Song Ning’s fingers touched Qin Junyue’s cold little face, and he stamped his foot in anger.
“Quick, quick, quick! Take her inside!”
Xia Ling quickly bent down, lifted Qin Junyue from the ground, and moved her to a warm place.
It was still snowing. It fell on the ground behind her where she had knelt, quickly covering those traces.
The room was very warm. Qin Junyue slowly regained consciousness, wrapped in a thick quilt, leaning against the couch, her body still trembling slightly.
Her lips were still pale, but her face gradually regained some color. The warmth of the charcoal fire seeped through the quilt, slowly melting the chill in her bones.
Her vision went from blurry to clear. What she saw was an elegant room.
Beside the desk, Song Ning sat there, his head slightly lowered, his fingers poking continuously at a board full of raised dots.
His brows were slightly furrowed, his lips pressed together, his expression focused, as if doing something very important.
“Young Master Song…”
Qin Junyue’s voice was hoarse. Wrapped in the quilt, she stumbled toward Song Ning.
Song Ning tilted his head, turning his ear toward her.
He did not stop his movements, his fingers still poking at the Braille board, his voice carrying a hint of annoyance:
“I gave you the token to come to me, and this is how you use it? Not taking good care of your body—what if you develop a chronic illness?”
His fingers paused, and his tone deliberately turned cold:
“I was going to help you, but if this is how you act, then I won’t.”
“If you like kneeling in the snow so much, then keep kneeling. When you get exiled, you’ll have plenty of chances. Good luck.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Junyue suddenly panicked. Young as she was, how could she outplay Song Ning?
She lunged forward, tightly wrapping her arms around Song Ning’s thigh, her face pressed against his knee, tears swirling in her eyes, threatening to fall again.
“I’ll listen. I’ll listen to you.”
“I’ll listen to you from now on. I’ll never do this again!”
Song Ning shook his head with a smile, put down the Braille board, and reached out to touch her face.
His fingers gently kneaded her cheek, as if petting a little cat.
“How dare you still grab my leg? Didn’t my sister teach you a lesson last time?” His voice carried a hint of teasing.
“Feeling better now? Little Junyue.”
Qin Junyue held his leg tightly, looking up at the young man, feeling the warmth of his palm, and nodded instinctively.
At that moment, she suddenly wished that this hand could stay on her face forever, never leaving.
Song Ning kneaded her little face while using his other hand to check the words he had just written on the Braille board.
His movements were leisurely, unhurried.
“Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
“I just went to see Auntie Qi and Mother.”
Song Ning couldn’t help but sigh:
“The Eunuch Faction can’t stand your mother spending money training troops in Liaodong. Day after day, they submit memorials impeaching her, accusing her of being timid and avoiding battle at the border.”
“They say your mother is building up her own power, wasting state funds, colluding with the enemy, secretly communicating with the Beirong— each charge more absurd than the last.”
He tilted his head, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.
“Your mother has no choice. Those people who only talk with their mouths—how could they understand military matters?”
“I’ve advised Auntie Qi. She says the Ministry of War won’t just watch the Eunuch Faction harm loyal officials and generals like this. Don’t worry.”
Song Ning patted Qin Junyue’s head, his tone slightly regretful:
“It’s just that the Emperor only looks at results. A defeat is a defeat. Your mother’s official position might…”
Qin Junyue was overjoyed and quickly shook her head, her voice crisp:
“It’s fine, it’s fine! As long as my mother is okay!”
Song Ning nodded, his fingers gently patting her hair.
“It’s just a demotion. You can stay in the capital and continue your studies and martial arts training.”
“One day, you will control your own destiny.”
He calculated the days, calculated the strength of the Rong tribe, calculated how much longer this dynasty could last.
‘The Beirong are already this powerful? In the future, can the world still be good? I really need to find a way out for my family early.’
Qin Junyue kept staring at Song Ning, enjoying his fingers on her head, her beautiful eyes fixed on him.
“Then can I still come to see you? Young Master Song.” She asked cautiously.
She was afraid that Song Ning would take back the token he had given her. If that happened, after school, she might never be able to see Song Ning again.
“As you wish.” Song Ning answered casually, his tone indifferent.
Qin Junyue nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking rice.
The matter was resolved, everything returned to normal.
Qin Junyue stayed in the capital, studying and practicing martial arts.
Soon she showed great talent in martial arts, making a name for herself and attracting attention.
Spring passed and autumn came, cold and heat alternated.
Whenever she had free time, Qin Junyue liked to come find Song Ning.
Sometimes she brought books, sometimes she brought questions, sometimes she brought nothing at all, just a small stool to sit beside him, quietly staying there.
When Song Ning drank tea, she drank tea; when Song Ning read, she read; when Song Ning casually said something, she silently memorized it.
Qin Junyue even cleverly got close to Qi Chuyao, catering to her interests, becoming close girlfriends with her.
Until she grew up, until Song Ning was about to get married, she no longer had a reason to visit him casually and privately.
A young gentleman not yet married and a woman of another surname meeting frequently— it was against propriety, and also against sentiment.
She stood outside the gate of Song Mansion, staring at the familiar gate for a long time, touched the token in her hand, and finally turned and left.
In fact, with her status, she no longer needed this token.
Time flew by like a white horse passing a gap.
The once child with hanging hair was now a young woman; the once youth was now married.
But some things never changed.
For example, Qin Junyue.
She still liked to hold on tightly to Song Ning’s thigh and not let go, like a child.
Even more excessively, her face slid from his knee to his thigh, from thigh to the top of his thigh, and she kept nudging into even more inappropriate places.
Song Ning angrily kicked her again, his foot hitting her with a dull sound, but she didn’t budge.
“Will you let go first so we can talk? Otherwise, I’ll have my mother and mother-in-law beat you to death!”
“Do you have no shame? I never thought Qin Junyue would be like this!”
Qin Junyue’s face rubbed messily against his thigh, like a stubborn dog, her voice muffled, carrying a hint of sulkiness:
“I’m not letting go. You might as well beat me to death, Young Master Song.”
“I admit I did everything. That night, I did everything!”
“There’s even a trace of my essence blood inside you. That night, I felt it, that trace of essence blood flowing along…”
Song Ning was so angry that he immediately covered her mouth.
He was so scared that even as a blind man, he started looking around nervously, lowering his voice:
“Don’t mention that!”
“No one is allowed to mention it! Do you really not want to live?”
Qin Junyue’s lips moved inside his palm, then she kissed his palm.