Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 91
Chapter 91 - The Little Heir Falls into the Water
Although a child's legs are short, they run exceptionally fast.
Once the little fellow darted into the crowd, he ran continuously in one direction, and before long, he had sprinted right out of the city gates.
Even though there were few people outside the city, there were grassy areas and woods everywhere, so the people from the Prince of Pingxi's Estate split into two groups to search separately.
"Madam Xie, what should we do?" Second Miss Tan asked, pacing around in a panic. "If anything happens to the little heir, my life won't be enough to pay for it."
"The little heir will be fine," Yun Chu said calmly. "Let's just hurry up and find him."
She only looked composed, but in reality, she was extremely anxious inside. It was her fault; she shouldn't have made Yu Ge'er apologize right out on the main street, and she should have been more considerate of the child's feelings...
Yun Chu was followed by two maidservants and Yu Ke, while Second Miss Tan also brought along a maidservant. The group of six did not dare to slack off, calling out as they walked.
After walking for about half an hour, getting further and further away from the capital, a lake gradually came into view ahead, its surface shimmering beneath the sunlight.
At a single glance, Yun Chu spotted the child sitting on a large rock by the lakeside.
Her heart instantly leapt to her throat.
"It's Yu Ge'er!"
Joy appeared in Second Miss Tan's eyes.
Yun Chu softly instructed, "Yu Ke, you walk fast. Hurry and notify the people from the Prince of Pingxi's Estate so they can come here to pick up the little heir."
Yu Ke nodded in acknowledgment and swiftly went off to find Mother Zheng's group.
Yun Chu and Second Miss Tan slowly approached the lakeside.
Before they even got close, Chu Hongyu, sitting upon the rock, heard footsteps. He turned his head, his eyes completely red as he looked at Yun Chu.
"Don't come over!"
He stood up, perching right on top of the large boulder.
It was always windy by the lake, and as a gust swept past, Yun Chu could see his small figure swaying.
Second Miss Tan was so frightened that she tightly grabbed Yun Chu's hand.
"Little Heir, be a good boy," Yun Chu said as she walked toward the lakeshore. "Whatever is on our minds, let's sit down and talk about it slowly, alright?"
"That's right, Yu Ge'er," Second Miss Tan chimed in. "I admit that I pinched you, and I will apologize to your father. Please come over first, won't you? The lakeside is too dangerous."
Chu Hongyu didn't even spare Second Miss Tan a glance, keeping his gaze locked directly onto Yun Chu. "Did you see me frame her with your own eyes? If so, will you never like me again?"
"How could that be?" A smile blossomed on Yun Chu's face. "I know you must have had your own reasons for doing that. Besides, knowing one's errors and being able to reform is the greatest virtue of all; you will always be that lovable little heir."
Chu Hongyu pressed his lips tightly together. "But you called me 'Little Heir'."
The title of little heir felt far too distant; he preferred it when she called him Yu Ge'er.
With no other choice, Yun Chu changed her address: "Yu Ge'er, you're the most obedient boy. How could I possibly not like you? Just stand still and be a good boy, and I'll help you down."
Chu Hongyu lowered his gaze, nervously tugging at the hem of his clothes.
He felt that the way he was acting right now was somewhat unworthy of his mother's affection.
He took a deep breath and looked toward Second Miss Tan. "Miss Tan, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have framed you for pinching the back of my hand. It was my fault—can you forgive me?"
Second Miss Tan was utterly astonished.
She had spent more than an hour with this little heir, and no matter what she said, the little fellow had kept a stern, stony face throughout.
Yet now, after just a few casual words from Madam Xie, the little heir had taken the initiative to admit his mistake and apologize to her.
She had originally thought the little heir was just willful, mischievous, and completely unreasonable. Now, she realized the truth: perhaps she simply had no idea how to coax a child at all?
"It's alright, Yu Ge'er," Second Miss Tan said with a smile. "I was at fault too, for forcing you to accept me. We have a long time ahead of us, so we can take things slowly."
Upon hearing these words, Chu Hongyu—who had already calmed down somewhat—once again pressed his lips into a tight line.
If his father found out he had framed Miss Tan, a scolding would be a minor matter; his father would surely feel he had wronged Miss Tan and agree to take her into the estate as a wife.
