In the Wind, Left in Disarray...

[The previous chapter had a typo... It should be "Old Master Huang is already married"... not "You You"...]

Donglin City is quite a distance from the Sun Moon Sect; even if Jiang Lin travels at full speed, it will take him nearly seven days.

Not to mention that Jiang Lin is now recovering from a serious injury, and he's accompanied by several extremely slow-moving ZZ250s that can "photosynthesize" during the day but crash at night.

The problem is that these ZZ250s are huge, and Jiang Lin's Storage Bag simply doesn't have that much space.

If Jiang Lin abandoned them, he felt that Xiao Hei would chase after him and hack him to pieces.

Of course, that wasn't the biggest problem. The day after Jiang Lin left Donglin City, he realized he had forgotten something extremely important!

Lotus... seems to still be in Donglin City...

After putting the ZZ250s on standby, Jiang Lin returned to the Spring Breeze Pavilion. In the backyard of the Spring Breeze Pavilion, Jiang Lin met Lotus again.

According to Aunt Wang, after finding Lianhua under the bed and waking her up that night, Lianhua had been in a bad mood ever since.

Since Lianhua had already been redeemed by Jiang Lin, she no longer needed to perform at the Spring Breeze Pavilion.

So Lotus lived in the backyard of the Spring Breeze Pavilion, spending her days sitting there in a daze...

Mama Wang didn't know the reason, but Jiang Lin did...

Need I say more? Jiang Lin felt it must have been him who "hurt" her heart that night.

He bought her Indentured Contract, but then didn't want her. For a woman, especially a prostitute, this was an insult to the last vestige of her dignity.

But Jiang Lin felt just as confused as he was.

Moreover, although Lianhua has a delicate and refined appearance and an ethereal air, the problem is that Jiang Lin genuinely doesn't like her.

The reason for this was not only because of Wu Ke, but also because Jiang Lin really had no feelings for her.

It's like you're squatting on the street looking at girls. You see a pretty girl, think she's beautiful, and that's it. You only glance at her a few times because there will be other pretty girls coming. But after ten minutes, your impression of that girl will be blurry.

That's how Jiang Lin felt.

"Lotus..."

With the Doggy on his head, Jiang Lin to the front of the yard, looked at the pretty woman who was staring blankly in the yard, and called out softly.

Jiang Lin felt genuinely embarrassed...

Ultimately, it's all Wu Ke's fault, that bald guy!

But then again, who would have thought that someone with such a handsome face would fall for you...?

Upon hearing Jiang Lin's voice, Lianhua paused slightly, her eyes seemingly regaining their sparkle.

Turning to look at Jiang Lin, Lianhua subconsciously stood up, but then, remembering something, she sat back down on the stone bench, turned around, and spoke with a tone that was somewhat angry and resentful, yet also contained a barely suppressed little bit of joy:

With her back to Jiang Lin, Lianhua covered her chest with her hands and slowly spoke, "What are you doing here again...?"

"I..." Jiang Lin wanted to punch his handsome face. "I didn't want to come either... but I promised that bald bastard Wu Ke I'd bring you back..."

"I'm sorry, Lotus, it's all my fault." Standing at the courtyard gate, Jiang Lin hesitated for a moment but didn't go in.

"What can Lotus do to blame Young Master Jiang? It's clearly Lotus who's been clinging to Young Master Jiang relentlessly; Lotus is the shameless one."

Hearing Jiang Lin's apologetic tone, Lianhua spoke up.

"No! It's not Lotus's fault, it's all because I'm too handsome!"

"???"

Hearing Jiang Lin's answer, Lianhua was stunned for a moment, and finally turned around to look at Jiang Lin.

Even though a layer of skin has been removed, why does this person's face still feel so... thick?

"Lotus, listen to me."

Jiang Lin's eyes were sincere.

"No! I won't listen!" Lotus covered her ears, turned around, and ran back into the house.

How could Jiang Lin let Lianhua run back into the house? He pushed open the half-closed wooden fence and rushed over to block Lianhua's path.

