When I Lay Flat, the Female Lead Panicked - Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Nervous
Her pupils contracted in alarm. Feeling that something was wrong, Luo Xiaoxiao instinctively pulled off her blanket. She ran toward Wen Nanshu while shouting, her small face filled with worry.
Zing—
The moment she heard the commotion, Wen Nanshu moved with her shadow. Her robes and ribbons danced, and her sword, Feixue, emitted a cold, white light, as if it were about to freeze the world. A sense of cold, killing intent instantly erupted, making Wen Nanshu’s figure appear even more elegant and otherworldly, as if an immortal had descended.
The tip of her sword precisely locked onto the unknown wisp of black smoke behind her, which was attempting a sneak attack, and struck it down.
With the coldness still in her eyes, she looked down at the girl who had fallen to the ground because of the sudden direction of her sword.
The girl was now looking scared and didn’t dare to move. Wen Nanshu’s expression became inscrutable for a moment.
“This wisp of black smoke that normal people can’t even see… how did this girl, who has no spiritual energy fluctuations, discover it?”
Thinking this, she saw that the sword’s direction was pointed at the girl, which had scared her. Quickly hiding the complexity in her eyes, Wen Nanshu’s expression softened. She swiftly retracted her sword and put it behind her back.
She stepped forward and knelt in front of Luo Xiaoxiao, about to say some words of comfort to her, telling her not to be afraid.
But before her lips could part, a figure flew over even faster than she did. Then, the person tightly hugged the girl in front of her, crying in fear.
“Waaah, Xiaoxiao, you scared me to death. I’m so glad you’re okay. I was wrong, waaah… I should have listened to Senior Sister and not left you. It’s all my fault…”
“…” Her neck was hugged so tightly that she couldn’t breathe.
The second before, Luo Xiaoxiao was lost in thought, wondering if her small body could have handled Wen Nanshu’s sword strike if it had been directed at her.
The next second, Cangruo, who had thrown herself at her, was crying a river of snot and tears, her sincere emotions so genuine that they completely captured all of Luo Xiaoxiao’s attention.
“Cough, cough… okay, okay.” She coughed twice, trying her best not to suffocate.
Luo Xiaoxiao’s expression changed quickly. In a moment, she acted like a big sister, smiling gently, patting Cangruo’s back, and patiently comforting her.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. In that situation, supporting them was clearly more important than protecting me, who was already safe.”
“Waaah… but…”
“It’s okay. See, Big Sister appeared in time, and I’m fine, aren’t I?”
“Waaah, Xiaoxiao, I’ll definitely protect you well next time!”
“Okay, okay, okay…”
“…” The hand that had wanted to hold the girl’s hand froze in mid-air.
Seeing Luo Xiaoxiao being held tightly by Cangruo, a scene of worry, warmth, and harmony.
The expression in Wen Nanshu’s eyes slightly dimmed. She quietly pulled her hand back. For some reason, there was a subtle, strange, and complex feeling in her heart that she couldn’t quite explain.
…
The next day at noon, at a restaurant in the town closest to An Family Village.
After dealing with the corpse horde in the village, relocating the remaining villagers to a safe place, and setting up a large-scale barrier to prevent entry, Wen Nanshu and the others quickly began their journey back to the Tianyan Sect.
But before they returned, there was one more thing they needed to take care of.
…
On the bustling first floor of the restaurant, in a more secluded corner, five stunning beauties with unique and distinct auras were sitting around a table.
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Dongpo Pork, Jinling Meatballs, Seven-Star Fish Ball Soup…
A wide variety of delicious and colorful dishes were laid out on the table, making one’s mouth water.
“Xiaoxiao, eat up. I ordered a lot.”
Cangruo smiled as she watched Luo Xiaoxiao’s beautiful, bright, and clear eyes widen with delight at the sight of so many delicious foods.
Due to her feelings of compensation, Cangruo kept putting food into Luo Xiaoxiao’s bowl, feeding her with unusual eagerness.
While feeding her, she was like a worried mother.
“Xiaoxiao, you’re too skinny. Your little arms and legs don’t weigh anything. Come on, eat more vegetables, eat this meat, it’s nutritious, and this fish too…”
“Mmm, okay~”
With both cheeks full, Luo Xiaoxiao looked at her bowl, which, like a small mountain, didn’t seem to have a single piece of food missing even though she was eating with all her might.
While chewing, her eyes were crescent-shaped, and the look of happiness from enjoying the delicious food was evident.
This made Qiutong and Ningyu look at each other with suspicion, silently guessing if Luo Xiaoxiao’s family didn’t let her eat meat. At the same time, they also joined the army of people putting food into her bowl.
Qiutong: “Xiaoxiao, eat this bamboo shoot. It’s soft, tender, and delicious.”
“Okay~”
Ningyu: “Xiaoxiao, eat this saucy pork rib. It’s rich, savory, and the meat just falls off the bone. It’s so fragrant.”
“Okay~”
“Xiaoxiao, eat…”
“Okay~”
Seeing that Luo Xiaoxiao was happy eating, her junior sisters were also happy feeding her.
A hint of gentleness unconsciously appeared in Wen Nanshu’s cold, beautiful eyes. She thoughtfully served Luo Xiaoxiao a bowl of soup, let it cool down, and then handed it to her. Her voice was clear, with a hint of doting affection.
“Eat slowly. There’s more.”
