Faced with Wang San-niang’s relentless questioning, Xu Yi-niang remained neither humble nor overbearing. “I was merely a little curious.”
“I simply don’t feel like telling you.” Wang San-niang pulled Cheng Danruo along with her, fetched a lotus lantern, paper, and brush, and prepared to write down her wish.
Cheng Danruo had never quite managed to fit into their circle anyway, so there was no need for her to curry favor with Xu Yi-niang. She followed Wang San-niang to one side and asked, “What are you writing?”
Seeing that Cheng Danruo had snubbed Xu Yi-niang, Wang San-niang showed a more genuine smile. “Anything you like.”
Cheng Danruo picked up the brush and pondered for a moment. Reluctantly giving up on writing “No marriage, no children, and a peaceful life,” she settled for four unassuming characters: “Peace and smooth sailing.”
Wang San-niang, however, immediately composed a poem, placed it inside the river lantern, and set it afloat.
Someone happened to see it and could not help commenting, “San-niang is being far too reckless. Even if she has difficulty finding a suitable match, she is still the daughter of a Minister. If some frivolous young man from another family happens to fish it out, there will only be more trouble.”
“Miss Wu has a point.” Xu Yi-niang spoke gently. “Words written by a young lady should not fall into the hands of outsiders. Xu-niang, you ought to think twice.”
She then turned to Cheng Danruo, her expression calm. “What do you think, Sister?”
Cheng Danruo sized up the way she conducted herself and found it rather interesting. “As someone without a father or mother, I would hardly dare accept the Minister’s daughter calling me ‘sister.’”
“Don’t mind her. She’s the only one who cares about propriety and etiquette. The rest of us are just shameless little wild girls.” Wang San-niang gave a cold snort and set her river lantern afloat.
Xu Yi-niang sighed, a hint of helplessness crossing her face.
Cheng Danruo lifted the hem of her robe and crouched down by the river to release her own lantern. The little lamp slipped from her hand and slowly drifted away, joining the countless other flower lanterns floating upon the water.
The Water Official who dispels calamities… If there really were a god of the waters, then please send her back to the modern age. Let her sink into the endless rivers, cross the vast sea of time, and return to that equal, prosperous, hopeful era.
Cheng Danruo stood there in a daze for a moment before suddenly laughing at herself.
What kind of impossible dream was she indulging in?
It had been more than a decade, yet she still had not given up. Every time she saw a river, she wanted to leap into it and see whether she could somehow return, yet never once had she found the courage to try.
After all, drowning was hardly a pleasant way to die.
Lost in her thoughts, she caught something unusual in the corner of her eye.
A few steps away, Wang San-niang had originally intended to release a second river lantern, this one carrying a prayer for blessings. But when she crouched down, there was something strange about the way she moved.
“Wang…” Cheng Danruo had barely begun to speak when Wang San-niang’s whole body convulsed. Her body pitched forward against her will, and with a loud splash, she fell into the river.
The other girls were startled by the commotion and all turned to look.
“Xu-niang fell into the water!” someone screamed.
Xu Yi-niang reacted quickly, issuing a string of orders. “Go get someone! Is there anyone who knows how to swim? Get into the river and save her!”
Cheng Danruo looked around, only to find the maids and serving women standing at a loss. This was the north, where few people knew how to swim. Usually, it was only before an outing on the lake that wealthy households would make sure to bring servants who were familiar with the water.
Today, they had only come to release river lanterns. Finding someone who could swim at such short notice, they did not even know where to begin.
There was no time to waste when it came to first aid. Cheng Danruo could not wait for them to find a servant who knew how to swim, so she immediately kicked off her shoes and went into the river.
The water was cold enough to make her bones ache. Fortunately, it was not very deep. Cheng Danruo’s body was remarkably similar to her modern one, and it had retained the muscle memory of swimming. It did not take her long to reach Wang San-niang.
A drowning person could be extremely dangerous to approach. Cheng Danruo did not attempt to rescue her recklessly. She watched for a moment and saw that Wang San-niang’s limbs were twitching, but she was not thrashing about or trying to grab hold of anything. Only then did Cheng Danruo swim around behind her and cautiously slip an arm beneath her armpit.
Wang San-niang’s eyes were tightly shut, and she was completely unconscious.
Cheng Danruo held her securely and prepared to swim back. Just then, someone shouted from behind her, “It’s my third sister! Third sister!”
She turned her head and saw a young man who had thrown off his cloak and was coming straight into the river.
“Third Sister! Let go of my sister!”
Seeing his own sister being held in the arms of a man, the young man was both shocked and furious. He paddled toward them in a clumsy doggy-paddle, snatched Wang San-niang away from Cheng Danruo, and began struggling back toward the bank.
Cheng Danruo could not stop him. Afraid that Wang Yongxu would not receive treatment in time, she had no choice but to follow.
Across the river was where the women had been releasing their lanterns; this side was where the young men had gathered.
