Chapter 6 Lan Bin

The next day.

The morning light is dim.

As per the rules, Chen He had to go to the palace to express his gratitude to the Queen and the Queen Mother.

She changed into a simple and elegant palace dress, trying her best to hide her edge, just wanting to live a peaceful life.

However, the tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop.

When we reached the Imperial Garden, near the lotus pond where the summer breeze carried the fragrance...

A sudden and irresistible force suddenly attacked from behind, like a strong wind in the dark night, hitting her back hard!

"ah!"

Chen He was caught off guard and stumbled suddenly. He stumbled forward involuntarily like a kite with a broken string.

“Plop!”

The cold pool water swallowed her in an instant.

The biting cold and the choking pool water in her mouth and nose made her head dizzy.

"Help! Miss Shen fell into the water!"

A maid's panicked scream came from the shore.

Amidst the chaos, there seemed to be whispers of gloating from other noble ladies.

"Ouch! How could I be so careless!"

Immediately afterwards, there was another sound of falling into the water!

“Plop!”

Water splashed everywhere.

"Sixth Prince!"

"Oh my god! The Sixth Prince also fell down!"

There was even more chaos on shore.

Chen He struggled in the cold pool water, his consciousness gradually becoming blurred.

Just then…

A hand suddenly held her hand tightly!

The force was steady and powerful, with an unquestionable sense of control.

Chen He's heart trembled and he suddenly opened his eyes.

Through the murky water, she saw a...

Still with a somewhat panicked face like a child.

It’s Xiao Jingchi!

He seemed to have "accidentally" slipped into the water and was now struggling in panic.

"He... Sister He..."

He shouted incoherently, his face full of "shock".

However……

The next moment, the hand suddenly exerted force and pulled her into his arms!

In the cold pool water, an embrace that was not very wide but extremely firm held her tightly.

His arms were wrapped around her waist with such force that he almost embedded her into his body.

Through her wet clothes, she could even feel the steady and strong heartbeat coming from his chest.

Where is the panic of a foolish child?

Chen He's heart skipped a beat.

"Don't be afraid... Sister He..."

He whispered in her ear, his voice still "silly", but strangely, it had a soothing power.

In the chaos, someone pulled them ashore.

Chen He was soaked and shivering with cold.

The cold pool water dripped down the ends of her inky hair, spreading a small dark stain on the smooth bluestone slab.

There was a lot of noise all around.

The palace servants gathered around in panic, hurriedly handing out clean towels and thick cloaks.

"Sister He...are you okay? Woohoo...I was scared to death..."

A child-like voice with a crying tone sounded in my ears.

Xiao Jingchi was also pulled up. He also looked like a drowned rat, with a silly look of shock on his face. His eyes were red, as if he was really scared.

He hunched his shoulders, his teeth chattered, and looked even more pitiful than Chen He.

Chen He took the cloth, her fingertips were cold and stiff, she wiped the water droplets off her face carelessly, but her eyes were like ice-hardened blades, fixed on Xiao Jingchi's "innocent" face.

Just now……

Just now, deep in the icy cold water...

Through the wet and cold clothes, she could clearly feel the solidity of his chest, the strength of his arms, and the steady and powerful heartbeat!

Again and again.

So calm... it's shocking!

Where is there any trace of the panic and helplessness of a child falling into the water? !

Chen He's heart seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand.

Did he also fall down "accidentally"?

Or... he simply calculated the timing perfectly and jumped down, acting as a "hero to the rescue"?!

Is the person who pushed her into the water related to him?

"Sister He, you're so cold..."

Xiao Jingchi stretched out his hand, as if wanting to touch her arm, but as if afraid of being frozen, he shrank back timidly, his eyes full of "worry".

"I'm fine, thank you, Sixth Prince." Chen He looked into Xiao Jingchi's eyes with a hint of inquiry.

"Quick! Quick! Call the imperial physician!"

"Hurry up and send Miss Shen and the Sixth Prince to the warm room to change clothes! What if they catch a cold?"

The housekeeper gave orders in a shrill voice, and the other noble ladies could be heard whispering in the surroundings, with some worry, some curiosity, and some hard-to-conceal gloating.

Chen He was supported by two palace maids and walked forward with somewhat unsteady steps.

When she passed by the lotus pond, she subconsciously paused and looked back.

The surface of the pool, which had been turbulent just now due to the two people falling into the water, has now gradually returned to calm.

