CH 168

Villainous Undercover (7)

To the surprise of Song Xu Yi, Fu Xi Yu didn’t squeeze her face as hard as she had expected, even after a while.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but open her eyes.

The expression on Fu Xi Yu’s face was indescribable, as if it contained a mixture of happiness and something else.

Momentarily stunned, she gazed at Song Xu Yi, who looked like a snowball. With a gentle smile, Fu Xi Yu reached out her hand cautiously, as if Song Xu Yi was a fragile snowball that would break if touched for too long, and lightly touched her face.

But in an instant, Fu Xi Yu released her hand.

“It’s enough if you’re happy.”

Fu Xi Yu scrutinized the fox fur on Song Xu Yi’s body and carefully tidied up the slightly messy hair at her cheek.

Song Xu Yi opened her eyes, and although Fu Xi Yu’s face remained expressionless, she subtly relaxed her tense body.

Song Xu Yi inexplicably felt relieved and began to settle the score with Fu Xi Yu while twisting her pinky finger.

“Senior Sister, my brother said that aside from the fox we exchanged, the rest of the prey was sold for 20 taels of silver. This fox fur must be quite expensive. Can you tell me the approximate price? I’ll keep a record and repay you when I grow up…”

“No, don’t.” However, Fu Xi Yu outright refused, seemingly realizing that her tone was too harsh. She helped Song Xu Yi adjust her collar and added, “Junior Sister, Song Xu mentioned that you’ll be turning 7 soon. Consider this fox fur as my birthday gift to you…”

Facing Song Xu Yi’s obvious disagreement in her eyes, Fu Xi Yu’s gaze flickered, hesitating before speaking again. “Then… if you insist on repaying me, you should also prepare a birthday gift for me…”

“When is your birthday, Senior Sister?” Song Xu Yi pondered that it could work this way and asked curiously.

Fu Xi Yu fell silent.

She seemed to become sad once again, keeping her head lowered without speaking for a long time.

Not until Song Xu Yi thought that she wouldn’t speak again, did Fu Xi Yu answer softly, “On the day of the beginning of spring.”

Currently, it was not yet the Spring Festival, and there were still over two months until the beginning of spring. There was enough time to prepare a birthday gift for Fu Xi Yu. Song Xu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and secretly noted down the date.

*

On that day, Song Xu Yi decided to start practicing martial arts outside Fu Xi Yu’s door. Even though there were still people coming and going, watching Song Xu Yi with an itching desire to pinch her face, they ultimately held back their hands due to the presence of Fu Xi Yu in the room.

Song Xu Yi initially thought that the novelty would wear off and things would return to normal. However, to her surprise, the same situation continued for the next two days. Whenever Fu Xi Yu was absent, everyone would gather around and pinch Song Xu Yi’s face, resembling a group of mischievous children.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t understand why others were so keen on pinching her face. She could only turn to the system for answers, and the system cleared its throat and replied, “I don’t know either. Humans are always peculiar. If you don’t like it, then… stay close to the villain.”

The system dared not say it out loud: it also found Song Xu Yi, with her cute, round appearance, absolutely adorable. If it had a physical form, it would want to snuggle on Song Xu Yi’s warm fox fur and never leave.

Unable to do much about it, Song Xu Yi spent the following days hiding outside Fu Xi Yu’s door, practicing martial arts. She discovered the benefits of doing so: Fu Xi Yu, being a martial arts prodigy, provided more insightful guidance than Qian He. She could easily spot and correct Song Xu Yi’s mistakes with just one glance.

Song Xu Yi made a silent determination in her heart: she would come here often to practice martial arts in the future.

Moreover, Song Xu Yi was constantly concerned about the three-day deadline given by Lu Dun. She had no idea what would happen on the third day. However, Fu Xi Yu remained calm and composed, displaying no hint of anything unusual in her expression.

“Until then, I estimate that I’ll need to leave the mountain for a few days. If you’re worried about being laughed at by others during these days, you can stay in the courtyard and continue practicing martial arts,” Fu Xi Yu suggested.

Song Xu Yi nodded. Throughout the entire day, her mind was distracted, constantly thinking about the situation with Fu Xi Yu…

As night gradually fell, Fu Xi Yu indeed did not return.

In the end, Song Xu Yi ran to the outskirts of Lu Dun’s courtyard to take a look.

Lu Dun and his male disciples resided in a separate courtyard. Song Xu Yi couldn’t find Fu Xi Yu, but she encountered Qian He instead.

Qian He, accompanied by a group of disciples, was returning from outside and walking towards the courtyard. After spending some time together, he had become quite familiar with Song Xu Yi. As soon as he saw her, he immediately approached her.

“Junior Sister, are you here to find Senior Sister Fu?” Qian He asked.

Seeing Song Xu Yi nod, Qian He seemed to be contemplating and furrowed his brow. Finally, he crouched down in front of Song Xu Yi and said, “Then come on, I’ll carry you to the entrance to find Senior Sister. Senior Sister Fu is fond of you. If you hurry over, you might even get to talk to her for a while…”

What happened to Fu Xi Yu?

