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“It seems a lot of people have asked you that.”
Fu Lin was amused by Su Yunjin’s words and couldn’t help but take a few more glances at her.
The girl before him was hardly presentable at the moment, drenched from head to toe, her clothes clinging to her body, yet her eyes were strikingly clear.
Sunlight slanted across her face, and those bright eyes shone like crystal marbles encased in glass, so beautiful one couldn’t look away.
It’s only natural to appreciate beauty.
In that instant, Fu Lin felt his heart stir unexpectedly.
“Not a lot of people—everyone asks that,” he replied.
Su Yunjin explained with a hint of resignation.
Single-bamboo drifting was a rare skill, not easy to master, but once learned, she could traverse rivers, lakes, or even the sea as if walking on solid ground.
She had trained so hard back then just to make crossing rivers easier when gathering herbs. Yet by the time she’d mastered it, she found herself constantly fielding the same question—did she know martial arts?
At first, she’d patiently explain, but as more and more people asked, having to repeat herself became truly tiresome.
The skill wasn’t lost to the ages, and there was no need to keep explaining over and over—it had only taken her a month from novice to proficient.
“So, do you know martial arts or not?”
Noticing her reluctance, Fu Lin teased her on purpose.
Su Yunjin shot him a sidelong glance. Feeling her strength return a little, she stood up, only then registering the burning pain in her injured foot.
The moment it touched the ground, she instinctively lifted it, wobbling precariously on one leg.
“Careful!”
Fu Lin stood up and caught her.
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. Helping others is its own reward, and besides, you saved my life. I’d feel terrible if I didn’t see you home safely.
By the way, do you have a boyfriend?”
“…What?”
The sudden turn in conversation left Su Yunjin momentarily stunned.
She looked up at Fu Lin. The young man, probably in his early twenties, had reddened cheeks and couldn’t seem to meet her eyes.
“I’m just asking—if you do, I’ll take you to him, or you can call him to pick you up.”
Realizing he’d been abrupt, Fu Lin hastily concocted an excuse.
In truth, he’d been single for years, and now that he’d met someone he liked, of course he wanted to know if he had a chance.
Back in training, the instructor had told them: when you meet a girl you like, seize the moment—if it doesn’t work out, move on to the next.
After all, that’s how love is—who gets it right the first time?
But to Su Yunjin, his clumsy lie was transparent.
His gaze, his posture, all betrayed his true thoughts.
Still, she didn’t call him out on it.
For one, they were strangers, unlikely to cross paths again; having survived a brush with death together, there was no need to make things awkward.
For another, liking or being liked was perfectly normal.
Though she’d grown up in the Seven Sects Mountains, her grandparents had never raised her to be arrogant or dismissive.
Especially in matters of the heart, her second grandmother had always taught her that being liked by someone was a blessing, and the one who liked her was offering a sincere heart.

Therefore, no matter what, one shouldn’t play with someone’s feelings—even if you don’t reciprocate, be clear and honest about it.
In matters of the heart, you must have a clear conscience.
From childhood, Su Yunjin had been the object of affection, often confessed to in school, but no one ever called her heartless, for she’d always remembered her grandmother’s teaching.
To wield beauty as a weapon—now that was forbidden!
She smiled and said, “That won’t be necessary. I don’t want him to worry. Just drop me off at my hotel.”
“The hotel? So you’re not from here?”
Fu Lin’s eyes dimmed a little. After all, they were just strangers, and he’d only asked because Su Yunjin was beautiful.
Now that he realized she had a boyfriend, he felt disappointed, but not truly heartbroken.
“Yes.”
“Your boyfriend is a lucky man.”
“So I’ve heard. I envy him myself,” Su Yunjin replied carelessly.
At that moment, another commotion rippled through the crowd as the ambulance arrived. The child and his mother were loaded in, and the crowd began to disperse.
Seeing that everyone was leaving, Fu Lin said, “Let’s go. We’ll take you back to your hotel.”
“All right.”
“And give me your number later—our fire brigade wants to send you a commendation banner. After that, your boyfriend will think twice before bullying you.”
“He doesn’t dare bully me now.”
