After My Thoughts Were Read, My Master Led Me to Change My Fate - Chapter 10

It was only after she had safely and securely placed the soft woman upon the sleeping couch that Ning Songwu realized a thin layer of sweat had beaded on her forehead during that short journey.

It wasn’t exhaustion; it was nervousness.

It was the sudden nervousness that arose after sensing the woman silently nestling deeper into her embrace.

$$text{[Master, although my current body is not yet physiologically mature, my mind is already mature… When you act like that, I truly want to take care of you more.]} $$

Even in her heart, she swallowed the word ‘love’ and replaced it with a term that was more convincing to herself.

$$text{[Master, you must cover yourself well. My mom said that sweating it out cures a cold.]} $$

$$text{[Master, why are your hands so cold? I’ll get you another thick blanket.]} $$

$$text{[Why hasn’t the medicine been delivered yet? Why is it so slow?]} $$

$$text{[…]} $$

Ran Fanyin was already drowsy, and her apprentice’s incessant, nagging inner voice was circling in her ears. A slender, fair hand reached out from beneath the quilt and slapped her own apprentice’s incessantly chattering mouth, murmuring, “So noisy, you little chatterbox.”

Ning Songwu froze for a moment, then leaned down. “Master, what did you say?”

She hadn’t heard clearly. Did her Master want water, or something to eat?

A cool breeze brushed past her ear, and Ran Fanyin’s groggy head suddenly cleared a bit.

“I almost blurted out that I can hear my apprentice’s inner voice just now. Judging by the look of it, the little one must not have heard clearly.”

“Thank goodness she didn’t hear clearly. Rather than wanting to hear something from my apprentice’s heart, I am more worried that if the little apprentice knew all her rambling thoughts were overheard, she would immediately lock away her inner monologue and never dare to think wildly again. That would truly be too upsetting.”

Ran Fanyin shook her head, bracing herself to sit up slightly. “It’s nothing, just sleep talk. Go check on the medicine?”

“You lie down quickly. You lie still, and I will go check on the medicine.”

Ning Songwu’s nervous expression unexpectedly made the uncomfortable person feel a bit more relaxed. Ran Fanyin raised her hand and tapped the little one’s forehead. “I’m only undoing my hair bun; look how tense you are.”

A bare hand pulled the hairpin. The bun, which was already loosely tied at the back of her head, immediately came undone. Silver strands instantly fell, covering half of her body.

Her ear suddenly felt a bit hot.

Ning Songwu raised her hand to cover her ear, her breath slightly ragged, and stuttered, “I-I’ll go check on the medicine. Master, please rest well.”

She then ran out in a panic, taking her inner monologue with her, nearly slipping at the door.

“It is unknown where the little apprentice came from, and her specific age is unclear, but looking at her like this, she still has the temperament of a child.”

Ran Fanyin attempted to shield her ears from the constant inner screams and compliments about her beauty. She tried several spells, all to no avail.

The experiments conducted during this period have shown that, apart from the absolute shielding spell-barrier set up outside the Pure Chamber, no other spell can block the apprentice’s inner voice. What she did today was merely a struggle, despite knowing it was useless—

“I might as well struggle some more.”

Ran Fanyin sighed, lay down with her clothes on, and allowed her spirit to relax slightly. The burning sensation originating from her fragile heart and lungs enveloped her again, forcing out a few stifled coughs.

She closed her eyes, attempting to rest, but her apprentice’s voice came through the door.

Ning Songwu: “Can you take this medicine in for me and give it to Elder Ran, please?”

“Immortal Master, we spiritual creatures cannot approach the Master’s body. You are making things difficult for me,” the little spirit that Ning Songwu had stopped said weakly.

“You don’t need to get close to her. Just put it inside, on the table.”

“Immortal Master Ning…” The little spirit was close to tears.

Ran Fanyin couldn’t bear to listen any longer. She cleared her throat and raised her voice, “Songwu, stop making things difficult for her. Come in.”

Gāzhī (creak), Ning Songwu lightened her steps. Only after the tray was firmly set down did the person on the sleeping couch lightly raise her eyelids. “Why are you unwilling to come in?”

