After getting married, she spent every night alone in her room; when she asked for a divorce, he kne

Liu Yuansheng slumped forward, staring at the rippling lake surface, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over her.

Just as she was about to fall into the lake, Xiao Jinghan suddenly appeared behind her and pulled her back.

"Be careful," Xiao Jinghan said, "be careful not to fall into the water again."

Liu Yuansheng bumped into Xiao Jinghan's arms, her mind filled with his words, "Be careful not to fall into the water again."

again?

She was in a daze for a moment, and a scene inexplicably flashed through her mind—she fell off a cliff and into the icy river, almost suffocating. At the critical moment, it was Xiao Jinghan who saved her and took her away from the abyss at the bottom of the water.

Liu Yuansheng frowned, busy searching for the memories in her mind, and for a moment she forgot that she was still in Xiao Jinghan's arms.

Xiao Jinghan held her tightly, but his sharp phoenix eyes were fixed on Qiu Ju beside him. "Don't you have eyes? You clearly saw the Third Young Mistress here, yet you deliberately bumped into her."

Qiu Ju trembled like a leaf. She knelt down in front of Xiao Jinghan and kowtowed, "Young Master, I didn't mean to! I twisted my ankle when I passed behind the Third Young Madam, and that's why I fell on her."

"You're quite the storyteller," Xiao Jinghan said. "Men, tie her up and take her back for a thorough interrogation. This kind of arrogant servant who dares to offend her master needs to be taught a lesson."

Upon hearing this, Qiuju was so frightened that her vision blurred, and she hurriedly looked at Yuan Shi. Yuan Shi had witnessed the entire scene and was currently feeling resentful. Hearing this, she immediately echoed Xiao Jinghan's words, saying, "Hurry up and take this blind fool away!"

His words showed absolutely no intention of protecting Qiuju.

Seeing that Xiao Jinghan and Yuan Min looked unhappy, Madam Liang immediately gave Sun Zhiyao a look. Sun Zhiyao understood, left Xiao Jingzhuo, and went to Madam Liang's side.

Madam Liang put her arm around Sun Zhiyao and said, "Since there are matters to attend to at home, let's go ashore."

"Leaving already?" Xiao Jingzhuo asked. "I haven't caught a single fish yet!"

Xiao Jinghan chuckled and led Liu Yuansheng toward Madam Liang. Madam Liang smiled and said, "I've long heard of Lord Xiao's superb martial arts skills, and today I've finally witnessed it for myself."

Xiao Jinghan smiled but remained silent.

He had been sleeping in his cabin ever since he boarded the ship, and his sudden appearance just now saved Liu Yuansheng.

As luck would have it, almost the instant Qiu Ju approached Liu Yuansheng, he regained his senses and appeared behind Liu Yuansheng like a hurricane.

Without even thinking, he knew who had sent Qiu Ju and what she wanted.

She had always wanted to harm Liu Yuansheng.

Xiao Jinghan looked up at Yuan Min, who seemed unaffected, and said meaningfully, "How can I stand idly by when my family is in trouble?"

Yuan Min's expression grew increasingly stiff as she listened. She appeared to be smiling and looking straight ahead, but in reality, she was completely frozen, and her soul seemed to have drifted off somewhere.

Madam Liang smiled and said, "I heard from outsiders that the young master and his wife weren't very loving. But seeing them today, I realize that rumors are just rumors. Seeing is believing! The young master and his wife are clearly very much in love!"

"Of course! My third brother and sister-in-law are so loving!" Xiao Jingzhuo said. "Before, my third brother had a hand bruised on the back of his hand, and my sister-in-law was out in the blazing sun making him some ointment to reduce swelling and relieve pain!"

"Really?" Mrs. Liang smiled even more happily. "That's wonderful, this is how a husband and wife should be."

"The young master and his wife are a perfect match, a match made in heaven." Sun Zhiyao curtsied to Xiao Jinghan and Liu Yuansheng. "Zhiyao wishes the young master and his wife a long and happy life together."

