Chapter 73
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The sudden sharp voices almost scared Lin Qingyang out of his wits.
“I’m not, I didn’t. Stop making things up! Artificial respiration is a professional technique used to save patients who can’t breathe on their own. Why are you shouting nonsense!”
Lin Qingyang looked up and saw two women running towards him.
One was Pei Qianyu, and the other was Ying Xiaodie.
Behind them, a group of people also followed.
The arrival included the teachers and fellow students who had apparently rushed over upon hearing the cries for help.
As Lin Qingyang pulled Pei Jin out of the water, he stood up and took a couple of steps back when he saw Pei Qianyu rushing towards him.
“Brother! Big brother!” Pei Qianyu anxiously called out, cradling her brother’s head and looking distraught.
Without waiting for the crowd to question, Lin Qingyang calmly spoke, “I just passed by here and saw these two falling into the water, so I jumped in to save them. Pei Jin was even drowning, and I was about to give her artificial respiration.”
The crowd, initially alarmed by the cries, was relieved to hear Lin Qingyang’s explanation. However, they quickly shifted their attention to assisting in the rescue efforts. Lin Qingxu was pulled up, still in a half-conscious state, while Pei Qianyu remained unresponsive.
In theory, it would be best for her sister to perform artificial respiration, so Lin Qingyang stepped aside. However, seeing that Pei Qianyu remained motionless, Lin Qingyang realized that this girl might not know that Pei Qianyu is a girl. Perhaps she would only find out later in the original story when Pei Jin was included in the harem.
“Miss Pei, don’t hold her head like that; it makes it difficult for her to breathe,” Lin Qingyang said. Pei Qianyu’s complexion seemed to be getting worse, and if they continued like this, something might really go wrong.
“Let me handle this!” one of the men volunteered, stepping forward.
Seeing him approach Pei Jin, Lin Qingyang suddenly felt uneasy. What if this man pressed too hard while trying to save her? That could lead to disaster.
Lin Qingyang quickly said, “I’ll do it, I’ll do it… I know her situation.”
Lin Qingyang squatted down again, but he underestimated the power of his homosexuality. He was pushed away by the angry Pei Qianyu. “Don’t touch my brother! What do you want to do? Why let you do it? Why not let him do it!”
“Young Master Lin, put away your petty thoughts. Lives are at stake now!” The man who wanted to save Pei Jin was also getting impatient, looking at Lin Qingyang with disdain.
Lin Qingyang was put in an awkward situation by letting a homosexual man give artificial respiration to another man, especially when the other man was quite attractive. It was like insisting on the opposite-sex rescue when same-sex rescue was possible, which seemed like taking advantage. Despite recent improvements in everyone’s perception of Lin Qingyang, these two sentences shifted the atmosphere again, and Lin Qingyang’s face turned red. It was truly difficult to explain that even a man could appreciate a woman! He found it hard to justify why he got himself into such an embarrassing situation!
“Since lives are at stake, don’t waste time!”
Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted everything.
Lin Qingyang was startled and looked up to see Chu Lishu had just arrived, pushing through the crowd to walk in. Xu Wenze had also come with him.
They probably heard the words the two people just said to Lin Qingyang. Xu Wenze was looking at him with an embarrassed expression.
Feeling a bit lost, Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu. Chu Lishu had a cold expression, showing no extra emotions. He walked up, surveyed the situation, glanced at the clothes covering Pei Jin’s body, and then looked at Lin Qingyang, who had lost his outer robe. He reached out and grabbed Lin Qingyang’s wrist, exerting a force that startled Lin Qingyang.
Chu Lishu’s expression became more gloomy as he said, “Cousin, leave the matter of saving people to them. You just fell into the water; it’s not suitable to expose yourself to the wind. Go back and change into dry clothes.”
“Uh…” Lin Qingyang was about to agree absentmindedly, but he noticed that the man who had just attempted to save Pei Jin was now next to her. He seemed ready to lift the robe covering Pei Jin. If he did that, wouldn’t it reveal everything?
