"Have a good trip. I won't see you out.'"
This was clearly kicking him out. Ming Li stood up, walked to the door, then turned back. He took off a jade pendant from his person and placed it in Ning Huaiyu's hand.
"Keep this pendant safe. If you have any trouble in the future, you can come to the Cao residence to find me."
Ming Li was always someone who understood propriety, knew etiquette, and was cautious and careful. But today, he casually gave his personal jade pendant to someone else—a first for him.
Ning Huaiyu played with the pendant in his hand, looked up at him, curled his lips into a smile, and said,
"Young Master, you are very strange. Giving me a pendant for no reason—people might think it's a token of love."
Ming Li smiled. "Consider it fate, meeting your eye."
After saying this, he went out and descended the stairs.
Ning Huaiyu stood upstairs, watching Ming Li leave, his fingers gently stroking the jade pendant.
A few days later, Ming Li went to the Meiren Pavilion again because he heard from his secret guards that someone had bought the Pavilion Master for the night—he was going to serve someone that very evening. He rushed to the Meiren Pavilion without stopping. The pavilion was decorated everywhere with red.
Ming Li entered, grabbed someone, and asked urgently, "Where is your Pavilion Master?"
"Who are you!"
"Where is he?"
Ming Li's face was dark and gloomy. "Speak quickly!" he said sharply.
The person was frightened by his imposing manner and stammered, pointing upstairs,
"I-in the private room on the top floor."
Ming Li released him and quickly walked upstairs. Arriving at the door of the private room, he pushed it open violently. Ning Huaiyu was sitting upright at the table drinking tea, his expression calm.
He was wearing a light blue robe today, a jade belt of the same color cinching his slender waist, his ink-black hair loose. He turned his head at the sound of the door opening.
"What are you doing here?" Ning Huaiyu asked, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes when he saw him.
Ming Li stepped forward and took his hand. "Come with me."
Ning Huaiyu broke free his hand and laughed. "Young Master, what are you doing? Since I've already accepted this business, I can't leave with you."
Ming Li frowned tightly. "I won't allow you to serve others."
Ning Huaiyu looked at him, crossed his arms, and smiled.
"Won't allow? Who are you to me? A lover or an employer?"
Ming Li gritted his teeth. "I'll redeem you."
"Young Master, have you forgotten? I own the Meiren Pavilion. What do you mean, 'redeem'?" Ning Huaiyu said.
"Then what will make you give up this job?" Ming Li asked.
Ning Huaiyu looked up at him, then suddenly smiled, his fingers touching Ming Li's chest and trailing downward.
"Unless... someone with greater power than the Prime Minister intercepts this job."
He had set this trap to catch this little emperor, but after meeting him once a few days ago, the man hadn't shown up again, forcing him to use this move.
Ming Li grabbed Ning Huaiyu's hand and pulled him over.
"So you were waiting for me here. Then today, I will intercept this job. How about that?"
Ning Huaiyu struggled free, lifted his face, and said petulantly,
"Too late. This young master doesn't feel like transferring the job now."
Before Ming Li could say anything, an arrow shot through the window from outside, heading straight for Ning Huaiyu. At that moment, Ming Li instantly pulled Ning Huaiyu into his arms.
"Careful!"
In an instant, arrows rained down. Ming Li tightly shielded the person in his arms. An arrow struck him, and blood splattered across Ning Huaiyu's face.
Ning Huaiyu's face was no longer calm. "You're injured."
His hands pressed tightly on Ming Li's shoulder.
"Don't protect me anymore."
Ming Li, pale-faced, smiled and said, "I came today for you. How could I not protect you?"
"If you die, I'll be condemned for eternity."
He helped Ming Li hide in the secret room in the inner chamber.
Only when the person was settled did he realize Ming Li was also injured on the back.
The man had already passed out from the pain.
Ning Huaiyu panicked.
"Don't sleep! Cao Ming Li, don't sleep!"
The person in his arms remained deathly still.
"If you die, I'll go receive clients tomorrow!" Ning Huaiyu cursed.
"You dare?" Ming Li finally woke up, his hand gripping him tightly.
"Don't go."
"Then hang on. Don't die." Ning Huaiyu stripped off his outer robe to examine the wound.
Ming Li smiled weakly.
"I'm not going to die. I still have to marry you."
After saying this, he finally couldn't hold on and closed his eyes.
Ning Huaiyu was stunned upon hearing this.
He looked up at him.
But I came to kill you.
Knowing that, would you still marry me?
"Hey, wake up."
He sped up his actions, removed his upper garment, pressed down firmly, pulled a medical kit from under the bed, and began treating his wounds.
Fortunately, the vitals weren't hit. He knew some methods for treating wounds. After finishing everything, before dawn, he took the person to the gate of the Cao residence.
He waited until people came out to carry him inside before leaving.
Cao Jun and Shu Ge'er were terrified.
First, Ming Xi had an accident; now, Ming Li was injured.
Cao Jun felt he needed to go up the mountain to pray and get rid of the bad luck.
Luckily, the wounds had already been treated. He would recover after some rest.
That damned kid wouldn't say a word when he woke up.
Asked how he was injured, he said an assassin tried to kill him.
Asked who saved him, he said it was some stranger he didn't know.
It made Cao Jun so angry he picked up a feather duster. If it weren't for his injuries and Shu Ge'er stopping him, he would have given him a few whacks.
After that, that person left the capital. The Meiren Pavilion was transferred to someone else and turned into a food shop.
Thinking of this, Ming Li snapped back to reality, then smiled bitterly.
"I actually wish he would come assassinate me. But now, I can't even see him."
Ming Xi murmured, Ling Cang pulled him closer. "If there is fate, you will meet again."
Ming Li just thought the man was comforting him and smiled, shaking his head.
Cao Jun and Shu Ge'er looked at Ming Li in shock, but Ming Xi's matter was more urgent right now.
"Today is the first day. There will be two more days tomorrow and the day after. You need to look after him. He might be a bit irrational these few days; don't let him get hurt." Shu Ge'er said.
"About having children, wait until after you are married. Xi'er is still young." Cao Jun added.
Shu Ge'er glared at him, disliking his bluntness.
Ling Cang: "I know."
Then he glanced at Ming Li.
"That General Ming Qi at the border will be betrayed and ambushed in half a month. He will be beheaded by the Qiang enemy and his head displayed as a warning."
All three of them froze. Ming Li was the first to react.
"Is there a way to save him?"
Regardless of whether what this person said was true or false, once it involved Ming Qi's life and safety, not the slightest mistake could be overlooked. Back then, when Ming Qi wanted to join the army and go to war, Ming Li absolutely refused to let him.
First, the battlefield was fraught with danger. Second, if something happened to him, Dad would definitely be unable to accept it, and Father would surely beat him to death. But despite all their efforts to stop him, he still sneaked onto the battlefield and became a renowned great general of Qing Country.
"If you want to save him, have him kill the Left General and change the strategy of entering the enemy camp from the west." Ling Cang said unhurriedly.
"Thank you for telling me." Ming Li bowed.
Ling Cang: "No need to thank me. I said I'm doing this only so my Xi'er won't worry about you."
During the conversation, Ming Xi woke up.
Seeing Shu Ge'er on the other side, he called out, "Dad!"
Shu Ge'er: "Yes, my little treasure is awake? Your heat came early. With no other choice, your father and I agreed to let Ling Cang help you through it. Do... do you like him?"
"If you don't like him, when you come home, Dad will find someone else for you."
Even if Xi'er lost his virginity, he could still find a good family for his son.
Ling Cang also looked down at the person in his arms, waiting for his answer.
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