C21 Ghost Handprint

As Yun Chen's hands grazed the shore, he sensed a piercing gaze locked onto him.

Confused, Yun Chen couldn't resist looking up.

To his surprise, Lin Chuxia was glaring at him, eyes blazing with fury.

Yun Chen grew even more bewildered, wondering if perhaps she was a little out of her depth.

After all, he had just saved her, yet her stare was unnervingly fierce.

Perplexed, Yun Chen met Lin Chuxia's gaze and inquired, "What's with that look?"

His face was the picture of innocence, his voice laden with bewilderment, all signaling his sense of injustice.

Lin Chuxia burst into tears out of sheer frustration!

She was convinced she had never encountered such an infuriating man in all her years.

Not only had he been unsympathetic, but he had also blatantly ignored her, which was utterly exasperating!

Yun Chen was taken aback. Why on earth was she crying? This woman was truly bizarre!

"But hey, it's not my problem. Cry if you must!"

With a shrug, Yun Chen hurriedly clambered onto dry land; the water was rather chilly.

At that moment, the crowd gathered around.

They might not have witnessed Yun Chen's skirmish with the Water Ghost, but they were aware that he had indeed rescued someone from drowning.

As eyes shifted to the rescued individual, a collective gasp rose, "Look! It's Lin Chuxia!"

Following the gasps, the crowd got a clear view of Lin Chuxia's face, and the atmosphere instantly electrified.

"Let me see, let me see! It really is her!"

"Wow, she's gorgeous! Lin Chuxia, I love you!"

"Goddess! Goddess!"

"…"

The crowd erupted into a cacophony of cheers.

Only a few girls familiar with Lin Chuxia hurried to cover her drenched form with their jackets.

Meanwhile, Yun Chen had been squeezed to the fringes of the crowd and thoroughly ignored.

Pushed to the outskirts, Yun Chen shrugged in resignation and approached Shen Siyu, who was still in a daze. Without a word, he tapped her on the head.

"Mr. Yun, why did you hit me?"

Siyu finally came to her senses and pouted unhappily.

Yun Chen couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, feigning annoyance. "Why aren't you staying put in the hotel? What brought you here? If I hadn't arrived just in time, today could have ended in disaster!"

"Ah? Oh, right, Chuxia!"

After hearing Yun Chen's words, Siyu seemed to suddenly remember something important, let out a gasp, and then darted into the crowd, likely in search of Lin Chuxia.

Once again, Yun Chen was left standing alone.

Watching Lin Chuxia ignore his advice, Yun Chen shook his head in resignation and made his way back to the hotel.

His clothes were soaked through; he needed to get to the hotel quickly to change into a fresh set.

Just then, Wang Dadao caught up with him, clapping Yun Chen on the shoulder with an envious tone. "Well done! You played the hero today, saving the beauty—and not just any beauty, but the school's beloved Lin Chuxia!"

Yun Chen just smirked and responded, "I would have saved anyone."

Yun Chen wasn't lying. Anyone with a bit of knowledge in Tao Arts wouldn't stand idly by in the face of a Water Ghost!

Especially not Yun Chen, with his mastery of the advanced Tao Arts of the Three Pure Deities.

But Wang Dadao looked skeptical and teased him, "I bet you've been secretly pining for Lin Chuxia for ages, and that's why you didn't hesitate to dive in and rescue her!"

"Come on, admit it! Are you planning to use this as leverage to get Beauty Lin to offer herself to you in gratitude?"

Wang Dadao's face twisted into an even more lecherous grin as he spoke.

"Can't be bothered with you..."

Yun Chen rolled his eyes, dismissing the conversation and heading straight for the hotel, leaving Wang Dadao behind, snickering to himself.

...

At six in the evening, Yun Chen had finished packing and was ready to head out for dinner.

But just then, there was a knock at his door.

Opening it, Yun Chen was surprised to find Siyu and Lin Chuxia standing there.

Siyu was staring intently at Yun Chen, while Lin Chuxia's face was unreadable.

