30 - Crazy! Criticizing the Prime Minister for Being a Servant

### Chapter 23: Tension In the water mirror, the clash of ice and fire continued, shrouded in white mist, with the sword blades clinking lightly as they met. Helan propped his head up, almost dozing off from boredom. "Why is Little Songwu only defending and not attacking? Being too obedient won't get her far." "She's not usually like this." Qin Siyue said calmly, "No, look at her footwork. She simply doesn't want to get entangled." Several elders were fervently analyzing the fight, but the head master was yawning repeatedly, looking even more tired than Helan. She had added extra training for her little disciple for half a year now and knew exactly what her current level was. Besides, the girl had a tendency to mumble incessantly in her mind, practically narrating the entire battle like a live broadcast. Straining to see the battlefield through the misty water mirror was too exhausting for her; she opted out of it. Ning Songwu hadn't lied; she really wasn't very good at cooking. Lightning and fire naturally conflicted yet complemented each other. Many years ago, when she couldn't fully control the lightning around her, every time she got close to Lin Xinran while she was cooking, the flames would suddenly flare up and incinerate the food in an instant. It was just like her and Lin Xinran, always quarreling yet inseparable. As her cultivation gradually improved and she could control the lightning within her, her interest in learning to cook waned. Each time she approached Lin Xinran, she was promptly kicked away, leaving no chance to learn. Only when she started living alone did she learn to make simple dishes, but she had never attempted more challenging dishes like poultry or fish. As expected, buying two fish was no problem; she had indeed ruined one. The phone rang twice, and then a girl's voice questioned, "Hello?" "Ran Xiaojie," Ning Songwu's voice was low, suppressing her disappointment, "Last time you asked me what was wrong with that laugh, and we discussed it for a long time. So today, I want to ask you, how do you cook this fish?" Hearing the revered ‘Fairy’ ask such a serious question was quite amusing. Ran Fanyan scoffed twice, "Are you in a hurry?" "Why do you ask?" Seizing the upper hand in their interaction, Ran Xiaojie’s voice was tinged with pride. "If you're in a hurry to eat, I suggest you order takeout first because you might ruin the second one too. If you're not in a hurry, I can record a video for you; you should be able to learn." With the second fish in hand, Ning Songwu paused, her voice rising slightly, "Will you appear in the video?" "Hmm?" "Will you teach until I learn?" Ning Songwu leaned against the headboard, closing her eyes for a moment of meditative rest. For her, as long as her spirit was intact, rest wasn't that crucial. The comfort derived from a night's rest didn't surpass that of sleep. Moreover... She touched her phone screen, which alternated between bright and dim, but nothing changed significantly. She was simply waiting for a change. Cultivating the worldly path meant entering the mortal world, experiencing all kinds of human emotions. While others' paths led upward to transcendence, her path led downward to immersion in the world. This gave her some advantages; unlike other cultivators who avoided causality to protect their hearts, she moved freely among people without fear of these entanglements. That said, she didn't indulge carelessly in every relationship. Her inherent distrust of others always kept a safe distance. Many had called her a cold beauty over the years, not without reason. However, the bond with Ran Fanyan was one she actively sought. For some reason, whenever she saw that round face, a sense of familiarity struck her—particularly the child's aura, which was very familiar yet unplaceable, making her feel close but not annoyed. It even intertwined with her heart and lungs, leaving her deeply entangled. Thinking of this, she lazily opened her eyes, white light flashing briefly in them before disappearing along with the twinkling starlight around her, dimming the room significantly. She lit up her phone screen once again; still no changes. It was past midnight, after all. Ran Xiaojie must have gone to sleep after work by now. She turned off the screen, collapsed onto the bed, and rolled over to look out the window, letting out a long sigh. * Contrary to expectations, "already asleep" Ran Fanyan had just finished rehearsing and was about to start filming. It was a nighttime stroll and