Chapter 12: Ending Before It Begins

Leaving the lotus pond, Su Qingwan no longer followed her, his burning gaze fixed on the gradually departing figure from beginning to end.

Seeing that she was out of sight, he finally withdrew his gaze and stared thoughtfully at the folding fan in his hand.

Since that day, he had never left this folding fan. If he hadn’t forgotten to bring it this morning and Xiao Yuan hadn’t just sent it to him, he probably wouldn’t have encountered General Liu’s conversation.

Or perhaps… even if he had brought it with him today, based on her meaning just now, even if she had seen this folding fan at the lotus pond in the morning, she still wouldn’t have mentioned saving him.

His father had once told him that the world was filled with all kinds of people – those who sought fame and fortune, power and influence, but there were also another kind who offered help without seeking anything in return, kind-hearted people.

At first, when he was young, he didn’t understand, thinking how could such people possibly exist in this world? Not wanting anything in return, but he felt that as long as his father said so, then it must be true.

Because his father was that kind of person.

But since he grew up, in this world, people come for profit; in this world, people go for profit [1]. There were countless such people around him. Those who flattered and fawned over him, simply because of his identity, bending over backwards to please him, having ulterior motives.

Now, it was really as his father said. He had truly met such a person. Or perhaps this was also the reason he had been so persistent in searching for her.

Fortunately, in the end, as he wished, he knew that she was safe and sound, but his heart felt empty and couldn’t calm down.

Before knowing the truth, he had imagined countless times in his dreams the scene of meeting her, always feeling disappointed because he couldn’t see her face clearly.

Until today, suddenly learning from General Liu that the person who saved him was actually her, he didn’t know why that kind of joy was several times stronger than before, and he felt ashamed for his rudeness towards her.

At this moment, the spring scenery was in full bloom. A wisp of breeze gently brushed past Su Qingwan’s hair, stirring up waves of memories in his mind, and they came crashing down on him. Every scene of his previous encounters with Lu Yuner replayed, instantly becoming clear and distinct.

His eager gaze focused on the folding fan in his hand, ripples of light shimmering in the depths of his eyes. In just a moment, a new idea suddenly arose in him.

Returning to the empty Doctors’ Hall, Lu Yuner put the food box aside, pushed open the window next to her desk, then rested her head on her arms and leaned on the desk with her eyes closed for a nap.

This was her long-standing habit. If she didn’t rest for a while, she would definitely feel listless in the afternoon. Although it was not early, even closing her eyes to rest for a short while could relieve a lot of fatigue.

Soon, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, her breathing rising and falling gently, gradually falling into a deep sleep.

The warm and bright spring sunlight shone through the window onto her exquisitely beautiful face. Her jade-like delicate skin seemed to be infused with a luminous glow, soft and charming.

At this moment, a pair of slender jade-like hands held a thin white outer garment and gently covered it over her body. Sheng Qingzi’s affectionate gaze fell on that bright and lively face. He silently and tenderly gazed at her, his every move exuding the caring charm of a mature man.

Suddenly, the sleeping person moved and slowly opened her eyes. Seeing this, Sheng Qingzi immediately concealed his thoughts and stood to the side, his affection undiminished, his eyes smiling as he said, “You’re awake.”

“Mm, you’re here.”

Lu Yuner’s eyes were drowsy, her fair face tinged with a faint blush, her husky voice carrying a hint of laziness.

Ever since being plagued by nightmares a month ago, the quality of her sleep had been getting worse and worse. She was a light sleeper and easily woke up.

At this moment, Sheng Qingzi’s eyes moved slightly, instantly captivated by her dazed appearance upon just waking up, like a dazzling colorful lotus flower, its beauty enchanting, making one intoxicated.

Lu Yuner’s clear gaze fell on the white outer garment draped over her and she asked, “What’s this?”

Sheng Qingzi came back to his senses, his face slightly red, a bit embarrassed. “When I came to the Doctors’ Hall and saw you resting on the desk with the window open, I was worried you would catch a cold.”

