Not far outside the city walls, by a riverbank, Ji Yu held a steamed bun between her teeth as she freed her hands to thread a worm onto a fishhook. She set down a small wooden stool at a spot with a clear view.
She cast the line into the water, her lips pressed together, her large, clear eyes fixed intently on the surface as if trying to see through it.
A gentle breeze rippled the water into sparkling waves. Willow catkins drifted through the air, landing on the river and spreading out in gentle circles.
Ji Yu pulled her thin jacket tighter around herself. Although it was April and the weather wasn’t freezing, the wind still carried a biting chill.
She glanced at where her hook lay—still as glass.
Two quarters of an hour had passed, yet she hadn’t caught a single fish.
Her real goal wasn’t fishing anyway, but she had managed to catch a few the previous days, selling them at the market for a handful of coins. Now that the rain had stopped, she had nothing to show for it. She couldn’t help feeling discouraged.
“Little girl, you’ll have better luck fishing upstream.”
Ji Yu turned at the voice to see an old man carrying a basket and holding a rod, calling out to her from a short distance away.
She smiled and shouted back, “Thank you for the advice, sir!” Then she stubbornly turned her head back to stare at her line.
Seeing her ignore him, the old man shook his head with a sigh and walked further up the river.
Another hour passed. Ji Yu looked at her basket; inside were two tiny fish, barely palm-sized, hardly enough for a meal. They were still jumping wildly, trying to escape. She sighed and covered the basket.
It looked like another day wasted. When on earth was Qi Yu going to float by?
Watching the endless calm water, she packed up her rod and stood up wearily, deciding to call it a day.
Just as she turned to pick up her basket, something floating on the surface caught her eye. Looking closer, it looked like a person.
Ji Yu’s eyes lit up instantly.
He’s here! He’s finally here! All her waiting these past three days hadn’t been in vain.
Overjoyed, she tossed her rod aside, rolled up her sleeves and trouser legs, and rushed straight into the water.
The moment her feet touched the current, a bone-deep coldness seized her body. She shivered violently, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.
Glancing at the figure still floating in the middle of the river, she remembered why she was there and gritted her teeth, rolling her pants up even higher.
It made no difference—the water rose quickly to her waist. By the time she struggled to reach him, her lips were purple and her face pale from the cold.
Trembling, she reached out and turned him over. But when her gaze met his swollen, disfigured face, she gasped in horror, her feet slipping out from under her.
She fell hard into the water, swallowing a mouthful of the icy liquid. The shock cleared her head for a moment, but seeing the bloated corpse made her scramble frantically back to the bank.
“Oh my god, that was terrifying…” She patted her chest, sitting heavily on her stool, her heart pounding so hard it wouldn’t calm down.
Once she recovered slightly, her eyes involuntarily drifted back to the river. The body was still floating, drifting slowly downstream with the current.
She stood up abruptly, then thought better of it and sat back down.
That couldn’t be Qi Yu. According to the story, he was a main character who survived until the very end. He couldn’t die.
She watched the corpse drift away until it was out of sight, letting out a long breath of relief. She slung her basket over her shoulder, ready to go home.
But then, her eyes darted back to the water—and there was another figure floating downstream.
Ji Yu’s heart sank. What was going on today? One corpse was bad enough, why another?
She squinted, staring hard. She hesitated. Should she check? What if this was the person she was waiting for?
But what if it was another rotten corpse? She really didn’t want to be scared twice in one day.
Torn, she finally made up her mind. She would take the risk.
She sighed heavily. *Ugh! Who asked me to owe three hundred taels of silver? For the money, I have no choice!*
For the sake of her future prosperity, she had to do this. Even if she got scared again, so be it.
The second time, she moved with more resolve. Ignoring the freezing water, she gritted her teeth and swam straight to him, determined to finish this quickly.
If it wasn’t him, she would turn right back around. If it was… then everything would be worth it.
It certainly justified sitting here in the rain for two days, catching nothing but minnows.
She brushed the wet hair away from his face, revealing sharp, handsome features. Ji Yu’s eyes widened in delight. He was incredibly good-looking—exactly how the book described the second male lead, Qi Yu.
This was the man she had been waiting three days to rescue!
