Chapter 19: Falling into the Water

The voice was familiar. Xia Tong turned to see a mocking and arrogant face—it was none other than Princess Zhou Man.

Her expression became serious, and she suddenly said in a serious tone: “Please be careful with your words, Princess. The Empress had already determined Miss Shen’s innocence that day. Do you think that the Empress is deliberately covering up for her?”

With that, the others in the pavilion began murmuring softly among themselves, though none dared to confront Zhou Man as openly.

“Don’t you dare use the Empress to suppress me! Do you really think you’re about to become the Crown Princess and that a feather could serve as a token of authority? Who do you think you are?” Zhou Man sneered, brushing the pearl hairpin beside her temple.

Meanwhile, Lin Qin stood silent on the sidelines, perfectly embodying the concept of a plastic friend.

Shen Xin, however, chuckled softly, her tone indifferent as she glanced at Zhou Man. “I won’t speak of my own character, but I do know the Empress and the other ladies of the palace don’t talk behind people’s backs. They also disdain gossiping, as such behavior is only seen among the most vulgar of commoners.”

“You—!” Zhou Man’s eyes flared in anger as she glared at Shen Xin.

The noble lady who was on good terms with her behind her also pulled her back in time, and shook her head slightly, indicating that it was not appropriate to argue at this time.

“The princess is straightforward and quick with her words, without any malice. I hope you two sisters won’t take it to heart.”

Following that voice from the crowd, a woman in a peach-pink dress came into view. She had a soft, oval face and exuded an elegant and gentle temperament, with a slight, conciliatory smile on her face. Her words quickly prompted others to chime in.

“Miss Dong is right. The princess has always been forthright, with no ill intent. Miss Shen, please don’t take it personally,” added another noblewoman, trying to smooth things over.

Xia Tong glanced at the woman with the oval face, who smiled kindly at her. Xia Tong quickly averted her gaze, thinking that all the supporting female characters truly had a white-lotus facade. She decided to stay far away from the heroine to avoid getting caught in any crossfire.

“Oh my, I think the lotus flowers are blooming earlier this year than last. Aren’t they beautiful? Why don’t you both come and admire them with me?” someone suggested, attempting to change the subject to ease the tension.

Xia Tong, eager to distance herself from the female lead, stood up and headed toward another part of the garden. Despite being a prime candidate for the crown princess, the others, though resentful, still surrounded her with flattery.

“Is your dress made of Shu brocade, Sister Xia? It’s a pity the silk won’t be available at the Yu Defang until next year.”

“But you wear it so beautifully, Sister Xia. It’s only because you’re so well-suited to it. We wouldn’t look as good in it ourselves.”

The conversation quickly shifted to Xia Tong’s attire, with many women complimenting her. Meanwhile, Lin Qin, who hadn’t joined them, remained unusually quiet. Her eyes carried a hint of unease as she recalled the crown prince’s distinct attention to Xia Tong the other day, filling her with jealousy.

The crown princess position could only be hers!

The lotus blossoms in the lake were indeed in full bloom, vibrant and delicate. As the crowd’s insincere compliments filled the air, Xia Tong grew more and more irritated. Glancing over, she saw the heroine still sitting quietly by herself, and Xia Tong lost the will to engage in such superficial conversation.

“Look, a butterfly!”

Someone exclaimed, and suddenly, the entire group surged forward to catch a glimpse as if they’d never seen one before. Xia Tong was jostled a few times, and just as she was about to step back uncomfortably, she felt a forceful push against her waist. Without warning, she plunged into the deep waters of the lake with a loud splash.

“Ah—!”

The sudden incident shocked everyone, who gasped and backed away from the lake in panic, horrified by what had just occurred.

“Help… save…” Xia Tong sputtered as she gulped down the water, her vision filled with nothing but the churning waves. She sank deeper, unable to even scream for help.

“Miss!”

Qing’er, terrified, immediately leaped into the water to rescue her, disregarding everything else. The others snapped out of their shock and shouted, “Quick! Don’t just stand there! Anyone who can swim, jump in and help!”

