The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 48

Moonlit Night

After leaving the imperial palace, Shen Lingyan saw that the streets were deserted. High, dimly lit yellow lanterns swayed at the street corners. The market, noisy all day long, was now quiet, making it seem a little frightening. The evening wind blew across Shen Lingyan’s face, and all she could hear was the gentle sound of the breeze.

For the first time, Shen Lingyan felt such loneliness. This was also her first time leaving the imperial palace without anyone accompanying her, dragging her frail, sickly body. Her skirt, though already light, felt somewhat cumbersome with her heavy steps.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a pale glow like daylight, yet Shen Lingyan still felt a chill; there was no refreshing coolness after the summer heat. Her heart also faltered for a moment. On such a quiet and peaceful night, where exactly was Zhou Jin?

The moment Shen Lingyan thought of Zhou Jin, she no longer cared about the pain in her ankle. Clasping her chest, she endured the violent coughs and desperately tried to run out of the Imperial City. However, with only her two feet, Shen Lingyan was much too slow. She had barely run a few steps before her body couldn’t endure it, forcing her to stop.

Slowly looking up at the moon in the sky, the night was still long, so Shen Lingyan had no choice but to walk slowly. Finally, just as she was about to feel despair, a dilapidated carriage suddenly darted out from the roadside.

The carriage stopped right beside Shen Lingyan, seemingly waiting for her to board. It was late at night with heavy dew, so who would be driving a carriage in the Imperial City late at night and be willing to stop for the defenseless Shen Lingyan?

Shen Lingyan’s heart was in her throat. She dared not get into the carriage and tightly gripped the long whip she had prepared earlier, ready to fight anyone who might step down from the carriage at any moment.

However, after a period of vigilance, she saw a familiar hem of a skirt.

The person in the carriage slowly stepped down, and her face was finally seen clearly by Shen Lingyan in the darkness. After a brief moment of happiness, she frowned deeply again: “How did you know? Was it someone in the palace…”

Dai Sulan gently covered Shen Lingyan’s mouth with a handkerchief, looking at her with concern: “Nothing happened. It was the guard at the gate who was worried about His Majesty leaving the imperial palace alone, so he secretly came to Zhaohui Palace to find me…”

Shen Lingyan calmed herself slightly. She first followed Dai Sulan into the carriage. Only after applying medicine to her ankle did Dai Sulan continue speaking: “Sulan has managed to cover this up, and no more patrolling guards have seen you. I can only take you outside the city, and then rush back to suppress the news… Tonight, you might really need to be on your own.”

Dai Sulan said this with great difficulty. She would worry even if Shen Lingyan sat in the pavilion for a little longer, but this time she had to watch Shen Lingyan search for someone alone in the wilderness.

After a while, Dai Sulan still seemed unwilling. For the first time, she raised her somewhat stubborn eyes and tugged at Shen Lingyan’s sleeve: “Are you going to look for the Regent, Your Highness?”

Even though she already knew the answer, Dai Sulan still wanted to ask. Sure enough, Shen Lingyan simply nodded, her expression filled with determination.

Dai Sulan endured the heartache and pondered over and over. Finally, after a long time, she spoke again: “If someone else, not Zhou Jin, had been sent on this campaign, would Your Majesty still have rushed out regardless of your health…” This time, Dai Sulan did not call him the Regent, but Zhou Jin.

Shen Lingyan was stunned by the question. Yes, if it were not Zhou Jin who was missing, would she still be this anxious? The answer deep in her heart was no.

Of course not.

Then why not? Before Dai Sulan could ask, Shen Lingyan was already contemplating it herself. The more she thought, the more chaotic her mind became, and the only increasingly strong thought in her head was: Find Zhou Jin immediately!

Seeing Shen Lingyan’s distressed expression, Dai Sulan immediately stopped pressing her. She softened her voice, poured a cup of clear tea, and waited for Shen Lingyan to recover before slowly saying: “The feelings you have for Zhou Jin, I guess you know better than I do. After loving someone, you feel that the happiness of the person you like is the most important thing. If Sulan is destined not to be with you legitimately, then I will do my utmost to make you happy.”

After saying this, Dai Sulan remained silent. The sound of the carriage wheels crunching the dirt covered Shen Lingyan’s shallow breathing. The carriage was a rundown one that Dai Sulan had secretly procured, fearing it would attract attention. Inside, there was only a small candle. In the dim candlelight, Shen Lingyan tried to understand Dai Sulan’s words just now, but she couldn’t see the emotions in Dai Sulan’s eyes.

“Perhaps…” Shen Lingyan only managed to say two words before daring not to continue. Her tolerance and patience for Zhou Jin were unusual. Shen Lingyan had sensed something was wrong a long time ago, but she had always avoided the core issue. Now, being asked by Dai Sulan, it was like a long-hidden wound having its cloth slowly peeled away to be shown to the world. Although the “scar” was not pretty, it was unforgettable enough.

It seemed that Dai Sulan had sensed Shen Lingyan’s urgency. She instructed the driver outside the carriage, and the carriage’s speed noticeably picked up. Before long, they arrived outside the city.

With Dai Sulan’s waist token, the city gate was easily opened by the guards. They did not notice that Shen Lingyan was also in the carriage, and cautious Dai Sulan only let Shen Lingyan alight after the carriage had traveled a good distance.

Shen Lingyan’s originally swollen and painful ankle was now mostly healed thanks to Dai Sulan’s miraculous medicinal powder. She stood under the carriage in thin clothing, having just struggled to prevent Dai Sulan from getting down to send her off.

Standing alone in the wilderness among the trees, Shen Lingyan was naturally scared, but no amount of fear could disturb the thoughts she had just entertained.

Shen Lingyan mounted the horse Dai Sulan had borrowed from the gate guards. Having never ridden a horse before, she had been quickly taught by Dai Sulan inside the carriage. Perhaps because of the urgency of the situation, Shen Lingyan almost instantly ingrained the method into her mind. Under Dai Sulan’s observation in the carriage, she rode the horse a few laps, which finally put Dai Sulan at ease.

“Then I hope Your Majesty can successfully find the Regent, Your Highness, and that both of you return safely.” Dai Sulan didn’t know why, even though she already knew the outcome, she was still sad. Her nose stung, and tears almost fell. She quickly drew the carriage curtain and said in a deliberately normal tone.

Shen Lingyan was still preoccupied with the thought of finding Zhou Jin and did not notice Dai Sulan’s unusual behavior. After a few words of instruction, she watched Dai Sulan’s carriage gradually move away, while she rode the horse in the opposite direction, beginning her journey.

She was a novice rider after all. The longer Shen Lingyan rode, the more she felt something was wrong. Her arms started to lose strength, and after several times where she almost lost control of the direction, the horse seemed startled and stumbled toward a nearby tree.

Shen Lingyan was violently thrown off it, coughing up blood. Dark red blood stained the ground. The cough that she had painfully suppressed all night finally erupted at this moment. She was coughing until her body felt weak, and her head was extremely heavy, dizzy, and painful.

In the silent moonlit night, she appeared utterly pitiful. Shen Lingyan cried and coughed, her face smeared with blood and tears. She had never been this disheveled. Raising her head again, Shen Lingyan now had no idea where she was. She only knew that she was far from any village or shop, with no houses nearby and no one passing by in the deep night.

Waves of despair flooded Shen Lingyan’s heart. Was she really going to die here tonight? She still had so many things left undone… She hadn’t found Zhou Jin yet, and she hadn’t expressed her feelings to Zhou Jin…