Suddenly, a discordant note broke the tranquility, and the music came to an abrupt halt.
Xue Xingyue clutched her hand, blood trickling from her fingers. Song Xiuyuan rushed to her side. "Did you cut yourself?"
She nodded.
Song Xiuyuan pulled out a handkerchief from his waist and quickly bandaged her injured finger. He then turned to the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, she is injured. May we cease the music?"
"Naturally. Xiuyuan, quickly take Miss Xue to have her wound properly dressed," the Crown Prince said.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Upon hearing this, Song Xiuyuan suddenly scooped her up.
She gasped, "You... what are you doing?"
"You are injured, you shouldn't be walking," Song Xiuyuan's expression was unreadable, a hint of cold anger in his eyes.
She swallowed. "My hand is injured, not my feet."
"It's all the same," Song Xiuyuan replied.
His words were plausible, but she felt her face burning hot. She felt the warmth of his embrace, the thumping of his heart like a drum, and the fresh scent of him filling her nostrils.
She felt countless gazes upon her, especially the Nine Princess's, which seemed as though it would consume her.
The Nine Princess was furious. She had sabotaged things from afar, only to have this little slut brazenly held by her Xiuyuan gege.
"Go call a physician!" the Nine Princess snapped at her attendant.
A physician soon arrived. The Nine Princess stepped forward. "Miss Xue, you must get down so the physician can bandage your wound."
Xue Xingyue understood the Nine Princess's implication perfectly. The issue was, to get down, someone had to put her down first.
"Can't you bandage it like this?" Song Xiuyuan asked the physician, his voice icy.
The physician stiffened. The people present were all of high status, and he dared not offend them. "Yes, yes, I can."
"Then bandage it!" Song Xiuyuan said coldly.
The physician, trembling, finished bandaging Xue Xingyue's finger before leaving.
"Miss Xue, your wound is bandaged. May you come down now?" the Nine Princess asked, staring at Xue Xingyue in Song Xiuyuan's arms.
She wanted to come down, but what if he wouldn't let her?
Song Xiuyuan frowned at the Nine Princess's words, his tone growing colder. "Your Highness Nine Princess, the Prime Minister holding his fiancée seems to have nothing to do with Your Highness."
"Prime Minister, by doing this, aren't you offending me?" Prince Min Nan said.
"Let me down," she said, not wanting Song Xiuyuan to become a target, especially with Prince Min Nan's obvious hostility.
The Crown Prince suddenly spoke, "Someone, bring a chair for Miss Xue."
Only when the chair arrived did Song Xiuyuan gently set her down.
At that moment, a sharp scream echoed from not far away, followed by shouts of "Someone has jumped into the lake! Someone has jumped into the lake!"
Everyone was startled. The Crown Prince summoned a guard to investigate. The guard soon returned. "It is Miss Zhao who has jumped into the lake."
"What?" The Crown Prince swayed slightly.
The next moment, an unusual anger flared in the Crown Prince's eyes. "Why aren't you finding someone to rescue her?" He then added, "Find a maid who can swim."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The guards rushed towards the lake.
The Crown Prince also hurried towards the lake, followed by the rest of the onlookers.
Zhao Xiuzhu was struggling in the water, but no one on shore dared to save her. Seeing Zhao Xiuzhu losing strength and unable to cry out, the Crown Prince roared, "Why isn't anyone rescuing her?"
"Your Highness, the maid who can swim has not been found yet," Zhao Xiuzhu's maid cried urgently.
"There is no maid who can swim?" the Crown Prince asked.
Everyone present shook their heads. Prince Min Nan said, "Why look for a maid who can swim? Hurry and go save her..."
"No, Your Highness," a voice called out. A middle-aged man rushed forward, his steps somewhat frantic. He bowed before Prince Min Nan. This man was Zhao's eldest son, Zhao Xiuzhu's father, Zhao Shiming.
Prince Min Nan sneered, "If you delay any longer, your daughter's life will be gone."
Before he finished speaking, someone called out, "The swimmer has arrived." Several maids jumped into the water and swam towards the center of the lake.
Prince Min Nan sneered and turned away.
"Your Highness, please rest assured, Xiuzhu will not shame you," Zhao Shiming said.
The Crown Prince replied, "This matter is minor. How did Xiuzhu fall into the lake?"
Soon, guards brought forward Zhao Xiuzhu's maid. "Tell this Prince, how did Xiuzhu fall into the lake?"
The maid was clearly terrified, shaking her head incessantly. "This servant doesn't know, this servant doesn't know."
"Take her back to the Eastern Palace. I will interrogate her myself," the Crown Prince said coldly.
"Your Highness, has my maid made a mistake?" Zhao Xiuzhu, who had already been rescued, arrived before the Crown Prince with her maid's assistance.
"You fell into the lake, is she not at fault?"
Zhao Xiuzhu curtsied. "Your Highness, this entire incident was due to my carelessness in falling into the lake. It has nothing to do with my maid. I beg Your Highness to release my servant."
The Crown Prince suddenly stepped forward, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear. "Why did you fall into the lake? I understand now."
Zhao Xiuzhu trembled, looking up at the Crown Prince. He still had that gentle demeanor, but only she knew how terrifying it was beneath that gentle facade.