“Cloak!” Young Master Wang called as he carried his dripping-wet sister ashore. He hurriedly wrapped the cloak around her and shouted, “Where is everyone? Are you all dead? Get a physician!”
“I am a physician!” Cheng Danruo could bear it no longer. “Put her down and move aside!”
Young Master Wang froze for a moment. Only then did he realize that the person in the Daoist robes was not a young man at all, but a young woman. And when he saw that she was drenched from head to toe, he was completely dumbfounded.
“Move aside.”
Cheng Danruo dropped to her knees beside Wang San-niang, turned her head to the side, and cleared the dirt from her mouth and nose. She then loosened her collar, turned her onto her stomach, wrapped both arms around her waist, and raised her abdomen before patting her back to help expel the water she had swallowed.
She checked for breath. She was still breathing.
Next, Cheng Danruo pulled back her eyelids. Her pupils had not dilated.
She pressed two fingers against the pulse at the side of her neck and counted her heartbeat.
Thank heavens!
Her heartbeat was surprisingly strong.
“How is my third sister?” Young Master Wang asked anxiously. “Is she having some kind of attack?”
Cheng Danruo ignored him and continued watching Wang San-niang for any response.
She seemed to be slowly regaining consciousness. Her eyes opened in a daze, and her body was trembling.
Cheng Danruo pulled the cloak over her, keeping her core warm. “Miss Wang, can you hear me?”
“C-Cold,” she murmured. “My head… it’s so dizzy.”
“Take her somewhere warm immediately, and call a physician to check her pulse,” Cheng Danruo said. “Carry her on your back, don’t cradle her. Let her cough up the water.”
Young Master Wang did as she instructed, but still worried that there might be some other problem. “What if she can’t cough it up? Since you’re a physician, why don’t you come with me?”
Cheng Danruo hesitated.
Her pulse-taking skills were no match for those of an experienced physician. After the emergency treatment, there was probably little else she could do to help. Besides, she had fallen into the river herself and needed to change out of her wet clothes as quickly as possible.
As she hesitated, however, someone answered for her.
“Is there no physician left in the capital?”
Xie Xuanying strode over, waving for his attendant to drive away the people gathered nearby. He lowered his voice. “How dare you take advantage of a woman like this?”
He had been too far away to see clearly before, but now that he could see what had happened, he was absolutely furious.
Both women were soaked through. Fortunately, it was winter and they were dressed in thick clothing, so no skin was exposed. Even so, the wet fabric clung to their bodies, revealing the contours of their figures to some extent. Young Master Wang had made sure to wrap his own sister up properly, yet he had allowed Miss Cheng to remain standing there like this.
How could he possibly think that was acceptable?
Xie Xuanying’s aggressive tone startled Young Master Wang, and he could not help feeling a little guilty.
What he said did make sense. It did seem somewhat improper… But there was always a difference between those close to you and those who were not. In a moment of panic, how could an outsider possibly matter more than one’s own sister?
“Where are you going?” Xie Xuanying untied his cloak and swiftly draped it over Cheng Danruo, almost as though he wanted to punch the fellow. “Didn’t you see how many people were gathered up ahead?”
“I was planning to find a carriage and take her home…” Young Master Wang tried to defend himself, but ultimately fell silent in embarrassment. He glanced towards the opposite bank, where servants had already brought over a warm sedan chair, and said, “Then we’ll go around the back.”
He hoisted Wang San-niang onto his back, strode across the stone bridge, and headed straight towards the opposite bank.
Over there, Xu Yi-niang had already spotted them. Without panicking, she calmly arranged for people to receive them, then stepped forward herself to block the way of the male outsider.
But once she saw that it was Young Master Wang, she immediately stepped aside and motioned for the others to make way, allowing him to take Wang San-niang back to the temple as quickly as possible.
Xie Xuanying turned around and looked at Cheng Danruo, who was wringing out her hair. He took a deep breath. “I’ll take you back. Is your adoptive mother here?”
“She didn’t come. I can go back on my own.” Cheng Danruo wrung the water from her hair. “I know the way.”
With Lady Hong absent, how could Xie Xuanying possibly let her return alone? She had already fallen into the water. If she were exposed to the cold wind for much longer, she would surely fall ill.
“Stay with me.”
He stepped onto the stone bridge as well.
On the opposite side, Xu Yiniang stopped in her tracks, a trace of surprise appearing on her beautiful face.
Only then did Xie Xuanying realize who she was, and he too came to a halt.
The air instantly fell silent, as seemingly casual glances passed back and forth between them.
Cheng Danruo glanced between them, a little puzzled. She had originally intended to wait and see what happened, but the wind was bitterly cold, so she had no choice but to interrupt them apologetically. “Miss Xu.”
Xu Yiniang was startled for a moment before asking, “What is it?”
“Have you seen my shoes?” Cheng Danruo asked. “Could you have someone find them for me? Thank you.”
Xie Xuanying shot her a shocked glance: You weren’t wearing shoes?
Cheng Danruo looked back at him coolly: Who wears shoes into the water? It’s not as though I wasn’t wearing socks.
