The Passerby Female Supporting Character is Entangled by the Crazy Beautiful Villain

The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 74

by Little Panda

Sweet

All morning, everyone who had stayed overnight in the Lianxiang Lou was dragged out. When they were pulled out, these people looked utterly dumbfounded, not understanding what had happened. They were still sleeping in their beds when a xiao’er¹ broke down the door and entered, grabbing them by the collar and pulling them out of their rooms.

The commotion they caused was truly too great. Those customers who were awakened for no reason were all cursing and swearing in the building, extremely dissatisfied with the actions of Song Linlin and her group. However, Song Linlin couldn’t be bothered to waste breath on these people. Once she found they weren’t the person she was looking for, she stopped paying them any mind, nor did she explain the reason, directly heading to the next target, leaving the customers, still clueless about what had happened, stunned in the corridor.

After these people realized they had been tricked, they all gathered together. Of course, they couldn’t win against Song Linlin, nor did they dare to say anything offensive to her. But this didn’t mean these people would be merciful in their speech² towards the Madam. A group of people surrounded the Madam’s doorway, clamoring for her to give them an explanation.

When the Madam found so many people surrounding her doorway, she was startled. The guards outside couldn’t stop so many people, and these guards didn’t dare to beat up customers. The Madam inside quickly came out of her room to check the situation.

The voices of so many people together were extremely chaotic. She could only ask everyone to quiet down first, then inquire what exactly had happened to cause all the overnight customers in the building to come demanding an explanation from her.

After everyone described it in a few words, the Madam finally understood what was going on. But understanding was one thing; she was helpless about it. Song Linlin was just lodging here, not her subordinate. That person was a Golden Core Stage cultivator; even if she really wanted to do something, she didn’t have the guts to order the other party to stop. Ordinary people were simply powerless against cultivators.

Just like that, Song Linlin encountered no obstruction at all while checking all the guest rooms in the building where one could stay overnight. She had looked over almost every man in the building, even searching the rooms of the brothel’s girls.

But despite all this, she still hadn’t found the person Chi Qianning was looking for. The three of them had been busy for almost the entire morning, yet in the end, there were no results.

Song Linlin led her people back to the main hall on the first floor. The original pot of tea had long gone cold; now she was drinking a fresh pot brought by a maidservant.

Lifting the teapot, she poured herself a full cup of tea. The tea’s temperature was just right, drinkable immediately. She took a sip to moisten her throat, alleviating the dryness in her mouth. Chi Qianning sat beside her. She also tasted a sip of the hot tea, then, with a look of guilt, said apologetically:

“My apologies for troubling Miss Song all morning, only to not find that person in the end. This has truly troubled you too much…”

Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, her head bowed in a self-reproachful manner, as if feeling guilty for making Song Linlin work in vain for so long. Chi Qianning was already beautiful, just a bit cold in appearance. This current look of hers was truly devastatingly deceptive. Song Linlin had been wondering why she couldn’t find the person, but now, seeing Lin Qianqian opposite her with such a pitiable look that even I, upon seeing her, would feel pity³, she immediately threw all those doubts beyond the ninth heaven⁴.

She completely forgot that she was the one who had put in the most effort. Song Linlin even ended up comforting Lin Qianqian in return. She quickly waved her hand, saying, “It’s fine, it’s fine! I don’t have much to do all day anyway, it’s no trouble at all! Rather, Lin Qianqian, you don’t need to be sad if you can’t find him. Perhaps that person left last night?”

The xiao’er nearby had high EQ⁵ and chimed in at the perfect moment, “Yes, every night some customers leave late, they don’t necessarily stay overnight.”

“Right, he must have left early, that’s why we couldn’t find him!” Song Linlin nodded, looking very certain. Otherwise, the person couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air. She had turned this Lianxiang Lou upside down⁶; if the other party was really here, it would be impossible not to find them.

