"Fourth Brother, is this—targeted at you?" A handsome young man with a clear and refined demeanor, waving a folding fan in his hand, looked at the lake with a carefree expression.
Yinzhen, seated to his right, set down his wine cup and let out a half-smile, half-snort.
Even if he hadn't witnessed such tricks before, he had heard plenty about them in the palace. If a girl fell into the water and he went down to save her, there would naturally be physical contact.
To put it bluntly, once she latched onto him, Imperial Father would surely issue an edict to carry her into his residence.
"Which young lady went out without her attendants? If I don't save her, someone else will," he said, casually glancing at the two boats across the way. In one glance, he spotted Xiao Quanzi by the cabin.
And behind him stood Dongya, who never left Song Xilou's side.
"Splash"
Without a second thought, Yinzhen dove in. The river water at night was freezing cold; the moment he hit it, he shivered involuntarily. It took him a moment to recover, and he swam faster. If even he found this water bone-chilling, then that delicate little thing who fell in must be in who knows what state.
His action left the Thirteenth Prince on the boat utterly bewildered. He turned and asked, "Fourth Brother really took a liking to that girl?" He still found it hard to believe—how could anyone see clearly in this pitch darkness?
Behind him stood a young woman, delicate and pretty. Seeing the Thirteenth Prince's confusion, she pointed at Xiao Quanzi and said, "My lord, look."
The Thirteenth Prince naturally recognized Xiao Quanzi and immediately understood. So the person in the water was someone Fourth Brother knew? Given how closely Xiao Quanzi followed her, he must care deeply—the one in the water was probably his future fourth sister-in-law.
"But there's another one down there?" He pointed below, not worried about Fourth Brother—his fourth brother was an excellent swimmer. He just wondered whether Fourth Brother would rescue the wrong girl with two of them down there.
While he hesitated on the spot, the maid behind him stepped forward: "My lord, this servant will save that girl."
The Thirteenth Prince paused mid-swing of his fan and asked, "You can swim?"
"This servant has known how since childhood."
Seeing her confidence, the Thirteenth Prince nodded: "Alright, the river water is cold. Be careful." The maid nodded and dove in without hesitation.
Song Xilou couldn't swim. After falling in, she choked on several mouthfuls of water. Just like the last day of her previous life, that feeling of being consumed by flames returned. Song Xilou had experienced it once before—she remembered the sensation of death clearly.
Like someone gripping her throat, she couldn't breathe, only slowly walking the path toward death.
She gradually sank beneath the water, her eyes forced shut by the current suddenly snapping open. She refused to accept this. She had returned for a second chance and hadn't accomplished anything yet.
She couldn't die like this.
As if a light appeared, she learned to struggle, and she clearly saw someone swimming toward her not far away. The moment she saw that person, hope surged within her—finally—someone had come to save her.
Then she fell into unconsciousness.
Yinzhen found her in a spot thick with waterweed. Her ankle was tangled in the weeds, and she had already passed out. He sped up his swimming and finally gathered her into his arms.
"Xilou?" Yinzhen shook her in the water, but Song Xilou remained unconscious, unresponsive.
Her clothes were soaked through, outlining her lovely figure. Song Xilou wore a modified hanfu—layered and ethereal when dry, but now clinging to her body completely. Yinzhen could see her clearly now.
The delicate little thing looked small and dainty, but he never expected her to be so well-developed. Not to mention her waist, which he could encircle with one hand, her chest was full and enticing.
Her fair, almost translucent skin seemed to glow in the water. As he moved, he noticed her sash had gotten tangled in the waterweed. He struggled to untie it for a while, and fearing she couldn't endure the water much longer, he simply untied her sash altogether.
Without the sash, her clothes hung loose, half-revealing and half-concealing, with one shoulder exposed above the water's surface. Combined with her innocent appearance, it gave her an almost bewitching, seductive charm.
Yinzhen froze on the spot, staring for a long time without snapping out of it.
If not for being in the water… He hastily wiped his face. The girl was far too alluring. If she knew what he was thinking, wouldn't it frighten her? That was also why he hadn't gone to see her recently.
He was afraid his blatant thoughts would scare her away.
The most important thing now was to get her to safety. Yinzhen stepped forward, wrapping one arm around her waist to slowly bring her above the surface, while using his other hand to support her face to prevent her from choking on more water. Then he slowly swam toward the boat.
On the boat, someone was already lying there—a girl in a pink-and-white banner dress huddled in the corner, shivering. She blinked her big innocent eyes, her long lashes still adorned with teardrops the size of beans, looking utterly pitiful.
The Thirteenth Prince sipped his tea: "Which family does this young lady belong to?"
The servant who rescued her had just said that this person knew how to swim and wouldn't drown easily in the water. That being the case, he couldn't help but overthink.
