Chapter 49: Ji Yucang, Do You Like Me?

The atmosphere inside the carriage was somewhat subtle.

Shen Ning sat expressionlessly on the left, her posture straight, her features stunningly indifferent.

Ji Yucang sat expressionlessly on the right, his demeanor cold and stern, noble and otherworldly.

The carriage traveled smoothly along the wide streets of the upper city.

The two seemed to be competing to see who could be colder, and for a long time, no words were exchanged, making the carriage feel somewhat oppressively quiet.

In the end, it was Ji Yucang who spoke first: “The art of witchcraft and Gu poisoning is absolutely forbidden in the royal family. There is no room for discussion on this matter—”

“You don’t need to make excuses to stop me.” Shen Ning interrupted him. “And you don’t need to think that I’m doing this for you. I simply don’t want to lose a powerful backer.”

“You won’t lose your backer.” Ji Yucang said coldly. “Before I die, I will ensure you have the ability to protect yourself, and even make you someone else’s backer. No one will dare to do anything to you.”

If one didn’t try to discern the meaning behind his words, judging solely from the tone of their conversation, this exchange sounded like a negotiation devoid of emotion.

The tone lacked any warmth, and the manner was purely businesslike.

Who would think this was a conversation between husband and wife?

Shen Ning said indifferently: “If that’s the case, I have even more reason to save you once, after all, it’s not a small favor to owe.”

Ji Yucang’s eyes darkened.

The low pressure in the carriage slowly spread, as if they had entered the harsh winter ahead of time, cold and biting.

Unfortunately, Shen Ning calmly accepted this chill and could even discuss matters with him comfortably: “If you forcefully try to stop me, I’ll have to figure things out on my own, and whether I succeed or not, or if any accidents occur, is uncertain.”

“If you agree to this, you can find a few skilled and trustworthy physicians to assist me in advance. I’ll tell them what needs to be prepared, and they can act as my assistants, ensuring that if any accidents happen in the future, they can intervene promptly, minimizing any risks.”

Ji Yucang’s eyes swirled with coldness: “What if I chain you up?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze instantly.

Shen Ning’s blood reversed, and the memories she had not yet forgotten were like a suddenly opened floodgate, resurrecting and sweeping over her madly, making her vision blacken.

She seemed to be back in those days of imprisonment.

In the dark abyss of hell, the black iron firmly locked her limbs, she was imprisoned like a stray dog, without a shred of dignity, her pride trampled to pieces…

“Shen Ning.” The man’s tense voice sounded in her ear, and Shen Ning was urgently enveloped in a warm embrace. Those arms tightly encircled her waist, and the man’s clear and low breath surged above her head, “I’m sorry, Shen Ning, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it…”

Shen Ning came back to her senses, a sharp pain pierced through, and she quickly released her palm, staring blankly at her delicate palm, where several distinct red marks almost broke the tender flesh.

“It’s time to trim my nails.” She said calmly. “Otherwise, I don’t know when I might hurt myself again.”

Ji Yucang looked down at the top of her head, deeply regretting his words, with a hint of self-reproach in his eyes: “I’m sorry, I… I wouldn’t do that, it’s just…”

“Sorry for what?” Shen Ning finally came to her senses, wiping away the expression on her face. “You can do whatever you want, I’m not in a position to demand anything from you.”

Ji Yucang was shaken, his lips pressed tightly together.

“You can’t ask me not to do something.” Shen Ning tilted her head slightly, looking at the hanging soft gauze curtain, her expression indifferent and merciless. “Ji Yucang, my marriage to you was decreed by the Emperor. Under the circumstances where I couldn’t defy the decree and it was advantageous to me, I complied. But I don’t want to owe you too many favors, and I want to use your influence to make things easier for myself in the future. So, saving you is a worthwhile plan, and I’ve thought it through. Therefore, you don’t need to stop me, and you can’t stop me.”

She paused, “Of course, if you really want to chain me up, with my strength alone, I naturally wouldn’t be able to resist. You can try.”

