The Dark Moonlight returns to the capital, and the mad prince is accused of forcing love.

"I already said that," Xu Qianhui said slowly, "I have nothing to do with them anymore."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Qianhui lifted her foot and took a step toward Lin Zhiwei.

Many animals have a sense of territory and will drive away animals when their territory is invaded.

The same applies to people.

Xu Qianhui's move, this approaching posture, was nothing short of a provocation to Lin Zhiwei, and would arouse her instinctive discomfort.

She subconsciously raised her hand and pushed Xu Qianhui's shoulder.

"Since you say it's alright, why are you shamelessly staying in the manor?"

Lin Zhiwei only wanted to push Xu Qianhui away to ensure a more comfortable distance; she didn't use much force.

But the moment her palm touched Xu Qianhui.

Xu Qianhui did not try to stabilize her lower body, but instead staggered back two steps with the force of the push.

Her heels landed on the slippery moss by the pool, and she suddenly leaned back, feeling a sense of weightlessness enveloping her.

thump--

Water splashes.

The withered lotus leaves in autumn had their stems broken, and the icy liquid, like a ferocious beast with its mouth wide open, swallowed Xu Qianhui whole.

What Qiu Zhiqing tried so hard to accomplish in the pavilion but failed.

Lin Zhiwei made it with just a gentle push.

The icy pool water rushed into her ears and nose, soaking her heavy skirt, which felt like a pair of hands desperately pulling her towards the dark bottom of the pool.

The water surface above my head shattered into countless spots of light.

Whoosh!

She struggled to lift her head above the water, gasping for breath, her vision blurred by the curtain of water.

Through the misty vapor, she saw a hurried figure emerge from behind the artificial hill.

Lin Zuo'an.

His eyes were covered in black smudges, and even the silver crown that held his hair back was askew.

His eyes were filled with panic.

"Ah Fen!"

As he ran, he took off his outer shirt in preparation to jump into the water to save the person, but Qin Miaoyun grabbed his arm.

"I forbid you to save her!" she cried, her voice trembling. "If you jump in now and have sex with her, what if she comes after you?"

Xu Qianhui struggled, only to see Lin Zuo'an stop in his tracks.

"You promised my father! Don't you care about the reputation of the Grand Tutor's Mansion?!"

These words, like a knife chilled to the bone, struck precisely at Lin Zuo'an's Achilles' heel.

Water splashes against the Taihu stones.

Xu Qianhui choked on another mouthful of water, her body sank slightly, and she struggled to float up again.

She gazed at the man on the shore from several meters away across the water.

On Lin Zuoan's handsome face, there was a mixture of panic, heartache, and the deepest weighing of options.

He watched the people struggling in the water.

But those legs that used to chase after her seemed to be nailed to the bluestone slab.

They didn't take another inch forward.

He moved his lips as if calling Xu Qianhui's name, but no sound came out.

After thinking for a moment, he looked away and turned to Qin Miaoyun, coaxing her in the gentlest tone.

"Listen to me, this is a misunderstanding..."

Water washed over her ears, but Xu Qianhui's heart remained surprisingly calm.

The pause a person makes at the brink of life and death is always more real than a vow made under the moonlit flowers.

He kept saying he would divorce her in three years and promised her a pleasure boat in Jiangnan.

But when it really came down to gambling his life with the marriage to the Grand Tutor's family, he chose to back down.

He would rather she died.

She looked at Lin Zuo'an on the shore, then suddenly let go of his hands and feet and stopped thrashing about.

The pool water quickly rose above his chin and flooded his mouth and nose.

Xu Qianhui let her body sink, her hand reaching into her bosom in the water.

The oil paper was squeezed and torn.

The viscous liquid gushed out and quickly spread throughout the pool.

It bloomed into a huge, scarlet flower.

Lin Zhiwei's distorted scream came from the shore.

"Blood! There's blood!"

