Chapter 21

Chapter 21

When Shen Dongqing first took the rope out of his backpack, the livestream viewers were thinking the exact same thing as Huang Xin. It wasn't until they saw him tying plastic bottles to the rope that it clicked—he was planning to use the Flying Camera to rescue the drowning victims.

"Wait, does the Flying Camera actually have that much lift?"

"No way it can pull a full person up, but if it just keeps their heads above water, plus those bottles, it could work."

"Honestly, it'd be safer to just toss it to the people on the other side. The camera's lift is way too weak, and that woman looks like she's running on fumes. If she doesn't get pulled in soon, she might not last much longer."

"Did the person above not see how useless that guy on the other bank is? He's just standing there yelling, doing absolutely nothing, and you'd still hand him the rescue gear?"

"That guy's sketchy. No normal person is that dumb."

"He's either an idiot or a bad guy. My money's on bad guy."

But the chat didn't stay on that topic for long. When the Flying Camera flew over the mother and daughter, they saw Shu Xueyu was barely conscious, just floating on pure instinct. They tensed up immediately, scared she wouldn't have the strength to grab the rope and save herself.

Luckily, her survival instinct kicked in. She was out of it for a second, then snapped awake, and since the bottles were impossible to miss, she latched onto that lifeline.

The chat breathed a sigh of relief, but their hearts clenched again right away. Up this close, they could see just how bad things really were for the mom and daughter.

If nobody pulled them out, even with the camera and bottles keeping them afloat, it would only buy them time before the worst happened.

With that guy on the other side refusing to help, unless someone heard the noise and ran over, Shen Dongqing was their only shot.

From way off in the distance, on camera, Shen Dongqing kicked off his shoes. Didn't even bother stretching—he just dove straight in.

Luckily, it was summer and hot out. The lake had been baking in the sun all day, so the surface water was still warm. He barely felt the cold, got his bearings fast, and swam over.

With the whole livestream watching, Shen Dongqing slowly closed in on the mother and daughter.

"Damn, the streamer can swim—his stroke rate is insane," someone who knew swimming commented, instantly clocking that his technique was no joke.

"Good thing they ran into the streamer, or those two would've been in serious trouble," someone said with relief.

"Don't get ahead of yourselves. He already burned a ton of energy biking. Swimming alone is fine, but saving someone? No idea if he's got the gas left," another viewer rained on the parade.

Shen Dongqing swam up to Shu Xueyu. Shu Xueyu heard the water behind her and knew someone was coming to save them.

"Save my daughter." Her voice was barely a whisper. As she spoke, she shoved her daughter toward him, her body giving out as she started to sink.

Even with the camera helping, all her earlier struggling had completely drained her. The only reason she'd held on until Shen Dongqing got there was pure willpower. Now that she knew her daughter might be okay, she let go and couldn't hold on anymore.

"Wuwuwuwu, this is so painful. Can the streamer really not save both of them?"

"Honestly, the mom's reaction makes sense. The streamer swam all the way from the other side—at least a hundred meters. That takes a huge toll. Saving the kid, sure. But saving both an adult and a kid? Way too tough."

"Even if the kid makes it, will she really be glad she's alive?"

"Hey, don't be so negative. The streamer's a beast in the water. Maybe he can pull off both."

"But don't forget, his stamina's running out. You could see his pace drop at the end. How's he gonna save two people?"

The chat was about to blow up when Shen Dongqing caught the little girl with one hand, grabbed Shu Xueyu by the collar, and started treading water.

Shu Xueyu waited a beat and realized she wasn't going under.

"Mis—" she tried to talk, but the second she opened her mouth, she gulped down a mouthful of lake water.

"Don't move. I already had someone call park management. Someone's definitely coming to get you," Shen Dongqing said. He realized that treading water, even with people in tow, wasn't that exhausting. He could easily hold out for ten minutes.

Maybe once he caught his breath, he could even swim them back to shore.

Now it was a race between his energy coming back and the park showing up.

Before he jumped in, Shen Dongqing had Huang Xin call park management, so they were definitely on it.

When park management got Huang Xin's call, they immediately went on high alert.

"Mr. Huang, where exactly are the people in the water?" the park staff member asked rapidly.

Huang Xin was about to answer, then frowned and rattled off a string of numbers.

"Add me. I'll send you the pin—trying to describe it won't work," Huang Xin said.