Chi Qianning nodded, an expression as if lost in thought. After a couple of seconds, she nodded again, “That’s possible. But if that’s the case, it won’t be easy to find her again. I rushed all the way here after getting news of her. She might have already left Yishui City…”

“Where did you come all the way from?”

Song Linlin had thought the other party was a young lady from some family in Yishui City. After all, Lin Qianqian’s skin was so fair and tender, she clearly looked like someone who didn’t need to toil for a living.

This kind of young lady usually rarely even left home, not stepping out of the main gate, nor crossing the threshold of the inner gate⁷, let alone traveling far alone; that was even more disallowed. Yet, this Lin Qianqian had actually rushed here from out of town. Song Linlin couldn’t help but feel curious about it.

“Extreme North’s Land, Piaoxue City⁸,” Chi Qianning replied faintly.

Upon hearing this, Song Linlin was startled, looking at Chi Qianning beside her with a face full of surprise. She hadn’t expected this seemingly gentle and weak woman to have actually traveled such a long distance all by herself.

Song Linlin naturally knew of the Extreme North’s Land. This place was extremely far from the Jiangnan⁹ region; one was at the northernmost point on the map, the other in the south. That place was sparsely populated¹⁰, and Piaoxue City was the largest city in the Extreme North’s Land.

Anyway, if Song Linlin were Lin Qianqian, she would absolutely not dare to travel such a long distance alone. The other party was also a beautiful girl who hadn’t undergone cultivation; the dangers she might have encountered along the way were far too many. Presumably, Lin Qianqian’s family couldn’t possibly agree to this kind of behavior.

Song Linlin quickly conjured up¹¹ an old-fashioned romance story of a rich young lady running away from home to find her runaway sweetheart.

This was truly too reckless. Not to mention, this was a man who would visit a qinglou¹²; what kind of good person could he be?

Just thinking about it made Song Linlin show an indescribable expression. But she couldn’t be too blunt in front of the person, so she could only mull over her tone for a moment, then asked, “Then what do you plan to do next? The person is already gone, and especially, we don’t know where he went.”

Now Lin Qianqian should be going home, right? After all, there’s no trace of the person.

Who knew that the person opposite her would say with a determined face, “Then I can only continue to search. Although I don’t know where to look, I believe that if we are fated, we will meet again.”

Hearing this, Song Linlin almost fainted¹³. Why still search under these circumstances? Did that guy feed Lin Qianqian some kind of bewitching potion¹⁴? Otherwise, how could she be so fixated on a scum man?

Song Linlin couldn’t help but say, “That person already visits qinglou, why are you still thinking of finding him?”

She was now just short of saying out loud, “Men who visit qinglou are definitely not good people.”

“Wu¹⁵… then what is Young Lady Song doing in a qinglou? Perhaps she, like you, has some unmentionable difficulties¹⁶,” Chi Qianning said with a gentle smile.

Chi Qianning was beating around the bush¹⁷, asking the question she cared about most. If Song Linlin came here voluntarily, then Song Linlin would definitely awkwardly change the subject, trying to muddle through the question. In that case, Chi Qianning would absolutely burn this qinglou down, preferably killing everyone inside too.

If it wasn’t voluntary, Song Linlin would definitely refute her, and the qinglou would be safe.

Song Linlin had a big reaction after hearing this. How could she be compared with those who intentionally came to the qinglou?!

She immediately explained, “This is different! I was captured and then sold into this Lianxiang Lou. Those people came specifically to seek pleasure and make merry. These two cannot be mentioned in the same breath!”

“Sold… into here?”

Chi Qianning was momentarily stunned. After reacting, she almost couldn’t maintain her expression. Subconsciously, her face darkened, and that gloomy aura also emanated outwards. Fortunately, she quickly restrained her aura and expression.

But the aura emanated in that instant was still perceived by Song Linlin. The xiao’er opposite them had witnessed the entire process of Chi Qianning’s expression changing.

Song Linlin was startled by this aura and subconsciously turned her head to look around for the source.

