Little William was still in pain from that lash, and before he could recover, he heard a delicate cry from the girl in red, who flew off her rouge-colored horse. He had to admit, the girl's movements in midair were truly beautiful—like a celestial maiden descending from the heavens, she performed a series of graceful and elegant spins in the air.

　　But no matter how marvelous the flight, she still had to land in the end—gravity! Newton had proven this long ago. Little William's gaze followed the girl's delicate figure, hoping to witness a face-first landing, leaving her bruised and battered. Who told you to whip me? Such resentment—Little William had been unusually irritable lately.

　　In the end, the girl in red did not fulfill Little William's wish. Her flight distance exceeded everyone's expectations—she soared off the horse, over the stone road, across the lush green grass by the lake, heading straight for the sparkling Cuiyun Lake.

Chapter 3: The Traitor's Son (Part 2)

　　Little William thought to himself, could it be that this girl knows lightness skill and is about to pull off a Lingbo Microstep? She really is a beauty—even her falls are so stylish.

　　When the girl in red saw the lake beneath her, she let out a scream loud enough to rupture the eardrums of many onlookers, then dove into Cuiyun Lake with a twisting motion. Her entry into the water was far from graceful—her butt hit the surface first, sending up a huge splash. Two ducks swimming nearby were innocently drenched, looking pitifully at the rippling water before quickly waddling away, shaking their plump behinds.

　　Suddenly, the scene fell silent. Tourists nearby rushed over, a crowd of noble sons and scholarly gentlemen pointing and gesturing at the spot where the girl in red had fallen, shaking their heads, but not a single person volunteered to jump in and save her.

　　Of course, Little William squeezed in as well, with four servants helping him push through the crowd to the front by the lakeshore—the perfect spot to watch.

　　What a huge splash! Who would've thought the girl in red could cause such a commotion falling into the water? Entering butt-first is definitely a diver's taboo—there's no way to keep the splash down. If she competed in the Olympics with this, the judges would all give her a zero.

　　Splash, splash... The sound of water rose as the girl in red surfaced, hair disheveled, arms flailing wildly, her head shaking nonstop like she was on ecstasy. "Help... glug..." She wasn't trying to say "glug"—she meant to call for help, but before she could finish, she swallowed a mouthful of lake water. Distance creates beauty—Cuiyun Lake is best admired from afar. Get too close, and not only is it less beautiful, it's dangerous—especially for a landlubber like the girl in red.

　　Robert Bennett, standing beside Little William, chuckled, "Young master... this girl can't swim!"

　　Howard Hoover frowned, looking puzzled. "Strange, how did she suddenly fall into the lake for no reason?" Of course, he knew the reason, but when it comes to matters of life and death, no one wants to admit their involvement.

　　The other two servants grinned foolishly, their laughter tinged with schadenfreude. It's not that the Hu family lacks sympathy, but who told her to mess with them without knowing who they were? Do you know who our master is? A third-rank official, Minister of Revenue, Lord Hu. Even a dog gets respect for its master—how dare you hit our young master? Servants of a powerful master are just as domineering; a traitor's household breeds wicked servants.

　　There were quite a few onlookers, and someone shouted, "A beauty fell into the lake, hurry and save her!"

　　The loudest shouter was standing to Little William's right. While urging others to jump in, his eyes were fixed on Little William, who stared right back. Damn it, you're shouting so enthusiastically—why don't you jump in yourself? So much resentment—he used to never curse like this! He couldn't help but sigh, "How cold and indifferent people are! The world is so heartless!"

　　The girl in red surfaced again, hair a mess, all traces of beauty gone—she looked like a ghost crawling out of a horror movie. This time, she couldn't even call for help, only managing a "glug."

　　Little William looked around. "Save her!"

　　Robert Bennett swallowed hard—glug! Howard Hoover and the other two servants also swallowed, three more glugs. All four of them were landlubbers.

　　Little William was exasperated: "Damn, all useless! Idiots!" So Little William had no choice but to take off his blue long robe and thin-soled boots.

　　Robert Bennett hurried forward to grab his arm. "Young master, the water's deep and dangerous! With your status, there's no need to risk your life for a spoiled girl!" Howard Hoover and the other three servants all nodded.

　　"Get lost!" Little William snapped. He quickly stripped down to just his shorts, then, under everyone's gaze, jumped into the clear lake. Robert Bennett only made a show of trying to stop him—he knew his young master's swimming skills well. In the newly dug Hu family pond, the young master would swim back and forth for an hour almost every day, and when in the mood, he'd float on his back, arms and legs spread wide. His swimming was definitely at the level of an old duck.