When Li Chenjiao stood up again, her legs were actually a little weak, accompanied by waves of soreness and numbness.
The maids and nannies who could swim had already gone into the water, and Xiao Luzi made a hand gesture from below.
Qiu Hu was the last to go into the water. Before she went in, she said, "Miss, I'll go in first... Don't be afraid, I'll be on the boat, nothing will happen."
Li Chenjiao released Aman's hand and brushed away Qiu Hu's slightly disheveled hair: "Okay, your girl and you will all be fine."
Because Li Chenjiao was pregnant, both Cao and Zhaojia chose to jump first.
Li Chenjiao looked after the three children. She didn't know how much time had passed. The soreness and numbness in her calves gradually subsided, and even the shouts and cries of battle in front of her seemed to have weakened.
Li Chenjiao simply assumed it was her imagination.
The intense firelight stung her eyes.
Cao did not go down first, knowing that Zhaojia was afraid. If she went down first, Zhaojia would linger here for who knows how long.
They'll lose their heads then...
Cao covered Zhao Jia's eyes with one hand and her mouth with the other, then bent her knees and pushed Zhao Jia, who had just climbed over the railing and barely managed to stand, off the railing.
Li Chenjiao silently covered the eyes of the two children. The Second Princess had already covered A Rong's eyes before this.
After eating three pieces of milk cake, Aman's pocket was empty, and Arong's tears were also empty.
The three little girls are so well-behaved that it breaks your heart.
Cao pushed Zhaojia down, but Zhaojia's maid caught her. She got up in a daze and was waving at Cao and the others from the bow of the boat.
The boat that Xiao Lu and his group found was unusually large. They guessed that it must have been prepared for nobles to go boating, and it could easily accommodate twenty or thirty people.
Cao and Li Chenjiao squatted down and discussed it again. After only a few breaths, Cao said she would take Arong downstairs.
Ah Rong was very attached to Cao Shi. Although she was not crying or making a fuss, she was still looking at Cao Shi longingly.
Li Chenjiao didn't say much else. They had known each other for many years, so she could trust Cao Shi. On the contrary, she was a little worried about Cao Shi.
Cao waved her hand casually, and Li Chenjiao and she helped Arong up the railing. The children were too small to climb up.
Without hesitation, Cao pulled Arong into her arms, turned her back and fell down. Zhao Jia couldn't help but gasp, and Li Chenjiao instinctively closed her eyes.
She bent down and looked down. Fortunately, Cao was holding Arong in her arms, but judging from her back hitting the bow of the boat, she must have been injured.
Li Chenjiao hugged Aman tightly, and she could hear Aman's breathing.
"Mother, knife...blood..." The little girl's voice was choked out.
Li Chenjiao covered the little girl's eyes. She looked ahead and saw a bloodstained knife stuck in the middle of the stone path. It wasn't deep, and blood was still dripping down.
Li Chenjiao closed her eyes again, and the sound of swords seemed to be approaching her in an instant.
She shifted her position to shield the little girl behind her, and at the same time quickly took off the beaded string from her hand, forcefully ripped the silk thread, and flung the broken beads forward.
She clenched her teeth and touched her hair with trembling fingers. Her hands were shaking so badly that it took her several seconds to finally touch the delicate kingfisher hairpin in her hair, which was a gift from the Fourth Prince.
Li Chenjiao held it in her hand and slowly tightened her grip.
She didn't know how much time had passed. The sound of blood dripping not far away was like a death knell. Screams echoed across the lake. She heard so many sounds.
A very long time had passed, and faint marks from the hairpin were imprinted on Li Chenjiao's palm.
She heard it.
She heard hurried, approaching footsteps and the sound of a sword rubbing against her waist as she walked.
Buzz.
The tension that had been building in my heart suddenly eased.
Li Chenjiao's originally tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and she immediately let go of the force, but she still dared not let go of the hairpin in her palm.
The Imperial Guards have arrived.
Such footsteps could never belong to an assassin.
Li Chenjiao looked up. The firelight was still there, but many palace lanterns illuminated her vision.
The broken beads on the ground shone like precious jewels in the candlelight.
Upon seeing the person who arrived, Li Chenjiao's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
...
The Fourth Master's dark python robe was still dripping wet, and his heart was beating exceptionally fast. When he saw the person he cherished sitting there, his heart was filled with a bittersweet mix of emotions.
He took two steps forward, but Li Chenjiao whispered a reminder to watch his step.
Looking at the broken beads scattered on the ground, Fourth Master's eyes were filled with heartache.
He raised his hand and opened the umbrella he wore at his waist.
Yes, what the Fourth Master wore at his waist was not a knife, but a large umbrella.
With the large umbrella providing shelter, the area instantly becomes peaceful, like a lone boat on a lake finding refuge and no longer adrift.
Seeing this, Su Peisheng quickly waved his hand, signaling the Imperial Guards to turn back and not go any further. He also went to clean up the mess, leaving only Fulu to carry the palace lantern and guard the side.
Li Chenjiao paused for a second, then finally understood and a relieved smile appeared on her face.
Because she had just removed her hairpin, her double bun was slightly loose, and a few strands of hair were now falling over her shoulders.
Bathed in the soft moonlight and candlelight, her dark hair and jade-like face were reflected in each other, making the white appear even whiter and the black even blacker at a glance.
Li Chenjiao looked up, and the fear she had been suppressing finally burst forth when she saw Fourth Master.
She sat there, like a soft, unripe willow branch, fragile yet vibrant, timid yet resilient.
The hairpin fell to the ground, finally slipping from her grasp. She was tired from holding her head up, so she lowered her eyes and called out, "Fourth Master."
I'm exhausted. I'm constantly on edge, afraid that an assassin might suddenly appear.
She placed her palms very slowly on her knees, her watery eyes partially hidden by her disheveled hair, but unable to conceal her disheveled state.
With her dark eyelashes drooping, Li Chenjiao heard the approaching footsteps of the Fourth Master.
She slowly propped herself up, without asking Fourth Master to help her up. She stood up on her own and then turned around to help Aman up.
When Aman saw her father, her eyes lit up, but she still lingered in her mother's arms.
Fourth Master was still wet, so he didn't get too close or touch Li Chenjiao.
His voice was hoarse as he spoke: "I'm late, did I scare you?"
Li Chenjiao didn't care about anything else. She pinched the umbrella, tossed it up, and held it in front of her. She then went straight up and hugged Fourth Master.
"I was so scared, so scared!"
The previous calm and composure had vanished.
Fourth Master forbade Li Chenjiao from uttering that word.
Li Chenjiao had many questions she wanted to ask, but leaning on Fourth Master, she didn't want to say anything.
Fourth Master put his arm around her and took the umbrella: "I'll have Fulu take you back first. I'll come back once this is settled."
Li Chenjiao agreed, and only after the Fourth Master's figure disappeared into the distance did she smell the blood.
She was stunned, her mind a jumble.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com