What should he do? What on earth should he do? Why had he managed to completely mess everything up?
He glanced at Yun Chu, wishing so badly that he could openly and proudly call her "Mother"—a dream that would likely never come true.
Involuntary, he took a step backward.
With a piercing scream from Second Miss Tan followed immediately by a loud splash, Chu Hongyu fell into the lake without any warning.
"Yu Ge'er!"
Without a second thought, Yun Chu rushed forward. She didn't even have time to take off her shoes before diving straight into the lake after him.
"Madam!"
Tingshuang was frightened out of her wits and jumped in right after her. Tingfeng didn't know how to swim, so she frantically searched around for a long branch or bamboo pole.
The summer lake water wasn't freezing, but it was very deep.
Yun Chu was endlessly grateful that when she was young, her mother often took her to play at their country estate. Because she was mischievous and loved playing in the water—and her mother feared she would fall into a river and drown—she had arranged for someone to teach her how to swim.
As soon as she plunged in, she spotted Chu Hongyu continuously sinking downward.
The bottom of the lake was choked with waterweeds, and the moment the little fellow sank down, his ankles became entangled in the weeds, causing him to struggle desperately for his life.
Yun Chu swam toward him rapidly.
She first untangled the waterweeds, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind and began kicking upward toward the surface.
Finally breaking through to the surface of the lake, the little fellow was able to breathe again, instantly regaining his strength as he wrapped both his arms and legs tightly around Yun Chu's waist.
Yun Chu hadn't been in the water for many years, and weighed down by his tight grip, she forgot how to use her hands and feet properly. Her body sank downward, and she swallowed a mouthful of water before she could react.
Chu Hongyu had no idea at all what kind of trouble his actions were causing for Yun Chu.
He only knew that he had to cling tightly to the person in front of him, otherwise he would fall back into the water, and that suffocating, stifling feeling was simply too terrifying to endure.
Yun Chu lost her sense of balance because of him and swallowed three or four more mouthfuls of lake water.
She heard Tingshuang's voice calling from a distance. Tingshuang had learned to swim alongside her since childhood; with Tingshuang there to help, things should get much easier.
Just at that moment, she felt a shadow loom overhead.
Before she could even figure out what it was, her waist was suddenly pulled firmly into an embrace, and in the next instant, both she and Chu Hongyu were hauled completely out of the water.
Instinctively, she tightened her hold around the child clinging to her, while simultaneously finding herself enveloped within a broad, sturdy chest.
She lifted her gaze and caught sight of a man's profile—it was the Prince of Pingxi.
Her instinct was to struggle away.
"Don't move," Chu Yi's voice was exceptionally cold and deep. "You'll fall back into the lake."
Lowering her head, she saw Chu Yi holding her as he skimmed lightly across the surface of the water, reaching the shore almost in the blink of an eye.
A crowd had gathered along the bank, but with a swift turn, Chu Yi blocked the guards' line of sight.
Lowering his gaze, he saw the young woman thoroughly soaked through, her thin summer garments outlining the fine curves of her figure... He quickly averted his eyes, stripped off his outer robe, and draped it over Yun Chu's shoulders.
Tingfeng, who had been holding a long tree branch and preparing to help, was completely dumbfounded. It wasn't until Chu Yi landed on the bank carrying Yun Chu that she snapped back to reality.
Discarding the branch, she hurriedly untied her own outer garment, dashed toward Yun Chu at top speed, and wedged herself into the space between Chu Yi and Yun Chu.
With a swift motion, she pulled the man's robe off Yun Chu and threw her own clothes over Yun Chu's head in the blink of an eye.
Seeing that Yun Chu was wrapped up so securely that not a single inch was visible, Tingfeng finally let out a breath of relief, then used the man's robe to wrap up the equally drenched Chu Hongyu.
On the other side, with Second Miss Tan's assistance, Tingshuang climbed out of the lake water, looking thoroughly soaked as well.
Because Second Miss Tan was busy helping Tingshuang over there, she naturally didn't see how Yun Chu had suddenly managed to emerge from the water...
Yu Ke, who had just led Mother Zheng and the others to the scene, happened to catch sight of the dripping-wet Tingshuang. Without a second thought, he peeled off his own outer garment and walked toward her.