ool was out.I thought Gu Qian was just being scolded by the old teacher and was embarrassed to come to class.As soon as she got home, she saw Anqi crying on the sofa with her face covered and broken t...Fastest updates! No ads!

In June, at the height of summer, Cheng Mansion was surprisingly cool. A lush grove of willows shielded the afternoon sun's scorching heat. Flowers and rare plants competed in their beauty, swaying gently in the breeze and releasing a sweet fragrance.

In a place where every inch of land is valuable, Wang could have a mansion as large as a prince's residence, complete with a spacious garden. It wasn't located in the area where officials and nobles lived, nor was it something an ordinary family could afford.

Of course, the outer Cheng residence wouldn't admit that this entire courtyard belonged to the Cheng family; it would be against protocol.

In the center of Chengfu stood a small stream originating from a branch of the moat, which divided Chengfu in two. To the outside world, Chengfu only claimed the eastern side as its own, while stating that the western side belonged to another household.

Although the half-house might be slightly large for the owner's status, it wasn't too out of place.

And at this moment, by the banks of a babbling brook, two maidens with jade-like youthful beauty were conversing.

In the distance, a group of maids and servants stood silently behind them, not disturbing the two.

"Sister, look! Something just swam past in the water!"

The speaking woman wore a pale pink cloud-patterned satin and jade silk dress, with earrings inlaid with crystal stones. She held a embroidered hand fan in her hand, her pretty face filled with surprise as she pointed at the gently flowing stream and urged the woman beside her to come and have a look.

The woman wore a sky-blue gauze skirt, her face puzzled. The afternoon sun had warmed her cheeks to a slight blush, making her irresistibly beautiful. Anyone who saw her would have to praise her beauty. Upon hearing the pink-clothed girl's words, she curiously stepped forward two paces and approached the stream.

The woman in pink covered her face with a fan and glanced back discreetly before following him.

Suddenly, a cry of alarm came from by the stream.

"Oh! Sister, be careful!"

"Thump—"

"Thump—"

The girl in pink and the girl in blue both fell into the water, startling all the maidservants who rushed to the riverbank. However, a man in white, who had appeared suddenly, was quicker.

The man in white jumped into the water without hesitation, searching for the two who had fallen.

Although it was summer, the stream wasn't freezing cold, but there was a chill in the air. The man in white shivered and shouted, "Miss Xiqian, Miss Chuxi, don't be afraid, I'm coming to save you!"

Though the stream is small and its water flow gentle, it is surprisingly deep.

Besides struggling in panic, the two girls who couldn't swim sank quickly.

In the unseen place, the girl in pink broke free from the blue-clad girl's grip, struggling upwards for help. So she didn't see a smirk creep onto the blue-clad girl's lips.

......

......

Gu Qian just stepped into character when she was bumped. She instinctively reached back and grabbed something, then fell into the water.

She quickly came to her senses after entering the water, and only then did she see that it was a young girl who had grabbed her.

Originally, she was afraid the little girl would get splashed with water and wanted to pull her up, but unexpectedly, the little girl broke free from her grasp and even pushed her under the water.

Want to harm her

No, want her to be the stand-in

This is unacceptable!

The original owner shouldn't be able to swim, otherwise that person wouldn't have made her fall into the water just now.

But the original owner wouldn't... She would!

Gu Qian held her breath underwater, thought for a moment and didn't go straight up. She swam along the stream for a few times until she ran out of oxygen before surfacing.

From afar, I could hear the panicked cries for help, mixed with sobs from women.

Gu Qian didn't go up directly for a reason.

This time, Shu Ling returned to her human form and told her the book title in advance.

Please don't use me for tasks that involve sensitive information or require personal opinions.I can help you with other things, like:* Translating text between languagesLet me know if you have any other requests!wing a little taller.I don't feel like there's anything special about it.Chen Yu, you..."Chen Yu"Gu Qian turned his head and was stunned.She merely glanced at the space within the secret realm, and wh...