17 - Crazy! Criticizing the Prime Minister for Being a Servant
Ning Songwu's eyelashes quivered slightly. She dared only to stare at the top of her silver hair, the warm sensation on her wrist hinting at how beautiful these hands would look. She didn't dare lower her head. She was afraid that after today, she wouldn't dare look at Guanyin. Before long, Ran Fanyin took hold of her other hand. It hung limply as the woman examined it for a while, then chuckled, “You know, even though you haven't grown much yet, these hands of yours are quite lovely—slender and long, albeit a bit thin. You should eat more to properly nourish yourself.” 【Master… please stop talking about my hands…】 she protested weakly in her heart, desperately trying to push down an odd inkling within her. Ran Fanyin felt awkward for a moment and seamlessly changed the topic, starting to knead the ointment again. Her small disciple was too fragile today; she almost forgot, this was a “girl lover.” --- *Chapter 9: Illness* Once the ointment had fully penetrated Ning Songwu's skin and bones, Ran Fanyin sealed the jars and explained the uses of the rest before handing them to her disciple. Watching her put everything away meticulously, she then tugged at Ning Songwu's clothes with impatience, “You're all sweaty, go change. After that, come play chess with me, you know how to, right?” Ning Songwu hesitated for a moment before nodding. 【The book mentioned that Ran Elder's chess skills are unbeatable. Only after years of practice did they slightly improve, but compared to her other abilities, it's still… her biggest flaw.】 【So why does Master suddenly want to play chess?】 Ran Fanyin's ears, hidden by her hair, reddened and then turned white. This book—what was it supposed to write but didn't, and what shouldn't it have written but did! She said sternly, “Why are you not changing your clothes yet?” Ning Songwu clutched her clothes and whispered, “Master, I've always been curious, who washes the clothes we change out of?” Ran Elder leaned on her hand, looking bored, “I have spiritual beings I've raised for years; I'm not one to seek returns, but having them help with laundry and cooking is quite handy.” “No matter how good cleansing spells are, they can't beat hand-washing.” Ning Songwu nodded again, legs trembling from the morning chill as she stumbled away. She heard Ran Fanyin's very unkind laughter! How outrageous! 【I curse those who laugh at me in a circle…】 Ran Elder stopped laughing. More accurately, she stopped the sound of laughter, but the smile in her eyes was hard to erase. Ning Songwu's pitiful demeanor was quite amusing. The thought of her little disciple with no expression on her face yet complaining incessantly in her heart made it even funnier. Ran Fanyin: I usually don't laugh unless I can't help it. She leaned in another direction, pondering to herself. This ability to hear thoughts likely has a range. When she was playing chess in the Luo Yun Hall, she could hear only faintly and intermittently; this short distance made a difference. In the future, she should gauge how far this range extends to prepare adequately. Ning Songwu soon changed into a light green outfit. Her closet was filled to the brim by Ran Fanyin, but there were pink, orange, and yellow clothes that she wouldn't touch even if she died. As someone who only wore black and white in the modern era, wearing blue and green was already a significant breakthrough. The pinks, oranges, and yellows would be left for Luo Sheng. Luckily, the book mentioned that Ran Fanyin was adept at business. When Lin Yuxue was still on the peak, she never lacked food or clothing. Ran Elder had given her enough money to splurge, buying a set of top-tier defensive artifacts at an auction by continually raising the bid. Though the top-tier defensive artifacts were excellent, Lin Yuxue had clearly been tricked. Others would increase their bid by one hundred, yet she had to fight by ten thousand. Idiotic. Secretly calculating in her heart, 【The auction for those top-tier defensive artifacts is in a few months, seemingly before next New Year's Eve. I should try to seize them then.】 Ran Fanyin noted this timeline for her disciple. When the time came, she would remind Ning Songwu. Anything mentioned in the book at such a critical time wouldn't be an ordinary item. This was their current plan: to destroy or change all the critical events mentioned in the book, ensuring the foretold tragedy wouldn’t occur. Ning Songwu stood dumbfounded as she watched her master place a chess piece. 【Should I tell her that placing the piece there will definitely get it captured…】 【Is Master letting me win…】 【Yes! She must be letting me win!】 She stole a glance, meeting Ran Fanyin’s lazily indifferent yet beautiful eyes, struggling and ultimately swallowing her words, giving a brief cough. 【My grandma said even my chess skills are subpar, sob sob sob, thank you Master for letting me win.】 Grandma. Ran Fanyin's eyes flashed. It seemed her little disciple must have had a harmonious family in her previous world. Strangely, a hint of guilt crept into her heart, and she gazed at the little disciple with even more tenderness. Ning Songwu held back for a moment, then couldn't restrain herself, “Master, can I teach you how to play chess…?” When she looked up, she met those soft eyes again, as if she had imagined it. But Ran Fanyin was indeed looking at her. Feeling a bit dazed, Ran Fanyin nodded, “Sure, why not.” Ning Songwu immediately focused her mind and stared at the chessboard again. Yes, saving Master’s chess skills was more important. * With summer gone, autumn rains persisted. At Chaomu Peak, the many flowers, grasses, and trees transformed in color, turning the entire landscape dark red in the cold breeze. Having been here for over four months, Ning Songwu felt much healthier. She had grown accustomed to the rising sun lifestyle—sleeping at ten and waking at five, exercising in the morning and cultivating in the afternoon. Her days were neither too busy nor too idle but more fulfilling than her modern life. In the modern world, she used to be busy all the time, without any sense of purpose. Eventually, she ended up staying in bed constantly, no longer busy but idly waiting for the day to pass. Eyes would open to the sun already past her dorm window, and close to the moon hanging high in the sky. She couldn't quite pinpoint what kind of life she preferred, but her gradually improving mental and physical state made it clear that going to bed early, rising early, and exercising were crucial.