The pavilion was soon in chaos, though some people exchanged strange glances. Shen Xin furrowed her brow, watching the sinking figure of Xia Tong. Without a second thought, she leaped into the water as well.

At that moment, the servants of the Grand Tutor’s residence were in a state of panic. If anything happened to the fourth young lady of the Xiahou family here, they knew they would have to answer with their lives.

A few others also dove into the water, while the pavilion erupted in a flurry of fearful whispers. Everyone kept a safe distance from the lake, afraid they might fall in themselves.

Just then, Lin Qin stepped forward, her face full of anger as she scanned the group. In a cold voice, she demanded, “How could Sister Tong suddenly fall into the water? Someone must have deliberately pushed her. Who was standing behind her just now?”

Her words sent a ripple of fear through those who had been standing behind Xia Tong, and they turned pale. No one dared speak, for being accused of attempting to harm someone from the Xiahou family was no trivial matter.

Xia Tong had no idea how much water she had swallowed. Her head felt heavier and heavier until she suddenly felt someone grab her arm. In her dazed state, she heard faint voices around her, and even her breathing became easier.

Shen Xin and Qing’er struggled to pull her to shore. When they finally reached land, Xia Tong was still unconscious. Ignoring her own soaked clothes, Shen Xin knelt beside her and began pressing down on her abdomen with both hands to force the water out.

“What are you doing?” Lin Qin’s face turned pale, suspecting that Shen Xin was trying to harm Xia Tong further.

Shen Xin didn’t even spare her a glance, continuing to press down on Xia Tong’s abdomen with force, her own clothes thoroughly drenched.

Strands of wet hair clung to Shen Xin’s pale forehead. As the water trickled from Xia Tong’s mouth, her eyes slowly fluttered open. Her blurry vision cleared, revealing a mix of concerned, suspicious, nervous, and curious faces.

“Hurry, take Miss Xia back to rest and prepare some ginger soup,” Miss Dong immediately said anxiously.

Hearing this, the servants of the Grand Tutor’s residence snapped out of their stupor and hurriedly helped Xia Tong away, trembling in fear of being implicated.

Meanwhile, Xia Ning finally stepped forward, her gaze cold as she looked at those who had been near Xia Tong. “The Xiahou family will investigate this incident thoroughly.”

With that, she briskly left, dragging along the stunned Xia Min. After such an incident, she needed to report it to her mother to prevent any damage to the Xiahou family’s relationship with the Grand Tutor Tang’s family.

Once she left, the remaining women looked on with lingering fear. One of them quickly spoke up, “I was standing next to Sister Xia earlier, so I definitely didn’t push her. But whoever did this is truly vicious. I wonder what Sister Xia did to offend them so badly that they wanted to kill her. How cruel!”

With that, the others began distancing themselves from the incident, each denying involvement while condemning the unknown culprit.

Watching the crowd of hypocrites, Shen Xin let out a quiet laugh before asking a servant to guide her somewhere to change her clothes.

As she left, an icy gaze swept over the pavilion, barely noticeable but chilling enough to make one’s heart skip a beat.

Once back in the clean room, Xia Tong quickly changed into the fresh clothes brought by the servants. Snuggling under the covers, she sneezed several times before regaining her senses. Her face remained pale, and damp strands of hair clung to her back, dripping with water.

The servants of the Grand Tutor’s residence mentioned that their mistress would arrive soon. Xia Tong could easily imagine that she would likely end up mediating the situation. Xia Tong did not expect that the heroine was so poisonous that even a cannon fodder like her would get into trouble. However, the heroine had ultimately saved her, indicating that she was different from those scheming female supporting roles.

At that moment, Xia Tong felt a lingering fear, convinced that she had some sort of vendetta against water. But reflecting on the scene, she realized she didn’t see who had pushed her. Whoever intended to harm her surely had a direct conflict of interest. With so many people present, and someone risking exposure like that, things were undoubtedly complicated.

“Why does it smell so nice in here?” she wondered, wrinkling her nose and scanning her surroundings.

The servant, bowing slightly while tidying up her old clothes, replied, “It’s sandalwood incense, perfect for calming the mind.”