CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31 A POND OF LOTUS FLOWERS

This street in Nanxun Town, and even the entire Jiangnan Region, is well-known for being a famous cultural heritage site with a long history. Still, the most famous of all is the tea house.

Yes, just the tea house, it doesn’t have another name, its name is simply Tea House.

Many experts and scholars, along with wealthy merchants and celebrities, invariably exclaim in admiration whenever they visit this place.

A group of people of exceptional worth had agreed to take a boat trip, assuming an antique style. At this moment, they were already standing in groups upon the riverside steps.

"The fragrance of tea is profound and long-lasting, passed down through the ages. This is the Tea House, succinct and clear, peerless in the way of tea... It is indeed worthy of Teacher’s establishment~~"

A corpulent, affluent-looking middle-aged man complimented with a smile. The person in front of him stood a full two heads taller, with a nobly erect and elegant figure like a green pine on Mountain Hua, standing tall and upright by the ripples of the water. Even just a silhouette was enough to captivate attention, so much so that numerous female tourists and female students were all staring, transfixed.

And on the other side... the clamor from the shops across the river could only hint at the bustle within.

The man didn’t turn back upon hearing this, only responding indifferently, "I simply had no mood for it at that time and was too lazy to think of a name.."

Uh... such a slap in the face?

Yet the people around didn’t feel any dissonance, and they kept praising him: "Teacher has such genuine character... So effortlessly natural, like Sui Yi..."

Sui Yi? Upon hearing this word, the man slightly furrowed his shapely brows, his lips seemingly tinted a light color, cool and thin.

There was a hint of fatigue in his eyes.

These people are truly dull, not nearly as intriguing as his untamed self...

The boat had already approached... He was just about to step onto the bow when...

Splash! A dark shadow emerged from the water. It was not yet clear if she was like a lotus rising from the water, but the scattering of water droplets was inevitable.

"Ah!"

"My God!"

"What is that! A ghost!"

The usually unshakable people were startled into a group jump, all stumbling backward in unison!

Only this man remained unmoved. A few stern-faced men behind him wanted to rush forward but were stopped by his extended arm.

The man looked down.

There she was, before him, floating in the water, her body sprawled on the steps, her slender, fair arms like lotus roots, clinging to the dirty, moss-covered stone face, their backs streaked with blood. She struggled like a fish trapped in a pond, painfully gasping for breath, her eyes like stars, her hair like ink, trailing behind her like seaweed...

The man pondered for a split second—then quickly reacted.

He shed his coat, curved his back, picked her up, and pressed her head against his chest.

Efficient and swift, the man turned, cradling Sui Yi in his arms.

"Take care of the aftermath. I don’t want any trouble..."

The incident was sudden, and with Sui Yi’s entire face and body pressed against his chest, hardly anyone caught a glimpse of her face; they only saw the dripping wet school uniform.

Countless onlookers were astonished to see the man, known for his detached and cool demeanor, unhesitatingly holding a woman and crossing through the crowd under the protection of his men, heading straight away.

"Mr. Yi!"

"Mr. Yi!"

The people behind tried to follow but were still held back.

Damn it, where did these bodyguards come from, each one as sturdy as an ox and as stiff as corpses!

Some rolled their eyes in discontent but dared not act recklessly.

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Cough, cough, cough!

Sui Yi spat out the water that had filled her lungs, and as her vision cleared a bit, she finally had the strength to take in the sights before her.

A room? Antique and seemingly of ancient design...

But there was also a male physician wearing a white lab coat and wielding a stethoscope...

It was a somewhat chaotic scene.

Blinking her eyes, she caught sight of the man seated, drinking tea.

Startled, she couldn’t help but smile.

Does this man owe her another favor now?

Seeing Sui Yi wake up, the male physician raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth. Sui Yi thought he was about to discuss her condition with her...

