Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Nine
Thinking of this, Xu Heming grew extremely anxious and quickly spoke out to reprimand, "What nonsense are you all talking about?"
Although Xu Heming had a powerful aura, he had, after all, been traveling non-stop. Moreover, Kong Meng'er had abducted him earlier, so he was currently in an indescribable state of disarray.
The two ladies looked Xu Heming up and down, their gazes filled with scrutiny.
Looking at his disheveled clothes, they both had the same thought: So this is that beggar?
"In this day and age, how dare he show his face openly?" one lady said disdainfully.
"Well, if the gentleman has feelings and the lady is willing, it's not such a big deal," the other lady said, though her hand-covered, tittering smile made the first lady also chuckle.
"I say, young man, if you truly fancy Miss Li, why be so sneaky about it? Just go openly to the Li family to propose marriage. After all, she's already yours," Lady A lectured Xu Heming.
"How do I get to the rear courtyard?" Xu Heming couldn't be bothered to explain to them and instead asked directly.
Hearing this, the ladies laughed again. "What's the matter? Just came out and already forgot the way back?"
"Oh, sister, why bother getting angry with him? He's probably not right in the head. Otherwise, how could he do such a thing?"
"That's not entirely fair to say. Who can blame him, with a face that handsome?"
Xu Heming had no more patience to listen to their nonsense. He stopped another servant, asked for directions, and headed straight for the rear courtyard.
He feared he would be too late and that Li Zhiwei might be in danger. He couldn't help but blame Qinghua and Qingyue for being incompetent, unable to even protect one person properly.
However, when Xu Heming rushed to that courtyard, there were only a few maidservants cleaning up.
No one else was in sight.
"Where are the people who were just here?" Xu Heming asked coldly, glaring at a maid.
"I... I don't know!" This maid happened to be the one who had brought Li Zhiwei over earlier and was also somewhat confused about the current situation.
She was just about to grab someone to ask what was going on today, as she would surely be punished by the Second Young Lady if she failed in her task.
"Will you tell me or not?" Xu Heming, out of patience, directly drew his sword.
Unexpectedly, the maid fainted from fright.
"Where are the people from here?" Xu Heming turned and demanded of another maid.
"They... they went to the lake at the back hill," the maid stammered in reply.
"Why go to the lake?" For some reason, Xu Heming had a bad feeling.
"Second Master Zhu was caught in an affair. The Second Young Lady is furious and is having them sent to be drowned in the pond!" The maid closed her eyes and hurriedly explained.
"How do I get to the back hill?" After asking, Xu Heming felt he needed a guide. Otherwise, by the time he found the place, Li Zhiwei might already be in danger.
Back Hill.
"Madam, please spare me! I won't dare again! She seduced me! I didn't mean to deceive you!" Zhu Yunxian never expected Huo Yunyao to actually intend to have him drowned in a pig cage.
"Zhu Yunxian, is that any way for a human to talk? Back then, it was you who said Second Young Lady Huo was fierce and dull, not the woman of your dreams anymore. How can you now say I seduced you? It was clearly you who said you liked me!" Du Qiuniang couldn't believe that at a time like this, Zhu Yunxian would claim she had seduced him.
He was the one who made advances first.
"Sister Yunyao, I was truly wrong. Back then, I, a woman who had lost her man, was already blessed by your kindness. I was an ingrate to collude with your husband. I have wronged you!" Du Qiuniang knew that anything she said would be wrong.
It was better to admit her fault openly. Perhaps Huo Yunyao would spare her for the sake of their past friendship.
"What are you waiting for? Throw them in!" Huo Yunyao said impatiently to the servants standing by.
How could she possibly forgive these two?
They had deceived her for five whole years.
And they had caused the death of her child.
Yes, her child had already been killed by these two scoundrels.
How could she ever forgive them?
They deserved the pig cage!
Upon hearing Huo Yunyao's order, the servants dared not delay and directly threw the cage into the lake.
Splash!
The large pig cage slowly sank towards the lake bottom. The two inside struggled, only to find it futile.
Xu Heming arrived just in time to see this scene. His heart leaped into his throat at the thought that the person in the cage might be Li Zhiwei.
"Zhiwei, don't be afraid! I'm here to save you!" With that, Xu Heming plunged into the lake with a splash to rescue them.
"Who is that man?"
Everyone heard a man's voice, and then he disappeared, leaving them all astonished.
"Heavens! Could that Du Qiuniang have another man?"
"Hard to say. Didn't that man just say something like 'I'm here to save you'? A man wouldn't jump in to save Second Master Zhu, would he?"
Huo Yunyao also hadn't expected someone to ruin her plans.
"Stop him! No one is to interfere with whom I wish to punish!" Huo Yunyao said displeased.
"Pretty sister, I think that voice sounded a bit familiar," Xu Qingshi scratched his head, feeling puzzled. Had he just heard his father's voice?
But his father should be in the capital.
"Perhaps you misheard?" Li Zhiwei wasn't entirely sure either. Hadn't that person just said something like "Zhiwei, I'm here to save you"?
And the voice sounded so much like Xu Heming's.
But that man should be far away in the capital.
"Then I must have misheard," Xu Qingshi consoled himself.
"Hmph, so young and already hard of hearing!" Qin Keyun was even more disdainful of Xu Qingshi.
Huo Yunxuan frowned. He too thought he had heard Xu Heming's voice, but he didn't believe Xu Heming could spare the time to come to Li'an County now. He decided he must have misheard.
Thinking of today's dramatic events, Huo Yunxuan still felt apologetic and said to Li Zhiwei, "I am truly sorry you had to witness such a spectacle today."
Shen An'an, however, kept thinking that she had heard the man who jumped into the lake say "Zhiwei."
Could that man have mistaken the person in the pig cage for Li Zhiwei?
"Zhiwei, did you get a clear look at the man who jumped into the lake?" Shen An'an thought for a moment and asked.
"An'an sister, he rushed over like a gust of wind and jumped right in. Who could see clearly?" Xu Qingshi rolled his eyes.
Shen An'an felt a bit embarrassed. She just felt she hadn't misheard.
Soon, there was movement in the lake. A man was seen dragging the pig cage towards the shore.
"Where did this scoundrel come from? How dare he ruin my plans!" Huo Yunyao hadn't expected a man to actually jump in and rescue them.
Who knows where that vixen Du Qiuniang picked him up from. And he's quite handsome too.