“Mhm! Thank you, Big Sister~”
Swallowing the food in her mouth, Luo Xiaoxiao looked at Wen Nanshu’s peerless face, which was so beautiful it was unforgettable, and smiled especially brightly.
The three people other than Wen Nanshu were a little sour.
Waaah, we fed her so much. How come Xiaoxiao was won over by just one bowl of soup from Senior Sister and smiled so brightly?
That’s favoritism!
Although they felt sour, their affection for Luo Xiaoxiao was greater than their sourness.
Seeing that Luo Xiaoxiao was happy eating, Ningyu, who had the personality of a gentle big sister, took out a silk handkerchief, gently wiped the sauce from the corner of Luo Xiaoxiao’s mouth, and said softly:
“Do you really like the food from this restaurant, Xiaoxiao? Then when you get home, I’ll often bring you here to eat when I have some free time in the sect.”
“Hmm? Home?”
She was chewing on a soft, fragrant pork hock when she was caught off guard by Ningyu mentioning “home.”
Luo Xiaoxiao’s first thought was of her cozy “doghouse” in her original world.
As a result, she blurted out an answer, subconsciously lowering her disappointed deer-like eyes, with a hint of regret and grievance. She whispered:
“After I go home, I probably won’t be able to eat such delicious food anymore.”
After all, she was a novice in the kitchen. When she was hungry, it was either instant noodles, pre-made meals, or takeout…
She really wouldn’t be able to eat delicious food that was all-natural, harmless, and fresh from the wok like this.
“…” The speaker had no intention, but the listeners took it to heart.
Their feeding motions came to a halt. The atmosphere grew strangely silent after Luo Xiaoxiao’s words.
The girl’s answer was open and natural. But in the ears of the others, it was not so simple.
Their minds automatically conjured up an image of a poor, pitiful girl whose family had a hard time making ends meet. She toiled diligently with housework and farm work every day and couldn’t even afford to eat meat.
As a result, the people at the table, other than Luo Xiaoxiao, felt a pang of heartache. Especially Cangruo. Because she was young and inexperienced, she was particularly emotional.
“Waaah, our Xiaoxiao must have had a very hard life…”
“…” Luo Xiaoxiao’s chewing motion didn’t stop. She looked at the few people who suddenly had a strange expression in their eyes, and she was a little confused, not understanding what was wrong with them.
If the chubby and skinny guys were here at this moment and saw someone feeling sorry for their young master, they would probably have wanted to say something like this:
“Can’t afford meat? Who? Heh, what a joke. Just two days ago, our young master ate three big chicken legs, two big pig trotters, five spicy rabbit heads, four duck necks, a large basin of braised food, three plates of fruit, and two cups of ice cream in one sitting.
As for a hard life? And toiling? Are they talking about our young master, who can sleep until noon, has to be forcefully woken up because she’s afraid of being starved to death?”
After a brief silence, perhaps to protect the girl’s pride, they quickly concealed the heartache in their eyes.
“Xiaoxiao, do you remember where your family is now? If you really can’t find them, why don’t you just not go back and come with me to the Tianyan Sect?”
Perhaps because of their similar age, and the fact that she had entered the Tianyan Sect at a young age and was taken in as a core disciple without having to endure any hardship, Cangruo looked at Luo Xiaoxiao with sympathy. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she enthusiastically pitched the idea.
“Huh? Go back to the Tianyan Sect?” Luo Xiaoxiao was stunned by Cangruo’s sudden enthusiasm to get her to go to the Tianyan Sect.
She instinctively began to consider the possibility.
“Me… cultivating?”
“Xiaoxiao, don’t worry. Although my strength isn’t as good as Senior Sisters’, my alchemy skills are the best in the entire sect, the kind that can sell for a lot of money. And even if I don’t sell, the monthly spirit stones I get are enough for us to live comfortably and eat well every day. So, why don’t you come to my Spirit Herb Peak? My master loves me the most. I’ll ask him for a favor, and then…”
She became more and more excited, and her desire to take Luo Xiaoxiao back to the sect grew stronger.
Cangruo’s tone sounded like a human trafficker trying to trick a child. She talked about the Tianyan Sect, which people would break their heads to get into, as if it were a local market, where you could just walk in.
Fortunately, while Cangruo’s thinking was immature, it didn’t mean there were no mature people present.
“Cangruo, don’t be so foolish.”
Wen Nanshu’s cold eyes gave Cangruo a light, warning look. She sighed helplessly, her face serious.
“Miss Luo has a family. You can’t just act on your own selfish desires and take her back without any regard for them.”
“Mmm, but…”
Suppressed by her Senior Sister’s powerful, icy aura, which wasn’t even angry, Cangruo’s face showed a hint of grievance and reluctance.
She simply acted shamelessly, plopping herself down next to Luo Xiaoxiao, holding her like a stuffed animal, and looked at Wen Nanshu with a pitiful expression.
“Senior Sister, if Xiaoxiao leaves, I’ll miss her very much. Don’t you think you’ll miss her even a little?”
“I…” Wen Nanshu was choked by Cangruo’s sudden question.
She opened her mouth to say something, but her mind was blank because of the question.
Especially when she saw that Luo Xiaoxiao had stopped chewing and was looking at her with innocent, curious eyes.
Heat rushed to her face, and her ears turned slightly red.
As one of the symbols of the Tianyan Sect, the disciplined, unmatched, and aloof Senior Sister was, for the first time, feeling nervous and at a loss in front of Luo Xiaoxiao.