But he turned to the man seated in the chair instead, saying, "Mr. Yi, this young lady is fine. She’s just got some respiratory obstruction. I’ll prescribe some lung-moistening medicine later on... However, her hand wound shouldn’t get wet... Otherwise, it might get infected and inflamed."

It seems the person paying is indeed God, and the patient can well be ignored...

Sui Yi let out a breath, gently closing her eyes, soothing the dryness within.

"Hmm," Mr. Yi nodded simply.

The male physician smiled, a smile that rippled, lips red and teeth white like a peony blooming amidst the waters of spring.

"...However, there are some issues... For example, this young lady has a knife wound on her shoulder that requires undressing... for me to examine."

"Check it for me!" His voice had risen noticeably.

Sui Yi opened her eyes and looked at his side profile, her brows knitting together. Before Mr. Yi could react, she spoke up, "No need, I have no injuries."

Huh?

The male physician turned his head to look at her, a playful look in his eyes, and pointed directly at the bloodstains on her school uniform. "No injuries? But there’s blood on there..."

"Someone else’s."

"....."

Was this girl a murderer?

The male physician’s expression changed slightly, becoming even more amused. He was just about to say something...

"Jiang Yunxiu, your work here is done, you can go now."

"Hey, you always order me around like this! Yi Chilian... it really saddens this old classmate of yours!" Jiang Yunxiu sighed and began to efficiently pack up her things with smooth, flowing movements, quickly reaching The Gate.

"Well, I’m off... Goodbye, pretty girl..."

Slam!

She seemed very accustomed to leaving in such inertia.

It appeared she was often "chased away" like this.

As soon as the door shut, Sui Yi touched her forehead and got up from the bed...

to take a look at the man in front of her.

Mr. Yi from Nanxun, actually named Chilian?

Yi Chilian, huh?

A pool of lotus flowers? Such a charming name, and it seemed... to suit him well.

Just as Sui Yi was about to say something...

Clatter! The door was suddenly pushed open!

Jiang Yun stood at the entrance and reminded Sui Yi with care, "A lone man and a single woman, remember to protect yourself~~ If anything happens, don’t hesitate to shout, ’Harassment, ahhh~~~~...’"

Yi Chilian gave her a look.

Slam, the door closed again.

Sui Yi: "...."

Why did she feel like this man was more like a veterinarian?

Utterly chaotic and utterly nonsensical.

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"Take a bath."

Out of the blue, Yi Chilian spoke up, and Sui Yi looked at him in surprise.

"You’re very dirty, polluted the bed, and your clothes are also not clean."

Displaying his disgust, Yi Chilian had already stood up and opened the door, "Your clothes are over there, take them yourself... and don’t get your hands wet."

He left, and the door shut behind him.

In a daze, Sui Yi noticed that his chest and abdomen also seemed to be damp.

Was it from when he carried her earlier...

But if she shouldn’t get her hands wet, how was she supposed to take a bath?

"He really is a person of cold exterior but warm heart, an entirely contradictory character," she chuckled lightly. Sui Yi got out of bed and saw that indeed, there was a bath behind the screen...

Only while bathing did she notice that the knife wound on her shoulder had already started to heal, leaving only a trail of blood.

In a few days, that trace of blood would disappear completely. Only her head still throbbed with pain, and she felt utterly drained.

"Phew..." Sui Yi breathed out and took a simple bath before changing into the fresh clothes.

Only as she started to descend the stairs did she realize this was an ancient-style teahouse.

The decoration and structure were both delicate and grand, indicative of its extravagance.

Looking down the corridor, it seemed to be the top floor, with spiral stairs leading down three stories.

It was rare for a teahouse to have guest rooms like an inn.

Whether this room was exclusively reserved for Yi Chilian, or the teahouse was his property...

It all fit with the identity of the owner of Little Lotus Village.

It also meant that repaying him for his two acts of kindness seemed even more daunting.

As she was going downstairs, Sui Yi found her path blocked.