“Then let’s give you a little extra backup—let him know you have the fire brigade behind you.”
Su Yunjin just smiled, saying nothing.
Following Fu Lin, she soon reached the fire truck.
The firefighters, who had arrived earlier, were now grinning at her, the captain in particular regarding her with the look of a proud father.
Any ordinary girl would have been mortified, but Su Yunjin was no ordinary girl.
She’d grown up accustomed to being in the spotlight.
Not to mention the many people who’d tried to curry favor with the mountain sects since she was a child—even performing at birthday banquets had made her thick-skinned.
A few paternal glances were nothing. Even earlier, surrounded by so many people staring and admiring her, she’d handled it with composure.
Su Yunjin paid it no mind, but Fu Lin was mortified. In a flash, he darted forward. “Captain, Yunjin’s hurt her foot. Let’s get her home.”
“Of course. Xiao Qi, bring the ladder—let her and Fu Lin ride together.”
The captain’s meaning was clear.
Everyone understood, and Xiao Qi, the youngest, quickly fetched the ladder and set it by the truck.
“Fu Lin, help her up. We’re heading out.”
With that, the captain rounded the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat, feigning composure but sneaking glances at Su Yunjin.
Su Yunjin didn’t stand on ceremony—she climbed aboard with agility.
She’d barely sat down when Fu Lin joined her, followed by another young man, and finally someone took the front passenger seat.
The fire truck started, and before long, they arrived at Su Yunjin’s hotel.
They accompanied her to the elevator. Once she pressed the button, Fu Lin turned back to the truck.
As soon as he climbed in, he sensed something was off—the vice-captain’s gaze and smile practically screamed gossip.
“What was that girl’s name?”
As the truck started up, Xiao Qi, who sat beside Fu Lin, couldn’t help but ask.

“What’s it to you?”
Fu Lin leaned away warily.
The vice-captain chuckled, “I heard you call her Yunjin just now—your voice was so sweet.”
“Vice-captain, Xiao Qi is just a kid, but you’re not helping either.”
Fu Lin was a little embarrassed.
The captain said, “To be fair, she really is beautiful, and she saved both you and the child—shows she’s got a kind heart. Good taste, Fu Lin! Go for it.”
“Captain, not you too! Don’t tease me—she has a boyfriend.”
Fu Lin was so mortified he wished he could disappear.
He’d known the others had gotten the wrong idea from the start, staring at her so much that even he felt awkward.
“If she has a boyfriend, why did you see her to the elevator?”
Xiao Qi looked unimpressed.
That was almost too much for Fu Lin. “She hurt her foot saving me—I couldn’t let her limp back on her own, could I?”
“Tch, I thought you were just trying to score points.”
Xiao Qi snorted.
He was only nineteen, among the youngest in the team.
Brave as he was in emergencies, in normal life he was still a kid.
In his eyes, if someone already had a boyfriend, what was the point of being attentive? It’s not like she’d become his girlfriend.
“You little brat, can’t you think of anything else?”
Fu Lin smacked Xiao Qi’s helmet.
“It’s true! I thought you had a shot.”
Rubbing his helmet, Xiao Qi mumbled, his disappointment at missing out on the drama plain as day.
“Xiao Qi only acts when there’s something in it for him,” the vice-captain laughed.
The captain said, “A girl like that isn’t likely to stay single for long. Did you get her contact info? She deserves a commendation for bravery—if not for her, you’d be done for today, Fu Lin.”
Since there was no gossip to be had, the captain and vice-captain focused on nominating Su Yunjin for an award.
Firefighters walk the edge of danger every day—the last thing they want is to rescue one of their own.
That Fu Lin survived today was all thanks to Su Yunjin!
“Oh no, I forgot to get her number. I meant to, but you lot were teasing me and I lost track.”
At the captain’s reminder, Fu Lin sucked in a sharp breath.
He had planned to ask for her contact, but the others’ teasing had distracted him at the crucial moment.
“No worries. We’ll have the police help—since we know where she’s staying, it’ll be easy to find her later.”
The captain was unfazed. Good deeds like this are easy to track down, especially with such a narrow scope.