The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir

Ning Yuxuan didn’t like to look around the table while he was eating, but during this meal, he raised his head twice.

By coincidence, he saw Nie Sangyu staring at Ning Mingjie like a love-struck idiot both times.

He slightly raised his eyebrows. Finding the situation somewhat laughable, he kicked Ning Mingjie’s leg.

“En?” Ning Mingjie looked at him in confusion.

“Be careful that you don’t get stung by a fly,” Marquis Moyu whispered.

It was the middle of winter. How could there be a fly? Ning Mingjie felt that his words were very odd. In the passing, he raised his head and looked around. He saw Nie Sangyu with her head slightly lowered as she conscientiously added food to Wen Wan’s bowl. Part of her neck was exposed and when the wind blew by, it shrunk inward like a turtle.

She had become significantly quieter since the last time he saw her. Ning Mingjie had previously come to the capital for Marquis Moyu’s grand wedding and had seen Nie Sangyu causing a disturbance. She and Errong had almost started a fight with each other during that time. But, for some unknown reason, they had become good friends afterwards.

He didn’t have much of an impression of her. He only remembered hearing her shouting to the concubines and bed servants that attended the wedding, “No one likes Yuxuan as much as me!”, while she was standing in the main hall during the wedding with her head covered by her wedding veil. She had been carefree and not afraid of idle gossip.

These words later became a source of laughter for the people in the capital during their leisure time. They said that this Nie Clan’s daughter truly wasn’t bashful. This was also a reason why Ning Yuxuan rarely went to her courtyard after the wedding night.

She had been a girl that had been so ardent with her love. But now, she was able to quietly stand by the woman that Ning Yuxuan liked the most and add food to her bowl after she had become a concubine. Nie Sangyu’s face was as calm as a lake without ripples as if she had severed off all thoughts.

Original translation is from fuyuneko dot org. If you’re reading this elsewhere, this chapter has been stolen. Please stop supporting theft.

Ning Mingjie lowered his head and continued to eat.

By the time the meal was over, the sky had become dark. After old madame talked with Marquis Jingwen for a while, she had Wen Wan guide this uncle and these cousins to their rooms.

Ji Man followed after Honored Concubine Xue. Qi Siling and Mu Shuiqing were also walking with them. Just as they passed by the southern courtyard’s grape trellis and were walking on a small stone bridge, someone suddenly pushed Ji Man’s back very hard and she couldn’t help falling towards Honored Concubine Xue.

“Ah!” A cry in surprise and the surrounding people became a disorderly mess. The servants, who had been carrying the lanterns, turned around to look and saw that Mu Shuiqing had already fallen over the bridge and into the clear stream.

“Master Qing!” Banxia had been walking at the very back and didn’t make it in time to save her from falling into the water. She could only yell out, “Hurry and save Master Qing! Her pregnant body can’t suffer shock!”

Ji Man had fallen down with Qian Lianxue pressed underneath her and had caused the delicate beauty to suffer a terrible fall. At the front, Wen Wan had also stumbled. Originally, Ning Mingjie was going to step forward to help her, but Ning Errong had stepped forward one moment earlier and was already supporting her.

In the dark night with only lanterns for illumination, the servants hurriedly went to save Mu Shuiqing and fetch a doctor.

As the main wife, Wen Wan was worried about delaying the guests as she saw this mess unfolding. She hurriedly said, “Siling, bring Marquis Jingwen and his children to the southern courtyard first. I’ll sort things out here.”

“Understood.” Qi Siling acknowledged her order and continued walking forward to led Marquis Jingwen.

By the time Ji Man got up from the ground, she saw that Mu Shuiqing was already completely drenched and had been taken out of the water. It was the middle of the winter and her face had changed colors from the cold. Ji Man hurriedly took off her small sleeveless jacket that was lined with rabbit fur to give to Mu Shuiqing, so that she could at least be bundled up.

Mu Shuiqing’s lips kept trembling and she wasn’t able to speak. Before she had time to say anything, Banxia had already started helping her return to Feiyu Couryard.

Although Mu Shuqing’s baby wasn’t favored, no one would be able to peacefully sleep tonight after something like this happened.

Ji Man rubbed her forehead. What was meant to happen would still inevitably happen. She just knew that Mu Shuiqing wouldn’t be able to keep her baby. The male lead still had to spend an entire lifetime with the female lead as a couple. How could a child from another woman be allowed to exist?

The important point was, who would be charged with the crime of killing the marquis’s eldest child?

—

Just as Ning Yuxuan was about to go Qiangwei Courtyard, he was called to Feiyu Courtyard.

Mu Shuiqing had already taken a warm bath and drank ginger tea, but she still caught a cold. Her face was deathly pale.

Doctor Li had come to check her pulse and seriously said, “You’re pregnant, so you can’t take medicine. Master Qing, you’ll have to recover from this cold by yourself.”

Catching a cold in ancient times wasn’t a minor thing the way it was in modern times. If she didn’t drink medicine, the cold could become serious enough to take her life.

As soon as Mu Shuiqing heard these words, she felt slightly hopeless. If she really couldn’t overcome this cold on her own, not only would she not be able to keep her baby, she would also be throwing away her own life.

Ning Yuxuan stood far way from the bed as if he was afraid of catching her cold and only said, “Take care of yourself,” before he started to leave with Wen Wan.

Mu Shuiqing’s eyes turned red and she gritted her teeth as she said, “My lord, aren’t you going to investigate who tried to harm this servant?”

Why had someone suddenly pushed her without rhyme or reason as she was walking? She would obviously get sick if she was pushed into cold water during the middle of winter, so why had someone deliberately push her into the water?

Ning Yuxuan stopped walking. His instinctive response was to look at Nie Sangyu.

Seeing his gaze, Ji Man’s expression sunk. “Although it was dark out, people would have still seen things. My lord, you have plenty of time to investigate. There’s no need for you to make a final decision in your heart beforehand.”

Someone had also pushed her. Why was she the first person that he suspected? Ji Man felt extremely angry. The thing that she hated the most in her life was being falsely accused. Whoever tried to place this blame on her, she wouldn’t let that person have a good ending!

Translator Ramblings: It’s ironic that it was Ning Yuxuan’s kick and words that caused Ning Mingjie to notice Nie Sangyu. Unlike Ning Yuxuan and old madame, who likes the new Nie Sangyu, the way Ning Mingjie described Nie Sangyu’s change seemed sad to me. It felt like he was noting that Nie Sangyu had changed from a passionate and lively girl to someone who’s dead inside. What do you guys think?