Qiao Nian rushed out without even taking the time to put on the outer garment she had just taken off. "What's going on? Who's shouting?"
Ningshuang followed closely behind Qiao Nian, looking equally anxious and shaking her head repeatedly. "This servant doesn't know either. We just heard the shout. Miss, put on some clothes. It's cold outside!"
But Qiao Nian had no time to think about putting on clothes.
If Lin Yuan had fallen into the water, where else could it be?
It must be the lotus pond in Fanghe Courtyard.
Just because Lin Yuan broke a glazed bowl back then, she had been tormented for three long years. If something were to happen to Lin Yuan here, not to mention others, just Lin Ye alone would probably beat her to death!
By the time Qiao Nian arrived, Lin Yuan was still thrashing about in the water.
A large hole had been smashed through the ice - covered surface of the pond.
There were already quite a few maids and servants standing on the stone bridge, watching.
Qiao Nian strode forward. "Can none of you swim? Why aren't you rescuing her?!"
Several servants looked embarrassed. "We can swim, but... but what if we ruin the Second Miss's virtue?"
"Is virtue more important than a life?!" Qiao Nian shot a fierce glare at the servant who had spoken. Without hesitation, she plunged headfirst into the water.
The water in the pond wasn't very deep, but it was bitterly cold.
The bottom of the pond was covered in mud, making it impossible to stand steadily. One wrong move and she could get stuck.
With great effort, Qiao Nian managed to pull Lin Yuan out of the water. On the shore, Ningshuang had already prepared thick clothes. As soon as Qiao Nian and Lin Yuan emerged from the water, she wrapped them tightly.
"What are you still standing there for? Summon the mansion doctor! You few, help me carry the two young ladies back to their rooms! Light all the stoves and prepare hot water and ginger tea!"
At Ningshuang's command, the onlookers scattered in all directions, rushing to do their tasks.
Just then, Xiaocui, Lin Yuan's maid, finally rushed into Fanghe Courtyard.
Following closely behind Xiaocui was Lin Ye.
Seeing Lin Yuan pale and in a sorry state after falling into the water, Xiaocui panicked. She rushed forward and hugged Lin Yuan tightly. "Miss, are you alright? How could you fall into the water?"
Then, as if she had thought of something, Xiaocui suddenly turned to Qiao Nian. "It's you! You pushed my young lady into the water!"
The way she pointed at Qiao Nian's nose, accusing her so confidently, was exactly the same as it had been three years ago.
Qiao Nian felt a surge of anger rising from the bottom of her heart. But before she could react, Ningshuang had already rushed forward and slapped Xiaocui across the face.
"Slap!" The crisp sound echoed through Fanghe Courtyard.
For a moment, Qiao Nian's breath caught in her throat.
Even Lin Ye was stunned on the spot, never expecting Ningshuang to act like this.
Only Ningshuang stood there, fuming, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Xiaocui's nose as she cursed. "You shameless maid! If you can't use your mouth properly, I'll tear it for you! If it weren't for my young lady risking her life to jump into the water to save your mistress, your master would be dead by now! As a maid, when you see your master in trouble, instead of coming to help immediately, you just spout nonsense! Dozens of eyes in Fanghe Courtyard saw my young lady saving your master. If you say my young lady pushed your master, then show us the evidence. If you can't, I'll tear your filthy mouth to pieces!"
...
So fierce!
Qiao Nian stared at Ningshuang in shock. She had never imagined that this short, young girl could be so formidable.
By this time, the people around had also reacted, especially Lin Yuan.
At the moment, she was still being supported by other maids. Having struggled in the water for a long time and swallowed a few mouthfuls of water, she spoke with little strength.
She bit her lower lip slightly, her eyes as red as blood. "How... how could you hit someone?"
The way she was defending her maid was so pitiful.
Lin Ye immediately furrowed his brows and barked at Ningshuang. "How dare you! How dare you strike someone in front of this Young Marquis! Who gave you the audacity?"
"I did."
Qiao Nian spoke softly, her voice almost floating.
She was tightly wrapped in a thick cotton coat, her face pale from the cold. Water droplets were still dripping from her hair, and quite a few had already turned to ice.
Compared to Lin Yuan, she seemed remarkably calm. Although she and Lin Ye were only a few steps apart, Lin Ye felt an inexplicable distance between them.
"My maid is disciplining a disrespectful and habitual liar of a maid in my courtyard. I don't see any problem with that."
Habitual liar.
These four words undoubtedly reminded both Lin Yuan and Lin Ye of the incident three years ago.
Lin Yuan shrank into the arms of her maid, coughing weakly twice. Then she said softly, "But... but you can't hit people either..."
Seeing Lin Yuan's tears streaming down, Lin Ye couldn't help but think of the family register incident. He thought that Qiao Nian's deliberate mention of it was just to make him feel guilty. His brows furrowed tightly, and he said sharply, "Yuan'er is right. No matter what, you can't hit people! And besides, you can't swim at all."
The last sentence was directed at Qiao Nian, his gaze cold and piercing, as if he was certain that she was lying.
How could he not know whether his own sister could swim?
Back then, when they went boating in the suburbs together, Qiao Nian accidentally dropped the earring given to her by Xiao Heng into the lake. She was so anxious that she jumped into the water right away. If it hadn't been for him and Xiao Heng being good swimmers, Qiao Nian might have drowned that day.
So, Lin Ye didn't believe at all that it was Qiao Nian who had rescued Lin Yuan, as Ningshuang claimed.
Qiao Nian's body began to tremble slightly. Even she herself wasn't sure whether it was from the cold or from anger at Lin Ye.
"So, Young Marquis, you also think I pushed Miss Lin?" she asked coldly, her voice quivering. The anger in her heart was about to burst out, but she managed to hold it back with all her might.
Lin Ye didn't say anything. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but looking at her like this, those hurtful words just wouldn't come out.
Then, Qiao Nian turned to look at Lin Yuan.
She just stared at her quietly. But when their eyes met, Lin Yuan lowered her head in silence.
Just like three years ago, she remained silent.
As a result, her tearful apology in the room earlier seemed extremely ridiculous.
"Heh!"
Qiao Nian actually let out a laugh.
Although the sound was not loud, it was filled with intense sarcasm.
Lin Yuan's body began to tremble, and her tears flowed freely.
Lin Ye really couldn't bear to see Lin Yuan like this. With a determined look, but unable to vent his anger on Qiao Nian, he could only shout at Ningshuang, "Go and receive your punishment on your own!"
Ningshuang's small face was full of defiance, but she didn't want to put Qiao Nian in a difficult position. She was about to curtsy and accept the order.
However, a cold hand grabbed her arm, stopping her.
Qiao Nian still maintained a calm expression on her face, but hatred was clearly hidden in her eyes as she looked at Lin Ye. "Ningshuang is not available today. She still needs to help me bathe and change clothes. As for how Miss Lin fell into the water and who rescued her, Young Marquis can find out the truth after making detailed inquiries."
With that, she pulled Ningshuang and started to walk back.
But she stopped after taking only two steps. She turned her head slightly and said slowly, "I didn't know how to swim before, but a year and a half ago, several palace maids joined forces to throw me into the laundry pool. They stood by the shore, holding laundry sticks to prevent me from getting out, and only allowed me to come up after a full half an hour. After that, I learned how."