Ji Qingwu's expression faltered.
Listening closely, she could also hear the sounds of splashing and struggling in the water.
"Mother, someone's fallen into the water."
Mrs. Qiao listened intently but couldn't hear clearly. Seeing Xiao Wu's expression, she grabbed her daughter's hand, trying to calm her down.
"Xiao Wu, this is the Imperial Palace. It's better not to get involved." Mrs. Qiao's voice was heavy with warning.
Ji Qingwu knew one had to be cautious in the Imperial Palace; a rescue could easily bring disaster upon oneself.
But for some reason, her heart was racing with panic.
As the cries for help grew fainter…
Ji Qingwu hesitated no longer. She shook off Mrs. Qiao's hand and sprinted toward the sound.
She arrived, breathless, at the edge of Taiye Pool.
In the middle of the azure water, a small figure was struggling.
It was a little boy, about the same age as Jiu Jiu.
Ji Qingwu's heart tightened. She glanced around—there wasn't a single Palace Attendant in sight.
The sun was sinking in the west, and the outdoor light had begun to dim.
His small fists punched at the water's surface, his movements growing slower. He was about to exhaust himself and drown.
Ji Qingwu calmly found the easiest point to enter the water.
Her expression shifted as she noticed fresh moss had been laid on the steps.
But the situation was urgent. With no time for further thought, she took a flying leap into the lake.
Her limbs were nimble and her waist flexible. With a few graceful flicks, she moved like a fish, her form light as she quickly reached the child's side.
Unable to speak in the water, she lifted the boy with one arm, letting him rest against her shoulder. Cradling him this way, she stroked hard for the shore.
Even though the Self-defense Skill she had redeemed from the system had greatly increased her strength, her stamina was still limited.
After getting ashore, Ji Qingwu sat on the steps, gasping for breath.
The little boy was soaking wet. At some point, his short arms had wrapped around her smooth, delicate neck, and he was nestled against her.
In this position, Ji Qingwu couldn't see the child's face yet, but she could see his robes.
The fine, ice-blue silk was soaked through, but its magnificent quality was still apparent. Elegant bamboo leaf patterns were embroidered on the clothes, which were trimmed with snow-white piping. The small mutton-fat jade coronet on his head further bespoke his extraordinary status.
He must be the young master of a wealthy and noble family.
Ji Qingwu held his soft little body, patting the back of his head gently as she soothed him in a soft voice.
"There, there. It's all over. You're safe now."
The little fellow didn't respond. He was surprisingly quiet.
His reaction was even calmer than hers.
Could he have fainted?
Ji Qingwu quickly pulled him from her embrace and met a pair of eyes as clear as obsidian.
Those eyes, despite his young age, already held a formidable authority, devoid of the panic they had shown in the water.
As their gazes met, a sharp pain suddenly pierced her heart.
It was accompanied by a fear that seeped into her very bones.
This child…
...instantly made her think of a handsome man reeking of murderous intent.
It was none other than the "Jade-faced Yama" of the Northern Border Camp, the famously formidable General Dingbei—the man the childbirth system had designated as her target.
The little boy's appearance was a carbon copy of the Great General's, especially those black eyes. They were naturally imposing, with a subtle upturn at the corners that radiated a chilling aura.
A single cold glance from him felt like being plunged into an ice cellar.
The memory of that night five years ago was still vivid in Ji Qingwu's mind.
General Dingbei leaning against the cot in the military camp, his gaze icy and brimming with killing intent—Ji Qingwu remembered it with perfect clarity.
In the end, she had to cover his eyes with a silk cloth and bind his hands and feet with a rope she'd prepared in advance before she dared to approach him.
Over the years, she would occasionally dream of that scene in the dead of night, and each time she would wake up in a cold sweat.
But the child before her was just a tender toddler. The resemblance was there, but he had yet to gain that domineering, imposing aura.
Though she was terrified at first sight, Ji Qingwu had already calmed down.
He was just a small child. There was no need to panic.
Zhao Yuanheng watched the strange woman who had saved him. She frowned, looking at him as if she'd seen something terrifying.
Displeasure filled his eyes, and his small face was a mask of arrogance.
"Since you saved me, I will reward you."
This child looked so much like him.
Ji Qingwu's throat tightened. Her mind was in turmoil; she wanted to say something but couldn't get the words out.
Could this child be… Could he be!
The surface of the lake before her shimmered. Nearby lotus leaves swayed gently, and two koi carp swam lazily beneath them.
She suddenly remembered something.
At once, Ji Qingwu swiftly reached out, held Zhao Yuanheng down, and began to pull at his collar.
The little one hadn't expected that she would dare to lay a hand on him—a Prince—in the Imperial Palace. "What are you doing!" he said, his voice frosty. "Do not be impertinent with me! Do you have a death wish?!"
Such threats didn't even register in Ji Qingwu's ears.
She was completely focused on verifying her suspicion.
An adult's strength was no match for a four-year-old child's. Ji Qingwu quickly stripped off his robe, revealing the boy's tender little shoulders.
"How can it not be here…"
Ji Qingwu didn't find what she was looking for.
Her hands moved down and began to search around the little one's waist.
In all his life, Zhao Yuanheng had never had someone dare to disregard his will and feel him up like this.
His handsome little face turned beet red. His black eyes practically shot sparks as he raged, "Insolence! If you don't unhand me, I will have your life!"
The tiny little person was utterly infuriated by her actions.
After confirming he didn't have the Carp Jade Pendant on him, Ji Qingwu released her grip in great disappointment.
Zhao Yuanheng was struck by her expression.
This woman had stripped off his clothes only to look dissatisfied. He was so angry that even his fair skin flushed pink.
Ji Qingwu took a deep breath. Perhaps it was just a resemblance after all.
She had been too sensitive.
Looking at the little person before her, stripped of his clothes, he looked like a plump, white rice dumpling.
An extremely angry rice dumpling, at that.
For some reason, the tightness in Ji Qingwu's chest eased, and she suddenly felt the urge to laugh. And so she did.
Her cheerful laughter echoed along the shore.
The tension and fear that had gripped Ji Qingwu's heart were swept away.
His puffed-out cheeks were unbearably cute.
Resisting the urge to pinch his cheek, she asked with a smile, "You just said you wanted to take my life?"
Zhao Yuanheng had already put his robe back on and responded haughtily, "So what if I did?"
Seeing his collar was crooked, Ji Qingwu reached out to straighten it for him. The little fellow took a step back, as if afraid she was about to make another indecent move on him.
She dropped her hand and said with a negotiating smile, "But I just saved your life. How about this: we'll call it a life for a life. Deal?"
The little one arrogantly turned his head away. He didn't agree, but he didn't disagree either. His small face remained frosty.
In the next instant, his eyes widened considerably.
Because the woman had taken his right hand. Her palm was warm and soft.
Ji Qingwu hooked her slender pinky around the little fellow's short, chubby one and gave it an endearing little shake.
Although Zhao Yuanheng acted mature beyond his years, he was still a child at heart.
His body remained stubbornly still, but his gaze unconsciously followed Ji Qingwu's movements.
A light shone in his beautiful eyes.
But he still put on a tough front.
"Even if you beg me—"
"Pretty please, Young Master? A great person like you is surely magnanimous." Ji Qingwu swayed their linked fingers, her eyes sparkling and her tone exceptionally soft and sweet.