Chapter 1176 - 854: Water Calamity
Yu Wenqian, looking at Madam Guan?
In that instant, Shang Ruyi’s mind immediately conjured the elegant and graceful image of Guan Yunmu. Even though she had married into the Yuwen Family when Madam Guan was already older and often bedridden, looking haggard due to illness, Shang Ruyi could still imagine how charming and captivating she must have been in her youth.
For a mother like her to show tenderness and be by her child’s side was likely the most beautiful dream of every child’s childhood.
That’s why Yu Wenqian looked at them like that.
But what was he truly feeling as he looked at Madam Guan?
Thinking of this, she asked, "The Crown Prince must be very envious of you, or perhaps..."
The words "jealousy," she didn’t utter, but stronger than envy, the only emotion would be jealousy. Yu Wenye heard her words, and it seemed those two words surfaced in his mind as well. Yet, he gave a light laugh instead of responding to that, continuing, "But then, Jinyun came."
"Aunt Yun?"
"Yes. Mother wouldn’t usually stay with me that long. She waited half a day, felt something amiss, and then came over. Mother awoke and told me to play by myself, and then they left."
"What about the Crown Prince?"
"He didn’t leave; he stood outside the room to greet Mother respectfully before coming in and taking me to play by the lake."
Hearing this seemed like an ending, but Shang Ruyi knew it wasn’t.
Especially, by the lakeside at the Crown Prince Mansion, the words "water disaster" Yu Wenye uttered kept lingering in her mind. Until this moment, when talking about the lakeside, Yu Wenye’s breath nearly unconsciously tightened. She immediately realized something and asked, "What happened by the lakeside?"
Yu Wenye took a deep breath and said, "By the lake, we laughed and played as usual."
"..."
"Frolicking around, suddenly, I slipped into the lake."
Shang Ruyi’s breath immediately halted.
Yu Wenye’s breath also seized, as if trapped in the dilemma of past memories. He seemed afraid to pause, quickly continuing, "Actually, I can swim. We often went together to the river to catch fish. It’s not a problem. But that day, my leg suddenly cramped."
"..."
"Moreover, the lake was far deeper than I thought. I couldn’t stand up; the more I struggled, the more I sank."
"..."
"I called out for his help."
"..."
"I kept shouting for him, but after calling twice, the lake water filled my mouth, along with water plants and mud, all tangling around me and pouring into my mouth. I couldn’t breathe and could only stretch my hand out, hoping someone would grasp it. Only him, at that moment, only he was there by the lake. I knew he would come to save me."
In that moment, Shang Ruyi immediately understood the meaning of "water disaster." The suffocation made her chest feel tight, her heartbeat heavy as if someone were pounding on her chest with heavy fists, blow after blow. She hoarsely said, "He didn’t."
Yu Wenye’s Adam’s apple bobbed: "Later on, I couldn’t struggle anymore."
"..."
"At that time, I had completely lost consciousness, didn’t even have time to ponder why no one responded to my cries for help, why no one grasped my outstretched hand. I exerted all my strength, gradually sinking to the lake bottom."
"..."
"In that moment, I finally saw him on the shore—he was watching me the entire time."
"..."
"His gaze was cold, colder than the engulfing lake water."
"..."
"I had never seen that expression on his face before, nor had I seen such a cold gaze, as if he wished for me to die immediately, or as if he already saw a corpse."
Shang Ruyi gritted her teeth.
"So, he really is—"
He really was jealous. No, at this point, he wasn’t just jealous of Yu Wenye. He should be filled with envy and hatred!
The teachings of Duke Shenwu and Aunt Hui ultimately took effect, though he usually hid it well. Yet at such crucial moments, he revealed his true nature, envying Yu Wenye and hating this younger brother—even though he was the legitimate elder son, although by all rights he should inherit the Yuwen Family’s estate, he still harbored jealousy, jealousy that this younger brother had a mother, even if this mother never showed Yu Wenye a bit more warmth.
But before she could speak, Shang Ruyi suddenly shivered and thought of something, raising her head to ask, "Then how did you—"
Yu Wenye, in the darkness, lowered his head, seemingly glanced at her. His tone, which had just seemed frozen with frost, suddenly softened, even the arm holding her began to gently rub her back, as if soothing her anxious emotions—although at this moment there was nothing to be frightened by, after all, he was alive and well right in front of her.
Yu Wenye said: "Just when I thought I would certainly die, he suddenly jumped into the lake and saved me."
"What!?"
Even though his voice was close by, Shang Ruyi still thought she misheard, staring at him with wide eyes. Yu Wenye nodded slightly, repeating, "He saved me."
"..."
"Although he’s five years older than me, his height isn’t actually very tall, and at that moment when someone suddenly came to pull me, I’d nearly gone mad, just desperately tearing at his clothes, grabbing his hand, even pulling his leg, almost dragging him into the lake too."
"..."
"Yet, he never let go of me."
"..."
"Eventually, he saved me. After rescuing me, he carried me, stumbling all the way home. By then, I was nearly unconscious, but I still remembered, remembered his heavy breaths, remembered him drenched in sweat, remembered him crying and shouting for adults to come save me after arriving home."
Shang Ruyi’s brow furrowed into a knot.
She didn’t interrupt Yu Wenye’s words any longer, and in fact, what Yu Wenye was going to say afterwards, she already knew and could imagine—"Mother and the others were horrified, quickly calling for a doctor. Though I narrowly escaped death, I still fell ill, enduring three days and nights of uncontrollable high fever until they went to Dayan Temple to pray and wish for health. After returning, my fever subsided, and I gradually recovered."
Shang Ruyi raspingly said, "But he had to stay at Dayan Temple, not returning."
"Yes."
"Then you—"
Yu Wenye took another deep breath and said, "After I recovered, during that period, Mother was also very kind to me, rarely spending time with me every day, but I—I only wanted my elder brother."
"Why?"