She hadn’t intentionally protected them; she instinctively held onto something during her first experience of falling into water.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, for making you like this,” she said, having never seen Xi Zhaoting so disheveled.
Xi Zhaoting was about to scold her but noticed her pale, bloodless face, bitten lips, eyes full of fear, and trembling body against the stone wall.
Never mind, he thought, it’s like rescuing a little drowning dog. Looking at Wei Linxia again, he found it rare that the young miss of the Wei family could appear so pitiful.
He stood up, jumped onto the stone stake, and used a soft tool to part the lotus leaves, instructing Wei Linxia: “Stop jumping around. Follow me.”
Wei Linxia stood up, feeling colder with the wind, and followed him with a pale face.
Near the stake where she had fallen, Xi Zhaoting examined it. The stone stake was broken in two with an uneven break. Glancing back at Wei Linxia, who looked puzzled, he said: “It’s because you’re too heavy and broke the stake.”
As they walked, Xi Zhaoting criticized Wei Linxia: “Why weren’t you staying in your room this morning? Why come here to play…”
“Can’t even look at the road; clearly there’s a stake on the left, yet you step on the right.”
Wei Linxia’s brow furrowed tighter as she listened to him, her heart sinking. When she jumped onto the shore, before she could speak, Xi Zhaoting remarked, “Risking your life for lotus pods, you’re brave, but you’ve made me jump down too…”
“You wanted to save me. I didn’t ask you to. If you hadn’t been so desperate for lotus pods, I wouldn’t have fallen into the water. Don’t expect me to be grateful.” Wei Linxia shot back, her eyes wide. She then turned and ran, clutching the lotus pods.
Xi Zhaoting stood stunned until a cold wind snapped him back. “Wei Linxia, you dare shout at me! Stop right there!” he shouted, but she had already vanished among the willow branches.
When Wei Linxia returned, Yu Mo and the others were anxiously searching for her. Seeing her soaking wet frightened them. She placed the lotus pods on the table: “I’ve collected them; we’ll make porridge with them tonight.”
