The Whole Dynasty Spoils the Tyrant's Beloved Youngest Daughter-Chapter 318: The Flowers Planted for You by Lord Zuo Yi
Without hesitation, Ye Ying charged into the Black Forest after reaching its entrance, without a hint of hesitation or deliberation.
At this moment, the only thing he could think of was that Jun Ning and the others had entered the Black Forest and would surely be in danger.
He brushed aside layers of untouched, primitive underbrush and hurried forward.
Passing through an open area, he saw signs of a struggle on the ground, along with considerable bloodstains, which were not confined to one place but scattered around.
Scattered about.
He crouched down to examine the blood. It was still fresh, neither dried nor vanished, proving that all the bloodstains here were from fresh blood.
Fresh blood?
Fresh blood?
This phrase kept echoing in Ye Ying’s mind.
And fresh blood indicated someone had just fought here and got injured.
Could it be the Pavilion Master?
Thinking of this, Ye Ying looked at the blood on his fingers, his heart trembling, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Pavilion Master, wait for me, don’t be afraid, I will surely come to rescue you." Then he stood up and moved deeper inside.
The deeper he ventured into the jungle, the more unpredictable the danger became.
Yet, Ye Ying completely disregarded his own safety.
No matter how difficult or dangerous it was, he had to save them.
He must save them.
...
Jun Ning returned to the Imperial City by noon the next day.
She first returned to Qianji Pavilion to rest before heading back to the palace, but as she and Lan Xihe entered the gate of Qianji Pavilion, the guard informed them of a distressing matter.
"Pavilion Master, Miss Lan, you’re back? What about Lord Left Wing?"
"Lord Left Wing didn’t return with you?"
The guard looked toward Jun Ning and Lan Xihe, searching among the remaining assassins for Ye Ying’s figure, but finding none, they sighed deeply and looked at Jun Ning, waiting for her response.
Jun Ning was a bit confused, "What do you mean by that? Ye Ying also went to the Black Forest with me?"
The guard nodded, "Yes, Lord Left Wing resolved the issues with the Duke and the Wushang Sect, then hurriedly took people to the Black Forest, saying he was going to help you, but now, now..."
The guard did not finish, but Jun Ning could figure it out.
But now, while Jun Ning and her party had returned, Ye Ying had not.
They had not encountered each other.
Jun Ning hurriedly asked, "How long ago did Ye Ying leave?"
The guard gave a number of days.
Jun Ning’s heart instantly grew anxious.
By the guard’s account of when Ye Ying left, he must have reached the Black Forest already, and it was the night they left.
Back then, their precise route and plans to gather medicine were not known to outsiders, they only rested for a few days at an inn near the Black Forest.
If Ye Ying merely asked the inn about their whereabouts, he might mistakenly think they went into the Black Forest without coming out... and then followed them in...
The beasts there were so savage, Jun Ning couldn’t imagine the consequences.
Jun Ning decisively ordered, "Send someone with signal flares to the Black Forest, quickly, immediately."
Lan Xihe volunteered, "Ah Ning, let me take people there? If Master sees anyone else from Qianji Pavilion, he might not believe them or follow them back. But he will believe my words."
"But, Sister Xi He, we’ve already been rushing all night, are you sure you can hold up?" Jun Ning looked at the light dark circles under Lan Xihe’s eyes, a bit concerned.
Lan Xihe nodded firmly, "No problem, I can manage!"
"Alright, go then!" Jun Ning said, "Be safe."
Lan Xihe took a team and left again.
Whether she could bring Ye Ying back this time was uncertain.
Jun Ning was also very worried. After freshening up, she was supposed to have a meal and sleep, but she couldn’t sleep or think about food at all as she kept worrying about Ye Ying and Lan Xihe’s safety.
After tossing and turning in bed for a long while, Jun Ning simply got up, went to the window, opened it, and spoke to herself as she looked at the scenery outside, "... You must return safely!"
No one responded to her, and she didn’t expect anyone to. She stared blankly out the window, her expression grave.
At Qianji Pavilion, Jun Ning had her own private quarters called the Mujin Garden.
Ye Ying had prepared it for her specifically when he first came here to help Jun Ning settle in, and the decorations inside were the best of Qianji Pavilion, with pink adornments everywhere, very tender and beautiful, matching Jun Ning’s age very well.
Ye Ying also thoughtfully arranged for maids to attend to the area, ensuring Jun Ning could be comfortable whenever she stayed here.
However, Jun Ning seldom came, and when she did, it was never for long. Usually only one or two days before she departed again. Therefore, the place often had an air of solitude about it.
After Jun Ning moved in today, the maids attending there were quite curious.
The very intelligent Pavilion Master that Lord Left Wing spoke of in such high regard, though she was only a few years old, made him willingly submit, what kind of demeanor did she truly have?
Before, even when the Pavilion Master arrived, they couldn’t get a proper look at her. Because with Lord Left Wing accompanying her, they dared not approach casually to join in the fun.
Now that the Pavilion Master was living here, and Lord Left Wing was not around, they finally had a chance to see.
The maid Hong Dou boldly carried a plate of pastries over, cautiously speaking to Jun Ning, "Pavilion Master, are you hungry? The meal will be ready soon, but would you like to have some pastries to tide you over?"
Jun Ning waved her hand, pinching the bridge of her nose, "No need."
Hong Dou had initially come to admire Jun Ning’s presence but saw traces of exhaustion and worry on her face. She didn’t know what troubled the Pavilion Master or how to offer comfort.
So she could only say, "Pavilion Master, you should eat something; if Lord Left Wing knew you weren’t eating because of heavy worries, he would be displeased." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
"Alright!" Jun Ning ate two pieces of pastry.
Hong Dou then said, "Pavilion Master, there’s nothing much to see outside that window. Why not look out this other window? Lord Left Wing personally planted a lot of flowers around Mujin Garden for you."
"Hmm?" Jun Ning was intrigued, "What flowers?"
"They’re daisies," Hong Dou said, "Though they look ordinary, not as opulent as peonies or as stunning as roses, they aren’t commonly seen here in the Imperial City. Lord Left Wing painstakingly transplanted them during his missions from afar, and it took quite some effort!"
"Really?" Jun Ning curiously opened the other window to look outside.
The white daisies were flourishing, clearly well-tended. As a gentle breeze passed through, the daisies swayed, seeming to greet people.
Jun Ning smiled as she watched.