heart-to-heart scene where the female lead, heartbroken, sought her out, and they walked in the night wind, complaining about the male lead. Not a difficult scene, just requiring multiple takes due to various angle shots. He Xi rubbed her arms, lightly leaning against Ran Fanyan, "Ran Ran, don't you think it's really cold?" "Not really. Maybe you're not dressed warmly enough? Let's just get this take done quickly." "Sure! The river breeze is really freezing tonight." After twice expressing the cold, Ran Fanyan checked her own arms—not cold at all; her arms were even warm. But He Xi indeed had goosebumps on her arms. During the break before shooting, she lifted her hand to warm He Xi's arm. He Xi questioned softly. "Aren't you cold? My hands are warm; let me warm you up." The girl, oblivious to her dimpled smile, grinned foolishly, her slightly round face making her look even sillier. He Xi returned the warm smile. Consideration of status aside, Ran Fanyan, who had some rising popularity, still chose the second female lead role that suited her face better over the "beautiful as a flower" main female lead, which her round face couldn't pull off. This unassuming gesture made He Xi genuinely appreciate her. He Xi lowered her voice, "Ran Ran, I know of a cosmetic surgery clinic that's really quick and good. Do you need it?" "Huh?" The question jolted Ran Fanyan out of her pre-performance daze. Looking around to confirm no one else was around, she asked, "Why do you ask? Is there something wrong with my face?" "Didn't you turn down the main female lead role because you felt your face shape wasn't suitable? Such a pity..." Ran Fanyan chuckled, patting her shoulder, "Don't think that way! Next time there's a role for someone with a round face, I'd miss out! And that question…" She lowered her voice further, "Don't tell anyone else, okay?" "... Okay." Ran Fanyan smiled, removing her hand just as the director signaled for preparation to start. Only He Xi felt a peculiar… Coldness. A bone-chilling cold. The kind that seeps into your bones and leaves you fuzzy-minded. "Xiaoxiao, get ready." Used to calling actors by their character names, Ran Fanyan prompted her scene partner, who paused momentarily before catching up. … "Xiaoxiao, don't cry, don't cry." Li Ling found the more she spoke, the more intensely the girl before her wept, as if she wanted her tears to flood the river—a bit of a headache, but she continued gently patting her tears away. "Waah, Ling'er, am I really that terrible? He just left with his suitcase like that. I didn't do anything wrong!" "Don't cry, don't cry. Tell me slowly; I'll be your strategist." "You're so good." Xie Xiaoxiao turned to embrace Li Ling, her hands overlapping behind her neck—a move not in the script but fitting for the moment, likely an improv by He Xi. It felt right, and the director didn't call to cut. Ran Fanyan noted this, wrapping her in the same gentle hug, her voice softening, "Xiaoxiao, don't cry over a jerk anymore…" She delivered her lines with full focus, not noticing the hands around her stiffen. The director called to cut right after, and He Xi stepped back, clutching her chest. Ran Fanyan looked puzzled, "What's wrong?" "He Xi, the added gestures were good, why did you freeze up?" the director called out, asking them to find their rhythm before continuing. "He Xi, are you okay? Is your chest hurting?" "I'm fine, just a bit of a drag on you." "Don't say that! Take a break, and we'll do it again." "Sure." After a pause, He Xi asked, "Ran Ran, are you wearing any accessories?" "Accessories?" Ran Fanyan looked around, remembering the small pouch around her neck, and showed it to He Xi. "Who gave you that?" "A friend!" Her eyes brightened slightly at the mention of her friend but withheld specifics. "Oh… Does it affect your image?" "Really? I'm hiding it well, don't worry! Rest up, and let's go again." "Okay." The next take went much smoother, followed by several more successful ones. Smooth enough that no one noticed an extra figure in the nearby tree. Ning Songwu had concealed her presence, standing on a branch, watching the scene below with a cold gaze. Moments ago, the pouch she had given to Ran Fanyan had triggered. Only someone like her could activate the pouch's self-defense mechanism, meaning another spiritual practitioner had approached Ran Fanyan. Thankfully, Ran Fanyan had obediently kept the pouch close, allowing Ning Songwu to rush over in time. However... Ning Songwu's eyes narrowed as she scanned the area, finding no trace of the other practitioner. She crouched on