21 Reaping What One Has Sown

Standing on the riverbank, Lin Qingxu laughed triumphantly, glaring at Lin Yuejiao. "Lin Yuejiao, you deserve to die. You humiliated me and stole my spotlight. Go to hell!"

Lin Yuejiao thrashed in the water, though she was not actually panicked. If she hadn't known how to swim, she would never have dared to walk by the lake in the middle of the night. She knew too well how many people had been pushed into the water and drowned without a trace; she would never have made such a careless mistake.

Just after Lin Yuejiao sank, Lin Qingxu, who had been viciously cursing, felt a sudden surge of fear. She stopped her insults and asked with a trembling voice, "Lin Yuejiao? Lin Yuejiao, are you dead?"

Caught between the terror of having committed murder and the thrill of having finally eliminated her enemy, Lin Qingxu shivered uncontrollably. Fear and elation warred within her, and not daring to remain at the "crime scene," she turned and bolted as if something were chasing her.

Deep at the bottom of the lake, Lin Yuejiao was holding her breath until she was nearly suffocating. She wondered why Lin Qingxu had dawdled for so long. Finally, hearing the sound of Lin Qingxu fleeing, Lin Yuejiao prepared to surface for air. Suddenly, there was a splash, and she was hauled into someone’s arms and pulled above the water. Before she could react, a cold finger was pressed against her nostrils, and a chilly voice asked with a hint of surprise, "No breath?"

The next moment, cold lips pressed against hers.

Lin Yuejiao had been holding her breath so long she was nearly fainting. Being suddenly pulled from the water felt like a dying fish being tossed back in; just as she was about to take a deep breath, her mouth was blocked.

Lin Yuejiao tried to push the person away, but her limbs were weak. With no other choice, she bit down hard. As she snapped her eyes open, she saw a pair of deep, profound eyes inches from her own.

They were face to face, noses touching, locked in a gaze as the metallic taste of blood spread between their lips.

The person holding her raised an eyebrow, realizing she was awake, and quickly pulled away. Only then did Lin Yuejiao see who it was.

His pear-blossom white silk robe was soaked through, and his long silver hair hung down in wet strands. His handsome, refined face was expressionless, and a few lingering droplets of water slid down his chiseled jawline, landing on the back of Lin Yuejiao’s hand.

It was Rong Yu, the Heir of Zhongyi.

Lin Yuejiao gasped for air, finally smelling fresh oxygen. She had survived; she had nearly suffocated. She noticed a wound on Rong Yu’s thin lips where she had bitten him, with bright red blood clearly visible. His expression at that moment was as icy as snow in midwinter.

"I didn't do it on purpose. Don't blame me; you brought it on yourself," Lin Yuejiao panted. She knew that in the circumstances, Rong Yu certainly hadn't intended to take advantage of her; after all, who would molest a "corpse"? Clearly, he had assumed she was drowning and used the folk method of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save her. It was a well-intentioned act to rescue her.

Rong Yu’s gaze fell upon her. "I will take you back."

Returning to the banquet in her soaked state would be inappropriate, and to avoid catching a cold, it was better to send her straight back to the Lin estate.

"No need..." Lin Yuejiao refused without thinking, noticing that his face, which had just begun to warm, returned to the chill of deep winter.

Rong Yu wasn't angry because he had been bitten; he was angry at himself. After leaving the banquet, he had wanted to avoid the Yun Sheng Water Pavilion, so he found a secluded spot in the garden, sat on a tree branch, and rested his hands behind his head, watching the moon and the night scenery. He had heard the faint sounds of an argument, but paid no mind until he heard the splash and the weak cries for help.

"Young Master, thank you for your help. However, I have other matters to attend to. Let us part ways here, and I will personally visit to thank you later," Lin Yuejiao said. Rong Yu hadn't known she could swim, so he had truly intended to save her life. She would naturally remember this debt of gratitude.