However, after looking around, she found nothing. Besides the xiao’er and Lin Qianqian, there was no one else around her. Song Linlin could only ask uncertainly, “Did you feel anything amiss? I keep feeling like I just had a chill down my spine…”

Chi Qianning naturally shook her head and denied it, “No, maybe a gust of wind just blew past?”

“Is that so?”

Song Linlin felt it wasn’t quite like that. She then turned her gaze to the xiao’er standing aside and asked, “Xiao’er, what do you think?”

As she spoke, not only Song Linlin looked at the xiao’er, but Chi Qianning beside her also looked over, even narrowing her eyes, the threat in them very obvious.

How could the xiao’er have ever seen such a situation? Cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead. Especially after experiencing his voice becoming mute without a sound, he feared Chi Qianning even more in his heart.

Thus, the xiao’er quickly shook his head, “No, xiaoren¹⁸ didn’t feel anything just now.”

“Is that so…”

Now that both people beside her said they didn’t feel anything, Song Linlin couldn’t help but suspect if she had misfelt it. After all, that cold and dangerous feeling only lasted for an instant before disappearing.

Song Linlin murmured in a low voice, “Then maybe it really was just a gust of wind blowing past.”

“By the way, Song Linlin, you said you were sold to a qinglou, what’s that all about?” Chi Qianning forced a smile, asking patiently.

Chi Qianning now had a strong impulse to kill everyone in this qinglou. If Song Linlin hadn’t been present, she would have definitely acted immediately.

“O, that. I was injured and unconscious before, and then someone took the opportunity to tie me up. They actually sold me to the qinglou’s Madam for 40 liang of silver. Truly detestable!”

“But thankfully, these people couldn’t beat me. Plus, I was seriously injured at the time, so I temporarily stayed in the backyard of this Lianxiang Lou to recuperate.”

Song Linlin smiled, “Don’t worry, I’m almost recovered now!”

Chi Qianning nodded. Thankfully, it wasn’t as she thought. If Song Linlin had really been forced to do something bad, she definitely wouldn’t be able to pretend anymore and would have to skin that qinglou Madam alive and pull out her tendons.

Since things were like this, it was still acceptable. Chi Qianning calmed down.

Song Linlin still didn’t know that she had unintentionally saved this qinglou. She leisurely drank a cup of tea and said, “I plan to leave here in a few days too. I’ve been recuperating for so many days, my injuries are almost healed.”

“Where do you plan to go after you leave?” Chi Qianning asked.

Song Linlin thought for a moment, then said, “Wu… I should be returning to Xuanyun Sect, I think. I remember I came down the mountain this time for experiential training, but I accidentally got separated from my fellow disciples.”

Hearing this, Chi Qianning knew the extent of Song Linlin’s amnesia. She had coincidentally forgotten about her.

“Are you really going to continue looking for that person alone?” Song Linlin suddenly asked, clearly feeling this was too muddle-headed.

Chi Qianning nodded, “Yes, I must find her.”

Song Linlin sighed, feeling like her head was about to explode. Why did she have to encounter such a vexing matter? The other party was simply blinded by infatuation¹⁹!

A weak woman, uncultivated, traveling alone from the Extreme North’s Land to Jiangnan was already very difficult. Now the person was gone, and it was unknown where they went, yet she still wanted to continue searching.

The key was that this person wasn’t any good! If she had come from a thousand li away to find a normal person, it would be one thing, but this kind of person was simply not worth it.

No matter how Song Linlin looked at it, this matter felt very vexing.

Suddenly, another idea popped into Song Linlin’s head. She had already been recuperating for over a month. Anyway, she hadn’t fully recovered yet, so it seemed there was no rush to return to the Sect!

Since I’ve been missing for over a month, if I go back a bit later, it shouldn’t be a big problem, right?

Why don’t I just accompany Lin Qianqian to search for the person in this Jiangnan region? If we find them, that would naturally be best. Song Linlin would definitely have to beat that person up to vent her anger.

If we still haven’t found them after another month, then Song Linlin can also persuade Lin Qianqian to return to Piaoxue City early, no need to continue searching outside.