Lotus tried to run away, Schrodinger barked a few times, blocking her way.

"I won't listen! I won't listen! No! I just don't want to!" Lotus covered her ears and shook her head incessantly.

"Lotus! Listen to me!"

"No way!"

Listen to this!

"No!"

Actually, I'm your long-lost older brother!!!

"???"

Lotus, who was crouching on the ground with her head in her hands, raised her eyes and looked at Jiang Lin with a shocked expression, as if she had just eaten something disgusting.

"Yes, Lotus, you heard me right! I am your long-lost brother!"

Jiang Lin gently pulled down the jade-like arm that Lianhua was holding her head with.

"Your original name was Jiang Lianhua! You are a member of my Jiang family."

Seeing Lianhua's bewildered expression, Jiang Lin pulled her onto the stone bench and continued to deceive her.

"That day was a day of heavy snowfall. My Jiang family was once a wealthy family in the Wuzhou Continent Gauze Hat Country. My father, Jiang Luzheng. He was incorruptible and had a sun between his eyebrows. He was a clean official in the court and was known as the pioneer of law!"

Unfortunately, not long after my brother and I were born, on the day I was two years old and you were two months old, our father was framed by a villain! The imperial court confiscated our property, seized our land, and took our cattle!

My father, Jiang Luzheng, was wrongfully imprisoned, our home was ransacked, and my mother, Jiang... Jiang Tanxiao, hanged herself! I, your brother, was also exiled to the frontier, and you, my sister, have disappeared without a trace.

Fortunately, I have some talent for cultivation and was accepted as Direct Disciple by the Dragon Gate Sect. Ten years later, my cultivation has achieved some success. At that time, King Sha Diao of the Gauze Hat Country was also a wise ruler.

In the end, our Jiang family was exonerated, and the traitors were executed. After that, I, as your brother, have been searching for your whereabouts ever since.

Finally, in Donglin City, following various clues, I finally found Spring Breeze Pavilion. Hearing that you, Lianhua, were adopted on a snowy night further solidified my belief.

"How could this be..." Lotus's mouth gaped open, speechless with shock. "Lotus doesn't believe it! Young Master Jiang must be lying to Lotus. If Young Master Jiang wanted to abandon Lotus, Young Master Jiang just said so! Why is he doing this! What proof do you have, Young Master!"

"Sister Lotus has seven marks on her thigh!"

Jiang Lin looked directly into Lianhua's eyes.

"Not only that, Lotus Sister, you actually have another jade pendant! Mama Wang deliberately told you you didn't have one because she was afraid you would want to find your relatives and leave Spring Breeze Pavilion. But now, Mama Wang has given it to you, Brother!"

As he spoke, Jiang Lin took out a jade pendant from his pocket (which Jiang Lin had spent half an hour haphazardly hammering), on which was engraved a flower...

"Is this a dog's head?" Lotus asked doubtfully as she took the jade pendant.

"... This is a lotus, a lotus that rises from the mud unsullied." Jiang Lin's brows twitched slightly. Although his carving was somewhat abstract, it still looked like a dog's head.

"Lotus Sister, do you believe me now? You are my long-lost sister!"

Jiang Lin stood up, opened his arms, his expression deeply moved, tears welling in his eyes (like onion smears).

"My dear sister!"

"Elder brother!"

"Um!"

"Did Mama Wang tell you about the mark on Lotus's body?"

Lianhua loosened her collar slightly, and Jiang Lin looked closely. On Lianhua's fair shoulder, there was a burn mark.

[A burn? Aunt Wang didn't mention that. Since she didn't, it must have been acquired later in life.]

"I didn't mention it. Could it be that you accidentally burned yourself, little sister?"

"Nonsense! This has been true since Lotus was a child!"

"Huh..." Jiang Lin was stunned. Could this even be done?

"Oh! I remember now! That's right!"

"Nonsense! This isn't a birthmark at all; it's definitely a burn from the lotus flower!"

Jiang Lin: "..."

"Liar! Big liar!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Lianhua stood up and rushed into the room... leaving Jiang Lin alone, bewildered in the wind...