Jun Huailang no longer had time to think about who was trying to harm him.
For that person to know by chance that he was in that corner tower, they must have been following him the entire way. They also knew that Jun Linghuan was not with Jun Huailang, understood the relationships within the Jun family like the back of their hand, and could send a palace maid with such formidable martial arts skills. They had to be an important figure within the palace.
But why would this noble person want to harm him?
Jun Huailang had suddenly fallen into the water. Icy water surged toward him from every direction, instantly freezing his entire body numb. At the current temperature, Taiye Lake should have been covered in thick ice, but because running water flowed into it from all sides, it did not freeze even during the bitterest days of winter.
The freezing lake water enveloped him in an instant.
He could not swim in the first place, and he was wearing thick winter robes. Once the garments absorbed water, they became unbearably heavy, weighing down his limbs and making it difficult for him to struggle as they dragged him deeper.
He choked down several mouthfuls of water, and his mind soon became hazy. He forced his eyes open and vaguely saw the lights shimmering above the surface, their reflections dancing across the rippling water. But the shore was already empty.
With the last fragments of consciousness he possessed, Jun Huailang struggled to think. The palace maid must have left.
She had secretly harmed someone and certainly would not dare make too much commotion. She would have to flee the scene immediately. If he could find a way to reach the surface and call for help, there should still be a slim chance of survival.
Thinking this, he held his breath and tried to move his arms in a deliberate rhythm, attempting to swim toward the surface.
But he overestimated his strength and underestimated the temperature of Taiye Lake in winter.
He had barely risen a little when his limbs were already numb. On top of that, his thick winter robes were saturated with water, becoming so heavy that they wrapped around his entire body and made every movement even more difficult.
Suffocation and bitter cold seized him from both sides, relentlessly dragging him downward. After struggling desperately for only a brief moment, his limbs became so heavy that he could no longer lift them, and his consciousness began to grow numb and muddled.
Then his frozen legs suddenly cramped.
He could no longer hold his breath and choked on another mouthful of water.
Fortunately, the pain did not last long. The lake water quickly numbed him to it. He began sinking uncontrollably, and in his hazy state, a thought surfaced in his mind.
Could it be that he was going to die here today?
Ironically, when he had died in his previous life, he had at least known who had killed him. In this life, he had thought he had dealt with all the mistakes and oversights of his previous life properly, yet his calamity had come so many years earlier than before.
Indeed, deep within this unfathomable imperial palace, there was a hidden hand gradually bringing down the Jun family.
He had ruined that person’s plans, so this time, he must have become the target of their revenge.
Jun Huailang stubbornly held on and once again tried to struggle.
He could not die like this.
His family was still completely unaware of the danger. He could not allow his aunt, his parents, and his younger brothers to be killed again in this lifetime. Even if he had to die, he could not die at a time like this.
But the waters of Taiye Lake would not negotiate with him.
Jun Huailang struggled with all his strength, but his consciousness gradually blurred.
The boundless darkness at the bottom of Taiye Lake, accompanied by piercing cold, dragged him deeper and deeper.
His eyes slowly closed in exhaustion.
In his daze, he seemed to see a figure leap into the water and swim toward him.
But Jun Huailang no longer had the strength to determine whether it was real or merely an illusion.
There was no one here. How could anyone have come to save him?
It must be an illusion.
——
The person who had jumped into the water was Xue Yan.
He had already sensed that the palace maid was suspicious, but after looking her over from head to toe, he had not been able to find anything wrong with her.
He simply felt vaguely stifled inside. He also felt that the palace maid had arrived at far too convenient a moment. Somewhere deep in his subconscious, he wanted Jun Huailang to stay and keep him company.
Thus, the moment Jun Huailang left, the discomfort in his heart rapidly magnified.
What was the point of watching these lousy fireworks alone?
Xue Yan did not hesitate for long before descending from the corner tower as well. Even if there had been nothing wrong with the palace maid, he had no desire to stand alone on the high platform, letting the cold wind blow over him while watching those repetitive bursts of fire in the sky.
He followed the same path they had taken earlier.
After spending so much time marching with the army, Xue Yan had developed a very fast pace whenever he traveled alone. Normally, he should have been able to see Jun Huailang and the palace maid halfway along the route.
Xue Yan had originally thought that if he saw them, he would simply follow from a distance without letting Jun Huailang notice him.
But he walked all the way back and never saw Jun Huailang.
Xue Yan gradually realized that something was wrong.
He quickened his pace and simply began searching along the road. He rapidly checked several forks in the path before, beside Taiye Lake, he saw faint ripples—ripples so subtle that they were almost impossible to notice.
Those ripples were different from ordinary waves. Anyone could tell that a living person had fallen into the water and caused them while struggling.
But in the blink of an eye, the ripples disappeared.
Xue Yan’s heart almost stopped along with them.
…Could it have been Jun Huailang?
He hurried forward. At once, he saw footprints on the shore that could only have been left during a struggle. Looking from the water’s edge farther inward, he could vaguely see a pale-blue corner of clothing through the mottled light.
It was Jun Huailang.
Xue Yan’s mind went completely blank. He had no time even to think. He tore off his cumbersome, heavy cloak and leaped straight into the water.
His robes were instantly soaked, becoming heavy and clinging to his body, slowing his movements. Xue Yan paid no attention to it. He cut rapidly through the water, diving downward and swimming toward the bottom of the lake. From a distance, he could already see that pale-blue figure.
There was no movement.
He was slowly sinking, like a bird that had been shot down from the sky.
