Chapter 3: She's Not Dead!

There was actually a man hiding within these lake waters!

Chu Liuyue's heart jolted—she had been here for so long, yet she hadn't noticed at all!

Even though she no longer possessed the strength of her previous life, her corresponding vision and intuition remained; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to deal with Song Lian and the other two by herself just now.

This man's strength must be extremely formidable!

"Is this your place?"

She spoke cautiously.

The sound of splashing water rang out, and Chu Liuyue could vaguely see a tall figure emerging from the water. Even through the white mist, his silhouette was visible.

Straight shoulders, a broad back, and... the faint curve of his body submerged in the lake...

Chu Liuyue gripped her hairpin tightly, her eyes still fixed on him.

She had just been reborn; she didn't want to die again in such a muddled fashion!

A low chuckle suddenly drifted over.

"Is it really that good-looking?"

Then, a gust of wind blew, scattering the white mist.

The man's figure became clearer, appearing as if he intended to show himself in his full nakedness.

Chu Liuyue sneered inwardly.

She had seen all kinds of things in her past life; would she really be afraid of this?

"With the mist obscuring you, I naturally don't know if you are good-looking. How about I wait until I see you clearly before giving you an answer?"

The drifting white mist seemed to freeze for a moment.

The other party likely hadn't expected a young girl like her to be able to say such words.

"If you truly want to see, I am naturally willing. But... I'm afraid before you can see clearly, that hairpin of yours will have already pierced my chest, won't it?"

The man didn't seem to be a fool; the amusement in his voice grew even more pronounced.

Chu Liuyue said nothing.

The opponent was extremely strong and very intelligent, able to see through her intentions at a glance; he was clearly not easy to deal with.

Against such a person, she certainly wouldn't choose a head-on collision.

Her eyes flickered as she simply pulled her hair up again, calmly reinserting the hairpin into her bun.

"My apologies, I did not know this was your place. I thought no one was here just now, which is why I entered so abruptly. If I have caused any disturbance, please do not take offense, Young Master."

The man remained silent for a moment, his voice sounding both far and near.

"It matters not."

Chu Liuyue was somewhat surprised. Had he let her go so easily?

Her heart was filled with suspicion and uncertainty, so she remained silent for a while.

"Although this Bibo Lake is beneficial to the body, your original meridians are not open, so you should not stay long."

As he spoke, the man rose first and stepped onto the shore. Before she could even see his movements, he had already finished dressing.

Despite the concealment of the white mist, which only allowed her to catch a glimpse of a figure, it was still evident that this man's physique was indeed top-tier.

She no longer acted coy and quickly dressed herself, intending to leave.

This man was not someone to be trifled with!

However, before she could take a single step, the man's voice came from behind her again.

"Little girl, although I do not intend to pursue this, I still need to know who exactly intruded upon my place today."

His tone was steady, yet it carried a hint of the noble authority of a superior that brooked no argument.

Was he demanding she reveal her identity?

Chu Liuyue turned around. A man was standing not far away.

She held her breath slightly.

Having once been a noble Imperial Princess, she had seen countless talented young men, and her fiancé was none other than Jiang Yucheng, known as the number one handsome man of the Tianling Empire.

But, when she first laid eyes on this man, a flash of stunning admiration still uncontrollably crossed her mind.

His sword-like eyebrows slanted toward his temples, his nose was straight and tall, and his eyes sparkled like stars—as if even the most beautiful starry sky could not match a thousandth of the depth in those eyes. A single glance would cause one to fall madly into that light.

His crimson lips were slightly pursed in an impeccable curve; though they were naturally thin and appeared somewhat aloof, the small protrusion of his philtrum added a touch of peach-blossom charm.

His eyes were the cleanest starry night in this world, yet his lips were the most ambiguous spring scenery in the mortal realm.

Simple yet mysterious, gentle and elegant yet lofty and noble, he was like a contradictory entity that could not be deciphered. Just standing there, he seemed to attract all gazes, driving people to madness.

Chu Liuyue sized him up and silently uttered a word in her heart

*Monster!*

"Chu Liuyue."

She had no intention of hiding her identity. After all, the man clearly possessed significant means; lying would only invite unnecessary trouble.

