Shocking Mountain Moon

Chapter 31 Jumping into the Lake
Qiu Heng ran to the corner gate in one breath and told the gatekeeper that she was going to the street to buy something, and the gatekeeper opened the door.

I heard that the old lady made ten sets of jewelry for the sixth young lady and also cut eight sets of clothes for her. I heard that the old uncle kept praising the sixth young lady for being well-behaved.

The two most senior masters in the mansion were like this, so of course a small servant like him would not be blind.

But what is Sixth Girl going to buy? Why is she in such a hurry?
Qiu Heng, who was guessed by his disciples, went straight to Qinglian Lake.

That is the lake closest to Yongqing Earl's Mansion. Lotus flowers bloom there in summer and sweet lotus seeds can be harvested in autumn.

Qiu Heng didn’t know if it would work, but she could only try.

In the summer thirty years later, she was in a place where she shouldn't have been. The injuries and bleeding and the passage of time would ultimately leave no trace on her.

Similarly, she firmly believed what her husband said that she would eventually return.

But staying in a place that doesn't belong to her is not without a price. Every fifteenth day of the lunar month, the burning pain will sweep through my body, and soaking in Quehu Lake can relieve it.

Every time that happened, she thought that they were rejecting her as a stranger.

Fortunately, after waiting for ten years, it finally came back.

Nothing happened on March 15th and April 15th, but on May 15th, the familiar pain returned.

Without bothering to think about why, Qiu Heng rushed to Qinglian Lake.

The young man in red clothes on the street looked at the figure that flashed by at the exit at the end of the alley, ordered his men to continue patrolling, and followed alone.

Crossing the alley is another street. Looking left and right, I saw the girl running fast.

You can see her eagerness from her back.

Did something happen?

Xue Han followed quickly with doubts.

Qiu Heng only had Qinglian Lake in her eyes.

If she had not known very well that as Miss Qiu Liu, she could make incense, play Cuju, and read books, but must not reveal her martial arts skills, she would have run away long ago.

We arrived at Qinglian Lake, and luckily there was no one there.

Qiu Heng lifted her skirt and rushed into the lake.

Xue Han was following far behind. When he saw this scene, his face suddenly changed and he rushed over.

As the cold lake water submerged her body, Qiu Heng breathed a sigh of relief: Fortunately, it doesn't have to be the lake in that time and space.

Only then did she have the energy to think about why there was no problem in the previous two months, but it broke out this month.

She considered that as rejection or punishment for being a foreigner.

Is this month any different from the previous two months?

Qiu Heng suddenly had an idea: Could it be because -

Before she could figure it out, she felt a huge force coming from behind her and was dragged towards the shore.

"Let go!" Seeing clearly that it was Xue Han, Qiu Heng restrained her strength and tried to push him.

Qiu Heng didn't dare to expose the fact of the martial arts competition to the imperial envoy who came to check immediately after hearing that the lost girl was found in the Bo Mansion.

Xue Han was not sure at first, but after Qiu Heng's pushing and struggling, he immediately confirmed: Miss Qiu Liu was going to commit suicide by jumping into the lake!
The boy held the resisting girl tightly with one hand and paddled with one hand, struggling to get her to the shore.

Qiu Heng supported herself on the ground with one hand, feeling both pain and anger: If she could reveal that she knew martial arts...

Xue Han was panting, feeling tired and relieved: It's a good thing he met me!

Both of them were soaked and looked quite miserable.

"Why is Miss Qiu Liu so depressed?"

Qiu Heng gritted her teeth: "I didn't."

Xue Han frowned: "If you are wronged, I will tell Grandfather Ling that you should not do anything stupid."

"I didn't." Qiu Heng knew that the other party meant well and she shouldn't blame him, but the rekindled burning pain made it impossible for her to remain calm.

Xue Han looked at the girl with a cold face and felt a little angry.

He wasn't angry at her bad attitude, but at her not cherishing her own life.

"If not, why did you jump into the lake?"

