Chapter 32: Young Lady, Have You Killed Someone?

“Sir has not come out yet, Miss, you can’t leave right now.”

In truth, Sui Yi wanted to say that she had no intention of leaving—after all, she hadn’t yet thanked her benefactor. But just then—

“Hey, little miss, over here!”

Jiang Yunxiu emerged from the adjacent tea booth and beckoned Sui Yi over.

Now face to face, Jiang Yunxiu finally took a good look at the quiet girl sitting before him.

Hmm, young as she was, her features were exquisite, her skin flawless—a solid eight out of ten.

Her figure was slender, not especially tall, but with long legs that gave her a graceful height—a seven.

As for her bearing...

Jiang Yunxiu pondered for a long moment, wavering between nine and ten, and finally settled on a nine and a half.

All in all, he found this girl to be of exceptional quality. If she were a few years older, her beauty would be utterly dazzling.

Sui Yi, meanwhile, could feel his gaze dissecting her as if she were a specimen on a table.

She paused, fingers brushing the bruises on her knuckles—a sharp sting. “Thank you for before…”

Jiang Yunxiu laughed with easy nonchalance. “I’m a doctor, it’s only natural.”

And then, with a sly grin, he added, “But if you do wish to repay me, I wouldn’t mind…”

Once again, Sui Yi was convinced that this man was probably an unlicensed veterinarian. After a moment’s silence, she rose and poured tea for both herself and Jiang Yunxiu. As he looked on in surprise, she lifted her cup and offered a formal tea ceremony of thanks.

For a moment, Jiang Yunxiu was caught off guard. Wait, is she really just a high school student?

How could her presence feel so…

Still, it was pleasing, and her gratitude was clearly sincere. Jiang Yunxiu accepted it with grace, and the playful look in his eye softened into something more genuine. “I don’t know how you ended up needing to be rescued by Yi Chilian, but I’m glad to have met you. I’m Jiang Yunxiu, a doctor.”

“Sui Yi, a student,” she replied with a smile.

As they spoke, a murmur rose from below.

Jiang Yunxiu frowned and went to the railing. One of his men hurried up to him. “Doctor Jiang, there are police officers downstairs asking for someone. We’ve held them back for now, but we thought we should report to Sir. Should we send them away?”

The authority in his words made it clear he was backed by significant power.

Police? Sui Yi stood and joined him. At a glance, she saw a small crowd gathering below and frowned. “Those officers are here for me. I’ll go down. I’ll thank Mr. Yi properly another day.”

She turned to the elder. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused. I’ll go now—could you show me the way?”

“Ah… of course,” the elder replied, almost reflexively, and prepared to escort her.

“You do seem fond of leaving without saying goodbye,” a clear voice called out. Yi Chilian, now in a fresh set of clothes, was descending the stairs. Sui Yi realized he must have been on the rooftop this whole time.

His words made her heart sink. Every time?

“I did say goodbye last time,” Sui Yi looked at him.

He approached, casting a lazy glance at Jiang Yunxiu.

Sui Yi frowned. Wasn’t it he himself who sent her away last time?

“You left in such a hurry—you didn’t even ask my name. In a way, that’s even worse than leaving without a word.”

Sui Yi found this man contradictory, but since he’d saved her twice, she apologized again. “Thank you once more for coming to my aid. But the police are downstairs looking for me. I’d rather not trouble you further—I should go down.”

Yi Chilian regarded her, his eyes cool. “Did you kill someone?”

Sui Yi tilted her head, considered a moment, then smiled. “In a manner of speaking…”

So, will you let me go now? Harboring a murderer is no small matter.

“All the more reason not to let you go. Let’s find you a place to hide,” Yi Chilian replied, expression unchanged, as if he’d said nothing out of the ordinary.

The elder and Jiang Yunxiu exchanged glances. Was this the same indifferent Mr. Yi who usually steered clear of other people’s affairs? Had something gotten into him?

“No need to trouble yourself,” Sui Yi politely refused.

“I never save people for nothing. If you get executed, my effort will have been wasted. Don’t make things difficult for me.”

