The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 33

Holding Hands

Still arriving at the location for the morning lecture just as it was about to begin, Song Linlin discreetly found an empty corner in the back row and sat down. Most people rushed towards the front seats; only Song Linlin actively sought out such an inconspicuous corner spot. She only came to the morning lecture because she had to.

In her seat, Song Linlin couldn’t help but yawn. She had clearly been quite awake on the way here, so why did she inexplicably start feeling drowsy the moment she arrived at this place?

            

Right now, Song Linlin really wanted to just sprawl across the desk in front of her and sleep. Having transmigrated into a book, she still had to wake up early for class—it was truly unbearable. Although there was no explicit rule requiring attendance, she used to come often, and suddenly stopping without a reason would be too strange.

Fortunately, apart from the morning lecture, one could do whatever they pleased during the rest of the time within the sect. Time management and specific actions were entirely up to oneself, arguably giving every disciple space for free development.

Of course, this was also because, before reaching a certain level of strength, one couldn’t attract the attention of those elders or higher-level figures. The personal disciples of powerful elders weren’t as idle as the others; they were often assigned various tasks.

            

Song Linlin truly lacked fighting spirit. Everyone else was focused on striving to improve themselves, each full of vigor, eagerly awaiting the lecturer’s arrival. Only Song Linlin, influenced by the atmosphere, couldn’t stop yawning repeatedly, silently telling herself that she really should go to bed earlier at night from now on.

It was such an ordeal. This instantly threw Song Linlin back to those days when she used to stay up late every night yet still had to wake up early for class.

Looking at the energetic fellow disciples around her, Song Linlin silently shook her head. Thankfully, she had specifically avoided Ye Tingran’s and Zhiyu’s gazes when she arrived and found a corner to sit down; otherwise, she would have had to force herself to pay attention seriously.

            

Because she had arrived quite late, not long after Song Linlin sat down, an old man who looked full of righteous energy strolled in at a leisurely pace. She didn’t have a deep impression of this person, but it seemed he must be the lecturer on duty today.

The white-bearded old man cleared his throat. His voice wasn’t loud when he spoke, yet he could ensure everyone present heard him clearly. After a few simple pleasantries, he got straight to the point, sitting cross-legged on a cattail hassock​¹ and beginning to preach the Way​² to the numerous new disciples before him.

This mouthful of archaic particles​³ made Song Linlin’s head ache. The speaker was a serious and stern person, not slacking off at all throughout, genuinely explaining insights into enlightenment for everyone.

            

Everyone around her looked like they were gaining immense insights, which only made things harder for Song Linlin. She sat there with her head lowered, struggling to keep herself from actually falling asleep.

If she fell asleep during the lecturer’s lesson and was discovered, it would be incredibly disrespectful, especially since these lecturers took time out of their precious schedules to teach due to the sect’s regulations.

They were sincerely sharing their experiences; if the lecturer became unhappy because she was sleeping and then stopped speaking, Song Linlin would become the culprit in everyone’s eyes.

            

Among the newly initiated disciples, apart from those with connections, few had opportunities for guidance. Everyone naturally cherished these hard-won explanations.

Song Linlin reached out and pinched her thigh, using the pain to forcibly wake herself up. She once again regretted messing around with Chi Qianning so late last night, especially since this morning, she encountered a lecturer whose words were entirely incomprehensible to her.

In the quiet environment, only the voice of the old man seated at the very front, leisurely expounding the Way, echoed continuously. Not a single person dared to make a sound to interrupt; everyone was listening with rapt attention. Even the birds usually in the trees seemed to have gone elsewhere; it was excessively quiet.

            

Song Linlin was engaged in a fierce battle against intense drowsiness, having to pinch herself every now and then. However, apart from bringing some pain to her body, the mental fatigue and sleepiness couldn’t be alleviated at all.

Her head was lowered, sitting limply in place, her eyes already half-closed. At this moment, however, her ears inexplicably caught the sound of extremely light footsteps. The sound was so faint, barely perceptible, that Song Linlin wasn’t even sure if she had misheard, feeling like it might be auditory hallucination.

Then, the originally quiet and sparsely populated back row suddenly rustled with the sound of fabric rubbing and the soft gasps of a few people. Following that, Song Linlin felt someone slowly walk over to her side and sit down in the empty seat next to her.

            

Song Linlin was incredibly sleepy at this point. Her peripheral vision vaguely registered that the newcomer was also wearing the same white Xuanyun Sect disciple uniform as herself. It wasn’t the lecturer coming over to catch her sleeping, which made Song Linlin feel no alarm or defensiveness towards them.