Qin Miaoyun's crying stopped abruptly, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground in fright.

When Lin Zuo'an saw that patch of red, his face immediately turned as white as a corpse.

"Ah Hui..." he murmured.

As Xu Qianhui held her breath, she slowly closed her eyes.

Judging by the time, he should be arriving soon.

Just as the water had completely submerged her head, a series of extremely heavy footsteps came from the other side of the artificial hill.

Without pausing, a figure in black leaped directly into the blood-red pool of water.

Xu Qianhui felt the water surging violently. The next moment, her waist was tightly gripped, and a strong arm pulled her upwards.

She was dragged ashore in a short while.

Even though she had already held her breath, Xu Qianhui still choked on a few mouthfuls of water.

After a violent coughing fit, she finally saw the person in front of her clearly.

Lin Zuoqing supported her back with one arm in a half-hug posture, her wet hair dripping water.

He knelt before her, his eyes bloodshot.

He seemed frightened by the blood on her body.

"Xu Qianhui, where is your wound?"

"..."

"say!"

Xu Qianhui didn't speak, but looked at him with hazy eyes, a triumphant smile curving her lips.

The next moment, Lin Zuoqing lifted her up in his arms.

"Go to Huichuntang and fetch Doctor Wang!"

Xu Qianhui wrapped her arms around his neck, watching his thin lips purse and his jawline straighten, and reminded him in a very soft voice.

"They're all watching."

Lin Zuoqing seemed not to hear, and carried her quickly towards Songbai Courtyard.

Lin Zuo'an wanted to follow, but Qin Miaoyun pulled him back forcefully, shaking her head at him with tears in her eyes.

Lin Zhiwei also said, "Zuo Qing is a martial artist, he is strong and can definitely run faster than you, so you won't be of any help even if you go."

Lin Zuo'an only chased after him for two steps before finally stopping.

......

Lying back on the familiar bed in Songbai Courtyard, Xu Qianhui watched as Lin Zuoqing dismissed everyone and hastily tore open her clothes to begin his examination.

He searched carefully from head to toe with trembling hands, but found no wounds.

Finally, suspicious glances fell on her thick menstrual pads.

His expression was indescribable, yet he found it unbelievable.

Menstruation...can there be such a large amount of blood?

Xu Qianhui couldn't help but laugh, her body twitching slightly from laughing.

It was just a little blood loss, yet it made him panic like this.

Why?

Why was he able to say such heartless things back then?

Why could he just watch her sink to the bottom of the water without doing anything?

She recalled that when she was ten years old, her father went out to do business, and her stepmother wouldn't give her any food, so she jumped into the lotus pond to pick lotus roots.

She can swim.

The lotus roots she found were enough for her and her younger brother to get through the entire late autumn.

But on that cold, rainy night, she sank to the bottom of the river.

Willingly.

Lin Zuoqing's expression gradually turned cold.

He took two steps back and looked at her: "Xu Qianhui, where did the blood come from?"

Xu Qianhui lay on the edge of the bed, not wanting her wet hair to get on his bedding.

She whispered, "The doctor will be here soon, so why are you in such a hurry to interrogate me?"

"You're always like this!"

Lin Zuoqing suddenly flew into a rage and kicked over the footstool in front of the bed.

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look up.

"Can't you just tell me the truth with that mouth of yours?!"

His fingers were very cold, and he squeezed with tremendous force, making her bones ache.

Xu Qianhui was forced to tilt her head back and meet his fiery gaze.

"cannot."

To be honest, she did say that.

Three years ago, on a rainy night, she knelt on the ground, clutching his clothes, and said she was pregnant with his child.

But he didn't believe it.

She then stopped talking.

Before Lin Zuoqing could launch another attack, Xu Qianhui said:

"Lord Lin, in front of everyone, your fiancée pushed me into the pool."

"If I sue her, what are the chances that the Jingzhao Prefecture will convict her of attempted murder?"