The woman in the water wore a pale yellow dress, the latest fashion in the capital, layered like a yellow peony.
But her violent struggles made the yellow peony rise and fall in a most undignified manner.
Xiao Xun knew this girl was terribly afraid of water—he had witnessed it last time. Back then, he had simply rescued her without any ulterior motive, promptly lifting her out of the water. This time, however, Xiao Xun was determined to teach her a lesson—to let her swallow a few more mouthfuls of water.
After all, she would never thank him for saving her.
It had been that way last time, and it would surely be the same this time; Xiao Xun was well aware of this.
It didn’t matter. He hadn’t wanted her gratitude last time, nor did he now.
He only needed everyone to see that he had saved her. That was all.
He sat in the spot closest to the drowning site, arranged by Chu Lan, and watched as the girl and another girl approached—the steward beside him said it was their family’s eldest young lady.
"Miss A-Tang is the most reliable in handling matters," the steward boasted. "She has already coaxed Miss Azhao into obediently listening."
Obedient? Xiao Xun felt the word "obedient" had no place in that girl’s heart.
Still, no matter how strong-willed a person was, they enjoyed being coaxed. With enough effort, anyone could be won over.
The two girls chatted and laughed as they passed by. Not long after, a scream was heard, followed by the sound of someone falling into the water—
It had begun.
At the same moment, Xiao Xun stood up. Tie Ying grabbed his arm, pulled him down from the high pavilion, and with a swing, sent Xiao Xun flying into the lake.
By then, Chu Lan’s steward was still standing in the pavilion, unable to react.
The yellow peony had already sunk beneath the surface. Only then did Xiao Xun dive into the water. He reached out and grabbed the sinking girl—
Just like before, as if suddenly clutching a lifeline, the girl wrapped around him like a water snake.
Xiao Xun raised his hand and threw a punch. The girl jerked backward, her hair flying, revealing her face.
Underwater, Xiao Xun’s eyes widened instantly.
Her!
……
……
Chu Tang’s eyes were wide open, her face flushed red from suffocation.
She couldn’t make a sound—her mouth was tightly covered by a hand. She couldn’t move either, as another hand pressed her into a crevice in the rockery.
Chu Tang listened as a splash sounded outside, followed by A Le’s scream and the clamor of voices, then another splash.
Everything was unfolding exactly as she had imagined.
The difference was that in her imagination, she should have been in the water by now, not pinned by Chu Zhao in a rockery crevice.
She hadn’t even grasped what was happening.
She had discussed with her parents that she would lure Chu Zhao over so she could learn the location they had arranged for the drowning.
Once the Crown Prince of Zhongshan arrived and received the signal, she would call Chu Zhao over—linger near the drowning spot, then move to the exact location, switching places so that she would be the one to fall into the water.
To ensure nothing went wrong, she had specifically worn the same dress as Chu Zhao underneath.
But after handing the account book to Chu Zhao and asking her to read it there, she excused herself to fetch something. Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, Chu Zhao seized her, dragged her under the rockery, and shoved her into the crevice.
Though shocked, Chu Tang was not foolish. In an instant, she understood—Chu Zhao knew everything.
I was wrong! She shook her head, making muffled sounds.
Chu Zhao seemed to understand and smiled at her, removing the hand covering her mouth.
Chu Tang gasped for air, but aside from breathing heavily, she did not scream, shout, or speak, listening to A Le’s piercing cries from outside."Miss—"
……
……
Standing by the lake, A Le stamped her feet in panic. After the initial cry of "Miss," the rest were shouts for help and incoherent exclamations, until the drowning woman was lifted out of the water.
Crowds surged from all directions in the garden, their gazes filled with anxious concern. At the sight of the rescue, they erupted in cheers.
A Le called out "Miss" again, but this time her gaze was not fixed on the water—it was directed behind her.
"Miss—" she shouted, "Sister Linglong has been saved—"
The onlookers froze for a moment. Linglong?
Who was Linglong?
Wasn’t it Chu Zhao who had fallen into the water?
