Chapter 140 I Didn't Intentionally Lie to You
Qiu Heng arrived at the gate of the Yongqing Earl's mansion in a carriage and called for Uncle Zhang to stop.
"What's wrong with Sixth Miss?"
"Uncle Zhang, go inside first. I'm going to buy some trinkets from the peddler," Qiu Heng said, pointing to the peddler who had stopped not far away.
"Alright!" Uncle Zhang replied with a smile and drove the carriage into the mansion.
Qiu Heng walked towards the young peddler, pretending to take her time browsing. Once the others had dispersed, she asked in a low voice, "Is everything ready at Qinglian Lake?"
"Ready?" Chen San, who had spent his days wandering the streets and alleys, was much darker-skinned, but his curiosity remained undiminished. "Does the young lady like to go boating on Qinglian Lake alone?"
Before he knew that Que was Qiu Liu, Que had sent a message to them to rent a boat on Qinglian Lake and hide. At that time, he had discussed with Brother Tao and the others the purpose of Que's actions, and Brother Tao told him to shut up.
Qiu Heng sighed softly, "The pressure is too much. Sometimes I just want to be alone, boating and daydreaming without being bothered."
"That's true." Chen San nodded in understanding.
Qiu Liu is several years younger than him, but the things she has to do are earth-shattering, so it's normal for her to be under a lot of pressure.
Chen San's gaze towards Qiu Heng changed slightly.
Qiu Heng asked with a smile, "Why does Brother Chen look at me like that?"
Chen San scratched his head sheepishly: "It's just that I suddenly realized that girls also feel pressure, unlike before."
In the past, Que would argue with him out of resentment, but after Que actually eliminated the traitor Yuan and revealed his identity, he became a god-like figure in Que's eyes.
Now I realize that Qiu Liu is actually the same as them; she also experiences fear, pain, and pressure.
"Of course, I'm not grass, wood, or stone." Qiu Heng smiled and said goodbye to Chen San, "Don't work too hard, Brother Chen San."
"It's alright, my leg strength gets better with practice. I'm not bragging, but now there's no road in this city I don't know well," Chen San said proudly.
He's going to do something big with the girl, and his familiarity with the capital will be very useful.
"That's great, it'll make things easier in the future." Qiu Heng gave Chen San's approval as expected and went to Qinglian Lake alone.
In early winter, the lake breeze at Qinglian Lake is cool and refreshing. Because of the legend of being haunted, there are only a few tourists.
Qiu Heng found the small boat hidden in a secluded spot, picked a leaf, put it to her lips, and lay down on the boat, gently blowing on it.
The sound of the leaf flute is ethereal and faint, seemingly disappearing at first listen and then appearing as if it were just the sound of the wind.
The already small number of tourists listened and whispered among themselves, which scared them all away.
The sunlight was only slightly warm, and when it fell on people, it was just the right amount of comfort.
Qiu Heng was half asleep and half awake when she suddenly sat up.
The small boat rocked gently with her movements, creating ripples. Birds among the water plants spread their wings and flew away, a feather drifting down.
Qiu Heng struggled to turn over and submerge herself in the water, clinging to the edge of the boat with both hands, sweat pouring down her face.
It was a pain I had never experienced before.
Was it because saving the crown prince changed him too much?
The thought only flashed through my mind before being shattered by the excruciating pain.
That kind of pain felt like a tidal wave of fluid rushing through my limbs and bones, wave after wave, growing more and more intense, to the point that I lost my mind.
Qiu Heng let go of the boat's edge and let herself fall to the bottom of the lake.
In the moment of blurred consciousness, I was lifted upwards by a hand.
Emerging from the water, bathed in the bright winter sun, Qiu Heng barely opened her eyes, and through the blur, she saw Xue Han's horrified face.
It was Xue Han as expected.
Xue Han...why are you so afraid?
Qiu Heng was unaware that Xue Han was even more afraid than she had imagined.
He reached out and touched the blood flowing from the girl's nose and the corner of her mouth.
The blood was warm, but her cheeks were cold.
That vibrant girl, the girl he secretly cherished in his heart, seemed ready to leave at any moment.
"Aheng, what can I do?" Xue Han asked, holding Qiu Heng tightly. "Tell me quickly, what can I do?"
For a moment, Xue Han thought, if there's nothing I can do, if I can't keep her here, then I might as well stay here with her.
Perhaps because the pain had overwhelmed her, Qiu Heng regained some clarity. Despite her bloodied face, she smiled at Xue Han and said, "Don't worry, I feel fine..."
Xue Han gritted his teeth in anger, holding her hand tightly but not daring to tighten his grip: "Qiu Heng, can you please stop lying to me now!"
"What's wrong... how did I lie to you?" Qiu Heng asked slowly, her strength drained by the pain.
Xue Han reached out and touched her cheek, holding her blood-stained fingertips up to her face.
Qiu Heng slightly opened her eyes, only then realizing that she was bleeding.
"No wonder it seemed a bit strange..."
"How can I make you better?" Xue Han asked through gritted teeth.
"You don't need to do anything." Qiu Heng rested her head on Xue Han's shoulder, no longer needing to exert herself for support. "This is fine."
"The lake water is cold." The boy said this with an annoyance in his voice.
As her thoughts gradually returned, Qiu Heng realized why Xue Han was angry, but she hadn't fully recovered yet, so she still called out his name: "Xue Han, I didn't mean to lie to you."
The girl's call was right beside him, as light as a lake breeze, yet it stirred Xue Han's heart.
She continued, "The hot springs in the valley are wonderful, but my strange illness could flare up at any time... Xue Han, I'm not lying to you, I just don't want you to feel that my feelings have been betrayed..."
Xue Han opened his mouth, but felt as if a huge rock was blocking his chest, causing him a dull pain that was hard to describe.
After a long while, he asked, "What would you have done if I hadn't come to Qinglian Lake today?"
What does it matter if my feelings are betrayed? Her safety is the most important thing.
Didn't she consider the possibility of sinking into the lake?
"It was my carelessness. I didn't expect it to be so serious this time. It won't happen again." Qiu Heng closed her eyes slightly, and a tear silently slid down her cheek where Xue Han couldn't see.
She won't die even if she sinks to the bottom of the lake.
The lake water was different for her than for others, just as in the great Xia Dynasty of the future, time alone forgot to leave its mark on her.
She was an outcast, no matter which side she was on.
How could she possibly not lie to Xue Han at all?
"Xue Han, I'm a little tired. Take me to the cabin."
Xue Han carried Qiu Heng onto the small boat.
Water dripped continuously from the soaked clothes, and a gust of wind brought a bone-chilling cold.
"A spare set of clothes is inside?"
"Yes, I'll change it in a bit."
Guessing that Qiu Heng didn't have the strength to change her clothes, Xue Han hesitated for a moment, then made up his mind and asked, "Can I help you change?"
Qiu Heng looked surprised.
"I will take responsibility," Xue Han said, mustering his courage.
Qiu Heng looked at the serious-looking boy and slowly shook her head: "I don't need you to take responsibility. I can change it myself later."
She doesn't need anyone to take responsibility for her, especially not Xue Han.
Whether it was disappointment or something else, Xue Han's taut heartstrings quietly snapped, and he said haphazardly, "Okay, then you should get some rest."
He wrung out the water from his clothes and trouser legs. In his confusion, he subconsciously reached out to wring out Qiu Heng's skirt, but his gaze suddenly stopped on her rolled-up trouser legs.
The girl's ankles were fair and slender, with several blue finger marks standing out.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