Song Linlin felt it was feasible. She immediately said, “It’s too dangerous for you to be alone. I’ll accompany you to look for her!”

Chi Qianning showed a surprised expression and asked incredulously, “Ei? Aren’t you going back to Xuanyun Sect? Can you really accompany me to look for her, will it be too much trouble for you?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, no trouble at all!”

Song Linlin said frankly, “Anyway, I haven’t fully recovered yet, it’s fine to go back later. I’ll accompany you to search for a month first, then I’ll return to the Sect.”

“Then thank you so much, I don’t even know how to repay you,” Chi Qianning said.

“There’s no need for repayment!”

When Song Linlin arrived, she had nothing but the clothes on her back. Now that she was leaving, she didn’t have much to take either, just two sets of clothes for changing and some dry rations stuffed into a baofu²⁰, which was already packed and very light.

Her actions were very quick. In a short while, she had packed everything and then went to bid farewell to the qinglou Madam with her baofu. However, though it was called bidding farewell, it was actually just going to inform her. The qinglou Madam didn’t dare to stop her from leaving at all.

Chi Qianning was already waiting outside the Lianxiang Lou for Song Linlin to come out. She had, after all, spent so much time with Song Linlin and had long understood her personality thoroughly.

Inside the qinglou, she had intentionally spoken that way to make Song Linlin leave this place sooner. Although Song Linlin was only recuperating in the qinglou and hadn’t done anything else, Chi Qianning disliked this place and couldn’t tolerate Song Linlin staying here any longer.

Song Linlin’s personality was indeed timid and cherished her life, but she was still a kind-hearted person. Chi Qianning felt that if she spoke that way, Song Linlin would most likely choose to help a “weak woman” like herself. The result was indeed as she had predicted; Song Linlin agreed to help her find the person.

At least for the following period, Song Linlin would be with her, and they could immediately leave this qinglou that Chi Qianning found repulsive.

“Let’s go!”

Song Linlin walked out the main gate, a small baofu slung over her shoulder. She skipped and hopped out, only to see Chi Qianning empty-handed, carrying nothing.

“You don’t have any luggage?” Song Linlin asked curiously.

She remembered Lin Qianqian had come from the Extreme North’s Land. The journey was long, and even the climate varied greatly. At the very least, she should have brought several sets of clothes of different thicknesses, right?

At least for such a long journey, the money spent wouldn’t be little, yet the other party didn’t even seem to have a wallet.

Chi Qianning, however, calmly explained, “I have a Qiankun Ring; everything is packed inside.”

Saying this, Chi Qianning raised a hand. On her fair and slender fingers, a silver snake-shaped ring was coiled around the middle knuckle of her middle finger. Every scale on the snake’s body was carved with lifelike detail, and the snake’s eyes were inlaid with two red gemstones.

In reality, this was just Chi Qianning’s weapon, not a Qiankun Ring at all, but it was no problem to use it to fool Song Linlin.

“So high-class!”

Song Linlin was like a country bumpkin, seeing such a magical thing for the first time, and was greatly amazed.

But why does this ring look so much like Lin Qianqian? Song Linlin thought to herself.

No, I shouldn’t let my imagination run wild. Lin Qianqian is so gentle, how could she resemble a snake?

Chi Qianning smiled faintly and said, “It’s nothing valuable. Don’t you have one too?”

“A? I do?”

Song Linlin looked stupid, raised her hand to look, and only then discovered that she was indeed wearing a black ring on one of her fingers. She hadn’t noticed this thing before and had only considered it an ornament.

To think I also have such a high-class item?!

Song Linlin looked at this Qiankun Ring with pleasant surprise. Her consciousness probed into the ring’s interior, and then she was immediately shocked, almost frozen on the spot.

Inside the ring, Song Linlin saw at a glance at least several thousand spirit stones stored within, and even precious medicinal pills. She was like a medicinal pills wholesaler; there were at least several dozen bottles of medicinal pills.