Right now, the central area of the back row looked sparsely filled, but it was actually almost full. Only her section had many empty seats because the listening effect wasn’t great there. This seat wasn’t exclusively hers anyway, so Song Linlin naturally had no objection to someone else sitting here.

She was just curious why someone would be late for the morning lecture today. Even Song Linlin, who had zero anticipation for the morning lecture, still came on time every day.

            

Being late for the morning lecture was truly a rare occurrence. This piqued a bit of curiosity in the bored and sleepy Song Linlin, making her want to see who this latecomer was.

Moreover, she had a premonition that the person seemed to be sizing her up as well. The other person’s gaze was too obvious; at such close proximity, Song Linlin could still sense it.

Song Linlin managed to lift her drowsy head, turning slightly to look at the person beside her with hazy eyes.

            

The first thing that met her eyes was naturally the other person’s white uniform, identical to her own. Apart from slight stylistic differences between male and female attire, all Xuanyun Sect disciples looked more or less the same.

Then her gaze moved upwards, shifting to the person’s face. Her silver hair was like snow, unbound, casually draped over her shoulders and chest, its length reaching her waist.

The person’s skin was dazzlingly white, one might even say pale. Her lips similarly lacked color. Only those red eyes were exceptionally deep, leaving a profound imprint on one’s mind after a single glance, making them hard to forget.

            

At this moment, that person sat languidly in place, head slightly tilted, with a high-bridged nose. Those bright red eyes met her own, looking quite bored.

Upon clearly seeing the person’s face, Song Linlin’s eyes immediately widened. Her previously drowsy mind instantly cleared up. She stared at the person before her in disbelief, suspecting she was hallucinating.

Isn’t this Chi Qianning?! Shouldn’t she still be at home? How did she get here?

            

In the quiet atmosphere, only the lecturer at the front continuously spoke of profound theories. Song Linlin couldn’t let out a gasp of surprise, just stared blankly at Chi Qianning, feeling that none of this seemed real.

The early morning air was moist, filled with dew and the fresh scent of various plants and trees. The morning lecture wasn’t held indoors but in a very spacious pavilion​⁴, with plenty of greenery and trees planted on both sides. Soft sunlight spilled down, passing through the railings to illuminate Chi Qianning’s face.

This made Chi Qianning involuntarily narrow her eyes; she clearly didn’t like being directly in the sunlight.

            

Seeing the small movement on her face, Song Linlin finally confirmed that this was a living, real person, not a phantom conjured by her own sleepiness.

Her lips parted and closed several times without making a sound. Song Linlin stared at the person before her for a good while before shifting closer, drastically shortening the distance between them. She lowered her voice and asked, “How did you get here?”

The place was too quiet; she didn’t dare speak too loudly, or it would be too obvious and attract others’ attention.

            

Chi Qianning rested her elbow on the wooden table in front, propping her chin on one hand. Disregarding how others might see it, she didn’t look at the lecturer at the front at all. Her red eyes just stared straight at Song Linlin. She beckoned with a finger, signaling Song Linlin to come closer.

Song Linlin didn’t overthink it and actively scooted closer in her direction, bringing her ear near the other girl, waiting for Chi Qianning’s answer.

Chi Qianning leaned forward slightly, her lips close to Song Linlin’s ear, warm breath brushing against it. She let out a soft chuckle, her voice light as she said, “Without you there, I was so bored staying alone, so I came out to find you.”

            

The voice was so close, practically whispering in her ear, making Song Linlin’s heart itch. She turned her head to look at her at close range, her eyes holding a mix of astonishment and other emotions.

She had thought Chi Qianning definitely wouldn’t be interested in going out. She hadn’t expected this person would actually take the initiative to come find her. Does this count as her thinking about me?

Song Linlin didn’t dare ask aloud, her gaze uncontrollably darting elsewhere, avoiding Chi Qianning’s eyes. Otherwise, Song Linlin always felt as if she could read minds, knowing what she was thinking with just a glance.

            

However, this glance made Song Linlin notice something amiss. Logically, shouldn’t everyone be listening attentively to the lecturer? Why were several people nearby looking at her?

Her gaze swept around, full of confusion. Those she caught blatantly staring immediately averted their eyes awkwardly. But although these people were no longer staring so obviously, the feeling of being secretly watched intensified.

Clearly, someone was still quietly sizing them up.