“Thank you!” Lu Yuner smiled faintly, not thinking much of it, and politely returned the garment to Sheng Qingzi.

At this time.

“Oh! Looks like we came at the wrong time.” Zhu Miaomiao walked in with a strange smile on her face, followed by Wen Qing and Liu Bing.

Liu Bing returned to her seat expressionlessly, while Wen Qing and Zhu Miaomiao walked towards them.

Zhu Miaomiao’s gossipy gaze alternated between the two of them. She smiled mysteriously, “What are you two secretly flirting about?” Then she turned her gaze to Sheng Qingzi, vigorously winking at him, “Little brother Qingzi, are you still doing alright now?”

Ever since Sheng Qingzi had deliberately sent them away, they knew what he wanted to do. This was to cultivate his relationship with Doctor Lu.

Wen Qing, who was beside them, also had a rare expression of watching a show, the corners of her mouth curled in a faint smile.

Faced with Zhu Miaomiao’s teasing this time, Sheng Qingzi obviously didn’t reject it like before. Instead, he lowered his eyes in embarrassment and awkwardness.

But in her view, Sheng Qingzi might be giving face and facing the jokes of his close friends, stopping them at first but later letting them tease at will without restraint.

In interpersonal interactions, good-natured jokes can liven up the atmosphere, but if they cause embarrassment and make people uncomfortable, they should stop.

…If he really had intentions towards her, then she should also make her stance clear and not lead him on.

In the year since her soul transmigrated, living under the identity of the original owner, although she acted cautiously when entering and exiting the court, in terms of daily life, getting together with friends, listening to music, she had been living quite contentedly.

Moreover, perhaps having experienced life and death, she took these romantic feelings very lightly. Plus, there was that nightmare…

Lu Yuner stood up, her expression solemn and earnest, “Although I have only interacted with Doctor Sheng for a few days, in my heart, Doctor Sheng is a very good man.” As she spoke, she glanced at him, her gaze pure and giving him an appreciative look.

In just a few short days, he had given her a lot of help, taking her to the dining hall, helping her solve teaching problems. He was indeed a very good man.

Sheng Qingzi’s pupils seemed to tremble greatly, reflecting Lu Yuner’s peach blossom eyes that sparkled with shimmering light. A hint of joyful surprise flashed in the depths of his eyes.

However, with Lu Yuner’s next words, the smile on his face instantly froze and finally disappeared, replaced by a trace of desolation floating in his dim gaze.

Lu Yuner continued, “Doctor Sheng and I have no romantic feelings for each other. Just like with everyone else, I only have a simple friendship with him. After all, he is a man. I hope you won’t make such inappropriate jokes anymore, damaging his reputation and good name.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhu Miaomiao subconsciously glanced at Sheng Qingzi’s expression. Wen Qing came back to her senses from those words and opened her mouth to ease the atmosphere, “Doctor Lu, don’t worry. We won’t make such jokes in the future.” As she spoke, she nudged Zhu Miaomiao with her arm.

Zhu Miaomiao withdrew her gaze, realizing that this was clearly a case of the flower having intentions while the water was indifferent. Seeing that her mouth had caused trouble, she rubbed the back of her head and immediately started grinning foolishly, “Hahaha! My bad, I won’t make such jokes in the future.”

Lu Yuner also noticed the change in Sheng Qingzi’s expression, but still smiled at him politely, “Doctor Sheng, was what I said alright?”

Although it seemed a bit cruel, such matters needed to be cut off decisively.

“Mm.”

Sheng Qingzi forced out a bitter smile, but his voice had no trace of emotion. Under the white outer garment, his clenched hand had deep red marks from his nails digging into his flesh.

Seeing this, Wen Qing, who knew what was going on, quickly changed the subject, “I heard that you saved a female student in the dining hall today.”

“How did you know?” The surprise on Lu Yuner’s face lasted only a moment before she regained her calm. She believed in the speed of communication between people.

