Twelve Lives Hanging by a Thread

The howling wind lashed at her face, stinging like a blade, as an overwhelming sense of weightlessness engulfed her. Meng Qingyue squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face, only to be instantly dried by the gale.

"Do not be afraid, little sister. I will save you!"
"Look, brother, fireflies! The Earth Goddess has come to save us!"
"Little sister, I am a bit tired. Hold onto my shoulders."

Such gentle words, such a brave brother—but the scene shifted, replaced by cold, biting accusations:
"Chang Le’s life cannot be put at the slightest risk. Meng Qingyue, how can you be so selfish?"

The world spun, and as the taste of blood welled up from her bitten lip, a fierce hatred ignited in her heart. Fine. Meng Xingzhou had saved her once, and now he had killed her once. Her life, she would return to him today. From this moment on, she owed him nothing.

Life and death, no regrets; henceforth, they were strangers.

She landed, leaving no trace.

"Chang Le, are you alright?" As Meng Chang Le was pulled to safety by two men, she collapsed onto the flat ground, limbs trembling.

Facing death had terrified her, of course. But... she cast a sidelong glance at the bottomless abyss behind her and let out a silent sigh of relief. At least that pest had finally been disposed of.

Once Meng Chang Le was confirmed to be safe, Meng Xingzhou stood up abruptly and rushed toward the mountain path. He had to find Qingyue!

Just then, a cry of pain came from behind. Meng Chang Le clutched her head, looking utterly miserable. Meng Xingzhou’s pace faltered. With a sorrowful expression, Meng Chang Le tugged at his sleeve. "Brother, my head hurts so much... I must have been frightened..."

"Brother..."

After a moment’s hesitation, Meng Xingzhou turned to Qiao Xian. "Let’s go. We will take Chang Le down the mountain first."

He cast an involuntary glance toward the cliff edge, but quickly looked away. It didn’t matter; Qingyue had already fallen. Whether he searched for her an hour earlier or later would make no difference.

They escorted Meng Chang Le down the mountain. Upon arriving at the manor, the Marquis and Marchioness of Huainan were surprised to see Qiao Xian carrying her.

"What happened?"

Meng Xingzhou gave a brief account of the day’s events. The Marchioness turned pale with fright. "Qingyue... Qingyue..." The Marquis remained relatively calm, his face darkening as he ordered, "Send men at once to bring the Second Young Lady back."

The Marchioness slumped into a chair, tears streaming down her face. "Years ago, Xingzhou and Qingyue nearly died at Ape Wall Ridge. To think it would happen again today..."

Meng Xingzhou said firmly, "I am going out to join the servants in the search. That place is not fatal; Mother, do not worry."

That was precisely why he had abandoned Jiang Qingyue without hesitation. She would not die.

He hurried away, failing to notice that when Meng Chang Le heard him say "it is not fatal," her expression turned cold and sinister.

Meng Xingzhou searched for two full hours at the foot of the mountain. By the time darkness fell, there was still no sign of Meng Qingyue. In the distance, the faint howl of wolves echoed, filling him with dread and growing anxiety. He roared at the servants scouring the area, "Find her! Search with your lives! If you do not find the Second Young Lady, I will have your heads when I return!"

Elsewhere, at the Duke of Zhen’s residence, Lady Qiao heard Qiao Xian’s report of the day’s events and frowned. "The young Marquis is truly heartless, to leave his own sister to die?"

Qiao Xian recalled the events and felt that Meng Xingzhou had seemed genuinely anxious afterward. He said fairly, "He was truly ruthless when he cut the vines, but he was also truly concerned when he went to save her later."

Lady Qiao, wise with age, saw things more clearly. "She has already fallen. Who is he performing for with those useless gestures?" She pondered for a moment, then added, "They are our in-laws; we cannot simply ignore the loss of their daughter. Send some men to help search."

"Should I send the personal guards or the common ones?" Qiao Xian asked.

Lady Qiao’s expression remained indifferent. "She is not our daughter. Send the common guards; doing it for show is enough."

Qiao Xian agreed. Lady Qiao then remembered something else. "Did your uncle say when he would return?"

"He says the date is set," Qiao Xian replied. "He will be back by next month at the latest."

Delighted, Lady Qiao urged Qiao Xian to help her tidy the rooms so that her daughter could move in immediately upon her return.

The night was pitch black, thick as ink. Meng Qingyue had landed on a bare riverbank before being swept downstream by the current. She struggled to open her eyes; the night was deep and dark, and in the distance, the howling of wolves continued.

Suppressing the terror in her heart, she tried to stand, but every internal organ seemed to ache. She stood, scanning the area, and began to walk, relying on her memory of the day. If she was right, people would be searching for her; if she could find the place where she had fallen, she might encounter the Marquis’s men.

She was right. After stumbling through the dark for what felt like an eternity, she saw faint lights ahead and heard voices calling out for the "Second Young Lady."

It was the Marquis’s men! They had come for her!

Overjoyed, Meng Qingyue hurried forward, but she failed to watch her footing. With a thud, she tripped over loose rocks and fell hard to the ground.

At that same moment, the servants holding torches passed right by her.

"The Eldest Young Lady said that if we find the Second Young Lady first, she is ours to keep, hehehe."

Another voice, coarser and sounding older, rubbed his hands in anticipation. "I’ve never touched a young lady of an official’s family before. Tsk, tsk. If we find her, let me have her first."

Meng Qingyue lay face-down in the weeds, the rough stalks scratching her cheeks painfully. She clamped a hand over her mouth, her entire body trembling.