272 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

"Bring that young lady out and let Master Ning take her back. Whatever you spent, I'll pay you double. You won’t lose out." Lu Jin postured grandly in front of Ning Songwu. "Naturally, that's fine, but it has to be in a couple of days. I signed an agreement with her; she can't leave right now," Yun Niang responded, pointing out the agreement. Given the current situation, she knew that even if Ran Fanyan couldn't fulfill her promises, she had no choice but to let her go. She understood the consequences of opposing officials, yet she was reluctant to release her immediately. For the next two days, she still needed Ran Fanyan for urgent matters. Ning Songwu asked coldly, "How much do you need to release her?" "On the morning of the ninth, come and take her. Right now, she is a pillar of my establishment; I need her assistance for a bit longer," Yun Niang replied firmly, unwilling to compromise. Seeing the murderous glare in Ning Songwu’s eyes, Yun Niang felt a shiver down her spine. She added, "Don’t misunderstand, she is unharmed. I have treated her well with food and drink, and I haven’t forced her to do anything improper." Hearing this, Ning Songwu felt somewhat relieved. The pent-up frustration in his chest dissipated, yet he still wanted to see Ran Fanyan. "Seeing is believing. No amount of my words can compare to your own eyes. Xiao Liu, bring Miss Ran down," Yun Niang could read Ning Songwu’s thoughts and decided it was best not to push him too hard. Observing Lu Jin's respectful behavior towards Ning, she deduced that he wasn't someone to be trifled with and decided to do him a favor. Ran Fanyan was displeased upon hearing that the two men insisted on seeing her. She blamed Yun Niang for being duplicitous, showing one face in public but another in private, and letting her be exposed so quickly. When Ran Fanyan reached the corner of the stairs, she looked down and saw someone whose posture and figure seemed very much like Ning Songwu. She rubbed her eyes, thinking her exhaustion over the past few days had caused a vision problem. Upon a clearer look, it was indeed Ning Songwu, whom she had not seen for many days. He had lost weight, looked unwell, and had an unapproachable demeanor, which made him seem a bit unfamiliar. "Ning Songwu?" Ran Fanyan tentatively called his name, her voice as weak as a mosquito's, hesitated for a moment, but then quickly went downstairs towards him. Ning Songwu, originally with his back to Ran Fanyan, caught the familiar voice with his keen ears. He turned back and saw it was indeed the Ran Fanyan he had been worrying about day and night. He quickly approached her and instinctively hugged her as she reached the bottom of the stairs, finally feeling genuinely at ease. "These past two days must have been hard for you. It's all my fault for involving you," Ning Songwu’s voice had a tinge of weepiness as he tightly embraced her. Ran Fanyan felt a slight damp warmth on her shoulder. Was he crying? She was happy to reunite with Ning Songwu, but seeing him so seemingly distressed made her feel a bit at a loss. After all, he was still a young man. She reached out to gently pat his back, trying to soothe his sorrow. Despite being already thin, he had become even more emaciated over the past few days, indicating he had suffered greatly. "I'm fine, as you can see I'm standing here perfectly fine. But you, you've lost so much weight; you must have had a hard time," Ran Fanyan said with some heartache. Ning Songwu did not respond, continuing to hold Ran Fanyan quietly. "Hmm? You’ve hugged enough, haven’t you? Can’t you let me take a breather?" In the intense summer heat, Ning Songwu’s prolonged hold made Ran Fanyan feel unbearably hot and faint, with beads of sweat already forming on her forehead. Ning Songwu, having released his emotions, realized his lack of decorum and pulled back a bit, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "I came late, but I'm taking you away now," Ning Songwu said, pulling Ran Fanyan towards Yun Niang. "I must take her tonight. I don't know how much you paid to keep her, but this jade pendant will far exceed the amount if you pawn it," Ning Songwu said, taking off a jade pendant from his neck. He stroked it, showing a hint of reluctance, but handed it over nonetheless. The pendant was a protective charm bought at a hefty price by his mother for his birthday when he was young, even blessed in a Taoist temple. When they faced bandits before, he had hidden it in his hair to prevent it from being seized. Yun Niang did not take the pendant but held Ran Fanyan’s hands instead. "Miss Ran, we had an agreement. Integrity is the most important aspect of a person's reputation." "Rest assured, Yun Niang. I stand by my word. If I’ve said three days, then it’s three days. If I succeed, you let me go; if I fail, she will ransom me with money," Ran Fanyan knew Yun Niang was trying to provoke her. Although she and Ning Songwu could leave right now, she didn’t want to. The fruits of her labor over the past two days were to be tested the next day, and it was her best chance to gain a foothold in the Pingyang County market. "Why?" Ning Songwu was puzzled. "Look at me. Do I look injured? Do I look thinner than before?" Ran Fanyan spun around in front of Ning Songwu to reassure him. "Then, can I stay here? I'll take you away on the morning of the ninth," Ning Songwu, seeing that Ran Fanyan didn’t want to leave, came up with another plan. Ran Fanyan firmly said, "No." A brothel is no place for you! Yun Niang chuckled, "Tomorrow, both of you come and support us. I'll reserve two seats of honor for you." Lu Jin added, "Certainly, certainly. I hereby wish Yun Niang a prosperous opening and boundless wealth." "Please take good care of my... cousin," Ning Songwu replaced "wife" with "cousin." He didn’t want others to know that the daughter-in-law of the Grand Marshal had been sold into a brothel, as it would be scandalous and harm Ran Fanyan’s reputation. Cousin? Since when did I become his cousin? Although we’re in a contract marriage, is "wife" such a difficult word to utter? Does he look down on me? "Yun Niang, what do you mean by this?" Ran Fanyan asked, seeing Yun Niang giving her a meaningful, gossip-like look. "He’s your lover, isn't he? That Master Ning, your cousin," Yun Niang nudged Ran Fanyan with her elbow, eager for gossip. Ran Fanyan was furious upon hearing "cousin," coldly responding, "No, we are simply like siblings, without any romantic involvement." Yun Niang didn't believe her, smirking, "He looked so worried. He must have feelings for you. After all the people I’ve seen, you think I can’t tell?" Ha, Ran Fanyan mused coldly, you truly misjudged. She's a woman.