After My Thoughts Were Read, My Master Led Me to Change My Fate - Chapter 53.2

Ran Fanyin suddenly felt her pride challenged, and her ears began to turn red.

“Does the high and mighty Venerable Master get shy? …Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” Lin Yuxue’s laughter was soft, her tone gentle, like a cool evening breeze flowing in through a window on a hot summer night, making one feel utterly comfortable.

Ran Fanyin turned her head to look out the window.

A snow-white pigeon was perched on the window lattice, tilting its head to look at her.

Ran Fanyin’s heart skipped a beat. This was a Northern Frontier pigeon. She raised her hand to signal it. The pigeon fluttered over and landed on her hand. A letter was indeed tied to its leg.

Ran Fanyin took the message strip with confusion. Why did a pigeon suddenly arrive? Has something happened in the Northern Frontier?

The paper strip unfolded, with only a few simple characters written vertically:

Ning Songwu is gravely injured, life hanging by a thread.

Ran Fanyin’s eyes widened instantly. She couldn’t quite believe it and squinted to look closely a few more times. But those few words were stamped on the paper like iron.

Then, the hand holding the paper strip began to tremble slightly. Her breathing became erratic, and her eyebrows knitted together tightly.

“What is it?” Lin Yuxue had finished wrapping the wound and was tidying the table, asking curiously.

Ran Fanyin’s voice suddenly plummeted to a cold low. “I must return to the Northern Frontier early. Tell my Senior Brother that.”

With that, Ran Fanyin stood up abruptly and leaped directly out of the window. Her speed was so fast that Lin Yuxue didn’t even have time to react.

She just… left so carelessly?

Ran Fanyin and Ning Songwu looked at each other for a long time. Ran Fanyin’s sensitive ears were flushed red from the overly intimate closeness they had just shared.

After a long pause, Ran Fanyin finally spoke, her voice slightly stammering, “What… what are you doing?”

Ning Songwu’s gaze, fixed on Ran Fanyin, seemed to ignite with fire. “Master, you haven’t come to see me for nine days. I waited for you every day. Your disciple missed you very much.”

“Missing me… still does not mean… you can be so presumptuous…” Ran Fanyin felt she was stammering a bit too much and cleared her throat twice, removing the unnaturalness from her voice. “You are not little anymore. You should pay attention to such contact. I am your Master…”

Ning Songwu cried uncontrollably while hugging Ran Fanyin’s shoulder, as if she intended to cry all the tears of her lifetime. She would cry one last time, vent one last time. From this day forward, she would never shed tears so easily again, and she would never again seek shelter only behind Ran Fanyin.

Ran Fanyin supported Ning Songwu’s hips and carried her to her own bed. Ning Songwu was sobbing and gasping for breath but continued to cooperate with Ran Fanyin. Ran Fanyin gently removed Ning Songwu’s outer clothes, seeing the moon-white undergarment stained with large patches of bright red blood, making the white base look like a patterned embellishment. Ran Fanyin continued to carefully remove Ning Songwu’s undergarment, revealing the tightly wrapped gauze beneath.

“The wounds have stuck to the gauze. It will be very painful when I remove it. Are you afraid of pain?” Ran Fanyin softened her tone, looking at Ning Songwu’s tear-streaked face.

“N-no, I’m not afraid,” Ning Songwu looked back steadily at Ran Fanyin.

Ran Fanyin’s lips curved into a smile. Then, she turned her face to meticulously search through the tray holding the medicine bottles and gauze nearby. She pulled out a wooden box, opened the lid with one hand, and inside was a box full of small, round, white pills, absolutely adorable.

Ran Fanyin picked one out and placed it in Ning Songwu’s mouth.

An infinitely sweet and cool taste spread through her mouth, so sweet that Ning Songwu half-closed her eyes in enjoyment.

“Stop crying now? Try to bear with it,” Ran Fanyin stroked Ning Songwu’s head, then extremely cautiously picked at one end of the gauze and slowly unwrapped it. The thin layer of gauze was soaked through with blood. Fortunately, most of Ning Songwu’s injuries were on her back, while her front remained intact.

As the gauze was removed layer by layer, the barely-developed body of the ten-year-old girl slowly emerged. Her chest was noticeably developing, already showing a curve. The adhered flesh was lightly pulled, causing a tingling, piercing pain.

Ning Songwu forgot to cry for a moment, her face instantly turning crimson with embarrassment. She immediately burrowed into Ran Fanyin’s embrace, hiding her front against Ran Fanyin’s snow-white robe.

Ran Fanyin let Ning Songwu hold her, applying the hemostatic medicine cleanly. The scene gave her a momentary illusion that she was back three years ago. Only, this child had grown up a bit; both her body and her thoughts had matured slightly.

