The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 39
by Little PandaCombing Hair
Being asked like that by the other party, Song Linlin also wore an embarrassed expression. How was she supposed to know why the little snake, which had clearly been quiet in her sleeve the whole time, would suddenly pop out?
Song Linlin could only pretend to be calm, clearing her throat twice before reaching out, grabbing the little snake’s body, and pulling it out from her collar. Its body coiled loop by loop in her hand.
“Ahem, this…”
Song Linlin was outwardly calm but inwardly frantic, desperately thinking about how to answer. In the end, she decided to pass the buck1.
“This belongs to Lin Qianqian. She’s been busy focusing on cultivation lately and didn’t have time to care for it, so she entrusted it to me for a while.”
Song Linlin said slowly, giving an awkward smile. “I was afraid it would crawl out if left alone in the room, so I kept it with me.”
“Oh, is that so…”
Shen Wanyi didn’t seem overly suspicious after hearing this. Everyone had been putting their all into cultivation recently, so not having time to care for something and entrusting it to others was understandable. Besides, she wasn’t familiar with that Lin Qianqian and didn’t know her situation. It wasn’t incomprehensible that she might raise a snake; quite a few people kept snakes as pets.
Seeing that Shen Wanyi wasn’t suspicious, Song Linlin finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all, she had never kept any pets before, and now one had suddenly appeared. It was better to be safe than sorry2; caution was best.
Looking down at the little snake in her hand, although Song Linlin had been flustered by its sudden appearance, she didn’t blame it. It just happened to have inadvertently scared Shen Wanyi’s two spirit pets.
“Are Xiao Xiao and the new spirit pet okay?”
Song Linlin asked guiltily. Even though the little snake hadn’t done anything after emerging from her collar, just glancing briefly at Xiao Xiao, those two little ones were clearly terrified. The new one was still trembling under a chair in the distance…
This made Song Linlin feel very embarrassed facing Shen Wanyi. She couldn’t blame the little snake for suddenly popping out, so ultimately, it felt like her own fault.
“They’re fine. Xiao Xiao probably just got scared because it hasn’t seen a snake before. It should be okay after a little while.”
Shen Wanyi shook her head and turned to look at the spirit pet in the distance. “That one is probably just not used to the new environment? Plus seeing the snake, so it hid away.”
“Wait a moment.” Shen Wanyi stood up, holding Xiao Xiao in one hand while walking towards the other pet. “I’ll go catch it.”
She moved a chair, crouched down, and grabbed the spirit pet’s body with one hand, lifting it up. However, as soon as it saw Shen Wanyi trying to bring it back towards the table, the little creature started flapping its wings incessantly, clearly unwilling to go, and began squawking loudly and uncontrollably.
At first listen, one might think someone was abusing it.
But no matter how much it struggled, it couldn’t escape Shen Wanyi’s grasp. It then began to struggle even more fiercely. Xiao Xiao was much calmer than it, but still buried its face in its owner’s embrace, not daring to look at the outside world.
Witnessing this scene, Shen Wanyi gave an embarrassed smile. “The new one might be a bit timid and disobedient. Please excuse its behavior.”
Sitting in her chair, Song Linlin also felt uncomfortable all over. The little creature was squawking so miserably ultimately because of her, which made her very awkward, feeling as if she were sitting on pins and needles3.
She was supposed to have come to see the spirit pets, but instead, she had caused the two previously well-behaved pets to descend into chaos4. This was just too much.
Song Linlin stood up, holding the little snake, and forced a smile at Shen Wanyi. She spoke somewhat stiffly, “Uh… I suddenly remembered I have something to do this afternoon. I won’t disturb you any further today. I’ll head back first and visit another day.”
“Leaving already?” Shen Wanyi, holding a spirit pet in each hand, watched Song Linlin nod. “Alright then. It’s not convenient for me right now, so I won’t see you out.”
“Next time you come, I’ll definitely have trained this disobedient one properly!”
Song Linlin nodded perfunctorily and then quickly slipped away. Strangely, as Song Linlin walked further away, the spirit pet that had been squawking non-stop gradually quieted down, tucking its flapping wings back in and looking quite well-behaved.
Xiao Xiao also cautiously peeked out5, no longer hiding in its owner’s embrace.
“Huh???” Shen Wanyi was left completely bewildered.
Song Linlin hurried out of the garden, remembering to close the main gate behind her. Once outside, she finally relaxed completely.
Looking at the little snake in her hand, Song Linlin sighed and said helplessly, “Why did you suddenly pop out? I couldn’t even grab you in time.”
But she couldn’t complain too much. She could only shake her head and sigh again. “Forget it. Let’s head back first. There’s nothing to do this afternoon anyway, might as well go back and sleep.”
Naturally, it wouldn’t be appropriate to walk back openly holding a snake. Song Linlin lifted her sleeve, let the little snake crawl inside, and then walked back down the mountain path to her residence.
