“I found it!”
Wen Ninghan’s voice was loud enough to draw attention. Qingtuan stared intently but still had no idea what her mistress was looking for or what she had found.
“Qingtuan, call someone over,”
Qingtuan: “Huh?”
Wen Ninghan pointed at the messy footprints by the lakeshore and said, “There are signs here of someone falling into the water. Go call for two maids.”
Qingtuan: “…”
Although she didn’t understand how her mistress knew someone had fallen into the water here, or who it might be, Wen Ninghan’s orders left no room for hesitation. Even if Qingtuan had doubts, she immediately went to find some servant nearby.
At this moment, the scene was bustling. Princess Huiling, still fuming, was busy settling her guests and instructing her servants. Naturally, a group of maids and servant were standing by, ready for orders.
When Qingtuan arrived and announced that someone else might have fallen into the water, Princess Huiling almost exploded on the spot.
“Who fell into the water? Where could someone else have fallen in?”
Everyone was gathered here. With so many people around, how could no one notice if someone else fell into the water?
Princess Huiling stormed over, her every step seeming as though she might crush the stone tiles beneath her feet.
Wen Ninghan couldn’t help but feel that the princess is probably more incline to crush her instead.
But this is not the time for idle chatter. Wen Ninghan maintained a solemn expression as she faced the imposing Princess Huiling.
“Greetings, Your Highness. Here by the lakeshore, there’s only a series of chaotic footprints. From the traces, it seems someone fell into the lake in a moment of panic but left no signs of having emerged. Moreover, judging by these footprints, the person who fell appears to be quite young. Unfortunately, I arrived too late and could only see the ripples on the water’s surface as they dissipated…”
Wen Ninghan’s rapid stream of words left Princess Huiling with no chance to interrupt. Just as she is about to lose her temper, she is startled by Wen Ninghan’s mention of someone possibly falling into the water—especially the observation that the footprints were small.
Of course, Wen Ninghan did it on purpose. “Judging by the size of these footprints, the person should only be a few years old…”
A few years old…
The servants of the princess’s residence naturally wouldn’t dare bring young children to the Autumn Chrysanthemum Courtyard during her flower appreciation banquet.
As Princess Huiling looked into Wen Ninghan’s bright, cat-like eyes, a sudden chill spread through her heart.
“Didn’t you hear what she said? Into the water! Save them!”
Whatever Princess Huiling had thought of, she didn’t refute Wen Ninghan at this moment. Wen Ninghan, who had prepared more arguments to convince her, was relieved and nodded with satisfaction.
The priority was to save the person. Once they were rescued, everything else could be dealt with later.
After all, the clues and reasoning she provided were entirely legitimate, leaving no room for suspicion to fall on her.
In just a short time, five maidservants took turns diving into Qushui Lake and actually managed to find a soft, small body in the water.
They hurriedly brought it ashore, and when they took a closer look—good heavens—they were all stunned.
Who in the princess’s residence didn’t know that Princess Huiling spoiled the young nephew from the Duke of Rong’s household beyond measure?
This little boy had free rein to come and go between the Duke’s residence and the princess’s estate as he pleased.
Princess Huiling recognized the familiar outfit at a glance when the maidservants brought the small, limp body to shore—indeed, it was her young nephew.
Instantly, her vision darkened and her legs gave out, causing her to collapse right there.
Wen Ninghan: ???
For heaven’s sake, she hadn’t even managed to leave the scene, merely wanting to see if the little one would be successfully rescued.
Now, Princess Huiling had fainted with just one glance, and she is right next to her. Wen Ninghan instinctively reached out to support her.
Wen Ninghan: ‘Is it too late to regret now?’
But Princess Huiling didn’t give Wen Ninghan the chance to regret. Just as Wen Ninghan is about to call someone over to help support the princess, Princess Huiling had already tightly gripped Wen Ninghan’s arm.
Wen Ninghan: “…”
It isn’t that Princess Huiling specifically wanted to hold on to Wen Ninghan; it was just that in her panic, she reached for something close by.
When she fell into Wen Ninghan’s arms, she truly felt a sense of comfort—a feeling she hadn’t even realized she is missing.
“Is it Huo’er? Is it really Huo’er?”
Princess Huiling suddenly seemed to realize that this isn’t the moment for accusations—her priority is to save her nephew.
“Where’s the physician? Where’s the palace physician?”
Qi Yunchi is also nearby. At first, he had only assumed there had been a dispute involving some young lady, leading to a scene of someone falling into the water.
Being an outsider, he and Xue Shulin with Feng Shu were naturally hesitant to approach.
Only when they heard the commotion and Princess Huiling’s panicked shout did they realize someone else had fallen into the lake—specifically, the young master from the Duke of Rong’s household, Du Xinghuo.
Before addressing how the little one ended up here and accidentally fell into the water, the fact that he had already stopped breathing when he was rescued was enough to throw Princess Huiling into a panic.
Qi Yunchi glanced at Feng Shu, who immediately took command.
He instructed the servants and maids present to lead the young gentlemen and ladies who were guests to another location to rest.
