With a flick of his fishing rod, a fresh, plump grass carp leaped out of the water, bringing up a spray of droplets.

“Excellent!” Qi Yue clapped her hands and cheered.

Chang Yunqi drew the fish close to him and placed it in the water basin that Qi Yue held out.

“It’s all prepared.” Qi Yue turned and handed it to a servant woman nearby, then urged A’Ru, “Quickly, quickly, light the fire.”

Behind them, charcoal, iron wire mesh, and various seasonings arranged in small dishes were all ready.

A’Ru responded and crouched down to tend the charcoal fire.

“Sichuan peppercorns roasted and ground into powder, if only we had chili peppers…” Qi Yue said to Chang Yunqi while looking at the small dishes. “I still have quite a bit of chili sauce left in my courtyard. If I had known you were coming, I would have asked you to bring some over.”

Chang Yunqi cast his fishing line into the pond again and smiled at her words.

Here, Qi Yue had already begun roasting fruits and vegetables.

Chang Yunqi faced the pond, listening to the soft laughter and conversation between Qi Yue and A’Ru behind him.

“Hey, here.” Qi Yue called from behind.

Chang Yunqi turned his head and saw her offering him a skewer of roasted garlic.

“Really, with so much delicious food and such beautiful scenery, who would want to die?” Qi Yue smiled at him.

Chang Yunqi was at a loss for words at what she said, only smiling as he took the garlic.

Before long, the servants had washed, cleaned, and sliced the fish according to Qi Yue’s instructions. Qi Yue personally took charge of grilling the fish, while the servants, who had never seen such a way of eating, stared with curious eyes.

“Come, try some.” Qi Yue laughed, offering a piece of grilled fish to the servant woman.

The servant woman jumped back in fright, waving her hands as she retreated.

“This servant wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare.” She stammered.

Qi Yue didn’t insist.

“I’ll do it.” A’Ru took over her work.

Qi Yue nodded and carried some of the grilled food over to sit beside Chang Yunqi.

“Here, Third Brother, there’s nothing much to entertain you with here, but at least try something fresh.” She smiled.

“Thank you, Sister-in-law.” Chang Yunqi said, hesitating for a moment before placing his fishing rod at his feet.

“What is everyone at home saying?” Qi Yue asked, eating a skewer of fish meat herself.

Chang Yunqi’s movements paused slightly.

“Elder Brother said you came here to recuperate.” He said.

“Does everyone believe it?” Qi Yue pursed her lips.

Chang Yunqi turned the skewer in his hand.

“Of course they don’t believe it.” He shook his head, then looked at Qi Yue. “Sister-in-law, don’t worry, I’ll find an opportunity to speak with Father.”

What a good child. Qi Yue was deeply moved—he didn’t even need her to ask.

“Thank you, thank you. Eat quickly, tell me what you want to eat.” Qi Yue smiled with her eyes curved like crescents, offering him the meat skewer from her own hand.

Chang Yunqi smiled and took it, eating slowly.

Qi Yue turned back to call the servant woman.

“Go catch a chicken, clean it thoroughly and bring it over.” She said, then looked at Chang Yunqi. “I’ll make beggar’s chicken for Third Brother.”

When this name was spoken, Chang Yunqi’s movements froze.

“Don’t look at me like that. Beggar’s chicken is a delicacy—I’m not wallowing in self-pity about my circumstances.” Qi Yue laughed, seeing right through his thoughts. “You’ll know once you taste it later. I don’t reveal this skill to just anyone.”

Chang Yunqi smiled and lowered his head, continuing to eat the meat skewer in his hand.

As they were talking and laughing, suddenly they heard a commotion not far away, accompanied by children’s crying.

“Help! Someone’s drowning!”

Both Qi Yue and Chang Yunqi stood up.

This pond was very large, shaped like a half-moon, and the cries for help were coming from the tail end of the crescent.

“Those damn kids are secretly swimming again!” The servant woman slapped her thigh and shouted loudly. “Quickly, save them!”

She bellowed toward the village with her loud voice.

Before her words had finished, they saw Qi Yue rushing swiftly toward that direction.

Chang Yunqi was startled and hurried to follow.

A’Ru dropped what she was holding and ran after them.

When they arrived, they saw Qi Yue leap directly into the water without stopping her run.

A’Ru let out a sharp scream that drowned out the cries of the four or five children around them.

Chang Yunqi’s face turned pale as he stood at the water’s edge, his hands clenched tightly into fists, watching the woman dive into the water like a fish.

The pond was murky with tangled weeds, making it impossible to see underwater.

She had said she wouldn’t seek death, she had said she didn’t want to die, so she was doing this because she was certain she could succeed.

“Young Mistress, Young Mistress.” A’Ru crawled toward the pond with her hands and feet, crying out.

If Chang Yunqi hadn’t stopped her in time, A’Ru would have crawled into the water.

By now, villagers had also rushed over, shouting and calling out.

Qi Yue surfaced from the water, holding a seven or eight-year-old child in her arms.

“Quick, quick.” Several villagers jumped into the water to receive the child from her hands.

Qi Yue was completely soaked, pulled and dragged up by A’Ru and Chang Yunqi.

Before A’Ru could say anything, Qi Yue broke away from them and rushed to the child’s side.

The child’s face was iron-gray, motionless.

The adults turned him over and patted his back to expel water. Some water came out, but the child still didn’t wake up.

“It’s no use, he’s stopped breathing.” Several adults shook their heads.

