Chapter 875: Borrowing Flowers to Present to the Buddha

Teacher Sun’s seat was excellent: a large birch table by the window. On its corner sat a pot of orchids, which unfortunately had no buds, even in late autumn.

He Lingchuan reached out and picked up the orchid pot. "Make way!" he declared.

Sun Fuling folded her arms, intending to see what trick he was up to. Instead, she watched him pull one small, exquisite doll after another from his storage ring. Each doll was intricately detailed; the peach petals on their hairpins were no bigger than sesame seeds, yet their folds were clearly visible.

He didn’t just have dolls; there were also background settings of mountains, rivers, pavilions, and forests.

Once he had arranged them, it formed a complete scene: over a dozen handsome miniature figures on a spring outing, occupying half the desk.

"Oh, there's more!" He tinkered for a moment, and then a small well in the background began to emit white smoke, making the miniature woodland appear ethereal.

Dry ice, of course—not hard to get.

Sun Fuling half-covered her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. "Where did these come from?"

"They're Bayga dolls, brought across the ocean and landed at White Sand Bay. There are people in Bayga who specialize in this, with entire rooms dedicated to creating miniature landscapes…" He cleared his throat, realizing he had rambled. He Lingchuan paid close attention to her expression. "Well, do you like them?"

Her face slowly flushed, but she mumbled, "It's for children..."

Just then, two female teachers passed by. Upon seeing the doll display, they exclaimed, "Wow, they're beautiful!"

"Each one is so expensive. What's the occasion today? Teacher Sun, you're so fortunate!" The first day Commander He arrived in Yuheng City, he made a point of strolling around the academy with Teacher Sun, ensuring everyone, young and old, saw them. Now, who didn't know they were a couple?

These two teachers were perceptive; after exchanging a few polite words with He Lingchuan, they quickly left, not wanting to intrude.

Only the two of them remained at the table, looking at each other. Sun Fuling unconsciously picked up a small doll and gently caressed it. "Where did you get these? Don't tell me you bought them."

"If I didn't buy them, did I steal them?" He pointed to his nose. "Do I look like a street ruffian?"

Sun Fuling chuckled. "To me, you look like a ruffian boss, bullying the innocent and dominating the market."

Indeed, the current He Lingchuan possessed that capability.

He took her hand and gently pulled her closer. Seriously, he said, "I can also bully men and women, so I beg the teacher to sacrifice herself for my education." With that, he leaned in.

Sun Fuling quickly covered his mouth. "Someone's watching from outside the window!" she whispered.

He Lingchuan glanced out of the corner of his eye and indeed saw several small children peering from the windowsill, grinning at them.

"Let's go eat," Sun Fuling said, gently pushing him away. "I'm hungry."

"Aren't you afraid the dolls will be stolen?" He asked. The dolls were openly displayed on the desk, and children were constantly coming and going.

Sun Fuling stated casually, "They wouldn't dare."

He Lingchuan gave a thumbs-up. "Teacher, you're formidable!"

"What are you talking about?" Sun Fuling rolled her eyes at him. "Seriously, where did you get these?"

"A hideout where river pirates fence stolen goods."

Sun Fuling was startled. "Inside Yuheng City?"

"Yes, on Putiao Street."

"Those guys are incredibly bold," Sun Fuling said, pulling him toward the academy's exit. "By the way, this morning, as I passed the government office, I saw Mr. Wen storming out in a rage. I greeted him, but he didn't even hear me. What happened?"

Wen Daolun was always a gentle and refined gentleman; he rarely lost his composure like that.

He Lingchuan cleared his throat. "Mr. Wen and I… disagree on a matter. It's nothing serious."

Sun Fuling glanced at him. "What outrageous thing are you planning this time?"

"Not really," He Lingchuan chuckled. "We just have different opinions on how to deal with the Takikawa bandit problem."

During their meeting this morning, he had presented his ideas to Wen Daolun.

Both agreed that the Takikawa river bandits needed to be divided and neutralized. The bandit group was complex; the majority were local Takikawa residents, while the foreign Xiji puppet army constituted a minority. The two factions were already diverging in their attitudes toward the Yuheng City army.

However, He Lingchuan proposed further appeasement measures for the bandits. Once he finished explaining his plan, it drew strong opposition from Wen Daolun.

"Nonsense!" Wen Daolun, usually mild-mannered, shook his head repeatedly after hearing the plan. "They've killed our Yuheng City soldiers, and Commander He intends to make significant concessions to these bandits? Aren't you afraid of enraging the military and the populace?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures; this isn't the time for slow, gentle approaches," He Lingchuan insisted. "With Jin Tao and Bayga stirring up trouble behind the scenes, this matter can't be handled conventionally. While Takikawa is in internal turmoil, we should quickly win people over."

The course of action he had decided upon required Wen Daolun's authorization.

Communication between Yuheng City's two top leaders—civil and military—was essential.

Finally, Wen Daolun said, "I will report this to Commander Zhong and let him decide."

Even he couldn't make up his mind.

Sun Fuling wouldn't rashly inquire about important military or political matters. Instead, she just asked He Lingchuan, "Do you already have a plan to deal with the Takikawa river bandits?"

"I have a preliminary idea, but its effectiveness remains to be seen."

"You mentioned Bayga is also involved. This must be very complicated, right?"

"Complexity has its advantages."

"Oh?" Sun Fuling's interest was piqued. "What advantages does complexity offer?"

He Lingchuan, however, looked at her and chuckled, "What's in it for me if I tell you?"

It should be a give-and-take, right? He had already given his gift.

Sun Fuling grumbled, "Hoarding your treasure!"

"It's not a perfect idea, but..."

But what? He stopped talking again.

Sun Fuling knew he wouldn't act without a clear advantage.

The two passed a high wall, beside which stood an artfully twisted rock garden. In front of it, several jujube trees, nearly stripped of their leaves, provided a screen. Sun Fuling glanced around, saw no one, and pulled him behind the rock garden.

Two orioles chirped as they flew over, intending to snap off a few branches, but they were drawn by the sounds from behind the rock garden.

They tilted their heads for a moment, then a small stone flew out, hitting a tree trunk with a thud.

Startled, the birds squawked and flew away.

A short while later, Sun Fuling emerged first, perfectly neat from her hair to her clothes, though her normally pale, pretty face was now flushed.

He Lingchuan followed, hands clasped behind his back, strolling out with a swagger, feeling remarkably cheerful.

"Why were we being so secretive?" he wondered. Was he not presentable? Besides, from his angle, Miss Sun's eyes had been sparkling; surely anyone sensible could have guessed what was happening?

It was quite revealing!

Sun Fuling shot him a look. "This is an academy!"

He Lingchuan's face showed dawning realization. "Teacher's modesty!"

Sun Fuling reached under his arm, grabbed a pinch of skin, and twisted it 180 degrees in both directions.

"Hiss—!" *Teacher's grip is getting stronger, isn't it?*

"So, the answer?" Sun Fuling looked up at him, smiling sweetly, but He Lingchuan detected the underlying menace.

He dared not prolong the teasing. "The more complex people's hearts are, the harder it is to lead a team; the more complex a situation is—"

"Yes?"

"—the easier it is to sell out your teammates," He Lingchuan chuckled. "If Fu Shanlie were to subdue the Takikawa river bandits first, *that* would be Yuheng City's real trouble."