Chapter 563

Chapter 563 – Falling into the Water

Lu Jing originally wanted to come out and meet the world today, she wanted to remind the people of her existence in the Lu family. She didn’t come to be Lu Yaoyao’s foil nor a foil to that girl’s beauty. As such, she didn’t want to be around the Wu girl who was incessantly praising the princess to the sky and instead went to the lotus pond by the rockery by herself.

Now, who in the capital didn’t want to marry Lu Yaoyao? Hehe, being a princess has its charms, after all. Who would have thought that a wild girl who grew up in a border town would actually become a princess?

Lu Jing thought back to the time she first met Lu Yaoyao and the disdain she had felt at the sight of the dark, frail, and utterly ugly girl. But was there anyone who would call that wild girl ugly now?

“Excuse me, are you Miss Lu?” said a boy of seventeen or eighteen as he walked across the arch bridge of the lotus pond. He approached Lu Jing gracefully and cupped his hands in a salute.

Lu Jing, disturbed in her reverie, eyed him warily as she said, “Who are you? How do you know I am from the Lu family?”

Indeed, she is the girl from the Lu family! Who else would visit the Wu family today if not for the person whose news had been spread across the capital, Lu Yaoyao? This girl* looks delicate but not outstandingly beautiful… Nonetheless, she is still quite pretty.

(*standing in front of me)

“My surname is Wu and I was on my way to meet my grandfather as I had an important message to relay… I didn’t expect to meet Your Highness here.”

Your Highness? Lu Jing’s face sank, he actually took me for Lu Yaoyao… “If that’s the case, get out of the way quickly!”

“I’m sorry for my rudeness.” Wu Congmin flushed and bowed. “Your Highness, I am taking my leave.”

Although he said he was leaving, his feet didn’t budge in the slightest, and his eyes were still fixed on Lu Jing with fascination.

Lu Jing, embarrassed by the gaze, stomped her foot and cried aloud, “What are you looking at, why don’t you leave already!”

“I’ll leave immediately,” Wu Congmin said, taking two steps back still staring at the girl before him.

“Lecher!” Lu Jing’s face was flushed. She cursed in a low voice, turned around, and ran away hurriedly. However, she forgot that the lotus pond was close to her, and inadvertently stepped on the soft mud beside her and lost her balance for a moment.

“Ah—” Lu Jing shrieked and flailed her hands to grab something to stabilize her body, but there was nothing around— the branch of the tree by the river was still some distance away from her.

Splash…

She fell into the lotus pond; the wilting lotus flowers were crushed while the carp fled in fear.

Standing on top of the arch bridge, Wu Congmin’s eyes were wide open in shock, and he couldn’t avert his gaze even for a moment.

“Help—” Lu Jing didn’t know how to swim, she was struggling and flailing her arms in the lotus pond, too flustered to care about her image.

At this moment, the maid tasked by Old Madam Lu to find Lu Jing happened to see this scene, and screamed, “Help, help!!!”

Splash!

Wu Congmin immediately jumped into the water, grabbed Lu Jing, and held her in a tight embrace.

“Get a doctor quickly!” Wu Congmin shouted to the servants who had rushed over as he looked at Lu Jing who had passed out from choking on the water.

“Yes, yes, Second Young Master!” A servant scurried away to invite the doctor.

Wu Congmin carried Lu Jing to the nearest yard, which happened to be Old Madam Wu’s upper hall.

♚

Her chat with Wu Zhenzhu had left Ye Zhen in a bad mood. She didn’t know who was instigating the girl for her to so boldly ask a favour of someone she had only met the first time, nonetheless, she didn’t want to remain at the Wu Manor a moment longer. She didn’t directly tell old Old Madam Lu that she wanted to leave and instead asked the maid to relay a message to her*. Then, she quietly left the mansion.

(*Old Madam Lu)

When Old Madam Lu received word of her granddaughter’s departure, she was taken aback. She looked at Chen Wei* and asked, “What happened?”

(*Chen Wei= Aunt Chen=Old Madam Lu’s trusted servant)

“It was Yu Ping, Third Miss’s maid, who came to report back. Miss Wu said something she shouldn’t have said in front of the princess,” Aunt Chen said in a hushed voice. Apparently, this miffed the princess, and she left without a formal goodbye to the hosts.

