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With a splash, the pool erupted into a huge spray of water.
Tan Yixuan was clearly struggling in the water, unable to swim.
Wang Sasa didn’t think twice before jumping into the pool, only to realize that she was wearing a tight dress that restricted her movement. Her swimming skills were mediocre at best, and she struggled to keep herself afloat, unable to help anyone else.
She tried to lift her head to grab Tan Yixuan’s struggling hands but was pulled down to the bottom of the pool along with her.
Wei Qi, standing at the edge of the pool, was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
By the time he reacted, several passing guests had already jumped into the pool and rescued the two of them.
A sizable crowd of onlookers quickly gathered due to the commotion.
Several waiters rushed over in a panic, worried about the consequences if something were to happen to the guests. When they recognized one of the people in the water as their own young lady, their faces turned pale with fear.
Wang Sasa, who could swim a little, had managed to hold her breath. Though she was feeling a bit tight in the chest, she was otherwise fine. Tan Yixuan, however, lay on the ground with her eyes closed, her breathing faint and her face alarmingly pale.
Wang Sasa didn’t waste any time and immediately called for her private doctor.
Within a minute, the doctor arrived and began administering emergency care.
Tan Yixuan suddenly coughed up a mouthful of water, her eyes blinking open in a daze.
Wang Sasa hurried over, holding her and grabbing her hand. “Tan Yixuan, are you feeling better now?” she asked, her voice full of concern.
Tan Yixuan was still groggy, her head fuzzy from having swallowed so much water. She tried to focus on Wang Sasa, wanting to tell her she was fine, but despite opening her mouth, no words came out. She soon slipped back into unconsciousness.
Wang Sasa’s heart sank, and she cried out in alarm, “Tan Yixuan!”
If the doctor hadn’t reassured her that Tan Yixuan was fine, Wang Sasa would have already called for an ambulance.
“What’s going on? Why all the noise?” Mother Wang came rushing out, alarmed by the commotion. Seeing her daughter soaking wet and kneeling on the ground, holding someone, she was immediately frightened and hurried over. “What happened?”
Wang Sasa didn’t know the full story, so she simply reassured her mother that everything was fine and grabbed a waiter’s hand to stand up.
But as she tried to rise, her legs gave out, nearly causing her to fall.
“Be careful!” Wei Qi, who had been standing nearby, quickly reached out to help her.
Wang Sasa glanced at him steadily, muttering a cold “thanks.” She suspected that Wei Qi, being the closest to Tan Yixuan when she fell into the pool, might have been the one who pushed her.
Wei Qi released her, noticing her frosty expression and feeling a bit embarrassed.
Both Wang Sasa and Tan Yixuan were soaking wet, their thin clothes clinging to their bodies and outlining their curves. Wang Sasa, already the center of attention, became even more aware of the gazes directed at her and cast a glance at the waiter.
Understanding her signal, the waiters quickly dispersed the crowd.
Wang Sasa accepted a towel from someone, first wrapping it around Tan Yixuan before covering herself. She then turned to the tallest waiter and said, “Carry her to a guest room to rest.” Pausing, she added, “No, take her to my room instead.”
Wang Sasa had a servant change Tan Yixuan into dry clothes, while she returned to the bathroom to change out of her wet dress. After quickly washing her face, she didn’t even bother drying her hair and rushed back to the bedroom.
Tan Yixuan was lying in bed, her eyes tightly shut and her brow furrowed deeply, clearly not sleeping peacefully. Wang Sasa couldn’t help but reach out to smooth the wrinkles on her brow and sighed softly.
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted her. Wang Sasa stood up and opened the door to find Wei Qi standing outside.
Wei Qi looked at her and apologized softly, “I’m sorry I didn’t save you both right away.”
Wang Sasa had never had a great impression of Wei Qi, and with Tan Yixuan still unconscious, she had no patience for him.
Her expression turned icy, and her tone was colder than ever as she asked, “Was it you who pushed her into the pool?”
Wei Qi was momentarily stunned but quickly realized what she meant. In disbelief, he exclaimed, “You think I pushed her?!”
This idiot almost got Tan Yixuan killed. If she had died, could Wang Sasa ever return home?
Frustrated and irritable, she didn’t think twice before snapping, “I don’t care. Every time you show up, Tan Yixuan gets into trouble. Could you do me a favor and stay far away from me?”
She rubbed her temples, feeling like that wasn’t enough, and added harshly, “No, better yet, never show your face in front of me again.”
Wei Qi was stunned. His childhood friend, who had once adored him, was now saying such cruel words to him. His face turned pale, and his eyes reddened with anger. “You don’t believe me?”
Wang Sasa leaned against the wall, expressionless and annoyed. “Does it even matter if I believe you? You’re just irrelevant to me now.”
She hadn’t planned to speak so harshly, but after realizing that Wei Qi might be a threat to Tan Yixuan’s safety, she had no choice but to be firm.
“Irrelevant?” Wei Qi repeated the word slowly, seething with rage. He grabbed her arm with one hand and clenched his other into a fist, glaring at her. “Wang Shasha, say that again if you dare!”
Wang Sasa raised an eyebrow at his clenched fist and scoffed, “What, you planning to hit me?”
Lifting her chin arrogantly, she sneered, “Go ahead. Hit me once, and I’ll make sure you regret it! If you want our families to turn against each other, be my guest!”
Wei Qi stared at her face, feeling an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
No matter what he did, it seemed he could never reach her.
Had he already lost her forever?
