Chapter 273: The Wound Will Heal Before the Ointment Arrives
Yun Zijin got onto the small boat, and Lu Yunque followed her.
But neither of them had any experience rowing, so Dijin Winery had left a boatman on board for them.
"Sir, could you please take the boat further in?"
’What’s so fun about staying by the shore?’ Yun Zijin thought. ’It’s much more fun in the middle of the lake.’
The vessel was called a small boat, but it could easily seat eight people. Now, with only Yun Zijin, Lu Yunque, and the old boatman at the helm, it felt much more spacious.
"You got it!"
The old boatman replied, started the engine, and piloted the boat to the center of the lake.
The pond was full of lotus flowers. As the boat reached the center of the lake, they felt as if they were in the middle of a sea of flowers. Yun Zijin took out her phone and started taking pictures.
"Sit over there. I’ll take a picture of you."
With the beautiful scenery and a ready-made model right there, Yun Zijin’s inner photographer was itching to get to work.
Lu Yunque hated having his picture taken, but since the photographer was Yun Zijin, he had no choice but to let her pose him like a doll.
After stopping the boat in the middle of the lake, the old boatman tactfully sat at the bow, silent, doing his best to minimize his presence.
’These days, even on a temp job, I have to watch couples be all lovey-dovey. It’s just brutal.’
"You’ve only been taking photos of me. How about we take one together?"
They had been together for so long but had never made an official relationship announcement on social media.
’If I’m going to be a model, I might as well be a thorough one.’
"Sure!"
Yun Zijin sat down next to Lu Yunque and switched her phone to selfie mode.
"We have to get the lotus flowers in the background."
’I had him bring the boat to the middle of the lake specifically to get pictures of all these lotus flowers, not to take pictures of people.’
Lu Yunque wrapped an arm around Yun Zijin, pulling her against him. "Come a little closer, and you’ll get them in the shot."
Caught off guard, Yun Zijin was pulled into his embrace, her head bumping right against his chest. She instinctively looked up.
Just as she did, Lu Yunque lowered his head—and didn’t forget to press the shutter button.
Yun Zijin froze for a second, but a smile touched Lu Yunque’s lips. He took the phone from her hand to look at the candid shot.
’Hm, handsome man, beautiful woman. Not bad.’
"You cheated!"
Yun Zijin accused.
"Hm? Did I?"
"How did I never realize how shameless you are?"
Yun Zijin shot him a sidelong glance.
"Let’s take another one. I promise I won’t pull any more tricks."
After sending the photo to himself, Lu Yunque handed the phone back to Yun Zijin.
’I have the picture now, anyway. It’s no use if she deletes it later.’
Having secured that photo, Lu Yunque was obedient for the rest of the pictures, playing no more little tricks.
Lu Yunque chose a photo where only Yun Zijin’s side profile was visible and, for the first time in forever, posted it on his social media.
Yun Zijin didn’t notice Lu Yunque’s little maneuver. Once the photos were done, her mind went back to picking lotus flowers.
She didn’t want just any flower; she had the old boatman circle the lake until she could pick the one she deemed the most beautiful.
Before picking it, she took pictures from every angle. Only then did she take the shears—which the winery had prepared for her convenience—and with a SNIP, cut the lotus stem, along with a nearby leaf.
"I’m tired. Let’s go back."
Once she had her fun, Yun Zijin’s interest waned.
Back on shore, an attendant had already prepared wine for their tasting.
"Mr. Lu, Miss Yun, the wine is ready. This way, please."
Yun Zijin held up the lotus flower and leaf. "Could you get me a glass vase for this? Otherwise, it’ll wilt."
"Of course. I’ll arrange it at once. Please wait a moment."
No matter how ridiculous Yun Zijin’s requests were, the attendant could agree with a smile. He had clearly undergone very rigorous training.
The attendant led the way to a tranquil indoor tearoom, though it was currently being used for wine tasting.
Someone had already brought over the transparent glass vase Yun Zijin had just requested. "Miss Yun, the vase you asked for is ready. We’ve added some floral nutrient solution, and you can take it with you when you leave."
Yun Zijin nodded and placed the lotus flower and leaf into the vase.
After arranging them, Yun Zijin noticed that her hand was a little scratched from holding the rough stems.
Lu Yunque also saw the tiny, fine scratches on Yun Zijin’s outstretched hand. The skin wasn’t broken, but the sight was still unsettling.
"I wasn’t thinking. I should have helped you pick the flower. I’ll have someone bring some ointment."
"It’s fine. I’m the one who wanted to pick it. It’s just a tiny scratch; it’s not even bleeding."
"You wanted it to bleed? Give you an inch and you’ll take a mile!"
Lu Yunque gently poked Yun Zijin’s forehead, then had her sit down in a chair.
"I’ll have ointment sent over immediately. This was our oversight. As compensation, Mr. Lu may select an additional bottle of wine this year."
This was the first time a guest had asked to pick a lotus flower, so they were unprepared. They never imagined Miss Yun’s hands would be so delicate as to be scratched by the stems.
Since the consequence was due to their oversight, they would take responsibility.
Lu Yunque couldn’t care less about an extra bottle of wine; he just stared at Yun Zijin’s hand, his brow deeply furrowed.
Yun Zijin sat quiet as a mouse, waiting for the attendant to fetch the ointment. She gave Lu Yunque a wide-eyed, sparkling smile, hoping he’d drop the subject.
’It was just a little accident. I didn’t expect it to happen either.’
"Oh, you..."
Seeing her smile, Lu Yunque’s anger dissipated. He could only be angry with himself for not being more attentive and noticing the problem sooner.
Yun Zijin muttered under her breath, "You made your bed, now you have to lie in it."
Lu Yunque looked over at Yun Zijin. "Since you’re injured, you can’t drink today."
Yun Zijin: !!!
"No way! Look, by the time the ointment gets here, it’ll have healed on its own! You can’t forbid me from drinking over such a tiny scratch."
’It’s not that I’m a heavy drinker, but this is my first time trying wine from Dijin Winery. I have to at least see if it’s any good.’
’If it’s good, I’ll order a few bottles every year.’
Lu Yunque glanced down at her palm. ’...She’s not wrong.’
The attendant, who had just returned with the ointment, overheard Yun Zijin and froze, unsure if he should enter.
’If I go in, it’s like she said, the scratch is about to heal on its own. This seems pointless.’
’But if I don’t go in, I just said I was getting ointment. I can’t just disappear.’
After a moment of indecision, the attendant raised his hand and knocked.
"Come in."
Lu Yunque’s cool voice called from inside. The attendant pushed the door open and entered.
"I’ve brought antiseptic ointment, cotton swabs, and alcohol from the winery’s infirmary. Again, my sincerest apologies for the unpleasant experience, Miss Yun."
The attendant apologized yet again, making Yun Zijin feel a bit embarrassed herself.
’In the end, it was my own carelessness.’
"It’s alright, really. I wasn’t being careful. You don’t need to worry."
"You may leave us."
Lu Yunque, on the other hand, was unfazed. Dijin Winery was famous for its service, so the attendant’s attitude was perfectly normal.