Ning Songwu collected her thoughts and whispered, “It is time for cultivation. Your disciple is afraid of delaying her studies.”

$$text{[Because I dare not look at you.]} $$

Although it was rainy, a faint light still shone in through the window frame. Her silver hair glimmered slightly, and her bloodless face gained a touch more fragility.

Perversely, Ran Fanyin always wore a faint smile, her lips curving into a subtle arc.

As a ‘scum woman’ in her pre-transmigration life, who had many ‘paper wives’ (fictional female characters), Ning Songwu still harbored a bit of deep devotion in her frivolous heart. Although she changed her ‘wife’ every three months, there was always one character she couldn’t let go of, a character who perfectly embodied all her XP (preferences):

White hair, red eyes, scheming, fragile, highly intelligent, very gentle yet also very cold…

Most importantly, she was an older sister.

She had created a lot of indescribable content for this character. It was safe to say she was the character’s most infamous supporter, having paired every female character in that game with her ‘older sister’ as the dominant partner.

Now, in this book world, the woman before her—besides not having red eyes…

Ning Songwu bit her lower lip tightly, truly not knowing what to say.

Falling ill this time had made the person so soft and weak, her eye corners even slightly red from coughing. When held in her arms, she was exceptionally yielding.

She forced herself to gather her thoughts and said gently, “Master, please drink the medicine.”

Ran Fanyin internally chuckled, then spoke coldly, “Is my apprentice so eager for this Master to drink the medicine because she is rushing off to cultivate? Why was my apprentice never so diligent in the past? Since that is the case, my apprentice should go cultivate. This Lord has not yet become so weak that she cannot even lift her arms or hands.”

“No, I…” Ning Songwu decided to use Qin Siyue as an excuse. “Aunt-Master Qin said that the medicine must be taken warm to fully exert its effects.”

“Master, it is cold today, and the medicine temperature drops quickly. You should drink it sooner.”

She knew Ran Fanyin was being difficult due to her earlier hesitation, but she couldn’t explain her suffering now. She could only coax the woman into drinking the medicine.

$$text{[If the illness is allowed to worsen, I don’t know what complications it might trigger. According to Aunt-Master Qin, her cardiopulmonary function is already poor. Please don’t let it turn into myocarditis.]} $$

$$text{[How should I tell her that I don’t not want to see her, nor am I rushing to cultivate; it’s just that… she is so fragile, and I want to kiss her so badly…]} $$

Ran Fanyin’s hand, which was smoothing her silver hair, froze for an instant. She subtly pulled up her collar and coughed lightly. “Bring the medicine over. You are right; it must be drunk warm.”

$$text{[This kind of thought should be even less appropriate to say, shouldn’t it? Oh dear, why… hmm? She’s willing to drink it?]} $$

$$text{[Oh my dearest Master, please get well quickly. My livelihood depends entirely on you.]} $$

Elder Ran, with a blank face, looked at her little apprentice, whose mental activity was particularly lively and who dared to think of everything. She said in a very cold and serene tone, “Alright.”

“How does this little girl manage to look so pure and adorable?”

“I’m not saying the things she’s thinking in her head are not pure and adorable… well, they are definitely not pure and adorable.”

“Who thinks ‘I want to kiss you’ about a sick person?”

Elder Ran’s hand, holding the bowl, trembled. Her good apprentice, who was initially standing submissively to the side, noticed in her peripheral vision that her fragile Master seemed unable to even hold the bowl steady, and she kindly stepped forward to help steady it.

This successfully caused her Master to choke.

A few more heavy coughs followed, accompanied by wheezing. Redness spread from the corners of her eyes. Her silver hair trembled and then fell weakly, adding a few more degrees of fragility.

During a pause in the coughing, the woman said coldly, “Go out.”

Ning Songwu’s hand, which had just picked up a preserved fruit, froze in mid-air. She responded, “Yes.”

She put down the tray, turned, and left.

$$text{[Why am I so stupid? I managed to make Master choke and make her unhappy, waaah.]} $$

$$text{[Master is already sick; I hope this doesn’t affect her recovery.]} $$

$$text{[Beautiful older sister, please get well soon.]} $$

$$text{[Master is like a gift from Heaven. Why did she take on a clumsy apprentice like me? If only she had taken Lin Yuxue…]} $$

Ran Fanyin’s hand, clutching a corner of the quilt, tightened and then loosened. Her heart was a turmoil of mixed emotions, and her mind was still foggy from the fever. She raised her eyes, looking at the little one’s slender back, and finally let out a long, quiet sigh.