What kind of logic was this? It was the opposite of his usual cold detachment…

Sui Yi studied him quietly for a moment, brows knit, then asked, “Mr. Yi, are you feeling unwell today?”

She asked with such earnest composure it was almost comical. In essence: Sir, have you taken your medicine? Or perhaps—is this possession?

The elder lowered his head to hide a smile. What a forthright girl…

Jiang Yunxiu leaned on the railing, laughing aloud.

Yi Chilian took a breath, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said to the elder, “Take her to the police station. And collect the reward while you’re at it.”

Without another word, he turned away.

Sui Yi breathed a sigh of relief, her obvious sense of release making the elder and Jiang Yunxiu find the whole scene all the more amusing.

——

In the end, Sui Yi was not taken directly to the police station. Instead, several officers were allowed into a private room at the teahouse to see her.

Seeing Sui Yi alive, they all relaxed.

Lin Quan stared at her, his expression troubled. After a long moment, he said solemnly, “Sui Yi, I misjudged you before…”

“Huh?” Sui Yi was surprised, then saw—

Lin Quan bowed deeply.

“Thank you for protecting those innocent people when it mattered most. And thank you for helping the police.”

Though Zhang Xiao and the others were startled, they quickly followed suit.

Sui Yi found the scene rather odd, but after a pause, she smiled. “Thank you. There’s no need for this. If you could erase any negative consequences for me from this incident, that would be more than enough.”

She hesitated, then frowned. “If this case could have nothing to do with me, that would be best.”

Lin Quan was taken aback. “You mean…”

Sui Yi smiled calmly.

Lin Quan was silent for a moment, glancing at the elder and the stone-faced bodyguards nearby. He frowned, then nodded. “I understand. I’ll do my best.”

The elder watched in silence. After Lin Quan and his men left, Sui Yi turned to him. “Sir, could you tell me where the back door is?”

——

Once Sui Yi had slipped out the back, the elder slowly ascended the stairs with unhurried elegance, entering a private tea room.

Yi Chilian and Jiang Yunxiu sat facing each other.

The elder relayed what he’d learned. “We’ve discovered that the police are pursuing a killer linked to a recent murder case. Somehow, Miss Sui Yi became entangled in it…”

His intelligence was impressive; in a few words, he laid out the essentials, including details the police had not made public.

But from Yi Chilian’s face, it was impossible to tell if he cared in the slightest.

The elder finished and fell silent.

Just then, the tea was ready.

“Who would’ve thought something like this would happen in the little town of Nanxun? So much for your claim that it’s peaceful here!” Jiang Yunxiu remarked carelessly.

Yi Chilian glanced at him, long fingers folding together as he opened a book. “It’s people who are noisy, not the place. When I said peace, I meant Nanxun itself.”

“Tch. I’m just a doctor—I can’t compete with you scholars.” Jiang Yunxiu sipped his tea.

“Then feel free to remain silent. I won’t hold it against you.”

As if implying he was nothing but a philistine! Yi Chilian’s words made Jiang Yunxiu roll his eyes. “I wouldn’t want to talk to you anyway. Just as Sui Yi doesn’t want to talk to you!”

His eyes were bright—he’d seen at a glance the girl’s reluctance to deal with Yi Chilian. Perhaps that was what made it all the more interesting.

Was it a game of playing hard to get? But it didn’t quite seem like that…

Wait—Yi Chilian’s hand paused. He knew her name now? When had they become so familiar? She didn’t seem as distant or wary as before…

He recalled her emerging from the water not long ago—like a blossom in spring, luminous and enchanting, with a beauty almost otherworldly.

He was momentarily distracted and happened to catch a line in the book before him.

“Love arises without warning, and grows ever deeper; for the living, death holds no fear, and for the dead, life is possible once more.”

A line from The Peony Pavilion…

Yi Chilian felt inexplicably bemused. He never read this sort of thing, yet today, Sui Yi had drawn it at random.

His fingers traced the words, and he suddenly smiled, closing the book with indifference.

Deep, abiding love?

Heh—