The man opposite her was also looking at her, but his gaze was like moonlight, merely sweeping over her with a calm indifference before finally settling on her face.

"Since Xuexue let you in, I will let it slide this time."

Xuexue?

Was it that white lion?

The man suddenly stepped forward, walking toward Chu Liuyue step by step.

Chu Liuyue was full of vigilance, but she forced herself not to show hostility, watching him quietly.

Then, he came to a halt and suddenly reached out—his warm fingertips lightly brushed against her cheek.

"The eldest young lady of the Chu family naturally cannot return in such a disheveled state, covered in blood."

Chu Liuyue froze, her eyes dropping to see a faint trace of blood on his finger.

For a brief moment, their breaths mingled.

His voice was low, vibrating against her eardrums

"Also, I am Rong Xiu."

Chu Liuyue wanted to say something more, but he had already said

"You should leave."

Chu Liuyue pursed her lips. Although she didn't know what he was planning, but...

"Thank you."

Returning to the Chu family would be another hard battle!

...

It wasn't until the girl's slender figure had completely disappeared into the forest that Rong Xiu finally withdrew his gaze and looked toward the white lion.

The gentle smile on his face gradually faded.

"You want to please her, so you sell out your master?"

The white lion remained motionless.

"If you keep playing dead, next time I will tell it that your real name is actually Huahua."

"Roar!"

The white lion suddenly stood up.

Its name was clearly Xuehua! It was definitely not Huahua! If anyone heard that, it would be utterly humiliating for a beast!

"The Imperial Capital should be quite lively lately, so I won't restrain you."

Xuehua's eyes suddenly lit up!

...

In the Chu family hall, the atmosphere was cold and tense.

Chu Ning was filled with anxiety, pacing restlessly while looking nervously outside.

"Yue'er has been gone for a whole day, and it's already evening. Why hasn't she returned? Great Elder, please send someone out to look for her as soon as possible!"

What if something happened?!

Yue'er had no strength at all!

"Chu Ning, what are you worried about? This isn't the first time she has gone out; how could anything happen? Perhaps the child was just playing and is running late?"

The Great Elder, Chu Xiao, said as he took a nonchalant sip of tea.

Chu Ning was extremely anxious, but he also knew they wouldn't agree to anything.

But—it was almost dark! Yue'er would never be so irresponsible as to not return this late!

"I will go look for her myself!"

Before he could step out the door, someone else walked in first.

The newcomer wore a goose-yellow dress and had a pretty face; it was the third young lady, Chu Xianmin.

She first performed a formal salute before speaking with a hint of a tearful, aggrieved tone

"Great Elder, Xianmin knows that Sister has not yet returned and that I should not trouble everyone, but... but there is one matter that Xianmin truly dares not hide—my things have been stolen!"

The Great Elder frowned. "What happened?"

Tears welled in Chu Xianmin's eyes.

"I invited Sister to my room today, wanting to give her some private money so she could buy something for herself when she went shopping. But I didn't expect that when I went to check just now, the banknotes and jewelry given by Father and Mother were all gone!"

Chu Ning growled deeply.

"What do you mean! Are you trying to say that Yue'er stole your things!?"

Chu Xianmin cried even harder, looking like a pear blossom in the rain, full of grievance

"Xianmin did not mean that... how would Xianmin dare to falsely accuse Sister? However, Sister was the only one who visited my room today..."

The Great Elder narrowed his eyes.

"Could it be... she stole Xianmin's things and ran away secretly!? What audacity!"

Just as Chu Ning was about to argue, an announcement suddenly rang out

"The eldest young lady has returned!"

Everyone in the hall froze simultaneously.

A tear hung at the corner of Chu Xianmin's eye, masking the disbelief in her gaze.

How could this be?!

Shouldn't Chu Liuyue be—

A slender and upright figure approached, walking against the light!

"The Great Elder must be joking. As the eldest young lady of the Chu family, I have a share in all the Chu family's assets. Why would I betray the Chu family just to take Third Sister's pocket money?"

Chu Liuyue stepped into the hall, her eyes smiling, yet her expression caused Chu Xianmin to shudder violently!

"Third Sister, wouldn't you agree?"

(End of Chapter)