Their eyes followed A Le’s gaze toward the rear, where Chu Zhao emerged from behind a rockery not far away, holding a ledger in her hand, her expression one of shock.
"What’s going on?" she shouted loudly. "I was checking accounts with A Tang—didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on the grounds first?"
"We were just about to!" A Le yelled at the top of her lungs. "But we were in such a hurry, afraid of being delayed, that we walked too fast. Sister Linglong accidentally slipped and fell into the lake."
Chu Zhao rushed over, stopping at the edge of the lake to look at the rescued woman and her savior.
"Thank goodness someone saved Sister Linglong," A Le shouted again from behind. "I wonder who this hero is!"
Since it wasn’t Chu Zhao who had fallen into the water, the onlookers relaxed considerably. With the maid now safe, all attention turned to the rescuer.
Who was he?
Such quick reflexes.
Such decisive action in diving into the water.
Clearly an excellent swimmer, he had lifted her out in just a few strokes.
He was a young nobleman, his white brocade robes floating like clouds in the water, his jet-black hair drifting behind him, revealing a smooth forehead and a tall, straight nose. His lips were pressed together, and deep dimples appeared on his cheeks, making him look like an immortal from the Luo River.
Among the many visitors to the Chu estate, anyone of exceptional talent and appearance would have been remembered—yet this young man was a first-time sighting.
Which family’s distinguished scion was he?
Chu Zhao stood on the shore, looking down at the man in the water, her expression one of astonishment. "Heir Apparent!"
Heir Apparent?
The surrounding crowd was taken aback.
The lineage of the Great Xia Emperor had always been sparse in descendants, and those who could be called "Heir Apparent" were few and far between—even rarer in the capital. Could it be—
"Crown Prince of Zhongshan!" A Le immediately echoed Chu Zhao, her voice loud enough to be heard across the entire Chu estate. "It’s actually you!"
Crown Prince of Zhongshan! It was actually the Crown Prince of Zhongshan!
The Crown Prince of Zhongshan had come to the Chu estate!
The Chu estate erupted in commotion.
……
……
The clamor soared over walls and rooftops, flying into Chu Lan’s study. Chu Lan, who had already retreated to the doorway, took another step back.
The steward was flustered, and Jiang Shi was equally at a loss.
"Master, you must go quickly," they urged.
"What’s the point of going now?" Chu Lan murmured.
The incident had unfolded as planned, yet everything was entirely different. It wasn’t Chu Zhao who had fallen into the water, and Xiao Xun—who was supposed to remain an observer—had unexpectedly jumped in to rescue her.
"Regardless, the Heir Apparent saved someone. As hosts, we should go and express our gratitude," Jiang Shi said. "We must treat him as an honored guest."
Though Chu Lan hadn’t yet figured out exactly where things had gone wrong, he sensed that the entire affair was problematic. He flicked his sleeve dismissively. "I know nothing about this. Just say I’m ill—I cannot see anyone!"
……
……
Yet even without Chu Lan and his wife present, the Chu estate was more than capable of handling the situation appropriately.After identifying the rescuer, Chu Zhao immediately ordered his servants to pull Xiao Xun out of the lake and bring him indoors, where a physician was summoned to examine him.
The Chu estate had arranged for a physician on the first day of the literary gathering, prepared for scenarios like brawls, self-harm after losses, or frenzied celebrations after victories—though none had occurred until now. Finally, the physician had a purpose.
Chu Zhao then instructed A Le to "invite" the steward—while Chu Lan might evade responsibility, the steward could not avoid it.
When the steward arrived, he was compelled to declare, "The Heir Apparent is here to attend the literary gathering, not to arrest anyone or deliver judgments. He has already met with the master, who is aware of his presence." This reassurance calmed the crowd.
Indeed, everyone regained their composure. If the Crown Prince of Zhongshan had been dispatched to make arrests, why would he bother rescuing someone from the Chu estate? Drowning would have been deserved.
No one fled the Chu estate, and the panic subsided. Instead, the guests buzzed with curiosity and excitement, their gazes fixed on where Xiao Xun was, eagerly awaiting another glimpse of him.
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