Duan Ling brought her water and let her sit on the bed to wash up.
She didn’t feel like moving anyway, so she leaned halfway out of bed to brush her teeth and wash her face.
He stood by, handing her Yangliu Zhi, Yachun, and a towel.
After Lin Ting finished washing up, Duan Ling left to fetch breakfast and set it on the table.
Lin Ting was a bit curious why Duan Ling didn’t have a servant bring the meal, choosing to fetch it himself, but she didn’t ask.
She walked slowly to the table and sat down, burying herself in her food.
It wasn’t a big deal—if he wanted to fetch it, let him.
Once the meal hit her stomach, Lin Ting came alive again, her hands and feet regaining their strength.
Halfway through eating, she noticed Duan Ling across from her barely touched his chopsticks.
“Why aren’t you eating? Don’t like the food?”
Only then did Duan Ling pick up his jade chopsticks and start eating.
Two quarters of an hour later, Lin Ting was full, propping her chin in her hands and watching him eat from the side.
Lin Ting rarely left food unfinished for Duan Ling to eat, but often snatched things he hadn’t touched yet.
Duan Ling pushed two untouched meat buns toward her, but Lin Ting pushed them back.
“I don’t want your buns.”
He put down his chopsticks and stopped eating, wiping his hands.
“Then is there something you want to say?”
She nodded vigorously.
“Yes.”
Duan Ling: “Go ahead.”
Lin Ting, seeing he’d stopped eating before finishing his buns, asked first, “Why aren’t you eating?”
“I’m full.”
“Oh.” Lin Ting poured Duan Ling a cup of tea, then got to the point.
“Are you willing to believe what I said last night now?”
She wouldn’t have been so tolerant last night if she didn’t like him.
Duan Ling ought to feel that, too.
Duan Ling sipped his tea.
“You said a lot last night. Which part do you mean?”
Lin Ting fiddled with her sleeve.
“The part where I said, ‘I like you, I haven’t liked anyone else.'”
For some reason, saying “like” to him this time made her nervous.
He said nothing.
Lin Ting knew he still didn’t believe her so she swore an oath, “You still don’t believe me? I’ll swear to the heavens, all right? If what I said is false, I, Lin Ting, Lin Leyun, will never have a good………………”
Duan Ling’s grip on the teacup tightened, his fingertips white, and he interrupted her, “I believe you. You don’t need to swear.”
“Really?”
Duan Ling finished the tea, set down the cup.
“Really. I believe you now.”
Lin Ting’s gaze never left Duan Ling’s face.
She felt she should mention the matter of the aphrodisiac: “About the aphrodisiac, I………………”
He interrupted her again.
“I believe you about that, too. You really don’t need to swear.”
Lin Ting was silent for a moment.
“Last night, you sent someone to tell Jin Anazai I couldn’t make it to the restaurant. Did he say anything? Did he ask to reschedule?”
Duan Ling lowered his eyes and replied, “He didn’t say anything.”
She tapped the table absently.
“Didn’t say anything, huh.”
‘Then will Xia Zimo still go with him next time? Will I miss the best chance to slip him the aphrodisiac? What a headache.’
He glanced at her tapping hand.
“Mr. Jin didn’t mention that, but he did ask why you couldn’t come last night.”
Lin Ting felt a little guilty—she’d promised to meet Jin Anazai at the restaurant, but changed plans at the last minute, leaving him waiting for nothing.
“What did your messenger tell Jin Anazai?”
Duan Ling took her hand, nearly red from tapping, and brought it before his eyes, smiling gently.
“Said I had a bout of illness, and you had to stay to take care of me.”
Lin Ting was at a loss for words.
‘Jin Anazai must be confused. Duan Ling looked so healthy—what kind of illness could he have? Besides, he’d said bout of illness—that’s not how you’d describe catching a cold. Only chronic conditions are described like that.’
‘Well, it is what it is.’
Lin Ting resigned herself.
Duan Ling suddenly took out two sugar beans, ate one, and handed the other to her.
After their marriage, he would sometimes bring her little snacks from outside.
Lin Ting was used to it by now.
Seeing him eat one, she took the other and popped it in her mouth.
But as soon as it entered, it slipped down her throat—she hadn’t even tasted it.
Even if Lin Ting couldn’t taste it, she pretended to savor it, showing she took his gifts seriously.
“This sugar bean is all right, but not as tasty as the ones you used to buy.”
“That’s not a sugar bean. It’s Nanli Poison I had someone bring back from Tianshui Zhai in Miaojiang.”
Lin Ting was shocked.
“Nanli Poison?”
Duan Ling smiled and said:
“You ate the mother poison, I ate the child poison. From today on, I can’t be more than a hundred paces from you. If I leave your side by a hundred paces, I’ll be in agony, wracked with pain. However long you’re gone, that’s how long I’ll suffer.”
