Chapter Twenty-One: Soaking in the Hot Spring Bath

“Yes.” The restaurant manager replied respectfully and withdrew without further words.

No customer stepped forward to defend Song Wannin, but everyone whispered about the incident in private. Yet the focus of the discussion had shifted from Song Wannin to the three women who had tried to extort the restaurant.

Song Wannin paid them no mind and chose to continue with her tasks. She worked steadily until four in the afternoon, only then realizing how sore her heels had become.

Fortunately, the auntie who had been absent the entire day reappeared. She said to Song Wannin, “Let’s call it a day. You can clock out now—you must be exhausted after standing all day. Here, take this and rub it on your feet when you get home. I guarantee the soreness will be gone by tomorrow.”

She handed Song Wannin a small porcelain bottle, unmarked by any words. Song Wannin unscrewed the lid and held it to her nose; a strong, herbal fragrance immediately filled her senses.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Smells good, doesn’t it? I’ve noticed you’re a pretty and hardworking girl. Others are always complaining about being tired, but you never utter a word. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t give you this medicine—it’s a family remedy handed down for generations, and it works wonders!”

Song Wannin smiled sincerely. “Thank you, Auntie!”

Though the woman’s eyes were poor and she tended to ramble, she had a genuinely kind heart. Regardless of whether the medicine worked, Song Wannin was touched by her thoughtfulness.

That evening, when everyone gathered for dinner, Song Wannin noticed she wasn’t the last to arrive for once. The others didn’t start eating right away; they waited for quite some time until, finally, Jian An’an limped in, walking with a pronounced limp.

Jin Jianyi immediately stood up and hurried over to her. “An’an, what happened to you?”

Jian An’an’s expression was as if she had swallowed a fly, her face twisted in discomfort. After hesitating, she said, “I… I missed a step while delivering goods today and fell down the stone stairs…”

She didn’t know that Li Weiwei had moved up the livestream schedule and, because she was late, she’d missed the beginning of the broadcast. The audience, upon hearing her explanation, began to mock her.

Karma, they said.
She claimed her leg was injured this morning and tried to blame Song Wannin, but now fate itself seemed to intervene and punish her.
Maybe she’s faking it again?
After all, she’s lied before.
What if she’s just pretending to be hurt to gain sympathy?

Jin Jianyi, hearing this, hesitated. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was telling the truth this time or not. He shook his head, banishing the absurd thought. “Is it serious? Has a doctor seen you?”

“It’s not too bad. The doctor said I just need a few days’ rest.”

“And your assignment?”

“I didn’t finish it,” Jian An’an admitted.

Shen Yue hurried over. “Don’t worry, let’s eat together. I finished my assignment today.”

Jiang Mingzhao frowned, watching as Shen Yue took his dish without asking. He was at a loss.

Truth be told, Jiang Mingzhao couldn’t bring himself to like Shen Yue, largely because of her own behavior.

Thankfully, dinner passed without further incident.

The main event of the day was yet to come: soaking in the hot springs.

Given the distance, Li Weiwei had arranged a large sightseeing bus that could carry eight people at a time. However, since Jin Jianyi hadn’t completed the last game successfully, he wasn’t allowed to go.

He personally helped Jian An’an onto the bus and fastened her seatbelt for her. “Be careful when you get there, the ground is slippery, so watch your step…”

He rambled on, only to be interrupted by Li Weiwei. “Alright, alright, can’t you two save your conversation for later? We’re running out of time.”

Jin Jianyi scratched his head sheepishly and stepped back, but his gaze lingered on Jian An’an.

Jian An’an gave a soft laugh and lowered her head, feigning shyness.

Song Wannin, observing her affectation, let out a cold chuckle. From her angle, she could see that Jian An’an’s eyes showed not a hint of emotion after she looked down—clearly lost in thought and unaware of Song Wannin’s scrutiny.

Song Wannin clicked her tongue. These two made quite the pair.

In the novel’s plot, Jian An’an was the heroine and Jin Jianyi the second male lead, so they naturally shared many scenes. Most of the time, Jian An’an played the victim, evoking Jin Jianyi’s sympathy and capturing his heart completely. She strove to get along with the Wen family while keeping Jin Jianyi at arm’s length, yet always appearing to need him.

She would speak of her miserable childhood and the hardships of her original family, claiming she needed time before she could truly open her heart to another. Jin Jianyi was utterly captivated by her vulnerability.

In the end, after Jian An’an succeeded in climbing the social ladder, she ruthlessly distanced herself from Jin Jianyi. He, clueless, continued to try and win her over—until the day he heard she had become the Wen family’s third fiancée. Overnight, his hair turned white.

Song Wannin wondered if she should help Jin Jianyi—after all, doing so would deprive Jian An’an of an ally, and Song Wannin rather relished the thought. If Jian An’an’s greed knew no bounds, then she would make sure Jian An’an gained nothing at all.

Though Jin Jianyi was infatuated with Jian An’an, he was more rational than Shen Yue. His obsession was solely focused on Jian An’an and he had never made things difficult for Song Wannin.

The sightseeing bus wound its way up the mountain, taking half an hour before finally stopping. Song Wannin looked ahead—a hillside lay before them. A stone path led upward, and above it, a veil of mist hovered in the air.

This little hill was the highest point of the entire resort. All around it were guests’ lodgings, and the slopes were lush with plants and flowers. The mist and scenery made it a veritable paradise.

Two staff members approached and led the male and female guests to separate changing rooms. Inside were a variety of outfits to choose from, including a single private changing stall.

Song Wannin looked over the options and finally selected a short dress to wear underneath, then donned a white bathrobe and tied the sash securely at her waist.

In her previous life as the emperor, she had never allowed anyone to wait on her personally. Though others were surrounded by servants, she always disliked being fussed over, especially while bathing—it felt like being an exhibit.

She had just finished changing when Shen Yue’s impatient voice sounded from outside. “Song Wannin, are you done yet? Why are you taking so long in there? What are you even doing? Can you hurry up? If you’re so slow, why not change outside instead?”