5 Self-Inflicted Consequences
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Torn between whether to proceed with the wedding first or to bring his sister back to the estate, Qiao Xian found himself vexed by the clamoring of others and decided to take a solitary walk to clear his mind.
As he wandered aimlessly, he suddenly heard a faint, desperate cry for help from a woman, "Help...!"
Qiao Xian’s face shifted as he followed the sound, only to discover a large hole in the frozen lake, and inside it, a woman struggling desperately for her life.
“Help... help...”
Her voice was broken and weak, clearly choked with water, struggling more by instinct than strength.
Qiao Xian stood on the shore with his arms crossed, watching for a while, then squinted and asked, “Are you the one who knelt at my family’s door the other day?”
Meng Qingyue was too weak to respond; not to mention the choking, the icy water alone could freeze a person to death.
Seeing her in such a pitiful state, Qiao Xian leisurely found a stone to sit on. “I’m not the kind of man to stand by and watch someone die, but—”
His expression turned teasing. “On a day this cold, if I dive in to save you, who’s to say what gossip might spread? Meng Qingyue, I am your sister’s fiancé. If I become physically close to you...”
He smiled meaningfully. “Why not have your sister as the principal wife and you as the concubine? The two of you could both marry into the Duke of Zhen Guo’s household.”
Meng Qingyue’s head swam with dizziness, but when she heard this, she mustered her last strength to spit fiercely toward the shore, “Bastard!”
Qiao Xian laughed heartily, then glanced around. Seeing it was about time, if he didn’t act soon, Meng Qingyue might truly drown in the lake.
So he slowly removed his outer robe, then leapt in with the agility of a carp.
“Get away from me!!”
Unexpectedly, as he swam toward her, the woman fiercely pushed him away.
Qiao Xian stumbled and was taken aback. “Why are you pushing me?! Are you really trying to die??...”
He tried to reach her again but was pushed away a second time.
Never before had Qiao Xian felt so frustrated. He roared in anger, “Are you crazy?!”
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The girl’s voice grew faint and broken but was resolute and stubborn. “You’re my sister’s fiancé. If you save me, my parents will never forgive me...”
Qiao Xian laughed bitterly through his anger.
“Which matters more to you, your life or whether your parents forgive you?”
Of course life mattered. Though Meng Qingyue drifted between consciousness, her mind was still tangled with fear that if her parents refused forgiveness, they would find ways to make her suffer unbearably.
If that day came, she would rather drown now in this lotus pond and end it all.
But Qiao Xian would not listen.
In the dead of winter, if he hesitated longer, he might not be able to endure either. So, ignoring her resistance, he forcefully dragged Meng Qingyue ashore.
As the two of them clambered onto the bank in disarray, the households of the Duke of Zhen Guo and Marquis of Huainan arrived hurriedly.
Seeing the two tangled together, Meng Xingzhou’s expression darkened immediately. “Meng Qingyue, do you take what I said this afternoon as mere wind in your ears?”
His glare at Meng Qingyue was filled with overwhelming rage.
He had never been so furious before!
He had clearly told her not to get close to Qiao Xian anymore; he would find her a proper match himself. Yet why did she refuse to listen?
Now, to think she even deliberately tried to drown herself, hoping to lose her virtue and force the young lord to save her!
Meanwhile, Qiao Xian urged the Marquis of Huainan, “Your Lordship, please fetch a doctor quickly. Second Miss is...”
The next moment, Meng Xingzhou strode forward and, in full view of everyone, slapped Meng Qingyue hard across the face.
“What are you pretending for? Meng Qingyue, get up right now!”
...
The slap silenced Meng Qingyue completely.
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Everyone was stunned, even Qiao Xian, who was still holding Meng Qingyue, froze in place, not knowing what to make of this scene.
Meng Xingzhou’s anger had not abated as he tried to pull Meng Qingyue up. “Don’t cling to the young lord’s embrace anymore. With so many eyes watching, are you still a proper young lady...?”
“Enough!” The Marquis of Huainan interrupted sharply, “Fetch the doctor!” Then he glanced warningly at Meng Xingzhou.
Though Meng Qingyue’s fate seemed insignificant, the young lord had also fallen into the water!
Who was he? In such freezing weather, what if he got seriously ill?
Meng Changle had already rushed to Qiao Xian’s side, weeping with worry and pain. “Ah Xian, are you alright? How did you end up in the water like this?”
Though she spoke as if casually, her gaze was venomous as it fixed on Meng Qingyue.
She never expected this wretched woman to have such luck—almost drowned, yet saved by Ah Xian himself!
Jealousy churned within her, but her face remained mournful. “This isn’t the way to the banquet. Why did sister choose to come here? Was it intentional or accidental...?”
Her seemingly casual remark darkened everyone’s faces.
The Duchess of Zhen Guo caught the implication and glanced coldly at her future daughter-in-law, expression unreadable. “Who would deliberately fall into the water in such cold weather?”
Meng Xingzhou sneered from the side, “You don’t know, Aunt. Qingyue has always had a poor relationship with Changle. Seeing Changle find a noble suitor, she’s jealous, which is why she resorted to such despicable tactics!”
“So it’s her own fault?” The Duchess was somewhat surprised, furrowing her brows as she hesitated before looking at Jiang Qingyue.
But seeing the girl covered in mud and pale to the point of almost no blood color, it was impossible to tell if she was scheming or innocent.
Withdrawing her gaze, she decided not to meddle in others’ family affairs and said lightly, “If that’s the case, she deserves to be taught a lesson.”