Competing with the Male Lead for the Female Lead (Transmigration) - Chapter 22
Ever since leaving Ancheng, Lan Feier hadn’t had a proper night’s rest.
The male lead’s occasional glances were filled with concealed murderous intent; she wasn’t blind.
When they occasionally stayed at an inn, she would keep her eyes open until dawn. There were two times when they stayed overnight at a farmer’s house, and there weren’t enough rooms. She shared a room with Wen Wuning, and she would fall asleep like a log as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She figured that even if the male lead hated her as a third wheel, he wouldn’t do anything to her in front of Wen Wuning.
More often, they camped out in the wild, traveling under the stars was also common. After all, they weren’t ordinary people, and going without rest for two or three nights was nothing to them.
However, this time they hadn’t closed their eyes for seven consecutive days.
Lan Feier’s eyes could barely stay open. Sitting on the horse, her head drooped, swaying back and forth with the horse’s movements.
It wasn’t that they were masochistic and unwilling to rest, but the wasteland beneath them was shrouded in a damp, thick fog day and night. The ground was full of weeds and puddles, and the horses walked on it with one hoof deep and the other shallow, making it uncomfortable for the riders as well.
In this kind of terrain, there wasn’t even a place to set foot, let alone rest.
Suddenly, the horse under her let out a long neigh, rearing its head. Lan Feier woke up alertly and leaped off the horse.
Turning back after landing, she saw her horse leaning to one side, laboriously trying to pull its left foreleg out of the mud.
The leg it pulled out had mud and water on the hoof, dangling at a strange angle. The horse’s hoof was broken.
These three horses had carried them tirelessly for seven days.
They could still endure, but the horses couldn’t take it anymore.
But this kind of road condition made it impossible for them to walk on the ground either. Just in the short time she had landed, the hem of Lan Feier’s trousers had already become soaked.
“Junior Sister.” Wen Wuning walked over, leading her horse, and extended a hand to Lan Feier.
Lan Feier took her hand and leaped onto Wen Wuning’s horse, hugging her waist, yawned, and leaned against her back, falling asleep directly.
Wen Wuning patted the horse she sat on with pity, took out two spiritual herbs, and fed them to it.
She fed each of the other two horses one herb. They continued forward, the horse with the broken hoof following slowly behind.
Wen Wuning, leading her horse and paying attention to the road ahead, asked coldly, “Are you sure we haven’t gone the wrong way?”
Sheng Baihe, who was leading the way, didn’t turn his head, staring at the road ahead shrouded in thick fog.
Even if he wasn’t completely confident in his sense of direction, Sheng Baihe had faith in his protagonist halo.
The three traveled for another three days in the dense water mist. The horses could no longer carry people, and the three had to dismount and wade through the puddles and mud.
The three were in a sorry state. Lan Feier could even fall asleep while walking. On the evening of the fourth day, two points of light finally appeared in the thick fog.
Having people’s houses in this desolate wilderness seemed even more strange. Wen Wuning became vigilant, but seeing Sheng Baihe and Lan Feier seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, leading their horses forward without any wariness.
Sheng Baihe aside, but based on Wen Wuning’s understanding of Lan Feier, this junior sister was usually the most cautious. Why was she so careless now?
Seeing that Wen Wuning hadn’t followed, Sheng Baihe turned back and called out, “Senior Sister, we finally have a place to rest tonight.”
Wen Wuning frowned and asked, “Aren’t you afraid there’s something strange?”
“Strange is fine too. After walking for more than ten days, I was just looking for someone to stretch my muscles.” Sheng Baihe, who had been suppressed for too long, instead smiled sinisterly, looking like it was exactly what he wanted.
Wen Wuning looked at Lan Feier. This junior sister still wasn’t speaking, but from her expression, she seemed to agree with Sheng Baihe and wanted to go and see what was going on. Wen Wuning wasn’t a timid person, but she was worried about their nonchalant attitude.
Wen Wuning still went with them towards the lights, but their moods were different. Sheng Baihe and Lan Feier were very relaxed, thinking they could finally have a good rest, while Wen Wuning felt uneasy in her heart.
Passing through the thick darkness, a large house shrouded in thick fog came into view. The lights they had seen were two large red lanterns hanging high on the house gate.
