Volume 1, Chapter 35: Like a Lotus Rising from Clear Water, Unadorned by Artificial Craft

The most critical thing was that he had lived in the village for a short while now, and he had to be extremely cautious and careful in every detail. He could no longer afford to be easily suspected or, worse, verified, as he had been before.

The shaman reached out and patted Luo Bin on the chest. His hand was hard, causing a muffled thud against Luo Bin’s heart.

"You’re finally starting to look like a person," the shaman said, his voice slightly raspy.

Luo Bin’s already anxious heart skipped a beat. What did that mean? Had he seen through his secret?

"My little Shan has become much more sensible," Gu Ya chimed in at the perfect moment, her eyes filled with a hint of protectiveness.

"Ahem, ahem..." The shaman coughed twice, let out a chuckle, and then turned to walk out of the courtyard. Zhong Zhicheng followed him out.

Swallowing hard, Luo Bin still felt a bit dazed.

"The shaman is just narrow-minded," Gu Ya said, stepping forward to straighten Luo Bin’s collar. "Is it really necessary to keep bringing up how foolish you used to be?"

Clearly, Gu Ya was unhappy and quite dissatisfied.

"When Xiao Shan was foolish, he was indeed very foolish," Luo Feng added, casting a deep look at Luo Bin.

Luo Bin suddenly realized. So, the shaman had been implying in a roundabout way that he hadn't looked like a person before?

A moment later, Luo Bin gave a bitter smile. The original owner, Luo Shan, had such a terrible reputation. No wonder the villagers hadn't changed their opinion of him even after he pointed out the incident with Zhang Jun. As for the village chief, he was at least treating him with indifference.

But there was nothing major to worry about, so Luo Bin let out a sigh of relief.

"Who hasn't been a child once?" Gu Ya finished, then let out an "oh" and hurried into the kitchen.

It was only then that Luo Bin smelled a thick scent of herbs permeating the courtyard. It wasn't overly bitter or foul; it even carried a hint of fragrance. It was the medicine Zhang Yunling had sent over, now brewed.

Gu Ya soon brought out a bowl of dark brown medicinal soup. The scent, once combined, was much more overwhelming. When he drank it, Luo Bin’s brows knitted together, and he gagged from the bitterness afterward.

"Xiao Shan is so capable, able to drink Chinese medicine now," Gu Ya beamed.

"Oh, right, Xiao Shan, go take something to your sister Ling." As she spoke, Gu Ya hurried back into the room and brought out a pair of handmade cloth shoes. They were pink and white, delicate and beautiful.

Luo Feng frowned and was about to speak, but Gu Ya glared at him, silencing him instantly.

"Ling is a good girl, and Xiao Shan has always liked her. Besides, now that Xiao Shan is sensible, Ling cares about him too. Don't you interfere in this."

Gu Ya’s words further confirmed Luo Bin’s previous suspicions. As expected, the original owner did have feelings for Zhang Yunling.

Gu Ya pressed the cloth shoes into Luo Bin’s hands and said earnestly, "Be back before dark. And keep your eyes sharp—see if Ling needs help with anything. Like, check if the firewood is split, if the eaves are leaking, or if her knife needs sharpening. You don't need me to teach you that, do you?"

Luo Bin couldn't help but let the corners of his eyes crinkle. She was definitely his mother. Regardless of what the original owner thought, he was Luo Shan now.

The most important thing was that Zhang Yunling was beautiful, kind-hearted, and poised. That "girl-next-door" charm was a rarity in his previous life. Let alone a young, impressionable boy, even Luo Bin, who had suffered enough from the "standard answers" of his past life, found Zhang Yunling truly sweet.

"Alright, Mom, I'll definitely be back before dark." Luo Bin tucked the cloth shoes under his arm and promised repeatedly.

Luo Feng shook his head, said nothing, and walked into the main room.

Luo Bin hurried out of the courtyard and headed straight toward Zhang Yunling’s house. His nap hadn't been long, and the shaman hadn't delayed him for long either; it wasn't even two o'clock yet.

But as he walked, Luo Bin reached up and tapped his own head. A memory surfaced unbidden: Old Kong earnestly lecturing Zhang Li about how "a cousin is close, but lust is a blade."

Suddenly, Luo Bin was jolted awake. *Yes... lust is a blade!*

What kind of place was this Guishan Village? What kind of environment was it? Was there really time for him to indulge in romantic fantasies? If he gave in to temptation now and greedily clung to beauty, what good could come of it? How many problems was he currently facing?

