Teacher Zhou Lin

The day after Suyin and Qin Fuhua's conversation and night drinking together, Suyin didn't realize that she had fallen asleep. The last thing she recalled was the face of Qin Fuhua snoozing across from her.

The sunray was radiating light through the window. Luckily, the thin, white cloth was obscuring the sun's rays, enough for Suyin to sleep soundly. Birds were chirping and Areum and Wu Fei strode back and forth in the corridor near Suyin's room, doing chores.

Suyin slowly opened her eyes, blinking twice before she recognized that she was resting on the bed. Gradually getting up, she yawned, stretching out her arms.

Areum heard Suyin's yawning voice, instantly ceasing her chores as she carefully slid the door open.

She glanced inside, catching Suyin.

"My lady, are you feeling better?" She asked, making sure that Suyin didn't have a headache.

"No. Thanks for bringing me back here," Suyin replied. For sure it was Areum and Wu Fei who assisted her to bring her back inside the room. Otherwise, Suyin would have been dozing outside.

It was odd though.

She felt like she was dreaming. The night before, she touched someone's broad chest, before wrapping her arms around them. Maybe it was purely a dream and nothing more. It felt so real but so unrealistic at the same time.

Wu Fei giggled as Areum shushed her, in case they would get in trouble with Qin Fuhua.

"Um. We didn't bring you in, but you're welcome ~" Areum replied happily, implying that it wasn't them two who carried her inside.

A little bit confused at Areum's reply, Suyin still felt a bit groggy.

"Areum, Wu Fei."

The two turned to Suyin's attention.

"Can you get the bath ready? I'm going to get dressed to talk to someone."

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As noted from the day before, it was pure chaos in the scholar's courtyard.

The scholar's courtyard was a large area made specifically for all of the younger and inexperienced scholars. This comprised people who wanted to help the Palace with education, medicine, etiquette, history, and plenty of other categories in the Palace. This courtyard was enough to fit everyone comfortably without any trouble.

Only today, it was unlike any other. Some rumors circulated around the day before about the Prince of Qin holding hands with another man.

Suyin, dressed up as a man (again), entered the courtyard. Only, this time, multiple of the scholars were either bundled up together, carrying scrolls of paper and conversing with each other at the side.

Suyin did not want to attract any attention if the scholars knew that she was a girl since it would cause a commotion (like her reveal). Also, it would be comfortable for her to dress up as a man so that she wouldn't stand out as much.

Little did she know that everyone halted to look at her as she entered the courtyard.

During this time, the procedure of selecting new students to become medicine men in the Palace was still ongoing. Their last round was at the front of the scholar's courtyard and Suyin had walked in the middle of their contest.

Yuan Fu, one of the last contestants, and a friend of Suyin perked up, upon catching her.

Everyone's eyes laid on Suyin. The teachers and scholars alike immediately glimpsed at her as she approached the courtyard.

"P-Pay attention to what you're doing!" one of the teachers shouted at the scholars.

Their heads instantly went back down, to concentrate on the last round of their competition. The other students, who strolled in and out of the manor had ceased to take a glance at Suyin.

The scholars knew when a cloth is used plenty of times,* so the sight of Suyin was apparent to them.

(* This meant that they knew that she was a new person around there since they'd seen mostly all of the other students or know their faces).

The teachers dare to not look at Suyin, particularly the one who had disciplined her. Their eyes darted away from hers, dodging eye contact with her until she walked up to them.

"Is there a possible chance that Teacher Zhou Lin is present?" Suyin questioned one of the teachers that weren't grading in the competition.

"He isn't here right now, but it's possible--oh!"

Teacher Zhou Lin entered the gates, along with two other students who followed behind him. Zhou Lin peeked at Suyin and was about to leave but stopped his steps after realizing it was her.

"Ah. You're here." Teacher Zhou Lin softly expressed. Suyin lowered her head to Teacher Zhou Lin, greeting him.

"I would like to talk to you if you don't mind," Suyin replied.

Teacher Zhou Lin nodded, with a friendly smile on his face. "You may go." He instructed the two students as they walked off to the manor.

"Let's go inside, shall we?" Teacher Zhou Lin suggested.

"Of course, you first," Suyin spoke.

Everyone around them was astonished at their interaction. As if they have known each other for so long, their conversation seemed comfortable*. None of the students dared to speak to Teacher Zhou Lin, since he was a mentor to them all.

Although Teacher Zhou Lin did not like to be known as a "Mentor" to them, he advised them to call him Teacher instead.

The scholars and teachers favorably admired this man. He was the legendary medicine man who mended the King's strange sickness when times were rough.

