The voice was shocking, harsh.
Leh Ying started, her footing lost to slippery mud, and she stumbled. The stick in her hand was instantly swept away by the river.
The dog seemed to be frightened as well.
However, before she could react, the hand resting on the bridge's arching rock was pried open by the man, and as she was being pulled ashore, something seemed to slip past her ankle. She wasn't sure if it was weeds; she realized her anklet seemed to be coming off.
Panic seized her abruptly. She bent over sharply and thrust her hand into the river, catching the anklet about to slip away by feeling alone. The current washed over her, obscuring her view of the riverbed; as the chain slipped from her fingertips, she leaned even further forward, desperate to secure the anklet.
Her audacity, perhaps stemming from the appearance of Xu Jingxi, left her without any reservations. All she wanted was to retrieve her anklet.