The staffer quickly got it and added him. Once they got the location, they saw it was near the fishing area. The staffer was thrilled and immediately put out an emergency call over the loudspeaker.

Even though Shu Xueyu told Shen Dongqing to save her daughter first, she didn't actually want to die. Who'd choose death when they could live? If she died, how would Zhou Ming treat their daughter? Just the thought made her want to live even more.

Plus, she had a suspicion—if she died, her daughter wouldn't know a thing, and that suspicion would die with her. So she had to live, no matter what.

With that thought, Shu Xueyu felt a spark of energy come back. Remembering the floating techniques Zhou Ming had taught her, she tried to relax and lighten Shen Dongqing's load.

...

The staff began calling for anglers to help with the rescue. Shen Dongqing was in the water doing his part, while on shore, Zhou Ming finally calmed down.

His daughter's fall into the water had been premeditated by Zhou Ming, but he wasn't heartless enough to want her dead. He just felt that Shu Xueyu was looking down on him more and more, and he wanted to use his daughter's danger—and his rescue of her—to make Shu Xueyu see him in a better light.

Actually, the ideal scenario would have been for Shu Xueyu to fall in, and for him to save her.

After all, the reason they got together in the first place was that she fell into the water, he pulled her out, and that's how they became close.

But making an adult fall into the water without them noticing was too difficult.

Besides, after that incident, Zhou Ming had taught Shu Xueyu how to swim to grow closer to her. Even if she fell in, she wouldn't need him to save her.

In the end, Zhou Ming set his sights on his daughter. A little kid was much easier to manipulate.

He just had to subtly guide her, and she'd go play by the water. Then a gentle nudge, and she'd fall in.

Zhou Ming could have pulled her out right then, but rescuing her immediately after she fell wouldn't look dramatic enough, and his heroics wouldn't seem as impressive.

So Zhou Ming watched his daughter struggle in the water, drift a bit farther away, and only then shouted that she'd fallen in, diving in himself just as Shu Xueyu rushed over.

But the moment he hit the water, Zhou Ming realized he'd underestimated the current and overestimated his own ability.

His swimming skills were from seven or eight years ago. After starting work, he barely practiced, and the occasional swim was always in a calm pool—completely different from natural waters. On top of that, he'd jumped in hastily, and when his calf cramped up, he panicked and scrambled back to shore.

If Shu Xueyu hadn't gone in, Zhou Ming might have tried to save his daughter. But watching Shu Xueyu dive in, with both mother and daughter struggling in the water, a thought surfaced in Zhou Ming's mind.

They'd all bought personal accident insurance—the payout was pretty substantial.

He and Shu Xueyu had been married for years, and she was always focused on her career. She'd only given him a daughter, and his mother had to help raise the child. She never took care of the family.

Last time he'd discussed having another child with Shu Xueyu, she'd flatly refused, implying she was about to get promoted and a pregnancy would interfere with her work. She said having a daughter was enough.

Without a son, Zhou Ming felt he couldn't hold his head up whenever relatives or friends brought up children. Sometimes he even thought about divorcing Shu Xueyu and finding someone else.

But Shu Xueyu was too headstrong; if they separated, she wouldn't give an inch on splitting the assets. Zhou Ming had secretly consulted dating services and learned that with his situation—not particularly wealthy—he'd struggle to find the kind of woman he wanted, let alone one who'd give him a son.

Now that Shu Xueyu and their daughter had accidentally fallen into the water, wasn't this a sign from heaven?

Watching Shu Xueyu and the girl struggle in the water, Zhou Ming felt nervous and scared. He was afraid they might swim back to shore on their own, yet he didn't dare do anything to interfere.

After all, to get the compensation, it had to look like a genuine accidental drowning.

He also feared someone might pass by and start to suspect him for not helping, so he could only pretend to panic and shout—though he'd yell twice and then pause, worried that if no one was coming, his calls might actually attract someone's attention.

Zhou Ming's mind was consumed by anxiety and fear, along with a flicker of greed for the compensation. But Shen Dongqing's arrival completely destroyed his fantasy.

The moment the drone approached, Zhou Ming recognized it. He'd assumed that from such a distance, Shen Dongqing couldn't possibly rescue them. Who knew Shen Dongqing would strap a water bottle to the drone to keep Shu Xueyu afloat, then swim straight across?

