Chen Sheng froze in place.
Liu Chengxiao had jumped in to rescue Liu Yu, and then… then… Chen Sheng’s teeth chattered; he couldn’t bring himself to think about it further.
He felt a buzzing sound in his head.
Madam Chen sighed in relief. She was even happy and wanted to smile because things went smoothly. She restrained herself, maintaining a benevolent motherly appearance. She appeared relieved for Liu Yu, saying, “Someone is rescuing her, someone is rescuing her. Sheng’er, with your injuries, you absolutely cannot go into the water. If anything happens to you, it would be at the cost of your mother’s life.”
Chen Sheng stood there like a soulless body. Looking at the hand tightly holding his arm, he stared fixedly at Madam Chen’s hand, and redness welled up in his slightly swollen eyes.
Chen Xiaomei had caught up at this point, and she was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Liu San had taken advantage of the lack of attention and slipped away. Whether Madam Chen had paid him to push someone into the water or push him, he got the money, and as for embracing the beauty, he knew from Chen Sheng’s earlier reaction that this beauty was like a thorny rose.
Although it was regrettable, compared to being hated by Chen Sheng after a moment of pleasure, he preferred to occasionally get some support from this eldest nephew.
Babao stared at the Chen family mother and son warily. He thought Chen Sheng would make a scene, but surprisingly, he didn’t. Babao didn’t know what was wrong with him; he just stood there, looking dazed.
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Mbl rlsrzl qasx vbl Nw qyxkzu awpble shla yv vbkp vkxl. Lsv pllkdt Nw Ubldtmkys, sdzu pllkdt Jycys, Yap. Nw ydmkswpzu ypjle, “Eblal kp Ubldtmkys?”
Mbkp oyp byae vs bkel. Jycys vawvbqwzzu alrzkle, “Mbkae Zswdt Yypvla fwxrle kdvs vbl oyvla vs alpnwl psxlsdl.”
Mbl Nw qyxkzu, ckt yde pxyzz, yzz zssjle vsoyaep vbl akhla. Mblal oyp pvkzz zktbv sd vbl akhlacydj, yde vblal olal akhla zydvladp qzsyvkdt yzsdt vbl akhlapkel. Tsolhla, vbl Zw Skhla oyp lmvalxlzu okel. Jlpkelp vbl kxxlekyvl akhlapkel, lhlauvbkdt qwavbla yoyu oyp rkvnb czynj. Mblu nswze sdzu blya vbl tldvzl pswde sq oyvla; vblal oyp dsvbkdt vs cl plld.
Fllkdt bla xsvbla pvyakdt yv vbl akhla, Nw Fbwydt yehkple, “Ysvbla, esd’v osaau. Mbkae Jasvbla kp yd lmnlzzldv pokxxla.”
Ulavykdzu, Yap. Nw vwadle vs Jycys yde ypjle, “Ps usw jdso obs qlzz kdvs vbl oyvla?”
Fbl hytwlzu blyae vbyv kv oyp y uswdt zyeu.
Jycys iwknjzu pbssj bkp blye, “R esd’v jdso.”
Tl pyke kv yp kq bl alyzzu eked’v.
~
In the Yu River, the water flowed swiftly. In such a current, someone who couldn’t swim would be carried downstream by the flow.
Lu Chengxiao plunged into the water, without thinking, swimming downstream. Leveraging the faint moonlight, he tried hard to find Liu Yu’s figure in the water.
He entered the water in the nick of time, almost only a dozen or twenty breaths slower than Liu Yu. He quickly spotted a struggling figure about twenty feet away. Accelerating his pace, he swiftly swam towards that figure.
Liu Yu had never learned to swim in both her lifetimes. As Lu Chengxiao initially suspected, she was immediately swept away by the current upon falling into the water. She struggled, but it was futile. Panicking, she inhaled water, and in fear and despair, she thought tonight might be the end.
But at that moment, a hand wrapped around her from behind, someone pressed close, lifting her head above the water. She finally breathed in fresh air, and she began coughing violently.
“Liu Yu.” Lu Chengxiao’s voice trembled. At the moment of saving her, he had no other thoughts. Now, he realized the fear.
