Seeing this scene, Bai Zhi was so panicked she nearly fainted.

However, completely contrary to her expectations, in just a brief moment, Li Weiyang dragged Li Minfeng ashore. Although Li Minfeng was young, he was still a boy after all. Li Weiyang could barely hold him. Her arms lost strength and she nearly dropped him back into the water. Bai Zhi quickly went to help, and the two of them together pulled Li Minfeng up.

Li Weiyang bent down and felt his chest: “There’s still warmth.” Then she used all the methods she had once seen fishermen in Xinshou Village use to save people on Li Minfeng. First she pounded his chest twice, then turned him over and pressed her knee against his soft abdomen. After fussing over him for quite a while, Li Minfeng—who had only choked and fainted—regained consciousness from Li Weiyang’s pounding. He coughed twice, then coughed up a mouthful of water with a retch and woke up.

Finally alive again. Li Weiyang breathed a sigh of relief…

Li Minfeng suddenly turned his head. Those eyes were jet black and bright, brilliant as stars, with thick lashes still gently trembling, dotted with scattered water droplets like shattered jade. Li Weiyang’s heart jumped, feeling as if a mirror reflecting sunlight had flashed before her eyes.

Good heavens, he was absurdly beautiful.

This child had a pair of captivating eyes that seemed full of emotion even without smiling. His fair skin was nearly transparent in the sunlight. If he were a girl, he probably wouldn’t be inferior to the stunningly beautiful Li Changle. Moreover, he was only ten years old right now.

Li Minfeng’s crystal-like eyes flashed, and just as he was about to open his mouth, Li Weiyang covered his mouth with her hand: “Don’t make a sound! Otherwise I’ll throw you back down!”

Bai Zhi felt a chill—this tone sounded like a highway robber!

Li Weiyang saw that Li Minfeng was looking at her as if completely dazed, so she reached out and touched his pale little face. Mm, tender and smooth, like watery tofu.

“I’m your Third Sister, Li Weiyang.” As she spoke, she signaled to Bai Zhi to remove the outermost dry garment from her body, then stripped off Li Minfeng’s wet jacket. Accidentally, half a crescent-shaped jade pendant slipped out from his neck, tied with a red string. Li Weiyang didn’t look closely and stuffed it back in, then carefully wrapped him up. Li Minfeng sat motionless, his bright eyes watching her.

Li Weiyang looked at his face—the more she looked, the better looking he became. She couldn’t help but grab his collar: “Go back and tell your mother that the Grand Madam wanted to kill you, and Third Sister saved you. Did you hear?”

This really was like extorting a confession. Bai Zhi was dumbfounded.

Li Weiyang stared at Li Minfeng for another moment, then wanted to leave him and go. Li Minfeng, having just escaped death, was most afraid of being abandoned. He suddenly grabbed her sleeve and threw himself at her. “Third Sister!”

The warm feeling came head-on, with a tender and soft voice, instead leaving Li Weiyang at a loss. After a long while, she finally embraced Li Minfeng.

What a good child. Li Weiyang’s heart suddenly thought of Yuli, her son, who had once been this gentle and obedient. Every time he saw her, he would rush over like this. Her heart ached, and she couldn’t help but pinch Li Minfeng’s face, pinch and pinch again. Though Li Minfeng wasn’t very old, he was very obedient, sitting there honestly letting this strange sister pinch him all over. His little face was as tender as watery tofu.

Bai Zhi’s eyebrows were twitching. She couldn’t help but speculate that Miss had forgotten this child was already ten years old this year, only three years younger than herself… Thinking this, she gently coughed twice. Li Weiyang suddenly came to her senses, released Li Minfeng, and instructed him.

“You’re fine now! Remember, don’t appear in front of anyone for an hour. Let them think you’re already dead! About today’s matter, besides your mother, you—cannot tell anyone!”

Her fingernails dug deeply into the small young boy’s shoulders, and her eyes seemed to have fire burning in them, bursting with a terrifying brightness. Under such brightness, the youth was stunned. Looking at her, he was completely mesmerized and involuntarily nodded.

