Chapter 25 Falling into the Water "The young mistress has fallen into the water!"

Xiao Qiyu scoffed, his dark eyes fixed on Cui Ying's face without blinking: "Now you're quite eloquent, but yesterday you were like a mute?"

Why bring up something you shouldn't talk about?

Cui Ying's face flushed red instantly, and her usually sharp tongue became clumsy. All she could do was raise a thumb and point it at Xiao Qiyu's nose, saying menacingly, "I'm warning you, if you mention yesterday to me again, believe me, I'll kick you down into the water to feed the fish!"

“This is outrageous,” Xiao Qiyu said, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly. “I beg you to kick me off.”

Please.

Seeing Cui Ying's blush turn into a burning anger, Xiao Qiyu's expression became pleased, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and he walked past her, head held high.

Looking at Xiao Qiyu's back, which was brimming with arrogance, Cui Ying thought to herself: No, even if I don't kick him down, I have to scare him and let him know how powerful I am.

After thinking it over, Cui Ying made up her mind. She took two deep breaths, then concentrated all her strength in her legs, raised her hands, and stared at Xiao Qiyu's back. After deciding to attack from the side, she lunged forward, her raised hands aimed straight at Xiao Qiyu's side waist.

Cui Jin had felt uneasy as soon as her young lady started breathing. Knowing her well, whenever her young lady made such a movement, there was always something lurking in her mind, and she had to be extra careful.

But in the end, they couldn't catch up.

When Cui Ying charged at Xiao Qiyu with all her might, her face clearly showing her intention to harm him, Cui Jin could do nothing but exclaim, "Miss!"

Just as Cui Ying was brimming with confidence, seemingly about to push Xiao Qiyu into the pond but actually only wanting to scare him by pushing him against the railing, Xiao Qiyu seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Just as her hands were about to touch him, he gently turned to the side, and Cui Ying completely missed, not even touching his sleeve.

But that's not all.

Because Cui Ying exerted too much force, and due to inertia, and without Xiao Qiyu to cushion the impact, the moment her waist hit the sandalwood railing, her entire upper body flew over the railing, her head was heavy and her legs instantly left the ground.

"ah!"

Cui Ying screamed and fell heavily into the water, splashing everywhere.

Cui Jin turned deathly pale, and like a headless fly, all she could do was shout in all directions, "Something terrible has happened! Someone come quick! The young mistress has fallen into the water!"

In the clear pool water, the girl's black hair was soaked, her eyes were red from the water and shimmered, but her expression was ashen with terror. She struggled wildly with her hands, crying out, "Help! Help me!"

Xiao Qiyu stood on the veranda, watching the girl struggling in the water with a leisurely air, and said calmly, "Alright, stop pretending, I know you can swim."

But Cui Ying continued to struggle, her body gradually sinking downwards. Her rosy complexion, having been soaked for too long, gradually lost its color and turned as pale as snow.

Gradually, her struggles weakened, and finally she stopped moving. Her petite body, like a kite with a broken string, plummeted straight into the depths of the pool.

Xiao Qiyu's eyes turned serious, but he sneered, "Cui Ying, give up. I won't fall for it this time."

A string of bubbles rose to the surface of the water, then disappeared one by one, and the water gradually calmed down.

Xiao Qiyu's eyes shattered, and he panicked completely, leaping into the water.

The pool water was cool, and the girl's body was as soft as butter. Xiao Qiyu easily pulled Cui Ying into his arms, feeling as if he were holding a piece of exquisite brocade, which would cause harm with the slightest touch.

He leaped ashore and, amidst the maid's wailing, set Cui Ying down. Panting, he patted Cui Ying's face with his hand, his voice more frantic than ever before: "Cui Ying, Cui Ying, wake up."

Cui Ying remained motionless, her eyes tightly closed.

Xiao Qiyu pressed her chest and abdomen with his hands, trying to squeeze out all the water that she had swallowed.

No matter how he pressed, Cui Ying's lips remained tightly pressed together, showing no signs of waking up.

Xiao Qiyu dared not waste any time and immediately switched to the blowing method.

The breathalyzer method involves blowing air into the mouth of a drowning person. To avoid suspicion, it is best to use gauze as a barrier.