Back home, Song Linlin plopped onto the bed and immediately lay down, not wanting to lift another finger. Her extreme laziness6 kicked in as soon as she got home.
The little snake crawled out from her sleeve, slithered across Song Linlin’s wrist, past her palm, and onto the bed. In the next second, the little snake vanished into thin air, and in its place sat Chi Qianning.
“Hm?”
Song Linlin’s peripheral vision caught the change beside her. She immediately turned her head to look at Chi Qianning, blinking her eyes to confirm she wasn’t seeing things—Chi Qianning had really appeared.
She hadn’t seen Chi Qianning for a whole week. This sudden appearance caught Song Linlin off guard for a moment. She just stared blankly at her for several seconds before belatedly scrambling up to sit, facing the other woman.
“Uh… How come you’re out? Long time no see?” Song Linlin didn’t know what to say.
Chi Qianning looked at her, her tone indescribably awkward. “What, disappointed to see me?”
“Huh?”
Song Linlin scratched her head, unable to figure out how she had managed to displease the other person in such a short time.
She thought to herself that while her initial reaction upon seeing Chi Qianning might have been a bit slow, it surely didn’t warrant such an accusation?
Song Linlin immediately shook her head and quickly defended herself, “How could that be? Of course not!”
“Hmph.”
Chi Qianning snorted lightly, her expression seeming to soften somewhat. She looked at Song Linlin, and Song Linlin stared back at her. The two just stared blankly at each other. Having not spoken for a week, it was now somehow awkward.
“I’ve decided to go find something to do this afternoon. Want to come?” Song Linlin, unable to bear the silent atmosphere, spoke up first.
Chi Qianning shook her head. She clearly hadn’t forgotten the experience of being tricked by Song Linlin into catching fish. When she was in snake form, it was fine; Song Linlin wasn’t so heartless as to expect a small snake to work for her. But now, things might be different.
Besides, the thought of Song Linlin working while Chi Qianning just watched from the side seemed quite boring. So, she refused without much thought. “Not going.”
“Oh, okay then…”
Song Linlin nodded. She would have to go alone then. There were still about twenty-odd days until the competition. Song Linlin reckoned she could find another slightly longer-term job.
“Right.”
Song Linlin looked into the other’s eyes, remembering something important, but felt a bit embarrassed to say it directly. After a two-second silence, she finally asked, “Is your estrus period over yet?”
“No, how could it be that fast…”
Chi Qianning wasn’t keen on discussing this topic. Song Linlin clearly didn’t understand anything. Only a little over seven days had passed. Did she think she was a cat? Cured in just a few days.
Normally, for snakes, it lasted at least a month or more. Chi Qianning naturally wouldn’t be an exception. However, as time went on, the influence of the estrus period on her would become weaker and easier to control.
It wouldn’t be like the beginning, where she couldn’t resist the urge to get close to people she felt affinity with.
Song Linlin nodded. It seemed she still needed to maintain some distance from the other party these days to avoid another mutually embarrassing incident.
“Then I’ll head out first. I’m going to the Affairs Hall to find something to do. I’ll be back tonight.”
Song Linlin felt too embarrassed to stay with her any longer. They hadn’t seen each other for several days, and being young and energetic, she couldn’t just stay in bed. She decided it was best to slip away first.
Chi Qianning nodded and didn’t stop her. Although the initial few days had passed, she couldn’t guarantee she could completely control the desire stemming from the depths of her body.
Especially when she was a snake. Chi Qianning was carried around by Song Linlin every day, and even slept wrapped around the other’s limbs at night. This close contact was partly because Song Linlin always held onto the snake, but ultimately, it was because she herself wanted to be close to the other person. Otherwise, Song Linlin wouldn’t have been able to hold onto that slippery snake body.
Song Linlin obediently found another manual labor job. This time, the work was much more troublesome than the last, so much so that by the time she returned home in the evening, her energy was completely drained. Exhausted, she went straight to bed upon returning, and the two slept peacefully together on the bed for once.
Although there was a beauty waiting for her in bed every night when she came home, it depended on whether Song Linlin had any energy left. After working hard for the sect all day, all she wanted to do upon returning was sleep, with no other thoughts in her mind.
They spent over ten days peacefully and quietly like this. This morning, Song Linlin still woke up groggily, routinely put on her clothes, got out of bed to wash up. What was different this time was that she didn’t immediately rush out for morning classes; instead, she unusually strapped on her longsword.
Today, she even styled her hair into a neat look. Usually, she just ran her fingers through her hair a couple of times before heading out, showing how much importance she placed on today.
“Why are you so diligent today?” Chi Qianning sat on the bed, watching Song Linlin bustle about.
Song Linlin yawned, looking somewhat listless. “The Mirror Moon Mystic Realm is appearing a few days earlier than expected. The opening time will probably be earlier too, so the sect competition has also been moved up. As soon as it’s over, the selected people have to depart the very next day for the location where the mystic realm is appearing.”
