Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Lotus Seeds Sprout When Watered

"You must couple with your spouse for the lotus seeds to sprout!"

"A spouse is someone whose scent is right. Go find them and you'll know!"

"Our clan is dying out, Lian Sheng... you are our clan's hope!"

The withered lotus pond was devoid of life, appearing desolate from both near and far. Black water overflowed, all the clan's lotuses were dark and withered, their spiritual energy devoured by an unknown tainted energy.

The clan elder said this was God's punishment.

The black water bubbled and gurgled, emitting a pungent odor. The elder clutched his chest, coughing up bloody foam. The blood droplets fell into the black water and were instantly corroded without a trace.

Shakily, the elder grabbed Lian Sheng's wrist, his palm emanating a dark aura: "Lian Sheng, only these five life-bound lotus seeds in your embrace remain. Until this tainted energy is eradicated, the Xianlian Clan will not prosper..."

"..."

On the sheltered walkway outside Jiangcheng Ren'ai Hospital, a golden-haired youth in a light green jacket ran swiftly. The youth looked about twenty, with strikingly bright green eyes, deep-set eye sockets, and a smooth facial structure. Though bearing a hint of youthful innocence, he radiated vibrant vitality.

He touched the five small lotus seeds that had taken form in his embrace. His eyes, as if holding scattered stars, gleamed with a faint light as he gazed ahead and ran faster.

For the sake of the Xianlian Clan, he would definitely find a spouse to activate the seeds and bring forth offspring!

He turned a corner at the end of the walkway. His jacket, shimmering with spiritual energy and clearly a magical transformation, fluttered in the air with his movement until he stopped before the window of a doctor's office.

He touched his fluffy golden hair, and in an instant, both he and the jacket vanished from the spot.

In the blink of an eye, a Little Lotus Pod quietly appeared among the flowerpots on the office windowsill.

Lian Sheng crouched behind a cactus in the pot, the lotus pod on his head swaying slightly. Dewdrops involuntarily dripped into the soil, a faint trace of spiritual energy reviving the nearly withered cactus.

However, the owner of this office, Doctor Cen Lin, did not notice these changes.

Sitting at the desk was a man in a white coat. His eyes were extremely dark, with narrow, elongated sockets. He always looked at people and things with little extra expression, making him hard to read. Lian Sheng had been observing him for over half a month and had never seen him initiate a conversation with anyone.

His fingertips were icy cold; sometimes just touching the cactus would make the cactus brother shiver and tremble. Then he would casually water it and return to work, burying his head in writing analyses.

Lian Sheng had seen him calm down agitated patients with a few words, and had seen him pinpoint the crux of an issue at a glance. The room was filled with thank-you banners from patients, creating too much olfactory interference, which was why Lian Sheng couldn't determine if Cen Lin was the person he was looking for.

The books on the shelves were neatly arranged, and the handles of the cups on the desk all faced the same direction.

Certificates and award plaques were displayed everywhere on the desk and in the cabinets behind. Though they looked nice, Lian Sheng didn't understand the purpose of such things.

They couldn't be eaten or worn.

"You have received an email."

An email suddenly popped up on Doctor Cen's computer. Cen Lin opened it, scanned the contents, paused for a long moment, and then replied: "Searching for the virus source. Will submit the data report as soon as possible."

"Knock knock—"

His junior apprentice came to report the situation. Cen Lin glanced at his watch, his brow slightly furrowed: "You are one minute and thirty-five seconds late."

Wen Yushan immediately bowed his head: "I'm sorry! Teacher Cen, I..."

Oh no... Teacher Cen hates tardiness the most...

"Begin your report." Cen Lin finally spoke after a long pause.

Wen Yushan felt as if granted amnesty and hurriedly began his report. When stepping forward to point out details in the document, he inadvertently patted Cen Lin's arm. Cen Lin's brow instantly furrowed tightly. He sidestepped to avoid it and even took out a handkerchief to wipe the spot that had been touched.

He looked up and said, "It's not directed at you. Don't overthink it."

Wen Yushan nodded.

Of course he knew... Teacher Cen had a bit of an obsession with cleanliness...

After the minor incident, the report continued. After listening, Cen Lin merely gave a cold nod. "Well done."

Over by the flowerpot, Lian Sheng's legs had gone numb from crouching. He shifted slightly to adjust his posture when suddenly his foot slipped. Uncontrollably, he tumbled with a "thud" into the cup on the desk.

Ah! Hot hot hot hot! So hot!

The moment Lian Sheng fell into the cup, he instantly manifested his human form. Clutching his butt, he transformed back into a person and scurried frantically around the consultation room.

