Chapter 151: A Hairpin

"Is this the Lotus Maiden?"
"Not bad at all, she really is quite pretty."
"Mhm, she looks very delicate and refined."
"I've always had a soft spot for seed-shaped faces."
"Her eyelashes are so long. Should we pull a few out?"
"Jiji Bo, aren't you afraid Wu Ke will beat you to death?"
"Daddy, is Lotus Sister going to be okay?"
"Brother Jiang, this isn't right of you. Isn't the Lotus Maiden only about fifteen years old?"
"That's right, Brother Jiang! How could you stoop to this?!"
"I, what the hell..."
"Alright, stop bickering. Let the patient get some rest. Jiang boy, come over here and help me grind these black nightshades into powder. Come, Niannian, have a candy."
"Thank you, Grandma."
"Eh? Brother Jiang, Grandma Hua, the Lotus Maiden seems to be waking up..."
"Lotus Maiden? Can you hear me? Lotus Maiden?"
Lying on the sickbed, Lotus slowly opened her eyes, only to be greeted by a pig's head, a bird's head, a human head, and a yellow mouse staring down at her...
"Ah!"
With a piercing shriek, Lotus screamed, grabbed the blanket, and scrambled frantically backward until she was pressed tightly against the corner of the wall.
"You... you guys don't come any closer..."
"Shoo, shoo, get away! Looking like such bizarre freaks and still staring at people, don't disturb my patient."
A moment later, an old grandmother kicked the animals away one by one. Beside her stood Jiang Lin, with cute little Niannian perched on his head.
"Young Master Jiang?"
Looking like she was on the verge of tears, Lotus felt as though she had spotted a long-lost relative in the wild animal kingdom upon seeing Jiang Lin.
In fact, Jiang Lin had already taken a step back. If the Lotus Maiden rushed over to hug him, he would just shove little Niannian into her arms and let the child's cuteness heal her.
However, even though Jiang Lin had already scooped Niannian into his arms, ready to hand her over at a moment's notice, Lotus showed no signs of lunging forward whatsoever.
He always felt that ever since she fainted last night, Lotus had become somewhat different.
Sitting on the bed, Lotus pulled her knees tightly to her chest.
Though she was slowly calming down, she was still terrified as to why she was surrounded by various bipedal walking animals.
Yet, beneath her expression, Jiang Lin, Jiji Bo, and the others could detect an inexplicable sense of contemplation, sorrow, and a hint of loss.
"Come, come, little girl, let grandma check your blood pressure."
The veteran doctor known as Grandma Hua sat down beside Lotus, holding a blood pressure monitor whose concept was provided by Jiang Lin and whose body was crafted by Little Black, and pulled her hand over.
After checking her pulse and observing her complexion, Grandma Hua finally nodded. "She's fine. It's just that her brain suffered a rather severe shock. She'll recover after a few days of quiet recuperation. We owe this mostly to little Niannian's tears."
With that, Grandma Hua gently ruffled little Niannian's head.