Li Minfeng walked away with three backward glances, dragging the long maid’s garment, yet still knew to run toward places with few people. Li Weiyang watched this and nodded. Just now at the most critical moment, he had known to pretend to be dead, making those two nannies think he had died. He really was a clever child.

Bai Zhi took a step, then looked down and cried out in alarm.

Li Weiyang looked and saw in the grass a white crane that had already died. White cranes were considered auspicious in the Great Li, extremely rare. The Li Manor didn’t have any. For one to suddenly appear here, yet already dead—Li Weiyang’s face showed a trace of cold mockery. Then she found a place to dig a hole and buried the white crane deeply.

After everything was completed, Bai Zhi shivered from the cold wind: “Miss, what should we do?”

Li Weiyang thought for a moment and said: “Go back quickly and get a set of clothes I usually wear. Remember to do it quietly—don’t alert anyone.”

Bai Zhi nodded. After Li Weiyang watched her leave, she hid in the nearby artificial mountain.

Having set the fishing net, naturally one had to catch the fish. She knew those people would come soon.

At this time, the Grand Madam accompanied Li Xiaoran and deliberately called Fifth Miss Li Changxi along. The group marched in great force toward the South Courtyard.

“Master, a crane suddenly flew into the manor, right behind the South Courtyard at Bibo Lake. You’ll see it in a moment!” The Grand Madam said with a smile.

Li Xiaoran nodded. This was an auspicious omen.

Li Changxi’s smile was also particularly delighted. Thinking that Li Weiyang would be in big trouble shortly, she felt utterly pleased in her heart.

Halfway there, they ran into Huamei, who came out from the side in a panic. Li Changxi rebuked: “Aren’t you Third Sister’s maid? What are you doing running here!”

Huamei’s face showed anxiety. She wanted to tell the Grand Madam that Third Miss had disappeared and seemed to have gone to the South Courtyard early, but with the Master here, she stammered and couldn’t speak.

Li Changxi impatiently pressed: “Where is Third Sister? Why aren’t you attending to her!”

Huamei had earlier gone back to report to the Grand Madam, and when she returned, Li Weiyang was nowhere to be found. She was terrified and blurted out: “Third Miss heard that Seventh Concubine was seriously ill and insisted on going to see her. This servant… this servant…”

Li Xiaoran’s face darkened, and he said to the Grand Madam: “How can this child be so ignorant of proper conduct? If she wanted to visit, why didn’t she tell you first!”

The Grand Madam’s face showed a Buddha-like smile: “Alas, this child grew up in the countryside for so many years. It’s natural that she doesn’t understand proper conduct.”

Li Xiaoran snorted coldly, his heart developing a full measure of dislike for Li Weiyang. She was already a girl born in the second month, and still didn’t know to be cautious in word and deed. Going to see a concubine without first reporting to her legitimate mother—so inconsiderate!

At this time, the moon had already peeked out its head, secretly watching the group of people below from within the clouds.

With this little incident just now, Li Xiaoran’s enthusiasm for viewing the auspicious white crane had diminished by thirty percent. He slowly walked to the front of Bibo Lake and saw that on the lake surface rippling with microwaves under the moonlight, there were only reeds half a person’s height. He saw no beautiful white crane at all. His face immediately darkened: “Didn’t you say there was a white crane?”

The Grand Madam was obviously also very surprised. She had clearly had someone place a dead white crane in a conspicuous position. How had it suddenly disappeared? However, her expression didn’t change. She smiled and said: “Perhaps because it’s dark, it’s roosting in the reed marsh.”

Li Xiaoran felt even more disappointed, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter. Just as he was about to turn around and go back, he suddenly saw a nanny with an anxious expression rush out from the side. Behind her followed three or four people, each carrying a lantern: “Third Young Master! Third Young Master! Where are you!”

The Grand Madam’s expression relaxed, suppressing the delight at the bottom of her eyes. She said: “Aren’t you Minfeng’s wet nurse? What’s wrong, has Minfeng disappeared?”

The dead white crane was just a portent. If it was gone, it was gone. Li Minfeng was the main event!