***

After saying this, Lin Yuejiao realized she had been lying in Rong Yu’s arms the whole time. She quickly scrambled up; her weak limbs had recovered significantly. Rong Yu’s expression returned to his usual cold arrogance, and ignoring her words, he turned and walked away.

"Miss, what happened to you? Did it rain?" Iris asked in surprise, glancing up at the sky.

Zhai Jinchi was also puzzled. Looking at the water stains on the ground, he asked, "Did the Fourth Miss accidentally fall into the lake?"

"It's nothing," Lin Yuejiao said, waving him off casually. "I'm not in a good state, so I won't talk further. Young Master Zhai, you should take the ginseng soup back to your mother while it's still warm."

Zhai Jinchi said gratefully, "I came specifically to thank you, Fourth Miss. I will certainly repay this favor in the future. I shall return now; farewell."

Just as Zhai Jinchi left, Yun Jian walked over carrying a white cloak.

"Fourth Miss, the Heir has ordered me to deliver this to you," Yun Jian said. Without waiting for Lin Yuejiao to refuse, he shoved the cloak into Iris’s hands and turned away coldly.

"Wow, Miss, how did the Heir know your clothes were wet and send a cloak specifically?" Iris asked, bewildered.

Lin Yuejiao’s face turned cold. "Lin Qingxu pushed me into the lake. The Heir happened to see it and saved me."

"Ah? Lin Qingxu, how dare she? This is the Si family's private estate! She is so bold to attempt murder on you!" Iris turned pale, asking worriedly, "Miss, are you alright? Where do you feel unwell? It is my dereliction of duty—it's all my fault for not looking after you properly and letting you be harmed by a villain."

With that, Iris knelt on the ground, her eyes reddening as she wept in self-reproach.

Lin Yuejiao pulled her up, feeling warmed by her loyalty. She shook her head. "Don't blame yourself. I am fine. Am I not sitting right here in front of you? I was the one who sent you on an errand; how could that be your fault? Get up."

"Thank you, Miss." Iris wiped her tears. Thinking of how Lin Yuejiao had almost died, she said indignantly, "Miss, let us tell the Matriarch. She will surely stand by you and get revenge!"

Lin Yuejiao shook her head again. "The Matriarch would favor me, but I have no evidence. If Lin Qingxu denies it to the death and accuses me of framing her, what can I do?"

"Are we just going to let her off so easily? Miss, she wanted your life!" Iris said, unwilling to let it go.

Lin Yuejiao pursed her lips in a smile. "I know. Of course I won't let her off, but even without evidence, I will make Lin Qingxu suffer the consequences of her own actions. Do not alert anyone. Act as if you haven't seen me, and do this..."

Hearing Lin Yuejiao's plan, Iris's eyes brightened. "That's a wonderful plan, Miss! I will carry it out exactly as you say! By the way, your clothes are soaked. I will find someone from the Si estate to get you a change."

"No need, that would only invite suspicion," Lin Yuejiao said, taking the cloak from Iris and wrapping it around herself. "This is enough."

He had sent the cloak at just the right time.

Iris, thinking of the Heir, covered her mouth to hide a giggle. "You are right, Miss. No matter how fine the clothes, they aren't as warm as the Heir's cloak. I spoke out of turn."

"You silly girl, stop talking nonsense," Lin Yuejiao scolded, though the fresh scent of him on the cloak was so clear, as if he were standing right beside her.

***

Late at night, on the way back to the estate inside the carriage, Lin Qingxu suddenly felt something was wrong. There seemed to be a sound of dripping water. The carriage clattered along, and the sound was faint, yet it felt as if it were coming from inside the carriage itself. It was strange—how could there be dripping water in such a place?

"Who's there?" Lin Qingxu shouted in terror.

"Lin Qingxu, I’m so cold..." A voice came from behind the mattress. A figure in white, with disheveled hair, a face pale as a ghost, and blood-red tears streaming from her eyes, crawled out from under the seat. Her face was as ghastly as a phantom, and the bloody tears were terrifying.