            

Song Linlin thought hard but couldn’t figure out anything about herself today that warranted so much attention.

She retracted her gaze, just about to tell Chi Qianning that someone was peeking at her, when she noticed that Chi Qianning’s clothes seemed a bit off.

Song Linlin remembered clearly that last night, she was wearing the dress she had previously lent her. During their dual cultivation, Song Linlin had seen how much she sweated and had thoughtfully helped her remove the outermost layer of clothing.

            

How had it now become a Xuanyun Sect disciple uniform?

Song Linlin didn’t remember the other girl having such clothes. Observing more carefully, her sharp eyes noticed that the sleeves of the uniform Chi Qianning was wearing seemed a bit short, a size smaller than the clothes she usually wore. If she herself wore it, it would definitely fit perfectly.

Wait, could this be her own clothes…

            

She kept these clothes stuffed in the wardrobe. Every time Song Linlin went to get clothes, she never hid it from Chi Qianning. She definitely knew where her clothes were.

So, Chi Qianning had worn her clothes out?

Song Linlin looked her up and down. The sect uniform was a very form-fitting style, naturally accentuating one’s figure. Made of fine white fabric, the clothes featured various subtle patterns and hand embroidery.

            

Someone like Song Linlin wearing the sect uniform made her look considerably more proper. How much more so for Chi Qianning, who already possessed a cool and detached aura? Ignoring those demonic red eyes, she could absolutely be described as having an immortal-like bearing​⁵.

“Are you wearing my clothes?” Song Linlin admired her beauty for a moment, then couldn’t resist asking in a low voice.

“Mn.”

            

Chi Qianning had no intention of hiding it, nodding directly. Besides, there was no need to hide it; anyone with discerning eyes could tell. She spoke leisurely, “Found a set in your wardrobe.”

“Oh, alright then.”

It was just a set of clothes; Song Linlin didn’t mind letting her wear it. Anyway, she had several sets of sect uniforms. At worst, she could just buy some new ones; the price wasn’t expensive anyway.

            

The contribution points Chi Qianning earned for her by catching fish yesterday were more than what Song Linlin had painstakingly saved up over a long time. This alone made Song Linlin want to practically worship her.

However, she was still a bit curious. Chi Qianning had so many clothes of her own, why wear hers, which were a size too small for her?

Song Linlin looked at her again, asking softly, “Why are you wearing my clothes? They’re a size too small; you need one size larger to fit properly.”

            

“One must wear the sect uniform when moving about within the sect,” Chi Qianning answered very briefly, without much explanation.

Song Linlin was used to her way of speaking; she had to guess the meaning herself. She said one must wear the sect uniform within the sect, which was true, Song Linlin knew that too. But she wasn’t a disciple of the Xuanyun Sect, there was absolutely no need for her to wear this.

Anyway, others couldn’t see her, so Chi Qianning could wear whatever she pleased.

            

Wait, Song Linlin suddenly connected this to when the other girl first came in, and those gazes that had been staring in their direction earlier.

Were those people not looking at her at all, but at Chi Qianning beside her?

Being so close to Chi Qianning, it was indeed highly possible to mistake gazes directed at her as being directed at oneself.

            

No way…

Song Linlin blinked, her expression odd. She stared into the other girl’s eyes, asking hesitantly, “You… can other people see you?”

“Mhm.”

            

Chi Qianning nodded. Of course, she could sense many people nearby secretly sizing her up, but she simply couldn’t be bothered to pay them any mind.

She had no interest in giving these little brats a second glance. Among all humans, Chi Qianning was only interested in Song Linlin.

Seeing her calmly nod in admission, not treating it as a big deal at all, Song Linlin was the one who started to panic.

            

She craned her neck to carefully look around, then pulled Chi Qianning’s head down a bit, grabbed her arm, and controlled her volume, ensuring only the two of them could hear. The nervousness in her voice was obvious.

“Woah, how could you just walk over so openly? Won’t others notice something’s wrong?”

It wasn’t yet time for the new batch of outer disciples to be promoted to the inner sect. Her batch was still considered newcomers among the inner disciples, and it was this same group that attended the morning lecture daily.

            

Having attended morning lectures together for so many days, she still had some impression of who usually attended.

If she were an ordinary-looking passerby, plain in every way, perhaps she’d be overlooked. But Chi Qianning’s appearance was just too conspicuous, definitely the type you could quickly spot in a crowd.