Xiao Jinghan: "Thank you, Miss Sun."

Liu Yuansheng had a headache listening to this.

She made ointment for Xiao Jinghan partly out of her love for medicine, and partly to repay Xiao Jinghan for his protection and help. It was not what they were saying.

But she felt awkward about explaining it, and thought it unnecessary.

Yuan felt even more troubled.

She didn't want to hear how loving Xiao Jinghan and Liu Yuansheng were; she just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Bring the boat to shore," Yuan Min ordered. "The Third Young Mistress is delicate and has been frightened; we must go back and check on her immediately."

Liu Yuansheng raised her head, glanced at Yuan Shi, and a question welled up in her mind again.

Why did the Yuan family hate her so much?

Was Qiu Ju deliberately sent by the Yuan family to push her into the water in an attempt to kill her?

With this question in mind, she and Xiao Jinghan mounted their horses. As soon as they were seated, Xiao Jinghan asked, "Are you alright?"

Liu Yuansheng shook her head. After experiencing so many hardships, this little storm was nothing to her. She asked Xiao Jinghan in return, "Does the young master not need to go to the yamen these days?"

As far as she knew, Xiao Jinghan had not attended court for a long time, and there was still no result regarding Yan'er's abduction.

She hadn't seen Jiang Zhihuan for a long time either.

Thinking of Jiang Zhihuan, Liu Yuansheng's heart clenched. Jiang Zhihuan clearly wanted to keep his distance from her, but she had wanted to find him and ask him why he treated her this way for so long.

Unfortunately, Xiao Jinghan had been staying at the mansion these past few days, and she was still unable to make a move.

Xiao Jinghan just saved her again.

Although she had encountered danger several times before because of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, she did indeed owe Xiao Jinghan more and more favors.

Thinking of this, Liu Yuansheng felt a little gloomy. However, her thoughts never escaped Xiao Jinghan's eyes. "What are you thinking about?" Xiao Jinghan asked her. "Can you tell me?"

Liu Yuansheng made no attempt to hide her feelings, asking, "Didn't I fall into the water before, and then you saved me?"

Xiao Jinghan's eyes lit up. "You remembered?"

Liu Yuansheng nodded.

"That's true," Xiao Jinghan said. "Anything else you remember?"

Suddenly, an image flashed through Liu Yuansheng's mind of Xiao Jinghan holding her and breathing on her. But that image was too embarrassing, so Liu Yuansheng quickly banished it and stared at Xiao Jinghan's hand, saying, "Your hand..."

Xiao Jinghan's fingertips recoiled. "What happened to my hand?"

Liu Yuansheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head, unsure whether the memories in his mind were real.

What if it's just her imagination?

She has occasional bouts of hysteria.

Even though those images became clearer and more unforgettable in her mind, she still refused to talk about them.

Xiao Jinghan stared at Liu Yuansheng, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and his expression darkened.

Although Liu Yuansheng was sickly and suffered from a heart ailment, it was clear that her observational skills were extraordinary and she was very sensitive.

Previously, anyone who knew his secret had to die; that was true for her...

"Your Highness, we've arrived."

As they pondered, the carriage stopped outside the gate of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. A servant opened the carriage door and said, "Young Master, Madam, please get out of the carriage."

Xiao Jinghan nodded and helped Liu Yuansheng down from the carriage.

Yuan Min had already entered the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion ahead of them. Xiao Jinghan sneered as he watched Yuan Min's back and ordered his servant, "Send someone to tell the Duke that no matter how busy the military camp is, he must come back for a reunion dinner on the fifteenth of August."

Soon, the fifteenth of August arrived.

Duke Xiao Xiuyan, who had been staying in the military camp, returned to his residence early and went to Baohe Hall to visit the old lady.

The Duke of Zhenguo never returned for the Mid-Autumn Festival in previous years, but Xiao Jinghan sent someone to invite him.

Although they were at odds, he still listened to his son.