Chapter 24: She Is the Murderer

In that instant, Shen Xianyue felt as if the world around her had slowed down. The shouts of the crowd seemed to stretch into long, drawn-out echoes before finally reaching her ears, and an endless sense of weightlessness engulfed her.

Her final thought was: "I knew nothing good would come from getting close to Xiao Liyang!"

Just then, a figure swept toward her like a phantom. With a light tap of his toes and his robes fluttering in the wind, Xiao Tuyu reached out to catch her slender waist just before she hit the water. With a nimble turn, he landed firmly on the nearby grass.

Terrified, Shen Xianyue had squeezed her eyes shut, clinging tightly to Xiao Tuyu. She only dared to open them, trembling, once her feet touched solid ground.

What met her gaze were Xiao Tuyu’s eyes, filled with concern and a hint of irritation. He had saved her again. Shen Xianyue felt as though she were being pulled into the depths of his gaze, unable to look away for a long time.

"Heavens, Yueyue, you scared me to death! How could you be so careless?"

Qu Shiying walked over, covering her mouth with a dramatic flair, her eyes darting between the two of them. "It's fortunate the Marquis of Champion was here; otherwise, falling in would surely have made you ill again. But, what is this..."

Only then did Shen Xianyue snap back to reality. She was still pressed firmly against Xiao Tuyu’s chest. To be in such a position in front of so many people was somewhat improper.

"I..."

Shen Xianyue lowered her hands, intending to speak, but Xiao Tuyu wrapped his long arm around her, pulling her completely into his embrace. "My fiancée has been frightened, and I am offering comfort. Is there something wrong with that?"

Xiao Tuyu’s gaze was sharp. Shen Xianyue sensed his anger and dared not say another word, simply allowing him to hold her close. In that moment, she suddenly felt that this was not so bad after all—at least Xiao Tuyu was truly willing to protect her.

Qu Shiying clearly had not expected Xiao Tuyu to be so indifferent to social propriety. She thought to herself that Shen Xianyue was truly lucky, as the men she encountered were all so devoted to her. A wave of bitterness rose in her heart, yet she could say nothing.

"No... nothing at all. It is just that you are not yet married, and it might look improper to others. Yueyue is my friend, so of course, I must look after her."

As Qu Shiying finished speaking, whispers erupted behind her: "The Marquis of Champion is so handsome and capable! I wish I could marry him!"

"If someone were to protect me like that, I would be happy even if I died."

"Not only is he handsome and talented, but he treats his fiancée so well. If only I had known, I would have begged my father to ask the Emperor for a marriage decree."

Listening to the unconcealable envy and jealousy of the crowd toward Shen Xianyue, Qu Shiying felt as if she had been slapped across the face.

"You are Yueyue's friend? Then why did I see you push her into the water just now?"

Qu Shiying’s heart skipped a beat. There were so many people earlier that perhaps no one had noticed. Could the Marquis have been there? Had he actually seen her? No, that was impossible. As long as she adamantly denied it, she would be fine.

"Even if you are a Marquis, you cannot simply throw mud at others! Everyone in the capital knows that I am closest to Yueyue; how could I possibly push her into the water?"

Xiao Tuyu sensed that the person in his arms had relaxed, no longer as resistant as before, and the stifling pressure in his heart eased slightly.

"If you hadn't suddenly run over and laughed out loud, would she have lunged forward, lost her balance, and pushed Yueyue into the water?"

The blindfolded girl had long since been frightened into tears. She never expected such misfortune—that through a twist of fate, she had nearly pushed Shen Xianyue into the water.

"I clearly heard a sound over there, how could it be Miss Shen? Wuwuwu..."

It was all over. She had been caught red-handed by the Marquis of Champion. She didn't know if this would implicate her family. Thinking of this, the girl cried even more bitterly, large teardrops falling down her cheeks.

"You must be reasonable! There are so many people here, why are you pinning it on me? You are framing me!" Qu Shiying said, flustered and desperate.

"I never said it was you."

The girl retorted cautiously. She could not afford to offend either the Qu family or the Marquis. She figured she would likely have to take the blame for this. With that thought, she stepped forward and bowed deeply to Shen Xianyue. "Miss Shen, it is all my fault. Please, in your greatness, do not hold this against me. Please forgive me."

This young girl was the daughter of Minister Wang. She was usually quiet and well-behaved. Despite being terrified, she had managed to step forward and apologize, showing her truly pure and kind nature. Unlike Qu Shiying.

Shen Xianyue’s gaze swept over Qu Shiying’s face with cold indifference. She then pulled away from Xiao Tuyu’s arms and helped Miss Wang up. "You didn't do it on purpose. You were blindfolded and couldn't see clearly. I don't blame you."

Hearing that Shen Xianyue did not blame her, Miss Wang burst into tears of relief, covered her eyes, and ran off.

Xiao Tuyu was unsatisfied. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms again, placing a large hand on her waist, acting as her protector. The warmth radiated through her clothes, and Shen Xianyue’s ears turned a faint shade of red.

As Miss Wang left, everyone’s gaze fell upon Qu Shiying. The intense, scrutinizing, and suspicious stares seemed as if they would burn her to ashes. Qu Shiying stood in the center, isolated and helpless, not knowing what to say. She could only look at Shen Xianyue for help.

Under the weight of her expectant gaze, Shen Xianyue spoke: "I don't think Shiying did it on purpose. Although there was plenty of space elsewhere, she insisted on running over here. But perhaps she just wanted to talk to me, or was happy to see me approach. Everyone, please don't blame Shiying. I forgive her."

Qu Shiying’s expression turned as sour as if she had swallowed a fly. "Yueyue, what do you mean by 'forgive me'? I didn't push you in!"

Shen Xianyue feigned surprise. "Oh? Does that mean it was Miss Wang's doing? But Miss Wang's action was unintentional, it’s fine. Our friendship is so strong that even if it had been you, I would have forgiven you."

Shen Xianyue stepped forward and took Qu Shiying’s hand with a sincere expression. "Shiying, we are the best of sisters."

Qu Shiying wanted to shake her hand off, disgusted by this passive-aggressive behavior, but she knew that causing a scene now would only make her look unreasonable. She had no choice but to swallow her pride.

"I don't think this Miss Shen is as overbearing as the rumors suggest. She seems quite decent."

"Exactly. She was almost killed, yet she is still magnanimous enough to forgive the culprit. Such a broad mind!"

"I don't think I could compare. If someone like her is considered overbearing, then who is kind-hearted? The rumors are wrong, the rumors are wrong!"

Listening to them repeatedly calling her the "culprit," Qu Shiying gritted her teeth in fury, wishing she could drive them all out of the estate.

Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Shen Xianyue felt much better and turned to address the crowd.