Chapter 33: Prince Rui’s Dramatic Act
"W-What are you talking about?!" Lin Chenghao’s eyes widened in horror. "I never—"
Lin Xueyi stumbled backward as if he had shoved her away. She took one step behind, then another step until the edge of the stone bridge pressed against her heels.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the group of nobles drawing closer.
[Perfect.]
Lin Xueyi looked straight into Lin Chenghao’s shocked eyes. A mischievous smile flashed across her face for the briefest moment. "So long, Second Brother."
Before he could even understand what she meant, Lin Xueyi deliberately threw herself backward.
"Ahhh!"
Her scream was so loud that it echoed throughout the Imperial Garden and perhaps even reached the halls inside the palace as her body fell over the edge of the bridge.
Splash!
The sound of water exploded through the air as she fell into the stream below.
For a second, the entire garden fell deathly silent before Mei Lu’s scream shattered the silence. "Princess Consort! Second Young Master Lin just pushed Princess Consort Rui off the bridge!"
The moment the title "Princess Consort Rui" reached everyone’s ears, the nobles in the garden gasped in shock.
"What? Someone pushed Princess Consort Rui off the bridge?!"
Only moments ago, these same nobles had been gossiping about Rong Shuyan and Lin Xueyi.
But the instant they witnessed someone doing something even worse to them, they immediately changed sides.
"Has he lost his mind?!"
"That’s Princess Consort Rui’s own older brother!"
"How could anyone do such a thing?"
"Someone, call Prince Rui!" Mei Lu shouted again, her voice trembling with panic. "Second Young Master Lin almost killed Princess Consort Rui!"
The words "killed" and "Princess Consort Rui" spread through the palace faster than wildfire.
Nobles hurried toward the garden, soldiers rushed off to report the incident to Prince Rui and the Emperor. And in the middle of it all stood Lin Chenghao on the bridge, his face drained of all color.
"I didn’t push her!" he shouted desperately as the surrounding nobles stared at him as if he were a madman. "Why would I push my own sister? She jumped into the stream herself!"
Mei Lu, who had finally gathered her courage, immediately yelled back, "Why would Princess Consort Rui willingly jump into the stream? She can’t even swim!"
Lin Xueyi, who had been quietly kicking her legs to keep herself afloat, immediately stopped moving when she heard that.
"Help! Help!"
She deliberately let herself sink under the surface, only pushing herself back up long enough to gasp for air.
"I can’t swim! I can’t swim!" she cried dramatically. "Help me! No! I’m going to die! I’m going to die!"
"Quick! Save the Princess Consort!"
Without another word, two Imperial Guards leaped into the stream.
The water was much deeper than it looked from above. The current beneath the bridge was quite strong, but Lin Xueyi could actually swim since she used to be a member of a swimming club and had even competed in national swimming competitions.
But for the sake of the dramatic effect, Lin Xueyi had already stopped struggling and was happily letting herself sink whenever she had the chance.
One of the guards quickly grabbed her around the waist while the other caught her arm. Working together, they pulled her back to the surface before carrying her safely to shore.
"Cough! Cough!"
Lin Xueyi bent over, coughing as water spilled from her mouth. Her long, soaked hair clung to her pale face, and her entire body trembled from the cold.
She pressed a hand against her chest, her breathing ragged. "My... my chest..." she whispered weakly. "It hurts... It hurts so much..."
The surrounding nobles immediately panicked. "Quick! Call the Imperial Physician!"
"Bring a blanket!"
"Princess Consort Rui is injured!"
Lin Chenghao’s face turned deathly pale. "I didn’t do anything!" he shouted frantically. "She’s lying! I never pushed her!"
Even so, none of the nobles looked convinced anymore.
A few moments later, Rong Shuyan arrived at the Imperial Garden alongside the Emperor. Several Imperial Princes followed behind them, including Rong Mingze.
The moment Rong Shuyan saw Lin Xueyi soaked from head to toe, his expression immediately darkened. Without thinking, he began pushing his own wheelchair instead of waiting for Eunuch Shen to do it.
The moment Lin Xueyi saw him, tears instantly filled her eyes. "Husband!"
She cried out so loudly that even the soldier standing beside her couldn’t help but wince.
"Husband..." she sobbed. "I was so scared!"
Still shivering from the cold, Lin Xueyi crawled toward Rong Shuyan before wrapping both arms tightly around his legs.
"Husband..." she sobbed, clutching his robe tightly. "I almost died! I thought... I thought I’d never see you again!"
[Will he actually believe that Lin Chenghao pushed me?] Lin Xueyi wondered nervously.
Then she shouted in her mind. [Yanyan! If you want to get rid of one of your future enemies, now’s your chance! You have to stand up for me!]
Rong Shuyan remained silent for a brief moment. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he slowly lowered himself from his wheelchair so he could hold her properly.
Lin Xueyi’s eyes widened, and her body instantly stiffened. She had never expected him to do something like this.
"Oh... my poor wife..." Rong Shuyan said, trying his best to sound heartbroken instead of his usual flat self.
He even reached up and awkwardly stroked her head. Unfortunately, the comforting gesture felt more like he was patting a loyal dog than comforting his frightened wife.
But in the middle of the crisis, it looked convincing enough and Lin Xueyi appreciated the effort.
Then Rong Shuyan slowly lifted his head and looked toward Lin Chenghao. Right at that moment, the awkwardness immediately disappeared as his expression changed from sadness to anger.
"This is unacceptable!" Rong Shuyan shouted. "How dare you attempt to murder my wife in the middle of the Imperial Palace!"
His sharp gaze swept across everyone nearby before he raised his voice again, his words filled with sarcasm. "Where were the Imperial Guards while my wife was being attacked? Are you all getting paid to stand around and watch? What an embarrassment to the Imperial Palace!"