Chapter 187: The Show Begins

Chapter 187: The Show Begins

"To answer the second miss, Aunt Wen has twisted her ankle. Madam initially asked the eldest miss to escort her back to our mansion. But since the eldest miss suddenly had a stomach ache, I had to find someone else to help, and I ran into you."

Cuiqin spoke very calmly, not seeming to be lying at all.

She seemed somewhat fearful of Lin Yunjiao, looking down and saying, "If it's inconvenient for the second miss, I can go find Nanny Zhao. I'll take my leave."

"Wait a moment!"

Lin Yunjiao hesitantly said, "I didn't say I wouldn't go, lead me to her quickly."

"We can’t have an accident by the lotus pond..."

That was Wenhai's mother; if anything serious happened, that foolish boy would be devastated.

Cuiqin turned and said, "Second Miss, I'll lead you there."

Lin Yunjiao followed her to the lotus pond, where they indeed saw a woman sitting on a large rock by the shore, using a lotus leaf as a hat, her face sunburnt and her lips pale and dry.

"Aunt Wen."

Lin Yunjiao called out.

Wen's mother turned around at the sound, looking as startled as if she'd seen a ghost. She stood up quickly, asking in a flustered manner, "Second... Second Miss! Why is it you?"

"If not me, then who?"

Lin Yunjiao frowned, "Why, aren’t you pleased that I’ve come to escort you, Aunt?"

Does she value her legitimate sister that much?

"Hey, wasn’t your leg sprained? It doesn’t hurt anymore?"

Wen's mother winced, "It hurts, it hurts. My ankle hurts. But standing for a bit is fine, oh, now I can't stand anymore."

And then she sat down again.

Lin Yunjiao said, "Aunt, it's so sunny here. What are you doing sitting outside? Let me take you back."

Humph, let's see how that fool thanks her!

Wen's mother, looking very awkward, waved her hand and said, "...No need, your mother said she sent Yunwan to fetch me. If I leave with you and Yunwan doesn’t find me, she might worry."

Lin Yunjiao snorted coldly.

After all this talk, she still wants Yunwan to come fetch her!

She firmly refused to comply.

Lin Yunjiao approached, twisting Wen's mother's arm, and said coldly, "Aunt, you better come with me. Yun… My sister can’t come; she has a stomachache."

She was already a bit angry. If it weren’t for the sake of that fool Wen Hai, she wouldn’t bother talking so much nonsense with his mother!

"Are you coming or not?!"

Lin Yunjiao was running out of patience.

Wen's mother, her arm hurting, still got up and repeatedly said, "Yes, yes, I'll come."

She bowed her head, looking listless and muttered, "Oh dear... it's so hot. I feel dizzy. Thank you, Second Miss, for kindly coming to fetch me."

"Hmph."

Lin Yunjiao bit her lip, her face blooming like spring.

What she didn’t know was that Wen's mother was already in complete turmoil.

Good heavens, why is it the Second Miss who has come? What should she do?

Her cousin had already arranged for Wen Hai to visit the Old Madam in the inner courtyard later, using the lotus pond in the garden as a pretext. At the sound of three consecutive cat meows, she was supposed to lead him into the water.

This...

Wen's mother looked up at Lin Yunjiao, noticing her face resembled Mrs. Zheng’s, equally beautiful.

"What are you looking at, Aunt? You've already stumbled once. If you don’t watch your step and twist your other ankle, I won’t be able to support you."

Lin Yunjiao furrowed her brows.

How could Wen Hai's mother be such a person! Absolutely no foresight.

Wen's mother gave a sheepish smile.

A new thought flashed through her mind. The Second Miss is so favored! Being the beloved daughter of Zheng and Lin Huabin, and their only child, could her dowry be small?

But offending Zheng and Lin Huabin meant she and her son might never step into the Lin family's home again.

"Eh, where is that cat meowing from?"

Lin Yunjiao pricked up her ears.

Wen's mother looked around. She hadn’t seen anyone yet, but she did hear three cat meows.

"It's too hot, let's go!"

Lin Yunjiao urged Wen's mother.

Sweat poured down Wen's mother's body. She followed Lin Yunjiao along the lotus pond towards the exit of the garden. If everything went as planned, her son should be arriving soon!

Such a rare opportunity!

"It can’t be..."

Wen's mother thought to herself: "I must not miss this chance."

Clenching her teeth, she firmly grasped Lin Yunjiao's arm and cried out loudly, "Ouch! That hurts!"

Her body swayed and she toppled into the lotus pond.

Lin Yunjiao couldn’t shake her off, and only heard her piercing scream.

With several splashes, they both fell into the water.

Lin Yunjiao’s maid was petrified on the spot. Cui Qin, despite being younger, promptly shouted, "Help! Help! The Madam and the Second Miss have fallen into the water!"

Cui Qin pushed Lin Yunjiao's maid and yelled, "What are you waiting for? Go call for help!" The maid, lifting her skirt, hurried off in a direction.

She went to find a long stick to help pull them out.

Wen Hai, following Nurse Fan, rushed over upon hearing the sound of someone falling into water. Already panicked, he sprinted to the shore and yelled, "Mother! Mother! Mother!"

When someone is drowning, they can't call out.

Lin Yunjiao couldn't swim and had swallowed a lot of water, her eyes unable to open.

Wen's mother knew how to swim and initially floated on the surface, but Lin Yunjiao kept pushing her shoulders and head down, causing her to also swallow water, painfully choking her nose.

"Young Master, shouting won't help! Can you swim? If you can, dive in and save them!"

Cui Qin urged him.

"Oh, oh, oh."

Wen Hai, not thinking much, took off his shoes and was about to jump in.

Nurse Fan hurried over, exclaiming, "Save the young lady first! Save the young lady first!"

Wen Hai paused for a moment.

"Two people fell into the water? Who should be saved first?"

Fan's mother slapped him on the forehead and scolded, "Can't you see your mother can swim? Hurry up and save the young lady!"

Cuiqin added, "If the young lady is saved, the aunt will be fine."

Only then did Wen Hai remember, he had grown up by the water since he was a child.

His mother could swim too.

"Splash."

Wen Hai jumped in to rescue them, just as Lin Yunjiao was running out of strength. He held her waist and swam to the shore with her.

Wen's mother also swam back on her own.

As Lin Yunjiao emerged from the water, wiping the hair and seaweed from her face, she began to cry loudly.

Soon, her loud crying turned into soft, grievous sobs.

Lin Yunjiao, soaked through, looked at Wen Hai beside her with red eyes.

"You... Cousin Wen, you... you..."

Her body had been touched by her cousin just now!

"I can't live anymore!"

Lin Yunjiao almost thought of seeking death.

Fan's mother was stunned, her face pale as she walked over, grabbed her arm, and asked incoherently, "Second Miss! Why, why is it you?"

Lin Yunjiao covered her face, crying.

"Fan's mother didn't dare to touch Lin Yunjiao again. Oh heavens, how did the person who fell into the water turn out to be the Second Miss!"

Trembling, she asked Wen's mother, "Why was it the Second Miss who came to meet you? Where did the Eldest Miss go?"

"If the master and mistress find out..."

"It's over, this is a complete disaster."

Overwhelmed, Fan's mother fainted.

Lin Yunwan, hidden not far away, had a very cold expression on her face.

"So they wanted me to fall into the water?"

The Zheng family really lost more than they bargained for.

Near the lotus pond, a crowd had already gathered.

Xiruo said with a smile, "Miss, now we have a good show to watch."