“F*ck!”

Song Linlin exclaimed in shock. She simply couldn’t believe her eyes. Only one thought filled her mind:

Turns out I’m this rich?!

Previously, all she had was the forty liang of silver from selling herself. Song Linlin hadn’t dared to spend it all, needing to save most of it for travel expenses back to Xuanyun Sect.

This had led Song Linlin, for so many days, to not dare enter any place that required spending a lot of money. She only dared to buy cheap things, afraid that her money wouldn’t be enough to return to the Sect.

Turns out she actually had this much money!

Spirit stones were currency used exclusively among cultivators, far more valuable than silver or gold. Sensible cultivators rarely used spirit stones to exchange for currency of the Mortal Realm²¹, leading to a consistently high exchange rate for spirit stones.

All the money she had saved for so many days was saved in vain. Now that Song Linlin had so many spirit stones, it was enough for her to live comfortably in the Mortal Realm for a lifetime.

With so much money, Song Linlin’s mood instantly brightened up. “Let’s go! We’ll rent a horse carriage!”

If it were based on Song Linlin’s previous bit of silver, she could only afford to rent the smallest and cheapest horse carriage. Now it was different. Without even looking at the price, she directly rented the most expensive one, then tossed a few spirit stones as payment. This amount was enough to buy the entire carriage, which made the coachman beam with joy²².

The interior of the carriage was extremely spacious. The seats were covered with a thick layer of soft cushions, and there was even a soft couch one could lie on. The table in the middle was filled with various pastries and fruits, and even top-quality tea leaves.

The compartment, which could easily seat eight people, now only held Song Linlin and Chi Qianning. One could only say that expensive things indeed had their reasons for being expensive. Sitting in the carriage, Song Linlin didn’t feel any noticeable jolting; it didn’t feel like riding in a horse carriage at all.

Song Linlin leaned leisurely against the carriage wall. The curtain was lifted, allowing the people inside to see the scenery outside. Song Linlin now planned to head to a large city very close to Yishui City. People converged there, and it was much more bustling than Yishui City. She planned to take Lin Qianqian there to try their luck; perhaps the person they were looking for happened to go there too.

The carriage even had natural incense lit, a fresh scent filling the interior. Chi Qianning sat quietly to the side. She looked at the fruits on the table and picked a round grape.

The grape had been washed not long ago, and its skin still bore glistening water droplets. Her fingernail easily peeled open the purplish-black skin, revealing the moist and juicy flesh inside. Chi Qianning held this grape between her fingers, the juice inevitably sticking to her fingertips. She conveniently passed this grape to Song Linlin, who was sitting beside her.

Song Linlin was currently turned, staring at the scenery outside the window, when she felt a coolness by her lips, an icy, moist sensation touching them. She subconsciously turned her head back and saw Chi Qianning beside her had peeled a grape. She was holding it out, clearly feeding her.

Song Linlin was somewhat overwhelmed by the favor. Although the grape was already at her lips, she still opened her mouth and asked, “Is this for me?”

“En,” Chi Qianning gave her a faint smile and nodded.

Song Linlin couldn’t resist her looking at her like that. When Lin Qianqian didn’t speak, she seemed a bit cold, but when she smiled, it was like the warm sun of early spring, melting away the accumulated snow, excessively beautiful.

She lowered her head and gently bit into the sparkling and translucent grape. But because this grape was truly too small, and Chi Qianning’s fingers were holding it, even if Song Linlin was careful, her teeth still lightly bit the other’s fingertip, and her tongue accidentally touched the pulp of the finger.

Song Linlin felt that Chi Qianning’s fingers were very cold, even icier than the grape. It was probably due to being stained with grape juice; her tongue still retained some of the taste of the other’s fingertip. It was sweet.

Chi Qianning withdrew her hand. Song Linlin held the grape in her mouth. The peeled grape flesh was soft and tender. Her teeth bit gently, and sweet juice flowed out from the split grape.