At this moment, the child’s family also rushed over, crying as they threw themselves forward.

“Let me.” Qi Yue shouted, pushing aside the wailing family members. She half-knelt and placed the child on her lap, prying open his mouth and pulling out his tongue.

Everyone around stared blankly, not knowing what this woman was doing.

“No heartbeat,” Qi Yue said, checking his pulse. She laid the child flat and bent down to begin chest compressions.

Watching the woman press and compress the child’s chest, and after several attempts, bend down to place her mouth against the child’s mouth.

The surrounding crowd erupted in commotion.

“Don’t make noise.” A’Ru screamed sharply. “Our Young Mistress is saving him.”

The words “Young Mistress” and “saving him” quieted the scene, and everyone stared blankly at the beautiful woman in the center, completely soaked, repeating the pressing and mouth-to-mouth actions.

This was saving someone?

Time seemed to stand still, when suddenly the child’s body convulsed, and he coughed up several mouthfuls of water.

“He’s alive!” everyone around shouted in unison, and the child’s family members, overjoyed, cried as they embraced the child.

“Remove his clothes, wrap him in clean cloth, and keep his chest warm.” Qi Yue also sighed with relief, sitting on the ground.

“Yes, yes.” The surrounding people answered in confusion, frantically tearing off their own clothes to wrap the child, carrying him home in a crowd.

Chang Yunqi removed his outer robe and draped it over Qi Yue, covering her curvaceous figure that was revealed through her soaked clothes.

“Young Mistress.” A’Ru knelt before her, about to cry again. “You scared this servant to death. How could you do such a thing?”

“What thing?” Qi Yue looked at her with a smile. “I can swim, and I’m quite good at it.”

As she said this, she shook her fist with a laugh, but the cool autumn weather made her shiver slightly despite herself.

“Quickly go back and boil hot water.” Chang Yunqi shouted to the panicked and bewildered servant women.

Only then did the group come to their senses and stumble back toward home.

“Thank you, Madam, for saving our child’s life.”

Qi Yue looked at the country couple kneeling in the courtyard, kowtowing, and quickly smiled as she asked them to rise.

The couple, however, dared not get up and remained kneeling.

“Pay attention to whether he develops cough, phlegm, or fever in the next few days. If so, come find…” Qi Yue had intended to say “come find me,” but the words turned bitter in her mouth. What use would finding her be? She could treat pneumonia and such, but without medicine, without her usual medications, she was nothing. “…go find a physician to examine him.”

The couple quickly agreed and kowtowed their thanks again.

“Go back quickly. Children are naturally mischievous—don’t scold or beat the child. I imagine after this experience, he won’t dare again.” Qi Yue smiled.

Only then did the couple kowtow and rise, never daring to raise their heads as they backed out.

“This is some meat and vegetables. Young Mistress wants you to give them to the child to nourish his body.” A servant woman waited nearby, handing them a basket.

“This, this, this we cannot accept.” The couple was frightened and refused to accept it.

“Take it, our Young Mistress is kind-hearted.” The servant woman said.

Only then did the couple accept it, kowtowing again toward Qi Yue’s courtyard and walking away with tears in their eyes, expressing endless gratitude.

In the low, thatched house, many villagers had gathered, talking together. When they saw the couple return, they all rushed to surround them.

“She gave us more good things.” The woman showed the basket to everyone, bowing her head to wipe away tears.

“She’s truly a good person.” Everyone sighed.

They all went together to see the child, who was now fine, only pale-faced from the shock. The villagers sighed again in amazement.

“Pressing on the chest like that, then breathing mouth-to-mouth, and that can bring someone back to life?” Someone couldn’t help but mention what had happened, looking amazed.

“That’s right. I felt at the time—Er’Dan clearly had no breath, his body was already cold…”

“You don’t understand.” An elderly man coughed and spoke.

Everyone looked at him.

“Third Uncle, please tell us, what kind of miraculous thing was this?” Everyone looked at this village elder and urged him to explain.

The old man squatted outside the house door, gazing at the dead leaves and branches being blown back and forth by the autumn wind in the courtyard.

“She transferred some of her immortal breath to Er’Dan.” He said solemnly. “She extended Er’Dan’s life.”

Qi Yue accepted the ginger soup A’Ru handed her and looked at Chang Yunqi sitting nearby.

“Did Third Brother come specifically to see me?” She suddenly asked.

This sudden question from her startled A’Ru so much she nearly knelt down, and Chang Yunqi was also somewhat at a loss.

“It’s getting late, I shouldn’t delay your important matters.” Qi Yue continued with a smile. “I’m fine. I used to go swimming whenever I had free time.”

A’Ru coughed. She naturally knew that the “used to” Qi Yue referred to was someone else’s past, but Chang Yunqi didn’t know that.

What young lady would play in the water? Especially a beggar…

Fortunately, Chang Yunqi’s attention wasn’t focused on this.

“Yes.” He looked up as if having made some decision. “I heard about your situation, Sister-in-law, and felt uneasy.”

A’Ru’s heart rose to her throat again.

Chang Yunqi smiled again as he spoke.

“You cry easily and are timid, and when something happens, you don’t dare to speak up, so I came to check on you.” He said.

“Oh, I’m fine.” Qi Yue laughed. “Thank you, Third Brother. Although I’m a bit frustrated, it’s nothing serious—certainly not to the point of seeking death. Don’t worry.”

This casual remark reminded Chang Yunqi of the misunderstanding when he first arrived, and he couldn’t help but smile as well.