Chapter Sixty-Seven: Artificial Respiration

"Wretch... you... you won't... die a good death!" Wu Rong'er surfaced, sputtering curses between gasps.

Her angry words only made Liu Ling'er laugh. "Heh, Noble Consort Rong, take your time with your insults. You won't get parched, I promise—every time you open your mouth, you get another gulp of water. Ah, and rest assured, even if you drown, I'll be just fine. Who knows, maybe next year I'll be lighting incense at your grave!"

"Wretch..." Wu Rong'er’s voice grew weaker, her head surfacing less and less. Liu Ling'er hauled her up, and this time Wu Rong'er had learned her lesson, gulping for air without uttering a single word.

Hmph! You think I’ll let you go just because you’re silent and apologetic? I'm not so easily fooled. Let's see who lasts longer.

With a splash, Liu Ling'er tossed Wu Rong'er back into the water. Wu Rong'er shrieked, "Wretch, I wasn’t talking about you! Why—why did you throw me in again?"

"I'm dying, I'm dying! Pull me out, I can't take it anymore. I'm sinking, help! Help!"

Liu Ling'er remained unmoved by her cries. "Seems Her Highness isn't clear-headed yet. Let her soak a while longer. With me, a master, here, her safety is assured."

Who says she's safe? Wu Rong'er was truly in tears, nearly drowning, desperate for help. "Sister Ling'er—no, Elder Sister Ling'er... glub... I was wrong... sob... please pull me out!"

Pull you out? Don't make me laugh—do you still think I'm naïve? The Liu Ling'er of today isn't someone you can bully, nor a fool who lets others off easily. If I let you go now, you'll recover and come after me again. Do you think I'm stupid?

It’s not that Liu Ling'er lacked compassion, but the look in Wu Rong'er’s eyes made her deeply uncomfortable. It was the gaze of someone biding her time, planning revenge, feigning submission only to strike once the danger passed.

Little did Wu Rong'er know that Liu Ling'er saw through her petty tricks with perfect clarity. Determined to teach her a lasting lesson, Liu Ling'er let her struggle.

Wu Rong'er realized Liu Ling'er was resolute this time, desperately trying to climb onto a nearby rock. But it was too slippery and small to offer any support. Short of breath, Wu Rong'er felt the line between life and death growing thin, her terror overwhelming any schemes she might have had.

On the bank, Wu Rong'er lay flat on the grass, soaked to the bone, looking like a castrated rooster—her face pale, her former arrogance gone.

"Hey, wake up!" Liu Ling'er patted her cheeks, but there was no response. She frowned and felt for a pulse at Wu Rong'er's neck. After a moment, a sly smile crept across her face.

"Sigh, so fragile. Only a few minutes of play and she’s done for. I just wanted to vent a little, but now I have to spend time and effort saving her—what a waste." Liu Ling'er muttered to herself.

Wu Rong'er was so terrified by Liu Ling'er’s antics that she pretended to be dead, hoping to escape calamity. But Liu Ling'er's next words nearly frightened her soul out of her body.

"If she's dead, I’ll have to dispose of the body. If anyone finds out, it'll be trouble. Hmm, judging by her state, I need a big stone to sink her in the pond and feed her to the fish. In a few days, there won’t even be crumbs left!"

Wu Rong'er nearly wished for death. If Liu Ling'er really did as she threatened, not even the Emperor would know how she died. And if Liu Ling'er argued her way out, she'd simply become a missing person.

Seeing Wu Rong'er’s face grow paler, Liu Ling'er barely held back laughter. She deliberately checked her breathing. "Hmm, she's got air again. Perhaps it was just shock. I heard that in such cases you need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, or she won't be saved. Should I just leave her be?"

Wu Rong'er was almost shouting inside: "Mouth-to-mouth? That can't be anything good! Please, just leave me alone. I promise I won’t blame you!"

"But if she dies here, in the Prince of Virtue’s manor, and I was the one who brought her in, if the Emperor can't find her, I'll be in trouble." Liu Ling'er went on muttering. "Fine, I'll take a loss and save her out of kindness."

Liu Ling'er pinched Wu Rong'er’s nose, pried open her mouth, and slowly lowered her head. Even before the breath transfer began, the sound of Liu Ling'er's inhalation made Wu Rong'er's eyelids twitch.

Oh heavens, how terrifying! Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation—wasn’t that just kissing? No way, not in a million years. Wu Rong'er decisively opened her eyes. "Cough, cough, stop—I’m awake!"

As she opened her eyes, she found Liu Ling'er’s face mere inches away, so close she could see the fine hairs by her ears.

Thunderstruck, Wu Rong'er realized that if she hadn’t woken up, Liu Ling'er would surely have gone through with it. The thought of being kissed made her face flash white, green, and red like a lantern spinning in the night.