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

### Chapter 29: Descending the Mountain "Since childhood, I’ve always been the one who was told to be a little more obedient, a little more restrained. My mom would constantly say I was running around too much, lacking the grace of a girl, and that just like a little monkey, even my handwriting lacked femininity." "Who would've thought that one day someone would tell me my writing was too constrained, not grand enough." "Not grand? It's plenty grand." "Crying over something so trivial, it’s quite embarrassing to admit." "But it's not just about this, it feels like ever since I got here, I can't do anything right. The things that should be clear aren't, and the things I want to do well, I fail at. I really..." "It can't be. There's something deeply suspicious behind this. Descending the mountain must be for a reason. I should investigate this when I have time." "The real issue is, Master is just too beautiful. I don't want others to see her." "Only I can see her, hmph." Lin Xinran muttered to herself, "Qingqing Songwu, cooing deer. Such a match." “Did you see that? That girl's face has been red as a tomato the whole time. So cute! I checked online, she has a ton of mom fans. Oh, I want to be her mom fan too.” “Look at this review about her, ‘Bright eyes, pearly teeth, round little face, looks perfect for pinching, born to be an actress.’ See? I’ve been keeping you company here for so long, and they’re right, she’s got that aura, doesn’t she?” "She..." Ning Songwu raised her hand and made a gesture, casting a silence spell. Her surroundings quieted for a moment, but just for a moment, as Lin Xinran's cultivation level surpassed hers. Not even three breaths later, she broke free from the spell and let out a long sigh. "Being an eldest sister is truly not easy!" "I have a way to keep your mouth shut a bit longer." “Eldest sister is just worried you'll miss your perfect match.” “How do you know it's a perfect match? Did you cast a divination?” This back and forth started a conversation with the very person she intended to silence, though their attention remained under the tree. To observe more conveniently, they did not stay backstage but instead used the deep cover of night to conceal their presence atop a tree. They had been perched there for over an hour. They weren't tired, but truly bored. Otherwise, Lin Xinran wouldn't be playing matchmaker out of idleness. “Why are you so invested in this kind of thing?” “Isn’t it because I’m worried you’ll miss another relationship like before entering closed cultivation last time?” Lin Xinran was referring to something that happened three hundred years ago. Back then, a female rabbit demon, a grand demon at the transformation stage, had taken a liking to Ning Songwu, who was then at the peak of her nascent soul stage. She visited the sect daily to show her affection, basically emptying her home's treasures for gifts. But Ning Songwu remained unfazed, entering a closed cultivation without hesitation and staying there for two hundred years. Naturally, she missed that relationship. However, Ning Songwu had already forgotten about it. After Lin Xinran mentioned it, Ning Songwu furrowed her brows in thought for a long time before asking, "Who?" One sentence left Lin Xinran fuming, and she waved it off, "Not important. If it’s missed, it's just a diverted fate." “But I can't be sure if Ran Fanyin is the true match." "How about I go back and cast a divination for you… huh?” Lin Xinran moved closer, “Do you... hope she is?” Ning Songwu was momentarily stunned by the question. In her mind, Ran Fanyin's radiant, smiling face surfaced. She couldn't bring herself to utter a word of refusal, only sighing, “We're ultimately not the same kind of people.” Lin Xinran wanted to say more when she suddenly noticed a disturbance in her spiritual sense. Someone was approaching. “More than one person, but their target is clear.” Ning Songwu whispered, gripping the tree trunk with one hand and summoning an iron fan in the other. “You handle the larger group; I'll take the smaller one.” Lin Xinran's playful demeanor vanished as she focused, sensing the surroundings and giving a light agreement. She leaped down from the tree branch, twirling a white jade flute in her hand, bringing it to her lips. Despite her movements, the melodious tune remained unaltered. Within the sound of the flute, a mist enveloped the filming equipment on set. The cameraman urgently called for a stop, carefully checking his equipment. The next moment, a bone-chilling cold swept over him, lingering only for a moment but enough to make him shrink and drop his equipment. Luckily, the gear was gently caught by a soft spiritual force, lowering it to the ground. The set descended into chaos. The director's team, already chilled, felt some relief as the tune drew nearer. The larger crowd was calmed, but the smaller group was still in turmoil. Interrupted suddenly, the tears Ran Fanyin had been holding back for the scene were forced away, her nose turning slightly red. This scene required her to cry while confessing to the female lead, just as the male lead would appear with two cups of milk tea. They had reached the critical point where she needed to cry, but the interruption shattered the atmosphere and her emotions. She regained her composure, a smile forming on her lips again, just as she was about to ask what had happened, a pair of icy, lifeless hands gripped her arm. “Fanfan, I’m so cold. Can you hold me?” He Xi's voice trembled. Looking at his face, she saw a thin layer of frost. Even someone as kind-hearted as Ran Fanyin noticed something was wrong. She tried to shake him off, taking two steps back, but before she could run, the male lead grabbed her other arm. “Ran Fanyin, why… why are you still warm?” The male lead looked relatively normal compared to He Xi, his teeth chattering, his face mirroring Ran Fanyin’s terror. If not for the frost on his face similar to He Xi, his fear might have been more convincing. What a pity. Ran Fanyin struggled fiercely, trying to free herself from the male lead's iron grasp. Ning Songwu counted softly, then leapt down from the tree, appearing behind Ran Fanyin. She gently placed a hand on the struggling girl, soothingly saying, “Don’t be afraid. It’s me.” Perhaps the warmth of being pressed against a soft embrace, or