Chapter 2: Back to 3 Years Ago

She slowly sank to the bottom and swam upstream against the current.

She remembered that the upper stream led to a little gate that entered the inner residence; if she could find someone to help her change into dry clothes or to inform her eldest sister, she would be able to escape this disaster.

With great caution, she swam out about thirty to forty meters, found an unoccupied place to come ashore, slipped into a nearby artificial hill, and located a concealed corner to hide in, all ears for any disturbances outside.

Suddenly, she heard soft footsteps approaching; she pressed herself tightly against the rock, daring not to move again.

"I'll go see what happened ahead; you can cross over later," a deep male voice said.

Madame Jiang was startled, that familiar voice—could it be the Second Prince, King of Chu?

She tiptoed, holding onto the rock and peeking out, saw that no one was around, and hastily called out in a low voice, "Brother-in-law? Brother-in-law?"

"Who?"

Before Madame Jiang could get a clear look outside, a tall figure clad in black appeared before her like lightning, trapping her tightly in the narrow corner.

Madame Jiang crossed her arms over her chest and, raising her bright almond-shaped eyes, addressed the completely unfamiliar man before her authoritatively, "I need to see the King of Chu!"

"How long have you been here?" The man's eyes shone coldly as he pressed her, "What have you heard?"

"I... I just got here," Madame Jiang, guessing that the stern man before her must have some secret association with the King of Chu based on the Second Prince's known contacts with many court ministers, put on a pleading face and said pitifully, "Please, could you discreetly find a maid to inform the Princess Consort of Chu that Fourth Miss of the Zuo Family fell into the water by accident and is waiting for her here?"

It was common knowledge that the Princess Consort of Chu was the Second Lady of the Zuo Family.

The man surveyed the young lady who, despite her exquisite attire, was soaked through and then turned away, calling out "Changfeng."

Madame Jiang craned her neck but couldn't hear clearly what he was saying on the other side of the artificial hill; after a moment, the man returned to face her.

Madame Jiang quickly retreated back into the corner.

Noticing the woman trembling with cold, the man took off the black brocade cloak he was wearing and handed it to her.

Madame Jiang, shaking from the chill, did not hesitate to take the cloak and wrapped it around herself.

She neatly tucked her stray hair behind her ears with her hands and then bowed gracefully to the man, "Thank you, sir, for saving my life."

The man, watching the delicate beauty of the young woman before him unfold like a lily from the water, left without a word and headed outside the artificial hill.

Madame Jiang let out a sigh of relief and leaned weakly against the artificial hill, still not entirely sure what had just happened.

"Young Master, what are you doing standing here?"

Suddenly, a mild and cultured voice sounded from outside; Madame Jiang's legs went weak, and she almost fell.

Gu Zhiqing? It was Gu Zhiqing!

She clutched the artificial hill beside her with her fingertips, listening intently to the commotion outside.

"Official Gu," the man in black responded indifferently.

Gu Zhiqing looked around and, seeing that the Second Prince was not in sight, inquired tentatively, "Are you here alone, Young Master?"

The man in black clearly disliked Gu Zhiqing's prying and his voice grew colder, "Shouldn't Official Gu be at the Lake Center Pavilion?"

"There are too many people there, too noisy," said Gu Zhiqing, standing next to the man in black and gazing at the garden full of lush, multicolored flowers across the water, striking up a conversation, "The roses of Prince Qi's Residence truly live up to their reputation."

The man in black originally had no intention of engaging with Gu Zhiqing but, thinking of the woman hiding behind the artificial hill, pretended to be curious and looked towards the Lake Center Pavilion, "What happened over there? Why is it so noisy?"

"Indeed? What happened?" Gu Zhiqing knew very well but stayed put to avoid suspicion. However, seeing several people jump into the water one after another, a bit of concern rose in his heart—his second brother couldn't have drowned, could he?

As the Princess Consort of Chu hurried from the woods on the left, the man in black turned to Gu Zhiqing and said, "Let's go over there and see."

"Alright," Gu Zhiqing, sensing that something was amiss with the voices ahead and fearing a situation that couldn't be easily resolved, quickened his pace and took the lead.

