The small pool is not too deep, but not too shallow either.

He reached out his hand to Yu Tingwan.

"Come down."

Yu Tingwan trusted him and let herself be delivered over.

Wei Zhao gripped her waist gently and effortlessly placed her into the water.

Excited to learn how to swim, Yu Tingwan’s feet touched the bottom. She steadied herself by holding onto Wei Zhao’s hand and stood firmly in the water.

Then, the smile on her lips gradually flattened out.

"I feel the water is a bit deep."

It came up to her neck.

Wei Zhao: "Originally, the people dug the pool very deep. Later, I looked at the reported depth, and had them fill it in a bit."

He said to let Yu hear: "If it hadn’t been filled, it could have drowned you."

Listen!

What kind of talk is this!

What do you mean by ’drowning her’!

But Yu Tingwan did not mind!

She tried to walk a few steps in the pool, but the resistance from the water was strong and it was very challenging.

A broad and strong hand steadily supported her waist: "Relax."

He tried to let Yu Tingwan float in the water.

"Avoid swallowing water while breathing."

"Alternate your arms to stroke, palms outwards, kick with your legs, keep balanced."

He taught step by step.

Because he was supporting her, Yu Tingwan wasn’t afraid and followed along, quickly grasping the essentials.

Wei Zhao was quite surprised, with a smile in his eyes: "I’ll let go, would you like to try?"

Yu Tingwan was very confident: "Yes!"

Thus...

She floated well on the water, her posture looked correct, she kicked hard, and stroked diligently, but...

For some reason, she couldn’t move.

She held her breath and continued calmly.

Finally, she moved forward.

Mere swimming, conquered!

But unknowingly, she turned in a circle.

Wei Zhao: ...

"Ha."

Yu Tingwan suddenly felt a bit desperate.

What’s so funny!

This shows you didn’t teach well, jerk!

She flailed, her limbs becoming uncoordinated.

After a long struggle, she turned a large circle again.

And swallowed some water.

Her throat was burning, her chest felt like it was on fire.

Swallowing water wasn’t scary.

What was scary was the suffocating feeling and fear that rose from her heart.

She vaguely heard someone speaking.

——"Boss, just who is this woman anyway? She looks like she’s not quite dead yet. Why not finish it with a sword? We’ve lost so many brothers because of her. That pretty little face really makes one’s heart itch."

——"Shut up. Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask."

Then there were rustling sounds.

She even heard the distant sound of night watch clappers.

There were people behind with torches chasing.

Yet these seemed so far off.

Like an illusion, slowly becoming blurred.

Perhaps there was more talking, maybe even fighting, but she couldn’t quite hear it clearly.

The rushing stream was all she could hear.

Then with a ’splash’, there was a heavy object falling into the water, sending up a spray.

That heavy object could only be her.

Yu Tingwan tried to grasp something, in the nightmare she caught nothing.

But now she grabbed onto Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao’s face was extremely serious.

He supported her with one hand and gently stroked her back with the other.

No need to ask, he knew she must have remembered something unpleasant again.

The young lady’s face was ashen, sweat trickled from her forehead, her eyes full of fear, clinging to him like a life-saving straw. The hand clenching his collar trembled, her body shivering mildly.

Wei Zhao’s eyes were deep and profound as he held her, preparing to head up the shore.

"No more lessons."

"Let’s go down the mountain."

Yu Tingwan buried her head on his shoulder.

Her voice was very, very low.

"But I still need to learn."

————

Shangjing’s Jia Mansion.

Elder Ge checked Ying Fuyan’s pulse and prescribed a new prescription.

There was a special pharmacy room here, fully stocked with medicines. His hands were like scales, able to accurately measure the grams just by feeling.

Ying Fuyan lay on the rocking chair, hugging a warmer in his hands.

The crow hopped on his left side,

Then flew to hop on his right side.

"Caw caw caw caw."

It opened its mouth, reiterating the words heard from the Second Prince Mansion.

"I’m staying at the Imperial Brother’s mansion for a while, the Imperial Sister-in-law wouldn’t have objections, would she? If she does, she can just bear with it. Aside from giving my elder brother a son, which is somewhat of an accomplishment, what else can she do?"

"Your natal family, the Yao Family, doesn’t even want to support my brother but turns to favor the Fifth Prince instead. How degrading!"

"Are you deaf to what I’m saying? A mute gourd."

The expression on Ying Fuyan’s face became more and more indifferent.

Elder Ge came over, brewing medicine in front of him.

"That Seventh Princess came to stay next door and hasn’t been quiet all day."

"Previously, when the Ninth Princess was in her prime, the Seventh Princess would always act like a servant, ingratiating herself to the point of absurdity."

"Now that the Ninth Princess is no longer influential, the Seventh Princess intends to make things difficult and was scolded by the Emperor himself."

Elder Ge nodded towards the direction next door, "And so she tries her best to make it difficult for the Second Prince Consort."

"Boy, what are you really thinking?"

Elder Ge couldn’t help but ask, "Living right next to them, why not just bring her back?"

Ying Fuyan remained silent.

Elder Ge: "As an outsider, I’m more anxious for you."

"I just don’t believe you haven’t been thinking about it."

Everyone knows the Princely Heir of King Yan and the eldest daughter of the Ministry of Justice’s Minister were childhood sweethearts, engaged from an early age.

But strangely, since moving in.

Ying Fuyan had made no other move.

He only let the crow fly over next door to listen to the commotion every day.

Elder Ge: "I know your current status makes it difficult to recognize her, but you are now the Fifth Prince’s adviser."

"Not to mention talking to her, even seeing her from afar would be good."

Elder Ge worried about Wei Zhao, and now he worried about Ying Fuyan.

He never worried about those rebellious matters that led to the massacre of the Ying Family.

After all, he didn’t understand them, and they were too brain-racking.

He just liked to worry about matters of love.

Because he was young once too!!

Saying those things, Ying Fuyan played listlessly with a large East Pearl.

This was something he thick-skinnedly obtained from the Fifth Prince.

Elder Ge glanced next door: "Otherwise if you bump into her later, you might not recognize her."

Ying Fuyan lifted his eyes, a gloomy look in them: "I won’t."

"Caw!"

The crow suddenly flew to the next door.

A perfectly good kite, being hauled away by the raven, the string snapped.

But the kite was too large, blocking the raven, the Seventh Princess who had just bullied Yao Ru, knew nothing of the bird’s deeds.

"That’s the kite awarded by Father!" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

She was just about to retrieve it.

But seeing Yao Ru heading out on an errand, she decided to use her as a servant instead.

"Imperial Sister-in-law, you go get it for me."

The raven happily brought the kite back.

Elder Ge didn’t pay it any mind.

Ying Fuyan didn’t either.

Soon, a young page boy hurried over from the gatehouse, grinning broadly.

"Sir, they said a kite from the neighboring house flew into our courtyard and they’re waiting outside to ask for it back."

Elder Ge glanced at him: "Why are you so happy, found money on the ground?"

"No, it was seeing the Second Prince Consort up close, I’ve never seen such an otherworldly beauty before. It’s the granny attending to her who came to retrieve the kite."

You should know, the Second Prince Consort rarely goes out

Ying Fuyan slowly sat up straight.

Elder Ge spat.

"What good is it to just look at her."

"Even a bird is more useful than you."