The opening of a mystic realm could only be estimated within a general timeframe, and its location of appearance was completely random. According to the predictions of several divination experts in the cultivation world, signs should have only started appearing in a few days. However, some precursors of the mystic realm’s imminent appearance suddenly emerged near a small city in Guan Zhong7.
Guan Zhong was far from the Xuanyun Sect. Coupled with the uncertainty of the mystic realm’s opening time, the sect competition was naturally held earlier. As soon as it finished, they had to immediately take people to Guan Zhong to wait.
Time was tight. Song Linlin probably wouldn’t be able to take on any part-time work for the next few days.
Song Linlin looked at Chi Qianning and tentatively suggested, “Do you want to go watch too? There will definitely be a lot of people there. You should be fine blending in with the crowd.”
Besides, Song Linlin remembered that Chi Qianning hadn’t left the room for over ten days. While she was busy doing sect tasks and laboring for the sect during the day, Chi Qianning stayed alone in the room all day, probably feeling quite bored.
Chi Qianning thought for a moment and nodded. Having been cooped up in the room for days, it was indeed time to get some fresh air. So she agreed, “Okay.”
“Alright! Wait a sec, you definitely need to wear the sect uniform for such a grand occasion.”
Song Linlin turned back to the wardrobe and pulled out a brand-new uniform set. After realizing last time that her own clothes didn’t fit Chi Qianning well, Song Linlin had specifically bought two sets in a larger size.
She handed the clothes to Chi Qianning with a grin, looking rather pleased with herself. “Try this on, this one definitely won’t be too small!”
Chi Qianning took the clothes, walked behind the screen, and changed into the uniform. The size was slightly larger than the previous one, which had been a bit short on Chi Qianning. This set fit just right.
When she walked out from behind the screen, Song Linlin looked Chi Qianning up and down, confirming she hadn’t bought it too large. The well-fitting white uniform perfectly outlined the other’s figure. Wearing it, she looked more like a member of the righteous path than Song Linlin herself did.
Song Linlin guided Chi Qianning’s shoulders, seating her before the dressing table. Her fingers grasped the long silver hair cascading down the other’s back. “Sit tight,” she drawled, “I’ll do your hair for you!”
“Do you even know how?” Chi Qianning didn’t recall the other having this skill.
“Don’t underestimate me.”
Song Linlin was full of confidence, looking eager to try. While picking up the ebony comb from the mirror stand and smoothing the other’s long hair, she spoke slowly, “I’ve actually been learning a few things recently, you just haven’t seen it so you don’t know. Besides, this was something I planned to learn eventually, I was just too lazy at first and didn’t want to do anything.”
“Now just you wait. I can definitely handle something as small as this.”
Although she said that, Song Linlin herself wasn’t sure what kind of style she could manage. She had only seen others do it and hadn’t really practiced much herself. But if she could style her own hair today, styling someone else’s should be similar, right?
Styling Chi Qianning’s hair was more complicated than her own simple style. However, having just learned a little, she certainly couldn’t create anything too complex. She made several braids, then gathered and coiled the hair up sequentially, securing it with a long hairpin. Done.
Song Linlin glanced at the mirror, feeling that her first attempt at styling someone else’s hair turned out surprisingly perfect. Of course, a large part of that was due to the other person’s face being attractive enough to pull off any hairstyle.
“Alright, mission accomplished!”
Regardless of whether Chi Qianning was satisfied, Song Linlin was very pleased with her first creation.
“How does it feel?” Song Linlin leaned down, grinning as she asked Chi Qianning.
Chi Qianning looked at the mirror, then at Song Linlin. It was the first time someone had combed her hair for her. It looked decent enough, but she still replied somewhat awkwardly, “It’s… it’s alright, I guess.”
The author has something to say:
I didn’t know how to write the plot for these few chapters, dragging it out. Better to just use the time skip technique and jump forward ten-odd days!
Footnotes
- 把锅推出去 | bǎ guō tuī chūqù | Lit. “push the pot out”; Slang meaning to shift responsibility or blame onto someone else.
- 不怕一万就怕万一 | bù pà yī wàn jiù pà wàn yī | Lit. “not afraid of ten thousand, just afraid of the ‘what if'”; Meaning it’s wise to be cautious and prepare for unlikely but potentially problematic possibilities.
- 如坐针毡 | rú zuò zhēn zhān | Lit. “like sitting on a carpet of needles”; Feeling extremely uncomfortable, anxious, or restless.
- 鸡飞狗跳 | jī fēi gǒu tiào | Lit. “chickens fly and dogs jump”; Describes a scene of chaos and commotion.
- 探头探脑 | tàn tóu tàn nǎo | Lit. “poke head poke brain”; To peek out cautiously or curiously.
- 懒癌 | lǎn’ái | Lit. “lazy cancer”.
- 关中 | Guānzhōng | Lit. “Within the Passes”; A historical region of China, roughly corresponding to the Wei River plain in modern Shaanxi province.
bruh why is MC acting like a blue collar worker XD