Chapter 31 Jumping into the Lake

Qiu Heng ran to the side gate in one breath, told the gatekeeper that she wanted to go to the street to buy something, and the gatekeeper opened the gate.

I heard that the old lady made ten sets of jewelry for the sixth young lady and also tailored eight sets of clothes for her. I also heard that the old master praised the sixth young lady for being well-behaved.

If the two highest-ranking masters in the manor acted this way, how could a lowly servant like him be so blind?

But what is Sixth Sister going to buy in such a hurry?

Qiu Heng, guessed by her disciples, headed straight for Qinglian Lake.

That is the lake closest to the Yongqing Marquis's residence. In summer, lotus flowers bloom there, and in autumn, sweet lotus seeds can be harvested.

I don't know if Qiuheng will be able to do it, but I can only give it a try.

Thirty years later, in that great Xia Dynasty, in a place she shouldn't have been, she was injured and bled, but as time passed, it ultimately left no trace on her.

That's why she firmly believed her husband's words that she would eventually return.

Staying in a place that doesn't belong to her comes at a price. Every fifteenth of the lunar month, on the day of the full moon, a burning pain would engulf her entire body, and only soaking in Magpie Lake could alleviate it.

Whenever that happened, she thought to herself that they were rejecting her, this outsider.

Fortunately, after a ten-year wait, they finally came back.

Nothing happened on March 15th and April 15th, but on May 15th, the familiar pain returned.

Without thinking about why, Qiu Heng rushed towards Qinglian Lake.

The young man in scarlet clothes on the street watched the figure flash by at the end of the alley, ordered his men to continue patrolling, and followed alone.

Crossing the alley leads to another street, and looking left and right, you can see a girl walking briskly.

You could tell how anxious she was from behind.

Did something happen?

Xue Han followed quickly, filled with doubt.

Qiu Heng only had eyes for Qinglian Lake.

If she hadn't known all too well that Qiu Liu, the girl in question, could make incense, play Cuju (an ancient Chinese football game), and read books, but couldn't reveal her martial arts skills, she would have already run away.

We've arrived at Qinglian Lake, and luckily, there's no one there at the moment.

Qiu Heng lifted her skirt and plunged into the lake.

Xue Han followed at a distance, and when he saw this scene, his expression changed drastically, and he rushed over.

As the cold lake water submerged her body, Qiu Heng breathed a sigh of relief: thankfully, it wasn't necessarily a lake from that particular time and space.

Only then did she have the energy to think about why she had been fine for the previous two months, but had developed symptoms this month.

She perceived it as rejection, or punishment, for being a stranger.

Is there anything different about this month compared to the previous two months?

Qiu Heng had a sudden inspiration: Could it be because—

Before she could figure it out, a strong force came from behind, and she was dragged towards the shore.

"Let go!" Upon recognizing Xue Han, Qiu Heng restrained herself and pushed him away.

Qiu Heng dared not reveal her martial arts skills to the imperial envoy who had come to investigate whether she was a spy upon hearing that the Earl's mansion had found its lost girl.

Xue Han was not sure at first, but Qiu Heng's shoving and struggling made him immediately certain: Miss Qiu Liu was going to drown herself in the lake!

The boy held the resisting girl tightly with one hand, and with the other hand, he struggled to get her to the shore.

Qiu Heng braced herself on the ground, feeling both pain and frustration: If only she had revealed that she knew martial arts...

Xue Han was panting, feeling both exhausted and relieved: Luckily, he had run into him!

Both of them were soaking wet and looked quite disheveled.

Why is Miss Qiu so distraught?

Qiu Heng gritted her teeth: "I didn't."

Xue Han frowned: "If you have been wronged, I will go and tell your grandfather not to do anything foolish."

"I didn't." Qiu Heng knew the other party meant well and shouldn't be blamed, but the burning pain that had rekindled made her unable to calm down.

Xue Han looked at the cold-faced girl and was also a little angry.

He wasn't angry at her bad attitude, but at her not valuing her own life.

"If not, why did you jump into the lake?"

