Chang Yunqi laid Qi Yue on the ground, calling her name while checking for breathing.

His face turned ashen, and his body began to tremble.

“Young Madam, Young Madam!” A’Ru crawled over frantically.

“No breath, no breath,” Chang Yunqi knelt on the ground, mumbling.

A’Ru looked at Qi Yue before her, hearing only Chang Yunqi’s words “no breath, no breath” in her ears.

“…Young Madam, you could save others’ lives, but how… how can we save yours?” she mumbled.

“That’s called artificial respiration. When a person suffers sudden trauma, their breathing may suddenly stop. At this point, the person isn’t actually dead yet—you need to help them breathe again,” Qi Yue’s words echoed in her ears.

“Artificial respiration!” A’Ru gasped heavily and shouted, then with trembling hands reached for Qi Yue’s chin, desperately trying to remember what Qi Yue had done before.

“You—” Chang Yunqi was about to carry Qi Yue away to find a physician when A’Ru threw herself at him to stop him.

Before he could scold her, the girl bent down and pressed her mouth to Qi Yue’s nose and mouth.

Chang Yunqi was stunned, watching the girl bend down again and again to blow air, pressing her hands on Qi Yue’s chest. Though tears streamed down her face, though she looked panicked, she absolutely refused to give up.

Just as A’Ru was nearly collapsing, Qi Yue finally made coughing sounds. Chang Yunqi beside her closed his eyes, feeling completely drained. In this early winter day, his back was soaked with sweat.

“Why couldn’t you think straight!” he shouted through gritted teeth.

Qi Yue held her neck with one hand and pointed to the side with the other.

“…No, someone tried to kill me…” she said hoarsely.

Chang Yunqi was stunned, immediately looked around in all directions, found a direction, and ran off.

“Thank goodness, so fortunate you came in time,” Qi Yue leaned against the pillow, letting A’Ru wrap her neck while smiling. “It wasn’t strangling that nearly killed me, but that club blow to the head.”

A’Ru continued crying.

“Young Madam, this servant deserves death,” she wept.

Chang Yunqi entered from outside, his face dark.

“Found him,” he said.

“What did he say? Why did he want to harm me?” Qi Yue asked urgently.

“He climbed over the wall and drowned himself in the river. When we found him, it was too late to save him,” Chang Yunqi said.

Dead with no testimony? Qi Yue sat back down.

“Pack up. I’ve already called for a carriage. We’re leaving immediately,” Chang Yunqi said. “This place is no longer safe.”

No one wanted to return more than she did, but at this moment she couldn’t.

Qi Yue touched the back of her neck—no bleeding, but severe pain to the touch, with mild nausea and dizziness.

“I’m afraid I have a mild concussion and can’t travel,” she said with a bitter smile. “Let’s observe for another night.”

“I’ll go get a physician,” Chang Yunqi finally realized. From discovering Qi Yue hanging to rescuing her, then learning it was murder, pursuing the killer, and controlling all the servants in the manor, he had been holding his breath this whole time without pause, actually forgetting to find a physician. He hurried out.

A’Ru wiped her tears and helped Qi Yue lie down.

“Young Madam, it’s all my fault,” she cried.

“It’s not your fault—you didn’t harm me,” Qi Yue smiled, shaking her hand. “Besides, you saved me. If you hadn’t helped me breathe in time, I really would have died without catching my breath.”

“This servant shouldn’t have left Young Madam alone,” A’Ru knelt and cried.

“Silly child, if someone wants to harm me, they’ll naturally find an opportunity. How could you control that?” Qi Yue smiled. “Alright, alright, stop crying. Your crying makes me feel bad too, and my head gets dizzier.”

A’Ru quickly wiped her tears and bit back her sobs.

“Go make me some salt-sugar water for oral consumption,” Qi Yue closed her eyes and said.

A’Ru nodded quickly and was about to leave, but didn’t dare. Chang Yunqi had locked up all the household servants, but she still didn’t dare leave. Just as she was anxiously hesitating, she saw Chang Yunqi hurrying back in.

“Third Young Master,” she called out.

“What’s wrong?” Chang Yunqi was startled by her expression and quickly came over.

“I need to go make some salt-sugar water. You being here is fine,” A’Ru said.

Chang Yunqi nodded and entered the room, seeing Qi Yue lying on the bed, waving her hand in front of her eyes.

“This is one, this is two, this is three,” she mumbled.

What was this? Chang Yunqi approached with confusion and worry.

“I’ve sent for the nearest physician and had people notify the manor,” he said quietly, then added, “I only notified my people—won’t alarm anyone else.”

“Thank you,” Qi Yue lowered her hand and said.

Chang Yunqi sat down beside her, silent for a moment.

“Don’t be too sad. Perhaps that vile slave was trying to rob and kill his master,” he said.

Qi Yue smiled slightly at this but said nothing.

“Excuse me, I’d like to rest for a bit,” she said.

Chang Yunqi nodded quickly.

“I’m here, don’t worry,” he said.

Qi Yue smiled at him, closed her eyes, and actually fell into a drowsy sleep.

She was awakened by commotion—opening her eyes suddenly, she saw lamps lit in the room. The noise came from outside, seeming both distant and near.

Qi Yue stared at the bed canopy for a long while.

“A’Ru,” she called out tentatively.

“Young Madam!” A’Ru ran over from the doorway, looking at her with tears of joy. “You’re awake!”

