Xie Qiqi shrieked in terror, turning her head to look at her eldest and second brothers for help. Her eldest brother must be trying to scare her; he couldn't possibly have the heart to watch her be thrown in!
Yue Yue ran forward and grabbed Xie Qiqi’s arm, her eyes filled with tears. "Sister, just soften your stance and apologize. The Crown Princess will forgive you!"
Yue Yue’s voice was as sweet as her appearance, yet at this moment, it felt like arsenic, poisoning Xie Qiqi’s very blood. *Hypocrite!* Xie Qiqi angrily shook her hand off. She hadn't used much force, but Yue Yue stumbled backward and fell as if struck by a massive blow.
Her second brother, Xie Wentao, stepped forward quickly to catch Yue Yue, then reprimanded Xie Qiqi with disgust. "Qiqi, Yue Yue didn't even hold it against you when you slandered her, and yet you dare to take your anger out on her? You aren't worthy of Yue Yue’s kindness!"
Xie Wenyuan also stepped forward to support Yue Yue, looking at Xie Qiqi with annoyance. When he had first heard the Crown Princess intended to throw Xie Qiqi into the lake, he had felt a pang of reluctance. The lake water was freezing, and for a frail girl like Xie Qiqi, such a punishment was too severe. But Xie Qiqi hadn't shown the slightest sign of repentance, instantly extinguishing his desire to plead for her. She was not worthy of his pity.
*Splash!* Xie Qiqi was thrown into the lake.
The bone-chilling water instantly surged into her nose and mouth, bringing an unbearable, stinging pain. It felt as if countless needles were piercing her lungs, a pain that went straight to her heart. Xie Qiqi struggled to reach the surface, crying out in panic, "Eldest Brother, save me..."
Her voice trembled with sobs, every word a plea. Her eldest brother just wanted to teach her a lesson; he had always been stern in appearance but kind in heart toward her. He wouldn't abandon her. She still remembered when she was little, their carriage had overturned, and her eldest brother had shielded her as they rolled down the hill. She had come away unscathed, but he had been covered in wounds and had broken his arm—an injury that ended his martial arts pursuits, forcing him to turn to literature. He was the Crown Prince’s tutor; if he just spoke up, the Crown Princess would rescind the punishment.
But her eldest brother seemed not to hear her terrified screams; he was busy, tenderly holding an umbrella to shield Yue Yue from the wind and snow.
Xie Qiqi used every ounce of her strength to reach the edge of the bank, looking to her second brother for help. "Second Brother, please... save me!"
She had once been the only daughter in the Xie Family, and every time her second brother returned from the academy, he would remember to buy her favorite osmanthus cakes. If only he would reach out a hand and pull her up, the Crown Princess wouldn't press the matter, knowing he was the captain of the Crown Prince’s guard.
Xie Wentao looked at Xie Qiqi’s pale face, hardened his heart, and turned his back on her, focusing instead on the plum blossoms blooming proudly on the branches. Xie Qiqi had bullied Yue Yue constantly since returning; it was time she learned what it felt like to be bullied herself.
The Crown Princess looked at Xie Wenyuan with a sinister glint in her eyes and a meaningful smile on her lips. She brought the heel of her shoe down hard on Xie Qiqi’s fingers.
*Snap... snap...*
The faint sound of breaking bones was masked by the splashing of the water. Xie Qiqi fell back into the freezing lake. The icy water, like a pair of ruthless giant hands, arrogantly dragged her toward the abyss.
