DKGWF Chapter 8

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The two of them stood there feeding the fish under the setting sun. For a moment, it felt like time had slowed, as if all was peaceful and serene.

Rong Jiahui lazily propped her tilted head up, watching the koi scramble for food with intense focus. Deep inside, she was still wondering whether these expensive fish were actually edible.

She turned her head to look at Zhongli Luo, who was absorbed in feeding the fish. Suddenly, she felt envious of people who could go out freely every day. Why did she have to be the obedient one, stuck at home all the time, attending those dull lessons for noble girls? It was utterly boring.

People who could go anywhere—they were so lucky.

Zhongli Luo, sensing the intense gaze beside her, suddenly felt uncomfortable. She turned her head and found Rong Jiahui staring at her intently, her face full of envy.

Caught red-handed in her daze, Rong Jiahui’s face flushed. She quickly snapped her head away, almost spraining her neck in the process. Propping her face up with her hand, she firmly presented Zhongli Luo with the back of her head, refusing to turn around again.

Just then, she felt something on her head wobbling precariously. As she reached up to check, a glimmering white object slid down before her eyes. She instinctively reached out to catch it but missed. The object plunged straight into the water.

She froze, then touched her hair. It took her a moment to react before she exclaimed, “Ah! That was my hairpin?”

She ran her fingers through her hair and immediately noticed that a jade hairpin was missing. She must have whipped her head too forcefully...

Zhongli Luo seemed even more concerned than she was. Throwing the fish food aside, she asked urgently, “Was it valuable?”

Rong Jiahui nodded. “Yes, it was made of jade. Very precious, and I really liked—”

Before she could finish her sentence, the young man in front of her flipped over the bridge railing and leaped into the water.

She stood there, dumbfounded, and could only swallow the words she had yet to say: —but if it’s lost, then so be it. It’s not like I don’t have others.

No wonder her mother called this person foolish in front of her grandmother. He was foolish! It was just a hairpin—was it really worth jumping into the water for? How could an accessory be more precious than a person?

Gripping the railing, she anxiously watched the water’s surface, which was already restless with fish. She knew Zhongli Luo could swim—he had even pulled her out of the water before—but to jump in so recklessly for a hairpin that might already be broken… what could he possibly retrieve? If he got sick from this, it would all be her fault.

With that thought, she hurriedly shouted toward the water, “Come back up! The water’s dirty—I don’t need the jade hairpin anymore!”

Seeing no response from the water for a long time, Rong Jiahui suddenly panicked. Clenching her teeth, she swung one leg over the railing, intending to jump in and search for Zhongli Luo herself.

Her maids, alarmed, rushed to pull her back, dragging her away from the edge. If this young mistress ended up in the water again, the entire household’s ponds might have to be filled in out of sheer frustration.

Frustrated at being pulled back, Rong Jiahui stomped her foot in frustration. As if venting her anger, she began removing the ornaments from her hair one by one. While doing so, she couldn’t help but feel guilty—why did she wear so many things and dress up so extravagantly? She wasn’t some walking jewelry display. Shouldn’t she be more comfortable at home? If anything happened to Zhongli Luo because of her, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

She sniffled, eyes reddening, then suddenly glared at the maids who were busily picking up her discarded ornaments. “Why are you picking those up? Go find someone to rescue him!”

Just as the maids snapped out of their daze and were about to run for help, a hand suddenly appeared at Rong Jiahui’s feet.

Hearing a faint noise from the bridge, she quickly looked down—half of Zhongli Luo’s body was slowly emerging from the water.

Before she could reach out to help, Zhongli Luo had already flipped herself back up.

Zhongli Luo stood before Rong Jiahui, dripping wet from head to toe, looking like a water ghost. She was gripping something tightly in her hand, her eyes cautiously peeking up to gauge Rong Jiahui’s expression.

Rong Jiahui, ever the straightforward type, didn’t hesitate. Seeing her drenched state, she immediately used her sleeve to wipe Zhongli Luo’s face.

As she wiped, she scolded, “Who else in the world would do something like this? Jumping in without a word—you scared me half to death! It’s just a hairpin; why does it matter so much? What if you catch a cold?”

Zhongli Luo paused for a moment, then looked down at the object in her hand. “You looked like you really didn’t want to lose it.”

Rong Jiahui was stunned. This person… was even more foolish than she had imagined.

She pursed her lips, staring at Zhongli Luo. A sudden wave of emotion surged in her heart, and for a moment, she felt like crying.

In her past life, she had lived for twenty-four years, yet no one had ever treated her like this. Of course, no one had ever done something as ridiculous as diving into a lake for her hairpin either. She was never particularly attached to her accessories—if one was lost, then so be it. But even if this act was completely foolish… it still made her want to cry.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Zhongli Luo assumed she was heartbroken over the hairpin. Feeling guilty, she stretched out her hand. “Unfortunately, it broke.”

Rong Jiahui wiped her eyes and took a closer look. Sure enough, the plum blossom-shaped hairpin had snapped in two, with the decorative head separated from the body.

She blinked away her tears, forcing a smile. “It’s fine if it’s broken. I’ll just have it mended with gold. A gold-inlaid jade hairpin isn’t bad either.”

This plum blossom hairpin was originally precious because it was carved from a single flawless piece of mutton-fat jade. Now that it was broken, even if it could be repaired, its value would plummet significantly—something she would have normally turned her nose up at.

But now, as she took the broken hairpin, she held it as if it were a treasure.

Smiling brightly, she said, “Thank you, Brother Zhongli. This was always my favorite hairpin. When it fell, I thought my heart would break. It’s so lucky you got it back for me. I’ll have someone fix it right away.”

Zhongli Luo, who had been worried she would be upset, let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good.”

Rong Jiahui glanced at Zhongli Luo’s soaked clothes and quickly took her hand. “Forget the hairpin for now. You need to go back and change before you catch a cold.”

Then she turned to Gu Yu. “You, run ahead and tell them to prepare hot water. If there’s already some ready, bring it over immediately!”

“Yes!”

Gu Yu took a few steps before pausing. After some thought, she turned back and hesitantly asked, “Miss, what if Master and Madam need the hot water?”

Rong Jiahui twitched at the corner of her mouth. This foolish girl—why had she chosen her as her personal maid again?

“Take it anyway!”

Gu Yu nodded and ran off, only to stop again after a few steps. “And if the senior maids by Madam’s side refuse to give it up?”

“Shuang Jiang, go with her!”

Seeing Shuang Jiang grab Gu Yu and sprint off, Rong Jiahui turned to Zhongli Luo, looking a bit embarrassed. “My silly maid is quite a handful, isn’t she? Please don’t mind her.”

Zhongli Luo waved her hand dismissively. “Not at all, not at all. Actually, I’ve always wished I had a younger sibling—someone like your Gu Yu, a little foolish, but dependent on me, someone I could protect.”

Rong Jiahui: …

She really had terrible judgment. Gu Yu and Qiufen were both troublemakers!

Pouting slightly, she muttered, “These silly people—you think they’re cute the first time you meet them. But spend enough time with them, and you’ll be so annoyed you’ll wish you could stab them a few times.”

“Ah?” Zhongli Luo looked confused. Why did she seem upset all of a sudden?

Seeing Zhongli Luo still looking clueless, Rong Jiahui sighed in frustration, grabbing her hand and quickening her pace.

“Stop ‘ah’-ing and hurry up to take your bath!”

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