Chang Yunqi laid Qi Yue on the ground, calling her name while checking for breathing.
His face turned ashen, and his body began to tremble.
“Young Madam, Young Madam!” A’Ru crawled over frantically.
“No breath, no breath,” Chang Yunqi knelt on the ground, mumbling.
A’Ru looked at Qi Yue before her, hearing only Chang Yunqi’s words “no breath, no breath” in her ears.
“…Young Madam, you could save others’ lives, but how… how can we save yours?” she mumbled.
“That’s called artificial respiration. When a person suffers sudden trauma, their breathing may suddenly stop. At this point, the person isn’t actually dead yet—you need to help them breathe again,” Qi Yue’s words echoed in her ears.
“Artificial respiration!” A’Ru gasped heavily and shouted, then with trembling hands reached for Qi Yue’s chin, desperately trying to remember what Qi Yue had done before.
“You—” Chang Yunqi was about to carry Qi Yue away to find a physician when A’Ru threw herself at him to stop him.
Before he could scold her, the girl bent down and pressed her mouth to Qi Yue’s nose and mouth.
Chang Yunqi was stunned, watching the girl bend down again and again to blow air, pressing her hands on Qi Yue’s chest. Though tears streamed down her face, though she looked panicked, she absolutely refused to give up.
Just as A’Ru was nearly collapsing, Qi Yue finally made coughing sounds. Chang Yunqi beside her closed his eyes, feeling completely drained. In this early winter day, his back was soaked with sweat.
“Why couldn’t you think straight!” he shouted through gritted teeth.
Qi Yue held her neck with one hand and pointed to the side with the other.
“…No, someone tried to kill me…” she said hoarsely.
Chang Yunqi was stunned, immediately looked around in all directions, found a direction, and ran off.
“Thank goodness, so fortunate you came in time,” Qi Yue leaned against the pillow, letting A’Ru wrap her neck while smiling. “It wasn’t strangling that nearly killed me, but that club blow to the head.”
A’Ru continued crying.
“Young Madam, this servant deserves death,” she wept.
Chang Yunqi entered from outside, his face dark.
“Found him,” he said.
“What did he say? Why did he want to harm me?” Qi Yue asked urgently.
“He climbed over the wall and drowned himself in the river. When we found him, it was too late to save him,” Chang Yunqi said.
Dead with no testimony? Qi Yue sat back down.
“Pack up. I’ve already called for a carriage. We’re leaving immediately,” Chang Yunqi said. “This place is no longer safe.”
No one wanted to return more than she did, but at this moment she couldn’t.
Qi Yue touched the back of her neck—no bleeding, but severe pain to the touch, with mild nausea and dizziness.
“I’m afraid I have a mild concussion and can’t travel,” she said with a bitter smile. “Let’s observe for another night.”
“I’ll go get a physician,” Chang Yunqi finally realized. From discovering Qi Yue hanging to rescuing her, then learning it was murder, pursuing the killer, and controlling all the servants in the manor, he had been holding his breath this whole time without pause, actually forgetting to find a physician. He hurried out.
A’Ru wiped her tears and helped Qi Yue lie down.
“Young Madam, it’s all my fault,” she cried.
“It’s not your fault—you didn’t harm me,” Qi Yue smiled, shaking her hand. “Besides, you saved me. If you hadn’t helped me breathe in time, I really would have died without catching my breath.”
“This servant shouldn’t have left Young Madam alone,” A’Ru knelt and cried.
“Silly child, if someone wants to harm me, they’ll naturally find an opportunity. How could you control that?” Qi Yue smiled. “Alright, alright, stop crying. Your crying makes me feel bad too, and my head gets dizzier.”
A’Ru quickly wiped her tears and bit back her sobs.
“Go make me some salt-sugar water for oral consumption,” Qi Yue closed her eyes and said.
A’Ru nodded quickly and was about to leave, but didn’t dare. Chang Yunqi had locked up all the household servants, but she still didn’t dare leave. Just as she was anxiously hesitating, she saw Chang Yunqi hurrying back in.
“Third Young Master,” she called out.
“What’s wrong?” Chang Yunqi was startled by her expression and quickly came over.
“I need to go make some salt-sugar water. You being here is fine,” A’Ru said.
Chang Yunqi nodded and entered the room, seeing Qi Yue lying on the bed, waving her hand in front of her eyes.
“This is one, this is two, this is three,” she mumbled.
What was this? Chang Yunqi approached with confusion and worry.
“I’ve sent for the nearest physician and had people notify the manor,” he said quietly, then added, “I only notified my people—won’t alarm anyone else.”
“Thank you,” Qi Yue lowered her hand and said.
Chang Yunqi sat down beside her, silent for a moment.
“Don’t be too sad. Perhaps that vile slave was trying to rob and kill his master,” he said.
Qi Yue smiled slightly at this but said nothing.
“Excuse me, I’d like to rest for a bit,” she said.
Chang Yunqi nodded quickly.