“Cheng’er.”
Fang Ankang was already terrified, and upon seeing Fang Cheng fall into the lake, he was so frightened that his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground.
The accompanying servants were in a frantic state, unsure for a moment whom to rescue first.
“Miss!”
Feicui exclaimed in shock, tears instantly streaming down her face.
Their young lady couldn’t swim either—what was to be done? How could she have jumped in to save someone on her own initiative? She was a young woman, and if she rashly went into the water, even if she managed to rescue Fang Cheng, what would become of her reputation?
The people on the shore were anxious and fearful. Jiang Chaohua, having plunged into the icy lake water, shivered from the cold.
While inwardly cursing Fang Cheng for his uselessness, she swam toward him.
Fang Cheng’s mother had not actually passed away from illness but had drowned after falling into a lake.
Since then, Fang Cheng had developed a deep fear of water, yet he often went alone to the lakeside to reminisce about his mother.
His profound affection for Jiang Wanxin had also taken root because she frequently comforted him and kept him company there.
Coupled with their similar family backgrounds, he had found himself increasingly unable to extricate himself from these feelings over the years.
“Gurgle, gurgle.”
Fang Cheng’s body continued to sink toward the bottom of the lake. He had swallowed a stomachful of water, and his lungs felt as if they were about to burst.
In his hazy consciousness, Jiang Wanxin’s face repeatedly appeared before his eyes. He let out a bitter laugh—could it be that Jiang Chaohua’s prediction had come true? Was he really going to lose his life today?
Fang Cheng’s eyes were open when suddenly, a petite figure, swift as a fish, swam toward him.
Jiang Wanxin’s face transformed into Jiang Chaohua’s, and in an instant, she grabbed Fang Cheng by the collar and began pulling him toward the shore.
To Fang Cheng, trapped in the quagmire, Jiang Chaohua’s appearance was like a hand reaching out to save him.
In the water, Jiang Chaohua was cool and agile, her form illuminated by a beam of light under the shimmering surface of the lake.
Although the surroundings of Ji’nan Lake were quite shady, sunlight refracted from the lakebed often gave the illusion that the water was shallow and crystal clear.
Moreover, Ji’nan Lake was connected to West Lake in Chang’an City. Ordinarily, tourists would go boating on West Lake and avoid this area.
“Miss, Miss is coming over!”
Feicui stamped her feet anxiously on the shore and, upon seeing Jiang Chaohua deftly towing Fang Cheng toward them, wept with joy.
The Fang family servants repeatedly pressed Fang Ankang’s philtrum to revive him. Once he caught his breath and heard Feicui’s words, he hurriedly leaned over the bank to look into the lake.
They were getting closer and closer when, with a splash, Jiang Chaohua gave a powerful thrust and flung Fang Cheng onto the shore.
“Cough, cough, cough.”
Fang Cheng felt as if he had returned from death’s door, coughing violently. He turned his head and saw Jiang Chaohua spin around and swim back into the lake.
“Don’t!”
Fang Cheng’s heart skipped a beat, and he reached out to grab Jiang Chaohua.
If anything happened to Jiang Chaohua because she had saved him, he would blame himself for the rest of his life.
“Cheng’er, don’t go.”
Fang Ankang pulled Fang Cheng back, his own fear still palpable. Watching Jiang Chaohua swim toward the opposite shore, he immediately understood her intention.
Jiang Chaohua had reacted quickly. Jumping into the lake to save Fang Cheng was an act of kindness, but she was, after all, a young woman. With men present on the shore, her reputation would surely be ruined if she emerged there.
Her reputation in Chang’an City was already poor—some even said that not even the illegitimate sons of noble families would consider her worthy.
If Jiang Chaohua truly had ill intentions, she could have easily exploited saving Fang Cheng as leverage against the Fang family or even forced her way into marrying into it.
Yet she did neither. Turning away like this meant she neither coveted credit for rescuing Fang Cheng nor harbored any other schemes—after all, no one would ever know of this incident.
“Miss!”
Feicui wiped her tears and hurried along the shore in Jiang Chaohua’s direction, toward the opposite bank.
“Jiang Chaohua, you…”
Fang Cheng stared dazedly at the figure in the lake. The opposite shore was too far—after saving him, could she possibly swim that distance with her remaining strength?
What if she…
No, he would never allow such a thing to happen.
“Father, quick! Send someone to fetch a boat—find a female boatman!”
