The Host Has Fallen for the Second Female Lead Again - Chapter 61

After Xi Ruan stepped out, she saw Xu Cu standing by the door waiting for her. She was startled. What is wrong with this person?

“Did I scare my junior sister? I just figured you’d be out soon, and since I had nothing to do, I decided to wait for you here.” Xu Cu smiled, but when her gaze fell on the sword in Xi Ruan’s hand, the smile in her eyes faded a little. “Master is so good to you. She even gave you that.”

“Huh?” Xi Ruan glanced at the sword in her hand. “Is this sword very good?”

“It’s the best sword Master has ever forged, and it’s also the last one.” Xu Cu felt a surge of displeasure. She had been determined to get this sword, but now it was in Xi Ruan’s hands. She really couldn’t see anything special about Xi Ruan. “I’ll take you on a tour.”

“Okay, thank you, senior sister, sorry to trouble you.” Xi Ruan put on a sweet, obedient smile.

All the way, Xi Ruan listened to Xu Cu chatter on, mostly about how good Wu Yin was to her, overtly and covertly warning her off. But honestly, Xi Ruan couldn’t care less. She didn’t know Wu Yin, and the person she was with wasn’t Wu Yin.

Besides, Xi Ruan couldn’t understand something: If Xu Cu knew how good Wu Yin was to her, why did she still want to use her? Why not cherish that affection?

Xi Ruan looked at Xu Cu and suddenly felt a bit annoyed. She finally couldn’t help but interrupt her. “Senior sister, is the Immortal Abode really that big?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then let’s explore it tomorrow. I’m a little tired today.” Xi Ruan said, then let out a yawn.

“Alright.” A flicker of disdain flashed in Xu Cu’s eyes, and she sneered inwardly, even as an immortal, she’s still a useless nobody.

Xi Ruan and Xu Cu said goodbye, and Xi Ruan turned and left.

Naturally, Ji Mingxiao knew what happened between the two of them. Nothing happened in the Immortal Abode that she didn’t know about. But she couldn’t be bothered to intervene. She was also well aware that the kinder she was to Xi Ruan, the more Xu Cu would resent her, but… how could she possibly resist being kind to Xi Ruan?

She let out a yawn and spun around in the air. The wind scattered the plum blossoms in the plum forest.

A gust of wind carried the fragrant petals toward Xi Ruan’s courtyard. Xi Ruan was surprised to see the petals suddenly appear before her eyes.

Countless petals fell from the sky, drifting and fluttering down as if it were a fairyland.

Xi Ruan smiled. Of course, this is a fairyland.

Though she was happy, she still gave a little dry cough. “Cruel destruction of flowers.”

Ji Mingxiao heard Xi Ruan’s words and chuckled. With a slight flick of her wrist, Xi Ruan felt a wisp of wind brush against her cheek, very light and very comfortable. She froze for a moment, not knowing why, but she felt as if someone had just touched her.

Xi Ruan raised her hand to touch her face, then looked around. “Don’t get any funny ideas.”

The petals that had already fallen in the courtyard flew up again and began circling Xi Ruan. Wherever she went, they followed.

“I remember when you were little you envied Concubine Xiang, who could attract butterflies. You even danced in the flower bushes hoping to get their attention.”

Xi Ruan looked up at Ji Mingxiao, who had appeared on the top of the wall at some point, still her usual lazy and uninhibited self.

“I don’t remember, and I don’t think I was that childish.”

“Oh.” Ji Mingxiao smiled. She raised her hand and gave a slight motion, and the petals turned into butterflies.

Xi Ruan blinked, looking at the butterflies around her, then at Ji Mingxiao.

“I couldn’t fulfill that wish for you back then, but I can today,” Ji Mingxiao said. “It doesn’t matter if you remember, as long as I do.”

Xi Ruan raised her hand and watched a butterfly land on her fingertip. It was beautiful, and probably because it was formed from plum blossoms, it carried a faint plum scent.

Neither of them spoke again. Ji Mingxiao just sat on the wall, watching her.

After a long while, Xi Ruan smiled. “Thank you.”

“Mmhmm. Get some good rest. Let me know what you want to eat.”

“Okay.” Xi Ruan nodded.

Ji Mingxiao returned to her own courtyard. She looked around and suddenly realized how big her courtyard was. It was big enough for Xi Ruan to move in, too.

She touched her chin.

“Host, if you bring Xi Ruan here, wouldn’t you just be putting her in the line of fire?” System A said.

Ji Mingxiao let out a long sigh. “You’re right. I should find a reason to throw Xu Cu out instead.”

System A: ???

System A: Did I say that?

Ji Mingxiao went back to her study and picked up a book that was on the table.

Although Wu Yin never left her abode, none of the major events in the Immortal Realm escaped her notice, all thanks to this book of hers. The book had a jade cover, and inside there was only a single page, also made of jade paper—thin and transparent.

She opened the book and lightly ran her finger over the page. Instantly, characters appeared on the originally blank jade paper.

She flipped through the pages very quickly. After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, she finally found something.

Ji Mingxiao raised an eyebrow at the title.

“Ghostly Happenings in a Village.”

She had to admit, that title sounded promising. Such a great training mission was naturally meant for someone.

She made a mark on the page, and the page with “Ghostly Happenings in a Village” vanished.

Xu Cu was just about to go to bed when a jade slip flew in from outside her door. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled.

I knew Master wouldn’t give up on me.