During a harsh war in the past, this Doctor was the one who remedied half of their wound and the other half of their strange illnesses. He was once a Doctor, but now he is a Teacher.

The amount of humbleness that this man has and the endless wisdom that he brought to the students were respected by all.

Everyone (the scholars and teachers) then continued minding their business.

Before Suyin left, she spun around to Yuan Fu and brought both of her hands together, mouthing, "You can do it!" before heading into the manor.

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The two entered the Scholar's Hall, a familiar scene from the previous night before. Suyin was a bit anxious, but for some weird reason, it felt as if she's conversed and met with Teacher Zhou Lin before.

As the two sat down across from each other, he requested one of the servants (who works in the manor) to serve them tea. Suyin grinned, her head lowering in a shy way before the Teacher reached her.

"Young Miss."

Suyin, a bit startled by him calling her that, glanced up at him. He laughed at her reaction.

"Your name. It is Suyin, is it not?" He questioned.

"Yes, that's my name." She replied, smiling back at him with embarrassment. "Ah, you idiot." She said to herself in her head.

"I see that you are dressed up as a male again. Is there a problem with the others (scholars) again?" He questioned, concerned about her.

It was fascinating. Suyin was taken aback at his question. She would've thought that he would be like the others, assuming that women shouldn't do more than they are mandated to do so.

"I... just didn't want to cause any problems coming in here again." She added. "I..Ah!" The main reason why she wanted to come back was that she was hoping that Yuan Fu wouldn't get eliminated because of her.

"I... I know this is too late but..." Suyin stood up directly and bowed to the ground in front of Teacher Zhou Lin. "Please don't eliminate Yuan Fu due to him working with me!" She implored.

Teacher Zhou Lin was staggered by Suyin's actions. He could only look at her dumbfounded before snapping back to reality.

"Aiyah." He reacted.

He was an old man, about the age 70 and it seems like his age was getting to him... slowly. "And here I thought that you came to ask to be a student of mine." He spoke in dissatisfaction.

He took a big sigh, but then smiled at Suyin, observing her.

"Please don't do that to someone old like me. Get up and look at me." Teacher Zhou Lin softly expressed.

Suyin responded, getting up.

He held her shoulders softly, sitting her down next to him.

"I know it sounds odd, but it feels as if I've seen you. Young Miss, is there a possible chance that I know you or your family?" He questioned.

Suyin didn't want to tell him that she was initially from the Long Kingdom, so she had to lie.

"No, my parents are gone already. It is just me." She responded. "They were gone a long, time ago." It felt true, though. Her parents often restrained her and the betrayal she felt her parents selling her off to an old man.

"Well... Young Miss. You don't have to worry about Yuan Fu's elimination. I already see that he has the potential to be a great medical man." he replied. "And for once, in my life, I haven't seen anyone with capabilities like you" He spoke.

"Someone like you, you can find a response quickly. After the round in the sickly court, like your recommendation to expose sunlight and administer as many fluids as we could, our patients are gradually getting better with the turmeric tea." He was impressed at Suyin's intuition and knowledge. "Tell me, did anyone teach you?" He asked.

Suyin shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I just learned from..." Suyin had to think for a second to learn how to put the words together.* "I secretly read medical books from a small clinic near me when I was younger." Suyin was able to make up something out of nothing.

(*This is because she came from the future with so much knowledge, so it would clearly be hard for her to explain her schooling and her background).

"Ah. As I have told you earlier, you are welcome to come here to learn from me if you'd like, young Miss. Although we do not allow any women in the courtyard, you are an exception. If the orders do not comply with it, I will be by your side to help you as well as the Prince of Qin." Teacher Zhou Lin remarked.

He showed great admiration for Suyin, and it was this that made him wonder where she came from... out of nowhere to here in the Palace.

It was no wonder that the Prince of Qin took a fondness for Suyin because of her character, wisdom, and courage for coming here in the first place.

Something that many people wished they have... even a third of it.

"I appreciate your offer. I will take it to mind." Suyin smiled at him.

There was hope that she could actually learn from him in her heart, but she knew that deep down, she would cause a problem here due to her gender. This wasn't her first reason why she was here, after all. She wasn't trying to cause a commotion in the Palace.

"It's no concern. The Prince of Qin has presented his kind regards to keeping you under my care here if you'd like to learn." Teacher Zhou Lin responded as he watched her tense.

It was written all over her face the concern of her not being tolerated in the courtyard.

"If it bothers you, you can dress up as a male in this courtyard if you'd like. I promise you that none of the people that know the truth will utter anything else."

Suyin pondered long for a moment. "There are some things that I'd like to learn if you don't mind."

Teacher Zhou Lin smiled, "As long as you'd like, Young Miss. I would like to learn from you too."