Chapter 42: Jumping into the Lake

Sun Liancheng’s hesitation grew less and less. After all, the noises coming from upstairs had become utterly unbearable, and no matter what, he could not truly let his daughter fall into the tiger’s jaws.

Just as Sun Liancheng was about to lead his men to forcefully barge in, a loud splash suddenly echoed from nearby.

Immediately after, someone on the upper floor of the small pavilion shouted, "A young lady has fallen into the lake!"

Sun Liancheng’s expression shifted, and he hurried toward the small lake nearby. Sure enough, a emerald-green figure was sinking into the water.

Before he could react, Zhang Zihe had already plunged into the water in a single bound. Ning Ye stood by the shore without jumping in; he could tell that Zhang Zihe’s swimming skills were quite decent.

Since the two of them shared such deep affection, for him to jump in and meddle would actually be rather unseemly.

Before long, the Heir Apparent, whose name had been heard often enough but who had remained unseen until now, finally made his appearance.

He was dressed in black and gold attire, with a jade belt fastened around his waist. As he walked, his stride carried a distinctly commanding, dragon-like presence.

Pity that this heir’s facial features were completely mismatched; his brows and eyes carried a gloomy air, accompanied by a distinct aura of depravity and licentiousness.

One could say that this Heir Apparent was an extremely contradictory person, as blending all these traits together made him look rather incongruous and grotesque.

After the heir arrived, he did not order his guards to go down and help rescue the person, choosing instead to stand on the bank and watch coldly, as if he purely wanted to see whether Sun Qingyu would actually die or not.

It took quite a while before Zhang Zihe finally managed to pull Sun Qingyu out of the lake with great effort.

Yet Sun Qingyu’s chest did not heave in the slightest; she looked as though she had already departed this mortal coil.

Witnessing this scene, Sun Liancheng almost directly fainted, and he hurriedly instructed his steward to summon a physician.

At this moment, however, the Heir Apparent spoke with chilling indifference, "How truly tedious. I haven't even done anything yet, and she actually dared to jump. Whatever, I'll head back for today. If she isn't dead, I shall pay another visit another day."

Having left behind these words, the Heir Apparent turned and left. Even Ning Ye felt that this man had long surpassed the point of merely deserving death; he was genuinely and thoroughly not human.

Zhang Zihe, holding Sun Qingyu, was now in a state of utter panic, able only to repeat her name over and over again. Yet no matter how he called out, Sun Qingyu could no longer respond.

Ning Ye sighed and walked over. "Master Sun, I might just be able to save your young lady's life. However, no matter what I do next, you must not blame me."

Sun Liancheng, as if grasping at a straw, replied, "As long as the young master can save Qingyu, how could I possibly blame you?"

Having obtained permission, Ning Ye pulled Sun Qingyu straight out of Zhang Zihe's arms and laid her flat on the ground. "All men, get away from here immediately! If anyone dares to catch even a glimpse, Master Sun will show no mercy."

Although he had no idea what Ning Ye intended to do, Sun Liancheng still began to scold and order the others to disperse, leaving only a few of them behind at the scene.

The golden window for resuscitation was extremely brief, and Ning Ye dared not delay. He tore open Sun Qingyu’s outer garment and immediately began emergency procedures.

Fortunately, Sun Qingyu had not been in the water for very long; it was just that her body had suffered such cruel humiliation. Under a round of frantic resuscitation, after a short while, she coughed out several mouthfuls of lake water.

Disregarding all else, Ning Ye pressed his ear directly against Sun Qingyu’s chest to listen, only to find that her heartbeat had still not recovered.

Ning Ye grabbed Zhang Zihe and roared, "I will teach you a method now. Take a deep breath, then breathe air into Sun Qingyu's mouth. Repeat this a few times."

Zhang Zihe looked somewhat dazed, but he still instinctively did as Ning Ye instructed, while Ning Ye continued performing chest compressions.

Such intimacy was enough for both Ning Ye and Zhang Zihe to be killed for it. Yet right now, Sun Liancheng was in no mood to care about such things. If Sun Qingyu were truly revived, then none of this would matter; but if she did not wake up, the two of them likely wouldn't be leaving this place alive either.

Fortunately, after relentless efforts, Sun Qingyu slowly opened her eyes.

Sun Liancheng immediately stepped forward, pushing Ning Ye and Zhang Zihe aside, and spoke with an emotional expression, "Yuer, are you alright now?"

Sun Qingyu looked at Sun Liancheng feebly. "Father, could it be that you too have followed me down to the netherworld?"

Tears streamed down the corners of Sun Liancheng's eyes—a deeply uncharacteristic display for a grown man.

Yet at this very moment, Sun Liancheng was utterly unable to control himself. Ever since his beloved wife passed away, his daughter had been virtually his sole emotional pillar.

Just moments ago, by the narrowest of margins, his daughter had almost left him forever. "It is your father's fault for letting you suffer so many grievances. Rest assured, this is not the netherworld; it was your Brother Zihe who rescued you from the lake."

A sudden glimmer of light appeared in Sun Qingyu’s eyes. "Brother Zihe has returned?"

Sun Liancheng, who had been so intensely sentimental just a moment ago, felt his heart violently twitch. In the end, his own precious cabbage still couldn't be kept from being stolen.

His old father had been crying his eyes out right here, yet his precious daughter's first thought was of Zhang Zihe.

Zhang Zihe also hurried closer. "Yuer, it's my fault for returning too late."

Sun Qingyu shook her head and said, "That letter was written by me, precisely to keep you from returning. Why did Brother Zihe come back?"

"You and I have been together since childhood; this bond cannot be severed. Moreover, I could not bear to watch you fall into the tiger’s jaws while doing nothing. If I did that, living would be utterly meaningless."

"Everything started because of me. Even if Brother Zihe has returned, this matter is likely already beyond resolution."

Zhang Zihe said with utmost sincerity, "I do have a method, but it is probably unfair to you, so it must ultimately be decided by your father."

Sun Liancheng had no choice but to explain the plan devised by Ning Ye and Zhang Zihe. Upon hearing it, Sun Qingyu did not find anything inappropriate about it. She wasn't even afraid of death; could she possibly fear a fake death?

Things had reached such a pass; setting aside the fact that the Heir Apparent was no good match, Sun Qingyu herself harbored no desire for such a union in her heart.

Sun Qingyu grasped Sun Liancheng's hand. "Father, this is the only way out now. Even if I do not marry Brother Zihe, I will certainly never marry that Heir Apparent."

Sun Liancheng sighed. "Since it has come to this, I can only accommodate your wishes. Now that the drowning incident has occurred, we shall simply go with the flow, and I will openly proclaim that you drowned to death."