Villainous Undercover (7)
For quite a while, contrary to Song Xuyi’s expectations, Fu Xiyu did not pinch her face hard as she had anticipated.
Song Xuyi couldn’t help but open her eyes.
The expression on Fu Xiyu’s face was hard to describe, as if she was happy, yet there seemed to be something else mixed in.
She stared blankly for a moment at the snowball-like Song Xuyi, then gently smiled as Song Xuyi nervously closed her eyes again, extending her hand gently and carefully, as if Song Xuyi were a snowball that would break if touched for too long, and pinched Song Xuyi’s face—
But only for a moment, and then Fu Xiyu let go of her hand again.
“As long as you’re happy.”
Fu Xiyu examined the fox fur on Song Xuyi’s body, looking at Song Xuyi’s pink, carved jade-like little face, and carefully tidied the slightly messy hair by Song Xuyi’s cheek.
Song Xuyi opened her eyes. Although Fu Xiyu’s face still showed no expression, her tense body silently relaxed a bit.
Song Xuyi inexplicably let out a sigh of relief and began counting with her little finger, starting to settle accounts with Fu Xiyu—
“Senior Sister, my brother said that excluding the fox used for the fox fur, the rest of the prey sold for twenty taels of silver. This fox fur must be very expensive. Can you tell me roughly how much it costs? I’ll note it down and repay you when I grow up…”
“I don’t want it.” Fu Xiyu directly refused her, but realizing her tone was too harsh, she helped Song Xuyi tidy her collar and added, “Junior Sister, Song Xu said you will soon be seven years old, so consider this fox fur as my birthday gift to you…”
Facing Song Xuyi’s obviously disapproving look, Fu Xiyu’s eyes flickered, and she hesitantly spoke, “Then… if you must repay me, you can prepare a birthday gift for me too—”
“When is Senior Sister’s birthday?” Song Xuyi thought this was acceptable and asked further.
Fu Xiyu, however, fell silent.
She seemed to become sad again, lowered her head, and did not speak for a long time.
Just when Song Xuyi thought she would not speak again, Fu Xiyu softly answered, “The day of the beginning of spring.”
It is not yet the Spring Festival, and there are still more than two months until the beginning of spring, so there is enough time to prepare a birthday gift for Fu Xiyu. Song Xuyi let out a sigh of relief and secretly noted the day.
That day, Song Xuyi simply began practicing martial arts at Fu Xiyu’s door. Even though people were still coming and going, seeing Song Xuyi’s appearance and eager to pinch her face, they refrained due to Fu Xiyu being in the room, ultimately withdrawing their hands…
Song Xuyi originally thought the novelty would wear off, but unexpectedly, the same situation continued for the next two days. Seeing the dumpling-like Song Xuyi on the training ground, whenever Fu Xiyu was not present, others would gather to pinch Song Xuyi’s face.
Song Xuyi did not understand why others were so keen on pinching her face and could only ask the system. The system dryly coughed and said, “I also don’t know, humans are always strange. If you don’t like it, just… stay by the big villain’s side.”
The system dared not say out loud: It also found the little dumpling-like Song Xuyi incredibly cute, and if it had a physical form, it would want to bury itself in Song Xuyi’s warm fox fur and not come out.
There was no other way, so in the following days, Song Xuyi could only practice martial arts at Fu Xiyu’s door. Song Xuyi also discovered the advantage of this: Fu Xiyu, truly a martial arts genius, provided guidance more direct than Qian He’s, often spotting Song Xuyi’s mistakes at a glance and correcting them.
Song Xuyi secretly decided in her heart to often come here to practice martial arts in the future.
Moreover, Song Xuyi constantly remembered the three-day deadline given by Lu Dun, not knowing what would happen on the third day. However, Fu Xiyu’s expression remained as usual, showing no signs of abnormality.
“Until then, I estimate I will need to go down the mountain for a few days. If you’re worried about others laughing at you during these days, you might as well stay in the courtyard to practice martial arts.”
Song Xuyi nodded, but throughout the day, she remained absent-minded, always thinking about Fu Xiyu’s situation…
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As night gradually fell, Fu Xiyu indeed did not return.
Song Xuyi eventually ran to Lu Dun’s courtyard to look around.
Lu Dun and his male disciples lived in one courtyard. Song Xuyi did not find Fu Xiyu but encountered Qian He.
Qian He and a large group of disciples were just returning from outside. Over this period, he had become quite familiar with Song Xuyi, and upon seeing her, he immediately walked up to her.
“Junior Sister, you’re here to find Senior Sister Fu, aren’t you?”
Seeing Song Xuyi nod, Qian He seemed to be in a dilemma, furrowing his brows tightly. Finally, he squatted down in front of Song Xuyi: “Then come up! I’ll carry you to the gate to find Senior Sister. Senior Sister Fu is close to you; if you hurry, you might still be able to say a few words to her…”
What’s wrong with Fu Xiyu?