The summer afternoon sun penetrates the gaps between the green lotus leaves, casting mottled shadows on the clear water.

The palace servants hurriedly gathered her and the equally soaked Xiao Jingchi and walked quickly towards a nearby side hall.

"Quick, go get the doctor!"

"Prepare ginger soup and clean clothes!"

The steward's voice was anxious and sharp, echoing in the empty palace corridor.

Silver charcoal had already been burning in the side hall, bringing warmth and dispelling some of the cold.

The palace maids served swiftly, preparing to change clothes for the two.

Just then!

"Get out! Get out of here!" Suddenly, a commotion erupted from outside the hall, mixed with a woman's shrill cries and the crisp sound of shattered porcelain! "Bang!"

It was like a medicine bowl was thrown hard to the ground!

The strong smell of medicine spread instantly.

Immediately afterwards, the palace door was violently knocked open from the outside!

A figure staggered in!

The visitor was dressed in the attire of a concubine, but had long lost her usual dignity.

Her hair was askew, with a few strands of wet hair sticking messily to her cheeks. Her face was frighteningly pale, and her eyes were bloodshot with panic and madness!

It was the biological mother of the Sixth Prince Xiao Jingchi, Concubine Lan!

Chen He's gaze instantly fixed on Lanpin's hair.

There, an exquisite butterfly hairpin!

Shen He's heart suddenly shrank!

That's it!

It’s this hairpin!

In the previous life, the Queen used this broken hairpin to sentence Concubine Lan to death!

The feeling of the cold hairpin tip piercing his flesh seemed to still linger deep in Shen He's memory!

Lanpin was wearing a string of dark Buddhist beads on her wrist. As she staggered and waved the beads, they swayed, and it seemed as if imperceptible dark patterns flashed by.

"Chi'er! My Chi'er!"

Lanpin acted as if she didn't see anyone else and rushed to Xiao Jingchi like crazy.

She took out a handkerchief that still had a strong smell of medicine and wiped Xiao Jingchi's wet hair and cheeks carelessly.

"My son, how are you? Are you frightened? How can those slaves serve you?"

Her voice was trembling, crying, and full of hysteria after being frightened.

Xiao Jingchi still looked timid, shrinking his neck and whispering, "Mother... I, I'm fine... It was Sister He who fell..."

"Chen He?!"

Lanpin's movements suddenly stopped!

She seemed to have just realized that there was another person in the hall, and her bloodshot eyes suddenly turned to Chen He!

That look was full of resentment and anger!

"It's you?!"

Lanpin suddenly stretched out her hand and grabbed Chen He's wrist tightly!

Her nails were long, but at this moment they were cold and strong, almost pinching into Shen He's flesh!

"Okay! You vixen!"

Lanpin's voice was sharp and piercing, filled with an almost crazy resentment!

"You just seduced that bastard Xiao Jingren, and now you're here to harm my Chi'er?! What do you want to do?! Do you want to kill him too?!"

Chen He's heart trembled!

This...

How familiar!

In her previous life, Shan Zhuyu and Shen Jiao used similar words to spread everywhere, ruining her reputation and portraying her as a fickle, shameless and troublemaker!

In this life, I actually heard it again from Concubine Lan’s mouth!

Is she really crazy, or...

Someone whispered something in her ear?!

Just then!

"Empress Lan, I..."

"Bang!" A crisp sound!

Xiao Jingchi next to him seemed to be frightened, his body shook violently, and he waved his arms subconsciously!

He actually knocked over the candlestick on the low table next to him!

The brass candlestick rolled to the ground with a dull sound.

The hot candle wax splashed, and the bright flame was instantly extinguished for the most part, and the light in the hall suddenly dimmed!

"ah!"

"Your Highness!"

"Empress!"

The palace servants cried out in surprise and hurried forward to clean up.

Lanpin was so shocked by this sudden change that she let go of her hand, screamed and took a step back, her attention instantly drawn to the past.

"Chi'er! Are you okay?!"

Her momentum of wanting to devour Chen He alive was interrupted by this and suddenly dissipated.

Chen He lowered her eyes and looked at her wrist which was pinched and had red marks on it. She then glanced at Xiao Jingchi who was being nervously examined by Lanpin, with a look of childish fear still on his face.

That moment just now...

Is it really an accident?

still……

He deliberately knocked over the candlestick to stop Lanpin from speaking any further?!