the branch, watching Ran Fanyan's filming from a closer vantage. This little one indeed possesses natural charisma. In a subpar production group like this, her innate aura easily outshone the others. After a quick check, she noted that the little one played the second female lead, and her scene partner should be the main female lead. Lacking the little one's charisma, the other's performance felt overly theatrical. Ning Songwu made her assessment internally. After a few more takes, the night's work finally wrapped up. The crew exchanged greetings as they departed, and a few actors who had lasted till this late point said their goodbyes and left the set. The assistant handed the phone to Ran Fanyan, who was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. She casually unlocked the screen, intending to scan for anything important to deal with in the morning. A message from “Bai Xue Jiaoyang” awaited her. “Teacher Ning replied this late!” Ran Fanyan exclaimed, her fatigue lifting a bit. The simple “Okay” message from Ning Songwu stirred some inexplicable emotions within her. Even the director had been refused, yet Teacher Ning had taken the time for her. This was only their third day of acquaintance, and she received such special attention from Ning Songwu? Late into the night, she finally felt the cold creeping in. Her fingers trembled as she tried to press the screen, but before she could, a long, slender finger with finely defined knuckles pressed down on her wrist. She looked up to find someone she never would have expected to be wandering around at this hour. "Teacher Ning, what are you doing here?" Ning Songwu raised a hand to stop her from speaking further, then turned to the assistant, speaking softly, "No words from you now. This is your assistant, right? You may leave now. I’ll take her home later." The assistant hesitated but nodded and left. "Hold your breath," Ning Songwu's voice turned cold, sending shivers down Ran Fanyan’s spine, who instinctively followed the instruction. With Ning Songwu grasping her wrist, warmth slowly returned to Ran Fanyan’s cold hands, allowing her to move them again. "Don't move," Ning Songwu commanded, holding her fingers, but the contact seemed to spark static electricity that gave both a jolt. She had been dealing with quite a bit of static tonight, probably from wearing too much synthetic fabric. Ning Songwu quickly withdrew, seemingly affected. Without mind-reading abilities, her attention not fully on Ran Fanyan, Ning Songwu stared at her fingers for a moment, calculating silently, before looking up again with a gentle smile. "Sorry for making you do something so weird right after meeting." "No problem at all. But, Teacher Ning, it’s past four AM. Why are you..." "I slept too much during the day and couldn’t sleep. I found out your crew was here, so I came." Smoothly lying with no sign of guilt. "Are you heading back now? It's quite late, and driving isn’t safe." Ran Fanyan asked sincerely, her round eyes filled with genuine concern. “No, but can you still hold on? Come with me inside.” Ran Fanyan glanced at her schedule for the next day, noting that everything started in the afternoon and evening, and she nodded, “Sure, let’s go together.” The director was still tidying up, moving slowly as he noticed someone approaching. Upon recognizing Ning Songwu, he reacted. "Hello, Teacher Ning. Goodness, it’s really cold by the river at night," the director said, with a group of men around him echoing the sentiment. Ning Songwu’s expression cooled further, but she still extended her hand, shaking theirs one by one, extracting the cold from them. It wouldn’t be noticeable immediately, but at least they wouldn’t attract malevolent spirits tonight. "Hello Director Wang, is there anyone still ahead?" "He Xi is sitting by herself in a bit of a daze. She’s been off tonight, maybe catching up on how to improve tomorrow." "Will you come with me?" Ran Xiaojie, dazed with exhaustion, nodded after a mental catch-up. "Then follow closely." "What?" Ran Fanyan, puzzled by the seemingly out-of-context questions, didn’t have time to ask more as the voice on the other end softened, “I’m not in a hurry. I can eat frozen dumplings, but I want to learn. Please, teach me, Ran Xiaojie.” Ran Fanyan knew this time there wasn’t the usual distant tone in her laugh. She couldn’t see it, but she just knew. She glanced at the nearly ready, braised fish pieces, thought for a moment, and asked, “How do you want to eat it?” “Braised fried fish.” “Okay, just wait a moment.” “Can we do a live stream?” Ran