"Your Grace's life-saving kindness, this humble woman will never forget, but…" She lifted her head slightly, nervously twisting her sleeves. "I fear those with ulterior motives might use this to create rumors."
Niohuru Lian secretly speculated about his identity. This person was not the Fourth Prince. Someone of his age who stayed close to the Fourth Prince must be the Thirteenth Prince.
Also someone not to be trifled with. She lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then raised it again. Before she even spoke, tears streamed down her face. "Your Grace's life-saving grace, this humble woman will repay in the future. But now, with so many eyes and ears around, I fear I might tarnish Your Grace's reputation."
"Your Grace should pretend you never saw me, and spare yourself from future gossip." Wearing the servant's clothes, she had lost her earlier panic. Standing up, small and delicate, she looked exceedingly frail, yet every word she spoke was meant to distance herself from him.
This didn't seem like the approach of someone trying to cling to him. The Thirteenth Prince was no longer certain—could this young lady have truly fallen into the water by accident?
Just as he was thinking this, the Fourth Prince came up with his men. The Thirteenth Prince hurried over to help, but Yinzhen waved his hand away. "A blanket."
He had come out alone today—hadn't even brought Su Peisheng, only the Thirteenth Prince. Fortunately, the Thirteenth Prince's maidservant had the foresight to fetch a blanket, which the Fourth Prince immediately draped over Song Xilou, leaving only a face the size of a palm visible.
Skin so fair it was almost translucent, delicate and refined features, a pallid complexion that made her look exceptionally fragile.
Even the Thirteenth Prince, who saw all manner of noble ladies year-round in the palace, was momentarily stunned by the sight. No wonder Fourth Brother treasured her so—she was indeed a treasure.
"Fourth Brother, is this my fourth sister-in-law?"
Yinzhen was checking on Song Xilou, and only relaxed once he confirmed she had merely fainted and was otherwise fine.
When the Thirteenth Prince asked, he simply hummed in acknowledgment. Even if this person wasn't his yet, she would be in time—it was merely a question of when.
He carried her into the cabin, and because he was walking in haste, he bumped into someone blocking the doorway. He casually cursed, "A servant with no sense."
Normally, Yinzhen wouldn't have such a temper, but right now he was holding a delicate little thing in his arms.
Niohuru Lianxin stood frozen in place. The feet of the person in Fourth Master's arms nearly knocked her off balance, but before she could even get a look at the Fourth Prince, she was struck dumb by the words "a servant with no sense."
She—Niohuru Lianxin—had never once been called a servant in her entire life. In the Niohuru household, she had always been the most favored. This sudden remark nearly made her twist with rage. She lowered her head, her gaze contorting for a moment, and when she raised it again, her eyes were red.
She stole a glance behind her and saw the Fourth Prince carrying that young woman with such gentle, careful movements, so full of tenderness. Her fingers clenched tightly beneath her sleeves, digging into her palms. Who was this person?
No matter how she looked, she could only see half a face hidden beneath the blanket—but even that half face sent a wave of panic through Niohuru Lianxin.
She had a feeling that this person was her lifelong nemesis.
Even though she considered herself beautiful, she paled considerably in comparison to this one.
Seeing how doting the Fourth Prince was—how utterly detestable.
The boat slowly docked. Xiao Quanzi and Dongya were already waiting there, and the Niohuru household's servants had also come to escort their young miss back. It was only when the Fourth Prince heard the words "Niohuru" that he cast a single glance at Niohuru Lianxin.
"You are the young miss of the Niohuru family?" His brows furrowed together, clearly displeased.
But… so what? Niohuru Lianxin smiled sweetly and nodded. After taking a deep look at him, she walked toward her own people.
As long as she left an impression in the Fourth Prince's heart, that was enough. Everything else could be won back later.
The first thing to take—was the position in the Fourth Prince's arms. Thinking of that woman wrapped in the blanket, Niohuru Lianxin felt a surge of hatred.
The Fourth Prince brought Song Xilou onto the carriage. She was still unconscious beneath the blanket. Yinzhen casually stroked her hair while his mind churned with thoughts.
He had already investigated Song Xilou's background thoroughly—it was merely a case of two families having swapped babies over a decade ago. The Song family must have known, though he wasn't sure about the Niohuru family.
And then there was today's incident—far too suspicious. How had the two of them fallen into the water at the same time? And why, of all places, had Song Xilou come to Li River?
Not earlier, not later—both of them had to fall right before his eyes. Yinzhen's hand paused in stroking Song Xilou's hair, then shifted to rolling the prayer beads on his wrist.
"Don't let me find out you're deceiving me."
After a long while, these words came from within the carriage, followed by a sigh.