She prefers to die than be captured by human traffickers. She thought and when she saw the man was distracted and was talking to his partner, she raised her leg again and kicked him on his balls making him yelp in pain.

She ran to the lakeside and looked at the water which was icy cold. However, she wasn't in the state to think about the coldness.

She doesn't know swimming and jumping in this lake might cause her to die again but she couldn't think of any better idea than this. These men were not only powerful but holding weapons with them.

She can die or if everything went right, she might escape from this place as well and ask for help from someone. Although the latter might seem impossible, however, its probability was still higher than getting reborn again.

-

Feng Ju looked at Ji Cheng who was looking around, trying to find Zhao Ming somewhere in the crowd.

" Your Majesty, you shouldn't have to come with us. It's not safe, we can find Her Majesty and bring her back to the palace." Feng Ju said.

He had already sent his men to search for Zhao Ming, but when they didn't get any news about them till afternoon, Ji Cheng came out himself to search for her. He was worried that something might happen to her.

They were fighting for so long but when it came to this, it didn't hesitate to leave everything behind and came to find her himself.

" Feng Ju, I can't take the chance. You know what is the situation going right now. And she went out with any guard alone at this dangerous time, I have to find her. If something happens to her.." he looked around while holding onto the rope of his horse.

He felt uncomfortable thinking if anything bad happened to her. He won't be able to bear that pain if something happened to her.

He knows that she was not the real Zhao Ming but someone else but the times they had spent together, her boldness, her outspoken nature, everything that charmed him about that woman was making it hard for him to not think about her.

He tried to straighten himself, saying that he loves Zhao Ming but seeing her ignoring him and talking to others, not him, disappointed him. Not at her but himself. He doesn't want to get confused but there is no way that he can't help but feel confused about that woman and his feelings.

He has opened about his feelings to her, knowing that her actions and attitude were different, not similar to his Zhao Ming, yet he never doubted. He was her husband but couldn't recognize that she was not his wife, or he never tried to think about it?

It would be a lie if he says that he didn't fall for Zhao Ming deeper and deeper seeing her teaching lessons to those who look down at her when she dealt with people with confidence. When she showed him her feelings, when she dominated him, he loved everything about her.

" Where are you, Xie Ming?" He muttered while looking around, hoping to find her soon. For some reason, he was feeling uncomfortable the whole day. It was her first time calling her with her real name and not Zhao Ming or just pointing at her rudely.

Feng Ju who was sitting on a horse beside him looked at him in puzzlement upon hearing his mutter but couldn't understand what he was saying.

They were trying to search for Zhao Ming for so long but couldn't find her yet. They found some clues about her. They came so far while searching for her. They are near the lake and not sure where to go to look for her. They were standing at the intersection point, one road goes for the market and the other for the lakeside, but they don't know.

Right now they were the only ones together since he has sent other guards to look for her somewhere else.

" Feng Ju, you go towards the market, while I check the lakeside. She might have gone to the lakeside to relax. Also, don't forget to ask the local shopkeepers about her."

" But Your Majesty, is it safe for you to search for Her Majesty alone? We don't have many guards with us at the moment, with you going alone can be dangerous."

" I'll be fine. You just go that side. The sun is setting, we need to find her before that." Ji Cheng instructed and turned his horse towards the lakeside area while Feng Ju went to the opposite side, towards the market area.

-

Zhao Ming pursed her lips and took a deep breath, knowing that these two men are behind her and not Lu shi. Her jumping in the water can distract them from focusing on Lu shi and leave her alone. She can be rescued when someone comes later.

She was sure that the palace guards would find them later but till then, she can't let Lu shi die here because of her. Although she was not bleeding that heavily, head injuries can be dangerous and fatal.

SHe doesn't want to take any chances with her life.

Her hands trembled as she looked at the water. " You Bitch, you dared to run away from us. Come here." The man standing beside Lu shi shouted at her and walked towards her.

" Don't come near me, If you do I am gonna jump into this lake." she threatened but he didn't stop and continued to walk towards her.

" Argh..grab her. We can't let her get away from us." The man on the ground instructed his partner.

Zhao Ming's cold hands turned colder as she nervously stepped back. She was thinking of another alternative as she was having second thoughts of jumping in the deep lake where many people died of drowning.

However, seeing the man coming closer, she lost her balance and slipped into the cold water. The water splashed at the man, making him wet. He looked down at the lake to see the girl struggling to breathe.

He was shocked when he heard his partner cursing, " What the F*&#! Get that bitch here. We can't let her die. Boss will kill us if she dies."

The man was planning to save her but his eyes widened hearing some noises coming from the distance.

He turned to his partner and asked in shock, " Someone is coming! What to do now?"

" Argh.." the man stood up while trying to not think about the pain that Zhao Ming had given her and looked at Lu shi who was bleeding heavily and the woman who was drowning in the water.

He gritted his teeth and looked towards the area from where the sound of someone coming. " Let's leave for now. If we were caught, it would be problematic." He said while the other one also nodded.

The man looked at Zhao Ming whose body was sinking deep in the water while she was hitting her hands on the water to stay afloat but her heavy dress and incapability to swim was stopping her, making her breathless and suffocated.

He shook his head and left with his partner, not thinking twice about the girl who was on the verge of drowning.

-

Zhao Ming's body was becoming heavy with every second and sinking, drawing her head in the water, suffocating her, making him breathless and panicked.

Her energy started failing her, her eyes closed when she couldn't get any strength to fight again, with this her body started to sink deeper into the water as the darkness engulfed her.

*Splash*

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