He continued, as if it were someone else’s problem, “If you leave me for a day, I’ll die. As for you, no matter what, you’ll be perfectly fine. The one who suffers is me, the one who dies is me.”
Lin Ting suspected Duan Ling had gone mad, eating something like Nanli Poison when it did him no good at all.
Wasn’t he handing his life over to her completely?
If she wanted him dead, all she had to do was walk a hundred paces away for a day.
Although Nanli Poison had no effect on Lin Ting, if she left Duan Ling’s side by more than a hundred paces, he’d be in pain.
How could she sneak out to give Xia Zimo the aphrodisiac and complete her task, then?
Lin Ting knew she had no way to slip Xia Zimo the drug under Duan Ling’s nose.
That was as hard as scaling the heavens for her.
Duan Ling stood up, about to clear the dishes from the table, but she pulled him back, not letting him leave.
“Why did you do this?”
Duan Ling intertwined his fingers with hers.
“With you taking Nanli Poison, there won’t be a night where you’re kidnapped and I don’t even know about it. Because if you’re a hundred paces from me, I’ll be in pain.”
“Is that the only reason?” Lin Ting’s instincts told her there was another reason—Duan Ling still suspected she’d “cheat.”
Duan Ling fixed his gaze on her and answered, “Mm. That’s the only reason.”
Whether that was the only reason didn’t matter anymore.
Lin Ting now worried she’d be kidnapped again for a day, and Duan Ling would die of pain.
“Tell me how to break the poison.”
He replied slowly, “Ancheng is dangerous. Once we leave Ancheng, I’ll undo it. This poison really won’t hurt you, there’s no need to worry.”
She turned and gripped Duan Ling’s hand.
“I know you’re not lying to me, but that’s not what I’m worried about.”
Duan Ling’s eyes darkened for a moment, though his tone remained gentle.
“Then what are you worried about?”
“You.”
He was taken aback.
“Me?”
Lin Ting squeezed his hand until it reddened, retorting, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll die because of this?”
Duan Ling curved his lips, as if pleased by the idea.
“Even if you’re kidnapped again, I’ll find you within a day. If I can’t, then I’ll die. Isn’t that fine?”
Lin Ting: “……”
She couldn’t talk him out of it at all.
“Forget it, do as you please.”
She’d have to find a way to see Jin Anazai soon and ask if he knew how to break Nanli Poison.
Jin Anazai was well-traveled and knowledgeable; maybe he’d know.
Duan Ling withdrew his hand and rubbed under her eyes, where faint shadows lingered.
“You slept late last night. Don’t go out today—rest more.”
Lin Ting hadn’t planned to go out anyway.
“How’s Duan Xinning?”
His fingers moved from under her eyes to her eyelids.
“She’s better than a few days ago after taking the calming medicine. Nothing serious.”
Lin Ting: “I’ll visit her tonight.”
Lin Ting’s legs were still unsteady—her limp was obvious.
She’d have to rest the whole afternoon.
Besides they lived close, in the same compound, so they could meet anytime.
“Xia Zimo will visit Linguan tonight.”
Duan Ling mentioned Xia Zimo without any change of expression, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Ting was at a loss for words, then carefully said, “I can wait until after Xia Zimo leaves.”
“He’ll leave very late.”
She understood Duan Ling’s meaning and changed her words, “I’ll go see Linguan before he arrives.”
She didn’t have the aphrodisiac on hand anyway, so whether or not she saw Xia Zimo today didn’t matter.
She’d have to buy the medicine first before proceeding.
Duan Ling said no more, heading to the luohan couch to handle the documents sent by the Imperial Guards.
He still hadn’t gone to the yamen to work today.
After eating, Lin Ting wanted to sleep again.
Before climbing into bed, she glanced at the door and noticed it was still locked.
“Why is the door still locked?”
Duan Ling, reading through documents, didn’t even lift his head, speaking gently, “I locked it just now out of habit. I’ll open it when we go out.”
She pulled her foot back from the bed, thinking aloud, “I want to use the toilet.”
Duan Ling worked through documents with astonishing speed, finishing ten in less than half a quarter hour, stacking them to the side.
“There’s a clean handkerchief in the room.”
Lin Ting couldn’t shake the feeling that Duan Ling was trying to keep her locked in the room.
“A Handkerchief won’t do.”
“I’ll go with you.”
The latrine was less than fifty paces from the room, just inside the courtyard—Nanli Poison wouldn’t be triggered.
Still, Duan Ling insisted on accompanying her.
Lin Ting thought for a few seconds then didn’t object; she was waiting for him to unlock the door.
Duan Ling put aside his documents, left the luohan couch, and took out the key to open the door.
After Lin Ting stepped outside, she felt something strange.
Usually, there would be servants passing through the courtyard from time to time, but today there was no one—not even those sweeping up.
The silence was eerie, as if everyone had vanished without a trace.
Duan Ling stood behind her, holding the lock, and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”