Faced with the boy's questioning, Qiu Heng was speechless.

To enjoy the cool air? This obviously won't work.

"I... I feel uncomfortable." Facing Xue Han's puzzled eyes, Qiu Heng silently forced out a mouthful of blood.

Xue Han was completely stunned. He wanted to touch her but it was inappropriate, and he was at a loss for what to do. "What's wrong with you? Where are you hurt?"

"I'm not injured." Qiu Heng's forehead was covered with beads of sweat. "I... I have a strange disease. Please take me to the lake first."

Xue Han was not the type to procrastinate, so when he heard her say that, he picked her up and jumped into the lake.

The lake was rippling, scaring away the wild ducks.

Qiu Heng felt comfortable immediately and her expression relaxed.

Xue Han fell silent upon seeing this.

It seems to be true.

Qiu Heng had the strength to talk nonsense again, and her mind became clear again: "I was struck by lightning before."

Xue Han:?
Qiu Heng ignored the shock this brought to the other party and continued, "He is not dead, but he has contracted a strange disease. Normally, there is no abnormality, but occasionally there is a burning pain from lightning strikes, which needs to be relieved by soaking in the lake water."

Xue Han continued to remain silent.

What should I do, since such a misunderstanding has occurred?

"No one in the Bo's Mansion knows about this hidden illness. Will Lord Xue keep it a secret for me?"

The boy nodded heavily.

Of course he would keep it a secret, but the question is, does he know a little too much?

"Then Lord Xue, please go and do your work." Qiu Heng forced a smile, "After all, it's not good for people to see us soaking in the lake together."

If I didn’t know, I would have thought they committed suicide for love!
Xue Han quickly let go of his hand, using seriousness to cover up his embarrassment: "How long do we need to stay in the lake?"

"An hour."

"it is good."

Thinking about it, the young man who was about to swim to the shore turned around and said, "Miss Qiu Liu, please wait for me."

After thinking for a while, he swam to the place where the green connected, broke off a lotus leaf, returned to Qiuheng, and put the lotus leaf on her head.

"Cover it up so that others won't see you and jump down."

Qiu Heng held up the lotus leaf and watched the young man go ashore. He soon disappeared from her sight. She thought: If others saw him, they might not jump down and would be scared.

So lotus leaves are indeed needed.

She was finally able to think carefully without being disturbed, and she came up with a guess: Han Wu died in history when he fled south, not now.

Is it because she changed the fate of a key figure that she was excluded from the world where she was supposed to be?

Qiu Heng thought about what her husband said when she asked how she would meet him after returning home.

Don't force it, you will meet each other if you are destined to. It's not good for her to reveal too much. When you go back, be careful when talking about the future with others, so as not to be condemned by heaven and earth.

It turned out that she really could not go back to being an ordinary country girl named Ah Heng.

Whether in Da Xia thirty years later or in Da Xia now, she has become a stranger.

A teardrop fell into the lake, creating tiny ripples.

The girl who heard the footsteps looked towards the shore and saw Xue Han coming towards her carrying a bag.

He cast his gaze towards the lake, spotted Qiu Heng at a glance, waved his hand and sat down casually.

Qiuheng swam to the shore.

"Are you ready?" Xue Han asked.

"All right."

Xue Han pointed to the bundle beside him and said, "There are clothes and handkerchiefs inside. Miss Qiuliu, please change your clothes before going back."

Qiu Heng stared at the bundle in amazement and thanked him softly, "Thank you, Master Xue."

Xue Han stood up: "I'll go over there and help you watch."

The reeds swayed gently in the wind, and soon a girl came out in new clothes.

"Thank you, Master Xue, for the clothes you prepared. I—"

"Red bean cake." The boy interrupted Qiu Heng's thanks and said, "Miss Qiu Liu wants to thank me, just give me some more red bean cakes."

Qiu Heng was surprised: "Master Xue likes to eat red bean cakes?"

Xue Han nodded: "Yes, I love it very much."

(End of this chapter)