My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

Chapter 1243: Chapter 675: Congratulations to You

The cumulus clouds gathered like concentrated milk over the Prince Mansion, and a dull glow illuminated the deep folds of the clouds, promptly carving out the shadow contours of the roof, showing a bit of stubbornness.

Chen Yi and Min Ning had nothing left to say to each other, but neither wanted to stay too far apart. They each occupied themselves with trivial tasks in the guest courtyard, trying to show that the previous matters had left no barriers between them.

Chen Yi considered speaking to comfort him several times, but being frank and direct was not an option as Qin Yue’s father; it was impossible for him to voice it out. His hesitant, indirect attempts could not sway Min Ning’s thoughts.

In the end, even Min Ning realized his intentions and voluntarily said, "Chen Zunming, you don’t need to do this anymore, I can get through this on my own."

Chen Yi was momentarily speechless. After speaking, Min Ning turned and went back to his room, as if he was too tired from practicing swordplay and needed to rest, effectively leaving Chen Yi outside the door.

Yin Weiyin, leading Donggong Ruoshu, one person and one ghost, came walking down the corridor of the Prince Mansion.

From a distance, he noticed the two of them seemed unexpectedly estranged as if they had a minor conflict. Yin Weiyin couldn’t hide his glee and said to Donggong Ruoshu beside him, "You see, as soon as I arrived, Chen Yi couldn’t get along with her. Isn’t this because he is wary of me?"

The stupid girl scratched her head, a bit clueless. After a while, under Yin Weiyin’s guidance, she said, "...Does this count?"

"Of course it counts."

With a casual remark, the female crown concealed her expression, her eyes calm as she walked away slowly. When Chen Yi glanced over, she slightly curved her lips,

"Lord, are you here to see Min Ning?"

There was no need to beat around the bush at this point. Chen Yi nodded and said, "Yes."

"Last night, Min Ning drank but delayed sleep, he must be very tired," Yin Weiyin said as he adjusted his sleeves, then continued, "Lord, you can go back first. If there’s anything to say, I can convey it."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, his eyes briefly deepened. Yin Weiyin’s breath quickened for a moment, then he quickly added in a low voice, "This time, I really have no other intentions..."

"You wouldn’t dare," Chen Yi sneered.

Every time after a serious prank, Yin Weiyin would calm down and behave for a while. During that time, although occasionally sly, she was generally obedient and accommodating, always touching the soft spot in Chen Yi’s heart. If it weren’t for this, Chen Yi wouldn’t have let her off so many times.

Yin Weiyin, as if granted an amnesty, returned to her usual expression, and gestured behind her, "Miss Donggong has come to see you."

Miss Donggong... Upon hearing this, Chen Yi turned his eyes to look.

Having just returned to the Prince Mansion not long ago, he saw that stupid girl again. It was hard to say what one should feel; with that floating ghostface appearing in front of him, Chen Yi took a deep breath and slowly said:

"Miss Donggong, you should have accomplished your wish at that time and returned to your own body."

"That wouldn’t be fun then."

Chen Yi was momentarily at a loss for words, but since Donggong Ruoshu was here, he thought for a moment and then remembered Lin Wanxiao, who was still on Gaoliang Mountain.

It was time to bring her back. Since entering the Southern Border for so long, she had indeed been neglected.

With the household of Qin Qingluo thoroughly stable, just waiting for the final touch, it seemed they wouldn’t care about this move of his. Moreover, that young mistress seemed well-read and sensible. When Zhu E was busy and away, she could enlighten Qin Yue.

......

Inside the carriage, Lin Wanxiao sat somewhat nervously, unconsciously twisting a plain handkerchief in her hands.

Occasionally, she would lift her eyes and swiftly glance at the man resting with his eyes closed opposite her, then quickly lower her head as if scalded, her heart pounding fiercely.

She had come to the Southern Border with Chen Yi, yet the time they genuinely spent together could be counted on one hand.

This widow who joined him halfway, with whom she had already been physically intimate at Dragon and Tiger Mountain, seemed never truly to occupy his mind, like a dispensable piece of luggage left carelessly on Gaoliang Mountain.

Lin Wanxiao, long confined to her boudoir, naturally didn’t know how to win over this seemingly affectionate, yet elusive man’s heart.

During those days on Gaoliang Mountain, first, Donggong Ruoshu, that noisy girl, disappeared without a trace, and then even the usually resourceful Yin Weiyin left quietly. She was left alone with the servant girl Xiuhe, guarding the empty courtyard, with her heart filled with fear day and night.

She did harbor resentment, a belly full of grievances with no one to share them with.

However, when Chen Yi personally came to pick her up, appearing at the other courtyard’s entrance covered in dust, those grievances were instantly suppressed by immense anxiety and confusion. She didn’t dare ask why it had taken him so long to come.

The carriage jolted, and Lin Wanxiao swayed slightly, letting out a light cry.

It was precisely at this moment that Chen Yi opened his eyes, his gaze falling on her, scrutinizing yet mixed with a certain lazy indifference.

Unexpectedly, he reached out his hand and pulled her into his arms.

Lin Wanxiao let out a startled cry, caught off guard as she fell into his embrace, her nose immediately filled with his scent. Instinctively, she glanced at Xiuhe in the corner, seeking help with her eyes.

However, Xiuhe, having developed a good sense of timing, had already turned her face towards the carriage wall, as if suddenly interested in the scenery outside the carriage, curling herself up like a quail.

Chen Yi’s palm was warm, as he casually stroked her arms and waist through her clothes, his actions not particularly gentle.

Lin Wanxiao shivered with goosebumps at the unexpected touch, her body instinctively stiffening momentarily, but her feeble resistance soon melted away as she unwillingly softened, slightly trembling like a frightened sparrow.