“Forget it. It’s still raining. You can cultivate here. I can keep an eye on you.”

“Master, you should rest well. I should still go back…”

Elder Ran’s voice chilled. “Stay.”

“Yes.”

$$text{[Will I disturb Master’s rest by being here?]} $$

$$text{[Never mind. If I am quiet, it should be fine. I can also look after her and prevent the fever from getting worse.]} $$

$$text{[I…]} $$

“Concentrate your spirit and gather your energy. Clear your mind and calm your thoughts,” the woman’s slightly hoarse voice came through.

Ning Songwu pursed her lips and gave a faint affirmation. She immediately collected all her thoughts, no longer speaking or thinking excessively.

Ran Fanyin opened one eye and watched the girl sitting cross-legged.

“What a little reserved bottle gourd.”

“If I didn’t have the inner voice, where would I learn all these many sincere thoughts of yours?”

“You little clumsy, reserved bottle gourd.”

Ran Fanyin’s illness lasted for nearly ten days straight. She had a low-grade fever intermittently for three days, followed by a persistent cough. Even yesterday, she was still coughing sporadically and stifledly.

Ning Songwu gained a whole new understanding of her physical condition: truly fragile. A single bout of cold wind put her out of commission for ten days. She wondered how her Master had cultivated when she was younger. Would sweating and then drying off also make her ill like this? Truly pitiable.

$$text{[I’m starting to suspect I brought the H1N1 virus with me. Alas…]} $$

Ning Songwu was squatting in the back hall, counting the medicinal herbs and remaining ingredients, calculating how many days’ worth of food were left. Her Master was moved to the main hall to bask in the sunlight through the window.

As Ran Fanyin leaned on the recliner, she suddenly felt a hint of guilt. While she enjoyed such comfort, her apprentice was busy running back and forth.

“However, this is the joy that comes with taking an apprentice.”

“Otherwise, who would want to spare energy to raise such a little one?”

The mountain protection barrier suddenly fluctuated. Ran Fanyin did not even open her eyes, but raised her voice to call her apprentice over.

“What is it, Master?” The little one ran out, wearing a kitchen apron to keep dust off her clothes.

“Someone has arrived. Go deal with her for me.”

“Then let me change my clothes.”

The woman lazily opened her eyelids and glanced at her. “No need. Just stay as you are. It’s no one important.”

“Just hand her this book for this Master.”

Lin Yuxue, the “no one important,” winced when she saw Ning Songwu run out still wearing her apron. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

After Ning Songwu clearly saw who the visitor was, she stiffened in place and managed a strained smile. “H-Hello?”

$$text{[What is the female protagonist doing here? I’ve been homebound on the mountain, not setting foot outside the gate, and you still have to come look for trouble with me?]} $$

$$text{[Help me, Master, help me…]} $$

Ran Fanyin silently diverted a portion of her attention here.

“I have come to fetch the cultivation manual, Senior Sister. Please give it to me.”

The young girl cautiously reached out her hand, handed her the book, quickly retracted it, and took a large step back.

Lin Yuxue: Do I look very ugly, or what? What’s the matter? Am I going to eat people, that you’re running away so fast?

$$text{[Why is she still not leaving…]} $$ Ning Songwu tightly gripped the corner of the clothes behind her.

“Senior Sister…”

“A-ha!”

Lin Yuxue’s half-organized thought was interrupted by that spirited shout. She blinked, momentarily unable to recall what she was about to say.

$$text{[The female protagonist is truly beautiful. Those long eyelashes are fluttering—no wonder the Demon Venerable likes her.]} $$

$$text{[Why is she still not leaving… Older sister, what are you trying to pull now…]} $$

$$text{[You, you, you! You’ve picked the right person to provoke! Daring to provoke me means you truly chose the softest persimmon to squeeze.]} $$

A light laugh suddenly fell near her ear. A slender, fair hand was placed on her shoulder, and Master’s voice, which sounded not at all friendly despite the smile, floated over. “Niece-Apprentice, what are you doing here?”