Translator’s announcement: Would love to get someone to admin for me. Things like: posting the links to Novel Updates and other sites, updating the title page with links when new chapters are posted, updating the chapter posts with links to previous and next chapters and to the title pages. (I’m pretty lazy about boring stuff like this.)
Also, I didn’t want to pay for the upgrade on WordPress to get tooltips, so my adhoc hover over TN may or may not work. The notes are all written out at the bottom.
Chapter 4: Another Choice
Just now, their eyes met and it made Xia Lin a bit nervous. Her cheeks reddened. It was only when she saw he was leaving that she reacted and hurried to follow him.
She followed him all the way to the changing room. Ling Yi Zhou held up a pair of swimming trunks. “Want to change together?”
Xia Lin turned around quickly. “No, no, Mr. Ling. I’ll wait until you’re finished changing.”
When he finished changing, Xia Lin hard an even harder time looking directly at him. His lean upper body kept swaying in her vision. His v-line went down all the way to… She didn’t dare to keep following it down. For the first time, she realized that the Gangdong magnate everyone loved to talk about had such a great figure.
Ling Yi Zhou just went around her and entered the swimming pool through the direct passage. Xia Lin went to follow, only to notice that everybody around seemed to have disappeared. It was only the two of them in the large swimming pool.
Ling Yi Zhou already jumped into the pool and swam far away using a practiced style and rhythm. Xia Lin saw that and sighed. With his speed, it was a shame he didn’t participate in the Olympics to bring glory to the country.
Then, she saw that he had already turned around and was swimming back. Xia Lin hurried to grab a towel from the side and waited for him obsequiously.
Ling Yi Zhou got out of the pool and saw her offering the towel with both hands. But he glanced elsewhere. “Mr. Ling, did you get out?”
Ling Yi Zhou took the towel from her hands and walked to a lounge chair to sit down. After a long moment, he finally said, “Speak. What is it?”
Finally, she could speak. Xia Lin got so excited, she didn’t know where to start. She asked him, “Mr. Ling, how do you think I look?”
Ling Yi Zhou paused in wiping water away. He considered her seriously. “Tolerable.”
“No, I mean my mental wellness. How about that?”
“Tolerable.” Ling Yi Zhou had the same response.
“Intolerable.” Xia Lin suddenly became melancholy. “Mr. Ling, I had a nosebleed a few days ago. I bled all over the floor. I went to the hospital for a checkup. The doctor said I have leukemia.”
“Oh.” Ling Yi Zhou threw the towel aside. “That’s really unfortunate.”
“You’re wrong again!” Xia Lin watched him with a pair of bright eyes. “Mr. Ling, the doctor said I’m extremely fortunate. He said the bone marrow registry lists someone local whose a perfect match with me.”
“Who?”
“You.”
Ling Yi Zhou looked at her for a long time. Then, he stood up to walk towards the pool.
Xia Lin yelled loudly, “Mr. Ling, I know leisure and exercise are very important to you. Even so, I’m still very young, do you really have the heart to see me die from lack of treatment?”
Ling Yi Zhou entered the water with a thump, but he didn’t swim. He just hung out in the water, feeling the pressure from the water with his eyes closed.
Xia Lin lay down on her stomach, and spoke into his ear. “Mr. Ling, the doctor said there’s no risk to your life. The worst would be that you might feel a bit weak. Don’t worry, I’ll buy the best supplements for you. I still have many dreams. I’d rather be poor as a churchmouse than die just like this.”
“What if I have a kidney deficiency?” Ling Yi Zhou asked suddenly.
“Um…” Xia Lin scratched her head and forced herself to smile. What an awkward question. “It’s just the bone marrow. It has nothing to do with the kidneys.”
Ling Yi Zhou remained silent.
Thinking he was still worried about his kidneys, Xia Lin explained, “I know you men all really care about this, especially since you have such a beautiful movie star girlfriend right now. But it definitely won’t–“
“Quiet.”
“Huh?”
“Get in.”
Oh, he said to get in. Xia Lin thought he said to be quiet. But why would he want her to get in the water?