It felt as though a hand had seized Xue Yan’s heart and clenched it viciously, squeezing until it bled. The pain was so intense that his teeth clenched tightly.
His mind was already completely empty. Only instinct remained, driving him mechanically and rapidly forward as he swam toward Jun Huailang.
Fortunately, when he drew closer, he saw tiny bubbles escaping from Jun Huailang’s mouth.
Thank goodness.
He was still there.
He was still alive.
Xue Yan swam up to him and immediately pulled Jun Huailang into his arms, supporting his sinking body.
Jun Huailang’s entire body was freezing cold, as though he had merged with the bone-chilling waters of Taiye Lake. It seemed that the slightest touch would cause him to scatter into the water.
Xue Yan’s teeth began to chatter from how tightly he was clenching them, and blood vessels appeared in his eyes.
Jun Huailang was already unable to breathe on his own. As Xue Yan pulled him over, another string of bubbles escaped his mouth, and he instinctively choked and coughed several times underwater.
Xue Yan had no time to think.
With one arm around Jun Huailang, he pulled him closer, gripped his chin, and leaned forward. He forced his lips apart slightly and transferred the warm breath from his own mouth into Jun Huailang’s.
Their lips met.
Those soft lips were cold as ice.
Xue Yan had no room in his mind for any improper thoughts. All he could feel was that the person before him seemed as though he would disappear if he waited even a moment longer.
After giving him air, Xue Yan immediately held Jun Huailang’s chin, sealing his mouth and nose. Supporting him with one hand, he used the other to propel them both upward.
Fortunately, Xue Yan was an excellent swimmer. In only a short while, he had brought Jun Huailang back to the surface.
He had always been completely at ease in the water. He had never once pushed himself as hard as he did today. He only hated that he could not move faster. Every stroke used all the strength he had. By the time they reached the surface, the arm he had been swimming with was aching from exhaustion.
But he had no time to care.
He continued swimming with all his strength until they reached the shore.
He pushed Jun Huailang onto the bank first, then hauled himself out using the edge of the water.
The bitter winter wind immediately lashed against his soaked body, freezing him numb from head to toe.
Yet he seemed not to feel it at all.
He crouched beside Jun Huailang and immediately checked his breathing.
It was extremely faint, and his lips were an unnatural bluish color.
There was no visible rise and fall of his chest. He lay completely motionless.
Seeing him like this made Xue Yan’s heart feel as though several fine strings had been wound tightly around it, tightening again and again. Panic and pain surged through him, making even his chest tremble.
Without caring about anything else, he tore off Jun Huailang’s wet, icy cloak and outer robe. Then he grabbed his own dry cloak lying beside the lake and wrapped Jun Huailang tightly inside it.
Xue Yan could feel his hands trembling.
He wrapped Jun Huailang as tightly as he could, trying to warm him even a little.
But Jun Huailang still did not open his eyes.
Xue Yan’s mind was in complete chaos.
He wanted to carry Jun Huailang back immediately and find the imperial physicians. Yet he suddenly seemed to remember that when someone drowned, water could accumulate in the chest, and the water had to be expelled immediately. If too much time passed, it could cost him his life.
With trembling hands, he laid Jun Huailang flat on the ground and tried pressing down on his chest.
He restrained the strength in his arms, as though he were touching a fragile porcelain object. He did not dare press too hard, yet he was also afraid that he would not press hard enough to force the water from Jun Huailang’s chest.
This was an urgency and panic Xue Yan had never experienced before.
He carefully pressed down again and again. Even in the bitterest days of winter, a thin layer of sweat soon appeared on his forehead from sheer anxiety.
But Jun Huailang showed no sign of waking.
Xue Yan’s heart kept sinking, forcing an unnatural redness into his eyes. His mind was completely blank. With his lips pressed tightly together, he said nothing, merely gritting his teeth as he controlled the strength in his hands and continued pressing against Jun Huailang’s chest, again and again.
A buzzing gradually filled his ears, as though a veil had been placed over the world.
Just then, he vaguely heard a choking cough.
It sounded like an illusion.
He immediately lowered his gaze to Jun Huailang’s face.
It was not an illusion.
He was coughing.
Jun Huailang coughed violently and slowly opened his eyes.
Although he was awake, his mind was still hazy. He frowned, his vision swimming before him. His entire body felt as though he had fallen into an ice cave, so cold that he did not even have the strength to shiver.
But then everything suddenly spun.
His entire body was soaked, yet he had been wrapped in a thick layer of dry fur. Someone scooped him into his arms and held him tightly, carefully supporting his back against his knees.
Jun Huailang suddenly opened his eyes.
Through the hazy glow of the lamps, he saw Xue Yan’s face.
His mind was still numb from the cold. Only after a while did his consciousness return enough for him to sluggishly think—
Xue Yan?
…How had Xue Yan managed to get here in time, and even save him?
He parted his lips, wanting to say something to Xue Yan.
But his entire body was numb and stiff. His lips had no sensation at all and would not obey him.
He naturally had no idea how desperately Xue Yan wanted to pull him into his arms, bite his lips fiercely, and release all the terror and heartache that had nearly driven him to the brink of collapse moments ago.
But Xue Yan held himself back.
All Jun Huailang could see was Xue Yan staring intently at him, his eyes bloodshot. A layer of mist gradually gathered in those amber eyes.
“…You’re awake.”
He heard Xue Yan speak hoarsely.
Immediately afterward, a scorching hot tear suddenly welled up from his eye, slid down his cheek, and fell onto Jun Huailang’s cold hand.