Lin Qingyang’s face showed a sudden urgency, his pupils dilated involuntarily. His seemingly unconscious concern for Pei Jin did not escape Chu Lishu’s notice.
“Cousin!” Chu Lishu’s tone intensified.
Upon hearing Chu Lishu’s voice, Lin Qingyang suddenly snapped back to reality. No! He couldn’t let Pei Jin be exposed. The subsequent plot would become uncontrollable, and his current points couldn’t withstand any sudden changes.
“Stop! Don’t touch her! She was injured underwater just now; you can’t move her casually!” Lin Qingyang suddenly broke free from Chu Lishu’s grasp and rushed over to pull the man away, as if protecting some precious treasure.
The onlookers were bewildered and angered by Lin Qingyang’s behavior. Pei Qianyu was almost crying, wishing she could beat this shameless Lin Qingyang. However, lacking determination, she could only keep shaking Pei Jin, hoping her big brother would wake up.
At this moment, Chu Lishu stared at his empty hand, a surge of anger rushing to his head. His rationality ignited in an instant, and he lost control of his emotions. He turned abruptly to look at Lin Qingyang.
Surprisingly, Lin Qingyang was also looking at him! How could he still have the audacity to look at him?!
Lin Qingyang naturally saw the terrifying expression on the male lead’s face. He felt that his character was on the verge of collapse once again. He could even guess what the male lead was thinking. Earlier, the male lead had suspected whether he had inappropriate feelings for Pei Jin. Despite Pei Jin being one of the culprits who harmed him several times, he was now protecting her. In the eyes of the male lead, he probably appeared to be a love-stricken fool, completely absorbed in romantic thoughts.
Ignoring everything else, Lin Qingyang hurriedly shouted at Chu Lishu, “Cousin, you have medical knowledge; you do it!”
This shout seemed to tie everyone’s thoughts into knots, including Chu Lishu. What? Wasn’t Lin Qingyang trying to take advantage just now? His behavior clearly showed jealousy, preventing others from getting close to Pei Jin. Why did his cousin get a pass?
What kind of logic was this?
Lin Qingyang was getting anxious. Standing in front of Pei Jin, he reached out to Chu Lishu, who was not far away. “Cousin, hurry up, Pei Jin can’t hold on.”
Male lead, hurry up, give her artificial respiration, and I’ll help with chest compressions. This way, we can keep the secret!
Even if Pei Jin’s identity is exposed later, it doesn’t matter; she has skinship with the male lead, so it’s not a big deal.
Maybe if the male lead gave her artificial respiration, the emotionally sensitive Pei Jin would be moved, and everything would fall into place. This could be a win-win situation! Lin Qingyang thought he was quite a clever man. Male lead, my assistance can only go this far. Please seize the opportunity!
Chu Lishu was dragged over by Lin Qingyang and was genuinely bewildered. The violent aura that had just been clamoring in his mind was shattered. Without time to think it over, he was urgently urged on by Lin Qingyang.
He felt irritated! Pei Jin… wouldn’t it be better if he died? Why worry so much?
But the current situation didn’t allow Chu Lishu to think about other things. He glanced at Pei Jin, observed his sickly appearance, and noted his somewhat androgynous beauty.
Ha… based on this face?
“Quick…” Lin Qingyang hadn’t finished urging when Chu Lishu didn’t squat down but instead raised his foot and forcefully stomped on Pei Jin’s abdomen.
The force was so strong that Pei Jin’s entire stomach caved in.
Lin Qingyang: !!!!!!
Everyone: ?????
“Ah! Chu Lishu, what are you doing!” Pei Qianyu screamed in despair. But just as she shouted, she felt the person she was holding convulsing, flipping over on her own, and starting to vomit water.
The crowd took a sudden breath, relieved that he was alive… wait… is this an acceptable way to save someone?
Lin Qingyang also had the same question, looking up at Chu Lishu in shock, but all he saw was Chu Lishu’s face full of cool indifference.