Song Xuyi stood in place, momentarily feeling her legs go weak.
Qian He did not explain to her, but squatted down to carry Song Xuyi, rushing towards the gate like the wind, while quickly explaining the situation to her: “You just got here, so you might not know, but Senior Sister Fu has this problem every year. Every deep winter, she falls ill. Sometimes she gets better after some recuperation, but sometimes she must go down the mountain to Medical Valley for treatment. This time, Senior Sister Fu looks extremely serious, she can’t even stand up. We sent her to the gate, and the carriage from Medical Valley should arrive soon…”
Is Fu Xiyu injured that seriously?
“Medical Valley?” The system, however, caught the key word and muttered in Song Xuyi’s mind: “Xuyi, haven’t you always wanted to find an opportunity to visit Medical Valley?”
Song Xuyi pursed her lips, her mind somewhat chaotic. She knew clearly from the plot outline that Fu Xiyu lived safely until later, yet she couldn’t help but feel some worry, especially since… the place Fu Xiyu was going to is Medical Valley, and in the plot outline, her original self is a disciple there.
This actually… is also an opportunity.
“Senior Brother Qian,” Song Xuyi almost instinctively clung to Qian He’s shoulder, “Is there someone in Medical Valley to care for Senior Sister Fu?”
Qian He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: “The people in Medical Valley study medicine all day, and many people beg them to treat illnesses. How would they care for people? Most who enter Medical Valley bring their own caregivers…” Saying this, Qian He then exclaimed: “Oh no, I should buy a maid to care for senior sister—”
“I’ll go!” Song Xuyi promptly interrupted Qian He’s words. “Senior Brother, I’ll go pack some luggage, and also help Senior Sister pack some luggage. Is it still in time?”
Qian He was stunned for a moment, but being straightforward by nature, he immediately turned and carried Song Xuyi in another direction: “It should be in time.”
“But you don’t need to pack luggage for Senior Sister, as she often goes to Medical Valley. Her food, clothing, and daily necessities there are all complete…”
Does Fu Xiyu often go to Medical Valley?
The more Song Xuyi interacts with Fu Xiyu, the more she feels that Fu Xiyu has countless mysteries hidden.
But now there is no time for Song Xuyi to think about these questions.
Song Xuyi quickly returned to her room, hurriedly packing a few clothes and some money, and then was once again carried by Qian He.
When the two arrived at the gate, a very discreet carriage was already parked at the entrance of the Taiji Sect. Lu Dun was standing at the gate talking to a veiled woman. Ordinarily, someone with Lu Dun’s appearance and demeanor would rarely cause dislike, yet the veiled woman looked at Lu Dun with eyes as cold as frost and snow, unabashedly showing the disgust in her eyes.
“Then please, Valley Master, take care of Xiyu.” As Song Xuyi approached, she happened to hear Lu Dun say this. Lu Dun seemed not to notice the hatred in the woman’s eyes and politely bowed to her.
The woman didn’t even acknowledge him, turning around and getting into the carriage.
“Wait!” Song Xuyi, gasping for breath, called out, getting down from Qian He’s back and bowing to Lu Dun: “Master, Senior Sister has treated me very well these days. I want to go to Medical Valley to take care of her.”
Lu Dun was momentarily stunned, then focused his gaze on Song Xuyi. His eyes were still smiling as usual, but Song Xuyi felt this was the first time Lu Dun truly looked at her, with a trace of barely noticeable scrutiny in his eyes.
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Song Xuyi wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but Lu Dun, who originally appeared haggard, seemed to look much better.
Then Lu Dun squinted his eyes and slowly curved his lips: “You show such sincerity towards your senior sister, which naturally makes me very gratified. As for whether Medical Valley agrees, you must ask Valley Master Song…”
The woman on the carriage glanced at Song Xuyi, her eyes seemed to flash with a glimmer, then she lightly sneered: “Didn’t expect your sect to still have such a naive little girl!”
“Get on! Little girl, our Medical Valley is not such a good place to go…”
Song Xuyi bid farewell to Lu Dun and Qian He, then hurriedly climbed onto the carriage. Before she could sit properly, Valley Master Song urged the carriage to move down the mountain.
In the dim light inside the carriage, Song Xuyi saw Fu Xiyu curled up in the corner: Fu Xiyu lay on the floor, her face extremely pale, eyes tightly closed, looking like a corpse.
Song Xuyi didn’t expect the people of Medical Valley to treat patients this way and quickly took out her clothes to place under Fu Xiyu’s head.
“Rest assured, she won’t die.” Valley Master Song spoke coldly from the side, stopping Song Xuyi from taking off her fox fur to cover Fu Xiyu, and pulled Song Xuyi’s arm: “Little girl, come over and let me see.”
