Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Fish with Two Tails (Massive Update)

Liu Ling’er rushed to the spot where the calls for help had come from, her face instantly draining of color. Somehow, little Shuangshuang had fallen into the water. There was a large lake in the general’s residence—the very same place where Liu Ling’er had once thrown herself in. She had only been gone a short while, and yet Shuangshuang had ended up in the water.

Fortunately, Shuangshuang was still clinging to a piece of wood. Compared to her tiny frame, the timber was rather large; if not for that, she might not have had the chance to cry for help at all, and the consequences would have been unthinkable.

There was no time to shout for help, nor to wonder how Shuangshuang had fallen in. Only one thought filled Liu Ling’er’s mind: get into the water and pull her out.

She called out to Shuangshuang, “Don’t be afraid, Shuangshuang! I’m coming to save you! Hold on for me!”

With a splash, Liu Ling’er jumped into the water. Back in the day, she had trained by swimming across the Yangtze from the southern to the northern shore; the lake in the general’s residence was nothing to her.

But fate often laughs at human plans. Just as she was about to reach Shuangshuang, her leg cramped. By all rights, this shouldn’t have happened, but out of nowhere, fragments of memory from her previous attempt at suicide in the lake flashed through her mind.

This body, it seemed, harbored an instinctive fear of water. That, and she hadn’t warmed up before plunging in. Though spring had begun, the lake was still frigid.

Damn it, did things have to go so wrong? Liu Ling’er came close to cursing out loud, but at this critical moment, she dared not; open her mouth, and she’d swallow half the lake. That would only hasten disaster.

Heaven smiled on her, though. Despite the searing cramp in her calf, she managed to reach Shuangshuang. The timber in the girl's hands was a lifeline.

Breaking the surface, Liu Ling’er gasped for breath, preparing to drag Shuangshuang to shore. But she had overestimated herself—after all that exertion, her strength was nearly spent.

In that instant, Liu Ling’er found herself yearning for the days when she possessed inner strength. If only she had a tenth of her old power, she wouldn’t be in such a sorry state.

With no other choice, she resorted to her last resort. Opening her throat, she shouted, “Help! The young lady has fallen into the water again! Save us!”

True to its reputation, the last resort worked. Bai Li Xian arrived the moment he heard her cry. He had been deep in conversation with Liu Rufeng, utterly absorbed, when a servant came to report, “Master, there are officials outside come to celebrate your birthday.”

As luck would have it, Liu Ling’er’s visit to her parents coincided with Liu Rufeng’s birthday. He went out to greet the guests, leaving Bai Li Xian to wander the residence and instruct his shadow guards to prepare an appropriate birthday gift. Though he had brought a present, a birthday tribute warranted special consideration.

He had barely strolled a few minutes when the cries for help reached his ears. Listening closely, he recognized Liu Ling’er’s voice. Though he didn’t know what had happened, Bai Li Xian immediately summoned his lightness skill and rushed to the lake.

Seeing Bai Li Xian, Liu Ling’er’s face lit up. “Bai Li Xian, save me and Shuangshuang! Gah, I’m freezing!”

As the saying goes, the ducks know first when the river warms in spring. Well, she wasn’t a duck—having plunged into the water herself, Liu Ling’er realized just how biting the early spring lake could be; she’d nearly lost her life to the cold.

For some reason, seeing Bai Li Xian made a curious question bubble up in her mind: If both your wife and your mother fell into the water, whom would you save? It wasn’t quite the same situation, but she was curious to see whether Bai Li Xian would save her or Shuangshuang first.

Bai Li Xian didn’t hesitate. Striding across the water, he used the timber they clung to, scooping both Liu Ling’er and Shuangshuang up at once. With a tap of his toe on the wood, he spun and carried them toward the shore.

So, the infamous question was hypothetical after all. A true master could rescue both at once. She’d worried for nothing.

They could have reached shore smoothly, but fate had other plans. Shuangshuang looked down and cried out in surprise, “Sister Ling’er, look! That fish has two tails!”

Fish with two tails? Even in the modern world, with all its technology, Liu Ling’er had never seen such a thing. But curiosity killed the cat—not only did she crane her neck to look, Bai Li Xian couldn’t resist glancing down as well.

That was when disaster struck. Distracted by Liu Ling’er and Shuangshuang, Bai Li Xian lost focus. His inner energy faltered, and the three of them plunged into the water like a set of weights.

Once more submerged, Liu Ling’er’s fear of water took over. She clung to Bai Li Xian with desperate strength, like an octopus, rendering him utterly immobile. In that state, expecting Bai Li Xian to swim was wishful thinking; it was a miracle he didn’t drown trying to save her.

After a colossal struggle, the three sodden figures finally made it ashore. Just as Liu Ling’er was about to thank Bai Li Xian, she caught sight of him—wet hair clinging to his shoulders, his thin shirt outlining the firm lines of his chest. My, he did cut a fine figure!