So she was still in ancient times. Qi Yue closed her eyes slightly.

A’Ru called her name worriedly.

“How long did I sleep?” Qi Yue opened her eyes and asked, shaking her head lightly. The nausea had lessened considerably.

“One hour,” A’Ru said, quickly bringing over two bowls of medicine. “The physician came to examine you and prescribed medicine. I also made the salt-sugar water. Young Madam, which would you like first?”

“Both,” Qi Yue said, directing A’Ru to slowly help her sit up while casually explaining, “When someone falls or gets hurt, don’t rush to help them up. Don’t move injured people carelessly—you might not be saving them but making their condition worse.”

A’Ru nodded in understanding.

“This servant will remember,” she said with a choked voice.

“The saying ‘saving others is saving yourself’ is truly correct,” Qi Yue said, now sitting properly and smiling at A’Ru. “I’m so glad you were watching when I saved people daily.”

A’Ru lowered her head and wiped her tears. Just as she was about to say something, the commotion outside grew louder, with the loud voices of two men arguing.

“What’s happening?” Qi Yue asked, stopping her medicine.

“Someone just came to report that the Prince has arrived,” A’Ru said.

“What? How did he come again?”

“Why can’t I come?” Chang Yuncheng looked at Chang Yunqi, his face bearing a bland smile, slapping his riding whip in his hand. “You can come, but I can’t?”

Chang Yunqi’s face was ashen. He glanced at the people around them—these men showed no intention of withdrawing, instead looking at him with disdain or curiosity.

“This is family business. You all withdraw,” he said.

The people in the main hall hesitated and all looked toward Chang Yuncheng.

“What family business can’t be seen by others? Third Brother, if you have something to say, say it plainly—don’t ramble on with me,” Chang Yuncheng said, sitting down.

Chang Yunqi looked at him.

“Fine, I’ll ask you,” he stepped forward and asked, “Was it you who did this?”

Chang Yuncheng looked at him.

“Did what?” he said with a laugh, then said to the others, “See? This is why I don’t like playing with these brothers of mine. They can’t say anything straight—they have to go around ten corners. They’re not afraid of exhausting themselves, but I’m suffocating.”

Everyone laughed, not minding at all that the person being mocked was the Third Young Master of the Marquis Manor.

“Chang Yuncheng!” Chang Yunqi was completely enraged. He stepped forward and grabbed Chang Yuncheng’s collar. “You’re so capable, so upright—why use such despicable methods to harm her!”

Chang Yuncheng lifted his foot, and Chang Yunqi groaned and fell back.

The people in the room finally changed their expressions. One of them waved his hand, and everyone immediately withdrew.

Chang Yuncheng’s kick was merciless. Chang Yunqi had never experienced such treatment—the pain made him break out in cold sweat, and he had to hold the table edge to keep from falling.

“Don’t get physical with me. Say what you have to say,” Chang Yuncheng said. “What filthy business are you trying to pin on me now?”

“Would you admit it if I told you?” Chang Yunqi said coldly.

“What I do are things I want to do and take pride in. Why would I refuse to acknowledge my glory?” Chang Yuncheng smiled.

Chang Yunqi sneered, straightening up while holding the table.

“Fine, I know you dislike Qi Yueniang. If you dislike her, divorce her. If you want to maintain your reputation and won’t divorce her, you choose to kill her instead. Treating a weak woman this way—is this your source of pride?” he asked sternly.

Chang Yuncheng looked at him and spat.

“Damn, idiot,” he said, lifting his foot and striding out.

Chang Yunqi was suddenly left standing there.

“Where are you going?” he chased after him.

When Chang Yuncheng kicked open the door, Qi Yue was gritting her teeth while drinking bitter Chinese medicine, her face scrunched up from the bitterness.

“Chang Yuncheng, do you have any humanity left! What else do you want to do to her!” Chang Yunqi chased in and roared.

Chang Yuncheng ignored him and looked at Qi Yue.

Qi Yue held her bowl with her wrinkled face and looked at him.

“Hi, Prince, you’ve come,” she greeted him miserably.

“Speak,” Chang Yuncheng looked at her and raised his hand, “Get to the point.”

“I was hit with a club from behind and hung from a tree to create a suicide scene,” Qi Yue said cleanly and efficiently. She had heard Chang Yunqi’s words in the courtyard and knew what Chang Yuncheng wanted to ask, while tilting her head back to swallow the last mouthful of medicine. “The culprit was an old servant from the manor. He’s already drowned—don’t know if it was suicide or murder. A’Ru…”

Her originally calm tone suddenly stretched on the last part.

A’Ru snapped out of her shock at the Prince’s appearance and stuffed a piece of honeyed fruit into Qi Yue’s mouth.

Chang Yuncheng looked at her, surprise flashing in his eyes. He finally took two steps closer to examine Qi Yue.

“Look, this is the wound. The position and force aren’t something A’Ru or I could have managed,” Qi Yue added, pointing to her neck. “Don’t judge me with a petty heart—my life is precious, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Chang Yuncheng looked at her and suddenly burst into laughter.

“Good. Since you don’t have a petty heart, I naturally won’t have one either,” he said, turning and walking out.

Then his shouting voice came from outside.

“Someone come! Drag out all those treacherous slaves and chop them up for me. See if they can remember anything they want to say.”