Chapter Fifty-Nine: Stirring Up Trouble

To say that the five hundred yuan ticket was worth it would be an understatement; it was truly deserving of its price.

The entire lake was vast, easily as expansive as a basketball court. A protective railing ran along the edge, with a wooden walkway built beside it, from which hung clusters of bright red lanterns. Down below, close to the water’s surface, light strips had been installed. Looking inward, one saw the sparkling ripples of the lake; looking outward from the corridor, one was greeted by a riot of colorful flowers.

Lotuses had been planted throughout the lake, and now was the height of their bloom. The developers had somehow managed to make each lotus glow softly at its base—without any visible bulbs—so that it seemed as if the gentle light emanated naturally from the flowers themselves. Peering deeper, Song Wannian finally spotted bulbs embedded at the bottom of the lake, illuminating the surrounding water with crystal clarity.

Occasionally, plump goldfish would swim past, so fat that a single one was as thick as both her arms put together!

Song Wannian watched with fascination, leaning over the railing. Seeing this, Wen Jingxing gently patted her shoulder. "Wannian, don't lean too far forward. Be careful."

Just then, a man slickly dressed in a suit, hair oiled back, hurried to reassure them. "Young Master Wen, rest assured. Our rescue staff is always on duty here. Should any visitor accidentally fall into the water, we are prepared to respond immediately."

This man was the park's operations manager. Normally, visitors were received by boatmen and taken straight onto the lake. But the arrival of Young Master Wen had set him into a flurry of activity. Were it not for his lack of boating skills, he would have liked to steer the boat himself for Wen Jingxing. Unfortunately, there were eight people in Wen Jingxing's group, and Song Wannian had bought tickets for an eight-person boat, leaving no room for the manager to tag along.

He had to content himself with hurrying to the entrance to greet Young Master Wen personally and escort them all the way to the boat.

This manager was something of a character. Though his attentiveness was clearly for Wen Jingxing’s sake, he actually followed along behind Song Wannian, introducing every sight and activity within the park to her in detail. He extolled the park's virtues and safety so profusely that Song Wannian’s ears could have grown calluses from his words.

Still, Song Wannian remained polite, listening without interruption until they finally reached the boat, at which point the manager at last fell silent. He thought to himself that with such earnest service, surely the boss and his wife would remember him now?

Song Wannian certainly did—she would never forget just how flamboyant this man's tongue was.

As for Wen Jingxing? Sorry, his attention was devoted entirely to Song Wannian throughout.

It could be said that, in this group, only Nan Yan and Song Wannian actually listened to the manager’s introductions.

The others were all lost in their own thoughts.

By the lakeside, a dozen or so boats of various sizes and traditional designs were moored. Song Wannian had only purchased tickets for an ordinary boat, but the manager led them right to one of the most luxurious vessels.

A boatman was already waiting on board. The manager, together with the elderly boatman, helped each guest on board, ensuring their safety.

Many of them had never boarded a boat before and, stepping on for the first time, were nervous, moving with unsteady, wavering steps.

When it came to the last pair—Wen Jingxing and Song Wannian—the manager hesitated. Should he offer a hand or not? Touch or not? Faced with Wen Jingxing’s impassive expression, he ultimately chose only to gesture politely.

Wen Jingxing crossed over on his own, steady and assured, unlike the others with their tentative steps.

Song Wannian was the final one to board. The manager intended to assist her as well, but she declined, “No need. I can manage myself.”

She raised her foot to step onto the boat. Seeing this, Jian An’an’s expression turned slightly disdainful. Only moments ago, she herself had nearly fallen in and would have if not for the boatman’s steadying hand. The boat’s planks were as soft as walking on cotton, offering no sense of security at all.

Seeing Song Wannian act so bold and fearless, Jian An’an was suddenly seized by mischief. She stood up, apparently for no reason, and staggered as if she’d lost her balance, plopping heavily back onto her seat.

The boat, already gently rocking, lurched with her movement, causing the other guests to sway as well.

The manager’s face blanched with fright. “Miss Song, be careful!”

The boatman scolded Jian An’an, “Miss, once you’re seated, please don’t move around.”

Wen Jingxing hurried to help Song Wannian, but amidst the commotion, she stepped steadily into the cabin and sat down beside him as if nothing had happened.

Seeing that Song Wannian was unharmed, the manager patted his chest with relief. That had nearly scared him out of his wits; had anything happened to Miss Song, all his boasts just now would have come back to slap him in the face.

Wen Jingxing immediately leaned over to ask, “You weren’t startled, were you?”

Song Wannian shook her head. “Not at all.”

Then, with an inscrutable smile, she turned to Jian An’an. “But you—why did you stand up so suddenly? Did you sit on a splinter or something?”

[Hahaha, I’m dying, the Wen-Wan couple never disappoint with their words.]
[What’s up with Jian An’an? At first I thought she was nice, but now she’s constantly causing trouble.]
[I feel like she’s targeting Song Wannian.]
[It didn’t look like anything happened just now—why did she stand up? Doesn’t she know sudden movements are dangerous on a boat?]
[Who’d have thought someone so petite could make the whole boat rock like that just by sitting down?]
...

Jian An’an looked aggrieved. “I only stood up because I saw you boarding alone and was afraid you’d fall. I just wanted to help you, but I lost my balance. It’s my fault for making a mess of things with good intentions…”

Jin Jianyi placed his hand atop hers. “Just be more careful yourself. There’s no need to worry about others.”

He didn’t elaborate, but it was clear he wasn’t going to defend Jian An’an this time. He thought any more of that and he’d really be doing Song Wannian an injustice. This sort of thing was clearly accidental, with no real right or wrong, so there was no need to take sides.

But Jian An’an, hearing this, seemed deeply wounded. “Why are you saying that? I was only trying to help.”

Jin Jianyi frowned. “I was only trying to remind you, that’s all…”

“All right, say no more. I get it,” Jian An’an replied, turning away to look at the lake.

She had always been gentle and mild, never showing anger before; this was the first time she’d thrown a little tantrum, and Jin Jianyi was left somewhat flustered. He truly did care for Jian An’an. In front of everyone, he immediately softened his stance toward her.

Yet for every ten things Jin Jianyi said, Jian An’an would only respond once in a while.

Under the boatman’s guidance, the boat began to glide slowly forward. The manager watched them depart, worry clouding his eyes.

He’d finally gotten them onto the boat, and now he was left with an uneasy feeling.

The manager couldn’t shake the sense that something was definitely about to happen.