His grip loosened, and he looked at her blankly, unsure how they had ended up in such a hostile situation.
Perhaps Wang Shasha had begun drifting away from him a long time ago… Had it been his mistake all along?
Wang Sasa rubbed her wrist, which had been sore from his grip, and without sparing another thought for Wei Qi, walked back to the bedroom. She was about to slam the door shut in anger but then remembered that Tan Yixuan was still asleep inside, so she quietly closed the door instead.
Inside the room, Tan Yixuan stirred awake and, upon seeing Wang Sasa, tried to sit up.
Wang Sasa rushed over and sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand and pressing her back down. “Stay lying down. You scared me half to death earlier…” she muttered, sounding almost scolding.
Tan Yixuan whispered, “I’m sorry…”
Wang Sasa shook her head and tucked the blankets around her more snugly, gently patting her hand. “What are you apologizing for? It’s not like you fell on purpose.”
Tan Yixuan’s eyes flickered as she slightly turned her head, lowering her gaze. “Anyway, it was my own carelessness.”
Wang Sasa sighed and didn’t press the matter further. Seeing that Tan Yixuan was much more sober now, she asked, “What happened earlier? How did you end up falling into the pool for no reason?”
Tan Yixuan suddenly looked up at her, then slowly said, “I arrived late and saw that the banquet had already started. You were busy, so I didn’t want to interrupt. I thought I’d wait until you were free and then find you. So, I decided to walk around…” She appeared to be recalling the events. “I ran into Wei Qi by the pool, and we talked for a bit. Then, somehow, I ended up falling into the pool.”
When Wang Sasa heard her mention that they had talked, she suddenly remembered witnessing a dispute between the two of them earlier. The “talk” Tan Yixuan referred to likely wasn’t as simple as that.
She paused, then grabbed Tan Yixuan’s hand, earnestly looking into her eyes. “Tan Yixuan, don’t be afraid. If you’ve been wronged, just tell me, and I’ll stand up for you.”
Tan Yixuan’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly. She looked up and saw the complete trust in Wang Sasa’s eyes. Suddenly, she buried herself in her arms, tightly embracing her slender waist, and said in a voice filled with lingering fear, “I was so scared I’d never see you again… Sasa.”
Her choked voice, accompanied by tears, soaked Wang Sasa’s neck.
Wang Sasa hadn’t expected Tan Yixuan to be so emotionally open, and for a moment, she froze.
She patted Tan Yixuan’s shoulder, trying her best to console her. “Don’t be afraid. You’re here safe and sound, aren’t you?”
Tan Yixuan’s tears kept flowing, so hot they almost burned Wang Sasa’s skin. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, she tilted her head to the side and continued gently stroking Tan Yixuan’s long hair while whispering comforting words.
Gradually, Tan Yixuan’s tears subsided, though she kept resting her head on Wang Sasa’s shoulder. Her pitch-black eyes flashed with a subtle glimmer as she softly said, “Wei Qi knows about us.”
Wang Sasa’s expression froze when she suddenly heard this.
It took her a while to regain her voice. Trying to sound casual, she asked, “Oh? Does he?”
Tan Yixuan pulled away from her embrace, her expression dimmed as she bitterly smiled. “Wei Qi told me that you and I are impossible. I got upset and argued with him.” After a pause, she added, “He acted impulsively and didn’t mean to push me…” Realizing she had said something she shouldn’t have, she quickly glanced at Wang Sasa, then said despondently, “Actually, I fell in on my own. Sasa, don’t blame Wei Qi. It wasn’t his fault.”
Half-truths and half-lies, she finished speaking and peeked at Wang Sasa, her lips curling slightly as she lowered her gaze to her fingertips.
Make a choice, Sasa.
Will you believe me or Wei Qi?
Wang Sasa only cared about the result, not the process.
So, whether Wei Qi had pushed Tan Yixuan or not didn’t really matter to her.
However, since Tan Yixuan had said so, she wouldn’t doubt her.
But what she was more concerned about was Tan Yixuan’s earlier statement. She hesitated, repeating, “Wei Qi knows everything?”
Tan Yixuan turned her face away and said sadly, “Yes, he knows everything. Even he knows that you and I are impossible. What point is there in me trying any longer?”
Wang Sasa looked at her, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Tan Yixuan straightened her back, wearing a stubborn yet pitiful expression. “I’ll leave once I’ve changed my clothes.” She turned to see Wang Sasa frowning at her and bitterly smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t want to trouble you…” Saying that, she attempted to get out of bed but, unsteady on her feet, almost fell again.
Wang Sasa couldn’t just stand by and let her fall, so she quickly reached out to support her, half holding and half carrying her back to the bed. Helplessly, she said, “Who said I didn’t care about you?”
Hearing this, Tan Yixuan’s eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to look at her. “Sasa…”
Reflecting on her own words, Wang Sasa realized they might have sounded ambiguous. She couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered.
Tan Yixuan gazed at her, and suddenly, a brilliant smile spread across her face, her eyes twinkling like scattered stars.
She softly said, “Am I dreaming, Sasa?” Then, unable to contain her excitement, she cupped Wang Sasa’s face and exclaimed, “You like me too, don’t you?”
Wang Sasa’s eyes darted around as she found herself in a bind. After a long pause, she closed her eyes and, biting the bullet, replied, “Yes!”
Upon hearing this, Tan Yixuan’s radiant smile practically blinded Wang Sasa.
Author’s Note: And that’s how they got together!