Chapter 59 Falling into the Water
As everyone was captivated by the fireworks in the sky, a sudden cry of alarm rang out: "Oh no! Someone has fallen into the water!"
Hearing the commotion, Xue Han turned around and saw that the disturbance was in the direction where Qiu Heng was.
An inexplicable tension rose in his heart, urging him to quicken his pace.
The lanterns on the Bibo River were pushed aside by the ripples, and Qiuheng, who was in the middle of them, dragged Qiuxuan to the shore.
The riverbank was crowded with people, their exclamations mixed with cries.
"Second Sister, Sixth Sister!"
Qiu Yun pulled Qiu Ying back a little, "Otherwise you'll fall too."
Qiu Fu stared intently at the two figures getting closer and closer in the river, stretching out her hand with all her might: "Here, here!"
Qiu Xuan was pulled ashore, coughing and spitting out water, completely dazed.
"Sixth Sister is still in the water!" Qiu Ying stamped her feet anxiously.
Some on the shore were anxious, while others were just watching the spectacle; a buzz of discussion filled the air.
Who fell into the river?
"It seems to be the second daughter of the Yongqing Marquis's mansion, and her sixth sister jumped down to save her..."
"Is the one still in the water Qiu Liu?"
"It seems so..."
Qiuheng swam to the shore and climbed up.
"Sixth Sister, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. How's Second Sister?"
Qiu Xuan calmed down and forced herself to remain composed: "I'm fine too."
She looked around and saw countless eyes, then gritted her teeth and said, "Let's go home first."
At this moment, several patrol officers rushed over and demanded, "What happened?"
"It's nothing." Qiu Fu stepped forward to block the inspector's gaze. "My sister just fell into the water, but she's out now, and we're going home."
"Someone fell into the water? Was it an accident or someone did it? We need to find out!" The inspector who spoke seemed righteous, but his eyes revealed his true intentions.
I've never seen a noblewoman soaking wet before.
"No need, I just got pushed down by accident," Qiu Fu refused, suppressing her annoyance.
With so many people around, even if someone tried to do something underhanded, it would be impossible to find them. After being questioned by these inspectors, it was the second sister and the sixth sister who would suffer.
“That won’t do. This is for your own good,” the inspector insisted.
A cool voice came from behind: "Is the Inspection Division really that responsible?"
Seeing the approaching young man in crimson robes, the inspectors quickly abandoned their ulterior motives and greeted him, "Lord Xue."
Xue Han did not respond immediately, but turned his head and instructed Hu Si: "Send the young ladies to the carriage."
"yes."
Hu Si, accompanied by imperial guards, escorted Qiu Heng and the others to the carriage parked at the street corner.
Xue Han turned to leave, and several inspectors crowded around him, asking obsequiously, "Lord Xue, haven't you gone back to rest yet?"
Many young women followed the departing handsome young man with their eyes, quietly inquiring, "Who is that young man? He's so dashing."
"Shh, that's Xue Han, the Imperial Envoy."
"The Imperial Envoy—" The girl, whose mind was wandering, silently suppressed the thoughts she shouldn't have.
Ordinary officials and their families all kept their distance from the Imperial City Guard; thinking about it further was pointless.
Some bolder girls found the young man even more attractive.
What's wrong with the Imperial City Envoy? The Imperial City Envoy also gets married.
Inside the carriage, the maidservant hurriedly helped Qiu Xuan change her clothes and wrapped up her wet hair.
The river water wasn't cold in July, but Qiu Xuan's heart was terribly cold. Even though she was already sitting in a safe and comfortable carriage, she felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss from which she couldn't climb out, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
The five sisters traveled in two carriages this time. After Qiu Xuan and Qiu Heng changed their clothes, they squeezed into one carriage.
"Second sister, how did you fall into the river?" Qiu Fu finally asked, her question lingering in her mind.
At that time, everyone's attention was drawn to the fireworks. Suddenly, the second sister fell into the water. Fortunately, the sixth sister reacted quickly and jumped into the water to save her. Otherwise, it would have been unimaginable if she had been swept away.
Even though Qiu Fu was a bold woman, she couldn't help but feel a sense of lingering fear at this moment.
The more I think about it, the more scared I get.
Qiu Xuan leaned against the car wall, remaining silent.
Qiu Fu said anxiously, "Second sister, say something!"
Qiu Xuan's gaze slowly swept across everyone's faces before she finally spoke: "Someone pushed me from behind."
As soon as he said that, gasps filled the carriage.
Qiu Ying's face turned pale, and she stammered, "Second...Second Sister, are you saying someone did this on purpose?"
Qiu Xuan thought for a moment and nodded: "Although there were a lot of people at the time, I'm sure I wasn't pushed out. A pair of hands pushed me..."
The fear of falling into the water actually calmed her down, and she kept recalling the details of what happened.
At that time, her fourth sister was on her left, and her third and fifth sisters were on her right. Her sixth sister was the furthest away, gazing intently at the fireworks in the sky.
She was just thinking how amusing it was to see her sixth sister staring blankly at the fireworks when she was suddenly pushed into the water.
"Who would harm Second Sister?" Qiu Yun's face turned even uglier.
Of the sisters, she was the most timid.
Second Sister never argues with anyone; if we're talking about offending people, Fourth Sister's mouth is the most offensive. And then there's Sixth Sister, who's been a constant source of trouble since she entered the household…
What terrifies Qiu Yun is that if her well-mannered second sister still faces a deadly fate, what about her?
The carriage fell silent; Qiu Yun's question had left everyone speechless.
Qiu Xuan unconsciously looked at Qiu Heng: "Sixth Sister, do you have any thoughts?"
Previously, he had helped her escape a terrible marriage, and today he had saved her from drowning. This brought Qiu Xuan's trust and gratitude to the peak.
There was even an admiration that she, as the older sister, was too embarrassed to admit.
She was supposed to be the one protecting her younger sister.
"I can't think of anyone my second sister offended, but it's unlikely to be a mere verbal argument that would lead someone to kill her." Qiu Heng had a guess in her mind, but she didn't want to say it now. "I have a suspicion that I need to verify. I'll tell my second sister when I have the results."
Qiu Fu objected: "Is there anything we can't hear?"
"No. Fourth Sister wants to hear it, we'll listen together then."
Whether it's the wickedness of human nature or all other ugliness, Qiu Heng has no intention of blinding them or covering their ears.
There's nothing wrong with observing and listening more.
In the Yongqing Marquis's residence, the old lady led the female relatives in a moon-worshiping ceremony in the courtyard, chatting and laughing as they waited for their granddaughters to return.
"Madam, please go and rest first. They are all playful and usually don't return for quite some time," Madam Zhao advised.
The old lady waved her hand in refusal: "I'm not tired. Let's wait for the maids to come back before we talk about it."
Things are different now. With the addition of Liu Yatou, she's always worried that something bad might happen.
However, the banks of the Bibo River have always been a favorite spot for young girls on Qixi Festival. In addition to the maids and guards who accompany them, there are also officials patrolling the area, so it should be safe to do nothing.
Just as the old lady was thinking this, a maid came in to report, "The young ladies have returned."
The old lady was finally relieved, but when she saw only her three granddaughters, she asked, "Where are Xuan'er and Heng'er?"
The three looked at each other, and Qiu Fu spoke up: "Second Sister fell into the river, and Sixth Sister jumped in and rescued her. Their hair is still wet, so they went back to their rooms to bathe and change."
Since people recognized them by the river, they decided not to hide it from their grandmother.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