The man in black watched as Changfeng pointed out the rockery to the Princess Consort of Chu before leisurely following behind Gu Zhiqing.

Behind the rockery, Zuo Xiangning was pale as snow; she had almost rushed out just now!

She wished she could push that demon into the water and drown him right this moment!

But the little reason she had left kept her frozen in place without moving, for she had sparred with him many times and knew she was no match for him.

What's more, heaven had granted her the chance to live again, and she was not willing to waste it lightly!

"Xiangning?" Zuo Xiangrong's anxious voice came from outside the rockery.

"Big sister!" Zuo Xiangning rounded the rockery and saw her elder sister whom she hadn't seen in two years, her eyes instantly filling with tears, "Here I am!"

Zuo Xiangrong, seeing her in such a state, was greatly startled and touched her little face anxiously, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No." Thinking of what Gu Zhiqing previously mentioned about "sudden death," Xiangning felt a pain in her heart as though it was being sliced by a knife.

"Be good, don't cry!" Zuo Xiangrong reached out to untie the long and large black cloak from Xiangning and handed it to Caihong, "Your sister is here, don't be afraid!"

The head maid Caixia hurriedly draped a pink cloak around Zuo Xiangning.

Zuo Xiangrong adjusted the cloak's hood on her and took her hand, saying, "Let's go!"

"Mhm." Xiangning sniffed and followed closely by Zuo Xiangrong's side.

Perhaps due to the commotion at the Lake Center Pavilion, they did not encounter anyone along the way, and they managed to leave the courtyard smoothly and boarded the Chu King's Mansion's carriage.

Zuo Xiangrong told Caixia, "Go tell the King of Chu that I have a headache, and let the Fourth Miss accompany me back to the mansion first."

Caixia responded with an "Understood," hopped off the carriage, and returned to Prince Qi's Residence.

Zuo Xiangrong wrapped her hands around Zuo Xiangning's icy fingers and, once the carriage left the gate of Prince Qi's Residence, she asked with concern, "What exactly happened? Xiangyu said you fell into the water at Lake Center Pavilion by accident. How did you end up at the rockery? Was it Lingxiao who saved you?"

Zuo Xiangning wasn't listening to what Zuo Xiangrong was saying. Her mind was on her third sister Zuo Xiangyu, second sister Zuo Xiangyun, and the Gu Family's impostor Second Young Master Gu Zhicheng and Gu Zhiqing. In the play of her falling into the water, what roles were they all playing?

In her previous life, she had fallen into the lake and was publicly saved by the Second Young Master Gu; her reputation was tarnished, and afterward, nobody wished to come forward with a marriage proposal.

Out of desperation, Madame Jiang tried to probe the Gu Family's intentions, only to find out that the Gu Family had no intentions of making a marriage proposal.

It was not until the following year when the King of Chu ascended to the throne and her legitimate eldest sister Zuo Xiangrong became the empress did the Gu Family finally come forward with a marriage proposal.

Madame Jiang furiously drove the Gu Family's proposers out of the Zuo Residence.

A month later, Zuo Zixi, the Zuo Family's most promising son, died in battle at The Borderlands, and the Zuo Family was as if struck by a huge disaster overnight.

Noble Consort Liu's father was then appointed as the Grand General Who Protects The Country, and her sister Zuo Xiangrong's position in the palace became extremely precarious.

It was during that time in her previous life when Zuo Xiangning married into the Gu Family, hoping that the Gu Family would stand with her sister and the Young Crown Prince as allies, to provide her elder sister and the crown prince with some support in the imperial court.

But who could have imagined that while the empress and the Young Crown Prince still held their positions, Gu Zhiqing would dare to treat her with such outrageous disregard!

Who exactly gave Gu Zhiqing the audacity to be so brazen?

And how did her legitimate eldest sister and the Crown Prince suddenly die so abruptly?

Was it Noble Consort Liu's doing, or was it Gu Zhiqing's?

The incidents of her past life seemed unrelated, but the more Xiangning pondered, the more she felt that something was amiss.