“Ah, yes! I’ll go right now! Why are you all standing around? Hurry!”
Fang Ankang nodded repeatedly.
Jiang Chaohua was royalty—if anything happened to her, the Fang family could never bear the consequences. But he, Fang Ankang, would remember her kindness today and repay it without fail in the future.
“Yes, yes!”
The servants hastily acknowledged and rushed to find boatmen.
In the vast expanse of Ji’nan Lake, only a faint figure could be seen struggling toward the distant shore.
From the center of Ji’nan Lake, one could vaguely make out West Lake and a few scattered pleasure boats in the distance.
Jiang Chaohua swam through the lake waters. In her previous life, she hadn’t known how to swim, but later, when everyone turned against her, she learned everything she could to survive.
She was fully confident she could make it across.
But fate was unkind—her current body couldn’t withstand such exertion. Just as she neared the shore, her leg cramped.
Gasping sharply, Jiang Chaohua tried to relax her body, but her strength failed her, and she sank into the lake.
Fang Cheng had never taken notice of Jiang Chaohua before, yet she had saved him. Today, even if it meant breaching decorum, he refused to let her die.
Fang Cheng ran desperately, but the opposite shore was too far. By the time they reached it, Jiang Chaohua had vanished from sight.
Early spring was the perfect season for outings and lake excursions.
West Lake was vast, with several passenger boats constantly drifting about.
Among them, a red-topped pleasure boat stood out most prominently.
A sail hung from the boat, bearing a large character “Yan.” Other vessels kept a wide berth.
The Yan family wielded immense power. Not only did Marquis Yan hold a noble title, but the current emperor had also personally enfeoffed him as Prince Zhenbei.
Prince Zhenbei was the Empress Dowager’s grandson, stationed his entire life at the Great Tang’s borders, defending the nation.
To distinguish them, the people of Chang’an City preferred to call Yan Jing’s father Prince Zhenbei and Yan Jing himself Young Marquis Jing.
Clad in flowing crimson, Yan Jing stood with his hands behind his back, his narrow phoenix eyes deeper and more inscrutable than the lake waters.
His vibrant red robes were soaked at the hem, droplets continuously falling.
At Yan Jing’s feet, Jiang Chaohua lay pale-faced, her hair disheveled, as if lifeless.
“Hey, wake up.”
Even in distress, a beauty remained a beauty.
But Yan Jing was clearly not one to cherish delicate jade.
He nudged Jiang Chaohua with his foot. She stirred faintly, her gaze dazed.
“Since you’re awake, get off my boat now.”
Yan Jing curled his lips, his dark eyes reflecting Jiang Chaohua’s form.
He hadn’t intended to save Jiang Chaohua in the first place. After all, if she died, he wouldn’t have to worry about her overhearing his conversation with Shen Puyu that day.
But the scene of her struggling in the lake just now made Yan Jing sense an intense will to survive emanating from her.
Leaving aside how a pampered young lady like Jiang Chaohua, who was deeply cherished, could possess such excellent swimming skills, why would she harbor such a powerful desire to live?
Unless one had experienced life-and-death situations, it would be impossible to be like this.
A playful glint flickered in Yan Jing’s eyes. He felt some curiosity toward Jiang Chaohua, but more than that, it was a mindset akin to teasing a small cat or dog.
“Ouch.”
Jiang Chaohua only felt a stifling pain in her chest. As her consciousness cleared, her vision sharpened.
Seeing Yan Jing’s enlarged face so close, she gasped sharply, her complexion turning even paler than when she had been submerged in the lake.
“If you hadn’t woken up soon, someone might have blamed themselves to death over you.”
Yan Jing chuckled softly, then turned his head to glance at Fang Cheng frantically searching for someone on the shore, finding the situation even more amusing.
Since ancient times, when a hero saves a beauty, the beauty often pledges herself in return. Since Jiang Chaohua had just saved Fang Cheng, she would undoubtedly hold a special place in his heart from now on.
It seemed the position of the “white moonlight” was about to change hands.
“Huh? Wait, you…”
Yan Jing was lost in thought, but the moment Jiang Chaohua saw him, her entire body stiffened, overwhelmed with terror.
She would rather throw herself back into the lake than stay near Yan Jing.
Shen Puyu, holding a fan, noticed Jiang Chaohua’s intention and paused, wanting to stop her, but it was too late. Jiang Chaohua had already leaped back into the water, the splashes hitting Yan Jing’s face and freezing the smile on his lips.