Even from that far away, Shen Dongqing was swimming pretty fast. Watching him reach the mother and daughter, Zhou Ming gave up completely, giving up on any hope of getting compensation.

"Sweetheart, hang in there—I'm going to find help!" Zhou Ming shouted, turning to search for someone. He had to act now, or Shu Xueyu would definitely get suspicious.

Though she might already be suspicious, he could still talk his way out of it. Not much time had passed since Shen Dongqing showed up, and no one knew how long he'd been yelling from the shore.

Shu Xueyu knew, but she was in the water. He could claim she was too scared to keep track of time and mistakenly thought she'd been in the water longer than she had.

The best way to avoid suspicion would be to dive in, but Zhou Ming didn't dare—not just because his swimming was poor, but because what happened to Shu Xueyu was a warning. He wasn't about to put himself in danger.

Yelling, Zhou Ming ran off to get help. He knew the nearest spot was a fishing area and that was the best place to find help, but he didn't dare go. He was afraid someone would see him and ask why he hadn't come for help sooner if he knew people were in the water. So he went the long way around, heading in a different direction.

Shortly after he left, people arrived at the shore.

A few anglers, hearing the park announcement about someone drowning, rushed over to help.

Confident in their swimming skills but still cautious, they brought life rings. One threw a life ring toward Shen Dongqing's position, then plunged into the water and swam as fast as he could.

After resting a few minutes, Shen Dongqing had recovered some strength and was about to bring them both to shore.

Seeing the angler swimming over, Shen Dongqing stopped and waited. Carrying two people alone—one adult and one child—there was a risk they'd swallow water. He figured it was better to wait for more help.

The first swimmer to arrive took the daughter from Shu Xueyu's arms and carefully brought the little girl toward the shore. The one behind him came to assist Shu Xueyu, saying to Shen Dongqing, "Hang on, buddy—help is on the way."

Viewers in the livestream were relieved that rescuers had finally arrived. Though Shen Dongqing seemed to manage on his own, it was still good to have backup. But then the man thought Shen Dongqing was also drowning.

"Hey, I'm not drowning—I'm here to help too," Shen Dongqing said, swimming toward the shore.

"You too?" The man was taken aback, then paused and said, "Young man, next time don't rush into the water like that. With your swimming ability, it's too dangerous."

They'd run over from a distance and seen Shen Dongqing floating in the water without moving, so they assumed he was a victim. Turns out he was a rescuer.

"???" Shen Dongqing was genuinely confused. Was he really that bad a swimmer?

"Look, it's only eight or nine meters here, but if you swam out, you wouldn't be able to swim back..." The man gave examples to convince Shen Dongqing.

He genuinely feared Shen Dongqing was too stubborn and didn't know his own limits. Rescuing someone isn't like anything else—one mistake and you lose your own life instead of saving theirs.

"But rescuing is still great. Just next time, check for life rings or other gear nearby—better safe than sorry." He softened his tone, afraid he'd talked Shen Dongqing out of helping in the future.

The two lagged behind as they talked. On the shore, Shu Xueyu was holding her daughter and thanking everyone around her. The little girl had woken up and was crying loudly.

But everyone there was relieved to hear her crying.

When the child was first brought ashore, she wasn't responding, and they feared the drowning had gone on too long. But after a bit of first aid, she coughed up some water and woke up. Now that she could cry, it meant the drowning hadn't done any lasting damage.

"Ma'am, you should take your daughter to the hospital—she's been in the water a long time, and swallowing that lake water isn't good for her," one angler said.

Shu Xueyu nodded repeatedly. Looking up, she saw Shen Dongqing coming out of the water. Her eyes reddened, and she dropped to her knees in front of him, daughter in her arms, and bowed her head all the way to the ground.

Shu Xueyu knew too well that without Shen Dongqing, she wouldn't have made it until help arrived—she'd have died in that water.

Everyone around was shocked, unsure what to do. Shen Dongqing, just getting out of the water and not fully recovered, tried to stop her but was too late. He had no choice but to let her bow to him.

When she tried to bow a second time, Shen Dongqing grabbed her arm to stop her.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Young man, if you hadn't swum over to save us, my daughter and I would be dead. Thank you—thank you so much," Shu Xueyu said gratefully.

