After exchanging a few pleasantries with Xiao Mingyue, Beauty Zheng took her leave.
Looking at the room packed with all sorts of items that could barely fit, Xiao Mingyue happily accepted them with a beaming smile.
In a thoroughly good mood, she decided to go outside to get some fresh air, wandering around with her attendants until they reached the Imperial Garden.
Inside the Imperial Garden, a subtle fragrance drifted alongside the peony terrace, while vibrant koi swam leisurely in the Taiye Pool.
The copper wind bells beneath the eaves chimed softly, echoing in harmony with the gurgling stream like heavenly music. Though situated deep within the palace enclosure, it formed its own serene and otherworldly realm of quiet elegance.
“All of you may withdraw; I wish to walk around alone,” Xiao Mingyue said. It was high time she had some peace and quiet.
Last night, Xie Changsu had suddenly brought up the matter regarding her father. She heard it had something to do with Feng Buji, but Xiao Mingyue knew that in truth, it was Hua Heng’s doing.
To system taskers from an outside world, everyone in this world was merely a virtual NPC. Thus, no matter how many died or how they died, it didn’t matter at all. The only reason her father was framed with such a massive charge was simply that Hua Heng wanted to take her father’s military tally to ingratiate herself with Feng Buji.
What Hua Heng didn’t know, however, was that Feng Buji had never harbored the ambition to become the Emperor; power wasn’t all that important to him.
When he was young, Feng Buji had told her that in the future, he wanted to be an idle prince, holding her hand and growing old together. When Xiao Mingyue asked him why, he said that throughout history, princes who held real power never came to a good end—regardless of whether they shared the imperial surname or not. A prince possessing too much power would interfere with the Emperor’s authority, a situation no normal ruler would ever tolerate.
He had seen through life so clearly that Xiao Mingyue had always believed his declarations of unyielding devotion were genuine as well. Thinking back on it now, it was truly laughable.
Xiao Mingyue sat down on a stone stool by the edge of the lake, quietly admiring the fish in the water, when a violent force suddenly pushed her from behind.
With a loud splash, Xiao Mingyue fell into the water.
The lake was not particularly deep, but it was just enough to submerge Xiao Mingyue’s head. To make matters worse, Xiao Mingyue didn’t know how to swim.
Xiao Mingyue thrashed wildly against the lake water, calling out for help at the top of her lungs. Yet there was unexpectedly no one around—so who had pushed her just now?
A surge of immense panic welled up in her heart. She waved her arms and legs frantically, but lake water still poured into her mouth. The more she coughed, the more energy she consumed. Thus, Xiao Mingyue stopped struggling—she refused to believe a little lake water could drown her.
And guess what? She actually learned how to float!
Xiao Mingyue realized that when she remained still, her body floated to the surface instead. So she tried gently paddling her hands across the water.
As the saying goes, even if one hasn’t seen a pig run, haven’t they eaten pork? When she was young and mischief-minded, she loved following Feng Buji to the river in the summer to watch them play in the water—and those people had swum just like this.
Looking closely now, it gave her quite a fright. Without realizing it, she had been pushed to the very middle of the lake by the current, and now she had to swim back.
Fortunately, Xiao Mingyue had been clever enough earlier not to waste her strength in futile struggles, so reaching the shore safely was still achievable.
Who could have guessed that in the very next second, with a sharp “Ah!“, Xiao Mingyue’s calf suddenly cramped up.
She had thought there was always a way out, only to realize it was mere wishful thinking. Was she going to die here today?
As she sank into the lake, memories of her childhood suddenly flooded Xiao Mingyue’s mind.
When she was eight years old, her father had won a victorious battle, but her mother fell ill and passed away; her parents never even got to see each other one last time. No one cared about the young girl’s helpless cries and wails. Grief-stricken, her father had even wanted to follow her mother to the grave, and in his overwhelming sorrow, no one noticed that Xiao Mingyue hadn’t eaten anything for three days.
Just as she was on the verge of dying from starvation, Feng Buji came in from somewhere, bringing her a box of pastries—specifically, jujube paste yam cakes. She ate in such a hurry that she accidentally choked. Thinking she had been poisoned, Feng Buji gave her a punch, forcing her to throw everything up.
Back then, Feng Buji’s face had been filled with heartache, completely disregarding his luxurious robes as he stooped to wipe away the mess for her.
Strictly speaking, Feng Buji had saved her life. If not for him, Xiao Mingyue’s corpse would likely have rotted away without anyone noticing. From then on, jujube paste yam cake became her favorite pastry.
At some unknown point, Feng Buji had realized his feelings for her. His form of address for her changed from “Sister Mingyue” to “My Little Wife.” He put her first in everything, doting on her with gentle affection. Before she had even reached the age of fifteen, he declared to the entire capital that he would marry no one but her, even petitioning the late Emperor for an imperial decree of betrothal.
To think she hadn’t died from his sudden betrayal, only to die mysteriously now in a lake inside the Imperial Garden…
As her consciousness slipped away, someone seemed to jump into the lake. Right after, her body was gently scooped up and pulled toward the shore.
“Xiao Mingyue!!!”
“How dare you play me!”
A familiar yet distant voice echoed, but Xiao Mingyue couldn’t open her eyes.
They said the last sense to fade before death was hearing. She thought she heard Feng Buji’s voice.
Could she really be so pathetic that even in a state like this, she still couldn’t forget him?
Feng Buji had never imagined that the woman he rescued by a twist of fate would be Xiao Mingyue. She wasn’t dead, and she had even entered the palace?!!
Feng Buji was soaked through and through. Looking at the unconscious Xiao Mingyue, he was both furious and heartbroken, seemingly forgetting to question why she was in the palace or why she was wearing the imperial gown of a consort.
His expression was tense yet excited, his tone laced with uncontrollable joy. Pressing down on her chest, he shouted:
“Xiao Mingyue, if you dare to die, I will make the entire Xiao Manor accompany you to the grave!”
Xiao Mingyue wanted to laugh. What era is this to still use this line? Feng Buji is truly cheap!