Old Madam Lu’s face darkened. “What did Miss Wu say to Yaoyao?”

“What’s the matter?” Old Madam Wu asked with concern when she noticed Old Madam Lu’s expression was a little off.

Before Old Madam Lu could answer, a servant girl hurried in and whispered a few words into Old Madam Wu’s ear.

Old Madam Wu stood up abruptly and exclaimed, “Her Highness fell into the lotus pond?!”

“Second Young Master has rescued Her Highness the Princess and taken her to the west wing of the upper hall… He has also sent someone to invite the doctor over,” the maid reported in a low voice.

“This—” Although Old Madam Wu’s face was filled with worry, her heart was ecstatic. Now, there was no escaping the marriage between the Wu and Lu families. The princess would still have to marry her Min Ge’er*!

(*Wu Congmin’s nickname)

Old Madam Lu looked at Chen Wei with a gloomy face. Didn’t you just say Yaoyao already left?  How did she fall into the lotus pond?

“Old Madam, Yu Ping said that the princess has left the Wu Mansion.” Madam Chen raised her voice. Regardless of whether the princess fell into the lotus pond or not, now that Old Madam Wu was screaming at the top of her voice like this, even if the matter did not happen, it would still seem like it did*.

(*a lie becomes the truth)

How could they let the princess’ reputation be tarnished?

“How is it possible? If the princess has left, who is this princess in the Wu Mansion now?” Old Madam Wu asked, astonished.

Old Madam Lu said with a cold face, “Let’s go and see.”

The other ladies looked at each other in blank dismay, not knowing whose words to believe. Seeing that Old Madam Wu hadn’t seen off the guests, they all rushed to the upper hall in the name of caring for the safety of the princess.

After Lu Jing spat out a mouthful of water and woke up faintly. When she opened her eyes, she saw Wu Congmin in front of her. She immediately remembered how she fell into the lotus pond in embarrassment. She was so angry that she raised her hand and hit him. “Lecher,  how dare you be here!”

Wu Congmin was anything but angry at being slapped. He cheerily looked at the girl on the bed and said, “Your Highness, you are awake.”

“I—” It was only now that Lu Jing realized that she was in a room, and all the clothes on her body had been changed. She pointed to Wu Congmin and demanded, “Who changed my clothes? You…you get out!”

By now, Old Madam Lu and Old Madam Wu had reached the doors of the room, and the sound of the sharp slap didn’t escape their keen ears. However, the reactions of the two matriarchs were quite the contrast. While Old Madam Wu’s heart was jumping for joy, Old Madam Lu’s was sinking at top speed. Just when she was on the verge of despair, she heard the princess’ voice and quickly realized who it actually was. While on one hand, she was happy it was not Lu Yaoyao, on the other, she was angry that it was Lu Jing. She was also filled with regret at having brought this granddaughter* along.

(*Lu Jing)

“Old Madam Lu, what do you think should be done?” Old Madam Wu tossed the hot potato to the other. ” Her Highness fell into the water and was rescued (by a man). No matter how they tried to cover up the matter, her reputation had been tarnished. So, other than marrying into the Wu family, what else could she do?

“Old Madam, this servant heard… It seems to be the voice of Fourth Miss,” Aunt Chen said* from the side.

(*to Old Madam Lu)

“Go in and have a look,” Old Madam Lu whispered*.

(*to Madam Chen)

“What Fourth Miss?” Old Madam Wu’s complexion was no longer pleasant, she remembered the Lu matriarch seemed to have brought two girls here today.

“It’s the fourth girl of our Lu family,” Old Madam Lu said flatly. “Old Madam Wu, why did Second Young Master of your family appear in the garden in the backyard?”

“Perhaps it was a coincidence.” Old Madam Wu was already in shock at this time. She desperately hoped that the person who fell into the water and was rescued by the second young master was Her Highness the Princess.

Right at this time, Aunt Chen came out from inside. “Old Madam, it’s Fourth Miss.”

Wu Congmin’s astonished voice came from the room…

“Aren’t you Her Highness the Princess?!”

♚♚♚