Chapter 80: I Was Pushed

Gu Shengyu stood beside her, as if suddenly recalling something, and spoke abruptly, “By the way, I have something I wish to show you, Lady of Yong’an. Please wait here for a moment, I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” she replied.

Only when he finally left did Shen Nanyuan truly breathe a sigh of relief. Being in the company of the Second Prince was unbearably oppressive; she hardly dared to breathe too deeply. Now, at last, she was granted a moment’s respite.

Yet, she found it rather odd. After the Second Prince, along with his eunuchs and guards, had departed, the imperial garden became eerily quiet. Other than herself, she saw not another soul. Gazing around in surprise, an indescribable feeling crept over her.

She did not know how much time had passed before the sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence. Shen Nanyuan looked up, expecting the Second Prince, but instead, a palace maid was walking directly toward her. The maid lowered her gaze and offered a respectful curtsey.

“Lady of Yong’an, I am a maidservant in His Highness’s household. His Highness worried you might lose your way, so he specially sent me to accompany you.”

Shen Nanyuan nodded slightly at this. Pausing for a moment, she then asked, “Where has His Highness gone?”

“To answer you, my lady,” the maid replied, “His Highness has gone to Huale Palace, his private residence.”

She frowned. The Second Prince had said he wanted to show her something, and now he had gone to fetch it from his own quarters. She had no interest in whatever it might be.

There was a small arched wooden bridge over the pond, not far from the water’s surface, leading to a pavilion at the center. The maid spoke softly, “Would you like to go over and take a look, my lady? Or perhaps wait for His Highness in the pavilion?”

Shen Nanyuan glanced into the distance and nodded, “Let’s go over, then.”

The maid followed closely behind, gently reminding her, “Please be careful, my lady.”

The wooden bridge was short; just a few steps brought them to its highest point. At that moment, Shen Nanyuan suddenly heard the maid’s voice behind her.

“My lady, look! The water lilies are blooming.”

At these words, Shen Nanyuan turned, taking a few steps toward the edge of the bridge and looking in the direction indicated. Sure enough, amidst the green, a single white water lily was in full bloom, its center a tender yellow.

She could not help but feel a little surprised. The flowers had bloomed early this year—barely May, and already they had opened.

The maid’s voice, tinged with concern, sounded behind her, “Careful, my lady, don’t fall in.”

Even as she spoke, Shen Nanyuan suddenly felt a tremendous force against her waist. Caught off guard, she pitched forward—there was nothing before her but empty space—and with a startled cry, she plunged into the pond.

The water closed over her in an instant, pressing in from all sides, flooding her nose and mouth. Every sense was drowned by the pond water; instinct alone drove her to struggle desperately for survival. For a moment, she was incapable of any thought at all. The splashing water choked her, making even breathing impossible.

Vaguely, she caught a glimpse of the palace maid’s face, serene and indifferent, standing on the bridge above.

Shen Nanyuan’s strength ebbed away. Despair and the terror of impending death flooded her body. Her garments clung to her like stone, dragging her relentlessly toward the depths. Fear coiled around her limbs like vines, and her consciousness began to fade. The water rose over her head, and in that hazy moment, she seemed to see her mother and father, seemed to see Shen Sinian, seemed to see Xiao Yan appear before her once more.

One scene after another flashed by, as if in a fleeting, dreamlike review of her life. Shen Nanyuan’s last ounce of strength left her.

If only someone would come and save her…

In her blurred awareness, it seemed someone was fighting desperately to reach her. Strong hands encircled her waist, pulling her forcefully back from the whirlpool, as if dragging her abruptly from the grip of death. Suddenly, her vision filled with brilliant light, and in that fleeting moment, she met a pair of eyes, black as ink, shining brighter than the stars.

They looked like Xiao Yan’s eyes.

A surge of indescribable emotion rose in her heart. She threw her arms around her rescuer’s neck, and everything before her snapped into clarity—

It was the Second Prince.

Startled as if awoken from a nightmare, Shen Nanyuan hastily withdrew her hands.

Gu Shengyu was guiding her toward the shore, oblivious to her actions. Shen Nanyuan’s mind was foggy; as the water closed over her head once more, she lost consciousness.

She did not know how long she slept. When Shen Nanyuan awoke again, night had already fallen outside.

She stirred slightly. Her head still felt heavy, but apart from fatigue and a lingering weight in her limbs, she was unharmed. Shen Sinian immediately approached, his eyes bloodshot—a clear sign he had watched over her all night.

“Yuanyuan, how do you feel?”

“I’m all right, brother.” Shen Nanyuan frowned, sitting up in bed. She realized they were still in some palace hall. “We haven’t left the palace?”

“It happened so suddenly,” Shen Sinian explained. “Consort Zhuang had us brought to this unused palace and had the imperial physician treat you first. I’ve also sent word to the Duke’s residence and Mother that we’ll spend the night in the palace. Thank goodness you’re unharmed—otherwise…”

He shook his head, as if unwilling to contemplate the alternative, and continued, “It was the Second Prince who saved you today. What happened? How did you fall into the water?”

Shen Nanyuan pressed her lips together. The events before she fell flashed vividly in her mind, and she clenched her hands. “I was pushed, brother.”

This stunned Shen Sinian. His face darkened at once, a storm gathering in his eyes, turning sharp and cold. He clenched his fists with icy resolve.

“Who was it?”

Just then, a voice sounded outside.

“Captain Shen, has the Lady of Yong’an awakened? Might I enter and take her pulse?”

Shen Sinian lifted his head, replying, “Please come in, Imperial Physician Wang.”

He turned to her and said, “We’ll speak more later. Your brother will stand by you.”

Shen Nanyuan nodded, a little reassured, allowing Shen Sinian to prop a silk pillow behind her so she could lean back.

It seemed many people were waiting outside. When the door opened, several palace maids came in along with the physician, bustling about. Shen Nanyuan obediently extended her hand, and the physician placed a cloth over her wrist to take her pulse.

The day’s events had alarmed the emperor, who had come to see her while she slept. Consort Zhuang and others had also stayed a while before returning to their own quarters. When the physician finished, she heard him say, “The Lady of Yong’an was rescued quickly after falling into the water and is in no serious danger now. Captain Shen, you may rest easy.”