However, his eyes were closed, his face ashen, his lips purple. He looked utterly lifeless. Panic seized her—was he dead too?
She immediately pushed the thought away. He *couldn’t* be dead!
She grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse.
It was faint, barely there, but it existed. Ji Yu frowned and slid her arm under his shoulders.
As long as he was alive, she could handle it. She had medical skills now, and good ones at that. She could save him.
She dragged him back to shore and laid him flat, examining him closely to confirm his identity.
Deep brows, a high bridge of the nose, a chiseled jawline, and a prominent Adam’s apple.
Ji Yu swallowed hard. In twenty years of life, she had never seen a man so strikingly handsome. He was better looking than any celebrity.
No wonder the author spent so many pages describing him. This had to be Qi Yu!
His features were perfect, exactly to her taste—especially his sun-kissed skin, which added a touch of rugged sexiness to his delicate features.
Wait… sun-kissed skin?!
Ji Yu stared at his exposed arms, stunned.
She distinctly remembered the book repeatedly describing Qi Yu as being *pale as snow*. His skin was supposed to be fairer than most women’s, with red lips and white teeth, possessing the elegance of an immortal.
Had she picked up the wrong person?
The thought terrified her. She frantically patted him down, searching for clues. His muscles were firm and well-defined—truly like a work of art. She almost forgot her panic just admiring the physique.
A cold wind snapped her back to reality. As she searched, a jade pendant fell from his clothes with a clear *clink*. She picked it up and read the carving, finally relaxing.
It was an imperial token, engraved with the character **Yu**. This belonged to the Third Prince, Qi Yu. She hadn’t made a mistake.
Thinking that this stunning man was dying right in front of her, and that saving him would earn her a hundred taels of gold to pay off her debts, Ji Yu sprang into action.
She examined him thoroughly. As expected, his condition was critical. He had several cuts and gashes, but those were merely surface wounds.
The real danger was an arrow wound near his heart, barely missing it by an inch. It had gone straight through him.
The arrow itself was gone, likely pulled out, and the wound had been crudely bandaged. But the arrowhead had been poisoned—the flesh around the injury was black and rotting, and the blood seeping out was dark, not bright red.
He had lost so much blood that his white silk robes were stained crimson, making him look as though he was wearing red garments.
Frowning deeply, Ji Yu pulled medicine from her bag, ready to treat him. She planned to stop the bleeding first and get him somewhere safe for proper care.
But the moment she reached to sprinkle the powder on his wound, her wrist was suddenly seized in an iron grip. The touch was ice-cold, making her jump.
She turned her head and found herself staring into a pair of dark, menacing eyes.
The man’s brows were furrowed, his eyes narrowed slits filled with suspicion, wariness, and a flash of unmistakable killing intent.
Ji Yu swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay calm. She lifted the small porcelain bottle.
“Sir, you are badly injured. If we don’t stop the bleeding, you will die. I am a physician. This powder will help.”
He said nothing, merely staring at her, his grip unrelenting. She cautiously tilted the bottle, letting a small amount fall directly onto the wound.
A low grunt of pain escaped him. His brows knitted tighter, and his eyes flashed with sudden fury. He glared at her like a wild beast, looking ready to tear her apart.
Ji Yu held her breath, frozen. After a long moment, perhaps exhausted, his grip loosened. He closed his eyes slowly, his expression one of bitter resignation, and slipped back into unconsciousness.
Ji Yu touched her wrist and let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. The powder contained sedatives as well as clotting agents.
While he was out, she quickly applied the medicine and wrapped his wounds tightly.
When she finished, she couldn’t help recalling that terrifying look. A chill ran down her spine.
The book described Qi Yu as a gentle, refined gentleman. But the man she had just met was fierce and dangerous.
She was certain that if he hadn’t been injured, he would have killed her without hesitation.
Yet she knew she hadn’t grabbed the wrong person. That jade pendant was unmistakable—an imperial symbol that could never be stolen or faked.
Besides, Qi Yu was skilled in martial arts. How could anyone possibly steal something so personal from him?
She shook her head, dismissing her doubts. It was definitely him.
But then… how on earth was she, a small, delicate girl, supposed to carry this huge, heavy man back home without being seen?