A Stolen Romance - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Found

“It’s a little hot. Let it cool down a bit before you drink it. But don’t let it get too cold. I’m busy outside. You… you rest well.”

Shi Yuning placed the bowl of medicine on the bench by the bed, not daring to look at Xie Zhaoran’s face. After saying everything in a rush, she quickly scampered away. She was so nervous it was as if a monster were chasing her.

Xie Zhaoran chuckled softly. She was that monster. She had wanted to ask Shi Yuning about what had just happened, but she didn’t expect her to be so shy. She was also getting to know a new side of Shi Yuning. She had always thought of her as bold and a little guileless, with a simple mind that couldn’t hide a thing. But now, she saw that there were times when her thoughts were delicate. She was truly bold when it counted, and truly timid when it counted. The more she learned, the more captivated she became.

After Shi Yuning made her quick escape, she felt a little too deliberate. She hadn’t even waited for Xie Zhaoran to finish the medicine so she could take the bowl out. She hit her forehead with her palm. Her mind was filled with “colorful thoughts,” and she couldn’t stop them whenever she was in the same room as Xie Zhaoran.

She needed to find something to do. Shi Yuning looked around. Auntie Tian was a truly tidy person; she had cleaned the house so well before she left. It left her with nothing to do. Shi Yuning shuffled her feet into the courtyard and immediately saw the small vegetable patch, where vibrant green cucumbers hung from the vines.

“I’ve got it!” Shi Yuning clapped her hands together in delight. She would cook something. The sight of the cucumbers reminded her of a dish her mother, Tu Chunhua, loved, a very appetizing dish for summer. Xie Zhaoran had just drunk bitter medicine, so it would surely affect her appetite.

Shi Yuning got to work. She lifted the corner of her robe to make a pouch and filled it with cucumbers, specifically picking out the unusually shaped ones. The dish wasn’t complicated, but it took some time. She didn’t know when she would be found, but if her family found her in a few days, she could bring some back for her mother.

Thinking of Tu Chunhua, Shi Yuning’s steps became a little heavier. She wondered how her mother was doing. But Xie Zhaoran had analyzed their situation and concluded her mother wasn’t in mortal danger. Shi Yuning trusted Xie Zhaoran’s mind, but not being in mortal danger didn’t mean one wouldn’t suffer. She wondered if her mother had suffered. Sigh, I’ve been through a lot myself. When she got back, she would complain to Tu Chunhua a little, and when her mother’s heart softened, she would bring up the subject of her and Xie Zhaoran. Shi Yuning was already apologizing to her mother in her heart for her scheming. She had always used this tactic to soften Tu Chunhua’s heart. When she secretly learned martial arts behind her mother’s back, this was the exact strategy she used to get her to finally give in.

Shi Yuning felt that this time, too, Tu Chunhua would agree to her wishes. Thinking about it, she felt a little worried. She had only seen Xie Zhaoran’s mother from a distance once, and she felt it wasn’t a mistake that she seemed to dislike her. It was a troubling thought.

Shi Yuning carried the cucumbers to the well in the backyard and placed them in an empty wooden basin, then drew a bucket of cool water to soak them. She went inside to get a knife and a cutting board, then brought out a square stool to use as a table. After washing the oddly shaped cucumbers, she began to chop them with a rhythmic clack-clack-clack. In a short while, all the cucumbers were chopped.

Her chopping was quite loud, and Xie Zhaoran had come out to check on her twice, but Shi Yuning had managed to send her back inside. Shi Yuning then found a bamboo sieve for the chopped cucumbers, spread them out evenly, and left them in the sun to dry. In this hot weather, three days would be enough. Once the cucumbers had lost seventy to eighty percent of their moisture, they could be used to cook delicious dishes, whether stir-fried or served cold.

Shi Yuning was happy to be able to make Xie Zhaoran something new and interesting that she had never tried before. She loved seeing the bright look in Xie Zhaoran’s eyes. After finishing her work, Shi Yuning peeked into the room and was relieved to find that Xie Zhaoran had drunk her medicine and was asleep. With all her injuries, she needed to rest. She quietly left the room and went to work in the fields. She had noticed many weeds in Auntie Tian’s soybean patch and felt guilty for taking all those cucumbers without doing something in return.

After hearing Shi Yuning’s footsteps fade away, Xie Zhaoran opened her eyes. She hadn’t been sleeping well lately, but she knew Shi Yuning wanted her to rest. Xie Zhaoran sighed, her eyes on the closed door, as if trying to see the busy figure outside through the wood. In the past, she had always thought of herself as the protector, the one who would take care of Ningning. Now, she was the one being taken care of.

It was a strange feeling, one Xie Zhaoran had never experienced before. It was different from being looked after in the palace or the duke’s estate. The people who took care of her did so because of her status or on command. Everyone wanted something from her, including her family—her mother and father. Her mother never cared for her when she was young, and her expressions of affection as an adult were only to make her obedient, to gain greater honor for the Xie family. Xie Zhaoran had once thought her father was different, but she later realized he was the same, his greed even greater. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stopped speaking to her after she refused to become the crown princess and then the empress. It was as if he no longer considered her his daughter.