Xiao Qiyu couldn't care less about that anymore.

He looked at Cui Ying's lips, hesitated for a moment, then immediately lowered his head—

"puff!"

A large mouthful of water spurted from Cui Ying's mouth, spraying all over Xiao Qiyu's face.

Her tightly closed almond-shaped eyes opened, filled with a sly smile.

Xiao Qiyu froze, his face darkening, his brows furrowing.

Cui Ying burst into laughter.

Not content with laughing while lying down, she also had to sit up and laugh, and even point her finger at Xiao Qiyu's nose while laughing.

"This water level isn't even enough for me to take a bath!" Cui Ying clutched her stomach, which was cramping from laughing, her beautiful eyebrows squinting, her face full of disdain. "You actually believe it can drown me? Xiao Qiyu, you always say I'm brainless, but I think you're the brainless one!"

Hearing her mockery, Xiao Qiyu stood up and silently wiped the water off his face.

Then, he picked up Cui Ying and, with a splash, threw her back into the water.

...

As the sun began to set, the garden was filled with the incessant chirping of insects, flowers fell into the pond, and dragonflies skimmed the surface.

The two soaked to the bone descended the rose-covered path one after the other and headed to Qiyun Pavilion to change their clothes.

Cui Ying followed behind Xiao Qiyu, the water stains on her skirt casting shadows, and a large wet patch appeared beneath her crimson satin shoes embroidered with pearls.

"You stingy little thing, drinking cold water," Cui Ying cursed. "Drinking cold water will turn you into a turtle."

Xiao Qiyu ignored Cui Ying completely, but his back was taut like a bowstring, and his narrow waistline rose and fell with his breath, clearly showing that he was suppressing his anger.

This should have been an ordinary day.

He rarely had a day off. In the morning, he would practice his boxing in the training ground. After finishing, he would go to his study to read. In the afternoon, he would go to the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion to wait quietly. Although the pavilion had been burned to ruins and there was no place to sit, Xiao Qiyu would still maintain his previous habit of taking a few days each month to go there alone for a while.

It's as if I can still feel my mother's presence.

But after meeting Cui Ying, everything went into complete chaos.

Xiao Qiyu even had a bad feeling.

My own life seems to have already gone down a path of chaos and turmoil, with no turning back.

Behind him, the culprit, with a fierce and wet little face, was wringing out his soaked sleeves.

Cui Jin found a green gauze cloak from somewhere, unfolded it, and was about to drape it over this ancestor.

Cui Ying pushed Cui Jin's hand away, full of confidence: "Don't worry, I won't catch a cold, it's almost dry."

Cui Jin frowned: "This servant knows that you won't catch a cold, but it's not very elegant for your clothes to be wet like this."

Only then did Cui Ying remember to lower his head.

Her attire today was not elaborate: a coral-red tube top, covered by a lotus-leaf-colored silk robe, and a pleated tulip skirt, which was fashionable in the capital. It should have flowed gracefully and coolly when she walked, but because she was soaked, the fabric clung tightly to her body, transparent as if nothing was there, with the fine gauze revealing her snow-white skin.

It can be described as having a complete view.

Cui Ying looked at herself, then glanced at Xiao Qiyu's back, and belatedly realized: Then wasn't I just seen naked by Xiao Qiyu?

But then she thought: Tch, so what if I see it all? It's not like I'll lose a piece of meat.

"What's there to be afraid of? The inner quarters are full of women."

Cui Ying said nonchalantly, "Third Brother is so busy at the Northern Garrison Command that he wouldn't be home during the day."

Cui Jin became worried.

She was specially chosen by the Kong family to be placed next to Cui Ying. Perhaps because she was trained by the Kong family, her temperament became more and more similar to that of the Kong family. Even her worried expression was very similar to that of the Kong family.

Cui Ying felt as if she had seen her own mother, and immediately couldn't resist, agreeing repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I'll put it on. Don't keep frowning, or you'll look like a little old lady at such a young age."

Cui Jin smiled and deftly draped the cloak over her shoulders, tying a pretty butterfly knot around her neck.

Just then, a noise came from the white stone path across the pond.

