Chapter 28

It was late into the night, and the entire Xie residence was eerily silent.

Linfeng Yuan was brightly lit, with a number of doctors and maids waiting outside.

Everyone was enveloped in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

This was the third time that Xie Xuan had come to Linfeng Yuan tonight.

The old lady was anxious and unable to sleep, and as her younger sister, Xie Xuan couldn’t ease her mind either, so she came to check on her frequently.

Before entering the bedroom, she first asked the doctor about the condition.

The doctor reported that although Yiling had not yet woken up, her pulse was stable. Once the medicine took effect, she should regain consciousness.

However, the doctor dared not take credit for saving Yiling.

“Falling into an ice lake in this bitter winter, even a strong man would have a hard time surviving,” the doctor said, stroking his beard with a sigh. “I’ve been practicing medicine for fifty years, and I’ve never seen a woman with such a strong will to live.”

She clung to the slightest hope for survival and wouldn’t let go. Even if the King of Hell himself came to take her, he would probably get slapped by her a couple of times.

Xie Xuan didn’t pay much attention to the doctor’s further words. Upon hearing that her sister-in-law was fine, she took the medicine she had prepared and entered the room.

The room was silent, with all the servants waiting outside.

As Xie Xuan entered the bedroom, she saw Xie Hengzhi sitting motionless at the head of the bed.

She walked quietly, making no sound.

It wasn’t until she reached the bedside that Xie Hengzhi noticed her.

“What are you doing here?”

Xie Xuan handed him the medicine, hoping he would take it.

Looking down, she suddenly felt a wave of sorrow.

In such a warm room, Yiling’s hand was still pale, as if drained of all color. Her already slender fingers appeared even more fragile, and even her joints protruded noticeably from the tension.

She must be terrified.

But Yiling hadn’t yet woken up. Right now, more important than anything was her brother’s condition.

As the doctor had said, even a strong man would have a hard time surviving the icy waters in the dead of winter.

Xie Hengzhi had just returned from the Xishan and hadn’t rested at all.

Xie Xuan sighed lightly, squatting beside the bed and tugging at his sleeve, silently signaling him to rest.

Xie Hengzhi didn’t speak but took the medicine with one hand, drank it in one go, and placed the porcelain bowl back onto the tray before speaking.

“You should go back. Let Mother rest early.”

Xie Xuan was about to say something but paused, making some gestures with her hands. Xie Hengzhi didn’t look at her but merely raised his chin.

Xie Xuan had no choice but to leave quietly.

Once the door closed, the room became quiet again.

At that moment, Yiling seemed to be murmuring faintly.

Xie Hengzhi leaned in, intending to listen, but suddenly felt a stronger grip on his hand.

Yiling’s murmuring grew more urgent, and with a loud “Save me,” she suddenly sat up.

Startled, she saw Xie Hengzhi’s face. When their eyes met, Yiling widened her eyes as if still trapped in a nightmare, unable to believe what she was seeing.

Xie Hengzhi asked, “Are you still dreaming? ”

Yiling didn’t answer but just stared at him blankly.

Dream and reality blurred before her eyes, and she couldn’t tell which was which.

It wasn’t until the faint sound of water in her ears faded that the room became quiet, with only the sound of their breathing.

The memory of the last moment before she lost consciousness vividly returned to her mind, and the person who had pulled her from the water was now standing before her.

She murmured, speaking the first words after waking up.

“Why did you save me?”

Xie Hengzhi seemed surprised by the question.

“You’re my wife. If I don’t save you, who will?”

His expression was unguarded, and his tone was as natural as if answering an ordinary question.

Yiling believed him, but—

“What if I’m not your wife?”

Having woken up from the terrifying nightmare, Yiling’s mind was almost blank.

She didn’t even know why she asked such a question.

After she spoke, Xie Hengzhi fell silent.

It seemed he had never considered this possibility.

What if Yiling wasn’t his wife?

He looked into her eyes for a moment, his thoughts seemingly deep in contemplation.

“I would still save you.”

His voice was low, each word lingering in Yiling’s ear, echoing for a long time.

No, this was impossible.

It couldn’t be.

The sharp pain in her chest and the chill that spread in her heart brought Yiling back to her senses from his gaze.

She knew better than anyone whether he had a kind heart.

They stared at each other without speaking, each unable to guess what the other was thinking.

At that moment, Mama Cao pushed the door open, standing outside and asking, “Has Madam woken up?”

