Chapter Twelve: Overboard

After disembarking, he led me through a long corridor. The buildings here were those classic, gray-tiled houses of the southern river towns, looking no different from any ordinary household—like one of those fashionable private kitchens so popular now, hidden in plain sight. But to have such a place in the very heart of Lake Lanjing was truly extraordinary.

The night wind brushed coolly past, and the moonlight lay across the lake like a sumptuous robe. We climbed to the third floor, where he took me into a room, only for me to discover a hidden world within: a secluded and elegant courtyard, complete with rockeries, ponds, verdant trees, crimson blossoms, and winding corridors.

Whoever designed this must have been a genius—it was simply marvelous.

Zhu Bang strode ahead with no time to spare for me, for at the end of the corridor stood a man with the air of a steward. Upon seeing him, the man said, “The young master is out—take your guest to the usual place.”

Zhu Bang turned and saw me lingering at the far end, watching the goldfish in the pond. He walked back to me. “Miss Yi, shall we?”

I followed in his footsteps to the other side of the pavilion, where I saw a boat even smaller than a covered black-topped skiff, moored as if awaiting someone long absent.

Once aboard, the oar dipped into the water, shattering the surface. Some bird took off with a flurry of wings, flying into the distance.

I blurted out, “Competing to cross, competing to cross—startling a flock of egrets into flight.”

Zhu Bang laughed. “Miss Yi, you truly are still a child.”

I shot him a look. “I’m twenty years and three months old—not a child anymore.”

The boat slipped deeper among the lotus blooms, their sweet fragrance thickening around me until I was nearly intoxicated. I remembered how, when my grandfather was in high spirits, he would brew wine from freshly picked blossoms, giving it a beautiful name: ‘Butterfly Adoring Flower.’

The further we went, the richer the lotus scent became, never cloying, but perfectly lovely—surely there was no finer scenery in the world.

The wind grew colder, and the boat glided ever deeper. After a while, Zhu Bang reminded me, “We’re here.”

Rubbing my hands, I stood up—only to find another hidden marvel: twin lotuses formed a ring like a bird’s nest, with tiny lighthouses marking the edges, and a narrow wooden walkway leading inside.

At the center, a large black-topped boat was moored, a glass lantern hanging from its prow, an oar resting across it—yet there was no one in sight.

Zhu Bang led me onto the wooden path, murmuring, “After you, Miss Yi.”

Startled, I grabbed his arm. “Hey, are you all…”

He slipped from my grasp and leapt onto a small boat, which seemed to vanish as if by magic. Left alone, I huddled my shoulders, thoughts full of monstrous water creatures from TV—if one suddenly surfaced, would it eat me?

Clutching my phone, I hurriedly dialed Qilin’s number. Suddenly, a ghostly voice called, “Aren’t you coming?”

Before I could react, a head poked out from the black-topped boat. I screamed, instinctively bolting—only to step into thin air and tumble straight into the lake.

For someone as careful with life as I am, I’d now found myself in such dire straits for the second time in just two months. Icy water flooded my mouth as I flailed desperately, hoping to grab hold of something.

But the more I struggled, the deeper I sank, the darker it became.

The feeling of death was like a whirlpool, pulling me under. On the surface, Lake Lanjing looked calm, but beneath hid such fierce undertows.

Could it be one of those legendary water ghosts?

Just as I thought I was doomed, someone grabbed me. Eyes tightly shut, I recognized a glimmer of hope and clung to his hand, striving to rise.

But as I forced my eyes open, something was wrong—I was supposed to be going up, but was sinking ever deeper.

More and more water rushed into my mouth; what little hope I’d had was now replaced a hundredfold by terror.

Suddenly, someone bit down on my lips. I thought it was a water ghost and thrashed about, but he caught my hands.

He pressed closer, locking his lips to mine. I had no strength left; I clung to him as if he were my last lifeline.

The suffocating feeling slowly eased. In the darkness, I caught only a blurred impression of a face, felt hands cupping my cheeks, and his breath passing from mouth to mouth.

I clung to him like a desperate leech, greedily drawing in his breath—his breath, which filled me with hope.