Chapter 36 Saving Lives
"Fourth sister, I was just giving them a taste of their own medicine. It doesn't mean I've become smarter."
Before Xiao Yuyao knew about her background, she tried to cultivate a romantic relationship with her elder brother Xiao Jue in order to strengthen her bond with the Xiao family.
Not long after, she discovered that she was the daughter of Xiao Su and his mistress, and Xiao Jue's half-sister. Only then did she manage to cut her losses and eliminate the threat at its root.
These were things her sister-in-law told her later, when she was dying in childbirth, as she held her hand tightly and spoke words of heartbreaking sorrow.
Thinking of her virtuous, kind, gentle, and frugal sister-in-law, who was one of the few sources of warmth she had experienced in this family, and who died after bearing children for Xiao Jue without receiving a single word of pity from the Xiao family, her resentment deepened.
What could be more devastating than exposing the incestuous relationship between a half-sister and her brother?
Not only could she not let her intended sister-in-law marry Xiao Jue, she also wanted to ruin Xiao Jue and Xiao Yuyao's reputations!
“Use your elder brother’s sachet to present to the Fourth Prince. Even if you are exposed later, you can still advance or retreat. If you, as a man, had this kind of thought, you would have won the title of Jinshi in no time.”
With just a few casual words, she completely exposed Xiao Yuyao's wishful thinking, and Xiao Yuyao's face immediately turned pale:
"Has Fifth Sister gone mad? I have no idea what you're talking about."
She took two steps back, behind her was a lake formed by the confluence of streams. Xiao Yuxuan smiled, as if she was about to use the same trick again.
"Fourth sister, aren't you tired of using the same trick twice?"
After speaking, Xiao Yuxuan pointed to a corner of a robe peeking out from under the trees on the other side and said:
"I saw you a long time ago, hurry up and come out."
When Xiao Yuxuan realized that she was going further and further into the remote area, she noticed that something was wrong. Fortunately, she saw Lin Chuanxu, who had come with them, which led to the conversation just now.
Otherwise, without an audience, she wouldn't bother to remove this fig leaf.
Xiao Yuyao was startled to learn that there was a third person present.
She abruptly stepped back, trying to escape the place, but forgot that there was a lake behind her.
A scream was heard, followed by a "splash"—water splashed everywhere in the lake as Xiao Yuyao thrashed about in a disheveled state.
"Help—I can't swim, help—help me—"
Last time at the Xiao residence, she was accompanied by her trusted maid, who was able to rescue her quickly. Just now, she only wanted to threaten and intimidate Xiao Yuxuan to make her wary, not to actually jump into the water.
Xiao Yuyao was still struggling when the robe behind the tree moved hesitantly.
Xiao Yuxuan stood still and said coldly:
"Second cousin, there is no one else here, and I can't swim. If you choose not to save her, she will soon drown here."
Lin Chuanxu's feelings at this moment were too complicated to describe.
He had just seen his cousin Yu Xuan walking this way alone and wanted to say a few words to her, but he didn't expect to run into his two cousins arguing.
They were talking about a sachet shaped like a man, a fourth prince, an elder brother... When they realized what they had overheard, they found Xiao Yuxuan blocking the only exit.
Lin Chuanxu couldn't pretend he hadn't heard and leave quietly, so he could only hide under some low trees. Little did he know that Xiao Yuxuan had already spotted him.
He was still hesitating, but the cries for help in his ears were growing weaker and weaker, and the splashes of water were gradually diminishing.
Xiao Yuxuan lowered her head, carefully straightened her clothes, and said in a light tone, as if saying, "The weather is really nice today":
"So this is Fourth Sister's fate."
Lin Chuanxu was startled. What was he doing?!
The one who fell into the water was Yu Yao's cousin! How could he just stand by and watch her die!
He rushed out, taking three steps at a time. Before he could even take off his outer robe, he plunged into the lake. Ignoring the proper separation between men and women, he swam to Xiao Yuyao's side and, with all his might, lifted her up and dragged her toward the shore.
Xiao Yuyao had swallowed too much water and had already fainted when she was brought ashore.
Lin Chuanxu slumped to the side, panting heavily with his eyes closed.
Footsteps could be heard from the only path leading to the area, indicating that someone had probably heard the cries for help and was coming to check on the situation.
Xiao Yuxuan looked at Xiao Yuyao, who was soaking wet and whose curves were clearly visible, and her fingers twitched.
She untied her cloak, strode forward, and covered the person with it before they could see her.
She whispered in Xiao Yuyao's ear, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible:
"You should be grateful that someone saved you, otherwise this would be your burial ground."
"What's going on?!"
Several young men and women from the banquet arrived, and upon seeing this scene, they screamed in panic.
"Has someone fallen into the water?!"
"Isn't that the second young master of the Lin family? Why is he lying on the ground too?"
Several people gathered around to help, while others went to call for a doctor. In an instant, the quiet waterside pavilion became bustling with activity.
Xiao Yuxuan watched as Xiao Yuyao, who had been wrapped in a cloak and carried away by a servant, and Lin Chuanxu, who was being helped away by a servant, finally realized that Xiao Yuyao and the Fourth Prince would not have any further contact today, and her plan had been half successful.
Qi Wenyue and several girls who were close to Xiao Yuyao gathered around, worried about her while questioning Xiao Yuxuan about what had happened.
Qi Huan, mindful that the one who fell into the water was a woman, followed at a distance.
Xiao Yuxuan blinked, her expression one of bewilderment and panic:
"I don't know what happened either."
"I was originally going to find my fourth sister to play with, but as soon as I got here, I saw her throw something into the bushes over there, and then she turned around and jumped into the lake. Luckily, my second cousin was nearby and saved her."
"If you don't believe me, that thing is right over there. It happened so suddenly, I didn't have time to pick it up—"
She pointed to the bushes a few steps away, and immediately some people went over there, bending down to search inside.
Qi Wenyue clearly didn't believe this explanation. How could Yu Yao have thought of jumping into the water on her own?!
However, the place was remote, and there were no other witnesses besides Xiao Yuxuan, so she could only acquiesce to the servants going to look for the things she claimed to have lost.
The other girls looked at each other, bewildered. They had a good relationship with Xiao Yuyao, but it wasn't that good. They were secretly competing with each other. Now, after hearing what had happened, they were also completely confused.
What is that?
A servant struggled to pull out a small bamboo leaf sachet and humbly handed it over:
"Found it, Miss Xiao, is this it?"
The sachet looked clean, obviously it hadn't been there long and had just been thrown away, but the embroidered pattern on it was bamboo leaves, and the shape didn't resemble the kind that women usually wore.
A girl's eyes widened, and she said instinctively:
"This belongs to Yuyao! I just saw it and asked her why she was wearing such a unique sachet, and where she bought it!"
"You mean she lost this and then jumped into the water?"
Qi Wenyue picked up the sachet and questioned Xiao Yuxuan.
“That’s right, my second cousin saw it too. Princess, you can go and ask him.”
Lin Chuanxu's reputation for being a scoundrel and infatuated with Xiao Yuyao is almost common knowledge, so it's impossible for him to stand by Xiao Yuxuan's side.
Qi Wenyue clutched the sachet with suspicion, already believing most of it.
Suddenly, she smelled the fragrance of the sachet, and her expression changed drastically—
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