Liu Yu had just choked on water, and her throat was uncomfortable. She couldn’t speak for a moment, just gripping Lu Chengxiao’s arm tightly.
This small movement was sensed by Lu Chengxiao. Panic had completely overwhelmed him, and it was only now that he felt the aftermath. Holding Liu Yu, he softly reassured her near her ear, “Don’t be afraid, it’s okay. I’ll take you ashore.”
The riverbank was crowded with people. Liu Yu was completely soaked, and Lu Chengxiao dared not bring her ashore in such a crowded place. Instead, he swam towards the direction of a more distant stone bridge. They reached the bridge arch and stopped there, finding a concealed spot.
The water level along the edge of the bridge arch wasn’t deep; Lu Chengxiao, standing there, was only waist-deep. However, Liu Yu couldn’t swim. She had almost drowned in the Yu River moments ago and was now terrified. Lu Chengxiao attempted to make her stand to show that he could support her. However, Liu Yu clung tightly to him, refusing to let go.
Lu Chengxiao wasn’t sure if he was more angry or concerned. Initially, he had rushed to save her without much thought. Now, with Liu Yu almost hanging off him, the conversation between Madam Chen and her son from before resurfaced in his mind.
Madam Chen’s words about Liu Yu losing her reputation if she went into the water and Chen Sheng’s declaration that he would marry her echoed in Lu Chengxiao’s ears.
It was too coincidental that Liu Yu fell into the water right in front of Chen Sheng. At this moment, Lu Chengxiao found himself entertaining the idea that the water incident was a plan designed to solidify the engagement with Chen Sheng.
In the midst of her near-drowning fear, the initial impression prevailed, and with Liu Yu disheveled in his arms, her body still slightly trembling, Lu Chengxiao unconsciously tightened his hold around her waist.
This slight increase in pressure snapped Liu Yu out of her terror. She realized that the wall of the bridge arch was behind her. If she could stay calm, her feet could touch the bottom. Lu Chengxiao’s hand was firmly around her waist. It should be… safe now. Becoming aware that Lu Chengxiao was there, ensuring she wouldn’t be drowned again, she belatedly realized that she was still holding onto him tightly. Quickly, she shifted her body backward until her back pressed against Lu Chengxiao’s other hand, protecting her against the wall of the bridge arch.
Liu Yu’s face heated up. Lu Chengxiao was probably afraid she might get scratched by the uneven bluestones of the bridge arch. However, being held by him, with one hand around her waist and the other against her back, almost felt like being enveloped in his embrace. They were so close, their breaths were audible. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, she subtly turned her face to the side.
Lu Chengxiao hesitated to ask, unwilling to say anything that might disturb her. Glancing around, he said, “Let’s climb up on the other side of the bridge; there should be fewer people there.”
Yuanzhou was mountainous, and the temperature difference between day and night was significant. While a man like Lu Chengxiao might endure being soaked in the river in April, it was a different matter for a young girl like Liu Yu.
Before his words could fully settle, distant voices were already approaching.
“No,” Liu Yu’s expression changed, and she quickly grabbed Lu Chengxiao’s arm, preventing him from moving.
Frowning, Lu Chengxiao said, “The river water is too cold. The embankment is steep around here, and the next accessible place to climb up is quite far. You can’t stay in the water for too long.”
Liu Yu naturally understood this, but her hesitation was rooted in the agreement she had made with Master Li just two days later. If news spread in the town that she fell into the water today and was rescued by another man, would Master Li and his mother be okay with it?
The voices from the riverbank grew closer, and Lu Chengxiao suddenly understood what Liu Yu was concerned about. However, he didn’t know about Mr. Li’s influential status in the town. He still assumed Liu Yu was worried about being seen as someone saved by him and associated with the Chen family, not realizing that she might want to avoid revealing any connection to Master Li.
He fell silent for a while and then, with difficulty, spoke, “Liu Yu, Chen Sheng is not someone you can entrust your life to. Mrs. Chen won’t allow him to have any possibility of choosing another partner. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been the meeting this morning. He can’t even see through this, and he can’t give you a future.”
