Saving Someone
Lying on the ground, Yu Guiwan was barely clinging to life. With reddened eyes, she grabbed Su Jintang’s hand and said in terror, “Mother, younger sister… younger sister surely didn’t mean to do it!”
Her jet-black hair clung to her snow-white skin, stripped of all adornment, leaving only a pitiful sight.
Yu Jingzhou was also in a sorry state, yet his eyes were filled with concern and heartache. “What younger sister? Guiwan, tell your brother, how did you end up falling into the water?”
This question hit the nail on the head.
Yu Guiwan’s gaze shifted toward Yu Shuwan, and she added with a sob, “It was my own fault for not standing steady. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”
But that fleeting glance had already revealed everything.
Yu Jingzhou didn’t even care that he was soaked from head to toe. He stepped forward, raising his hand to slap Yu Shuwan across the face.
“How dare you lay a hand on Guiwan! You wretch, who do you think you are!”
Yu Shuwan didn’t dodge. Instead, she firmly seized his wrist as it swung toward her.
“Resorting to violence the moment we meet—that’s not a good habit, you know.”
She stared into Yu Jingzhou’s eyes, enunciating each word clearly. “Bro-ther!”
In her previous life, the one who fell into the water wasn’t Yu Guiwan—it was her.
She had struggled and screamed in the water, her carefully crafted facade of obedience shattering in an instant. All the guests had witnessed her humiliation.
Not a single soul had been willing to lend a hand.
In the end, it was a servant from the estate who jumped in and pulled her ashore.
But at that time, she hadn’t even had a moment to catch her breath before Su Jintang berated her furiously.
“You’ve caused trouble the moment you returned! What exactly are you trying to do?
If your sister hadn’t dodged just in time, would you have pushed her into the water instead?
How could you be so malicious!”
Less than three days after returning home, she had fallen into the water and been called malicious by her own birth mother.
No one knew how utterly helpless she had felt at that moment.
Where had someone like Yu Jingzhou been then, someone who would protect her the way he now protected Yu Guiwan?
Yu Jingzhou was astonished that this thin, petite girl before him could withstand his strength, and even more astonished by the word “brother” she had uttered.
Yu Shuwan gave him a fierce shove, putting some distance between them.
“Dear sister, did I push you?”
She had merely turned sideways earlier. That fool Yu Guiwan had tried to approach her as if by accident, just as she had in her previous life, intending to push her in.
But she had overexerted herself and ended up sending herself into the water instead. Yu Shuwan hadn’t even touched a single corner of her clothing.
“No, I fell in by myself.”
Yu Guiwan’s eyes reddened, tears falling drop by drop. “Mother, tell Brother, I’m really fine…
Younger sister has only just returned to the Houfu. It’s normal for her to be unaccustomed to some things.
As her elder sister, I failed to consider many things for her. That’s my fault.”
Yu Shuwan tilted her head slightly, casually brushing aside the long tassels of her hairpiece. Her tone carried a hint of confusion. “So, did I push you or not?”
“No…”
“Madam, you see? I didn’t.”
Yu Shuwan gave Su Jintang a sweet smile. “I told you, I’m the gentlest person. I’m even afraid of stepping on an ant on ordinary days. How could I bear to bully my sister?”
Her tone was affectionate. “Isn’t that right, sister?”
Yu Guiwan had no desire to answer.
Su Jintang laughed in extreme anger. “Bullying your sister is one thing, but now you dare to say such things right in front of me!
Truly an ignorant country girl raised in the wilderness!”
“Aren’t you just resentful that your sister received more nice things than you? How dare you hide it and act so disgustingly!”
“I’m so heartbroken.”
Yu Shuwan’s eyes suddenly reddened, her body staggering backward two steps as she weakly leaned against a nearby tree.
She resembled a delicate white flower swaying in the wind, fragile enough to break one’s heart.
“So Mother knew she was doting on Elder Sister and gave her more nice things.”
“After putting your sister in such an embarrassing situation today, giving her some compensation is only right.”
Su Jintang gritted her teeth, “Yu Shuwan, stop with your insinuations here!”
“Is it Shuwan who’s being insinuating, or is it you, as a mother, showing favoritism?”
Grandmother Yu’s voice, filled with anger, came from behind.
News of what had just happened had already reached Grandmother Yu’s ears. Sensing trouble, she hadn’t expected to arrive just as Su Jintang was uttering such words.
“You say Guiwan has been raised by your side all these years and is your daughter, but isn’t Shuwan also flesh of your flesh?”
Grandmother Yu said angrily, “How could you say such things? If I hadn’t come today, would you have driven Shuwan away?”
“Grandmother, it was clearly her who caused Guiwan to fall into the water!”
Yu Jingzhou spoke urgently, “How can you be so biased?”
“No matter how biased I am, I could never be as partial as your mother.”
The Dragon-head Cane struck the ground heavily as Grandmother Yu raised her voice further, “And besides, Shuwan is your biological sister!”
Yu Jingzhou had skimmed through these matters in the family letters he received, but hearing Grandmother Yu say it aloud now stirred a strange feeling within him.
That scrawny girl with such unusual strength for a young lady…
Was she his biological sister?
Glancing at Yu Guiwan, who looked beautiful even with tears streaming down her face, and then at Yu Shuwan, who still appeared somewhat gaunt despite being dressed up, Yu Jingzhou’s heart naturally tilted toward one side.
Yu Shuwan took Grandmother Yu’s hand, shaking her head, “I know Mother doesn’t like me. There’s no need to force these things, but…”
She looked toward Yu Guiwan, “Even if Mother and Elder Brother were worried about Elder Sister falling into the water, why wouldn’t you tell the truth?”
“It really wasn’t Younger Sister’s doing. I simply lost my footing.”
Yu Guiwan shrank further into Su Jintang’s embrace, her voice already choked with sobs, “Mother, I’m so scared. I want to go back.”
“Don’t be afraid, Guiwan. Mother will always protect you.”
Su Jintang’s heart was breaking.
Meanwhile, Yu Guiwan was inwardly cursing Yu Shuwan.
Why did that damned female lead have to dodge her move so perfectly, making her the one who ended up falling into the water and humiliating herself!
Even though Yu Jingzhou had rescued her, now that this old hag had intervened, was Yu Jingzhou starting to feel some pity for Yu Shuwan?
Yu Shuwan’s eyes reddened again, “So I misunderstood Elder Sister after all. I’m truly sorry.”
Her tone sincere, she stepped forward, choking back tears, “Elder Sister might not know, but when I was under Liu Chunlan’s care before, she often tormented me.
Once, when she was drunk, she tried to drown me.
But she was afraid someone nearby might save me, so she deliberately chose a time when no one was around.
Just now, in the urgency of the moment, I suddenly remembered when I was choking on water back then. I was so terrified that I didn’t dare get close.”
After speaking, she asked sincerely, “You won’t blame me, will you?”
The past was a topic everyone avoided discussing.
It seemed that as long as no one brought it up, Yu Shuwan could be seen as having been pampered and raised with care all these years, just like Yu Guiwan.
Grandmother Yu’s eyes were nearly overflowing with heartache.