This… wasn’t it supposed to be a cliché male-female plot?
No… that’s not right. In the eyes of the male lead, Pei Jin is still a man and an enemy. How could he possibly give her artificial respiration? It’s not like this is a gay romance.
While Lin Qingyang was lost in his thoughts, he saw Chu Lishu’s naturally cold gaze sweep over, and he shivered. Animal instincts told him that Chu Lishu was not pleased.
Although Pei Jin coughed up water and regained consciousness, she remained in a semi-conscious state. The teachers present spoke up, suggesting they take her back to change clothes.
The crowd became a bit chaotic, some helping with the transportation and others dispersing. Suddenly, a sharp and sarcastic voice cut through, saying, “So, we’re just going to let go of Lin Qingyang harassing Young Master Pei? Young Master Pei is really pitiful. He’s unconscious and unaware, yet he’s treated like this. Is there no one who can bring justice to him?”
Lin Qingyang was already worried about how to deal with Chu Lishu later, and now someone else was picking on him. He couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Turning around, he saw that it was none other than Ying Xiaodie again.
“What nonsense are you talking about? I’ve already said I was saving a life! Given the circumstances, in broad daylight, and the person was shouting for help in the water earlier. I was sure you would come rushing over when you heard the news! What could I do?!”
Although the crowd had some suspicions about Lin Qingyang’s actions, he had indeed correctly directed Chu Lishu to save Pei Jin just now. Therefore, people’s distrust of him had diminished somewhat. Additionally, Lin Qingyang had not openly declared his broken sleeve status and his pursuit of Xu Wenze had been subtle and indirect. So, it seemed unlikely for him to do something so lecherous.
Ying Xiaodie, with an indignant expression, supported the dazed Pei Qianyu, appearing as if she was standing up for someone. “But we saw it with our own eyes! You touched Young Master Pei’s neck, and chest, even pinched his chin, and then you kissed…”
The two of them happened to be nearby and came over when they heard the commotion. At that time, they didn’t see who it was specifically, just someone making inappropriate advances towards another person. It was only when they saw the person lying down was Pei Jin that they screamed in shock.
“Do you have no common sense of resuscitating someone?” Lin Qingyang was getting a headache from the way Ying Xiaodie framed it. Listening to her, he felt like he was being portrayed as a pervert. No, he couldn’t let Ying Xiaodie keep spouting nonsense, or else rumors might turn fiction into fact.
“Checking her pulse on the chest and neck, lifting the chin to prepare for breath exchange! What are you thinking, a young girl with such dirty thoughts! Too inappropriate!” Lin Qingyang retorted without holding back.
Sure enough, with Lin Qingyang’s words, Ying Xiaodie’s thick-skinned face turned red. She kept glancing at Xu Wenzhe. If it weren’t for Xu Wenzhe being present, she wouldn’t dare to continue bringing up such matters. Regardless of whether it was about saving someone or not, Ying Xiaodie wanted to throw this blame on Lin Qingyang. She just wanted Xu Wenzhe to know what kind of person Lin Qingyang was.
However, to Ying Xiaodie’s disappointment, Xu Wenze directly stepped forward to speak for Lin Qingyang. “What Brother Lin just described is indeed a normal process of saving someone, and knowledgeable people can testify to that. Young Lady Ying, if you don’t have real evidence, it’s better not to defame someone’s reputation. I believe that given the time we arrived if it weren’t for Brother Lin rescuing the person first, the consequences would be unimaginable. His commendable act of valor is now being misinterpreted like this, truly chilling the hearts of good people.”
Xu Wenze has always been highly respected among the students and teachers. With his words, everyone felt that there might be some truth to it. It seemed unjust to wrongly accuse a good person due to prejudice, especially considering Lin Qingyang’s recent changes.
Ying Xiaodie was instantly portrayed as someone who fabricated rumors and caused trouble. Her eyes turned red with grievances. “I didn’t… It was clearly him… His behavior was indecent.”
