As soon as she surfaced, she began to cough violently, gasping for air between coughs.
It felt as if her lungs were about to explode. She was so cold that her teeth chattered and her body trembled uncontrollably. Looking up at Lu Qianzhou standing on the shore, she felt a bit helpless.
Lu Qianzhou stood on the shore. The water reflected off the lake shone on his chin, illuminating his face with a hint of unruly coldness. The wind blew the stray hairs on his forehead, revealing his full brow. Yan Xia flailed her hands in the water to keep herself from sinking again.
As long as Lu Qianzhou didn't say a word, she might drown or freeze to death here, silently, without anyone to hold anyone accountable.
When Yan Xia finally caught her breath and was floating in the water, shivering and gasping for air, he finally looked down at her. A lazy smile played on his lips. "Throughout history, double - agents have never ended up well. This is just a little warning for you. Not everyone gets a second chance. Have you learned your lesson, Miss Cheng?"
Yan Xia didn't say a word.
The cold wind howled past, scraping against her back like fire. Her skin, perhaps too delicate, had turned red from the cold, while her face and lips remained pale.
Lu Qianzhou stared at her, the fake smile disappearing from his face.
Suddenly, it started to drizzle in the sky that still had a touch of orange sunset. The raindrops fell on the lake and on his thick, long eyelashes.
Standing in the rain, he said, "You have too many hidden agendas. Cooperation should consider the interests of both sides. It's okay for Miss Cheng to focus on her own interests, but only with my permission. You can't harm Changling's interests."
His voice was cold and angry. "I can't tolerate someone who knowingly makes such mistakes."
Yan Xia was gradually running out of strength. She tried to swim back to the shore, but was stopped by the people on the shore. She had no choice but to stay in the cold water.
Lu Qianzhou watched as her emotions shifted from panic to terror and finally to calmness.
"If you don't say anything, I'll let you see the scenery at the bottom of the lake."
Yan Xia gasped and said, "I've remembered everything."
Lu Qianzhou glanced at his watch. "Guess if Fang Jiangyi will come to save you."
Suddenly, Yan Xia closed her eyes and smiled. At that moment, her eyes welled up with tears. "Fang Jiangyi won't care whether I live or die."
No one would care. No one in sight would care whether she lived or died.
She looked calm now, but the red and tear - filled eyes betrayed her true emotions.
During the stand - off, the assistant behind Lu Qianzhou suddenly let out a cry.
"Mr. Lu, Fang Jiangyi is here."
Everyone turned around and saw Fang Jiangyi striding over with two bodyguards, his face solemn.
Yan Xia's phone was left in the pocket of her coat in the car outside. The last few messages were sent to Fang Jiangyi when she was in the Shengshi Building.
"Third Brother knows what I've done. I'm afraid I can't escape."
"His men are coming for me. I'll share my location. Remember to come and save me."
"The location is remote. SOS!!"
It took Fang Jiangyi less than thirty minutes to get here after receiving the messages.
Almost at the same time he appeared, the assistant untied the rope that was originally tied to the railing and pushed Yan Xia again, forcing her deeper into the cold lake.
She had struggled in the water for a long time and was already exhausted. With this push, she sank straight down.
All she could see was the light - green lake water with a white halo in the middle. The deeper she sank, the more it felt like she was being pulled into the bottomless depths by death.
Yan Xia closed her eyes and gave up struggling. Her clothes and hair became puffy from the water.
Fang Jiangyi didn't say a word. He strode onto the path and simply said, "Save her."
The two bodyguards with him didn't say a word either. They took off their coats and dived into the water to rescue Yan Xia.
"Mr. Lu, you seem to have gone too far," Fang Jiangyi frowned, his perfect face showing deep coldness.
The two men stared at each other, their auras colliding like swords and spears. Neither was willing to back down. Lu Qianzhou was silent for a moment and then suddenly smiled brightly. "Is Mr. Fang here to watch the show? Isn't this exactly what you wanted to see?"
Fang Jiangyi's voice was cold and firm. "Mr. Lu keeps saying that Lu Sheng is your sister. Is this how you treat her? This is attempted murder!"
Lu Qianzhou sneered. "When Mr. Fang asked her to steal Changling's plan, he didn't seem to consider her situation. What right do you have to say this to me? It seems you haven't improved at all over the years. You're willing to sacrifice everyone around you for your own interests."
Fang Jiangyi's face darkened. He frowned and finally said, "Anyway, she's your uncle's daughter. You should at least give your uncle some face. If anything happens to Lu Sheng today, neither of us can escape responsibility."
During the stand - off, the two bodyguards finally fished Yan Xia out of the lake.
She seemed to have fainted. Her face was deathly pale. The bodyguards laid her on the ground, and her head slumped to one side, her eyes tightly closed.
Fang Jiangyi's heart skipped a beat. As if suddenly remembering something, he pushed the bodyguards aside and knelt down to perform CPR on Yan Xia.
After several rounds of CPR, she still didn't move.
Fang Jiangyi's hand rested on her pale face. Her body was as cold as ice. He pinched her nose again and gave her mouth - to - mouth resuscitation.
After repeating this several times, she finally coughed up a mouthful of water and started to cough violently, regaining her breath.
Everyone present let out a sigh of relief.
"Lu Sheng, how do you feel?" Fang Jiangyi asked anxiously.
Yan Xia slowly woke up. Opening her eyes and seeing Fang Jiangyi's face in front of her, she was dazed for a moment and finally said hoarsely, "So cold..."
Her thin white shirt was soaked through and almost transparent, revealing her chest.
Just as Fang Jiangyi was about to take off his coat, a white windbreaker flew over him and landed on Yan Xia.
The coat still carried Lu Qianzhou's warmth and scent. It covered her shivering body, bringing a surge of warmth.
Fang Jiangyi untied the ropes around her and wrapped her tightly in Lu Qianzhou's coat.
He said, "I'll take you away."
Lu Qianzhou didn't give his permission. Suppressing his discomfort, he turned around and said, "Send Miss Lu back."
Fang Jiangyi looked up at Lu Qianzhou, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Has Mr. Lu forgotten what he just did? You're even trying to steal this from me."
Lu Qianzhou sneered. "It's you who's stealing from me."
Fang Jiangyi wasn't afraid at all. He picked Yan Xia up in his arms and, with the two bodyguards leading and following, took her away from the lake.
Weakly curled up in Fang Jiangyi's arms, as they left, Yan Xia's eyes met Lu Qianzhou's over Fang Jiangyi's shoulder. She clearly saw a cold smile in his eyes.
After Fang Jiangyi carried Yan Xia away, Mu Rui shook his head and sighed.
"You clearly wanted to get her back, but you overacted."