Chapter 4 ROTNDOAHRF

FlamingoBees

Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Rebirth of the Noble Daughter of a High Ranking Family

Chapter 4:

My Brother Must Not Die!

"Hongyu, where is my little brother?" Ouyang Nuan's voice trembled with urgency as she grabbed Hongyu's arm.

"He should be returning from school now..." Hongyu began, but before she could finish, she saw Ouyang Nuan's expression change drastically as she rushed out.

Confined to her room due to her injured forehead, Ouyang Nuan's brother, Jue, had an accident drowning in the garden on his way back from school!

It happened today!

She remembered, today was the day her little brother drowned! Initially, she thought it was just an accident, but it wasn't! The garden was always bustling with people, so why was there no one around when it happened? Her brother had servants and guards by his side, so why weren't they there with him?!

"Miss!" Mama Fang was startled, shouting loudly, "What are you waiting for, hurry, go see!"

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The room was instantly empty as all the maids and servants followed.

Ouyang Nuan had never run so fast, her heart racing as if it might leap out of her chest.

Jue'er, please, nothing must happen to you!

As soon as she reached the garden, she heard a loud "splash," and her heart sank. Though the garden pond appeared shallow, in reality, even an adult could drown in it, let alone a ten-year-old child!

"Jue'er!" Ouyang Nuan shouted.

A figure darted quickly from behind the artificial hill, rushing over to block her path. "Miss, you are of noble status! Let me dive in to save the young master!"

Ouyang Nuan slapped fiercely. "Get out of the way!"

The person's head was knocked to the side by the force of the slap, momentarily dazed. Upon regaining awareness, they attempted to block again. Ouyang Nuan sternly shouted to the mothers hastily following behind, "Grab him!"

The four mothers, startled, were intimidated by the fierce aura emanating from Ouyang Nuan. Following her command, they rushed forward and pinned down the struggling servant in gray!

At that moment, Jue'er was completely submerged in the tranquil lake. Without hesitation, Ouyang Nuan swiftly jumped into the water!

"Miss!" came a chorus of screams from behind.

The icy waters offered no respite, as memories of her tragic past flooded Ouyang Nuan's mind all at once. But now was not the time for distractions! Ouyang Nuan shook her head vigorously, pushing aside all extraneous thoughts. With complete disregard for anything else, she desperately searched underwater for Ouyang Jue.

But amidst the swirling water grass, visibility was reduced to nothing but a foggy haze. Where could he be?

Suddenly, she caught sight of a fluttering piece of cloth! Hope surged within her heart... it was Jue! It was really him!

Despite being just a twelve-year-old child herself, Ouyang Nuan exerted all her strength to drag the unconscious Jue towards the shore. She was nearly spent by the effort. The maids and servants rushed to her aid, assisting Ouyang Nuan in pulling them both onto dry land.

Her body felt like it was filled with ice shards, but she couldn't afford to pay attention to her own condition. She quickly began to pat Jue's back to expel the water he had swallowed.

After a while, Jue slowly opened his eyes, confusedly taking in the pale face beside him. He instinctively called out, "Sister..."

"Thank goodness!" Ouyang Nuan hugged him tightly.

"Are you alright, Miss?" Hongyu asked anxiously, panting from running to catch up with Ouyang Nuan. She had been terrified when she saw Miss jump into the water, and her heart had only calmed down upon seeing them both safe and sound. She took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and gently wiped the water droplets from Ouyang Nuan's face.

As Ouyang Jue regained consciousness, Ouyang Nuan felt a wave of relief wash over her. She was just about to reassure Hongyu that she was fine when suddenly her vision blurred, and she lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground. The garden erupted into chaos as everyone rushed to her aid.

In the darkness, Ouyang Nuan found herself unable to move, with only her mouth and ears functioning.

Unable to speak, Ouyang Nuan could feel various bitter medicines and soups being forced into her mouth. She had no idea how she managed to endure it all. Images of the moment before she plunged into the river occasionally flashed through her mind, but thankfully, the sound of voices calling out to her pulled her back from the brink of unconsciousness.

"Sister, please wake up..."

"Sister, don't leave me alone..."

"I won't be naughty anymore, I'll do whatever you ask..."

"Madam Fang, it's all my fault. If it weren't for me needing to be saved, sister wouldn't have been injured like this..."

"I don't have a mother anymore, sister, please don't leave me alone!"

The heartfelt calls were all too real, and Ouyang Nuan knew that the familiar yet distant voice was that of her brother.

Jue'er! She hadn't seen his face clearly for many years! She really wanted to see him!

The first time she felt her fingers twitching slightly, Ouyang Nuan almost instinctively struggled to open her eyes and move her neck. Gradually, regaining control over her body, which had been unresponsive for so long, she let out a soft exclamation as she opened her eyes to the light.

Before her stood the young boy with thick black eyebrows, bright eyes, a gentle smile on his lips—a sight etched deeply in her memory, her dear brother! "Older Sister, you're awake!"

Ouyang Jue was both shocked and delighted. He jumped onto the bed, hugged her neck tightly, and exclaimed with a mixture of laughter and excitement, "I knew you'd be okay! I just knew it, I knew you'd be okay..."

After shouting several times, he turned his head and yelled, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up, go and pour some hot tea!" It was already late at night.

Ouyang Jue was overjoyed to see his sister awake, and Fang Mama kept chanting prayers of gratitude, tears of joy streaming down her face. Hongyu reminded, "Miss, the Old Madam sent people to check on you twice, and the master came once himself. He persuaded the stepmother to leave, when she was leaving, saying to come and see her as soon as you woke up."

It wouldn't be surprising for grandmother to send someone to inquire, but it's quite remarkable that Father managed to find time amidst his busy schedule to visit her. This incident has indeed caused quite a stir.

However, the one who should be most enraged right now is Madam Lin. She went to great lengths to harm Jue, only for her scheme to fail because of her timely intervention. She must be seething with anger at herself. It's rare to see her put on the facade of a caring mother and stay here until midnight.

Quite an effort on her part. Ouyang Nuan smirked disdainfully, opting to remain silent.

Ouyang Jue, being straightforward, chimed in, "What's the point of asking her? She's just pretending to be sympathetic, like a cat crying to deceive a mouse!"

Upon hearing his words, a wave of warmth swept over Ouyang Nuan's heart. This child hadn't changed at all; he still detested Madam Lin just as before. No matter how well Madam Lin may have performed her role as a stepmother, he instinctively loathed the woman who replaced his birth mother. In comparison, Ouyang Nuan felt like the slow and dull-witted one, always late to realize things.

She patted Jue's hand to reassure him and casually told Hongyu, "It's already late. Let's not disturb them now. We can talk about it tomorrow morning." Then, Ouyang Nuan lay back on the bed, holding a warming pan close, listening to Ouyang Jue's excited chatter as he recounted his sister's heroic act of jumping into the lake to save him to the maids and servants in the room, unable to suppress a smile.

She cleared her throat softly, "Jue, come here." Ouyang Jue immediately fell silent and hurried to the bedside, his eyes flickering, looking at her like an eager puppy. "Sister wants to know, did you see clearly who pushed you into the water?"

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