“The same actions can be interpreted differently. Why does Young Lady Ying insist on a negative interpretation and desperately think the worst of people? Clearly, the recent scene was more in line with the explanation of saving someone. Could it be that Young Lady Ying is projecting her own thoughts onto others?” Chu Lishu reprimanded in a cold tone but subtly led everyone to agree that the recent situation leaned more towards saving than taking advantage.
Based on human nature, people generally dislike being accused of having malicious intentions, and those who speak ill of others must bear the consequences. Therefore, everyone involuntarily sided with Lin Qingyang, saying things like, “It’s a misunderstanding,” “Certainly a mistake,” “The recent situation was indeed about saving someone,” “No one would be so foolish to do something like that at a time like this.”
This way, Ying Xiaodie directly lost face and cried. She wanted to struggle in desperation. “Are you all confused? He left his own third brother aside and took care of Pei Jin. What’s the intention behind this? Pei Qianyu, why aren’t you saying anything? Your brother is the one being bullied!”
If Pei Qianyu had confirmed that Pei Jin was being bullied, she would have jumped out long ago. She also misunderstood at the beginning and later learned that her brother had drowned, which made her start to doubt what she had seen. However, the fear of Lin Qingyang’s abnormal behavior left her hesitant for a moment. Seeing Ying Xiaodie being attacked like this, she naturally didn’t dare to speak out and damage her own image.
Just at this moment, a decisive event occurred. A voice suddenly sounded, “Young Master Lin… he wanted to save me, I remember. Don’t wrong Young Master Lin.”
Pei Jin, who was being supported, woke up and weakly spoke. Her gaze fell on herself, still wearing Lin Qingyang’s robe, and her identity had not been revealed temporarily.
As Lin Qingyang looked over, his eyes met a pair of dim and unclear eyes. Before he could react, Pei Jin closed her eyes and murmured, “Please take me back to the courtyard. I just need to rest.”
Even Pei Jin, who had a strained relationship with Lin Qingyang, said so. There was no need for further suspicion. Only Ying Xiaodie remained as the clown, receiving silent disdain from everyone, crying and running away.
In the freezing cold, everyone hurriedly escorted Pei Jin back.
Because Lin Qingxu was ultimately Lin Qingyang’s younger brother, the people carrying Lin Qingxu asked for Lin Qingyang’s opinion.
“Oh, well…”
“Cousin should go back to the courtyard first due to the cold. I’ll go with Third Cousin to find a physician,” Chu Lishu suddenly spoke up.
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that the male lead still cared about him and was standing up for him. However, before his positive mood could fully settle in, he felt Chu Lishu suddenly approaching his ear, almost grinding his teeth as he said, “Wait for me to come back… so you can explain everything slowly.”
Without carefully distinguishing, one could tell that each word carried a fiery, medicinal scent. Lin Qingyang was frightened, and as he looked at Chu Lishu with grievances, he felt a warmth on his back. A familiar presence enveloped his entire body. It turned out that Chu Lishu had taken off his own outer robe and draped it over Lin Qingyang.
Lin Qingyang stared blankly at Chu Lishu, who left with the crowd without looking back.
“Brother Lin… Hurry back. Why are you standing here?” Xu Wenze walked up and reminded him when he saw Lin Qingyang standing still.
“I’m thinking about how to explain to my cousin so that he won’t be mad at me,” Lin Qingyang said in distress. He felt that with Chu Lishu’s suspicious nature, even if he treated him more kindly, what he did today might not be easily explained.
Never mind that series of strange actions; why did he save someone who attempted to kill him, his enemy? That’s the biggest bug.
However, Xu Wenze thought Lin Qingyang was worried that Chu Lishu would misunderstand his relationship with Pei Jin. His expression changed slightly, and he approached, patting Lin Qingyang on the shoulder. “Aren’t you saving a life? Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-tier temple. There’s no need for an explanation. Besides, we actually know why you came.”
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