Chapter 24: Grade A Yellow, Lotus Lake (13)

It was the steward.

What was even more startling than the man himself was that his eyes were tightly shut.

Watching him walk with his eyes closed, Xu Yiliu immediately recalled what the steward had said: "I fall asleep incredibly fast; I can drift off within three breaths of lying down, only to be plagued by nightmares that haunt me the entire night. It’s as if I haven’t slept at all, even after a full night’s rest!"

Frequent nightmares, exhaustion... thinking about it, he must be sleepwalking every single night.

Where was he going?

Ignoring the two people behind her, Xu Yiliu followed the steward closely. As she watched him skillfully slide the bolt of the estate gate and push it open, she quickly pressed herself against the doorframe, ensuring the movement made no noise.

Though it was unlikely, she dared not gamble on the chance he might wake up.

She watched the steward turn a corner, walking step by step toward—

The Lotus Lake.

Perhaps due to the reflection of the water, the Lotus Lake appeared exceptionally bright under the moonlight. Her vision was sharp, allowing her to see everything clearly as the steward reached the lakeside and stopped.

Xu Yiliu held her breath.

After leaving the courtyard, she hadn't heard anyone else open the gate; Fang Xiaoyi and Ji Xianxing must have deemed it better for her to go alone, as neither had followed.

The steward faced the lake, standing still for a moment.

Then, he turned around, facing exactly where Xu Yiliu was hiding.

Xu Yiliu’s heart skipped a beat, fearing she had been discovered.

However, she saw the steward still had his eyes closed. With his back to the Lotus Lake, he began to hop in place.

Yes, he was simply hopping on the spot...

Xu Yiliu couldn't help but frown: What was he doing?

No one answered her. The steward continued to bounce incessantly. With his arms raised, he looked somewhat like a hopping vampire from one of Master Lin’s films.

By the lakeside under the moonlight, the scene was truly eerie.

Xu Yiliu watched him for a full half-hour until her eyes ached, yet the steward kept jumping.

Refusing to give up, she wanted to see how long he could keep it up, so she sat cross-legged on the ground.

And so, she watched him hop for the entire night.

It wasn't until dawn was about to break that the steward stopped his movements and walked back toward the estate, step by step, just as he had come.

Xu Yiliu: "..."

No wonder he was so thin if he could hop all night. That kind of stamina was truly incredible.

Xu Yiliu gave a soft yawn. She gripped the gate the steward had left open, just as she had when she arrived, and froze as she looked up.

Fang Xiaoyi was actually waiting for her here.

The woman, her hair pinned up, sat in the corner of the wall, resting her chin on her hand, her head nodding downward—she was clearly exhausted.

Had she really waited here all night?

As the courtyard gate closed, Fang Xiaoyi caught sight of their figures through her drowsiness. She immediately shook off her sleepiness, stood up gingerly, and walked over to Xu Yiliu.

Xu Yiliu pursed her lips, her gaze remaining fixed on the steward’s retreating back.

They watched the steward return to his room before they turned and walked quickly toward their own quarters.

Once inside, Fang Xiaoyi immediately asked, "Did you encounter any danger?"

Xu Yiliu was a bit surprised but answered honestly, "No."

She then recounted what had happened by the lake.

Noticing Fang Xiaoyi’s thoughtful expression, she asked, "Where is Ji Xianxing?"

Fang Xiaoyi replied, "It was too late, so I told her to go back and sleep. You can’t have any focus without sleep."

"Why didn't you go back?" Xu Yiliu asked, finding it strange.

Even if one wanted to obtain clues as quickly as possible, it shouldn't have come to this.

Fang Xiaoyi said, "You are a student; how could a teacher let her student take risks? I was worried, so waiting a little while is nothing. Besides, as a counselor, staying up late is a common occurrence."

Xu Yiliu was slightly stunned, not knowing what to say.

Fang Xiaoyi glanced at the sky. "I expect we can still get some sleep. Go back and rest quickly."

With that, she gave Xu Yiliu a gentle nudge and turned to head back to her own room.

Perhaps she was truly exhausted, as Xu Yiliu heard her stifle several yawns.

Lying in bed, Xu Yiliu was still thinking about Fang Xiaoyi’s words before drifting off.

She had worked all sorts of part-time jobs and met all kinds of people, but she had never encountered anyone like Fang Xiaoyi.

She had become adept at discerning false pretenses many years ago, which only made her feel more surprised and uneasy about Fang Xiaoyi.

However, she was good at regulating her emotions and soon pushed the feeling to the back of her mind, gradually falling into sleep.

Perhaps because of the "word spirit," she actually started to dream—a rare occurrence where she returned to a period of her life she seldom recalled.

She was woken up by Ji Xianxing.

Once Xu Yiliu opened her eyes, Ji Xianxing asked straight to the point, "What happened last night?"

Xu Yiliu told her everything she had seen and heard.

Ji Xianxing listened in silence for a moment before saying with certainty, "On his back."

"On his back?" Xu Yiliu repeated the words, suddenly realizing, "There’s something on his back?"

Ji Xianxing nodded. "Either it’s something you can’t see, or something is stuck to his back."

Xu Yiliu said, "I need to take a look to be sure."

"What do you intend to do?" Ji Xianxing had gained a preliminary understanding of her and knew that once she voiced a plan, she had already decided to act on it.

Xu Yiliu said, "Strip him."

Ji Xianxing hesitated. "This is an ancient setting..."

Although it felt like a patchwork, error-ridden period drama, the people here likely wouldn't accept a woman stripping a man.

Ji Xianxing’s first thought was to have Chen Diandian and Ge Hua find an opportunity.

But Xu Yiliu immediately dismissed the idea. "Those two aren't good actors and lack the nerve; the risk is too high."

Had it been either Fang Xiaoyi or Ji Xianxing doing this, she would have agreed. But Chen Diandian and Ge Hua were not up to the task.

Ji Xianxing found the logic sound and asked, "Then what do you want to do?"

"When he sleepwalks again tonight..." Xu Yiliu detailed her plan to her.

Upon hearing it, Ji Xianxing’s eyes widened slightly, already large, now appearing even rounder. She had never imagined such a method.

Xu Yiliu smiled and asked, "Do you think it’s feasible?"

Ji Xianxing thought it over carefully and finally said, "Feasible."

She was indeed sharper than Xu Yiliu, but in many matters, intelligence alone wasn't enough; lacking relevant experience meant she would never have thought in that direction.

The two reached an understanding. Xu Yiliu got out of bed and straightened her hair and clothes. "Let’s go have breakfast."

After stepping out, she remembered how Fang Xiaoyi had been nodding off against the wall that morning, so she paused and turned to wake her up.

Unless necessary, Ji Xianxing rarely spoke, following Xu Yiliu like a ghost without offering any opinions.

Fang Xiaoyi was quick to move and didn't linger in bed at all; before long, the three of them left the house together.

They hadn't walked far when they heard a thunderous scream.

It was Chen Diandian’s voice.

The three knew instantly what had happened and quickened their pace, heading toward the source.

Ge Hua’s servant was faster than them. He came stumbling out, and upon running into the three women, he immediately knelt before them: "Miss, Miss, my young master, my, young master..."

He was half-terrified and half-grief-stricken, his words caught in his throat along with his breath.

The sound from inside the room traveled faster than his words:

"Ge Hua is dead! He’s dead!"