Liu Yu raised her eyes, looking at Lu Chengxiao with a hint of surprise.
Lu Chengxiao didn’t know how much strength it took to restrain the discomfort in his heart and control the impulse to pull her into his embrace.
The fingertips added a bit of force, and the hand pressed against Liu Yu’s back followed its true intention. With just a little more strength, she was pulled into his embrace. They weren’t pressed tightly together, but the distance between them was shortened.
They didn’t need to look at each other.
Liu Yu was stunned and pushed him away, saying, “Lu Chengxiao, what are you doing? Let go.”
However, Lu Chengxiao had no intention of letting go. He didn’t want to let go in this lifetime.
“Liu Yu, I want to marry you.”
The proposal in his ear left Liu Yu stunned, and she forgot to struggle.
“I know you want a good marriage. Can I marry you? Forget about Chen Sheng. Don’t choose him, okay?”
The water was cold, but the young man’s heart was hot. Lu Chengxiao’s breath was by her ear, heavy with a hint of urgency and trembling. He anxiously awaited an answer.
The silence between them was so palpable that their breaths could be heard.
At that moment, Madam Chen’s voice reached them, “She should have been washed downstream. The only place to get ashore around here is this stone bridge. Check down there.”
Followed by the footsteps of a large group of people.
The tranquility was shattered, and Liu Yu became somewhat flustered.
Subconsciously, she pushed Lu Chengxiao away. However, in doing so, she unexpectedly stepped on a slippery stone, and while Lu Chengxiao protected her head from hitting the bridge wall, he couldn’t prevent her from falling into the water. Bending down, he quickly scooped her out.
In the moment of the second fall into the water, driven by the instinct for survival, Liu Yu, in a panic, used both hands and feet. Unintentionally, she brushed against something and held onto Lu Chengxiao tightly.
Lu Chengxiao froze. Blushing, he softly asked Liu Yu to let go.
Liu Yu, still unaware of what she had done, was afraid of water and subconsciously clung even tighter.
Lu Chengxiao’s breath suddenly became heavier. He let out a muffled groan, almost blurting it out but narrowly managing to keep it in his mouth.
Liu Yu froze. During her time at the Liumu Pavilion, she had learned a lot, and she wasn’t ignorant. It was precisely because she understood… Her whole body felt like it was on fire.
The river water was icy, yet her face burned terrifyingly.
“Let go!” His voice sounded a bit hoarse. Ignoring whether she should or shouldn’t, he unhesitatingly gripped Liu Yu’s waist, lifting her up and creating some distance between them.
Fearful of water, Liu Yu panicked instinctively when she was away from Lu Chengxiao. His hand reached under her armpit, pulling her back into the water. In a hoarse voice, he said, “Don’t move. They are coming down. I’ll take you to a safer place.”
Madam Chen, under the guise of being helpful in the search, attracted a group of people. Holding torches, they descended to the area below the stone bridge, searching for quite some time without finding a trace of anyone.
Madam Chen twisted the handkerchief in her hand into a ball, almost crushing her silver teeth.
Following closely behind, Mrs. Lu cast a glance at her, her lips slightly pursed.
Lu Shuang also pouted angrily, whispering to her mother, “She harbors ill intentions.”
Mrs. Lu, of course, understood. If her son and another woman were seen coming ashore by so many people, the news would spread throughout the town by tomorrow. Under the pressure, regardless of the circumstances of the woman who fell into the water, they would have to marry her.
Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm. Mrs. Lu knew her son had probably taken the girl away to avoid the crowd. She comfortingly patted Lu Shuang’s hand. “Your brother knows what to do.”
~
Across the Yushui River, about a mile away in the direction of the Liu family’s village, there was a shallow shoal. Lu Chengxiao took Liu Yu ashore there.
Due to the unintentional misunderstanding just now, even though they had crossed a part of the river, both of them were still blushing. After coming ashore, they remained silent, neither daring to speak first.