Ji Yucang remained silent for a long time before speaking in a low voice: “I won’t.”

“Won’t do what?”

“I won’t chain you up.” Ji Yucang carefully held her hand. “I just think there might be other ways, not necessarily having to take risks.”

“Even if I make a decision now, from the beginning of the Gu poisoning to taking the heart’s blood for the medicine, it will take at least two months, which means you’ll have to endure two more months of excruciating poison.” Shen Ning said indifferently, “If we continue to delay, can you guarantee that we’ll definitely find another way to detoxify? If we can’t find another antidote, are you planning to just accept death?”

Ji Yucang said, “Since the day I learned I was poisoned, I’ve been prepared for the worst.”

“Ji Yucang, do you like me?”

Ji Yucang was taken aback, then pressed his lips together: “Why do you ask that?”

“There’s nothing particularly special about me. Compared to those ordinary noble ladies, I’m just a bit more temperamental, a bit harder in character, willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goals, and willing to endure hardship for martial arts training. These traits would be considered unruly in anyone, and ordinary men wouldn’t tolerate them.” Shen Ning’s voice was calm, “Even if they could tolerate them, there’s nothing particularly admirable about them.”

Ji Yucang was silent for a moment: “Who says there’s nothing admirable? You’re just underestimating yourself.”

“It’s not underestimating myself, but self-awareness.” Shen Ning said, “Having a bad temper and a cold nature, Princess Jiahe and others can do that, enduring hardship for martial arts training, military generals can do that, doing whatever it takes to achieve goals, corrupt officials and villains can do that. You don’t need to think I’m that special.”

Ji Yucang’s brows furrowed tightly: “What if I think you’re special?”

“Then that only proves that you really like me, to the point of blindness.” Shen Ning looked at him, her eyes firm, “If that’s the case, you have even less reason to stop me, right? When you like someone, wouldn’t you want to grow old together?”

Grow old together?

Ji Yucang was stunned, suddenly not knowing how to respond.

The carriage was enveloped in silence for a moment.

After a while, Ji Yucang found his voice: “I haven’t thought about these things.”

He couldn’t even guarantee when he would live until, so how could he think about growing old together?

“If you haven’t thought about it before, you can think about it now.” Shen Ning withdrew her gaze, her voice so indifferent it was as if she were talking about someone else’s affairs, “People need to live to have endless possibilities. Once dead, everything is gone.”

Therefore, adversities can be overcome, difficulties can be conquered.

Fate can be fought against.

Only death cannot be compromised.

Ji Yucang didn’t speak, but he began to ponder her words in his heart.

Grow old together? With her?

He silently recalled the night he got married, when he stayed in the study all night without sleep, making many plans.

He thought that two years would be enough for him to plot, enough for her to win over the loyal generals under his command, enough for her to support the Regent’s residence.

Before his death, he would safely send her to the border fief, where she would command 400,000 troops and become an unshakable female war god of the Yong Kingdom, the second Regent.

She wasn’t a soft person, and it was precisely because of her unruly nature that he didn’t need to worry about her being coerced by imperial power, nor did he need to worry about her being schemed against or framed by others.

It was precisely because of her cold and ruthless nature that he didn’t need to worry about her being manipulated or kidnapped by her family using kinship and blood ties.

But she told him to think carefully about whether he wanted to grow old with her.

Grow old together.

Just four words, yet they stirred his heart, warming his viscera.

“Would you be willing to grow old with me?” He asked softly.

Shen Ning’s tone was calm: “I’m just talking about a possibility. You have to be alive for that possibility to exist.”

Ji Yucang’s lips pressed together slightly, and he suddenly wanted an answer very much: “I just want to know, would you be willing to grow old with me?”

“If you don’t use me, don’t scheme against me, don’t harm me…” Shen Ning’s voice was cold and clear, “and you guarantee that you can live until that day, I probably wouldn’t have any other choice.”