"Oh... so it's the shameless one cursing me!" Xia Ningxing drew out her words with deep meaning.
"You dare to trick me!"
Pangya realized she had fallen into a verbal trap, but before she could say anything else, she saw Xia Ningxing suddenly pulling on Lu Tingli's sleeve, gesturing for him to look towards the lakeside.
"Lu, look at the pond over there, how lush the lotus flowers are blooming, and the lotus pods next to them, such a big one!"
"Shall we go pick them? I heard the lotus seeds are especially delicious!" she purred to him like a kitten.
But Lu Tingli clearly saw a flash of cold light in her eyes.
This kid is not simple.
"Let's go, let's go, let's hurry!" Seeing that he did not respond, Xia Ningxing simply dragged the young man along.
"Stop!"
Pangya had also seen the palm-sized lotus seeds and was immediately envious, stepping in front of Ningxing, who was about to pick the pods.
Xia Ningxing glared at her: "What do you think you're doing?"
"I saw the lotus pod first, you're not allowed to pick it!" Pangya shouted righteously, hands on her hips.
She was dark and sturdy, about twelve or thirteen years old, older and taller than Ningxing, looking quite imposing when she acted fierce.
"You... wuwuwu, you're a bad person!" Xia Ningxing seemed to be intimidated by her, her small frame shaking, voice already tinged with the threat of tears.
"Hmph!" Pangya had absolutely no shame in bullying the weak, and even seemed rather proud of herself.
Then, she picked up a tree branch and scurried to the riverside to pick the lotus pods.
The lotus pod was some distance from the riverbank, and she swung the branch several times trying to hook the pod over, but no matter what she did, she couldn't catch it.
Desperate and sweaty, and fearing that such a big and delicious pod might be stolen by someone else, Pangya tried to hook it again.
However, something happened to her footing, and suddenly she slipped. The next second, Ningxing heard the sound she had expected—
"Ahhh! Help! Help me!"
Pangya had fallen into the water and was now flailing about.
The pond water was not deep and certainly could not drown a child around the age of twelve or thirteen like Pangya.
But for an eight-year-old child, there would have been no chance to struggle.
The original owner of the body had been drowned alive by Pangya.
Perhaps she had not really intended to harm anyone, but the original owner had died because of her all the same.
Therefore, Pangya must take responsibility for this life!
Xia Ningxing watched Pangya struggle in the water, her gaze turning cold, and the resentment at the bottom of her heart evaporated.
This was the rage left over from the original owner inside her.
She had done nothing wrong; she simply hadn't given Pangya the large lobster she caught, and just because of that, she lost her life.
How could she not hate!
"A child has fallen into the water!"
"Save her! Quick, save her!"
Now was the time when school finished, and some parents who were picking up their children, as well as passersby, saw Pangya flailing in the water and quickly went down to rescue her.
Pangya was pulled out of the water barely alive, but her life was not in danger.
Xia Ningxing felt no regret for not being able to take Pangya's life.
Because if Pangya truly had died, it would have caused her a lot of trouble. The families would certainly argue, and the villagers would feel that if it weren't for her mentioning the big lotus pod, Pangya might not have tried to pick it and consequently lost her life. After all, the deceased cannot be blamed.
People wouldn't blame the dead, so the living would be the ones held accountable.
So, a lesson was enough.
"Pangya really got what she deserved!" At that moment, Xia Ningxing withdrew her gaze, blinking her innocent eyes like a pure bystander.
She turned her head to look at the cool young man beside her, "Lu, let's go."
Unexpectedly, the young man stood with his hands behind his back and said indifferently, "You did it on purpose."