Chapter Five: Saving a Life

"The crowd is dense; perhaps you should turn back and help Miss Wang, young master. She seems about to fall," Shen Runzhi suggested kindly.

The Crown Prince turned around. Wang Meng was swaying unsteadily in the throng, on the verge of collapsing. Since the Empress had intended for her to become a secondary consort, the Crown Prince felt compelled to look after her. He stepped forward and reached out to steady her.

Wang Meng’s eyes lit up with surprise. She lowered her head shyly, rising with the support of his hand, and whispered timidly, "Thank you, young master."

The Crown Prince gave a perfunctory response and tried to pull his hand away. "It is nothing."

Just as he was about to withdraw, a pink peach-blossom ball fell from the sky and landed in Wang Meng’s hands. The crowd on the stage erupted in cheers. "Wow! A young lady has caught it! We invite the lady and her beloved to step onto the stage and receive our blessings."

Shen Runzhi chuckled lightly. "What a pity it wasn't our Yaoyao. It’s all my cousin's fault for not catching it."

Song Qingcheng finally pulled herself out of his embrace and cast him a strange look. *Keep acting, just keep acting,* she thought. *As if he hadn't been the one to throw it there himself.*

"Miss Wang Meng is quite lucky. I imagine her romantic prospects will be smooth sailing from here on out." Despite her private thoughts, Song Qingcheng clapped in blessing; at least it wasn't her. She certainly didn't want to go up there.

A flush of pink rose on Wang Meng’s face. Shyly, she held the peach-blossom ball out to the Crown Prince. "Young master, shall we go up?"

The Crown Prince took a shallow breath, his peripheral vision scanning for Song Qingcheng. He had no desire to be the center of attention on stage, yet he had to consider Wang Meng’s reputation. Suppressing his irritation, he smiled gently and took her hand. "Very well, it is my honor."

Under the gaze of many, the Crown Prince and Wang Meng ascended the stage. The peach-blossom messengers produced two hairpins, placing one in each of their hands.

"The peach blossom signifies a bond of fate. You two lovers, please place the hairpins on each other," the messenger said with a smile.

The crowd below was vast, holding lanterns of various colors and cheering, "Wonderful! What a beautiful pair!"

"Young man, hurry and place it on the lady!"

The atmosphere below was boisterous. The Crown Prince took the hairpin and carelessly fastened it to Wang Meng’s hair. Standing tall with his back straight, he waited motionless for Wang Meng, his eyes constantly darting toward Song Qingcheng below.

Shen Runzhi happened to catch his gaze. He moved forward inadvertently, blocking Song Qingcheng from view. Song Qingcheng, who had been enjoying the spectacle, suddenly found the world going dark as the "mountain" in front of her blocked her sight.

"Cousin, you’re blocking me," Song Qingcheng said, poking Shen Runzhi’s back with her finger.

Shen Runzhi shifted slightly, his prominent Adam's apple bobbing as he turned his head to stare down at her. "Yaoyao, shall we fulfill our promise and go explore the lantern festival on our own?"

Song Qingcheng blinked twice. "Ah? But the young master and Wang Meng are still on stage. Wouldn't it be rude if we just left?"

She wasn't yet prepared to be alone with Shen Runzhi. Sticking to the principle of delaying as long as possible, she tried to persuade him, "Besides, it’s quite late. We wouldn't have much time to look around before having to head back. Let’s do it another time."

Shen Runzhi’s brown eyes remained fixed on her, a clear, light smile touching his lips. "Wang Meng is very eager to spend time with him; you shouldn't disturb the lovers, Yaoyao. Your cousin will take you somewhere else to play."

With that, Shen Runzhi took hold of Song Qingcheng’s fingers and led her in the opposite direction.

Since he had put it that way, Song Qingcheng found it hard to refuse. She quietly withdrew her hand and walked beside him. "Cousin is right. Let's go explore somewhere else, then."

*Debts weigh heavily; it’s a relief to pay one off, so I don't have to worry about how to maintain this lie.*

Song Qingcheng was struggling to carry two lanterns. Shen Runzhi noticed and reached out to take them naturally. "The lanterns are broken. I'll have someone fix them."

He handed them to a subordinate behind him, who vanished into the crowd.

It happened so quickly that Song Qingcheng couldn't react in time. She looked down at the lantern that now held only a rabbit, and pursed her lips in acceptance. *Fine, let him take them. My hands are freer this way.*

Following the flow of the crowd, they heard a cry of agony ahead. "Cao’er! My child... someone, call a doctor! Save my child, save my Cao’er!"

Hearing the plea, Song Qingcheng jogged over, squeezed through the circle of onlookers, and knelt to examine the child.

The child was held by an elderly couple. Seeing the young Song Qingcheng fiddling with their child, they pushed her away in a fit of agitation.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

Song Qingcheng dodged to the side. Based on her experience in medicine, many patients didn't trust her because she was a young girl, assuming she was just playing around.

Being treated like this was mild compared to other times; more agitated people had even chased her with sticks, preferring to wait for a doctor from miles away.

"I am a physician. Let me check on your child," Song Qingcheng said, reaching back. Taohong appeared and handed her the small medicine chest she carried.

It had become her habit while traveling; she encountered emergencies daily, and carrying the kit was a precaution.

The elderly couple did not believe her. "You are just a young girl, how could you possibly practice medicine? We don't need your help with our Cao’er. Someone has already gone to fetch a doctor."

The old couple clutched the child tightly, refusing to let Song Qingcheng touch the child at all.

From a distance, Song Qingcheng observed the child's condition: the face was turning purple, the child was clawing at their throat, mouth agape and struggling for air. The child was choking on a foreign object.

Song Qingcheng made an immediate judgment. Realizing there was no time to delay, she tried to convince them, "The child has a foreign object in their throat causing respiratory distress. We cannot wait."

The old couple hesitated, but just as they were about to agree, the onlookers began to mutter.

"Since when do young girls practice medicine? I bet she's just a pampered child from a wealthy family, acting recklessly for fun."

"If you ask me, women should wear veils when they go out. Look, she isn't wearing one today, so she’s gotten arrogant. She probably learned a few parlor tricks from a book and came here to show off."

"You're right. Aside from staying home and raising children, women have no business practicing medicine."

The crowd whispered and gossiped, their words filled with disdain for Song Qingcheng.

Hearing the chatter, the old couple shook their heads violently. "No way! Our Cao’er is the lifeblood of our family; we won't let a young girl mess around. Go play somewhere else, we can wait for the doctor."

The child was somewhat heavy, and the old couple were elderly and couldn't lift them properly, so they stayed where they were, waiting for the physician.

Shen Runzhi stood with his hands behind his back, holding Song Qingcheng’s rabbit lantern. He looked sharply at the people who had been speaking. "And what if she is a woman? Only the most base-minded people look down upon women."

"Who are you?! Am I not right? A woman flaunting herself in public violates virtue; isn't that exactly what I said?" A man with a mole on his face stood up aggressively, harboring deep-seated contempt for women.

Shen Runzhi sneered, ready to retort, but Song Qingcheng tugged on his sleeve. "Hold them down for me."

Since they wouldn't listen, she wouldn't blame herself for using force.

Before Shen Runzhi could even give the order, his subordinates stepped forward and forcefully restrained the old couple. Song Qingcheng moved behind them, directing them to lift the child and hold them in the standard position to dislodge the object.

The old couple struggled violently. "What are you doing? Let go of my Cao’er!!!"