8. Falling into the Water

"It's you..." he whispered, unable to hide his shock.

Shi Nian, who had been cornered, was just thinking that her end had come when she heard that voice. Glancing over in surprise, she realized the man before her looked somewhat familiar—he was the young man in the brocade robe she had saved when she first arrived that night!

There was no time to wonder why he was here. She grabbed him by the arm, "Run! If we get caught, people will die!"

Liu Che had not yet reacted when she dragged him forward. Soon, sounds emerged from behind them; it was the two remaining guards. As the wind whistled, he looked at their clasped hands and suddenly remembered that night in the deep of Chang'an, when she had held his hand and sprinted just like this.

He suddenly turned his hand to grip hers. Shi Nian was startled, and he said, "This way."

To the right was a rockery with a hollow center. He let her hide inside first before he followed. Shi Nian heard footsteps approaching and felt so nervous that she was on the verge of breaking into a cold sweat. Would this work? Could those people really not see the rockery right there?

She wanted to speak, but as she lifted her head, she bumped into the man's chin. The cave was narrow, and they stood so close that their bodies were almost pressed together. The air around them seemed to heat up instantly; their breathing was intertwined and clearly audible. He was also looking at her, a spark flickering in his dark eyes. After a moment, he swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"You..."

He raised a hand to press against her lips, his voice low and hoarse. "Don't make a sound."

She was too frightened to say anything more. Yet his hand did not pull away; his grip softened, and his thumb gently caressed her lips, looking almost... reluctant to leave.

The footsteps drew closer, but to her surprise, they stopped just on the other side of the wall. The outside fell silent for a moment before she heard the sounds again—they were walking away.

The man beside her said, "It's all right now."

Shi Nian peeked out cautiously. "I-is it a trap? Are they waiting for us to walk right into it?"

Liu Che stepped out first. A cold breeze blew, and he felt immediately better; he dared not stay in that place any longer. "Don't worry, if only they had the brains for that."

He had told no one to follow him, but Yang Deyi had not dared to truly leave him without protection; those two guards had likely been lured away by the shadow guards hidden in the dark.

Shi Nian confirmed the pursuers were truly gone, feeling a sense of disbelief followed by a wild joy of having survived a disaster. Only then did she have the chance to pay attention to the person who had saved her. "Thank you. We... we've met again..."

It was an odd way to greet someone, yet he did not seem surprised, as if in his mind, this was exactly how she should be—eccentric, clever, and unpredictable. He had searched for her for days to no avail; he had been thinking of her just a moment ago, and the next, she had appeared before him.

Just as sudden as her descent from the sky that night.

He smiled faintly. "Yes, we've met again."

The way he said it sounded like an old friend. Shi Nian was just about to smile when she heard the man ask, "Why were they chasing you? What did you do?"

What did she do? She hadn't done anything originally; she had just impulsively tried to escape, and then, backed into a corner, she had resorted to desperate measures, using her shoe and a stun gun to knock out the guards...

That probably counted as assaulting an officer, right?

Shi Nian shivered and said solemnly, "It has nothing to do with me. The guards in this palace are just too sensitive. I am innocent!"

He could tell she was hiding something, but he did not press her. The man tilted his head, observing her with a strange gaze, as if thinking about something. Shi Nian shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling that this situation was not much better than being chased by the guards.

Just as she was thinking about how to slip away, her gaze shifted, and she was drawn to a figure in the distance.

They were standing by the flowing waters of the Cangchi Pool. From her angle, she could see a young woman standing on the opposite bank. Dressed in white with her black hair flowing down, her face was as pure as a snow-lotus in the moonlight. Unlike the quiet, scholarly elegance of Su Geng, this woman stood there with such a fragile, delicate air that one couldn't help but feel a desire to cherish and protect her.

Shi Nian stared, stunned. She wanted to ask who it was, but a name suddenly surfaced in her mind, identical to the one that had appeared when she first saw Chang'an that night.

Wei Zifu.

She froze for two seconds before snapping back to reality.

Wei Zifu!!!

This was the Wei Zifu she had been looking for for so long??!

***

Liu Che noticed her gaze and looked in the same direction, his expression changing instantly.

Shi Nian’s mind was a mess. Her ability allowed her to see the buried past through antique objects. Since arriving in the Han Dynasty, this ability had only worked once—the night she arrived, when a voice told her this was ancient Chang'an. Shi Nian had assumed that since she had arrived in the ancient era, these things were no longer "antiques." Yet, just now, it had worked a second time.

Why can you just give me hints about people now?!

But regardless, one thought was clear: she had to go over there. She couldn't let this opportunity slip; she had finally stumbled upon Wei Zifu, and she couldn't let her get away!

She stepped forward, and Liu Che asked, "Where are you going?"

She finally remembered she had a nuisance by her side. "I... I just remembered I have something to do. What about you? Aren't you tired? Maybe you should go back and rest..."

Liu Che stared at her. "Not tired yet. What is it you have to do?"

"I..."

Liu Che suddenly raised an eyebrow. "You don't intend to go see her, do you? Do you know her?"

Shi Nian was startled, but then a loud splash sounded from across the water. Wei Zifu had tilted over and fallen into the river.

Shi Nian: "...................."

Liu Che was also shocked to see the woman fall into the water. The person beside him was faster, rushing to the water's edge like a gust of wind. The stream was wide, and the woman in white was struggling in the current, being carried downstream.

Shi Nian: "No!"

She didn't know why Wei Zifu had jumped into the river, but if she died, wouldn't she be finished too?!

As soon as Liu Che heard her say that, the next thing she did was shed her outer layers. The girl stripped off her outer deep-robe, left in only her inner garments, and dove into the water with a splash.

Liu Che: "What are you doing?!"

