Page 15 of The Scholar's Improper Wife

A pause. She could feel him watching her.

She took a deep breath. “Could you, could you give me a push?”

“You want me to pushyouinto the water?” he asked, perfectly pleasant.

She turned to look at him over her shoulder. He stood there, hands still clasped behind his back, expression mild and helpful.

“...Yes,” she admitted.

And with a long-suffering sigh, his hand pressed firmly against her back between her shoulder blades—and shoved.

“Arghhhhh!!!!!!” Yun-si screamed as she crashed into the water, the cold shock stealing her breath. Her feet touched bottom—much deeper than expected—and she pushed upward, breaking the surface with a desperate gasp.

“Ting-zhi!” she spluttered, wiping water from her eyes.

Above her on the bank, Ting-zhi was doubled over laughing, shaking with mirth, his usual composed mask completely shattered.

“This isn’t—” She bobbed under briefly, came up spitting water.

She tried to glare, but a wave splashed over her, then another, and she had to bounce on her toes to keep her head above water. Then suddenly, an underwater current pushed her away from the shore and she couldn’t touch the sandy bottom anymore.

Panic flared in her chest as she tried to bounce again but realized she was in too deep. Water closed over her head and she thrashed.

No. No, no, no—

A water ghost was pulling at her ankles, she was going to die, young, unmarried, and not even knowing what a kiss was like.

The surface shimmered tantalizingly above her, but she couldn’t reach it. Her lungs burned. The water pressed against her ears, muffling everything.

Then a large splash, and Ting-zhi was there, plunging toward her. His hands gripped her waist, trying to haul her upward, but the water ghost held tight. Her chest squeezed painfully, desperate for air.

She hit his chest with frantic hands—Help, I can’t breathe—and he understood immediately. His hand cupped the back of her head and with an intent look on his face, he pulled her close and pressed his mouth to hers.

Air filled her lungs. Warm and steady and utterly unexpected.

Her hands, which had been pushing frantically at his chest, stilled. Curled into his robes instead.

He pulled back, drew a breath above, then returned. Another seal of lips. Another breath shared between them.

Her heart was hammering—from lack of air or something else entirely, she couldn’t tell.

He dove down, body pressed close to hers, chest sliding against her legs, his hands following her calves down to where the water ghost gripped her. And she realized they were only weeds.

Weeds that Ting-zhi’s fingers were busy untangling while he was tangled up with her. While she could still feelhisair in her lungs.

Just as the world began to dim, her ankles came free. Ting-zhi shot up beside her, his arm wrapping tightly around her waist, legs kicking powerfully as he propelled them both to the surface.

Air hit her lungs like fire. She coughed, choked, clung to him as he hauled them both toward shallower water. His arm was tight around her waist, holding her up, and she was vaguely aware that she was clutching him like a drowning kitten, that every inch of her body was pressed against his.

“I’m sorry.” said Ting-zhi as he let her down gently on the sand when they reached the shore. “ I’m sorry, Si-er. Are you hurt?”

Yun-si stared at him, mind blank. She was soaked and freezing and her ankle hurt and she’d nearly drowned but it washer own brilliant idea.

Stupid romance huabens.

“I’’m... fine.” she managed through chattering teeth.

“Here, I prepared clothes for you.” He handed her a basket she hadn’t noticed before. “Change first, then we’ll get you warm.”