The night was cool and still, as calm as water.
After Jiang Li fell into the lotus pond, the surface rippled briefly before settling into an eerie stillness.
Suiyun cast a cautious glance at Xue Zhen’s composed expression.
Earlier, she had pushed Jiang Li into the water at Xue Zhen’s silent signal. Suiyun had assumed the intent was merely to scare Jiang Li—a warning of sorts. She thought the young lady would call for help once Jiang Li fell in, allowing her to display both a cruel dominance and a facade of kindness, earning praise for her "compassionate heart."
But now, more than ten breaths had passed, and Xue Zhen remained motionless, her gaze fixed on the pond. There was no sign of concern, no call for assistance. Instead, the corners of her lips curved upward slightly, as if she were watching something amusing.
Suiyun felt a chill creep up her spine, and a memory resurfaced unbidden: the kitten Xue Zhen had owned when she was ten.
The little creature had scratched Xue Zhen’s hand by accident. In response, Xue Zhen had tied its legs together and buried it alive in the courtyard. Suiyun still remembered the young lady’s expression as she shoveled dirt into the pit—calm, almost serene, as though she were enjoying herself.
That same unsettling smile now graced Xue Zhen’s face as she stared at the water.
The April breeze carried a lingering chill, and Suiyun couldn’t suppress a shiver. Finally, she mustered the courage to speak. "Miss Xue, should we call for help? If we wait too long... it might be too late."
"What’s the rush?" Xue Zhen replied nonchalantly. "She fell in on her own. If she dies, she has only her bad luck to blame."
Tilting her head, she turned her gaze to Suiyun. The sight of Suiyun’s pale, panic-stricken face made her frown with disdain. "What are you so afraid of? It’s just a worthless life. Compose yourself. If I’d known you’d be this useless, I would’ve brought Suiwu instead."
"My apologies, Miss. Please don’t be angry," Suiyun stammered, forcing a strained smile as she fought to mask her growing dread.
But then, her eyes widened in horror. Pointing a trembling finger at the pond, she stuttered, "Miss Xue, look... she... she’s floating up!"
The water in the lotus pond was icy cold in April.
As soon as Jiang Li plunged into the water, the frigid temperature seized her lungs, and she could barely breathe.
She wasn’t helpless, though. Growing up, she had often swum in the streams behind Qingtong Mountain, moving as gracefully as a fish in water. But the bitter cold of the pond was unforgiving. Her limbs began to stiffen after only a few strokes.
To make matters worse, the pearl flower pinned in her hair had been dislodged by a lotus leaf and sank into the depths. Panic gripped her as she instinctively dived to search for it. Holding her breath, she frantically groped through the murky water, unwilling to lose the precious adornment.
Finally, her lungs burned for air, forcing her to surface briefly for a breath before plunging back into the icy depths to continue her desperate search.
She searched desperately for the pearl hairpin in the pond.
It was the first gift Huo Jue had ever given her. She hadn’t even had time to cherish it—how could she lose it so easily?
Jiang Li forced her eyes open, ignoring the stinging pain as she groped through the icy water. The cold seeped into her limbs, draining her strength with every second. When her legs began to stiffen, she bit her lip and surfaced for air before diving back down.
By now, several guards had gathered along the pond’s edge, lanterns in hand, their light flickering over the rippling water.
Xue Zhen, feigning concern, called out with an anxious expression, “Two strong men, quickly go down and save her! Miss Jiang accidentally fell into the pond. If you wait any longer, it may be too late!”
The guards hesitated. It was the old lady’s birthday banquet—if someone drowned, the servants would undoubtedly face severe punishment.
One of the guards finally began removing his shoes and socks, preparing to jump in. But before he could, a splash interrupted him. Jiang Li emerged from the water, her voice trembling as she called out, “Don’t come down! Go and get Sister Bihong instead.”
“Miss Jiang,” Xue Zhen protested gently, her tone dripping with false sincerity, “please don’t be so stubborn. If you stay in the water too long, you’ll fall ill. Let the guards help you—it’s no time to worry about propriety.”
Her words sounded considerate, but Jiang Li’s piercing gaze remained fixed on her. With her lower lip trembling from both the cold and suppressed anger, she retorted, “I heard what you said to Suiyun earlier. You pushed me into the pond and wanted me dead. Now that I’ve survived, you want to ruin my reputation! Let me make this clear: anyone who comes down will be complicit in your scheme to harm me!”
Her voice was soft and shaky, her face pale, but the conviction in her words left the guards dumbfounded. They exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to proceed.
One guard, who was on good terms with Bihong, finally stepped forward. “Wait here, Miss Jiang. I’ll go find Miss Bihong immediately.”
When the guard found her, Bihong was standing behind Old Madam Chen, watching the performance with delight. Upon hearing what had happened, her face fell. After quickly excusing herself, she grabbed a cloak and rushed to the lotus pond.
By the time she arrived, Xue Zhen was still speaking in a soft, convincing voice, accusing Jiang Li of misunderstanding her intentions.
Jiang Li, now barely able to stay afloat, ignored her entirely. She didn’t have the strength to argue and wouldn’t believe a single word from Xue Zhen’s mouth.
Bihong wasted no time. Though lively and charming by nature, she acted decisively, instructing two strong women to paddle a small raft to pull Jiang Li from the water. As soon as she was ashore, Bihong wrapped her in a warm cloak.
Jiang Li shivered violently in the cold wind, her pale face drained of all color. Her wary eyes darted between Xue Zhen and Suiyun. She looked like a ghost freshly dragged from the depths.
Suiyun averted her gaze, unable to meet Jiang Li’s accusing eyes. Xue Zhen, however, remained calm, her smile unwavering. She didn’t fear Jiang Li in the slightest.