Before anyone could answer, Mama Cao leaned in to take a quick look and saw Yiling sitting up, her eyes immediately welling with tears in relief.

“Madam, you’ve finally woken up! You scared me to death! How did you survive the freezing water in the lake during winter?”

The lake water.

The terrifying memories surged into Yiling’s mind like a tide. She couldn’t think of anything else, and fear suddenly gripped her. She leaned towards Xie Hengzhi, urgently saying, “I didn’t fall into the water by accident. Someone tried to harm me!”

“I know.”

Xie Hengzhi’s voice was calm but laced with coldness. “We’re investigating. I will give you an answer.”

“Make sure you find out!”

Yiling trembled with excitement, her entire body shaking. “Don’t let any of them escape!”

Xie Hengzhi nodded but didn’t move, his gaze fixed on Yiling as though lost in thought.

Yiling urged, “What are you still waiting for? Go!”

He lowered his eyes. “Then let go of my hand.”

Yiling followed his gaze and looked down.

She had no idea she was still gripping Xie Hengzhi’s hand, not letting go.

After a moment of stunned silence, she felt as if she’d been burned by something and suddenly released his hand, but then continued to look at him resolutely.

“Are you taking advantage of me?”

Xie Hengzhi: “…”

After soaking in the water for so long, his mouth was still stubborn.

Though Yiling had woken up, it was only temporary.

Her current physical condition couldn’t support her staying awake for long, so the doctor quickly checked her pulse, administered acupuncture, and forced down a bowl of dark, bitter medicine.

With the bitter taste in her mouth, Yiling leaned back against the headboard, her gaze vacant, lost in her thoughts.

Mama Cao, watching from the side, couldn’t help but think that her mistress’s name had truly been poorly chosen.

Changing “Ling” to “Ling” was surely a sign of bad luck, and twice now, she had nearly lost her life in the water.

If anything happened to Yiling, Mama Cao would never be able to face Mrs. Shang.

“Madam must have been frightened,” she muttered.

She choked up as she said, “Ever since the moment the master pulled you from the water, you haven’t let go of his hand, even in your unconscious state, showing that you were still afraid.”

Yiling: “……”

She had almost forgotten about that, but now it was brought up again.

Turning to look at the people in the room, Yiling steadied her breathing and suddenly realized someone was missing.

The fear of falling into the water had overwhelmed her thoughts, and she nearly forgot that there had been an even more dangerous scene in the carriage.

“Where’s Mallow?!” she asked urgently. “And… what about the coachman?”

“Mallow hurt her arm and is resting in her room,” Mama Cao paused. “As for the coachman… he’s… gone.”

Upon hearing Mama Cao’s words, Yiling felt as if her entire body was being pulled apart, her meridians tightening.

The carriage had been arranged by Shen Shufang. At the time, Yiling had thought that since it was the Crown Princess’ people, she had specifically given Mallow some reward money before boarding. The coachman had smiled so much his eyes were squinted, bowing repeatedly in thanks, even muttering about buying new clothes for his daughter that evening.

Such a living person had died right before her eyes, and Yiling couldn’t accept it.

Who was trying to harm her?

Why was the murderer so vicious, not even sparing an innocent coachman?

Yiling slowly realized that, compared to the near-drowning, this malicious killer was far more terrifying.

She didn’t even know why this murderer wanted her dead.

This time, she had narrowly escaped with her life, but what about next time?

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. She didn’t even realize when Xie Hengzhi had returned.

By now, it was almost dawn, the night at its darkest.

Yiling lay on her side, facing the wall, wrapped in her blankets, her body curled up. Xie Hengzhi hadn’t had anyone light a lamp, so she could only see his frail shadow, as if it would break with the slightest touch.

He lay down gently, just as he always did, lying flat. The wide bed seemed to have an invisible boundary, one that both of them were fully aware of, never crossing.

But tonight, Yiling was trembling the whole time.

Even though it was slight, he could sense it.

Xie Hengzhi stared at the pitch-black sky above, silently sighing.

Then he turned over and moved closer to Yiling, who was curled up in the blankets.

At first, Yiling hadn’t fully fallen asleep. She was in a half-dreaming, half-awake state, sometimes falling into the endless nightmares that tormented her and at other times vaguely waking up, barely able to open her eyes, only to see the boundless darkness of the night.

It wasn’t until someone wrapped their arms around her from behind, pulling her close, their arm encircling her waist, that she felt her fear dissipate like a tired ape finally finding a safe place to rest. She sank into a peaceful, deep sleep.