After changing the medicine and wrapping the gauze, Ran Fanyin took a set of clean undergarments for Ning Songwu to wear. After all this fuss, the night was already late. It would be too late to send her back to the Hall of Rising Flight, so Ran Fanyin kept Ning Songwu in the Withered Glory Pavilion.

“The sleeping chamber you used before has been continuously cleaned, and it is very tidy. Hurry back to sleep.”

Ning Songwu said timidly, “I… I don’t want to go back there… it’s cold and lonely by myself…”

Ran Fanyin smiled imperceptibly. Without saying anything more, she helped Ning Songwu lie down, carefully covered her with the quilt, tucked in the edges, and then walked back to the writing desk, sitting down to continue writing.

“Master, aren’t you going to sleep?” Ning Songwu lifted her head slightly, looking at Ran Fanyin through the sheer bed curtain.

Ran Fanyin looked up and met Ning Songwu’s gaze. “You sleep first. I will sleep once I finish this.”

Ning Songwu pouted and obediently lay back down, her eyes still fixed on Ran Fanyin. After a long time, Ran Fanyin was still busy at the desk. Ning Songwu was extremely tired, and her eyelids slowly drooped shut.

Ran Fanyin glanced at Ning Songwu from time to time, her gaze gentle. A burst of discomfort occasionally surged up her throat, which she forcibly suppressed, afraid of waking Ning Songwu.

It was very late when Ran Fanyin finally put down her brush. Ning Songwu was already fast asleep, wrapped tightly with only her small head visible. Her bed only had the one quilt she normally slept under. Tonight, she would inevitably have to share a quilt with this little girl. Ran Fanyin’s body was often cold, making it hard to warm the bed when sleeping alone. This child, however, was warm, small, and soft—much more effective than a stove.

The next day, Ning Songwu woke up around noon. It was a rare beautiful day; the sunlight streamed in through the window, spreading out like a bed of gold foil, looking utterly warm.

Ning Songwu reached to the side, finding it empty. The bedsheets were also very smooth, as if no one had slept there. Ning Songwu sighed deeply, her small face wrinkled, and rolled over to the side, her face burying into the pillow next to her.

A cool plum fragrance entered her nostrils, and a residual warmth lingered on the soft pillow. Ning Songwu immediately broke into a smile, rubbing her nose hard against the pillow. She guessed that Master had gotten up early and even smoothed out the bed neatly.

A clear, cool voice suddenly sounded, “Awake?”

Ning Songwu immediately shot up from the bed, accidentally straining her wounds, which made her wince in pain. She quickly leaned halfway out of the bed to look, seeing Ran Fanyin still sitting in the same spot as yesterday, her eyes focused on her writing.

“Master, good morning,” Ning Songwu rubbed her eyes, which were sore from crying yesterday, and spoke to Ran Fanyin in a clingy voice.

Ran Fanyin glanced at Ning Songwu while busy, and said flatly, “If you’re awake, get up and tidy yourself.”

“Oh.” Ning Songwu immediately and obediently picked up the outer clothing Ran Fanyin had prepared for her and carefully put it on.

After getting dressed, Ning Songwu lingered on the bed for a while, then quietly got off and walked over to the neatly arranged bookshelf. The bookshelf held the books Ran Fanyin usually liked to read, along with some volumes on Taoist practices and swordsmanship.

Ning Songwu picked out a book, sat quietly aside, propped her chin in her hand, and began to read intently.

Ran Fanyin was somewhat surprised. In the past, Ning Songwu would always cling to her, chattering non-stop, never idle for a moment. Now, she actually knew how to sit quietly aside and read a book.

In the room, one person was busy with her duties, and the other was earnestly reading. The atmosphere was silent yet extremely harmonious, as if time had stood still.

After an unknown period, Ran Fanyin suddenly said, “I’m hungry.”

Ning Songwu put down the book. “I’ll go to the kitchen right away.”

Saying this, Ning Songwu actually stood up and quickly stepped out. After a long time, about half an hour, she ambled back in, carrying a tray of food.

“The kitchen made (bread stew) today. It’s boiled in a rich lamb bone broth. Master, would you like some?” Ning Songwu laboriously placed the tray, which was a bit too large for her, next to Ran Fanyin.

A large bowl emitted steaming heat. A few pieces of tender, soft lamb bone poked out, and it was also soaking with delicate crystal shrimp dumplings. The aroma wafted into one’s senses, making one’s mouth water.

Ran Fanyin nodded slightly. “That will be good. Ladle a little for me to try.”

Ning Songwu used a spoon to scoop up half a spoonful of the zhūmó and used chopsticks to evenly place shrimp dumplings, meat, and wood ear mushrooms on the other half. Ran Fanyin continued to write without pausing. Ning Songwu held the spoon in one hand and carefully held the other hand underneath as a catch, then stood on her tiptoes to present it to Ran Fanyin’s mouth.

Ran Fanyin slightly turned her face and ate the spoonful.

