuning lined the cut cucumbers on a bamboo sieve and set it out in the sun to dry.

With this kind of weather, three days would do the trick.

Once the moisture was baked off by about seventy or eighty percent, they’d be ready for cooking.

Whether stir-fried or served cold, they’d be delicious either way.

Shi Yuning beamed at the thought of making something new and exotic for Xie Zhaoran. She loved seeing the light sparkle in Xie Zhaoran’s eyes.

Once finished, Shi Yuning peeked inside. Seeing that Xie Zhaoran had drunk the medicine and fallen asleep, she breathed a sigh of relief. With all those injuries, rest was exactly what she needed.

She quietly slipped out and headed to the fields. Earlier, she’d noticed weeds sprouting in Tian Dame’s patch of edamame. Having picked her cucumbers, she felt uneasy without doing some work in return.

Only after Shi Yuning’s footsteps faded did Xie Zhaoran open her eyes. Her sleep had never been sound, but she knew Shi Yuning wanted her to rest properly.

Xie Zhaoran sighed, her gaze fixed on the tightly shut door, as if she could see through it to the busy figure outside.

In the past, she’d always thought of herself as the protector in their relationship—the one who shielded and cared for Ningning. Now, the roles had reversed, and she was the one being cared for.

The feeling was strangely wonderful, unlike anything she’d experienced in the palace or at the Duke’s Mansion.

Those people served her because of her status or on orders, always angling for something in return.

Even her family—her mother, her father.

Her mother had never cared for her as a child. The closeness in adulthood was just a bid for obedience, a push for her to bring greater glory to the Xie family.

Xie Zhaoran once thought her father was different. Later, she realized he was the same—if not worse, with even greater greed.

Otherwise, after she refused to become the Crown Princess or the Empress, he wouldn’t have cut off all contact.

As if she were no longer his daughter.

Xie Zhaoran pulled her eyes from the door and surveyed the small bedroom. The vast courtyards of the Duke’s Mansion were all cold and empty, but this humble little room filled her with a warmth she’d never known.

She longed to stay like this forever—a tiny shelter from the storms, just her and Ningning for life.

But the Shi family…

Xie Zhaoran’s expression grew grave. The Shi family was different. Ningning’s parents were so kind. If they learned of their relationship…

The thought of Ningning caught in the middle made her heart ache.

Her Ningning was so wonderful; she wanted to have her all to herself. She’d even fantasized about running away together, just the two of them.

But she knew she couldn’t. She could abandon everything—her family had long since abandoned her. Ningning was different.

Xie Zhaoran felt troubled. She didn’t believe the Shi family could accept her.

And she never imagined they’d find them so quickly—far faster than she’d anticipated, by a lot.

Shi Yuning hadn’t expected her father to come searching personally.

That evening, after dinner, she was squatting by the wall corner frying medicine for Xie Zhaoran when a cry laced with sobs rang out.

“Ningning? Is that you, Ningning?”

Shi Yuning thought she’d hallucinated, hearing her father’s voice.

But when she turned and saw his tear-streaked face peering over the courtyard wall, she plopped down onto the ground on her backside. “Dad?”

That single “Dad” was like lightning before a storm, soon followed by a thunderous crash that shook them all.

“Ningning! My Ningning!”

Shi Minda wept openly as he flung himself against Tian Dame’s courtyard gate. Without waiting for the guards behind him to help, he stumbled forward on hands and knees toward Shi Yuning.

Snapping out of her shock, Shi Yuning scrambled to her feet and rushed toward Shi Minda.

They met in the middle of the courtyard and embraced fiercely, sobbing into each other’s shoulders.

“Ningning, my daughter! Your father thought he’d never see you again.”

“Dad, Dad! I missed you so much. I thought I’d never see you again.”

One cried “daughter” with heart-wrenching anguish.

The other wailed “Dad” with soul-tearing grief.

The guards outside the courtyard had reddened eyes. Chen Da’s own brimmed with glistening tears.

He was thrilled for Marquis Shi. The old marquis’s only granddaughter was safe and whole—no missing limbs. Now the heir could finally eat and sleep.

But scanning the place, he saw only Miss Shi. Where was the Xie girl?

Were they not together?

A bad premonition stirred in him. He’d heard from the princess’s people that the Xie girl couldn’t swim.

He let out a sigh.

Still, he had no ties to the Xie family, so his sympathies were biased. As long as Miss Shi was safe, their hearts could rest easy.

Shi Minda and Shi Yuning clung and wept for a full quarter-hour before slowly pulling themselves from the whirlwind of joy and sorrow.

“Dad, how did you find me?” Shi Yuning wiped her tears and asked.

Shi Minda dabbed at his own. “Your grandfather sent men down the cliff to search. They found a river below. Your father figured you were okay, so I came along with the guards to look for you.”

They’d come down from the cliff.

Fresh tears streamed down Shi Yuning’s face.

“Dad, you’re afraid of heights. That cliff is so high…”

Shi Minda gave a silly grin, his nose red and his eyes shining extraordinarily bright. “I’m more afraid of never seeing Ningning again.”

“Dad, waaah!” Shi Yuning threw herself into Shi Minda’s arms for another round of sobs.

Shi Minda patted her back soothingly. “It’s okay now. Dad’s here. Dad’s come to take you home.”

He called for Chen Da, who was waiting outside. “Find us a carriage. We got down from that cliff, but climbing back up won’t be easy.”

Chen Da nodded. “Don’t worry, Young Master. I’ll handle it.”

Shi Minda trusted him implicitly. He patted Shi Yuning. “Thank Uncle Chen quickly. We owe him a lot this time.”

Shi Yuning bowed sincerely in gratitude. Then she said they needed to pack and pulled Shi Minda into the house.

After a moment’s thought, she shut the door.

“Dad, wait here a bit.”

Shi Minda assumed she had things to pack. He nodded, found a stool, and sat, taking in the room.

Shi Yuning entered the bedroom. With all the commotion outside, Xie Zhaoran hadn’t emerged. Either she was asleep and hadn’t heard, or there was another reason.

So Shi Yuning played it smart and hadn’t mentioned Xie Zhaoran.

Inside, she found Xie Zhaoran sitting on the bed’s edge, lost in heavy thought as she looked at her. Her guess seemed right.

“What’s wrong?” Shi Yuning hurried over. “You heard what was said outside, right?”

Xie Zhaoran nodded.

Shi Yuning blinked in surprise. “You’re not happy?”

Xie Zhaoran shook her head. “No. I’m glad you reunited with your family.”

Shi Yuning sensed there was more. She waited patiently for the rest.

“Some things… I need your uncle’s help with,” Xie Zhaoran said with a faint smile.

Shi Yuning frowned after hearing Xie Zhaoran’s request. She didn’t fully understand but did as asked.

Shi Minda was startled to learn the Xie miss was there too—and even more baffled that she wanted to hide the news of being found.

But like Shi Yuning, when something didn’t make sense, he let it go.

He agreed, then went to find Chen Da to make arrangements. Keeping Xie Zhaoran out of sight was simple: just park the carriage right in front of the house.