"Little Jiang, why don't you let little Niannian come study medicine with me? Besides, that Scholar Kong fellow dismisses class at three in the afternoon anyway."
"Well about that." Jiang Lin smiled as he looked at little Niannian. "Let's wait until I leave the Sun and Moon Sect. During this time, Niannian will naturally stay with Daddy."
"Mm-hm, Niannian wants to stay with Daddy." Able to fly now, little Niannian floated up from Jiang Lin's arms and gently planted a kiss on his cheek.
Watching Jiang Lin's comical and wretched face, Jiji Bo and the others couldn't help but wonder if Jiang Lin had awakened to something strange.
Soon, however, Jiang Lin, who had been stroking little Niannian's head, glanced at Lotus, who kept her head lowered and her knees clutched tightly. He scratched his head, though it wasn't his place to ask. Without even thinking, it certainly had something to do with Wu Ke.
"Lotus Maiden, just rest here properly for now. If you need anything, you can tell Grandma Hua. We'll take our leave first."
"Wait..."
Just as Jiang Lin and the others turned around, Lotus slowly raised her head.
"Hm?"
"Young Master Jiang, could I have a word with you?"
"Of course. But is it alright if Niannian stays?" Jiang Lin had to keep Niannian with him, otherwise it would be impossible to explain things to Wu Ke.
Lotus nodded. "That's fine."
"Alright, alright, out you go, everyone out. Little Jiang, you and little Niannian stay behind to look after her; I happen to need to pick some herbs up the mountain anyway."
Grandma Hua shooed the animals away with her walking stick. Big Eagle and the others knew without thinking that Grandma Hua was simply leaving some private space for Brother Jiang.
Jiji Bo and the others were chased out of the room, and Grandma Hua closed the door behind them.
Yet, a moment later, a man, a pig, an eagle, and a Pikachu stacked themselves up like a human pagoda, pressing tightly against the door to eavesdrop.
Even Grandma Hua didn't leave; she stood by, listening intently to the commotion inside, her heart burning with gossip.
"Do you guys think Brother Jiang is going to cuckold that bald guy Wu Ke?"
"Who knows?"
"I suspect Lotus has fallen for Brother Jiang."
"I don't think so. The way Lotus looks at Brother Jiang is full of respect, not romance."
"I agree. The looks the Sect Master, Chen Jia, and Maiden Wu Die give Brother Jiang are true affection—the kind where you throw caution to the wind."
"Shh... Listen, Brother Jiang is starting to talk."
Instantly, the group quieted down, their faces plastered with undisguised curiosity.
...
"Lotus Maiden, is something the matter?"
Hugging little Niannian, Jiang Lin maintained a polite distance from Lotus.
However...
Jiang Lin looked closely at Lotus.
It seemed he had been worrying needlessly.
He felt as though a change had occurred in Lotus's state of mind. Her face wore a look of calm acceptance, and her lowered gaze only made her look more preoccupied.
"Young Master Jiang, I'm sorry. I once thought I loved you... but... it seems that wasn't the case after all..."

Holding herself tightly, Lotus slowly continued:
"As a woman of the pleasure quarters, my greatest dream was merely to marry a scholar, serve my husband, and raise my children—that would have been the ultimate happiness. And back then, Young Master Jiang's appearance fulfilled every single wish Lotus had at the time.
Especially when Young Master Jiang resolutely insisted on redeeming me from the brothel, that decisive and overbearing feeling gave me a sense of security.
Back then, Lotus felt that as long as she could follow Young Master Jiang, anything would be fine.
Lotus thought that was love.
But in truth, it was wrong.
The feelings Lotus held in her heart for Young Master Jiang were not true affection; it was merely dependence."
Lotus pressed a hand tightly against her chest:
"Last night, in my mind, the figure of a man appeared. Although Lotus doesn't know who he is, by that lotus pond... though it makes no sense, Lotus knows that I hate him, yet at the same time, I love him..."
Lotus curled up into a ball in the corner once more, her eyes damp and her voice choked with sobs:
"Young Master Jiang, I'm sorry... Lotus kept clinging to you before and brought you so much trouble..."
Kneeling on the bed, Lotus bowed deeply toward Jiang Lin.
"Please rise, Lotus Maiden."
Jiang Lin helped her up.
"Wu Ke is my brother, and he has helped me out quite a bit, so naturally I'll help him in return. There's no trouble to speak of."
Jiang Lin pulled a letter from his robe and handed it to Lotus.
"This is?"
"I suppose this is what Wu Ke left on the table in my room the last time I left, asking me to pass it on to the Lotus Maiden."
Looking at the envelope, Lotus took it with trembling hands.
She slowly opened it...
There was no letter inside the envelope, only a single hairpin...
Yet the moment her eyes fell upon the hairpin, Lotus's tears burst forth like a broken dam.
Clasping the hairpin tightly to her chest, the woman's weeping echoed throughout the entire room...
...
[Hey, monk, what are you wrapping up in this?]
[I'm not giving it back to you. This thing is right inside my robe, if you have the guts, monk, come and take it.]
[It's actually a hairpin... a hairpin?]
Holding up the hairpin, the girl smiled playfully, while the little monk, a head shorter than her, was already blushing from ear to ear.
[Hey... monk... why did you... buy this hairpin...]