Faced with the boy's persistent questioning, Qiu Heng was speechless.

Just to cool off? That's clearly not a convincing excuse.

"I...I feel unwell." Meeting Xue Han's puzzled gaze, Qiu Heng silently forced out a mouthful of blood.

Xue Han was completely stunned. He wanted to touch her but it wasn't appropriate, and he was at a loss for what to do.

"What happened? Where are you hurt?"

"I'm not injured." Fine beads of sweat appeared on Qiu Heng's forehead. "I... I have a strange illness. Please take me to the lake first."

Xue Han wasn't one to drag things out; upon hearing her say that, he picked her up and jumped into the lake.

The lake water rippled, startling the wild ducks away.

Qiu Heng immediately felt better, and her expression relaxed.

Xue Han fell silent upon seeing this.

It seems to be true.

Qiu Heng had the energy to spout nonsense again, and her mind had returned to normal: "I was once struck by lightning."

Xue Han: ?

Ignoring the impact of her words, Qiu Heng continued, "He didn't die, but he developed a strange illness. He doesn't show any abnormalities normally, but occasionally he experiences a burning pain like being struck by lightning, which he needs to relieve by immersing himself in the lake."

Xue Han remained silent.

What should we do to avoid this misunderstanding?

"This hidden ailment is unknown to anyone in the Earl's mansion. Will Lord Xue keep it a secret for me?"

The boy nodded emphatically.

Of course he'll keep it a secret, but the question is, does he know a little too much?

"Then Lord Xue, please go ahead with your business." Qiu Heng forced a smile. "After all, it wouldn't be good if people saw us soaking in the lake together."

You'd think they'd committed suicide together!

Xue Han quickly released his grip, using a serious expression to mask his embarrassment: "How long do we need to stay in the lake?"

"One hour."

"good."

Feeling uneasy, the boy, who was about to swim to the shore, turned around and said, "Miss Qiu, please wait for me."

After thinking for a moment, he swam to where the greenery met, broke off a lotus leaf, returned to Qiuheng's side, and placed the lotus leaf on her head.

"Cover it up, so that no one else sees it and jumps down."

Qiu Heng held up the lotus leaf and watched the boy go ashore and quickly disappear from sight. She thought to herself: If others saw this, they might not jump down; they would be frightened.

Therefore, lotus leaves are indeed necessary.

She was finally able to think things through without being disturbed, and she came up with a guess: Han Wu died during his escape to the south in history, not now.

Was she rejected by the world she was supposed to belong to because she changed the fate of key figures?

Qiu Heng thought of what her husband had said when she asked how she would reunite with him after returning.

There's no need to force it; if fate allows, you'll meet. Revealing too much won't be good for her. Be careful when you go back and mention the future to others, lest you be condemned by heaven and earth.

It turns out that she really can't go back to being an ordinary country girl named Heng.

Whether in the Great Xia Dynasty thirty years later or in the Great Xia Dynasty at this time, she has become a stranger.

A tear fell into the lake, creating tiny ripples.

Hearing footsteps, the girl looked towards the shore and saw Xue Han walking towards her carrying a bundle.

His gaze fell upon the lake, and he immediately spotted Qiu Heng. He waved and casually sat down.

Autumn hibiscus swam to the shore.

"Is it ready?" Xue Han asked.

"alright."

Xue Han pointed to the bundle beside him: "There are clothes and handkerchiefs inside. Miss Qiu, please change your clothes before going back."

Qiu Heng stared at the bundle for a moment, then softly thanked him, "Thank you, Lord Xue."

Xue Han stood up: "I'll go over there and keep an eye on things for you."

The reeds swayed gently in the wind, and soon a girl who had changed into new clothes came out.

"Thank you very much, Lord Xue, for preparing the clothes. I—"

"Red bean cake." The boy interrupted Qiu Heng's thanks, "If Miss Qiu wants to thank me, just give me some more red bean cake."

Qiu Heng was surprised: "Lord Xue likes to eat red bean cake?"

Xue Han nodded: "Yes, I love to eat it."

(End of this chapter)