Wen Wuning felt strange, but Sheng Baihe went straight forward. Before she could stop him, Sheng Baihe had already knocked on the door.
The sound of knocking was very jarring in this silent place, traveling far and wide, seeming to awaken something originally hidden in the darkness.
Something was approaching. Wen Wuning suddenly turned her head, only to see Lan Feier.
“Senior Sister, I’m scared. Can I hold your hand?” As she spoke, Lan Feier had already taken Wen Wuning’s hand.
But looking at her face, apart from calmness and drowsiness, there was nothing else. She didn’t look scared at all.
Knowing that Wen Wuning was full of doubts, Lan Feier, adhering to the good quality of “silence is gold,” pulled her forward.
It was easy to understand Sheng Baihe’s carefree appearance. After all, he knew this place. This was the first side quest the protagonist brushed through in the book.
But if Lan Feier wasn’t afraid either, it would be too strange, and it might arouse Sheng Baihe’s suspicion. Lan Feier deliberately pretended to be afraid, although she looked very perfunctory because she was too sleepy.
*Creak—*
With a piercing and drawn-out sound, the vermilion gate slowly opened in front of the three.
Lan Feier rubbed her ears uncomfortably, suspecting that the door hadn’t been opened for decades.
A person appeared in the dark crack of the door. At first glance, it looked like a wall-like pale face hanging in mid-air. This face was so stiff that it seemed like white ash would fall off if you tapped it.
This person’s eyeballs were pitch black and wooden, and he was wearing a black silk robe that was strangely tall and thin.
“The three of us are passing through this place and would like to stay overnight in your esteemed residence tonight. I wonder if it is convenient?” Sheng Baihe maintained his gentlemanly demeanor, but upon closer observation, one could still detect the condescension in his speech.
Although the long journey had made Sheng Baihe tired and anxious, if he really wanted to pretend, he could do it flawlessly. The fact that he could be detected could only mean that he didn’t take this person opposite him seriously.
Because he knew this was just a tool person.
Even knowing his true nature wouldn’t have any impact.
The person in the crack of the door didn’t speak. His pitch-black eyeballs turned stiffly, pausing for a moment on each of the three people outside the door before retreating into the darkness. *Creak—* There was another long, long, long, long sound, and the gate was half-opened.
Sheng Baihe stepped in with one foot, followed by Wen Wuning and Lan Feier.
When passing by this person while leading their horses, Wen Wuning found that this person seemed to be made of paper, his walking posture stiff and light.
This person was clearly wrong, but Sheng Baihe and Lan Feier turned a blind eye to it. After this person slowly closed the door, they followed him into the mansion.
Wen Wuning had no choice but to follow. If something really happened, she could only adapt to the situation.
Passing through the front hall, it was brightly lit, but there wasn’t a single person in sight.
This person directly led them to the side rooms, exactly three of them. Sheng Baihe and Lan Feier each chose one and were about to enter, Wen Wuning’s expression momentarily becoming extremely indescribable.
She called out to the person who was about to leave and said, “I wonder if the master of the house is available now. We should thank them in person for the kindness of letting us stay overnight.”
Bringing strangers into the house without first meeting the master?
Wen Wuning really couldn’t ignore these strange things like Lan Feier and Sheng Baihe did.
The paper-like person turned around, and a light, floating voice drifted from his almost unmoving mouth, “The master has already rested and will receive guests tomorrow.”
Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly seemed to remember something and added, “After the lights are out, guests are requested not to go out.”
After the person left, Wen Wuning found that Lan Feier had already entered her room. Only Sheng Baihe was still at the door. He said, “Senior Sister doesn’t need to overthink. Hurry up and rest and adjust. If you really can’t sleep at night, I don’t mind having a heart-to-heart talk with Senior Sister.”
With that, he smiled wickedly.
Wen Wuning was about to get angry, but remembering Lan Feier’s words earlier, she suppressed her anger, glanced at him expressionlessly, opened the remaining side room, and went in.
After checking the room, Wen Wuning didn’t find anything strange and went to bed to sit and meditate.
Not long after, there was a knock on the door. Wen Wuning got up and opened it. Outside was Lan Feier.
“Senior Sister, when we came just now, I saw a hot spring in this mansion. I haven’t bathed for several days and am covered in sweat. I want to go wash up. Senior Sister, please come with me.”
Wen Wuning was slightly stunned.