Song Xu Yi stood still in her place, feeling her legs go weak for a moment.

Qian He didn’t explain further and instead crouched down, carrying Song Xu Yi on his back. He rushed towards the entrance at lightning speed while quickly explaining the situation to Song Xu Yi. “You’re not aware since you just arrived, but Senior Sister Fu has this condition every year. Whenever deep winter arrives, she falls ill. Sometimes it gets better after some time of treatment, but other times she has to go down the mountain to the Medical Valley for treatment. This time, Senior Sister Fu seems to be in a severe condition. She can’t even stand up. We brought her to the entrance, and the carriage from the Medical Valley should be arriving soon…”

Is Fu Xi Yu injured so badly?

“The Medical Valley?” However, the system latched onto the keyword and murmured in Song Xu Yi’s mind, “Xu Yi, haven’t you always wanted an opportunity to visit the Medical Valley?”

Song Xu Yi pursed her lips, feeling a bit disoriented in her mind. Despite knowing that according to the plot summary, Fu Xi Yu would be fine in the end, she couldn’t help but worry. Moreover… Fu Xi Yu was going to the Medical Valley, where the original owner in the plot summary was a disciple.

This was actually… an opportunity.

“Senior Brother Qian,” Song Xu Yi almost instinctively grabbed onto Qian He’s shoulder. “Is there someone to take care of Senior Sister Fu in the Medical Valley?”

Qian He hesitated for a moment and shook his head. “The people in the Medical Valley are busy researching medical arts. They have many people seeking their treatment, so how could they take care of others? Most of the people who can enter the Medical Valley already have their own caregivers…” As Qian He spoke, he exclaimed, “Oh no, I should have bought a maidservant to take care of Senior Sister!”

“I’ll go!” Song Xu Yi made a prompt decision, interrupting Qian He. “Senior Brother, let me go and pack my belongings. I’ll also help Senior Sister pack hers. Is there still time?”

Qian He hesitated for a moment, but he was a decisive person. He immediately turned around and carried Song Xu Yi in another direction. “We should have enough time.”

“But you don’t need to pack Senior Sister’s belongings. She often goes to the Medical Valley, and her necessities there are already taken care of…”

Does Fu Xi Yu frequently go to the Medical Valley?

The more Song Xu Yi interacted with Fu Xi Yu, the more she felt that there were countless mysteries surrounding her.

But there was no time for Song Xu Yi to ponder over these questions now.

Song Xu Yi quickly returned to her room and hastily packed a few clothes and money. Soon after, Qian He carried her once again on his back.

When the two arrived at the gate, there was already a discreet carriage parked there. Lu Dun was standing at the entrance, conversing with a veiled woman. Normally, Lu Dun’s appearance and demeanor rarely provoked aversion from others. However, the veiled woman’s eyes, filled with disdain, betrayed her feelings towards Lu Dun, despite the veil covering her face like frost and snow.

“Then I’ll entrust Xi Yu to the Valley Master for care,” Song Xu Yi happened to hear Lu Dun speak as she approached. Lu Dun seemed oblivious to the hatred in the woman’s eyes and politely bowed to her.

The woman didn’t even acknowledge him and turned around to board the carriage.

“Wait!” Song Xu Yi gasped for breath and spoke up, dismounting from Qian He’s back. She bowed to Lu Dun, panting, “Master, Senior Sister has been extremely kind to me during this time. I would like to accompany her to the Medical Valley and take care of her.”

Lu Dun paused, his gaze shifting towards Song Xu Yi. His eyes still held the same smile as before, but Song Xu Yi felt that for the first time, Lu Dun was truly looking at her, with a subtle and imperceptible scrutiny in his eyes.

Song Xu Yi wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but Lu Dun, who had previously looked worn out, seemed to have improved in appearance.

However, Lu Dun narrowed his eyes and slowly curved his lips, saying, “You treat Senior Sister with such sincerity, and I am naturally pleased. As for whether the Medical Valley agrees or not, that will be up to Master Song to decide…”

The woman on the carriage glanced at Song Xu Yi, a gleam of sharpness passing through her eyes. Then she let out a disdainful snort and remarked, “I never expected your sect to have such a naive little girl!”

“Come on then, little girl! The Medical Valley is not a good place to go…”

Song Xu Yi bid farewell to Lu Dun and Qian He, then hastily climbed onto the carriage. Before she could settle in, Master Song urged the carriage downhill.

In the dim light inside the carriage, Song Xu Yi saw Fu Xi Yu curled up in the corner. Fu Xi Yu lay on the floor, her face extremely pale, eyes tightly shut, resembling a lifeless body.

Song Xu Yi didn’t expect the people from the Medical Valley to treat patients in such a manner. She quickly took out her own clothes and placed them as a pillow under Fu Xi Yu’s head.

