"It's all my fault. If he hadn't stood up for me, the young master wouldn't have been reprimanded by the princess." Shen Jinshu lowered her head dejectedly, fiddling with her handkerchief.
Seeing this, the Prince's anger subsided somewhat, and his voice softened, "It's not your fault. I was reckless. I didn't think things through. Not only did I fail to teach Song Zhiyu a lesson, but I also dragged you into this."
Thinking of this, the prince's heir gritted his teeth in resentment.
“Song Zhiyu is as cunning as a fox, and also cold-hearted and ruthless. He’s not easy to deal with. Shu’er, there’s no need to blame yourself.” Shen Yanxi stepped forward, blocking the Prince’s gaze from falling on Shen Jinshu.
Shu'er is destined to be the Princess Consort of Li, so she absolutely cannot be associated with a playboy like the Prince's heir.
“Your fourth brother is right, this matter is not over.” The prince’s son awkwardly withdrew his gaze, called over a servant, and whispered a few words in his ear.
"This servant understands." The servant nodded vigorously, and after receiving the prince's permission, he bowed and quickly left.
Shen Yanxi frowned. "What are you going to do?"
"Naturally, it's to vent Shu'er's anger. What, Fourth Young Master Shen, are you feeling sorry for her? Don't forget, Shu'er is the younger sister you grew up with." The Prince's heir's face was full of sarcasm, and his words carried a warning.
Shen Yanxi could not stop him from doing what he was about to do.
"How could that be? Shu'er is the younger sister I should be cherishing." Shen Yanxi's expression froze, and it was unclear whether he was reminding others or himself of this.
"You know that much." The Prince's heir snorted twice, showing that Shen Yanxi was quite sensible.
A moment later, a loud scream pierced the sky.
"Fire! Fire!"
Thick smoke rose, followed by a restless crowd and a cacophony of shouts.
"How could a fire suddenly start?" Song Zhiyu looked up in the direction from which the thick smoke was coming, and doubts arose in her heart.
Those invited to the lakeside banquet are all wealthy and powerful, and no mistakes can be tolerated. Now that such a major blunder has occurred, some people will likely suffer the consequences.
Amidst the chaos around her, Song Zhiyu was unknowingly pushed onto the lakeside railing.
She frowned as she looked at the restless crowd. The fire hadn't spread, yet the scene was so chaotic, as if someone was deliberately creating panic and disrupting the situation.
An ominous premonition welled up in her heart; she had a feeling that this fire was not so simple.
Suddenly, Song Zhiyu's ears twitched slightly as she heard a barely perceptible footstep slowly approaching her.
Before she could turn around, a powerful force suddenly pushed her from behind, shoving her hard into the lake.
"Miss, please be careful."
Lu Bai exclaimed in surprise, her face changing drastically. She reached out to grab Song Zhiyu's arm, but grasped only air.
In the instant Song Zhiyu turned around, she didn't miss the fleeting smug smile on the Prince's face.
She braced her waist against the railing, her body swaying precariously, about to fall into the lake.
At the critical moment, a silver whip struck, tightly wrapping around her waist and pulling her back.
Song Zhiyu had just steadied herself and hadn't even seen her savior's face clearly when she heard a loud splash. A man in brocade robes was thrashing about in the lake.
As Song Zhiyu looked up, she met Pei Qingyan's smiling eyes. He gracefully and calmly brushed the dust off his sleeves and gave her a slight smile.
"Your Highness! Our young master can't swim! Please save him!" The servant, his face filled with terror, jumped over the railing into the lake and swam with all his might towards the prince's son.
The restless crowd finally quieted down, and everyone stared intently at the Prince's heir in the lake.
Song Zhiyu stared expressionlessly at the Prince's son thrashing about in the lake, then noticed a man swimming toward him from a distance. A dark current surged in his deep eyes, and his fingers, hanging by his side, twitched slightly, sending white powder into the lake with the breeze.
The man quickly swam to the Prince's side, but before everyone could rejoice, a horrifying scene unfolded.
The man dressed as a servant grabbed the prince's waist, pulled him out of the water, moved his lips and said something, and then, to everyone's astonishment, turned his chin and kissed him fiercely.
"What...what's going on?"
"It's truly unbelievable that the Prince's heir has such a peculiar hobby." The man who spoke swallowed unconsciously, his tone embarrassed.
Seeing the two people kissing passionately in the water, he couldn't help but rub the goosebumps on his arms, secretly relieved that the prince's son hadn't fallen for him.
"..."
The noble ladies had already covered their eyes in embarrassment; it was the first time they had ever witnessed such a thrilling scene.
Shen Jinshu's face turned green, her chest heaving, and she looked away in disgust.
"Miss, are you alright?"
Taking advantage of everyone's attention being focused on the Prince's heir, Lu Bai hurriedly walked to Song Zhiyu's side, her voice choked with emotion and her eyes slightly red.
Song Zhiyu shook her head and gently comforted her, "It's alright, I'm just grateful to this young master for saving me."
"It was nothing, I'm glad you're alright." A clear male voice reached their ears.
The man had an eerie appearance, with a faint air of melancholy between his brows. His fair and handsome face was tinged with a barely perceptible pallor. He had a straight nose, and his deep-set eyes gleamed with an unfathomable darkness. His beautiful face was in no way inferior to that of a woman.
She wore a dark, patterned robe, her figure was tall and slender, and her well-defined fingers played with a silver whip, exuding elegance and nobility.
"I owe you a favor, young master." Song Zhiyu was clear about her gratitude and resentment. If it weren't for the person in front of her saving her today, she would have been the one who fell into the water.
The man's lips curled slightly upward, a faint smile playing on his lips. His deep gaze fell on Song Zhiyu, and he smiled without saying a word.
As their eyes met, Pei Qingyan strode over, "Yu'er."
Song Zhiyu snapped out of her daze, saw the undisguised worry in Pei Qingyan's eyes, and a bright smile bloomed on her face. "Brother, I'm fine."
"Thank you for saving my sister, Young Marquis." Pei Qingyan bowed to the man in thanks, his tall, slender figure like a bamboo stalk shielding Song Zhiyu behind him, a hint of wariness on his gentle face.
Young Marquis?
Upon hearing Pei Qingyan's address to the man, Song Zhiyu instantly understood the identity of her savior.
In the Lintian Dynasty, there was only one person who was called the Young Marquis, and that was Gu Siyuan, the son of the deceased Marquis of Ning'an.
He won hundreds of battles at a young age and was deeply favored by the emperor.
However, this young marquis is somewhat different from others.
Thinking about the rumors she had heard, Song Zhiyu's expression became somewhat strange.
"So it's Lord Pei." Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow, his meaningful gaze passing over Pei Qingyan and landing on Song Zhiyu behind him.
"Miss Song, see you next time." After saying this, Gu Siyuan's smile widened. He gave Song Zhiyu a deep look, smiled, and walked away.
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