Liu Yu had lost her shoes in the river. With the shallow shoal covered in sharp stones, she didn’t dare to make a sound of complaint. She gritted her teeth and walked, but each step became increasingly difficult. Walking on the smooth river stones was no problem, but those sharp rocks underneath her feet made the soles of her feet ache terribly. After a few steps, her pace gradually slowed.
Though Lu Chengxiao didn’t dare to look directly at Liu Yu, he occasionally kept an eye on her using his peripheral vision. Sensing something was wrong, he stopped and turned to ask her, “What’s wrong?”
Liu Yu bit her lip, feeling embarrassed. She then said, “I lost my shoes in the river.”
Lu Chengxiao looked down, trying to keep his gaze away from Liu Yu’s body. He glanced towards the hem of her dress.
Due to the soaked clothes, the dress clung to her body and no longer covered her feet. Lu Chengxiao could see that Liu Yu was only wearing a pair of thin stockings. The memory of the water incident became vivid again, and he quickly averted his gaze as if it had been scalded.
His heart ached to see her walking barefoot on the rocky shore.
Even he felt uncomfortable walking with shoes on this rocky surface, yet she lost her shoes and continued walking without saying a word.
Taking a few steps back, he complained in a very low voice, “Why didn’t you say just now?”
In his complaint, there was a mix of impatience and concern, and the atmosphere between them became even more ambiguous for a moment.
Looking around, this side of the river was desolate. The darkness stretched endlessly, and the riverbank was scattered with numerous broken shells. Accidentally stepping on a sharp stone could be quite painful.
Considering carrying her on his back, the memory of the last time he carried her made Lu Chengxiao feel like something was off again. He bent over, muttering a quiet “sorry,” and lifted Liu Yu up, holding her around the waist.
Liu Yu’s body suddenly hung in the air, her heart pounding, and in her exclamation, her hand subconsciously wrapped around Lu Chengxiao’s neck.
The sudden closeness made Lu Chengxiao’s heart race. Starting from his heart, a strange tingling sensation spread throughout his entire body.
In such a close posture, Liu Yu felt too embarrassed to look at Lu Chengxiao. She dared not let him see her expression at this moment. She slightly turned her face away, hiding almost half of her face in the crook of his shoulder.
Little did she know that her proximity sent shivers through Lu Chengxiao’s heart.
How long could half a month be?
To others, it might be just an ordinary fifteen days, but for Lu Chengxiao, it was the first time he had tasted the flavor of love, Yet, before he could fully savor it, the cruel reality had already let him experience the taste of loss.
It was the despair of repeatedly getting close, but repeatedly watching her turn away with indifference and leave. It’s a bone-chilling despair.
It was days and nights of being tossed and turned by emotions, where joy and anger were entirely beyond his control.
It had been too long, too long since he could get this close to her.
Regaining what was lost, the palpitations were like a storm sweeping through his heart, and the unrest followed him like a shadow.
Lu Chengxiao’s throat moved slightly, almost forcing composure as he explained, “The riverbank has sharp stones and broken shells. You might easily injure your feet.”
Trying to persuade her, he feared the next sentence would be a refusal.
However, Liu Yu, leaning against his shoulder, just lightly nodded her head.
Lu Chengxiao almost thought it was an illusion caused by heavy anticipation in his heart, until his heartbeat echoed six or seven times in his ears, and Liu Yu still hadn’t said anything else. Only then did he realize that it wasn’t his imagination.
Holding her tightly, Lu Chengxiao nervously suggested, “It’s still quite a distance to Liujiacun. Going back like this might make you catch a cold. Not far ahead, I remember there’s a mountain temple. Let’s go there first to take shelter and dry your clothes. What do you think?”
If any other man had made such a suggestion, Liu Yu would have been on guard. However, it was Lu Chengxiao, and she knew him well. Besides, returning to Liujiacun in her current state wasn’t a good idea. She softly agreed.
This simple agreement was undeniably clear. Lu Chengxiao could hardly contain the upward curve of his lips. In this moment, his heart, which had been empty for these past few days, was suddenly filled with a surge of emotions.
Liu Yu wouldn’t know how much joy and excitement her trust brought to Lu Chengxiao’s heart, nor would she fathom the countless hopes it sparked.
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