His golden hair was still dotted with water droplets from the cup. As he ran, the droplets flew everywhere, splashing onto Cen Lin's white coat. Cen Lin's obsession with cleanliness flared up instantly. He was about to reprimand him when he saw the boy with red-rimmed eyes clutching his buttocks. The scolding on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back.

But even so, Cen Lin's brow remained tightly furrowed. His eyes, which seemed to hold millennia of unmelted ice and snow, gradually tinged with a trace of anger: "Who are you? What kind of trouble are you causing?"

The junior apprentice beside him, Wen Yushan, scratched his head: Huh? What's going on? Did a fantasy TV drama just become real?

Lian Sheng rubbed the scalded spot, blinked his large, round, emerald-green eyes, and said, "Wh jios semo, domi bano!"

Junior apprentice Wen Yushan: "?"

Then he scratched his head and muttered, "What language is that? Sounds like bird calls or a tongue twister..."

Cen Lin frowned: "...What?"

"Wh... I'm not causing trouble. I'm also here to see a doctor... to ask for your help..." Lian Sheng suddenly realized this was human territory; they didn't understand Lotus Language. He hurriedly clumsily brought out the human language he had taught himself.

Moreover, his scalded butt... was still exposed to everyone's view. Cen Lin frowned, the tips of his ears already slightly reddening. "Hurry up and find something... to cover yourself!"

The Little Lotus Pod unconsciously nodded its head twice, retracted the swaying lotus pod on its head, untied its jacket, and tied it around its waist.

Wen Yushan couldn't bear to look.

Cen Lin watched Lian Sheng coldly, seemingly deep in thought.

Lian Sheng hopped down, carefully placed the dew like a treasure offering on the desk, and then placed the lotus seeds on his desk. "Doctor, do you eat lotus seeds?"

Cen Lin: "No."

Lian Sheng: "Doctor, do you have a Daoist companion?"

Cen Lin: "..."

Lian Sheng: "Become my Daoist companion, and you can have five babies in one birth!"

Cen Lin glanced at the lotus pod that occasionally popped up on Lian Sheng's head due to unstable spiritual energy. His heart sank, and he made a decisive judgment: Delusional disorder patient, requires medication and psychological intervention.

He didn't touch the items, merely pointed towards the door. "Lotus seeds for medicine are acceptable. Those that have become spirits are not. Exit, turn left to the pharmacy."

"No need, I'm a Celestial Lotus. I basically never get sick!" Lian Sheng smiled and hopped closer. "Doctor Cen, I know you. You're the most capable person in this hospital. I've heard so many people praise your skills these past few days!"

Cen Lin adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses, which gleamed with a cold light.

He slowly adjusted his expression to a relatively gentle one, deliberately suppressing the aloofness in his eyes. His fingertips unconsciously brushed against the edge of the medical record. “Where are your family? Call someone to take you home.”

“Doctor Cen, you…” Lian Sheng lowered his gaze. “Do you disdain me? I have no family left. I’m the only ‘Little Lotus Pod’ who survived. Only a few elders and I remain in the clan…”

Cen Lin silently pressed his fingers against his temples, his thumb pressing against his throbbing temple. This delusion even included a complete “family background.”

…The symptoms were more severe than he had initially judged.

Cen Lin didn’t engage further with the delusion about the “family background.” As he stood up, the hem of his white coat swept past the edge of the desk, bringing a slight chill. His tone was cold and devoid of fluctuation. “First, come with me to the duty room. I’ll contact security to take you to the police station. They can help you locate those elders you mentioned.”

He reached out to grab Lian Sheng’s arm. Just as his hand touched the other’s sleeve, the few round lotus seeds on the corner of the desk suddenly rolled down with a soft *tap*. One of them, as if it had grown legs, struck the back of his hand.

A moment later, before Cen Lin could react, the little lotus seed suddenly emitted an intensely clear and vivid lotus fragrance, instantly flooding his nostrils.

It wasn’t like the faint scent found in flower shops, but the fresh, dew-dampened aroma of newly bloomed lotuses, laced with a subtle sweetness—permeating the entire office.

Even stranger, the lotus seed felt as though it contained a miniature heating pad, rolling warmly in his palm. The heat crept up his forearm through his blood vessels, actually warming his perpetually cold fingertips.

The lotus seed had fallen. Lian Sheng was terrified. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled on hands and knees to retrieve the seeds—but the one that had rolled into Cen Lin’s hand seemed rooted there, impossible to dislodge no matter how hard he tried.