Feeling her submission, Chen Yi leaned down close to her ear, his voice low yet clearly penetrating her ear,

"These days... being alone on the mountain, did you feel neglected by me?"

His breath brushed against her earlobe, causing Lin Wanxiao to shudder, as the blunt question pierced the calm she had been desperately trying to maintain like a needle.

She opened her mouth, and her eyes suddenly felt warm, but for a long time she could not utter a word. She simply shook her head instinctively, then quickly nodded, burying her face deeper to avoid letting him see her current teary and embarrassed state.

After a while, Lin Wanxiao said: "Why did you come now, picking them up first and then coming for me?"

As the words fell on his ears, Chen Yi slightly turned his face, easily detecting the hint of reproach. He wasn’t angered by the seeming estrangement; rather, he was surprised that Lin Wanxiao would say such things to him. Since Dragon and Tiger Mountain, he was mostly forceful in his dealings with her, with Lin Family’s Miss, who was unable to refuse directly, only half resisting. No matter how fervent the act, afterward she appeared indifferent, like a virtuous wife unwilling to submit to an evil person.

After all, she was indeed a virtuous woman.

Briefly raising her eyes to see Chen Yi looking at her, Lin Wanxiao felt her words had crossed a line. Before confirming their relationship, she vaguely felt this person was infatuated with and entangled with her, so she avoided him in various ways, reluctant to truly sever ties. But once it was confirmed, she realized it wasn’t that deep.

Lin Wanxiao lowered her face in loneliness, when suddenly, Chen Yi pecked her cheek.

The young lady was momentarily stunned, then turned to see him looking at her with a smile.

He said softly: "Truly feel neglected? It’s my fault... Zhen Lan."

Hearing him call her by her courtesy name for the first time, Lin Wanxiao instinctively found it strange and didn’t immediately realize he was addressing her. After a long time, her eyes belatedly watered slightly. She quickly wiped them away, turned her face, and said:

"You also know it’s your fault. You picked them up first; you might as well not have come to pick me up. Leave me to be forgotten on the mountain for a lifetime."

Chen Yi laughed again after hearing this. At this moment, Lin Wanxiao indeed had an air about her that other women didn’t possess. While he was undeniably lecherous, he wasn’t particularly fond of a specific personality. On reflection, if all the women at home were carved from the same mold, wouldn’t it be quite a tragic matter?

In any case, with Lin Family’s Miss, he felt they were on the right track, heading in the direction he wanted. Although his feelings weren’t overly deep, he knew he had a lifetime to love her.

Chen Yi lifted her palm, she tugged slightly but found she couldn’t pull away, so she simply stopped trying.

The two quietly accompanied each other for a while, the carriage filled only with the monotonous sound of wheels grinding over the road and their gradually steadying breaths.

Lin Wanxiao’s tense body gradually relaxed, even able to faintly feel Chen Yi’s stable heartbeat.

She lowered her eyes, staring at their entwined hands. His palms were broad and warm, completely encompassing hers, spreading a strange sense of security that silently diluted the previous feelings of grievance and unease.

Nearby, Donggong Ruoshu seemed obliviously unembarrassed. She floated in midair, cradling her cheeks, tilting her head and watching with great interest, without any sense of intruding.

Her overly clear eyes didn’t blink, occasionally nodding slightly, her petite nostrils gently twitching.

The interaction between these two wasn’t like the sweet interactions Chen Yi had with the Twin Yin Lords. It was more akin to consuming icy cold gourd, continually carrying a lingering bitterness that promised a bittersweet end, faint and almost illusory.

Donggong Ruoshu couldn’t help but wonder what flavor it would be if she were to entice Chen Yi.

She let her thoughts drift, so engrossed that even imaginary saliva seemed ready to trickle down.

The carriage continued to sway along the slightly bumpy mountain road, unaware of how long they had leaned against each other this way.

The accumulated unrest and fatigue of many days gradually surged up, and Lin Wanxiao’s taut nerves slackened. Overwhelming drowsiness swept over her like a tide.

Her eyelids began to fight, her head bobbing bit by bit, nearly falling into Chen Yi’s embrace.

Feeling the increasingly pliant body and steady breathing in his arms, Chen Yi knew she was too exhausted. This was the right moment to reveal everything.

Taking advantage of this, he lowered his head and, with a near-whispering voice, softly said:

"Zhen Lan, I have something to tell you... I have a child."

With those words, the delicate body in his arms suddenly stiffened.

Lin Wanxiao almost abruptly awakened, her drowsiness shattered.

She jerked her head up, her beautiful eyes widening with shock, instinctively touching her flat abdomen with a trembling voice:

"Wh-when did this happen? I... I’m not prepared yet... Haven’t thought of a name... When, when did it happen?"

She was incoherent, her cheeks flushed crimson, then rapidly drained of color, as if the world was collapsing—a moment of utter panic.

Chen Yi chuckled softly, raising a hand to lightly pinch her earlobe, saying: "It’s not yours."

Lin Wanxiao froze, seemingly not understanding, gazing at him in bewilderment.

Meeting her gaze, Chen Yi slowly said, "Qin Qingluo had conceived long ago; the child is already... two years old."

The carriage’s silence was broken only by the sound of wheels rolling over the road.

Lin Wanxiao’s face slowly shifted from flushed to pale and back again. She lowered her eyes and lightly responded, unable to discern whether it was disappointment or relief. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on the handkerchief, her knuckles slightly pale.

After a while, she quietly spoke, her voice as light as smoke: "Then... congratulations."

Mysteriously, she suddenly felt regretful, even somewhat lost,

Why... was it not hers?