The young lady who had fallen in had already been taken to a side courtyard for treatment.
The palace physician was still examining Du Xinghuo, and after a moment, his face turned pale as he shook his head.
Princess Huiling barely managed to stand with Wen Ninghan’s support.
“Go get the imperial physician immediately! Use this princess’s seal to summon him!”
Princess Huiling could hardly comprehend that her lively, mischievous young nephew is now lying lifeless before her eyes.
If the palace physician couldn’t save him, she would use her own authority to get the imperial physician.
Wen Ninghan hadn’t expected that in just this short time, the little one would stop breathing.
Her arm was hurting from Princess Huiling’s tight grip; unable to break free, she could only look at Qingtuan.
Qingtuan immediately took the order.
“Your Highness, try to stay calm.”
“Stay calm? How can I stay calm?!”
Princess Huiling instinctively shouted back when she heard those words, only to realize that she is standing right next to Wen Ninghan and holding onto her tightly.
She intended to let go but found that not only were her legs weak, but her hands couldn’t control their trembling.
Wen Ninghan’s expression remained unchanged, calm and composed.
“You can do this, Your Highness. You’re capable of staying calm.”
Princess Huiling’s face is extremely pale. Hearing Wen Ninghan’s seemingly magical words, she finally took a deep breath and managed to calm herself down.
Seeing that Princess Huiling had regained some composure and appeared to be able to listen, Wen Ninghan spoke more softly.
“Do you trust me, Your Highness? If you do, let my maid try. She can save the child.”
The most crucial factor was that the little one had drowned and is now suffocating—this is the critical time for rescue.
If the palace physician couldn’t save him, even if they brought in an imperial physician, they couldn’t beat time to recover the last bit of life in the child.
Princess Huiling didn’t know whether to trust or not; it is her first time seeing this unfamiliar young woman, and her mind was filled with scattered, chaotic thoughts.
She couldn’t calm down enough to analyze who this person was.
But a voice deep inside was saying: Trust.
At the same time, a familiar voice whispered in her ear, “I trust you.”
Most of the guests had already left, and Qi Yunchi had been brought forward.
Even seated in his wheelchair, despite being slightly shorter, it didn’t affect his overall demeanor—if anything, the hint of illness added a different charm, making him even more captivating.
How should one say it? Just… more charming?
“Chí gege,” when Princess Huiling saw her relative, she almost cried.
Qi Yunchi nodded gently. “You can trust her.”
Then he turned his gaze to Wen Ninghan. “What do you need to do? Do you need help?”
With Princess Huiling’s consent, Qingtuan immediately stepped forward.
Although this took up more time, it avoided further explanations and entanglements with Princess Huiling—better to be prepared than to waste time.
Wen Ninghan had taught Qingtuan many first aid skills, including the Heimlich maneuver.
Qingtuan stepped forward to check the young master’s mouth and nose, confirming his findings before nodding to Wen Ninghan.
Without hesitation, Wen Ninghan reached out and grabbed Princess Huiling’s arm.
Princess Huiling: ???
The next moment, she watched as Qingtuan carefully picked up the young master and placed him on her knee, applying pressure to his abdomen—
Princess Huiling: !!!
Is this saving him? Or is this killing him?!
Princess Huiling didn’t have a chance to scream before Wen Ninghan’s soothing voice, filled with a strange calming power, sounded again.
“Your Highness, don’t be afraid. This is a technique from the coastal region, a form of the He family’s method. Right now, the young master has water and mud blocking his airway, and regular methods can’t help him recover his breathing. We have to use this technique to expel most of the water from his lungs. Don’t worry, Qingtuan isn’t using this method for the first time—she knows how to handle it safely.”
Princess Huiling’s whole body trembled as she couldn’t imagine the suffering her young nephew had to endure in this situation.
Just a few rounds later, Qingtuan’s arms suddenly expelled a large amount of water mixed with mud, causing the young master to start violently coughing—so hard it seemed he might cough up his lungs, a sound so heart-wrenching it was painful to listen to.
Princess Huiling felt as if her soul had flown out of her head, clutching at Wen Ninghan with a dazed look in her eyes.
“Is he… is he alive? Did Huo’er come back?”
Yes, just now, the palace doctor was pale and apologizing because Hu’er had stopped breathing.
What does stopping breathing mean? Of course, Princess Huiling understood.
But it wasn’t long before Hu’er started coughing. Although the coughing was severe, only the living can cough!
Wen Ninghan also nodded in relief. Yes, it seems there’s still time. As long as spontaneous breathing recovers, there’s still hope.
She herself is the variable in this ridiculous plot, after all, she didn’t exist as a living person in the original story. However, to seek more security, Wen Ninghan likes to add more variables for herself.
And since she’s already here, naturally, she can’t just stand by and watch someone die.
Learning medicine from the divine healer master is not only to acquire more self-protection skills but also to save more people. On this point, she is very clear.
What followed seemed to naturally fall into place. After settling the young master, Du Xinghu, the palace doctors and maids took over his care. Meanwhile, Princess Huiling’s grip on Wen Ninghan’s arm never loosened.