Cui Ying looked up and saw that quite a few people had arrived. A large group of old women walked in front and behind, and in the middle were five young men dressed in white robes with square scarves tied in their hair.

However, upon closer inspection, one would find that there were not five boys, but three boys and two girls.

They were dressed the same and their figures were indistinguishable. The only difference between them was that the boy wore a square scarf on his head, while the girl wore a plain white jade hairpin in addition to the square scarf.

Looking at the five people, Cui Ying couldn't help but think: Is Luming Academy on summer break?

Then, his eyes lit up: Great! Now I'll have someone to play with!

Finally, I don't have to stare at Xiao Qiyu all day long!

Cui Ying stretched out her arm and greeted the two girls first, her voice sweet and soft as honey: "Huixin! Yangyang!"

As everyone looked up from the passageway, they saw the young woman standing under the roses, smiling brightly.

The old women curtsied and respectfully addressed her as "Young Madam".

The two girls being called were Qin's fourth daughter and Zhang's second daughter. The two girls were about the same age. Qin's daughter's full name was Xiao Shu, and Zhang's daughter's full name was Xiao Wan. Huixin and Yangyang were their nicknames.

Upon seeing Cui Ying, Xiao Wan extended her hand first, greeting her in return: "Third Sister!"

Noticing Cui Ying's soaked hair, Xiao Wan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why is your hair wet?"

Cui Ying sighed, thinking to herself that it was all thanks to her good cousin, but her smile remained sweet and gentle: "It's nothing, I just thought it was too hot, so I washed my face in the pool."

Xiao Wan: "Then you have to be careful, the water around the pool is slippery, don't fall in."

As the two were talking, Cui Ying couldn't help but turn her gaze to Xiao Shu.

In fact, in terms of personal relationships, her relationship with Qin Shu was better than her relationship with Xiao Wan.

But at this moment, compared to Xiao Wan's warm greeting, Xiao Shu's reaction was extremely cold, and she didn't even glance at her.

Cui Ying sensed something was wrong, but didn't think much of it, assuming Xiao Shu was just tired from getting home. So she ignored her and greeted the three boys.

Just then, Xiao Qiyu suddenly appeared and stood in front of Cui Ying.

Cui Ying was laughing heartily when her view was suddenly interrupted by a broad shoulder blocking her way. Her mood immediately plummeted, and she frowned, saying, "Xiao Qiyu, what are you up to now?"

Xiao Qiyu's voice was icy: "What am I doing now? Cui Ying, look down at yourself."

Cui Ying looked down and realized that the butterfly clasp under her neck had come undone at some point, and her snow-white breasts were partially covered by the coral-red fabric, their soft contours clearly visible.

Her cheeks flushed instantly, but she still stubbornly said, "So what? We can't see clearly from a distance."

“I was standing further away than them just now.” The boy’s voice grew lower, revealing obvious displeasure. “I saw everything clearly.”

Cui Ying was stunned for a moment, then a surge of shame and indignation rushed to the top of her head, and she felt like she was on fire.

She wanted to scold him, but her tongue was numb with embarrassment, and she stammered, unable to say anything. So she could only stick out her finger and forcefully poke Xiao Qiyu's lower back.

Xiao Qiyu suppressed the muffled groan that was about to escape his throat, reached behind him, and grabbed the mischievous little hand, enveloping it in his palm.

"What's wrong with Third Sister? Why is she hiding behind Seventh Brother?" Xiao Wan asked curiously when she could no longer see Cui Ying.

Xiao Qiyu said, "She hadn't seen you for so long, and she cried tears of joy."

While cursing Xiao Qiyu under her breath, Cui Ying let out a soft sob, pulled her hand out of Xiao Qiyu's palm, quickly fastened the butterfly clasp, and walked out from behind Xiao Qiyu. She wiped away non-existent tears with her fingertips: "It's good that you've come back. It's so good that we can play together like before."

As soon as he finished speaking, a scream suddenly came from the passageway.

Qin's youngest son, Xiao Ye, Xiao Shu's half-brother, used both hands and feet to rummage through the grass like a dog. The cricket cage he held, woven from gold thread, was empty except for a thin, long antenna.

"Where has my mighty cosmic general gone?!"