Song Xuyi hesitated but walked over to Valley Master Song. Valley Master Song squinted, examined Song Xuyi for a moment, and laughed: “You look just like a little dumpling!” Just as she was about to reach out to pinch Song Xuyi’s face, a hand reached out from the ground, tightly grabbing Valley Master Song’s arm.
Fu Xiyu, without anyone noticing when, had opened her eyes, a pair of clear eyes looking directly at Valley Master Song.
Both Song Xuyi and Valley Master Song were stunned.
“Aunt Song, she is unwilling to let people pinch her face.” Fu Xiyu spoke softly in a dry voice, then followed by a burst of violent coughing.
Song Xuyi’s mood was extremely complex: she had already prepared herself to have her face pinched by Valley Master Song, considering the person opposite was the high-authority Master of Medical Valley, and Fu Xiyu’s life was still in Valley Master Song’s hands. Yet, she did not expect that at this moment, Fu Xiyu still remembered this small preference of hers. Wasn’t she afraid Valley Master Song would be angry?
Valley Master Song’s eyes flashed, and she dragged out the sound “tsk—” but withdrew her hand from reaching Song Xuyi’s cheek.
Song Xuyi secretly glanced at Valley Master Song’s expression, and Valley Master Song didn’t appear to be angry.
After all… Fu Xiyu called Valley Master Song Aunt Song, so their relationship should be extremely close.
Song Xuyi breathed a sigh of relief and, listening to Fu Xiyu’s coughing, couldn’t help but sit beside her, helping Fu Xiyu rest on her lap and smoothing her breathing.
“Little girl, what is your name?” Valley Master Song asked, watching Song Xuyi’s actions with a trace of a smile in her eyes, suddenly seeming extremely interested in Song Xuyi.
After hearing Song Xuyi state her name, Valley Master Song’s eyes smiled even more: “Your surname is also Song! My surname is also Song, perhaps eight hundred years ago we were one family…”
Valley Master Song then asked about Song Xuyi’s birthplace and origin. While caring for Fu Xiyu, Song Xuyi answered Valley Master Song’s questions. After her coughing stopped, Fu Xiyu rested on Song Xuyi’s lap and closed her eyes again. As Song Xuyi listened to Valley Master Song’s questions like “How does Xiyu treat you? If she doesn’t treat you well, just tell me…”, she felt increasingly strange…
Fortunately, the carriage moved very quickly, and before long, the two arrived at Medical Valley.
Hearing the sound of the carriage stopping outside, Song Xuyi breathed a sigh of relief.
The carriage stopped in a small courtyard, and Song Xuyi laboriously helped Fu Xiyu off the carriage. Once off, Valley Master Song immediately changed from the previously relaxed expression on the carriage and coldly instructed the people gathering around: “Quick! Prepare herbs and silver needles as before, and clean the medicinal bath pool as soon as possible…”
Two middle-aged women wearing coarse linen clothes took Fu Xiyu and helped her into the largest bamboo house in the center. Valley Master Song arranged Song Xuyi’s room, told her to rest well, and quickly followed into the bamboo house.
Song Xuyi entered the room but couldn’t fall asleep, as Fu Xiyu’s pale appearance constantly appeared in her mind. After all, it was very close to that bamboo house, so Song Xuyi used the excuse of understanding the villain and Valley Master Song’s relationship to have the system report on the situation over there—
The system, without any suspicion, dutifully began to report:
“The villain was put into a pool by them, and that pool’s temperature is certainly not low, yet the villain showed no reaction. Indeed, thick-skinned can’t be scalded to death!” The system muttered, then continued to report: “They poured the potion over the villain’s body…”
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The system paused, causing Song Xuyi’s heart to leap, and she couldn’t help but ask: “What happened?”
“Nothing happened,” the system continued, its voice sounding somewhat dazed: “They just inserted needles into the villain’s head, and the villain’s seven orifices began to ooze foul blood. The villain seemed very pained and wanted to scream, but the people of Medical Valley told her you were in the courtyard and had her bite the towel…”
Song Xuyi pressed her lips tightly. Just by listening to the system’s description, she knew Fu Xiyu must be in extreme pain at this time. Even knowing that the other party would become a major villain in the future, Song Xuyi still couldn’t help but feel some heartache…
Worried about Fu Xiyu, Song Xuyi did not notice the system’s absent-mindedness, nor did she realize that the system was experiencing a storm of emotions:
—Fu Xiyu’s scar on her face, even her skin color, are fake!
The system watched with wide eyes as the people of Medical Valley poured herbal medicine, and after that, Fu Xiyu’s facial scar fell off, and her entire skin became extremely fair, once again transforming into the stunningly beautiful appearance from the previous world…
Xuyi must not see the villain’s true appearance!
The author has something to say:
System: An ominous premonition has descended upon me…
LP: Re-translated on October 06, 2024