USWHC -Chapter 70 Treating the Picked-Up Wife Like a Treasure (Part 10)

The river’s current suddenly surged violently. Zhu Jie’s fingers grazed the clothes, but at that moment, the garments twisted on their own and were swept rapidly downstream. Seeing them about to be carried away, panic surged in her heart. She instinctively stretched out her arms, half her body leaning into the water—but just then, a gust of fierce wind blew directly against her back.

Her footing faltered; the once-solid rock beneath her became slippery, and she slid uncontrollably toward the river with a splash, plunging into the icy water.

In this freezing weather, if she fell in, she would either drown or freeze to death! And there was no one around—not a single person to save her. What could she do?

At the critical moment, Zhu Jie lunged forward, catching the drifting clothes with one hand, while the other rested on a small rock in the river. The rock wasn’t very tall, and only half her arm was submerged.

Yet with that, she arched her body gracefully, executing a perfect inverted hook. She balanced on one hand in midair above the water. In the sunlight, the motion was breathtakingly elegant, like an impromptu dance upon the river.

Her other hand then struck the water forcefully, sending sprays in all directions. A wave surged, and her light body performed three consecutive somersaults, springing out of the water and landing on the riverbank with the grace of a dragonfly skimming the surface.

She spun beautifully, water droplets scattering from her clothes, glinting brilliantly in the radiant sunlight.

Zhu Jie’s previously smiling face darkened, her eyes scanning the surroundings with sharp intensity. Her brows furrowed as if discerning something.

But the surroundings were eerily silent—so quiet that even falling leaves could be heard, and for miles not a single bird stirred. The stillness was striking.

Time passed in this tense standoff. Gradually, Zhu Jie seemed to sense nothing amiss. The chill in her expression softened, replaced by a puzzled frown. She lowered her head and muttered softly, “Looks like I was just careless!” Then she squatted down and resumed washing the clothes.

Her movements appeared to be genuine scrubbing, but secretly she lightly touched the rocks at the riverbank. In that instant, a brilliant smile lit up her face—someone had indeed tampered with things!

Yet the more aware she became, the more focused she seemed on washing. The icy river didn’t seem to bother her at all. While she appeared absorbed in the task, every cell in her body remained alert. As she prepared to lift the clothes from the water, she sensed someone slowly approaching from her right rear.

The footsteps were light; if one wasn’t careful, they could easily go unnoticed. Zhu Jie’s lips curved into a subtle smile, while she gripped the washing stick tightly.

The footsteps drew closer, then stopped suddenly behind her. Zhu Jie narrowed her eyes slightly, tensed her muscles, and spun around. Water splashed in all directions as the stick flew toward the intruder.

Her speed was astonishing, the force behind the stick unrelenting. Had it struck, even someone skilled in martial arts would likely have been severely injured.

At the last moment, Zhu Jie finally saw the person clearly. Startled, she shouted, “Watch out!” But the force behind her strike could no longer be restrained.

With a series of clatters, the sound of a bucket hitting the ground rang out crisply and chaotically. Ji Yi saw the stick slicing through the splashes and leapt back half a meter, barely avoiding the blow, though water still splashed all over him.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Zhu Jie exclaimed embarrassedly, dropping the stick like a child who had done something wrong, standing there sheepishly.

“What are you doing?” Ji Yi asked, a trace of anger in his voice, brushing the water off his face.