Why did these words sound so familiar?
Wasn’t this exactly what Sheng Baihe had said a few days ago?
Seeing Wen Wuning’s strange expression, as if she was about to get angry again, Lan Feier explained indifferently, “I know Senior Sister has already achieved Bigu, and won’t have sweat even if you don’t wash for ten days or half a month. But we walked in that puddle for so long, and your body must have gotten damp. It’s better to wash up, and I’m also afraid to go alone.”
Lan Feier’s face was calm. Wen Wuning stared at her and, seeing that she didn’t seem to be teasing her, glanced at Sheng Baihe’s room. Wen Wuning guessed that Lan Feier might have something to say to her away from Sheng Baihe, so she came up with this excuse.
Thinking of this possibility, Wen Wuning nodded and agreed.
When they came, they did see a misty area enclosed by high vermilion walls. Through the light gauze fluttering at the entrance, they could see that it was a hot spring.
The two went together, Lan Feier yawning all the way.
Arriving at the hot spring, Wen Wuning raised her sword and lifted the light gauze. The two entered the water mist.
Just this casual action, a simple lowering and raising of the eyes, showed the difference between the two. Wen Wuning’s action had a pure charm that Lan Feier lacked.
Perhaps this was what “a glance of ten thousand years” meant.
The mist inside was very heavy. Although it was brightly lit, you couldn’t see someone even an arm’s length away.
Wen Wuning turned around, wanting to ask Lan Feier the purpose of calling her out, but saw that Lan Feier had already taken off her damp outer robe and was getting into the water wearing only a white undergarment.
Lan Feier sank her whole body into the hot spring and sighed comfortably. She leaned against the edge of the pool, the hot spring just reaching her shoulders, the white neckline of her garment floating in the water, slightly spreading out.
Lan Feier, unconcerned with formalities, half-closed her eyes and summoned the ginseng doll to serve her fruit.
Wen Wuning’s expression was momentarily very difficult to describe.
Lan Feier half-closed her eyes and said lazily, “Senior Sister, hurry up and come down. We have to go back before the lights go out.”
Wen Wuning half-squatted down, suppressing the urge to knock her head, and asked, “Did you really just call me here to soak in the hot spring?”
Lan Feier yawned and said matter-of-factly, “Hot springs are hard to come by, and they can also beautify and nourish the body, oh.”
Wen Wuning’s temples twitched. She looked at the steaming pool and was indeed a little tempted, but she wasn’t used to bathing with others.
“I’ll go look around. You take your time washing.” Wen Wuning got up.
“Senior Sister, don’t go far. I’ll be scared.”
Wen Wuning didn’t believe her.
Before leaving, Wen Wuning raised her green sword and walked around the pool, confirming that there was nothing unusual. Then she went out to explore.
The mansion wasn’t small. Wen Wuning walked around and found that all the rooms were lit, but she didn’t see a single person. As for the master’s room, out of respect for the master, she only glanced at it from a distance, seeing that the room was also brightly lit, and then left.
When she returned, Lan Feier had already washed up and changed into clean clothes, sitting by the pool fresh and clean and eating fruit. Seeing her return, she asked, “Senior Sister, are you really not going to wash? When we rode the same horse earlier, I smelled something on you.”
“It’s the smell of the clothes. Changing clothes will be fine.”
Lan Feier curled her lip, thinking this was too unrefined. The female lead’s image was about to collapse.
Lan Feier flicked the clean fruit core, hitting the ginseng doll squarely on its forehead. It got up and squeaked plaintively. “Then let’s go back.”
Wen Wuning glanced at the ginseng doll, which was covering its forehead and squeaking aggrievedly, and asked, “Why haven’t I seen it all this time?”
“It doesn’t like water on the ground, and I didn’t want Senior Brother Sheng to know about it, so I let it follow underground.”
Wen Wuning still wanted to ask Lan Feier if she felt there was something wrong with this courtyard, but seeing her yawn, looking sleepy, the unspoken words turned into a soft sigh.
The two returned to their rooms. Just as they opened the door, they were plunged into darkness. The lanterns outside and the lights inside the house all went out in an instant.
In the darkness, only a calm voice came from the side.
“Rest well at night. Don’t worry.”
Wen Wuning’s heart stirred slightly. She responded with a sound and returned to her room.