“Is it sweet?” Chi Qianning suddenly asked.

Meeting the gaze of the red pupils of the person beside her, Song Linlin met her eyes for two seconds, then suddenly looked away, inexplicably feeling restless and flustered²³. “Quite sweet…”

Footnotes

小二 | xiǎo’èr | Lit. “little two.” A term for a waiter, shop assistant, or attendant in old inns, teahouses, or restaurants.
嘴下留情 | zuǐ xià liúqíng | Lit. “under the mouth, leave mercy”; To be merciful or lenient in one’s words; to not be too harsh or critical.
我見猶憐 | wǒjiànyóulián | Lit. “I see, still pity”; Describes a woman so lovely and delicate that she evokes compassion even in other women (or anyone). Implies extreme beauty and a touching, vulnerable appearance.
九霄雲外 | jiǔxiāoyúnwài | Lit. “beyond the nine layers of sky clouds”; To a place far, far away; completely forgotten or disregarded.
情商 | qíngshāng | Emotional Quotient (EQ). The ability to understand, use, and manage one’s own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.
翻了個底朝天 | fān le gè dǐcháotiān | Lit. “flipped it bottom-sky-facing”; To turn something upside down; to search a place thoroughly by ransacking it.
大門不出，二門不邁 | dàmén bù chū, èrmén bù mài | Lit. “main gate not exit, second gate not step”; Describes a traditional, cloistered woman, especially of a wealthy or noble family, who rarely leaves the confines of her home.
飄雪城 | Piāoxuě Chéng | Lit. “Fluttering Snow City”
江南 | Jiāngnán | Lit. “South of the River (Yangtze)”; A geographical area in China referring to the lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, known for its prosperity and picturesque scenery.
人煙稀少 | rényānxīshǎo | Lit. “people smoke scarce few”; Describes a place with very few inhabitants; sparsely populated.
腦補 | nǎobǔ | Lit. “brain supplement”; Internet slang meaning to imagine, to fill in the blanks with one’s own assumptions or fantasies, often creating a narrative in one’s head.
青樓 | qīnglóu | Lit. “green/blue mansion/tower”; A euphemism for a brothel or courtesan house in ancient China.
兩眼一黑 | liǎng yǎn yī hēi | Lit. “both eyes one black”; Describes the feeling of nearly fainting from shock, anger, or despair; to be utterly aghast or dismayed.
迷魂藥 | míhúnyào | Lit. “confuse-soul-medicine”; A drug or potion that clouds the mind or bewitches someone, often implying a love potion or something that makes one lose their senses and judgment.
唔 | wú or ńg | An interjection expressing thought, hesitation, or acknowledgment, similar to “hmm,” “uh,” or “well.”
難言之隐 | nányánzhīyǐn | Lit. “difficult-to-speak hidden trouble”; A secret sorrow, embarrassment, or difficulty that one finds hard to talk about.
旁敲側擊 | pángqiāocèjī | Lit. “strike sideways, hit obliquely”; To make indirect remarks; to hint; to ask probing questions in a roundabout way.
小人 | xiǎorén | Lit. “little person.” A humble form of self-address used by commoners or those of lower status when speaking to superiors. It conveys humility and deference.
豬油蒙心 | zhūyóu méng xīn | Lit. “pig lard cover heart”; An idiom meaning to be blinded by greed or infatuation, unable to see reason or make sound judgments.
包袱 | bāofu | A bundle wrapped in cloth, used as luggage; a burden.
凡間 | fánjiān | “Mortal Realm” or “Human World.” The ordinary world inhabited by mortals, as opposed to celestial or demonic realms.
笑開了花 | xiào kāi le huā | Lit. “smiled (until a) flower bloomed”; To beam with joy, to be all smiles.
心猿意馬 | xīnyuányìmǎ | Lit. “heart (like an) ape, intent (like a) horse”; Describes a state of being restless, agitated, or unable to concentrate, often due to emotional turmoil or romantic feelings; flighty and fickle.

Footnotes

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