She did not sink to the bottom as he expected. The girl paddled with her hands and feet, half her body floating on the surface, swimming forward with a clear target. He had never seen anyone swim like that—so agile, like a fish.

Shi Nian quickly approached Wei Zifu, who had little strength left and was drifting with her eyes closed. She managed to grab hold of her, swam to the bank, struggled to push her onto the shore, and then climbed up herself.

By the time Liu Che ran across the arched bridge, he saw Shi Nian pushing hard on the unconscious woman. "Hey, wake up! Wei Zifu? Wake up!"

He took one look; the person on the ground had her eyes tightly closed and her face was pale—she was likely beyond saving. He wanted to persuade her otherwise, but he saw Shi Nian pinch the woman's nose, take a deep breath, and press her lips to hers.

Liu Che: "...................."

Shi Nian blew air into her lungs a few times and began to press on her chest. "Wei Zifu! You are not allowed to die! If you die, what am I supposed to do? Can you take some responsibility and not drag others down with you!"

She cried out, "Wake up!"

"Cough..." The woman vomited a mouthful of water and slowly opened her eyes.

Tears still hanging on her face, Shi Nian stared at her, stunned. Wei Zifu’s eyes were dazed. "Am I... still alive?"

Shi Nian broke into a tearful smile. "You're alive, of course you're alive. You aren't allowed to die yet!"

Wei Zifu’s gaze gradually focused, landing first on Shi Nian’s face, then on Liu Che standing nearby. Her expression changed. Before she could speak, Liu Che asked, "Are you alright?"

Wei Zifu: "I am fine..."

She stood up shakily. Shi Nian worriedly tried to help her, but was avoided.

Wei Zifu looked at them, seemingly steadying her emotions. After a moment, she bowed gracefully. Despite being drenched and in a sorry state, the movement was executed with such elegance that it carried the dignified charm of a noblewoman. "I accidentally fell into the canal. Thanks to the two of you for saving me, I have regained my life. This grace of saving me will never be forgotten; if there is an opportunity in the future, I will surely repay you!"

Shi Nian: "N-no need for thanks..."

"It is too late today; please forgive me for not being able to stay longer. I must take my leave."

"You're leaving? But you're currently... let us take you back; you need to see a doctor!"

Wei Zifu looked as if she had been startled, her small face turning pale as she shook her head firmly. "No need. I must ask one more favor of you both: please do not tell anyone about what happened tonight!"

Her eyes were filled with earnestness, and Shi Nian nodded hesitantly. Wei Zifu bowed to them once more, turned, and ran away quickly.

Shi Nian watched her retreating figure, murmuring, "She said she slipped, but I clearly saw her jump in herself..."

Liu Che also watched Wei Zifu without speaking.

A gust of wind blew, and Shi Nian suddenly sneezed. She was drenched, her inner clothes clinging to her body, revealing her curves. Liu Che looked for a moment before averting his eyes. After a thought, he began to take off his own outer robe.

Shi Nian was startled. "What are you doing?!"

Liu Che threw his outer robe toward her and turned his back, walking to the side. "Put it on, don't catch a cold."

Shi Nian touched the garment and smiled to herself. She hadn't expected this ancient man to be quite a gentleman.

An ancient man... she suddenly snapped back to reality. Right, she was in the ancient era. With so much happening tonight, what if this person questioned her origins?

She seemed to have left quite a few traces...

Liu Che waited for a long time without hearing her say she was finished. He didn't dare to turn back rashly until the time felt wrong. He finally turned around.

But the space behind him was empty. The moonlight shone on the brick floor; that person was gone again.

Liu Che stared at the empty spot for a long time and said calmly, "Come out."

Almost instantly, a figure appeared in the shadows, kneeling respectfully at his feet, holding something in their hands. It was the deep-robe she had left behind.

Liu Che picked up a sleeve of the robe and rubbed the pattern on the cuff, his expression calm and inscrutable. "Follow her. Find out who she is."

Shi Nian's sneaking out of the Yeting was not discovered. However, when Lianqiao saw the next day that her weaving was unfinished, she was furious that Shi Nian had dared to defy her. She not only doubled the quota but also ordered that Shi Nian was not to be fed until the work was done.

Lian Baizi said haughtily, "You can continue to pay lip service to me while defying me, as long as you aren't afraid of starving to death."

Having already gone hungry for a night, Shi Nian had no strength to fight back and obediently went to the weaving room. Lianqiao was truly ruthless; she even arranged for people to watch her, making it impossible for Yue Rong to bring her even a cup of water.

Shi Nian fought from morning until afternoon, with only one thought in her mind: to finish quickly and eat a hot meal. She felt truly pathetic; having transmigrated, her demands on life had been lowered to this extent...

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Her hands and feet moved mechanically, but her mind began to wander.

Last night's excursion had actually been quite fruitful; she had met Wei Zifu and saved her life. It was a pity Nie Cheng and the others hadn't shown up yet—she had no one to brag to about her heroic feat of saving a beauty.

But why did Wei Zifu jump into the river? And that man—who exactly was he? Appearing in the palace in the dead of night, dressed in such finery... could he be the Emperor? But that didn't seem right; if he were the Emperor, why would he hide from guards? And Wei Zifu shouldn't be unfamiliar with the Emperor either!

Thinking and thinking, she couldn't make sense of it. She grabbed her hair and said painfully, "Who on earth are you!"

"Care to guess?"

"Ah!" Shi Nian was so startled she jumped up instantly, only to discover someone had appeared by the window at some point.

It was midday, and the shadows of the trees were swaying. A young man in black robes with a jade crown sat casually on the windowsill. One leg was bent, propped up, while the other hung in mid-air. He held a peach in his hand, tossing it up and down.

Seeing her look over, Liu Che raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Want a bite?"