Just like that, a few more days passed.
After being summoned by Lin Shuangye for several lessons, Lin Huanhuan felt unbearably bored and retreated to her own room, doing nothing but cultivating and sleeping. Of course, most of the time, she was just slacking off and resting.
‘Being carefully looked after like this is truly wonderful. I don’t even have to use my brain—I don’t want to do anything else at all.’
Lin Huanhuan’s delicate figure lay on the bed, her chin propped on a soft cushion, her eyes curved as she thought so.
“The world really is wonderful. At this time, the male lead is probably already out searching for materials to forge his Dao Foundation. As for me, I’m different—if I lack anything, I just go straight to the family treasury to get it. No one will say a word.”
“There’s about twenty days until my breakthrough. The next heroine isn’t due to appear for over a month, so there’s plenty of time. I’ll slack off for a couple more days.”
Lin Huanhuan muttered contentedly, “It’s just like cramming homework the day before school starts. When the time comes, I’ll rush and get it done. For now, resting is the main thing.”
She rolled over, like a salted fish flipping on the sand—no different from before—planning to sleep a bit more.
“Miss, don’t sleep anymore. You have something to do now.”
At that moment, Dong Yun’er hurriedly pushed open the door, a letter in her hand.
“What is it? You actually dare disturb my nap?”
Lin Huanhuan, who hadn’t fallen asleep at all, sat up in mild annoyance and took the envelope Dong Yun’er handed over.
“Miss, this letter was entrusted to me by the Eldest Miss. She said she sees you idle every day—where do you get off living like this?”
“She told you to take advantage of your free time and complete the task required to advance from outer disciple to inner disciple, so you don’t end up scrambling at the last minute.”
“What? So it’s something like that.”
Lin Huanhuan snorted softly, recalling the requirements for disciples of Lingyun Sect to advance.
“In Lingyun Sect, for an outer disciple to become an inner disciple, you need to reach at least the Foundation Establishment stage, and also complete a fairly difficult team mission. In short, it’s working for the sect with no pay, not unlike a college credit system—the only difference is that sect missions earn you contributions, which can be exchanged for rare treasures.”
“If all the instructions are done, why bother writing a letter?”
Lin Huanhuan grumbled, opening the envelope and pausing in surprise—inside wasn’t a list of reminders, but detailed intelligence about a mission.
[Strange Beast Injuries in Yuanshan Village]
Lin Huanhuan, who in her last life had no family left, felt her heart warm slightly, but still pouted, “I’m not a child anymore, why is she still treating me like I don’t understand anything? She’s meddling too much.”
Dong Yun’er stood to the side, smiling. “The Eldest Miss cares about you, that’s all. Maybe it’s because you’re her only sister.”
“Oh, right.” Dong Yun’er asked, “Do you have any ideas about who should join you for this mission, Miss?”
“Candidates?”
Lin Huanhuan touched her chin, a thoughtful glint in her eyes. “The task requires three people: me, you, and another… I don’t know who to pick.”
Several figures flashed through her mind, but she dismissed them all one by one.
“No, no, picking them is like courting death. Especially Bai Lingfeng—why did I even think of him? If he kicks me to death, that would really be a joke.”
“Maybe I’ll just find any Lin family member. Some might be a pain, but overall, they’re pretty united. As long as I pick someone dependable, it’ll be fine—and they’ll listen to my orders.”
While Lin Huanhuan was deep in thought, Dong Yun’er waited patiently. Neither hurried the other. A gentle breeze swept through the window, lifting their hair. Lin Huanhuan failed to notice the indescribable longing her loyal maid harbored for her deep inside.
Dong Yun’er felt that days like this were wonderful. She could watch her Miss all day and never get tired of it—if only things could always stay this way.
Knock knock knock—
A knocking at the courtyard gate broke the harmony in the room. Lin Huanhuan, her thoughts interrupted, shifted positions lazily. “Yun’er, see who it is?”
Dong Yun’er frowned slightly, nodded, and went outside to open the door. The visitor was someone she hadn’t expected at all.
“It’s you?”
“Aren’t you going to invite me in? Leaving a guest at the door isn’t the Lin family’s way, is it?”
Dong Yun’er’s good mood, as picturesque as a painting, felt like it’d just had a huge black stain splashed on it by a child’s brush—all the poetry ruined. Still, she stepped aside and led the visitor in.
“This way, uninvited guest.”
“I admit I didn’t send word ahead, but it didn’t delay anything, did it? I did knock, after all.”
Their somewhat familiar voices approached quickly. Lin Huanhuan sat up and raised an eyebrow. “Ye Jinxi? Why are you here?”
Ye Jinxi’s sudden appearance caught her off guard. “What are you here for? I don’t recall inviting you.”
Ye Jinxi sat down next to her, acting as if she belonged there. “I just felt like coming over to sit for a bit—is that a problem?”
Lin Huanhuan’s heart skipped a beat. Something felt off.
‘What’s going on? It’s one thing for Ye Jinxi to not avoid me, this cannon fodder villainess, but now she’s even showing up on her own? Why does this plot feel so familiar?’
‘No, something is really wrong here!’
‘Maybe I should just drive Ye Jinxi out.’
That thought flashed through Lin Huanhuan’s mind, but she quickly dismissed it. ‘No, no, ever since I awakened my memories, I’ve always been at a disadvantage with Ye Jinxi.’
‘I’m a villainess, right? The heroine should be terrified of me, fleeing at the mere sight, but she actually dares to come right up to me. If I don’t teach her a lesson, how can I call myself a villainess?’
‘That’s it, I’ll scare Ye Jinxi a bit!’
Lin Huanhuan immediately put on an evil smile. “Oh, I get it. You’ve fallen for my beauty, haven’t you? Hmph, I knew it—someone like me could never be rejected by a girl.”
“You were just playing hard to get before, but since I didn’t make any moves, you couldn’t hold back and came to me, right?”
Lin Huanhuan nodded in satisfaction. “Fine, I’ll fulfill your wish. Go wash up and lie down on my bed, and I’ll come spoil you in a moment!”
“Um… I’m not even sure what to say to that.”
Ye Jinxi’s mouth twitched. “Maybe I just came by to say hi and thank you for saving me the other day.”
Her response was far beyond what Lin Huanhuan expected.
‘What the—? She just heard me say something so crass, yet she isn’t running away in fright?’
‘Looks like I need to bring out the real killer move. No way she won’t flee now.’
Lin Huanhuan sneered, “Say whatever you want. To me, it’s all just pretending to be coy.”
“Oh, by the way, in three days I’ll be going on a team mission. I order you to join—no refusing.”
‘Ye Jinxi hasn’t even reached the peak of Qi Refining yet, and this mission requires someone at that level. No matter what, she’ll have to refuse. I really am a genius!’
“A team mission? Fine, since you’re inviting me, I’ll join.”
Ye Jinxi considered briefly, then nodded in agreement.
The smile on Lin Huanhuan’s face froze in an instant.