On the bank, Yue Yue watched Xie Qiqi bobbing in the water, a smile quietly flitting across her lips. Yue Yue would never forget the terror she felt when she was first dragged into the dark, gloomy Imperial Prison. She had been so small; she didn't want to die! She hadn't expected her aunt to bring her home the day before her planned execution. But even after eight years, she still feared this was all a dream—that when she woke up, she would be pushed back onto the executioner's platform. All these years, she had worked hard to please her aunt, using the same tactics the concubines used on her father to curry favor with everyone in the Xie Family. *Why didn't Xie Qiqi just die out there? Why did she have to come back and compete with me?*
Yue Yue watched with cold eyes as Xie Qiqi struggled in the frozen lake. Judging that it was about enough, she plopped down onto the snow, crying. "Crown Princess, please let my sister up. I am willing to take the punishment for her... the water is so cold, she won't be able to bear it."
Xie Wenyuan stepped forward to help her up, his heart aching. "Yue Yue, your body is delicate; you wouldn't be able to survive the icy water. Xie Qiqi is the one who did wrong; only by letting her be punished will she learn a lesson!" He looked at Xie Qiqi with indifference. Since he couldn't teach her well, suffering a little physical pain would serve as a good reminder.
Xie Wenyuan’s words reached Xie Qiqi’s ears. She gave a miserable smile, and a sense of profound desolation filled her heart. Yue Yue, who had been pampered for eight years under her stolen identity, was considered "delicate," unable to withstand the cold. But what about her own body, which had spent eight years as a state slave for Yue Yue, struggling through constant hunger and cold, and was already battered and worn—could it withstand it?
All the strength in Xie Qiqi’s body seemed to be sapped away by the frigid water, and fear and despair spread through her heart. Her consciousness began to blur, and the sounds around her slowly faded. She was drowning! As her consciousness slipped away, only one thought remained in her mind: If she died like this, would her eldest and second brothers regret not saving her?
"Crown Princess, Master, Young Master, please save the young mistress, she's drowning..."
"Crown Princess, please let my sister up. I’ll eat a vegetarian diet for a month and pray for your blessings..."
...
*So noisy!*
The burning pain in her lungs caused the semi-conscious Xie Qiqi to cough violently. She coughed heart-wrenchingly, water spraying from her mouth, the blood in her throat mixing with the water and leaving a faint red stain on the snow.
"Young Mistress!" Her personal maid, Yan'er, hugged Xie Qiqi, her tears falling before she could speak.
"Sister, you've finally woken up, I'm so happy... Your clothes are all wet; take my cloak to warm yourself!"
Yue Yue pushed Yan'er aside and, with tears in her eyes, draped her luxurious, pale pink fox-fur cape over Xie Qiqi.
Xie Qiqi, however, stood up with Yan'er’s support. If Yue Yue truly cared for her, she should have admitted she was the one who tore the painting instead of putting on this show after the punishment had already been carried out. The fox-fur cloak slipped off and fell into the snow. Xie Qiqi didn't even glance at it, leaning weakly against Yan'er. "Let’s go back..."
As the cloak lay in the snow, Yue Yue looked wounded and whispered, "Sister, are you still angry with me? I know you're mad that I didn't plead for you sooner, but the Crown Princess was so furious at the time..."
Xie Qiqi was shivering uncontrollably, her wet clothes clinging tightly to her skin, her teeth chattering. The padded jacket was soaked through, and every step felt like a heavy drag. She hadn't even taken two steps before her second brother, Xie Wentao, grabbed her arm violently.
"Xie Qiqi, what is this attitude?"
"If Yue Yue hadn't pleaded for you, do you think the Crown Princess would have let you go? You don't even know how to be grateful, and yet you dare to take your anger out on Yue Yue... Pick up the fox-fur cloak, now!"
With a violent shove from Xie Wentao, Xie Qiqi was thrown to the ground, her face pressing into the fur and her knees hitting the snow hard.
"Second Brother, Sister didn't mean to... please don't be so hard on her!" Yue Yue rushed forward, clutching Xie Wentao’s arm in a plea.
Xie Qiqi propped herself up and turned her head. Seeing the annoyance on Xie Wentao’s face, she realized she no longer felt aggrieved. *Perhaps, if I withdraw all my expectations for their affection, they will no longer have the power to hurt me.*