Chapter 10: Are You Kidding Me?

With Aunt Chen’s startled cry, everyone else turned their gaze toward that side, finally seeing Ning Ruyun standing there, unharmed and with her clothes clean and dry.

Such a scene left the crowd momentarily stunned.

Ning Ruyun hadn’t fallen into the water?

Then what exactly was Feng Qingxue screaming about just now? Why was she so certain that Ning Ruyun had fallen in and called for help?

And what about Wei Zhitao, who was still searching in the water for someone to rescue?

When Feng Qingxue shouted for help, nearby villagers had already rushed over, gathering around and some even jumping into the water to assist.

There were only a few steps nearby for getting ashore, and everyone had seen that Ning Ruyun hadn’t come out there.

If she had gotten out farther away, did she then go home first to change clothes before coming back here to watch the commotion?

That reasoning made no sense either, deepening the confusion among those present. No one could figure out what was really going on.

Hearing Aunt Chen’s questions, Ning Ruyun wore a look of bewilderment, utterly clueless: “Aunt Chen, what’s happening? I didn’t fall into the water. When did I ever fall in?”

“I was just out buying something and heard all the noise here, so I came to see what was going on. I don’t even know what’s happened.”

“Aunt Chen, why is everyone saying I fell into the water? I wasn’t even here before, how could I have fallen in?”

Her brow furrowed tightly as she spoke, clearly perplexed by the situation. She glanced at the crowd, then back at Aunt Chen, voicing more doubts: “Besides, I can swim. If I really fell in, I would have swum back on my own. Why would anyone have to make such a big fuss shouting for help?”

“Who said that about me? Why spread such lies?”

“I literally just got here. If people start saying I fell in and got swept away, that’s just bad luck for me.”

“I don’t even know who holds a grudge against me to curse me like this—wishing me harm and making so many people jump into the water to save me?”

“Who’s doing this? Isn’t this just messing with people and wasting their time?”

Throughout her words, Ning Ruyun seemed unaware of the full situation but clearly angry about being slandered. Those around her were left baffled but also found her explanation reasonable and leaned toward believing her.

Indeed, Ning Ruyun could swim. If she had truly fallen in, she would have been able to save herself.

So after so much time searching in the water without finding anyone, it was obvious this was Feng Qingxue’s prank, deliberately trying to ruin Ning Ruyun’s reputation!

If Ning Ruyun hadn’t shown up now, they would have continued being fooled by Feng Qingxue, like fools, wasting time searching for someone who wasn’t there.

This was nonsense and a blatant disregard for their time!

But what was Feng Qingxue’s real motive? Why do such a thing? Was she just bored, playing games at their expense?

Chen Zedan, Wei Zhitao’s younger brother and Aunt Chen’s son, was also surprised.

He looked at Ning Ruyun, who was unharmed and unaware, confirming he hadn’t misseen her. Ning Ruyun stood there perfectly fine. Frowning deeply, Chen Zedan shot a displeased glance at the unconscious Feng Qingxue.

Realizing Feng Qingxue had deliberately fooled them, wasting everyone’s effort and emotions, Chen Zedan grew angry.

Knowing Wei Zhitao and the others had been duped, Chen Zedan shouted urgently to Wei Zhitao, still in the water searching: “Brother Tao, Xiao Yun didn’t fall in. She’s right here on shore. Stop struggling in the water and come up quickly.”

Chen Zedan had previously thought well of Feng Qingxue, believing her to be a good girl. If Wei Zhitao couldn’t be with Ning Ruyun, he was happy to see him with Feng Qingxue.

Though he secretly had some vague feelings for Feng Qingxue, he thought she was gentle and kind, the best match for Wei Zhitao, so he never revealed his own thoughts.

But now, Feng Qingxue’s actions deeply disappointed Chen Zedan, shattering his favorable impression of her. He wondered if she enjoyed stirring trouble indiscriminately, wasting others’ time and patience.

Was this really fun? Was it really appropriate?

Thinking this, Chen Zedan glanced again at Feng Qingxue, noticing her tightly closed eyes but slight trembling—clearly she wasn’t truly unconscious. Everything was a sham, which only deepened his disappointment.

Feng Qingxue had done all this just to ruin Ning Ruyun’s reputation?

Did she hate Ning Ruyun that much? Was she willing to fabricate such a dangerous lie just to target her?

Chen Zedan couldn’t understand Feng Qingxue’s behavior; it was so different from the image he had of her.

When Ning Ruyun’s bewildered words reached Feng Qingxue’s ears, realizing Ning Ruyun had escaped and even turned the tables to make Feng Qingxue look like the liar trying to slander her, she was shocked and anxious to get up and defend herself.

But hearing Chen Zedan’s complaints only made Feng Qingxue tense all over.

She clearly remembered pushing Ning Ruyun into the water with her own hands, watching her get swallowed by the current and fall into danger. How could she have been mistaken?

Yet now Ning Ruyun was here, acting oblivious. What was really going on?

Feng Qingxue also recalled that Ning Ruyun couldn’t swim and was afraid of water. When had she suddenly learned to swim?

This whole incident began because Feng Qingxue had heard that Wei Zhitao and his mother, Zhang Lanya, had come to the village to deal with Wei Zhitao and Ning Ruyun’s marriage arrangement. Feng Qingxue planned to use Zhao Dacheng to destroy Ning Ruyun’s reputation, preventing her from marrying Zhao, a violent old bachelor.

But everything had changed, and Feng Qingxue had instead fallen into her own trap, facing an extremely unfavorable situation without knowing how to resolve it safely.

Had things turned out this way because Ning Ruyun was deliberately scheming against her to ruin her reputation?