As the three were chatting happily, they suddenly heard a "plop" outside the window, as if something heavy had fallen into the river.
Almost at the same time, a cry of alarm came from downstairs: "Hurry and save someone! Someone has fallen into the water!"
Upon hearing the sound, Nan Wufeng jumped into the river, while Nan Wusi and Xia Ziqian rushed to the terrace downstairs.
As everyone waited anxiously, they saw Nan Wufeng bring a woman ashore.
"Xinxi!" Nan Wusi was startled. This woman was none other than Ouyang Xinxi, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion, whom she had only known for a short time.
Nan Wusi and Xia Ziqian acted almost simultaneously, displaying perfect teamwork. He took off his coat and handed it to Nan Wusi, who quickly stepped forward and draped the coat over Ouyang Xinxi, shielding her from the prying eyes of others.
"Girl, wake up."
"Xinxi, wake up quickly." Nan Wusi and Nan Wufeng spoke at the same time.
Ouyang Xinxi spat out two mouthfuls of water and struggled to open her eyes.
"Wusi." Ouyang Xinxi saw Nan Wusi in front of her, opened her mouth, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes.
"Sister, are you alright?" At this moment, another woman rushed up to the group, looking anxious.
The person who arrived was none other than Ouyang Jiangli, the female protagonist of the original story.
When Ouyang Xinxi saw Ouyang Jiangli, her eyes darted away, revealing a rather fearful expression. So Nan Wusi stepped aside and blocked Ouyang Jiangli.
“Miss Nan, what do you mean by this?” Ouyang Jiangli showed a displeased expression.
“Miss Ouyang, the woman you mentioned is extremely frightened. Please do not get too close,” Nan Wusi said calmly.
“Miss Nan, this is my elder sister. If you, an outsider, can get close to her, why can't I?” Ouyang Jiangli said sarcastically. “You should step aside.”
“If Miss Ouyang truly cares about her elder sister, she should listen to my advice,” Nan Wusi retorted without backing down, turning away and ignoring her. The most important thing now was to escort Ouyang Xinxi home immediately.
Nan Wusi winked at Nan Wufeng and Xia Ziqian, who understood and stood guard on either side, separating the onlookers. Nan Wusi then carefully escorted Ouyang Xinxi out of Tingfeng Water Pavilion, completely ignoring Ouyang Jiangli standing to the side.
Ouyang Jiangli stood awkwardly to the side, her eyes filled with resentment.
Ye Zi was already waiting at the entrance of the teahouse with her carriage.
After seeing Ouyang Xinxi off onto the carriage, Nan Wusi said to Nan Wufeng, "Brother, you should also hurry back to the manor, lest you catch a cold."
He then apologized to Xia Ziqian, "Young Master Xia, my friend had an unexpected accident today, so I must leave first. Please forgive me."
"It's alright, Miss Nan, please take care on your journey." Xia Ziqian expressed his understanding.
After nodding in acknowledgment, Nan Wusi also boarded the carriage, and the group headed towards the Prime Minister's residence.
Inside the carriage, Nan Wusi quietly asked Ouyang Xinxi what had happened. At this moment, Ouyang Xinxi could no longer hold back and burst into tears while hugging Nan Wusi.
Nan Wusi patted Ouyang Xinxi's back while comforting her. It took a while for Ouyang Xinxi to calm down, but she was still sobbing softly.
Today's events are too strange, but Nan Wusi must be related to the original female lead, Ouyang Jiangli. However, this matter did not occur in the original book, so she does not know the current situation and can only wait for Ouyang Xinxi to calm down before inquiring.
After Ouyang Xinxi calmed down a bit, she actually took the initiative to speak: "Wusi, today my half-sister Ouyang Jiangli invited me to Tingfeng Water Pavilion. She said it was a great place for relaxation that she had discovered. She hoped to use this opportunity to strengthen our sisterly bond and also let me clear my mind."
She paused here, "But she left early this morning, saying she had something to take care of, and told me to wait for her at Tingfengshui Pavilion. But after I arrived at the private room, a man suddenly barged in, and even tried to... tried to..."
She started crying again as she spoke, but Nan Wusi already had a general understanding of what had happened. It seemed that Ouyang Xinxi's drowning was a desperate act to avoid having her innocence tarnished.
"Why don't you bring a maid with you when you go out?" Nan Wusi had never brought a maid with her when she met Ouyang Xinxi in the slums.
“I brought it, but she said she had a stomachache and went to the outhouse.”
Nan Wusi frowned. "Can you guarantee that maid's loyalty?"
At this moment, Ouyang Xinxi fell silent.
"Do you know who that man is?" Nan Wusi asked again. Anyone who could enter and leave Tingfeng Water Pavilion must be either rich or noble. However, it is intriguing why Ouyang Jiangli, with his status, was able to reserve a private room.
"I don't know." Ouyang Xinxi shook her head helplessly. She rarely went out and rarely attended banquets, so naturally she didn't know many of the young men in the capital.
"Xinxi, remember, when you get back to the Prime Minister's residence, you must insist that you accidentally fell into the water because you were too engrossed in the scenery." Nan Wusi knew that if Ouyang Xinxi's experience got out, her innocence would be ruined. She had to swallow this bitter pill and absolutely could not admit that there were other people involved. She figured that the spoiled brat would definitely not admit to it after he forced her into the water.
"Mmm." Ouyang Xinxi nodded obediently, knowing the implications.
"Also, be careful of your half-sister." Nan Wusi had to remind Ouyang Xinxi, as she didn't want her only friend to suffer the same fate as in the original story. This kind and obedient girl shouldn't be treated this way.
"I know." Ouyang Xinxi also sensed that something was amiss. Although her half-sister had always treated her well, today's events were too coincidental, and she wasn't stupid.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