Zhu Miaomiao also became interested and excitedly said, “It has spread throughout both the men’s and women’s academies! Hey, but where did you learn this abdominal impact method that is so effective? Could it be that you’ve studied medicine?”

As for where she learned it, she certainly wouldn’t tell the truth. Lu Yuner smiled lightly, “I have not studied medicine. This is something I saw years ago in ancient books collected from among the people. I just happened to encounter a situation that matched the description in the ancient books, so I followed the instructions.”

“Clap, clap, clap–” Suddenly, a few loud claps sounded.

Everyone looked at Liu Bing in confusion.

“Publicly going against the Grand Steward’s wishes, taking responsibility upon yourself, promising to bear the consequences, not being a physician yet daring to go save someone based on just an ancient book. Doctor Lu is truly praiseworthy for her courage!” Liu Bing looked at Lu Yuner expressionlessly, her deep eyes revealing an unfathomable mystery.

With Liu Bing’s words, Zhu Miaomiao and Wen Qing looked at Lu Yuner in disbelief. They didn’t expect that what seemed like a highly commendable act was actually like treading on thin ice, with both pros and cons.

If it succeeded, then it was fine. But if it failed… Zhu Miaomiao and Wen Qing instantly gasped in their hearts. This indeed required great courage.

Sheng Qingzi was obviously also shocked, his dazed eyes filled with worry…

Lu Yuner’s eyes narrowed. Seeing her speak so clearly, it seemed she was at the scene when it happened.

But what was unexpected to her was that this was the first time she had taken the initiative to speak to her. Or perhaps it wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak, but that when she wanted to speak, she would speak, with a formidable insight that hit the mark.

Lu Yuner pondered slightly and said in a leisurely tone, “Although I am not a physician, such things have happened in my household before, so I still have experience in this area. Besides, human life is more important than anything else, so there was no time to consider other matters.”

She didn’t know if this explanation suited her taste.

After Lu Yuner’s gaze collided with Liu Bing’s, Liu Bing suddenly smiled at her briefly before it instantly disappeared, receding extremely quickly. Then she shifted her gaze expressionlessly.

Lu Yuner came back to her senses, the corners of her eyes curling up in a smile. It seemed she wasn’t easy to fool!

Zhu Miaomiao nodded in realization and immediately looked at her with admiring starry eyes, drawling, “So– that’s– how– it– is.”

At first, she felt that Lu Yuner was an okay person, looking prim and proper, refined and courteous. But now it seemed that this person quite suited her tastes.

She patted Lu Yuner’s shoulder without ceremony, feeling especially good, “In the future, if there’s anything I can help with, just say the word!”

Lu Yuner had a flash of inspiration and lifted her long curved eyelashes, smiling and following her words, “Actually, there is something right now. In a few days, the Women’s Academy is holding a polo match. General Liu wants to compete with me, and I happen to need your help.”

“Ah?” Zhu Miaomiao frowned upon hearing this, dissatisfied, and muttered in a low voice, “It’s with her!” She intentionally made an excuse, “I’m afraid… I won’t be free that day. My household…”

Before she could finish her words, Wen Qing saw through her at a glance and immediately exposed her, “She’s making excuses!”

Sheng Qingzi also saw that she was about to back out and glanced at her coldly, his tone unfriendly, “Doctor Lu is one of us from the Men’s Academy, representing our Men’s Academy in the polo match. No matter what, you have to help.”

“Alright…” Zhu Miaomiao said weakly. Who told her to be a blabbermouth just now!

“Doctor Lu, don’t worry. I will bring the students of the Men’s Academy to watch your match!” Sheng Qingzi said with a smile.

At this moment, he had already adjusted his emotions. Although Lu Yuner’s words were like throwing a stone into the lake of his heart, stirring up quite a few ripples and shattering his beautiful expectations.

But so what? As long as she was not married, he still had a chance.

Lu Yuner’s eyes curved, “Thank you!”

[1] “In this world, people come for profit; in this world, people go for profit”: Originally from the pre-Qin era book “Six Secret Teachings Quoting Proverbs”