However, when she picked up the jade slip and saw the words on it, her face instantly changed.

She subconsciously squeezed the jade slip tightly.

She didn’t have time to think and immediately walked out.

When Ji Mingxiao knew Xu Cu was coming to see her, she wasn’t surprised at all.

“Master?” Xu Cu still had the jade slip in her hand.

“What is it?”

“Master, why do you want me to go out and train? I…”

“Everyone should train. You’ve been cultivating for a hundred years, it’s time for you to go out and gain some experience. This is your first mission.” Ji Mingxiao interrupted Xu Cu. “Everyone needs to go on missions. You are no exception.”

Those words immediately blocked everything Xu Cu wanted to say.

Xu Cu looked at Ji Mingxiao, biting her lip.

“Go back and rest. You can depart tomorrow.”

“Is Master in such a hurry to drive me away?”

Ji Mingxiao looked at Xu Cu expressionlessly.

“Is it because of junior sister? I saw that you gave her that sword.” Xu Cu clenched the jade slip.

“My things are mine to give to whomever I please. I gave it to her, so what’s the problem?” Ji Mingxiao looked at her.

Xu Cu’s lips twitched. “Your disciple understands.”

“Go back and rest.”

“Yes.” Xu Cu took a deep breath, turned, and walked away.

Ji Mingxiao noticed that Xu Cu seemed to wipe away tears, but she didn’t feel much about it.

If Wu Yin were sitting here, she probably would have softened long ago.

Ji Mingxiao didn’t doubt that Xu Cu was upset at that moment, but it was nothing more than possessiveness at play.

After all, the attention had originally been all hers, and now she had to share it with another person. It was natural for Xu Cu to be unhappy.

Ji Mingxiao looked at the moon outside the window and stared at it for a while.

System A thought she was contemplating some profound matter, but the next second, Ji Mingxiao appeared in a mortal city and bought a fried chicken.

System A: …

System A: I was wrong.

Wu Yin had no appetite for earthly food. At her level of cultivation, it didn’t matter if she ate or not, so she generally didn’t. But Ji Mingxiao was different.

The room, which had been filled with a clean scent, was now filled with the smell of roasted chicken. Ji Mingxiao waved her hand, and the smell dissipated. She went to the hot springs to take a bath, then returned to the jade bed to sleep.

“Ah, I still prefer a Simmons mattress.”

System A: …

“Sleeping on this jade bed is good for your health.”

“But it’s not comfortable.” Ji Mingxiao waved her hand, and several layers of mattresses appeared beneath her.

System A no longer wanted to speak. It suspected that if Ji Mingxiao stayed here for a few more years, she might completely ruin Wu Yin’s reputation in the outside world.

She slept until noon. When she got up, she put away the mattresses. Feeling Xu Cu standing outside the door, she frowned.

She got up and walked out.

“Master.” Xu Cu looked at Ji Mingxiao. “Your disciple has come to bid you farewell. I will be back as soon as possible.”

“Mmhmm, take care of yourself.”

“Yes.” Xu Cu let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

When Xi Ruan arrived and heard that Xu Cu was leaving, she was a bit surprised, and felt happy inside, but she still feigned a look of disappointment. “How can my senior sister leave just as I’ve arrived?”

“Senior sister, you must come back soon.” It’s best if you don’t come back.

Xu Cu smiled at Xi Ruan. “Don’t make Master angry.”

Xi Ruan nodded.

“Go now.” Ji Mingxiao said.

“Yes.” Xu Cu bowed to Ji Mingxiao and then left on her sword.

After feeling that Xu Cu had left the confines of the Immortal Abode, Ji Mingxiao immediately yawned.

“You actually just woke up now.”

“Cultivating.”

“I don’t believe a word of it. No wonder you told me to come in the afternoon.” Xi Ruan followed Ji Mingxiao into the room.

“Sleeping is a form of cultivation.”

Xi Ruan rolled her eyes again.

“What do you want to eat?”

“I want to eat fish.” Xi Ruan sat down opposite Ji Mingxiao.

Ji Mingxiao nodded, and casually tapped the plum blossoms in the vase on the table.

Xi Ruan was surprised to see two girls in red dresses suddenly appear, and she looked at her own hands.

“I grant you the names Hong Yao and Mei Tiao. From now on, the matter of lunch will be up to you. Work hard on your cultivation when you’re not busy.”

“Yes.” The two girls’ faces were beaming with joy. They glanced at Xi Ruan, knowing her relationship with Ji Mingxiao was strange but said nothing. Being newly manifested, their minds were simple and they couldn’t think too deeply about it.

After the two of them left, Xi Ruan’s gaze was still on them.

“What is it?”

“That’s kind of interesting,” Xi Ruan said.

Ji Mingxiao smiled. “You can try it yourself someday.”

As she spoke, she took out a pouch. “This is a spatial bag.”

Xi Ruan took it and looked inside. She ran her hand over the contents, which were numerous.

“These are all items for self-preservation. I’ve written down how to use them on a piece of paper. You can read it yourself when you get back.”

Xi Ruan’s eyes lit up.

“This is a book. I don’t know how to teach you, so you can just read it yourself. Remember to separate a wisp of your divine sense and attach it to the bag. That way, as long as you’re alive, no one else can open it.”

Xi Ruan nodded. In the past, she would have mocked Ji Mingxiao for saying she didn’t know how to teach, but since she was taking things from her, she decided to just put up with it today.

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