The fact that Luo Feng had never approved of this told him a lot. And his own problems were far greater than what Luo Feng knew. Luo Feng was only considering the family’s survival and pathfinding in Guishan Village.

Luo Bin let out a long breath and looked down with a bitter smile. He needed lamp oil just to maintain his normalcy, and who knew what would happen in the future? The person who could solve his problems right now might be Gu Yiren, but she was currently held by the shaman under the village chief’s watch. How could he have time to chop wood and fix tiles for someone else?

Having cleared his thoughts, Luo Bin steadied himself and quickened his pace. Less than ten minutes later, he arrived at Zhang Yunling’s door.

*Knock, knock, knock.* He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" A melodious voice drifted out, sounding soft—not just muffled by the courtyard gate, but by an inner door as well.

"Sister Ling, it's me!" Luo Bin called out loudly.

"The gate is open, just come in," Zhang Yunling replied, her voice still quiet.

Luo Bin pushed open the gate.

"Xiao Shan, wait for me... I'll be out in a second." The voice was much clearer, coming from a room on the right.

"Uh... alright..." Luo Bin closed the gate behind him. He had originally intended to drop off the shoes and leave.

What was Zhang Yunling doing? Tidying up the room? His peripheral vision swept across the courtyard. The woodshed door was open, with twisted logs scattered on the ground, along with some firewood split into uneven sizes. Looking up, he could indeed see cracked tiles on the eaves, overgrown with weeds, looking quite messy.

Was Zhang Yunling living here alone? Did she have no family?

Gu Ya certainly understood Zhang Yunling. If he really had that intention, this "mother" would be a godsend. But while Luo Bin might have the intention, he lacked the energy.

With a soft creak, the door on the right opened.

Zhang Yunling held her wet hair in one hand and a towel in the other. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt that reached her thighs, revealing legs that were slender, shapely, and fair-skinned. Her slightly damp skin seemed to glow in the sunlight, the water droplets on her skin particularly distinct.

Luo Bin froze. A phrase popped into his mind: *Like a lotus rising from clear water, pure and natural without artifice.* Zhang Yunling was so pure and flawless that she was breathtaking.

"I still need to dry my hair. Xiao Shan, did you need something?" Zhang Yunling asked, walking toward him while drying her hair with the towel.

Luo Bin tried his best not to let his eyes wander. He stepped forward and handed her the cloth shoes. "My mom asked me to bring these. Shoes she made for you."

A look of surprise lit up Zhang Yunling’s eyes. She reached out to take them, her wet hair cascading over her shoulders. A few drops of water fell onto Luo Bin’s hand, and the faint fragrance made his heart race.

"Thank you, Auntie Gu," Zhang Yunling said with a sweet smile.

"Xiao Shan, go sit in the main room for a while. The courtyard is a bit messy; I was splitting wood earlier and was so tired I had to take a bath. I’ll pour you some herbal tea in a moment." Zhang Yunling looked at him, her eyes fluttering, her lashes exceptionally beautiful.

"Uh... I won't sit. Sister Ling, my dad told me to hurry home; there's something to do. You just take the shoes." With that, Luo Bin turned and hurried toward the gate.

The wind picked up. The door gave a soft click as Luo Bin closed it behind him.

Her wet hair was blown into disarray, whipping against her face, forehead, and nose. Zhang Yunling stared at the closed gate, her eyes dazed, her teeth biting into her lip, her entire being ruffled by the wind.

This morning, when she went to deliver the herbs, Gu Ya had asked her to stay for lunch. She had made the excuse that she had too much wood to chop and that her roof was leaking, needing to be fixed, so she had left in a hurry. She knew what Gu Ya was thinking. She knew Gu Ya would definitely send Luo Shan over this afternoon.

She had timed her bath perfectly, wetting her hair and letting it dry repeatedly, waiting for Luo Shan to arrive. She was confident she could manipulate him; he had always had feelings for her.

There was herbal tea on the table in the main room, and when evening fell, she would have casually mentioned that her lamp oil had run out, asking Luo Shan to go to the village chief, Zhong Zhicheng, to get some. That would have completed her plan!

But Luo Shan... he had left? He had just walked away like that!?

Zhang Yunling gripped a strand of her hair tightly. Slowly, a faint, blood-red hue began to seep from the top of her head... The red bled into her pupils, and her lips twitched slightly. It was a smile, but it was an incredibly chilling and sinister one.