Fanyan glanced at the messy kitchen, resolute, “No.” After hanging up, she waited another thirty seconds, finished the braised fish in the pan, moved it to soak in the sink, brought out the prepared fish, and retrieved another fish from the refrigerator. “What are you doing?” Li Ke'er asked. Ran Fanyan, still thoughtful, beckoned her, “Come help me film a video.” “I’m starving.” “I’m teaching someone to cook.” Li Ke'er’s eyes lit up, “Ning Songwu actually asked you? You’re amazing! Buying this fish wasn’t in vain.” “I told you, she’s also someone who would cry for Lin Qingchen.” “You would cry for many of her roles; her performance is genuinely moving.” “That’s different.” “Of course, it is. You’ve been her fan for ten years. She’s just your co-star for the next movie.” Under the buzzing water, the utensils were quickly cleaned and put away. Ran Fanyan swiftly tidied the kitchen, ensuring everything within the camera’s view was presentable, and then breathed a sigh of relief, putting on a clean apron before addressing the person she had cold-shouldered all along. “Alright, start filming.” “Using me only when needed, huh?” “That’s not the right way to use that phrase.” “I don’t care.” The filming process was quiet, accompanied only by Ran Fanyan’s calm explanations and some kitchen noises. The sunlight outlined the apron-clad figure, making her glow on camera. After filming and editing, they had a half-hour video ready by 3:30 PM. No one would still be waiting for lunch at this hour, right? Ignoring Li Ke'er’s slightly resentful gaze, Ran Fanyan continued. At 5 PM, Li Ke'er left with her suitcase, tapping Ran Fanyan’s head gently before leaving, “You’re really acting weird. If something’s up, talk to us.” “Don’t worry.” She smiled brightly, showing twelve teeth, her round eyes narrowing into slits. She was fine. She knew it. She just had some slightly mischievous thoughts that she could control. * At 7 PM, she sat on the bay window reading a book, a lamp tied to the added railing providing a gentle, non-straining light. Her phone buzzed, a message from Zhao Siping, sourced from Ning Songwu. She read it, her breath catching momentarily, then replied, “Do you think we can post it?” Zhao Siping responded quickly, “We can, as long as we manage the subsequent publicity well.” “Then go ahead.” Three minutes later, Ning Songwu’s third lifestyle post of the month appeared on Weibo: the first was at a fly restaurant in City B, the second a thunderstorm photo in New Town, and the third, a dish of braised fried fish made at home. “@Ran Fanyan, thanks to Teacher Ran for her kind guidance, finally mastered this dish [Victory]” A minute later, Ran Fanyan responded in the comments, “Honored to help Teacher Ning. (obedient.jpg)” Ran Fanyan swiped away from Weibo, switching to WeChat to stare at the words Ning Songwu sent to Su Yue. “Since we’re considering using CP to warm up Shuang Meng, why not thank Ran Xiaojie for her little help today with a Weibo post? [Weibo content.jpg]” Using CP to warm up Shuang Meng? Fine. She was an investor’s representative, so she had no objections. Ran Fanyan felt a bit puzzled, though, and inexplicably downhearted. * Ning Songwu’s braised fried fish wasn’t bad in appearance but took some courage to eat. After taking a photo, she gazed at the fish for a moment before sighing and discarding it. She didn’t want the mortal and cultivation worlds to simultaneously carry the headline: Ning Songwu poisoned by her own cooking. She had followed Ran Fanyan’s video precisely; perhaps she really had no affinity for cooking? Now uncharacteristically idle, Ning Songwu was on the verge of a breakthrough, but the next long break was still six months away, necessitating suppression of her cultivation to avoid issues during the breakthrough. Thus, for the next six months, minimal cultivation would suffice, just daily meditation. Swiping on Weibo, she adeptly switched accounts and started browsing. Most comments on her post from fans were encouraging, praising her, with the occasional jest about using up next year’s post quota with her recent frequency. She wouldn’t; she had plans for next year’s posts already. Venturing into the public forum, she noticed discussions about her relationship with Ran Fanyan had reached the homepage. … “Just connected on social media recently, and already teaching cooking? Isn’t this progressing too fast?” “Maybe they already knew each other before but just hadn’t followed each other?” “I’m not sure if Teacher Ning knows Teacher Ran, but I can tell you that we old fans know Ran has been