Xiao Ye was sweating profusely with anxiety and ordered the surrounding maids, "You all better help me look for it!"

But once they actually found it for him, Xiao Ye said, "Don't move around, don't step on my great general!"

Xiao Shu clearly didn't want to talk to her brother, so she pulled Xiao Wan and headed towards the back of the house. Before leaving, she rolled her eyes and gave Cui Ying a disdainful look.

Cui Ying: "?"

It's not my imagination, this brat is just acting strange!

Without even thinking, Cui Ying asked Xiao Qiyu, "Did you offend her?"

Xiao Qiyu: "No."

Cui Ying: "That's not right. You didn't offend her, so why is she ignoring me and even rolling her eyes at me?"

Xiao Qiyu: "..."

Xiao Qiyu: "She rolled her eyes at you, and you didn't suspect that you had offended her, so why do you suspect that I have offended her?"

Cui Ying said seriously, "Isn't that obvious? I'm so lovable, how could I possibly offend anyone? It's only you who's always cold and stern that people dislike. And now that I'm married to you, she's started to dislike me too. Sigh, it's all your fault."

Xiao Qiyu's brow twitched: "Cui Ying, if you're sick, go take your medicine. If that doesn't work, just take a nap. Talking nonsense will get you beaten up. You can try it if you don't believe me."

The two bickered in secret, but their steps were perfectly in sync as they walked side by side toward Qiyun Pavilion.

On the other side, unable to bear Xiao Ye's crying and wailing any longer, Xiao Sheng and Xiao Lin also left him behind and set off with the young couple towards the inner courtyard.

"In just a few months, my seventh brother has grown taller again."

Xiao Lin roughly measured Xiao Qiyu's height with his hand and laughed, "He's half a head taller than me. He's truly heroic and extraordinary, just like my grandfather in the portrait when he was young."

Xiao Qiyu remained expressionless, his tone polite yet distant: "Fifth Brother is too kind. My grandfather spent his life on the battlefield; he was a true hero. How could I possibly compare to him?"

Xiao Lin shook his head and laughed helplessly: "Seventh brother, can you see clearly? I am not your fifth brother, I am your fourth brother Xiao Sheng."

After saying that, she gave Xiao Sheng a look, signaling him to be quiet.

Xiao Sheng was a calm and collected person, and he was used to the Fifth Master's childish tricks to tease others, so he closed his eyes and didn't bother to care.

They were twins, born looking exactly alike with identical voices. As they grew up, they became even more indistinguishable. Countless times, even their mother, Madam Xue, couldn't tell the two sons apart.

Xiao Qiyu didn't react much, and changed his address to "Fourth Brother".

Cui Ying was quite curious. Looking at the two people in front of her who looked exactly alike, she clicked her tongue in amazement: "Don't you two feel like you're looking in a mirror when you look at each other every day?"

Xiao Lin laughed and said, "There is a little difference, but there are still some differences. You can pick your nose in front of a mirror, but you can't pick your nose in front of a person, right?"

Cui Ying was amused by these words, and her bright almond-shaped eyes curved into crescent moons.

A beautiful woman in her prime, so vibrant and radiant, needs no clever tricks; simply standing there is a delight to behold.

Xiao Lin couldn't help but glance at Cui Ying a few more times, completely forgetting that Cui Ying was his sister-in-law at that moment.

Over time, Xiao Lin's head began to feel a slight pricking sensation.

He turned his head to look at the source of his unease—

In the afternoon sunlight, Xiao Qiyu stood behind him.

The boy's dark eyes were filled with coldness, as deep as an ancient well, staring intently at him.

Xiao Lin broke out in a sweat and wondered if he was imagining things.

Otherwise, why would he feel that his seventh brother's eyes suddenly held so much hostility?

-----------------------

Author's Note: The King of Jealousy is beginning to take shape.

The relationships between the characters are as follows:

Xiao Shu and Xiao Ye were born of the same mother (Qin Shi). Xiao Shu was the fifth child among the girls, and Xiao Ye was the sixth child among the boys.

Xiao Wan (Zhang Shi) was the sixth child among the girls.

Xiao Sheng and Xiao Lin are twin brothers (of the Xue family), the fourth and fifth oldest boys.

If you still have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments!