Chapter 35: Drowning

"Very well, Young Master Liu. If you need anything at all, just call for Xin'er, and I shall assist you." Xia Yunu walked out of the room with a light, graceful step. She was truly beautiful—she reminded me of the Little Dragon Maiden, yes, exactly that kind of ethereal, celestial feeling, like one of the goddesses from Jin Yong’s novels.

As soon as I saw Xia Yunu close my door, I scrambled off the bed and locked it from the inside. I stripped off my clothes and carefully applied the ointment. Fortunately, there were no major injuries; if I had to lie in bed for ten or fifteen days, it would be the death of me.

I wondered if Zhu Yingtai had been found yet. When I return to the academy, I am definitely going to give her a piece of my mind. She nearly caused me to be disfigured, and I won't let her get away with it easily.

Once I was dressed and my hair was combed, I opened the door to find Ma Wencai, Xia Yunu, and Xin'er sitting around a stone table in the lakeside pavilion. When Xin'er saw me emerge, she greeted me warmly: "Young Master Liu, come over here and have something to eat."

I nodded, shielding my face with one hand, and walked toward them.

Damn it, fish again. Why are these ancient people so obsessed with eating fish? Aside from fish soup, it’s just greens and tofu. Luckily, there was a plate of pumpkin—my favorite.

Ma Wencai sat opposite me, silent and brooding. Xia Yunu ladled a bowl of fish soup and placed it by his hand. "Wencai, fish soup is very helpful for healing wounds. You should drink plenty of it."

Ma Wencai took the bowl and nodded, his face radiant with a sense of happiness. "Thank you. It’s truly hard to believe that when we met again, it would be you who saved me."

Xia Yunu smiled sweetly. "The world is unpredictable. If it is meant to be, we shall meet again."

"Young Master Liu, you should eat too. Don't cover your face; my mistress says your face will be healed in seven days." Xin'er reached out and pulled my hand away from my cheek.

I laughed awkwardly. "Is that so?" I muttered under my breath: *Whatever, they’ve already seen what they’ve seen, and seen what they shouldn't have—what else is there to be afraid of?*

"This fish soup was prepared especially for the two young masters. There is more in the pot, so please, do eat well." Xin'er ladled a bowl for me as well. Although I don't eat fish, I can certainly drink the soup.

"Miss Xia, do you not eat meat?" We had been eating for a while, and I noticed that only Ma Wencai and I were consuming the fish, while Xia Yunu only ate the vegetable dishes. It was strange; did the ancients also practice dieting?

Ma Wencai glanced at Xia Yunu and said slowly, "Yunu was very ill when she was young. A wandering monk once said she had a connection to the Buddha, and as long as she ate only vegetarian food for all three meals, she would never fall ill again."

"It is rare that Brother still remembers. After ten years apart, I thought you had long since forgotten Yunu." Xia Yunu was truly as tender as water. Just those limpid, watery eyes could kill me instantly. I am a woman, I must stay calm, stay calm...

"How could I? Being an only child, I have always looked upon you as my own little sister since we were young. When you left suddenly ten years ago without a word, I was heartbroken for a long time. To see you again today fills me with immense joy." Ma Wencai reached out to touch a lock of Xia Yunu’s hair, then smiled faintly. I had never seen such a smile on him—so natural, and so... warm. Yes, warm.

It seems that the person Ma Wencai likes, as Zhu Yingtai mentioned, is almost certainly this Xia Yunu. And rightfully so—such a beauty, I would like her too if I were a man.

Sigh, to think that Ma Wencai falling off a mountain would turn out to be a blessing in disguise, allowing him to find such a treasure. Poor me, facing the danger of disfigurement; thinking about it makes me sad. I truly hope this "Qinbi Ointment" is as effective as Xia Yunu claims.

The meal basically turned into a golden opportunity for the two of them to reminisce. Ten years of life—it seemed they wouldn't finish talking anytime soon. I went to the lake with Xin'er. She told me the fish in this lake were very special and quite beautiful, so we went into the water to try and catch some.

I am from Beijing, and although I am not what the ancients call a "landlubber," I am still a bit fearful of these untouched, natural waters. Who knows if there are any water monsters lurking in there?

"Young Master Liu, come here quickly! There is a red fish over there, it's so beautiful!" Xin'er waved at me from a distance.

I rolled up my pant legs, took a net, and stepped into the water bit by bit. The water was so icy it made me shiver. "Coming! Where is the fish?"

Before I could reach Xin'er, Ma Wencai’s roar erupted from behind me: "Liu Yiqing! Why are you running into the water on a cold day like this?"

I shot him a glare over my shoulder and kept running toward Xin'er. Fortunately, the water where she stood wasn't very deep, only reaching my knees. It was indeed freezing—what was I doing, being such a glutton for punishment?

"Xin'er, where’s the fish? Where is it?" I waved my net around blindly, but I couldn't see any red fish.

Xin'er splashed the water. "It was just here a moment ago." Suddenly, she pointed into the distance and shouted excitedly, "There! Young Master Liu, look!"

Where? I was nearsighted in the modern world; it made no sense for me to still be nearsighted after soul-traveling to ancient times. I splashed through the water toward the spot. There really was a red fish. "Xin'er, look, there it is! That's a carp!"

I rushed toward the spot with my net, excited. Why did it keep swimming further and further away, faster and faster? Damn it, don't run! I am going to catch you. It’s just a red carp, you little thing—watch how this lady deals with you! I chased the carp, running and trying to scoop it up with the net, but no matter what, I couldn't catch it. "Ah~~~~~"

Suddenly, it felt like I had stepped into a massive pit, and my body sank rapidly. "Ah! Help me!"

I found that my body wouldn't listen to me. No matter how I thrashed, I kept sinking. I clearly knew how to swim, so why was this happening? Why couldn't I move? I panicked completely. "Help! ...Help!"

"Young Master Liu, hold on! I'll go find something to save you!" Xin'er ran toward the shore.

*Xin'er, by the time you find something to save me, I’ll likely be a corpse at the bottom of the lake!* It was so cold—this lake water was truly freezing!

I felt my body continuously sinking, and I started choking on water. I heard splashing behind me. "Yiqing, don't be afraid! I'm coming to save you!"

It was Ma Wencai’s voice. I shouted as if I had found a savior: "Ma Wencai, save me... I..." I didn't expect that the louder I yelled, the more I choked on the water.

I thrashed in the water, and suddenly, an arm wrapped around me from behind, lifting my body and swimming toward the shore.

Ma Wencai hauled me onto the bank and began patting my face. "Yiqing, are you alright? Wake up."

*Look, Brother Wencai, the wounds on my face haven't healed yet—can they really withstand this kind of slapping?*

My stomach churned, and I quickly sat up, leaning over the bank to vomit. It was all water. I wondered if I could vomit a fish out of my stomach.

Ma Wencai patted my back and scolded, "I told you not to go into the water, and yet you went further and further away."