a fan of Ning for ten years.” “Whose old fan are you? Don’t just make claims to draw connections!” “Hmph, you don’t believe me? Look at this screenshot!” The screenshot showed Ran Fanyan's following list, with her username at the bottom and the site's guide for new users below hers. Which means she followed Ning Songwu right after creating her account? Ning checked herself, worried the screenshot might be fake. But upon seeing it, she confirmed it was true. That satisfied some inexplicable pride within Teacher Ning. She then went back to the Weibo post and browsed the next comment. “Do you know how easy it is to manipulate this? Maybe Ran Fanyan unfollowed the others first just to make it look like this.” Teacher Ning reported that comment. Now, having seen all the comments, she stepped out and continued browsing, occasionally seeing posts like— “Am I the only one shipping them?” “They’re more like nieces, don’t ship them randomly.” “I’m also shipping Lin Daiyu and Voldemort; do you think they should be together?” Lin Daiyu and Voldemort? Ning Songwu was stunned. What kind of combo was that? She clicked on the person's profile, finding a page full of bizarre pairings like the Sword of Rot and the Sword of Sky... What is all this? Could their interactions be attracting this kind of audience? For once, Teacher Ning stared at her screen in contemplation. Is this what Xu Yueping was reluctant to discuss? Do they attract this kind of audience? ... However, Teacher Ning quietly followed the account. She was curious to see what imaginative creations someone with this uncanny logic might come up with for their CP. On a whim, she shared this peculiar profile with both Su Yue and Ran Fanyan. While Su Yue was evidently busy, Ran Fanyan’s status flickered “typing” a few times before going silent. Ning scrolled for a considerable time when Ran Fanyan finally replied— "Teacher Ning, I didn’t know you had this kind of hobby?" Ning Songwu: ? Aren’t you supposed to be her ten-year-old fan? Can’t you see her intent? Ran Fanyan wasn't clueless but simply misunderstood. She had seen the popular “good ship” tag but hadn’t delved deeply. But the comment section about “Lin Daiyu and Voldemort” caught her eye. She knew of that CP, infamous for its randomness. But… With one glance at the video page filled with unusual ships, any budding hope sparked by Ning Songwu sharing her Weibo instantly dissipated, replaced by deeper pondering. Teacher Ning, what’s the meaning? Did it mean this CP was as strange as the rest? But Teacher Ning didn’t seem to dislike it. Ran Fanyan typed and deleted repeatedly, finally sending— “Teacher Ning, I didn’t know you had this kind of hobby?” That’s really something unexpected! Suddenly, she felt even more distanced from the role she was preparing for! Any budding romantic thoughts were completely dashed. Naturally unaware of Ran Fanyan’s internal turmoil, Ning pondered over the line. She felt compelled to explain but couldn’t find any words in her over-six-hundred years of accumulated memory. Her fingers hovered above the keyboard, contemplating, before sending— “See you Wednesday.” See you at the Wednesday MV shoot. No sooner had she sent this when Su Yue, now free, replied, “About your interest, no comment, but consider what to do about this picture.” The picture showed the two of them at the supermarket that morning, carefully cropped to exclude Li Ke'er, leaving just them masked and facing each other. It looked nice but felt odd. How had they been photographed again? Moreover, it wasn’t sent to their managers like usual but directly posted online, sparking discussion. It resembled fan behavior, yet clearly wasn’t. Sitting upright, Ning’s brows furrowed. The now fully recovered Ning Songwu stood up, grasping her longsword, giving a cold chuckle, “One way or another, you did save my life once. I’ll take you back to the wolf beast later; no need to thank me.” Ning’s expression shifted dramatically. Ignoring her bodily pain, she scrambled towards the direction of Shuangxue Sword. Zhao Shuang was powerful, but she remembered the sentient Shuangxue Sword. If she could quickly wield it, the sword spirit might help her fend off Lin Yuxue. That woman’s cruelty showed no bounds—she’d save her just minutes ago and then be prepared to kill her again. Indeed, her lack of experience and blatant mistake of not disarming were catching up. While pondering that question... Before she could think deeply, the treasure chamber was within sight. The sight, however, was horrifying. No popup ads on this site, permanent domain.