“San meimei, si meimei, Xu da guniang, what brings you here?”
Gu Jiu took the initiative to step forward and held Gu Yue’s hand.
Gu Yue was caught off guard, feeling uncomfortable and even repulsed.
She wanted to shake off Gu Jiu’s hand, but to her surprise, Gu Jiu held on tightly, and she couldn’t break free.
“Er jiejie, where is da jiejie? Didn’t she come with you?” Gu Shan asked.
“Da jiejie is not here. She was feeling tired and is resting in the guest room,” Gu Jiu replied calmly while subtly pulling Gu Yue toward the pond.
Then, she turned to Gu Yue and said, “San meimei, I have something to tell you. Can you come a little closer?”
Gu Yue frowned in disgust. “Er jiejie, just say whatever you need to say directly.”
Gu Jiu smiled, leaned in close to Gu Yue’s ear, and moved her lips as if whispering something.
Gu Yue furrowed her brows, listening for a long time, but she didn’t hear anything.
“Er jiejie, what exactly are you trying to say? You can’t even speak properly—how annoying! I don’t want to deal with you. Move aside.”
“Ah—”
Just as Gu Yue finished speaking, Gu Jiu suddenly let out a terrified scream.
“San meimei, don’t push me!”
At that moment, Gu Jiu was falling toward the pond.
Gu Yue’s hand was still suspended mid-air, as if she had just pushed Gu Jiu into the water.
Splash!
Gu Jiu fell into the water, creating a large splash.
Gu Yue was dumbfounded.
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
Xu Yuanniang looked at Gu Yue in disbelief. “Yue meimei, how could you push your er jiejie into the water again?”
“I didn’t!” Gu Yue shouted, unable to believe that Xu Yuanniang was accusing her.
Xu Yuanniang covered her mouth with a handkerchief, clearly unconvinced. Gu Yue had a record, after all.
Previously, Gu Yue had personally complained to her about Gu Jiu. With Gu Yue’s temperament, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if she had actually pushed Gu Jiu into the water.
“Guniang!”
Qing Mei, Gu Jiu’s maid, knelt by the pond, screaming in horror.
As the ripples spread, Gu Jiu had sunk beneath the water, disappearing from sight.
Qing Mei burst into tears instantly.
Then, she turned to Gu Yue, glaring at her with fury.
Qing Mei shouted in accusation, “San guniang, you are so ruthless! Last autumn, at the prefect’s fu, you ordered someone to push my lady into the water, nearly drowning her.
“Now that my guniang has a good fate and survived, were you unwilling to accept it? So today, you pushed her into the water again! San guniang, my guniang is your own sister—how can you be so heartless? Will you only be satisfied when she is dead?”
Gu Yue’s face turned red with rage. “You wretched maid, stop spouting nonsense! I never touched her. Er jiejie didn’t stand properly and fell in on her own—what does it have to do with me?”
Qing Mei was furious, nearly exploding inside.
“San guniang, my guniang is nearly drowned because of you, and you still want to deny it? Last year, wasn’t it you who ordered people to push my guniang into the water? Today, my guniang was speaking with you kindly, yet you pushed her into the water again.
“So many people saw it with their own eyes. San guniang, do you still think you can argue your way out of this? Do you even have a conscience?”
“You’re insolent! You lowly servant, shut your mouth!”
Gu Yue, driven to madness, raised her hand and aimed a slap at Qing Mei’s face. Qing Mei did not flinch, her eyes burning with rage. Her defiance completely infuriated Gu Yue.
Without care or restraint, Gu Yue began furiously striking Qing Mei’s face and head.
“Yue meimei, stop hitting her!”
“San jiejie, stop!”
Gu Shan and Xu Yuanniang rushed to hold Gu Yue back.
Gu Yue trembled with fury and shouted at everyone, “I did not push Gu Jiu into the water! Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!”
But no one believed her.
After all, before Gu Jiu fell, she had shouted, ‘Third Sister, don’t push me!’
Everyone had heard it.
There was no way to explain it away.
Xu Yuanniang urged, “Yue meimei, calm down.”
Then she turned to Qing Mei and said, “As a servant, instead of saving your lady, you’re here arguing. Aren’t you afraid she’ll drown?”
Qing Mei looked straight at Xu Yuanniang and declared loudly, “Xu da guniang, please don’t trouble yourself. Last year, you knew that san guniang ordered someone to push my guniang into the water, but you did nothing to stop it and never held her accountable afterwards.
“Xu da guniang, forgive nubi’s boldness, but my guniang barely even spoke with you, and she certainly never offended you. Why did you watch as others pushed her into the water and remain silent? Is it because my guniang is weak and sickly, and she’s an eyesore to all of you? You people… are truly ruthless!”
Qing Mei’s voice was sharp with accusation.
Xu Yuanniang was stunned—she never expected a mere servant to openly challenge her.
She looked around at the crowd and saw them whispering, pointing at her.
Xu Yuanniang grew angry and anxious, snapping, “You impudent maid! You know nothing and dare to slander me? Do you not fear being beaten to death?”
Qing Mei sneered. “Xu da guniang, has nubi hit a nerve? Now you want to silence nubi? As long as nubi can get justice for my guniang, nubi isn’t afraid of death.”