He grew so anxious tears nearly spilled. He lunged forward and grabbed Cen Lin’s white coat. “Doctor, please don’t move! That’s my… my lifeblood!”

The young intern Wen Yushan beside them widened his eyes in shock.

You can’t just say things like that!

Meanwhile, protagonist Cen Lin’s body instantly stiffened. His obsessive need for cleanliness nearly made him lose his temper—but just as his fingertips brushed the youth’s hand, the lotus seed in his pocket suddenly flared hot.

The lotus seed was warm, yet its spiritual energy pulsed erratically. Extremely faint black specks dotted its surface—indistinct for now.

“Ahh!” Lian Sheng lunged forward, both hands clutching Cen Lin’s wrist, his eyes blazing with such intensity they seemed ready to emit light. “The lotus seed has recognized its master! The elders said: only when the scent aligns with its destined mate will the lotus seed grow warm and emit its fragrance! Doctor Cen—you’re the one I’ve been searching for!”

Frowning, Cen Lin glanced at his own sleeve, tugged insistently by the other. His expression abruptly turned icy. With a flicker of disdain, he withdrew a handkerchief, used it as a barrier, seized the back of Lian Sheng’s collar, and carried him out the door like a chick. When releasing him, he deliberately shifted sideways half an inch—to avoid the sharp corner of the doorframe. Lian Sheng only stumbled slightly upon landing.

“Nonsense. Calm yourself.”

Afterward, he deposited the lotus seed onto the desk, his voice even colder.

As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and called security. “Third-floor consultation room. There’s a special patient requiring assistance. Escort him to the nearest police station to locate his family. Then remind his family that the patient requires medication and psychological intervention therapy.”

“Ouch!” After being tossed out, Lian Sheng landed hard on his rear end, grimacing in pain. He instinctively rubbed his stinging bottom. The little lotus pod atop his head drooped listlessly.

This man is utterly heartless!

Glancing at the lotus seed that had rolled away, then lifting his gaze to Cen Lin’s cold, unyielding profile, his eye rims instantly reddened. Yet he still chased after him, seized the hem of his white coat, and pleaded plaintively: “I’m not causing trouble! The lotus seed wouldn’t lie to me! Doctor Cen—touch it again! The elders said: as long as I’m with my destined mate, the lotus seed embryo will activate, safely nurtured within my belly—and I’ll give birth to lotus seed babies…”

His voice startled colleagues from the adjacent department. Everyone turned curiously. Seeing Lian Sheng tugging at Cen Lin’s sleeve hem, they couldn’t help but draw a sharp, collective breath.

“Hiss—”

Where did this kid come from? Far too bold. Doesn’t he know Doctor Cen is notoriously cold-hearted, emotionally detached—and obsessively clean?

Cen Lin endured it for a long time—then finally snapped. He seized that small hand, shoved it away, and once again gripped the back of Lian Sheng’s collar, tossing him out.

Yet unlike last time, this toss was marginally gentler.

Security guard Liu soon arrived upstairs. Pushing the door open, he found the two locked in stalemate. He glanced first at Lian Sheng, then at Cen Lin. “Doctor Cen—this… shall I take him away?”

“Go ahead.” Cen Lin waved dismissively, his back turned—but his peripheral vision inevitably flickered toward the doorway, catching sight of the youth with red-rimmed eyes, clinging desperately to the hem of his white coat.

The moment the security guard’s hand touched Lian Sheng’s arm, he recoiled as if burned—yet never released his death grip on Cen Lin’s coat hem. His knuckles whitened with strain. His voice thickened with unshed tears. “Doctor Cen! The little lotus seed truly recognizes you! If we don’t activate it soon, they’ll die…”

Rising onto his tiptoes, he shouted, “Doctor Cen! The lotus seed will wait for you! Touch it—you’ll know I’m telling the truth!”

His eyes shone with naive urgency and unwavering conviction.

The security guard’s eyes widened.

What nonsense is this kid spouting?

Cen Lin pressed his aching temples, his headache intensifying. He placed his fingertips against Lian Sheng’s forehead and pushed—applying just enough force to keep him upright, without toppling backward. “Take him away. Now.”

“Doctor Cen! Doctor Cen—”

Cen Lin watched the light-green figure being gently coaxed and guided out the door by the security guard. The office door clicked shut, gradually muffling the youth’s cries from outside. Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze.

Subconsciously, he raised his hand, his fingertips softly rubbing the palm still tingling from the lotus seed’s warmth. The residual heat lingered—and even the spaces between his fingers held a faint, nearly dissipated lotus fragrance.

