I heard you had a white moonlight who died young.

Just then, a sudden "plop" sound came from the embankment on the left side of the opposite bank of the bridge.

It sounded particularly loud in the quiet night.

Fan Zhiyi swallowed hard, closed his eyes, and exhaled, pretending not to hear.

At this time, in this godforsaken place, how could anyone possibly fall into the river?

No, no, no, don't think like that, don't think like that. Maybe it's some kind of animal that fell into the water. People like to scare themselves in these situations, and they become suspicious of the slightest noise. He shouldn't be that unlucky as to run into a ghost he'd been waiting for days.

Fan Zhiyi convinced himself and quickened his pace to get off the bridge.

He had to hurry to the Qian residence to complete this task and get rid of this ridiculous women's clothing.

But the splashing sounds coming from the river were so urgent that they couldn't be ignored.

What if someone actually falls into the river?

Fan Zhiyi took a few quick steps and then stopped. He gritted his teeth and, in a fit of despair, ran as fast as he could towards the source of the sound.

There was no other way; he couldn't just stand by and watch someone die. What if... what if... how desperate would the person who fell into the water feel, waiting in vain for rescue and watching their life slip away?

Beside the weeping willow tree, a figure could be vaguely seen. Fan Zhiyi, without thinking, shouted, "Don't look!"

But the figure remained unmoved and jumped into the lake without hesitation. Fan Zhiyi's outstretched hand didn't even touch the other person's back before the "plop" sound rang out again.

Fan Zhiyi had already reached the water's edge when he suddenly realized that since this person had just jumped in, what had made that splashing sound?

He looked at the water, which was as smooth as a mirror. But gradually, the water began to boil and churn from the bottom, turning red, and a woman's face appeared and disappeared.

Fan Zhiyi broke out in a cold sweat. Just as he was about to move back, he saw a cold light reflected from behind him on the water.

He immediately dodged to the side, fell to the ground and rolled a few times. In the instant he looked back in terror, he saw someone standing behind him.

"Fan Zhiyi, go to hell, go to hell!"

Suddenly kicked with all his might, Fan Zhiyi fell into the water before he could even feel the pain.

No, no! There are ghosts in the water! He'll die!

In the pitch-black night, a night without light, Fan Zhiyi vaguely felt that the person who wanted to kill him was familiar, like Qin Shuan, but why would Qin Shuan be here?

Fan Zhiyi hadn't expected that he would become the one who fell into the water. Water poured into his body from all directions, making him feel heavy.

Fan Zhiyi held his breath, gripped the talisman in his hand, controlled his body's movement, and tried not to think about where the female ghost in the lake was, or whether Qin Shuan was still on the shore waiting for him to come out of the water so he could kill him.

All he knew was that if he stayed in the water any longer, he would die from lack of oxygen, and Bing Nandong, who was far away in another place, would not save him this time.

Perhaps it was the boundless potential for survival that made Fan Zhiyi recall all the scenes from just now, each frame becoming exceptionally clear.

He remembered that on the other side of the weeping willow was a small embankment, not easily noticed, from which he might be able to sneak ashore and escape.

Fan Zhiyi, deceiving himself into believing that his plan was flawless, tried to survive, swam ashore, and climbed onto land using both hands and feet, panting heavily.

Damn it, when will he give up this damn empathy? Can't he just be a little selfish and think only of himself? He's such a pushover, such a good-natured person.

Fan Zhiyi quickly wiped away the water stains, inwardly cursing himself as he tried to see his surroundings clearly, to see where the person who had just tried to kill him was.

But he couldn't see clearly; he could only feel his own strong heartbeat, each beat filling him with trepidation, for fear of disturbing something.

As for Lu Changfu, he said they were right around here. Why didn't they react to such a big commotion? Could it be that Lu Changfu and Qin Shuan are in cahoots? Qin Shuan appeared this time because he failed to kill him last time. He really is going to die.

Fan Zhiyi felt dizzy and disoriented, his body losing temperature, growing colder and colder, as if he were about to lose consciousness. He heard a voice in his mind that wasn't his own: "Kill him, kill him, kill him together!"

A shrill female voice, filled with resentment, filled Fan Zhiyi's mind, making him feel as if his body was out of control and no longer belonged to him.

He was shivering with cold, staggering, and had no strength to reach for his dagger.

To make his escape easier, Fan Zhiyi casually took off the long, trailing robe that was cumbersome while he was wearing women's clothing.

The voice in my head kept repeating: "He deserves to die, he deserves to die! Why should someone like him live, and why should I die!"

In his daze, Fan Zhiyi seemed to see a girl in a light red dress. He couldn't see the faces of the people around him, but the whispers, the open pointing and whispering, and the backbiting made him feel the same way and wronged.

So the girl ran away crying, covering her face, her fluttering clothes like a butterfly with broken wings.

Fan Zhiyi seems to be her. Yes, he is her. Her name is Yue Tang.

The girl ran through the streets, across the stone bridge, and along the lakeside until she reached the Qian residence, where she angrily and urgently knocked on the door.

The person who opened the door was Qian Hu, who had a nonchalant and mocking expression on his face: "Oh, Miss Yue, how dare you come out and run here?"

"Qian Hu, why are you doing this to me? Why did you say those things?"

"What did I say? What did I say?"

"You..." The girl's voice was thick with sobs, on the verge of collapse, "From childhood to adulthood, why have you always treated me like this? Why did you say that I and... and... why did you say that you saw me and Young Master Wu and many other people enter the inn room together and only come out the next day disheveled? Why did you say that I was improper, that I..."

"So you're saying you're so clueless about romance, even less charming than those girls in brothels, is that it?" Qian Hu said this with a laugh. In his eyes, these were just ordinary words. "I heard this from others. Everyone's saying, 'Miss Yue, why are you angry? Besides, if Miss Yue is upright and honest, why would she be afraid of these things? It takes two to tango. Can Miss Yue really say she hasn't done these things?'"

"I didn't! I didn't! Young Master Wu never did either! Qian Hu, you're despicable and shameless, how could you say such a thing? Young Master Wu, he... he had to move away from here, and I was kicked out of the house by my father. I've let small things slide in the past, but how could you say such a thing..."

"Oh, Miss Yue, you've come to me to complain. Actually, Miss Yue is now a fallen woman. Seeing how pitiful you are, I might as well take pity on you and marry you."