The man who'd been talking to Shen Dongqing felt something was off. He'd assumed Shen Dongqing had arrived before them but was a weak swimmer, which was why he'd ended up next to Shu Xueyu. But judging by her reaction, Shen Dongqing had been the key person.

Otherwise, her gratitude toward them, though sincere, was controlled—her attitude toward Shen Dongqing was on another level entirely.

"Brother Shen, you okay?" Huang Xin finally arrived, having ridden his bike around the lake from the other side, bringing Shen Dongqing's bike along.

"I'm fine," Shen Dongqing said, shaking his head.

"Brother Shen, your shoes—here are your shoes," Huang Xin said, handing over the pair Shen Dongqing had taken off earlier.

"Thanks for bringing them over," Shen Dongqing said.

"No problem. Can't let you swim back just to get your shoes," Huang Xin waved off.

"Wait, what do you mean 'swim back'? Where did this kid swim from?" the man who'd asked earlier cut in.

"Over there, the other side of the lake," Huang Xin pointed.

The man followed his gaze, his eyes went wide in disbelief. That was at least a hundred meters from here.

The lake water was flowing, and swimming from that spot to where the mother and daughter had fallen likely meant fighting the current—which would drain even more energy.

"And you two rode your bikes all the way here?"

"Yeah, rode for two or three hours," Huang Xin replied casually, then dug through his backpack. Shen Dongqing had swum so far; he must be exhausted, so he needed to get him something to eat.

Shen Dongqing was genuinely hungry. Swimming burned a lot of energy, and as soon as he got out, his stomach was growling. He took the food Huang Xin offered and devoured it.

"Young man!"

Shen Dongqing looked up to find the man he'd been talking to with an ashamed look on his face.

?

"I misjudged you earlier. Your swimming is incredible—after cycling for hours, you swam across from there to save them. You're amazing." The man gave a thumbs-up, looking at him with admiration.

"What other side of the lake?" The other two anglers who'd helped rescue were confused by his vague comment.

The man quickly explained the misunderstanding. Hearing that Shen Dongqing had cycled for hours, then swum over a hundred meters across the lake to save them, both anglers looked at him in awe.

They remembered now—why Shen Dongqing hadn't swum the pair to shore when they first spotted him from afar, and only started moving once they got there. It was because he'd been exhausted, floating in the water to rest before he could move.

And that was a man who'd been holding up two people in the water and still had the strength to recover!

"All that's left is running, or else it'd be a full triathlon," the big guy remarked.

Just as the group was gazing at Shen Dongqing with admiration, the park crew arrived by car.

Stepping out and seeing the people on the shore, then realizing no one was in the lake, one worker's legs went weak and he nearly crumpled.

Zhou Ming also jumped out of the car, and upon spotting Shen Dongqing, his face changed slightly. Although he'd realized before leaving that Shen Dongqing would rescue the victims, now that it had actually happened, he couldn't help but resent him.

He'd tried so hard to avoid Shen Dongqing, going out of his way to avoid crossing paths with him, yet in the end, how come Shen Dongqing still managed to cause him trouble?

A flash of hatred crossed his face before he pulled himself together. Zhou Ming ran toward Shu Xueyu, saying in a rush, "Xueyu, Niuniu, thank God you're okay. I was terrified. Niuniu, never play near the water again—it's way too dangerous."

As he talked, Zhou Ming reached out to hug his daughter.

Though Niuniu wasn't particularly close to Zhou Ming, after the recent ordeal, she instinctively moved toward her dad. But Shu Xueyu pulled her daughter close, glaring coldly at Zhou Ming.

"Where the hell were you just now?" Shu Xueyu demanded.

"I went to get help. I thought that guy could save you, but when I saw he wasn't doing anything, I ran to get someone," Zhou Ming explained with his pre-planned excuse.

The staff member was about to say something, but seeing Shu Xueyu's face, sensed something was off and shut up.

The three anglers also sensed something was off, eyeing Zhou Ming with suspicion.

"I was in the water for so long—why didn't you go get help sooner?" Shu Xueyu pressed on.

"I... I panicked. I wanted to jump in and save you, but my leg cramped up, and I was afraid I'd just drag myself down with you. But if I ran off to get help, I was afraid you wouldn't make it, so I started yelling for someone to come," Zhou Ming explained rapidly. "And it wasn't that long, Xueyu. You only felt it was long because you were scared in the water. It was just a few seconds."