Her face itself was unforgettable, not to mention the silver hair and red pupils. The difference in appearance compared to others was too vast; it was hard not to notice.

            

Chi Qianning had already attracted the attention of those nearby. Moreover, it was currently class time. The people sitting at the front had no idea such a person had entered after the lecture started. When the morning lecture ended, everyone else would be able to see her.

Just thinking about it made Song Linlin’s heart pound with panic. What if some cautious person noticed something was amiss and reported it to the elders? Wouldn’t she be completely exposed then?

Only now did she realize that being too good-looking wasn’t necessarily always a good thing!

            

Someone like Song Linlin was relatively safe. Even if she didn’t come to the morning lecture, it probably wouldn’t attract too much attention, only those few who were closer to her would care.

Chi Qianning pried Song Linlin’s fingers off her arm one by one, smoothing out the wrinkles caused by her grip. She then casually took hold of the other girl’s hand, still speaking unhurriedly, showing no trace of panic, completely confident.

“What are you afraid of?”

            

“No need to care about those people. I’m quite skilled in illusion techniques. They will now only remember having vaguely seen me before, just not being very familiar.”

“Is that so…” Song Linlin was still a bit worried, repeatedly confirming, “You really won’t be discovered?”

Seeing Song Linlin’s nervous state, Chi Qianning felt she was quite pathetic. She didn’t know why she was so afraid of trouble. “So what if I am discovered?”

            

“Uh… won’t it be dangerous?” Song Linlin muttered softly.

Chi Qianning looked completely unworried, stating confidently, “Although I’m in a weakened state, I’m not just an empty shell. They can’t pose much of a threat.”

At this point, Chi Qianning’s tone shifted. She narrowed her eyes and deliberately said, “Or are you afraid that if things are exposed, being so close to me now will implicate you?”

            

Song Linlin felt a bit awkward. Of course, she couldn’t possibly lack such concerns. Being called out directly made her very embarrassed. She retorted defensively, “How can you say that? I’m clearly worried about you.”

She retreated to her original seat, temporarily not wanting to talk to Chi Qianning anymore. She said softly, “Don’t talk to me anymore. We’re in the morning lecture now, and people are still secretly looking this way. It looks too strange for us to be sticking together like this in front of others. Let’s talk about whatever it is after the lecture.”

After speaking, Song Linlin straightened her posture, sitting properly in place, her gaze fixed seriously on the lecturer in front. Although she couldn’t understand anything, she still put on an appearance of listening attentively.

            

Chi Qianning indeed fell silent. She continued to prop her chin on one hand, watching Song Linlin with utter boredom, showing not the slightest interest in what the lecturer at the front was saying.

Being stared at so intently by her, Song Linlin, who already couldn’t follow the lecture, now found it even harder to concentrate.

Especially since, unless others were blind, they could all see the beauty sitting next to her wasn’t looking at the lecturer, but constantly staring at Song Linlin instead. It was hard not to speculate about what was going on between the two of them.

            

Song Linlin reached out under the table to gently nudge Chi Qianning, whispering emphatically, “Stop staring at me, look somewhere else.”

“No.”

Chi Qianning continued to stare at her. Instead, under the table, she tightly grasped the hand Song Linlin had extended, preventing her from pulling it back. She said lightly:

            

“I’m not interested in them.”

Song Linlin already had no motivation to listen to the lecture. If Chi Qianning hadn’t come over, she would definitely still be drowsing off right now.

Yet Chi Qianning kept disturbing her thoughts. Now, Song Linlin completely gave up pretending to listen attentively.

            

She no longer looked forward. Instead, giving up in frustration, she turned her head, actively interlaced her fingers with Chi Qianning’s, locking their hands together. Her eyes met the other girl’s red ones. Somewhat resentfully, she also propped her chin on her other hand, staring straight back at her in public.

Since Chi Qianning could keep staring at her, making it difficult for her to listen to the lecture, why couldn’t Song Linlin also stare back at her?

In short, this morning lecture was completely unsalvageable.

            

Moreover, Song Linlin now had the distinct illusion: the teacher was lecturing on the platform, the classmates around were listening attentively, while she, a bad student sitting in the back row who knew her deskmate was also slacking off, was actually secretly holding hands with her under the table during class.

She had never even been in a relationship, let alone experienced such a feeling. This made Song Linlin inexplicably nervous, unable to stop herself from tightening her grip on Chi Qianning’s hand.