Xie Zhaoran pulled her gaze away from the door and looked around the small bedroom. The courtyards of the duke’s estate, no matter how large, were cold. But this small room made her feel a warmth she had never known. She longed to have a small house that sheltered them from the elements and to live like this with Ningning for the rest of her life. But the Shi family…

Xie Zhaoran’s expression became more serious. The Shi family was different. Ningning’s parents were so good. If the two of them were to find out about their relationship… The thought of Ningning being torn between them pained Xie Zhaoran. Her Ningning was so wonderful, and she wanted to have her all to herself. She had even thought about running away with her, just the two of them. But she knew she couldn’t. She could give up everything because she knew her own family had long since abandoned her, but Ningning was different.

Xie Zhaoran worried. She didn’t believe the Shi family would accept her. And she never imagined that the Shi family would find them so much faster than she had anticipated.

Shi Yuning also never expected that her father would come looking for her himself.

After dinner, she was squatting by the wall brewing medicine for Xie Zhaoran when she heard a cry. “Ningning? Is that you, Ningning?” Shi Yuning thought she was hallucinating, hearing her father’s voice. But when she turned around and saw her father’s tear-streaked face outside the courtyard gate, she fell to the ground. “Dad?”

That single word, “Dad,” was like a lightning bolt before a storm, followed by a thunderous, earth-shattering sound. “Ningning, it’s really my Ningning!” Shi MinDa cried and ran into Auntie Tian’s courtyard. Without waiting for the guards behind him to help, he stumbled and scrambled toward Shi Yuning. Shi Yuning snapped out of her shock, struggled to her feet, and ran toward Shi MinDa. The two of them met in the middle of the courtyard and hugged each other tightly, weeping.

“Ningning, my daughter! I almost thought I’d never see you again.”

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

One cried for his daughter, his heart aching. The other cried for her father, her heart torn apart.

The guards outside the courtyard all had red eyes. Chen Da’s eyes were shining brightly. He was happy for the Marquis. The Marquis’s only granddaughter was safe and sound, with all her limbs intact. Now, the Marquis’s son could finally eat and sleep. But as he looked around, there was only Miss Shi. Where was the Xie family’s daughter? Had they not been together? A bad feeling crept into his heart. He had also heard from the princess’s men that the Xie family’s daughter couldn’t swim. He sighed. However, he had no ties to the Xie family, so his feelings were biased. With Miss Shi safe, their hearts were at ease.

Shi MinDa and Shi Yuning cried in each other’s arms for about a quarter of an hour before they slowly pulled themselves out of their overwhelming joy and sorrow. “Dad, how did you find me?” Shi Yuning asked, wiping her tears.

Shi MinDa also wiped a tear. “Your grandfather sent people down the cliff to search for you and they found a river at the bottom. I guessed you were okay, so I came with the guards to find you.”

They came down from the cliff. The tears that Shi Yuning had just wiped away began to flow again. “Dad, aren’t you afraid of heights? That cliff is so high…”

Shi MinDa gave a simple smile, his nose red, but his eyes were incredibly bright. “I’m more afraid of never seeing Ningning again.”

“Dad, wuwuwuwu.” Shi Yuning threw herself into his arms and cried again. Shi MinDa patted her back and soothed her. “It’s alright now. Dad is here. I’m here to take you home.”

Shi MinDa called out to Chen Da, who was standing outside, and told him to find a carriage. They had managed to come down the cliff, but it was impossible to climb back up. Chen Da nodded. “Don’t worry, my lord. I’ll take care of it.” Shi MinDa trusted him completely, then patted Shi Yuning. “Quickly, thank your Uncle Chen. We owe a lot to him this time.”

Shi Yuning sincerely bowed to express her thanks, then said she needed to pack and pulled Shi MinDa into the house. After a moment, she closed the door. “Dad, wait for me here for a moment.”

Shi MinDa guessed Shi Yuning had some things to pack. He nodded and found a stool to sit on, looking around the room. Shi Yuning entered the bedroom. With all the commotion outside, Xie Zhaoran hadn’t come out. Shi Yuning didn’t know if she was asleep and hadn’t heard, or if there was another reason. So, Shi Yuning was careful not to reveal anything about Xie Zhaoran’s situation. When she entered the room, she saw Xie Zhaoran sitting on the bed, watching her with a worried expression. She guessed her suspicions might be correct.

“What’s wrong?” Shi Yuning hurried forward. “You heard what happened outside, didn’t you?”

Xie Zhaoran nodded.

Shi Yuning was a little surprised. “You’re not happy?”

Xie Zhaoran shook her head. “No. I’m very happy that you can be reunited with your family.”

Shi Yuning felt that she hadn’t finished her thought, so she waited patiently for the rest of her sentence. “There’s something I need your father’s help with,” Xie Zhaoran said with a faint smile.

After hearing what Xie Zhaoran had to say, Shi Yuning frowned. She didn’t quite understand, but she followed her instructions. When Shi MinDa heard that the Xie family’s daughter was also here, he was startled. And when he heard that she wanted to conceal the fact that she had been found, he was even more bewildered than Shi Yuning. However, he was like Shi Yuning in one way: he didn’t dwell on things he couldn’t understand. He agreed to the plan and went to find Chen Da to make arrangements. It was easy to hide Xie Zhaoran from the people outside; they just had to park the carriage in front of the house.

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