Wen Ninghan is certain her arm is already bruised, but Princess Huiling, flustered and distracted, didn’t notice. Wen Ninghan decided she could indulge her a little longer.
“Huiling.”
Hearing this call, Princess Huiling, who had all her attention on Du Xinghu, suddenly turned her head and gave Qi Yunchi a look that said,
“Brother Chi, why are you still here?”
Qi Yunchi: “…”
“Calm down, and you should let go now.”
Princess Huiling: “Huh?”
Her mind was still floating in the clouds. She could understand every word Qi Yunchi said, but when put together, she couldn’t quite grasp what he meant.
Qi Yunchi tapped the armrest of his wheelchair with his fingers, then pointed at Princess Huiling’s hand. “You’re hurting her.”
Princess Huiling: ???
At this point, not only was Princess Huiling confused, but even Wen Ninghan didn’t understand how the young heir suddenly shifted the topic to this, though her arm was indeed quite sore.
But since he’d already brought it up, she might as well go along with it to save herself. Wen Ninghan smiled and said, “Indeed, if possible, Princess, you should let go now.”
As for the part about hurting her, she decided to let that slide for now.
It seemed Princess Huiling finally realized she had been gripping Wen Ninghan’s arm for quite a while. Ever since learning the person who fell into the water was Hu’er, she had been holding onto Wen Ninghan.
Princess Huiling’s face, pale from excessive fright, now flushed slightly with embarrassment. “My apologies.”
After Princess Huiling let go, Wen Ninghan’s arm was finally freed. She stretched her wrist a bit before looking up at Qi Yunchi, still puzzled and with unanswered questions in her mind.
She and this heir of the Duke of Dingguo didn’t seem to have any connection beyond their brief encounter by the rock garden.
Why, then, did he “trust” her in that situation just now, acting as if he knew her well?
After all, in that scenario, anyone else would have doubted her, including herself.
She had already prepared to invoke her divine healer master and Young Master Han Jiu if necessary to prove she had some knowledge of medicine.
As a result—
Qi Yunchi is also looking at Wen Ninghan.
After a moment, Wen Ninghan seemed thoughtful, as if trying to confirm something, and stealthily took a step forward.
Qi Yunchi: “…”
When Feng Shu entered, the first thing he saw was the eldest young lady of the Yong’an Earl’s household sneaking closer to his young master.
Feng Shu had never quite understood why his young master treated this young lady differently, but now it seemed there was something between them that he didn’t know about.
Feng Shu frowned as he recalled.
When Feng Shu entered, Wen Ninghan had already stealthily stepped back. The distance she had just taken was enough for her to confirm that the smell of medicine on the young master wasn’t unfamiliar to her.
“Miss Wen, you’ve worked hard. Why don’t you sit down and have a cup of tea?”
Seeing the change in Wen Ninghan’s expression, Qi Yunchi knew she must have discovered something. However, he wasn’t too concerned—he was more worried about scaring her.
But recalling her previous actions, she didn’t seem the type to be easily frightened.
By now, Feng Shu had already pushed Qi Yunchi to the table, and the hot tea had long been prepared, but no one seemed in the mood to sit down at this moment.
Wen Ninghan silently watched Qi Yunchi, and the expression in her eyes is easy to read.
What time is it, and she is still thinking about sitting down for tea? With things mostly settled, it was time to retreat.
The little one had already been saved, and the rest would be handled by the palace doctors, the upcoming imperial physician, and the Duke of Rong’s household along with the princess’s estate.
She should leave before more people arrived.
So Wen Ninghan calmly declined, “Thank you for your hospitality, Young Master. There are still many things the princess needs to attend to here, and I should take my leave now.”
Qi Yunchi’s hand paused as he was pouring the tea.
He had thought that Wen Ninghan would reveal herself at this moment, just like she had at the inn, not caring about exposing her medical skills.
But now, it seemed she was still trying to avoid trouble.
Did she want nothing in return?
“Yes, today’s events were all thanks to Miss Wen’s help. Now that the princess’s household is in a state of chaos, we will certainly visit to express our gratitude later.”
Regardless of how Qi Yunchi decided on the “thank-you visit” for the Duke of Dingguo’s household and the princess’s estate, Wen Ninghan, after bidding farewell to the absent-minded Princess Huiling, finally left the chaotic flower-viewing banquet.
With all the unexpected events, the flower-viewing banquet could no longer continue.
Feng Shu had already arranged for the young masters and young ladies from various households, including the Fifth Prince and Wen Ningshuang, to be sent off.
At this point, only Wen Ninghan remained, and it was the princess’s carriage that personally took her back to the gates of the Marquis of Yong’an’s residence.
The journey was quiet, but when they arrived at the gates of the Marquis of Yong’an’s residence, Wen Ninghan encountered another unexpected situation.
‘Miss, it’s the Marquis.’
Marquis Wen Zhenyan was standing at the entrance of the mansion. From the look of it, he hadn’t just come out or returned, but had clearly been standing there for a while, obviously waiting for someone.
Wen Ninghan: “Hmm, surely he’s not waiting for me?”
How could she have such importance?