Lin Qingxu screamed, "Ghost!"

"The bottom of the lake is so cold, and I'm so lonely by myself. Lin Qingxu, come down and keep me company..." The female ghost’s hand gripped Lin Qingxu’s ankle firmly. It was ice cold, and the eerie voice seemed to come from hell itself.

Lin Qingxu was going mad with fear.

"No! Lin Yuejiao, don't come over! Let go of me! Help! Someone, save me! There's a ghost! Help!" Lin Qingxu shrieked in a panic, desperate to scramble out of the carriage, but the ghost’s grip on her ankle and the fact that her legs had turned to jelly from terror made it impossible.

The coachman and the maid outside heard the screams and pulled back the curtain. Inside the flickering light of the carriage, they saw a female ghost clutching Lin Qingxu’s ankle. The ghost looked up at them and smiled eerily. "Do you want to come down and keep me company too?"

"Ghost!" The coachman and the maid, Yingtong, felt their scalps tingle. They turned and fled, tumbling off the carriage in their haste, wishing they could run even faster.

"Don't come over! Help! Lin Yuejiao, stop! I'm sorry, I was wrong! I was just confused! I'll burn paper money for you—lots and lots of it! Please, don't take revenge on me, I don't want to die, I really don't want to die..." Lin Qingxu sobbed, completely broken by the sight.

The ghost stared at her with a hideous expression. "Lin Qingxu, give me back my life. It's so cold down there. Come down and keep me company..."

"Help me! Mercy! I was wrong, please don't kill me! I'm sorry, oh please..." Lin Qingxu kowtowed frantically, shivering, her face a mess of tears and snot, her spirit completely shattered.

The ghost’s hand dragged her toward the door. "Lin Qingxu, the water at the bottom of the lake is so cold. Come down and keep me company, come down, hurry..."

"Ah!" Lin Qingxu could no longer bear the horror; it had far exceeded her psychological limit. With a piercing scream, she fainted dead away.

Seeing that Lin Qingxu was motionless, the ghost let go, glanced at the girl on the floor, sneered, hopped out of the carriage, and vanished into the darkness of the street.

"Miss." Iris covered Lin Yuejiao with the cloak. "You've worked hard."

Lin Yuejiao curled her lips into a faint smile. "Seeing Lin Qingxu scared unconscious makes it all worth it. How did things go on your end?"

"Just as you instructed, I had Miss Zijin take Lin Qingxu back to the estate, and I told Young Master Li Moqian that you were feeling unwell and had left early. Miss Zijin is waiting at the crossroads to meet you now. I have already coordinated the story with her," Iris said with a grin. "Don't worry, Miss, everything went according to plan without a hitch."

Lin Yuejiao smiled.

When the carriage reached the crossroads, Lin Zijin’s carriage was already waiting. Seeing Lin Yuejiao, her heart finally settled. "Iris said you were fine, but I couldn't rest easy until I saw you myself. It is a miracle you are unharmed after falling into the water."

"I made you worry," Lin Yuejiao said with a smile. "It is too late today, so I will not go to pay my respects to the Matriarch. With the chaos Lin Xueshu caused, the Matriarch's quarters will be in an uproar tonight. You have had a hard day."

Lin Zijin replied, "Not just the Matriarch’s quarters—with everything that happened tonight, neither branch of the family will be at peace. You should get some rest after such a shock. I will report to the Matriarch; you should just rest easy."

At the Xinzhou Literary Gathering, Lin Qingliu had been molested, Lin Xueshu had been disgraced by a love potion, Lin Qingxu had been scared into a faint, and Lin Yuejiao herself had been injured and pushed into the lake. Tonight, the Lin family was destined for no peace.

"I'm afraid even if I want to rest, I won't be able to," Lin Yuejiao thought of what was to come, her eyes glinting with an inscrutable light.

Lin Qingxu, the return gift has only just begun.