hearing Ning Songwu’s voice, gave little Ran some courage. She stopped struggling, closed her eyes, and heroically shouted, “Teacher Ning, why are you here? These two are acting weird, run quickly!! I’ll cover the rear!!” Ning Songwu chuckled but was kind enough not to laugh out loud. She held her tighter, calming the little one who was a bit flustered. Electric sparks danced in her hand, wrapping around her fan. She gently tapped the boy's hand. A dark shadow flashed and was absorbed into the fan. The boy stepped back, shaking his head, feeling some warmth returning. The grip on Ran Fanyin’s arm suddenly loosened. Still shivering, she asked, “Teacher Ning, what did you do?” Though her voice trembled with fear, she had just mustered the courage to tell Ning Songwu to run? Quite adorable. Ning Songwu gently ruffled her hair, the wind lifting her long hair spilling down her back, ribbons dancing on her shoulders. “Nothing, just came to check on you.” “What about them?” “Close your eyes and listen carefully.” The melodious flute echoed from nearby. While Ran Fanyin’s attention was drawn, Ning Songwu raised her closed fan, pressing it heavily in He Xi’s direction. The dark shadow enveloped and was reabsorbed into her fan. Reluctantly, Lin Xinran’s cover was blown. She didn't want her identity revealed just yet. The coldness receded further, and as the flute stopped, Ran Fanyin bravely opened her eyes, peeking around before fully opening them and exhaling deeply. “God bless, Buddha bless, Infinite Deity, Primordial Lord bless, Jade Emperor bless, Mazu bless...” The little one mumbled as she clasped her hands, naming every deity she knew from ancient to modern times, from East to West, from major to minor gods and immortals, finally relaxing. Realizing she was still in Teacher Ning's embrace, she instantly released and jumped back. Ning Songwu awkwardly retracted her arms, lightly coughing. Ran Fanyin felt embarrassed, her face turning slightly red. "I… I was so cowardly, I'm sorry, Teacher Ning." "No, you did very well. Shall we head back?" "Okay...okay." Despite them seeming normal now, Ran Fanyin hesitated. Rather than helping He Xi and the male lead, she clung tightly to Ning Songwu’s arm, too timid to hold hands, so she held onto the ribbon on her shoulder instead. Ning Songwu paused, then took Ran Fanyin’s trembling hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You know, it’s rather soft.” “Teacher Ning!” This playful exchange lightened the mood, and the boy and girl behind them regained consciousness, having lost their recent memories, confused by Ning Songwu’s sudden presence on set. But that was no longer their concern. Ran Fanyin focused on their joined hands, her eyes sparkling, feeling something blossoming quietly in her heart. She was so engrossed she hadn’t noticed Ning Songwu stopping until the pull of their linked hands brought her back. “What’s wrong?” “Lin Xinran is settling some matters. Let’s wait outside for now.” “Huh? Was Sister Lin the one playing the flute earlier? She…” For once, a different kind of smile appeared on Ning Songwu’s face. “I forgot to introduce you; she’s a Taoist priestess.” “What?!” “Pick up your jaw; it’s about to hit the ground.” Ning Songwu’s playful grin lifted high, clearly in a good mood. At that moment, she looked nothing like the immortal being described online, but a delightful presence in the mortal world, her eyes alight with a playful gleam. ### Felt a Tinge of Red Ran Fanyin pondered, straining against the urge to take a photo of Ning Songwu’s current smile. If her phone were ever compromised, it would be a disaster. This smile would utterly demolish Ning Songwu’s immaculate public image. Only she should see this. Yes, only she. Carefully, Ran Fanyin tucked away her budding secret thoughts, but couldn’t resist watering them just a bit more. “Hey, I’m out. Ning…” Lin Xinran emerged, but halfway through her words, a thought drifted into her mind— “I didn't blow my cover, but you did. Remember to act. All the money from this round is yours.” Lin uttered half a curse under her breath but held it back. Seeing Lin Xinran, Ran Fanyin decisively let go of Ning Songwu’s hand and eagerly moved closer to Lin, “Sis, how much did you collect this time? What’s happening? You’re amazing!” She glanced at Ning Songwu, whose smile had turned awkwardly frozen after her hand was suddenly released, and couldn’t help but smile herself. Smiles never disappear; they just transfer from one person to another. How to put it? Lin Xinran suddenly felt that this revealed identity wasn't such a bad thing. Taking this chance, she ruffled Ran Fanyin’s hair, satisfying her own mom-fan desires, “Some bad people came to cause trouble, but big sis already took care of it. As for the reward… not much. Most of it will be donated to charity, to offset karma.” “Catching bad people counts as karma?” The little one’s eyes brimmed with curiosity. Standing not far away, Ning Songwu straightened, hiding her hands behind her back as her smile faded a bit. “Taking any life adds karma.” “Oh… that’s kind of unfair. Sis did something good.” Lin Xinran, seeing the genuinely distressed child before her, was somewhat surprised, “You don’t feel a sense of disillusionment?” “No, because it really happened, and I had a strong sis protecting me! Sis, let’s add each other on WeChat!” Ran Fanyin tugged her forward, quickly retrieving her phone from a resting assistant and holding it up expectantly to Lin Xinran. Lin quietly glanced back at Ning Songwu, who was trailing just behind them. Turning back with a slight smile, she said, “Sure, let me give you my number.” Very good, someone’s face is now as cold as ice. “Need me to warm you up?” Ning Songwu flinched slightly before turning silently away. Fine. She brought it upon herself. ### Reflection How to deal with this, she just looked even more beautiful... What does it mean to hoist one’s own petard...? I regret it, what now? Alright, so long as Master is happy. This trip doesn’t really need ten days. Perhaps beautiful Master feared I’d empty my poor savings and paid up front to spare me. Alright, Master is a kindly liar. Master holds me with one hand, weaving spells with the other to open the secret realm barrier, isn't she tired? Master's strength is impressive... so admirable... But why carry me like this? Our site is ad-free with a permanent domain.