After all, only the three of them knew what had truly happened. Xue Zhen was the daughter of the esteemed headmaster of Zhengde Academy, renowned for her supposed gentleness and kindness. Jiang Li, on the other hand, was merely the daughter of a widowed tavern keeper. Who would believe her story?
“A’Li,” Bihong whispered gently, noticing the tension in the air. “Let’s get you changed and warmed up first. We’ll talk about everything else later.”
Jiang Li nodded, too exhausted to argue. She followed Bihong to the side chamber of Rong’an Hall, where she changed into dry clothes and drank a bowl of ginger soup.
When Bihong suggested calling for a doctor, Jiang Li shook her head. “It’s the old lady’s birthday banquet. It’d be unlucky to call for a doctor now,” she said quietly.
Bihong sighed as she wrung out Jiang Li’s wet hair. “I believe you about what happened tonight, A’Li. But listen to me—don’t bring this up again. Talking about it will only bring you trouble. Miss Xue is an honored guest of the master. Neither the old lady nor the master will let her face any grievances.”
“I understand, Sister Bihong,” Jiang Li murmured, lowering her gaze to hide the bitterness welling in her eyes. “Thank you. If you hadn’t come when you did, I might have frozen to death.”
“Don’t talk about life and death like that!” Bihong scolded gently, tapping Jiang Li’s forehead. “You’ve survived this ordeal, which means blessings await you in the future. I’m sure of it.”
Jiang Li forced a tearful smile. “If I do have good fortune someday, I’ll be sure to share it with you, Sister Bihong.”
“Don’t be silly!” Bihong replied with a mock glare. “Keep your blessings for yourself.”
The warmth of the charcoal brazier filled the room, but Jiang Li’s face remained pale as a ghost.
Bihong’s heart ached for her. As she carefully combed Jiang Li’s hair, she lowered her voice. “A’Li, now that you know what kind of person Miss Xue is, stay far away from her. Protect yourself. We can’t afford to offend someone like her, but we can certainly avoid her.”
-
Jiang Li’s mind was still replaying Bihong’s words as she returned to the tavern.
When Yang Huiniang saw her stepping down from the Zhang family’s carriage with a pale face and wearing a different set of clothes, her heart tightened with worry. “Why do you look so unwell? What happened? And where are your clothes?”
Jiang Li forced a smile, shaking her head. “Mom, don’t worry. I’m fine. Someone spilled soup on my skirt during the banquet, and the old lady kindly sent someone to help me change. That’s all.”
Yang Huiniang studied her daughter’s face carefully, her concern not entirely eased. Placing a hand on Jiang Li’s forehead, she frowned. “Why is your forehead so warm? Are you feeling sick?”
Jiang Li gently held her mother’s hand and spoke softly to reassure her. “It’s nothing serious, Mom. Maybe I caught a chill from the night wind, but I’ll be fine after some rest.”
Jiang Li had always been robust and rarely fell ill. Even when she caught a cold, a bowl of ginger soup usually did the trick.
“I’ll make some ginger soup for you,” Yang Huiniang said firmly. “Drink it before you sleep.”
Jiang Li obediently drank the soup and went to bed early. However, she developed a high fever in the middle of the night.
Her head throbbed, her throat burned, and her voice was hoarse to the point of silence. She woke up groggily, her body heavy and weak. When she tried to get out of bed to pour herself some water, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor with a loud thud.
In the room next door, the sudden sound of hurried footsteps and voices broke the stillness of the night.
Huo Jue stirred awake, a strange tightness pressing on his chest. He sat up and reached for the lamp when a rapid knock came at the patio door.
“Brother Huo Jue! Uncle Su! Open the door!”
It was Jiang Ling’s voice, urgent and trembling.
Huo Jue’s expression darkened as he crossed the room to open the door. “A’Ling, what happened?”
“Brother Huo Jue, A’Li has a high fever and has passed out,” Jiang Ling stammered, his voice breaking with panic. “My mother sent me to ask Uncle Su for help. We don’t have time to find another doctor—please, it’s urgent!”
Huo Jue’s jaw tightened as he clenched his trembling hands into fists. Without a word, he turned back inside, knocked on Su Shiqing’s door, and pulled the doctor out of his room.
Jiang Li was burning up, her body feverish as if engulfed by fire. She drifted in and out of consciousness, unable to open her eyes or speak. Every movement was unbearable.
In her daze, she felt a cool touch pressing against her acupuncture points. Soon after, a bitter liquid was poured into her mouth, spoonful by spoonful. The taste was so unpleasant that tears welled up in her eyes.
“It’s too bitter,” she murmured weakly, trying to push the spoon away with her tongue.
“A’Li, be good and swallow the medicine,” her mother’s trembling voice coaxed, tinged with tears. “You need this to get better.”
Hearing her mother’s plea, Jiang Li relented. She loosened her teeth and let the medicine slide down her throat.
Time blurred. She didn’t know how long she remained in this feverish haze before she finally sank into a deep, heavy sleep.
When Jiang Li’s fever broke, Su Shiqing leaned back with a weary sigh, putting away his needle box. “Her condition has stabilized, but she must continue taking her medicine and avoid the cold at all costs. Her lungs have been severely affected—it’ll take at least ten days, maybe more, for her to fully recover.”
“Thank you, Doctor Su,” Yang Huiniang said tearfully, her eyes red from worry. “A’Li has always been healthy. How could just a bit of night wind make her this sick?”
At these words, Huo Jue, who had been silent and brooding in the corner, finally looked up. His eyes, bloodshot from sleeplessness, were filled with suppressed fury.
“Aunt Yang,” he said, his voice flat but with an edge that sent a chill through the room, “where exactly did A’Li catch this so-called ‘night wind’?”
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