After all, no one could prove how long he'd actually been yelling from the shore.

"Then where did you go to get help?" Shu Xueyu asked.

"To the campsite nearby," Zhou Ming replied.

"The campsite's a bit far from here. Why didn't you go to the fishing area right next door? Isn't that closer?" Shu Xueyu pressed relentlessly.

"Oh, I forgot about that—I was freaking out. Xueyu, what's wrong? Are you blaming me for not jumping in to save you guys? I wanted to, but my leg was still cramping. I really couldn't get in the water," Zhou Ming said, his face twisted in pain, like he was hurt by Shu Xueyu's accusations.

Faced with Shu Xueyu's questions, Zhou Ming managed to give answers that could still be explained away, but the sheer number of questions was enough to show his actions were suspicious.

"I have one last question: how exactly did Niuniu fall into the water?" Shu Xueyu said coldly.

If the previous questions could be chalked up to Zhou Ming being a coward too scared to save his wife and kid, this one bordered on criminal behavior. Everyone instinctively turned to look at Zhou Ming.

The livestream viewers had sensed something off about Zhou Ming from the start but hadn't dared to think it went that far. Now, hearing Shu Xueyu's accusation, they too fixed their eyes on him.

The flying camera had initially been focused on Shen Dongqing, giving many fans a treat—a rare chance to see him all wet and sexy.

But soon, Shen Dongqing noticed his clothes and had the flying camera point elsewhere, which happened to capture everyone's current state.

Some fans had wanted Shen Dongqing to change the angle, but after a moment, they got a front-row seat to a drama. Zhou Ming became the center of the camera's attention, every move caught by the livestream audience.

If the other questions let Zhou Ming stay calm, this one really hit a nerve.

"Shu Xueyu, have you lost your mind? I know I didn't watch Niuniu closely enough and she fell in by accident—that's on me. I jumped in to save her but couldn't because of the cramp—that's on me too. But you can't just go around accusing me of pushing Niuniu in!" Zhou Ming's facial muscles twitched, his jaw clenched. "I admit, I might not care for Niuniu as much as you do, but she's still my daughter. I've raised her for years. How could I ever bring myself to harm her?"

"I know you might not believe me. You think I stood on the shore watching you drown without doing anything, but it really wasn't that long. You were just too scared in the water, so it felt like forever," Zhou Ming said, taking a deep breath. "If you still don't believe me, then call the cops. Let them clear my name."

After Zhou Ming finished his long speech, the onlookers' looks toward him lost their earlier suspicion. After all, Zhou Ming spoke clearly, and it was normal for someone who'd nearly drowned to come up with conspiracy theories.

Not just them—even the livestream viewers started doubting their own judgment.

"His actions were a bit dumb, but with that explanation, it kind of makes sense."

"True, in dangerous situations, people panic and do stupid stuff they wouldn't normally do."

"No way, a few words from this guy and you're all buying it? Don't listen to what he says—look at what he does. His actions are beyond normal reasoning; you can't just blame it on stupidity."

"The main issue is we don't know when the mother and daughter fell in, so his story sounds kind of plausible."

"Is there any security cameras around here? If we could check the footage, that'd be great."

"Probably not. The park's huge, and this area's out of the way. They wouldn't spend money on that many cameras."

"Then there's no way to know how long they were in the water. This'll probably just get swept under the rug."

While others were fooled, Shen Dongqing wasn't buying any of it.

He was the one with the Criminal Attraction Aura. If a suspected crime happened nearby, could it really be a misunderstanding?

That would be the ultimate insult to the Criminal Attraction Aura!

Shu Xueyu was so furious at Zhou Ming's shameless words that her face went red. Seeing that others seemed to be buying his story only made her shake with anger.

Zhou Ming's words weren't just a defense—they were a trap, forcing her to choose between waiting for the police or taking her daughter to the hospital.

If she called the police, she'd have to wait there, which would delay the hospital visit.

Shu Xueyu desperately wanted to take her daughter to the hospital, but thinking about what Zhou Ming might have done, she didn't dare leave. She wasn't sure if Zhou Ming had left any evidence—maybe not, but if he had, missing this chance would mean letting him get away with it.

Most importantly, if Zhou Ming had really hurt her daughter, going back like this would only put her in more danger.

"Fine, since you say that, I'll call the police," Shu Xueyu decided, and immediately dialed 911.