“Don’t worry, she won’t die.” Master Song, who was nearby, spoke in a cold tone, stopping Song Xu Yi from taking off her fur coat to cover Fu Xi Yu. She held Song Xu Yi’s arm and said, “Little girl, come here, let me take a look.”

Song Xu Yi hesitated and approached Master Song. Master Song squinted and scrutinized Song Xu Yi for a while before laughing, “You look like a little dumpling!” She was about to reach out and pinch Song Xu Yi’s cheek when a hand emerged from the ground and firmly grabbed her arm.

Fu Xi Yu opened her eyes at some point, her clear and bright gaze fixed directly on Master Song in front of her.

Both Song Xu Yi and Master Song were taken aback.

“Aunt Song, she doesn’t want her face to be pinched,” Fu Xi Yu spoke with a dry voice, followed by a violent coughing fit.

Song Xu Yi’s emotions were incredibly complex. She had already prepared herself to have her face pinched by Master Song, considering she was the esteemed leader of the Medical Valley, and Fu Xi Yu’s life was still in her hands. But at this moment, she didn’t expect Fu Xi Yu to remember this small preference of hers. Wasn’t she afraid of angering Master Song?

Master Song’s eyes flickered, and she made a dissatisfied clicking sound with her tongue, retracting the hand that was about to touch Song Xu Yi’s cheek.

Song Xu Yi secretly glanced at Master Song’s expression, and she didn’t seem angry.

Well… Fu Xi Yu even called Master Song “Aunt Song,” indicating a very close relationship with her.

Song Xu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and listened to Fu Xi Yu’s coughing. Unable to resist, she sat beside Fu Xi Yu, gently supporting her and letting her rest her head on her lap, helping her ease her breathing.

“Little girl, what’s your name?” Master Song, who was nearby, observed Song Xu Yi’s actions and a hint of amusement appeared in her eyes. It seemed that she suddenly became very interested in Song Xu Yi.

After hearing Song Xu Yi introduce herself, the smile in Master Song’s eyes deepened. “You also have the surname Song! I also have the surname Song. Who knows, maybe we were from the same family eight hundred years ago…”

As Master Song continued to inquire about Song Xu Yi’s birthplace and background, Song Xu Yi took care of Fu Xi Yu while answering her questions. After Fu Xi Yu’s coughing subsided and she closed her eyes, resting her head on Song Xu Yi’s lap, Song Xu Yi listened to Master Song’s questions like, “How has Xi Yu treated you? If she doesn’t treat you well, let me know…” and the strange feeling in her heart grew stronger.

Fortunately, the carriage was moving quickly, and before long, they arrived at the Medical Valley.

Hearing the sound of the carriage stopping outside, Song Xu Yi felt relieved.

The carriage stopped in a small courtyard, and with great effort, Song Xu Yi helped Fu Xi Yu down from the carriage. Once they got off, Master Song’s previous relaxed expression changed instantly. She coldly ordered the people who approached, “Quickly! Prepare the herbs and silver needles like before, and clean the medicinal bath as soon as possible…”

Two middle-aged women in coarse clothes took over Fu Xi Yu, supporting her and guiding her into the largest bamboo house in the center. Master Song arranged a place for Song Xu Yi to stay and instructed her to rest well. Then, with swift strides, she followed and entered the bamboo house.

Song Xu Yi entered the room but couldn’t find any trace of sleepiness. The pale face of Fu Xi Yu kept appearing in her mind. Since the bamboo house was nearby, Song Xu Yi used the excuse of understanding the relationship between the villain and Master Song to ask the system to report on the situation over there.

The system didn’t doubt her intentions and dutifully began reporting:

“The villain was placed in a pool by them. The temperature in the pool must be high, but the villain showed no reaction. Clearly, her thick skin can withstand the heat!” The system muttered and continued its report, “They poured a liquid on the villain…”

The system paused for a moment, and Song Xu Yi’s heart raced as she couldn’t help but ask, “What happened?”

“Not much,” the system continued, its voice sounding somewhat distant, “They inserted needles into the villain’s head, and dirty blood started flowing from the villain’s seven apertures. The villain seemed to be in pain and wanted to scream. The people from the Medical Valley told her that you were in the courtyard and instructed her to bite down on a towel…”

Song Xu Yi pressed her lips tightly. Just by listening to the system’s description, she could tell that Fu Xi Yu must be in excruciating pain at the moment. Despite knowing that Fu Xi Yu would become a villain in the future, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy…

Due to her concern for Fu Xi Yu, Song Xu Yi didn’t notice the distracted state of the system, nor did she have any idea of the storm brewing within its mind:

—Fu Xi Yu’s scars on her face, even her complexion, were all fake!

The system watched helplessly as the people from the Medical Valley poured the herbal concoction over Fu Xi Yu, causing the scars on her face to fall off. Her skin became incredibly fair, once again returning to the breathtaking beauty she possessed in the previous world…

It mustn’t let Xu Yi see the true face of the villain!

The author has something to say:

System: An ominous premonition has befallen upon me…