“Mr. Ling, I don’t think that’s a good idea. This is your private pool. Besides, I haven’t changed my clothes.”
“Get in.” The same two words.
Xia Lin thought he had the potential to be a great repeater. But right now he was the one in charge. She was the supplicant and her life was on the line. Xia Lin didn’t dare to disobey. She tested the temperature and then bravely jumped in.
But somehow she forgot it was the deep end. The water reached Ling Yi Zhou’s shoulders but went straight up her nose. She didn’t know how to swim and struggled to try. “Help.”
She touched Ling Yi Zhou’s arm, and immediately tried climbing up his body as if her life depended on it.
The pool water streamed from the top of her head, drop by drop onto Ling Yi Zhou’s skin. She was like scared and helpless drowned cat.
He asked, “Can’t swim?”
“Yeah, Mr. Ling. Sorry.” Xia Lin also thought this position was not good. They were too close, but the water was deep here and she couldn’t let go of him. “Mr. Ling, can you help me? I want to get out of the pool.”
Ling Yi Zhou was still as a rock.
“Mr. Ling!” Staying in this position, clinging to a strange man, was going to give Xia Lin a breakdown.
Only then did Ling Yi Zhou pull her away. He held her by the waist, used a bit of force, and lifted Xia Lin onto the poolside. He stood in the water, enjoying her figure shown through her soaked clothes. Actually, this plain Jane had curves in the right places. His lips lifted to a small smile. “Learn to swim and I’ll consider your request.”
Xia Lin hurried to cover herself. She saw that he got out of the water, too, looking like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Mr. Ling, you’re purposely making it difficult for me. When I have learned to swim, my condition may have deteriorated. Besides, you said you would ‘consider’, not that you would actually agree to it.”
“Not bad. Great listening comprehension.” Ling Yi Zhou used a large towel as a cape and walked toward the exit, looking like he was done swimming. “If you want me to agree to your request, you actually have another choice.”
“What choice?” Xia Lin followed him doggedly towards the changing room, but was shut out door with a bang.
“Mr. Ling, can’t you finish talking before changing?” Xia Lin suddenly felt a draft. She turned and surprise, stonefaced Wen Li stood behind her.
His expression was cold as he pointed to her. “Name.”
Xia Lin pointed to herself, too. “Me? Xia Lin. Xia, as in summer. Two Mus…”
“Miss Xia, go change.” Before she even finished talking, Wen Li threw a white dress at her. Then, he pointed to the changing room on the other side.
Xia Lin looked down at herself, then quickly spread out the dress to cover herself. Her clothes were really too see through. She couldn’t go outside like this at all. Thinking this, she decided to listen and ran into the changing room on the other side.
In order to finish changing before Ling Yi Zhou, she didn’t even look at the style of the clothing and ran out a bit like an idiot. Coincidentally, Ling Yi Zhou came out of the changing room just then, too. He saw her, paused, and then continued on his way.
“Hey, Mr. Ling, you didn’t finish talking earlier.” Xia Lin caught up with him. When they exited the building, there was a car outside. Ling Yi Zhou went straight to the driver’s seat.
“What are you doing now?”
“Going for a drive.” Ling Yi Zhou made a sign to Wen Li, who was standing by. Wen Li came over to open the car door for Xia Lin.
“Miss Xia, please have the discussion in the car. Don’t detain Mr. Ling from his drive.”
Xia Lin got in the car, with the passion and resolution reserved for the fate of her life. But as they drove off, she regretted her decision. Did Ling Yi Zhou really just want to go for a drive?
“Slow down, Mr. Ling. This is really dangerous!” She yelled while clutching the seatbelt. Yet, she could only hear the sound of trees rushing by. She couldn’t see anything in front.
Translator’s Notes:
“Kidney deficiency” is a Chinese medicine diagnosis that includes sexual dysfunction.
A “repeater” is an electronic device that plays back whatever you say. It’s most commonly used to learn a foreign language. You would speak into it and it would play back what you said so you can hear your own pronunciation.
Lin (林) = forest. Mu (木) = wood. ‘Lin’ is written as two ‘mu’ characters side by side.