He: “…”
Xu Yiniang was also somewhat surprised. She quickly instructed a maid to bring Cheng Danruo’s shoes over, then hesitantly spoke. “Young Master Xie…”
There was no need for her to say anything further. Xie Xuanying had already turned his back.
Cheng Danruo immediately slipped her feet into her cloud-patterned shoes. “Thank you.”
She glanced at Xu Yi-niang and realized that if she let Xie Xuanying escort her back, it would inevitably create a great deal of unnecessary trouble. She decisively said, “Young Master Xie, you may stop here.”
Xie Xuanying was just about to speak.
“I know the way,” she cut him off. “Please move aside.”
Xie Xuanying could hardly argue with her in front of everyone, so he gave a small nod and turned away.
“You’re soaked through.” Xu Yi-niang glanced at her drenched collar and said with concern, “If you don’t mind, I can have a set of clothes brought for you.”
Cheng Danruo shook her head. “I’ve already warmed myself up. Changing clothes now would actually make it easier for me to catch cold. I’d rather go back first. You don’t need to see me off either. I know the way.”
With that, she gave her a small nod and walked briskly back into the temple, passing through the curious gazes of the other young ladies.
After winding her way through several turns to the front courtyard, she was surprised to find Xie Xuanying there again.
“I took the front entrance,” he explained. “Come inside quickly. I’ve already sent someone to fetch a hand warmer.”
Her body temperature was rapidly dropping, and her teeth were chattering uncontrollably. Cheng Danruo could barely speak. She managed a weak nod and hurried inside.
Yan Hongzhi was deep in conversation with Minister Wang when he saw her rush in looking rather dishevelled. He frowned. “What’s the hurry?”
“Sir, Minister,” Xie Xuanying greeted them, answering on her behalf. “Miss Wang fell into the water.”
The bright smile on Minister Wang’s face froze. “Fell into the water?”
“Miss Cheng and Wang Wu-lang rescued her. She’s already been taken to the back and has regained consciousness,” Xie Xuanying explained.
Minister Wang breathed a sigh of relief and said approvingly, “Zizhen has raised a fine daughter.” Seeing that Cheng Danruo’s hair was still damp, he knew it would not be appropriate for her to remain there. “It’s getting late. I’ll take my leave first.”
Yan Hongzhi rose to see him off. Only after Minister Wang had left did he ask, “What happened? How did she end up in the water?”
Cheng Danruo was sitting beside the charcoal brazier, her hands and feet finally beginning to regain some warmth. She explained, “Miss Wang seems to suffer from some sort of illness. She had an episode and accidentally fell into the water.”
Yan Hongzhi let out a breath of relief. He had thought his student had somehow gotten herself into trouble. Looking Cheng Danruo over again, however, he could not help frowning. “You can’t stay like this. After being exposed to the wind, you’re bound to catch a chill. We need to find somewhere for you to change your clothes.”
“Once the brazier gets going, my clothes will dry too.” Cheng Danruo tightened the cloak around herself and sighed. “Changing in and out of clothes would only make it easier to catch cold. I’m better off keeping myself bundled up like this.”
“Fine. Then we should head back early.” Yan Hongzhi took a couple of steps before seeming to remember something. “You usually have no patience for places like this. Did you come here for something today? Go on, don’t worry about us.”
“I was planning to speak with the eldest son of the Grand Marshal’s family for a while. It’s nothing important. I’ll see you back first.”
“There’s no need to make such a fuss.” Yan Hongzhi waved a hand, then instructed Mo Dian, “Find someone to wait here. When Master comes back with his family, tell them we’ve already left.”
Xie Xuanying had no choice. He hurriedly took the hand warmer that Bai Mu had brought back and pressed it into Cheng Danruo’s hands. Only after seeing them safely onto the carriage did he leave.
Not long afterward, the Liu family sent someone out to say they were ready to leave.
Once the carriage had been prepared, however, Lady Liu beckoned him aboard. “I have something to ask you.”
Xie Xuanying had no choice but to get in.
Lady Liu asked, “What happened? You ran into Xu Yi-niang?”
“Miss Wang fell into the water. Young Master Wang was being reckless and tried to take her around to the front, so I stopped him.”
A suspicious look appeared in Lady Liu’s eyes. “It concerned a young lady of the Wang family, and you actually got involved? San-lang, let me make this clear: I could consider one of the other Wang girls, but San-niang…” She sighed.
She shook her head. “I admire her literary talent too, but you know her illness can’t be cured.”
Xie Xuanying’s voice grew slightly more solemn. “Mother, I think it would be better to put the marriage arrangements on hold for now.”
Lady Liu raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Things have been too chaotic lately.”
Lady Liu studied her son, her expression laden with meaning. “Waiting another year or so isn’t impossible. But if you already have someone in your heart, there’s no guarantee she won’t be promised to someone else in the meantime.”
To Xie Xuanying, his mother’s probing was as transparent as daylight. He replied evenly, “You are right. Then let’s wait another three years.”