Ning Songwu smiled, seeing no displeasure in Ran Fanyin’s expression. “Master, eating this in winter is very warming. And there’s this—it’s also delicious to eat with it.” Ning Songwu picked up a small dish next to the large bowl on the tray. It contained several cloves of glistening yellowish-brown garlic.

Ning Songwu peeled one and offered it to Ran Fanyin’s mouth.

Ran Fanyin glanced sideways. It was candied garlic, which also looked like a little snack Ning Songwu liked to eat. However, she had never been fond of such strong-flavored things. Ran Fanyin looked at Ning Songwu’s bright eyes again, and still took a bite, eating it straight from Ning Songwu’s hand.

“You finish the rest,” Ran Fanyin swallowed the half-clove of candied garlic with some difficulty. She had given Ning Songwu enough face.

Ning Songwu said, “Oh,” and retracted the hand holding the candied garlic, her gaze fixed intently on the remaining half. Master just bit this, didn’t she? Master’s lips and tongue just touched this. Master told her to eat the remaining half of the candied garlic…

Ning Songwu smiled somewhat foolishly, putting the half-clove of candied garlic into her mouth and slowly chewing it like a treasure. For some reason, this one tasted better than any she had eaten before.

Ran Fanyin put down her brush, wanting a sip of tea to wash away the lamb and garlic flavor in her mouth. The moment she glanced at Ning Songwu, she put down the teacup and quickly took out a handkerchief to cover Ning Songwu’s nose.

“How… are you getting a nosebleed in the middle of winter?”

Wait… I didn’t grab money or clothes…

At some point, the direction of the swirling snowflakes subtly changed. There was a faint crunching sound from the newly fallen snow on the ground; someone was approaching, parting the snow with an umbrella. A pair of white brocade shoes softly stepped over the new snow, their pace light and unhurried.

Ran Fanyin held a simple, clean paper umbrella firmly in her right hand, walking through this small town in the Northern Frontier. Her quiet, forward-gazing eyes were like a bowl of clear, cool, misty tea—naturally cold and detached, indifferent and aloof.

Ran Fanyin’s aura, unlike her youthful appearance, was the tranquility one only finds in recluses who have lived long and witnessed many aspects of human life. It was this calmness that imbued her with a hard-to-approach, icy distance.

Her even footsteps suddenly halted. She sensed something keenly, and her beautiful eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the object buried by the heavy snow in the distant corner of the wall.

It was a person, and not a very old one. Ran Fanyin pondered for a moment, shook her head, and continued on her way with her umbrella.

But she stopped again just before passing by.

Ran Fanyin’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly. In the end, she sighed, turned, and walked toward the corner. Her clear, cool voice, like a flowing mountain stream, softly sighed, “There’s still a breath left.” Her gaze softened. She knelt down before the beggar child, who was practically buried in snow, placed her umbrella aside, and touched the child’s icy back. Her eyes held a gentle gaze for the beggar child, like a wise deity pitying all living things—solemn and inviolable.

The beggar child suddenly looked up, unexpectedly, her pair of dark eyes directly meeting Ran Fanyin’s gaze. Her face was too dirty to see clearly, but her eyes were a clean, clear black that could not be polluted. The child’s still-intact left hand was tightly clenched into a small fist, her eyes full of wariness and fear.

Ran Fanyin picked up the child’s small fist and held it in her own warm palm, feeling as though she were holding a piece of frozen ice. She noticed the child’s right hand hanging limply at her side, the flesh of the wrist severely mangled and swollen. It appeared someone had severed the tendons in her hand.

Ran Fanyin frowned. She wondered who could be so cruel as to not spare even this five or six-year-old child, actually severing the tendons in her right hand. The beggar child’s innocent, round, dark eyes were evasive, yet they stirred Ran Fanyin’s most private sense of compassion.

After a long time, Ran Fanyin tried her best to slow her tone, asking in the most gentle voice she could manage:

“Are you… willing to come home with me?”

The beggar child had been abandoned in the mountains and raised by wild beasts, so she could not understand Ran Fanyin’s question at all. She suddenly recalled the twisted faces that surrounded her during the day, the relentless beatings and insults, the physical pain crashing over her like a collapsing mountain. She instinctively shrank inward in fear. But immediately, the child’s eyes became confused. The person before her had a gentle, warm aura that inadvertently soothed the beggar child’s wary, animalistic nature.

Ran Fanyin received no response from the beggar child, and mostly understood that the child’s mind was undeveloped. Thus, she took it upon herself to act, lifting the beggar child with one hand, completely unconcerned that the filth on the child’s body was staining her clean white robe. Ran Fanyin held up the umbrella with her other hand, carefully sheltering the little one in her arms from the wind and snow.

Unlike her previous relaxed and leisurely pace, Ran Fanyin took a few light steps, leaped into the air, and with a profound and graceful lightness skill, vanished in the vast snow of the Northern Frontier in the blink of an eye.