She clearly remembered that the other girl’s hands were also very beautiful, with long, slender fingers that felt quite bony to hold. Her long fingernails occasionally scraped against the soft flesh of her own fingers, bringing a ticklish sensation.

            

Song Linlin wanted to praise Chi Qianning’s hands for being beautiful too, but held back the words as they reached her lips, afraid of a repeat of the situation when they went fishing yesterday, which would make her seem like a pervert.

She could sense that gazes were still occasionally directed their way, mostly curious ones, naturally. A beauty with distinctive features suddenly appearing during the morning lecture should attract others’ attention.

More importantly, perhaps, was that while everyone else was earnestly listening to the lecturer at the front, two people in the back row were quietly gazing at each other, one of whom was excessively beautiful.

            

The morning lecture time passed quietly and boringly like this. As the white-bearded lecturer left, the silence was finally broken. Some people stood up, preparing to leave, while others discussed what they had just learned in the lecture.

Song Linlin certainly didn’t want to linger here. Attending the morning lecture was just a task for her; now that it was over, she should naturally go back to slacking off.

“Let’s go, class is over, let’s head back,” Song Linlin initiated.

            

Chi Qianning nodded, having no objections. She had only come here because she was truly bored and decided to find Song Linlin.

Song Linlin released the fingers she had held for the entire class, trying to pull her hand back. But the other girl was still holding tight and hadn’t let go at all. She had to say to Chi Qianning, “Um… let go first, or others will see.”

“No.”

            

Chi Qianning chuckled softly, “Weren’t you the one who held on first?”

This left Song Linlin unable to retort. She had to try and pry the other girl’s fingers open. Just as Song Linlin was struggling against her hand, Ye Tingran and Zhiyu, who had been sitting in front, noticed her at this moment.

They naturally also noticed Chi Qianning beside Song Linlin. The two were currently sitting in their seats doing something, though it was unclear what, but Song Linlin’s expression was quite animated.

            

Ye Tingran took the initiative to greet Song Linlin, “Song-shimei.”

Hearing this voice, Song Linlin, who had originally planned to slip away right after class, couldn’t hide anymore. She had to lift her head and look at Ye Tingran and Zhiyu walking towards her.

Normally, Song Linlin wouldn’t be afraid of encountering them; she hadn’t done anything wrong. But now, with Chi Qianning holding onto her, what made Song Linlin even more embarrassed was that Ye Tingran had previously caught her sprawled on Chi Qianning back at the inn in Yuanqing City. Although Ye Tingran definitely hadn’t seen Chi Qianning’s face then, it still made Song Linlin instinctively want to avoid Ye Tingran and Zhiyu right now.

            

Song Linlin pulled Chi Qianning up abruptly. She hid their clasped hands behind her back, constantly poking Chi Qianning’s lower back with her fingers, signaling her to let go quickly.

At the same time, she forced a somewhat stiff smile onto her face. Song Linlin’s voice was unnatural, “Ye-shijie, Zhiyu-shijie, good morning.”

Ye Tingran didn’t notice Song Linlin’s small movements behind her back. She first looked at Chi Qianning, sizing her up from head to toe, feeling inwardly that she seemed to have seen this person somewhere before, just wasn’t familiar.

            

Chi Qianning maintained a slightly cold demeanor towards others. She only glanced briefly at Ye Tingran, recognizing who the two newcomers were, then shifted her gaze away again.

Afraid Ye Tingran might notice something, Song Linlin quickly moved slightly in front of Chi Qianning, blocking part of her body, thereby attracting the others’ attention to herself.

“This is?” Ye Tingran asked.

            

Song Linlin immediately jumped in, “Ye-shijie, this is a friend of mine. She doesn’t usually like to go out, so it’s normal that Ye-shijie doesn’t know her.”

“I see.”

Ye Tingran naturally didn’t suspect Song Linlin was lying. She was happy to build good relationships with fellow disciples. She smiled at Chi Qianning, “Hello, fellow disciple. You can call me Ye Tingran.”

            

Zhiyu also looked at Chi Qianning curiously, smiling, “My name is Zhiyu.”

Now both their gazes were focused on Chi Qianning. Song Linlin was terrified that her personality would lead her to simply ignore Ye Tingran and Zhiyu’s words, which would make the atmosphere incredibly awkward.

Song Linlin nudged Chi Qianning’s waist with her elbow, frantically signaling with her eyes for her to speak, almost answering for her.

            

Finally, Chi Qianning looked at the two people in front of her, thought for a moment, and said lightly, “My name is… Lin Qianqian​⁶.”

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