Cheng Yujin gradually felt that the world was drifting away. The bright lights and bustling noises on the other side seemed to be a distant phantom. She didn’t know whether it was an illusion shown by her brain that was gradually losing its consciousness due to the low temperature or not, but she actually saw Cheng Yuanjing.
Cheng Yujin felt absurd. It was more reasonable for her to see an illusion of an immortal descending to save her. Why did she see Cheng Yuanjing? However, in the next second, her arm was held by a strong grip, which then firmly grasped her whole body before finally pulling her out of the cold abyss.
The person’s hand had also turned cold by the icy water. But for Cheng Yujin, the hand was very warm, and the warmth continued to flow into her body.
Cheng Yujin stared blankly for a long time. She was unsure whether it was reality or an illusion brought by the extreme coldness, but she tentatively tried to call the person’s name: “Ninth Uncle?”
“Don’t talk. Preserve your strength.”
After Cheng Yuanjing jumped into the water, several of his guards immediately followed suit. At this moment, they had cleared the broken ice around and found a large ice block strong enough to bear a few people’s weight. Someone had already been waiting on the ice. When Liu Yi saw Cheng Yuanjing’s figure, he sighed in obvious relief, and blood returned to his ashen face. However, Cheng Yuanjing didn’t immediately come up. Instead, he put Cheng Yujin in a safe place first before jumping out of the water.
Cheng Yujin felt the icy water receded from her body. At the same time, the cold wind blew, giving her another kind of chill. Cheng Yujin realized that the Cheng Yuanjing she saw was real, and she was now out of danger.
Du Ruo and Lian Qiao were kneeling on the ice. When they saw Cheng Yujin, they quickly hugged her hands, crying so hard that they couldn’t even speak. Seeing Cheng Yujin shivered in chill, Du Ruo was about to find a cloak when out of a sudden, a black coat descended from above. It was thick and warm, wrapping Cheng Yujin tightly.
Du Ruo was stunned until she heard Cheng Yuanjing said, “Hurry up and find her a hot-water bottle. She is freezing to the bone and will fall ill at this rate.”
Du Ruo glanced up in surprise, but she didn’t dare to say anything and immediately followed Cheng Yuanjing’s order. Cheng Yujin had yet to recover from her shock, but the warm cloak on her body gave her a great sense of security. Someone then stuffed an earthenware hot-water bottle in her hand. When her body was heated from inside and outside, Cheng Yujin finally felt rejuvenated.
As soon as Cheng Yujin was rescued, she was covered by a Cheng Yuanjing’s cloak. Cheng Yuanjing’s figure was much taller and sturdier than Cheng Yujin’s. His cloak wrapped her tightly without any gap.
The moment Cheng Yuanjing rushed over, his men immediately took over the place and drove away the onlookers watching the excitement. From a distance, the crowd could only see a young man in expensive attire rushed over to rescue the girl. After the young man brought the girl out of the water, the two were soon blocked by a human wall, cutting them off from the view.
Winter clothes were naturally thick. Although Cheng Yujin’s wet clothes were stuck to her body, she was wrapped in a black winter cloak, which totally hid her sorry state. Coupled with the fact that Cheng Yuanjing’s men had cleared the area, no outsiders saw her disheveled appearance.
All the future problems following this incident had been resolved. Having been freed of worries, Cheng Yujin suddenly felt tired. She remembered that Yichun Marquis Manor’s carriage was parked a bit far from here. If she came back like this, how should she explain to Qingfu Junzhu? But before Cheng Yujin finished thinking, her body suddenly felt light, and she saw herself being carried in Cheng Yuanjing’s arms.
Still bundled in Cheng Yuanjing’s large cloak, Cheng Yujin was so surprised that she forgot to react. She subconsciously called out: “Ninth Uncle?”
Cheng Yujin’s voice was very small. Having been in the icy water for so long, she was totally exhausted. With the loud hustle and bustle in the background, her voice was no louder than a mosquito’s. But Cheng Yuanjing heard her clearly. He replied in a low voice; his tone was deep and calm: “Hold on a bit. Liu Yi has gone to call a doctor and instructed people to prepare hot water and ginger tea.”
Cheng Yujin didn’t immediately reply. For a long time, she was so quiet and motionless, until she finally asked hoarsely: “Where are we going?”
“Both Zhengyang Gate and Chongwen Gate are blocked, and it will take too long to return to Yichun Marquis Manor. I will take you to another house.” Cheng Yuanjing thought that Cheng Yujin was afraid of damaging her reputation. He tightened his arms and said reassuringly: “Don’t be afraid. There are no outsiders in the house, and your reputation won’t be affected.”
No outsiders. Cheng Yujin instantly realized that the house must be a property owned by Cheng Yuanjing. And obviously, he had more than one of such private properties. The house just happened to be the closest one.
Cheng Yujin was too tired. Her head ached a bit, and the physical discomfort blurred her sense of time. She couldn’t be sure whether she had just closed her eyes for a few seconds or had fallen asleep for a long time.
The lights from rows and rows of lanterns intertwined, accompanied by the distant noises of the crowd. The blurry lights and dim shadows were reflected in Cheng Yujin’s eyes, giving her a sense of chaotic boundary between reality and illusion.
It was as if everything was an illusion, and the presence of the man holding her alone was real.
Cheng Yujin was silent for a long time. “Why?”
The man’s step seemed to pause slightly. He held her tighter: “Yujin, you are always smart. Don’t you already know?”
Cheng Yujin felt even dizzier and finally couldn’t hold it anymore. She leaned on the sturdy chest and closed her eyes. Before losing consciousness, she whispered with a feeble voice, so small that it was almost inaudible: “I never believe that others can do the same for me, because I cannot do it either.”
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