His gaze dropped downward. The lotus seed he’d placed back on the desk corner lay motionless, its shell emitting a faint bluish glow, perfectly still.

He pressed his temples, attempting to categorize “the heated lotus seed” and “the clear, intense lotus fragrance” as meticulously fabricated delusional details.

But the lingering warmth on his fingertips—and the image of Lian Sheng, eyes red-rimmed yet tearless, gripping his coat hem—kept replaying in his mind.

Unconsciously, he touched the warmth still pulsing in his palm. Staring at the lotus seed on the desk corner for a moment, he frowned in distaste—yet carefully avoided the dust on the desk surface, tucking the seed into the inner pocket of his white coat, as though fearing it might gather dust, wanting to return it pristine.

When he picked it up, the lotus seed remained warm—not scalding, but like it cradled a miniature sun, warming his perpetually cold palm.

After a pause, he pulled a psychiatry textbook from the bookshelf. His fingertips paused on the cover, then flipped to the section on delusional disorder.

*Patients often experience visual and auditory hallucinations; genuine abnormal bodily sensations are rare…*

He stared at the word “rare” for a long time—then recalled the unmistakable, searing warmth in his palm. His Adam’s apple moved almost imperceptibly. When he closed the book, his fingertips pressed hard.

Afterward, he retrieved the lotus seed. From the drawer, he took a piece of damp cotton and carefully wiped its shell.

As if searching for traces of perfume—or a microscopic heat-generating component. But after wiping and holding it close to his nose, the fragrance had faded—yet the warmth in his palm persisted, deepening instead, as though his hand were soaked in warm water, the heat creeping from between his fingers up toward his wrist.

He shook his head and sighed softly.

He resumed holding his pen, analyzing the medical record. He’d just written two characters when his hand hovered over the page for an extended silence—motionless. His gaze grew fixed. After a long while, he stopped, set down the pen, and tightly gripped his palm—lost in thought.

Why had the lotus seed’s temperature grown even milder than before?

*Ding ding…*

But just as he lifted the pen again, his phone rang. The caller ID read: North Sea Branch.

“Mr. Cen? The youth you brought in this afternoon has refused to speak—only repeating your name, insisting you’re his family. Could you please come over for a routine inquiry?”

When Cen Lin arrived at the police station, he found the blond youth curled up on a bench in the corridor, his eye sockets red and swollen, his fingertips still clutching half a lotus leaf—source unknown.

A policewoman approached and sighed. “We can’t get his address or family details. He insists only on you.”

Cen Lin said nothing, walking straight toward Lian Sheng.

The youth’s ears twitched—and he jerked his head up. The moisture in his eyes made others’ eyes sting. Clutched tightly in his arms was a lotus seed, faintly glowing. He didn’t rush forward—only rose slowly to his feet. His voice was hoarse and trembling, his nose tip red. He raised the lotus seed toward Cen Lin, shaking it pleadingly: “Look—it’s dimmed… The elders said: if the lotus seed withers and dies, I may wither away too…”

As he spoke, a tear plopped onto the lotus seed, instantly absorbed by it, and the seed shone a little brighter.

Cen Lin swallowed hard. The lingering warmth in his palm suddenly felt distinct, and he caught another whiff of that clear, sharp lotus fragrance. He abruptly remembered Lian Sheng’s red-rimmed eyes that hadn’t shed a tear.

After a long silence, he first contacted the shelter, only to learn they couldn’t take anyone in for the time being. He bent down, his fingertips just brushing the boy’s cool arm, when the lotus seed in Lian Sheng’s embrace suddenly emitted a faint greenish glow, scalding his fingers and making them twitch.

Cen Lin froze, watching the light spark in the boy’s eyes. Reluctantly, he forced out a few words: “Come back to the hospital with me.”

He reached out to pull Lian Sheng, only to see a lotus-shaped white light materialize in the boy’s palm, pressing tightly against his own. Warmth spread up through his veins.

Hotter than it had been in the consultation room.

Even more baffling, the remaining lotus seeds on Lian Sheng suddenly trembled violently. The faint trace of dark energy (black qi) on their shells, like something alive, crept halfway up his wrist.

Frowning, he reflexively clenched the seed in his grip. He acted on reflex, pulling Lian Sheng half a step behind him, shielding the boy from the female officer’s probing gaze.

Author’s Note

A wish made at the start of this story: I don’t want to finish this book in utter silence. Even gaining just two new followers a day would be enough—as long as it’s not a solo performance. My expectations really aren’t high. For me, even one new follower brings me joy. I don’t want to experience the loneliness of playing to an empty room again.