Qing Mei stared Xu Yuanniang down with unwavering determination.
Xu Yuanniang panicked.
Qing Mei, however, was just as terrified inside.
She feared she would mess things up and fail Gu Jiu’s trust—or worse, ruin Gu Jiu’s plan.
Her palms were sweaty.
Inside, she cried out: Guniang, you must hold on! Nubi will do my best to expose these two for who they really are!
“I’ll beat you to death!” Gu Yue, completely losing control, raised her hand for another slap.
“Save her! Someone save her!”
A voice suddenly called out, and finally, a maid who could swim jumped into the pond.
Meanwhile, where was Gu Jiu?
Gu Jiu had been underwater, swimming to the centre of the pond.
Phew!
She finally surfaced, wiped the water from her face, and took a deep breath.
Swimming around in the pond was actually quite relaxing. Swimming was the only outdoor sport Gu Jiu knew. She never expected that this skill would come in handy today.
Hiding among the lotus leaves, she had already distanced herself from the shore.
She could still vaguely hear Qing Mei’s voice.
Gu Jiu inwardly praised her maid. Good job, Qing Mei—tear their masks right off!
She floated on her back, leisurely drifting in the water.
The thick lotus leaves concealed her well, so she wasn’t worried about being spotted.
She was counting the time—soon, she would get back on shore.
Suddenly, a small boat parted the lotus leaves, silently approaching her.
A hand reached out toward her.
“Ah—”
Gu Jiu was startled.
She had thought she was alone, only to suddenly see a hand appear before her—who wouldn’t be scared?
She followed the hand to its owner.
Damn it.
How was it him—Liu gongzi from Tianmen Temple?!
And the one rowing the boat was none other than his guard, Zhao San.
Liu Zhao’s expression was unreadable, his deep gaze flickering with an enigmatic light.
Looking at the drenched Gu Jiu, he calmly said, “I’ll pull you up.”
“…” Gu Jiu paddled in the water, refusing. She wanted nothing to do with Liu Zhao.
Dealing with an imperial descendant was asking for trouble. She hadn’t lived long enough, so she didn’t want to get involved with the imperial family.
“Why is Liu gongzi here?” she asked.
Liu Zhao, with a straight face, spoke nonsense: “Just passing by.”
Gu Jiu’s mouth twitched.
Passing by? On a pond? Who are you fooling?!
Gu Jiu said, “Thank you, Liu gongzi. The boat is small, so I won’t get on. I’ll take my leave first.”
As soon as she finished speaking and before she could turn around, Liu Zhao decisively grabbed her wrist.
Gu Jiu struggled but couldn’t break free.
She stared at Liu Zhao.
Liu Zhao also stared at Gu Jiu.
Their eyes met, sparks flying.
Liu Zhao was very curious.
Gu Jiu, on the other hand, was clearly full of disdain.
Why are you everywhere?
Liu gongzi, your presence is way too strong.
As a royal descendant, can’t you just be a proper one and stay in the capital? Wouldn’t that be nice?
Why must you insist on making your presence known in the Northwest?
Liu Zhao was firm. “Get on.”
Gu Jiu shook her head. If she boarded Liu Zhao’s boat, she would never be able to clear her name in this lifetime.
She was an unmarried young lady—soaking wet and getting on a strange man’s boat?
Ridiculous. This wasn’t the modern era.
“Please let go, Liu gongzi. Your boat is too small; it’s inconvenient for me to get on.”
Liu Zhao frowned.
Zhao San, sensing the situation, said, “This subordinate will get off the boat.”
“Don’t get off.” Gu Jiu hurriedly stopped him.
But Zhao San ignored her and jumped straight into the water, submerging himself as if he didn’t exist.
Gu Jiu wanted to cry.
She felt so wronged.
Liu Zhao didn’t waste any more words. He tightened his grip and directly pulled Gu Jiu up.
With her delicate and petite frame, there was no way she could resist Liu Zhao’s strength.
She tried to fight back, but in an instant, she was overpowered.
And just like that, she was pulled onto the boat.
As soon as she got on, Gu Jiu shivered. She hugged her chest, shrank into herself, and looked extremely displeased.
She had been fine in the water—why did he have to drag her onto the boat?
Liu Zhao frowned, as if he found her annoying.
A cloak suddenly landed on Gu Jiu’s shoulders.
Gu Jiu was stunned. She looked up at Liu Zhao.
Liu Zhao said seriously, “Put it on! Or you’ll freeze to death.”
Gu Jiu’s eyelid twitched, and she replied just as seriously, “At this time of year, no one freezes to death.”
Liu Zhao furrowed his brows even more.
The voices from the shore reached his ears.
He had originally thought Gu Jiu was the victim—pushed into the water by her sisters.
But now, hearing the argument on the shore, things seemed a little different.
This Gu guniang before him wasn’t as weak as he had assumed.
Of course, any woman bold enough to stab a man with a knife was definitely not weak.
But Gu Jiu’s delicate appearance was deceiving—at first glance, she looked fragile and helpless.
“Who are you scheming against?”
Gu Jiu shut up, refusing to answer.
Liu Zhao suddenly laughed.
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