Taken aback, Yun Chen invited them in, "Please, come in!"

Upon entering, Lin Chuxia immediately expressed her gratitude, "Yun Chen, I must thank you for saving me today! If there's anything you need, just let me know. I'll make sure to fulfill it if it's within my power."

Despite her displeasure with Yun Chen's rough handling in throwing her ashore earlier that day, he had, after all, saved her life. Lin Chuxia felt it was only right to thank him.

After settling everything at the hotel, she brought Shen Siyu, who had stayed by her side, to convey her thanks to Yun Chen.

Yun Chen was touched by Lin Chuxia's words. He was tempted to ask for her first kiss to complete his system mission. Yet, he knew that making such a request could tarnish his image in her eyes forever, potentially ruining his chance to win her favor.

So, with a generous gesture, Yun Chen dismissed the need for thanks, saying, "Let it go. Saving a life is more virtuous than building a seven-tiered pagoda. No need for gratitude—I'm just doing the right thing!"

At his words, Shen Siyu chimed in, "Chuxia, I told you, Mr. Yun is a really good person! He would never exploit the situation!"

Lin Chuxia nodded, her features softening as a smile graced her face.

But Yun Chen couldn't help himself and gave Shen Siyu a firm tap on the head, demanding sternly, "You still haven't explained what you were doing there this afternoon?"

Siyu looked a bit annoyed but explained, "I heard your class was going rafting, so I convinced Chuxia to join us for some fun!"

"Who could have guessed that just as we got to the lake, Chuxia would somehow end up falling in!"

A shiver of fear crossed Siyu's face as she recounted the incident, clearly relieved that they had averted a disaster.

Yun Chen was at a loss for words, realizing that he was being partly blamed for Lin Chuxia's fall into the lake.

Then, Lin Chuxia suddenly added, "Today, as Siyu and I approached the lake, I should have been safe. But then, I felt someone push me!"

"Even if I had fallen into the water, I can swim, so drowning was out of the question."

"But..."

At that moment, a flicker of terror crossed Lin Chuxia's face.

Yun Chen had a sudden insight and instantly grasped what Lin Chuxia was about to disclose.

Indeed, Lin Chuxia, her complexion ashen, whispered, "I tried to swim to shore when I fell in."

"But just then, it felt like something in the water grabbed my foot and started pulling me down."

"The thing pulling me was incredibly strong. I swallowed a lot of water quickly, and my consciousness started to blur..."

While speaking, Lin Chuxia rolled up her pant leg to reveal her calf.

Yun Chen and Shen Siyu gasped at the sight of the dark palm print on Lin Chuxia's fair skin.

"Ah!"

Shen Siyu cried out in alarm.

Yun Chen's brow furrowed as he muttered, "Ghost handprint!"

"Ghost handprint? What's that?" Lin Chuxia asked, puzzled by Yun Chen's remark.

Shen Siyu, standing nearby, turned pale and said fearfully, "Mr. Yun, could there actually be a Water Ghost?"

Surprised by her reaction, Yun Chen asked, "How do you know about the Water Ghost?"

Realization dawned in Shen Siyu's wide eyes as she grasped Yun Chen's implication—there truly was a Water Ghost!

"So, when you rescued Chuxia today, I saw everything!"

"And I heard screams coming from the depths of the pond. They must have been from the Water Ghost!"

Yun Chen had an epiphany!

In his rush to save her, he hadn't considered Shen Siyu's presence and had used the Tao Arts to wound the Water Ghost, not anticipating that Shen Siyu would witness the entire event.

Meanwhile, Lin Chuxia, overhearing the exchange between Yun Chen and Shen Siyu, turned deathly pale!

The memory of something gripping her ankle and yanking her down into the water's depths was especially terrifying!

Despite her previous skepticism about spirits, Lin Chuxia couldn't help but believe now.

Consequently, she turned her gaze to Yun Chen, her voice quivering slightly as she spoke, "What can I do about the ghost handprint on my leg?"