Volume One: The Lonely Beta Test Chapter Sixteen: Who’s Speaking Ill of Me Behind My Back?

“Are you serious? You think I’m a satellite?” The map had been drawn purely from memory, with many minor details missing, and since it was crucial to the success of the rescue operation, Lin Feng had listened to Li Tong’s suggestions with utmost seriousness. But he hadn't expected Li Tong to come up with this particular issue, and couldn't help but curse aloud.

Li Tong, puzzled by Lin Feng’s outburst, asked, “Master, did I say something wrong?”

“No, no, you’re right…” Lin Feng replied.

“See, I knew I couldn’t have remembered incorrectly! But Master, just now you shouted ‘damn’—who is that, and what is a ‘satellite’?” Li Tong asked earnestly.

Lin Feng cursed again under his breath. “Well… ‘damn’ is a term of respect among immortals, and ‘satellite’ is a title for those who have reached a certain scholarly level.” He was at a loss, unable to explain vocabulary from thousands of years in the future, so he simply made up an explanation.

“Lin Damn, it’s truly my good fortune across many lifetimes to meet a satellite as lofty as you!” Li Tong immediately adopted the new terms.

Lin Feng was speechless, feeling as if countless wild beasts were stampeding inside him.

He then had Li Tong describe the surroundings of Azure Dragon Mountain in detail, and together they drew a more thorough map. Noticing Li Tong’s dark, panda-like eyes, Lin Feng sent him off to rest. By the time everything was finished, it was nearly afternoon.

“Young lady, you haven’t slept all night. For these last few hours, let Xiner keep watch alone,” said Xiner, rubbing her temples and yawning inside the Lin family’s wing.

“Xiner, if you can’t keep going, just rest. I’m fine,” replied Teng Yan.

Seeing Teng Yan put down the bamboo stick she’d used to adjust the lamp wick, then add a bit more oil, Xiner watched as she cupped her soot-blackened cheeks and forced her eyes open, staring intently at the lamp. Clearly, she had no intention of resting. “Hmph, that scoundrel, he didn’t even call someone to relieve us. Look, young lady, our faces are a mess. How can we face anyone like this?”

Teng Yan frowned. “Xiner, don’t speak so disrespectfully about Brother Feng.”

“I’m not making things up. That day he clearly—”

Teng Yan hurriedly interrupted, thinking Xiner would bring up the incident when Lin Feng had held her half-naked. “That day Brother Feng had just woken up, it was unintentional. If I hear you slander him again and ruin his reputation, I’ll cut your tongue out!” After she spoke, her cheeks blushed faintly.

Xiner had intended to mention the bathhouse incident, but seeing how fiercely her mistress defended Lin Feng, she didn’t want to upset her and swallowed her words, lowering her head and rubbing her eyes.

Though Xiner fell silent, Teng Yan sensed her cheeks had grown even hotter. The flickering flame in the oil lamp seemed to contain Lin Feng’s bare figure from that day, making her face flush and her heart race. “What’s wrong with me, why do I keep picturing Brother Feng in that indecent scene? How embarrassing! I must forget it.” Teng Yan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

Xiner happened to catch this moment. “Haha, young lady, look at you! Are you lovesick?”

This girl was bold and lively, daring to tease her mistress so.

Teng Yan immediately stood up to catch the cheeky girl who had exposed her secret, but Xiner had already slipped outside. “Young lady, our faces are so dirty, outsiders would laugh at us. I have no shame, but if you’re not afraid, chase me outside!” She raised her leg in a mock running stance, clearly prepared to escape.

“You…” This little girl dared to bully her mistress, but Teng Yan, though shy and angry, didn’t lose her temper. Her eyes darted, and she feigned anger: “Hmph, run if you want. I won’t bother chasing you. I’ll just tell father you’re too unruly and sell you off, then find someone new.”

Teng Yan’s words sounded odd, but odd or not, they frightened Xiner. “Ah! Please don’t, young lady. Xiner is the most obedient! I was just too sleepy, so I wanted to joke around to wake us up.”

“Hmph, you’re good at making excuses!”

“Really, young lady. I’ve been with you so many years; do you think I’m the type with a scheming mind?”

“Then come back inside.”

“Alright…” Xiner knew she couldn’t escape, so she lowered her head and shuffled back to stand before Teng Yan.

Teng Yan, pleased, said, “Scared now, aren’t you? I’ll remember this, and if you do it again…”

“I knew you couldn’t bear to part with me, young lady. I promise there won’t be a next time!” Women’s moods change as quickly as flipping a page; Xiner, who had just been gloomy, now beamed, grabbing Teng Yan’s hand. “Young lady, your fair hands are all black from the lamp smoke. Let me handle these chores from now on!” She picked up the bamboo stick to adjust the wick.

“That’s more like it!”

“Just now, you mentioned going home, which reminded me—we’ve been away so long. Do you think the master noticed we took his ginseng? Will he be angry?”

“He won’t be angry. Father likes Brother Feng so much; once we explain, he’ll understand. But…” Teng Yan hesitated, lowering her head with a worried frown.

“But what, young lady?” Xiner asked, seeing Teng Yan’s anxious expression.

“That ginseng was meant as a gift for Lord Liu. Now it’s gone, father might get into trouble!”

“Which lord? He can’t be that petty, right? It’s just a couple of ginseng roots. There are plenty in our county. We can just buy a few more from the pharmacy later,” Xiner said lightly.

“It’s not just about the ginseng. I don’t really understand. We’ll know when we get home,” Teng Yan admitted, unable to grasp official matters.

“Oh. So, young lady, when… are we going back?”

Xiner’s question carried a hint of reluctance, as if she wanted to stay longer. Teng Yan didn’t notice, replying, “After uncle and aunt return safely. We’ve been out a long time; I wonder how father and mother are doing. And how is Brother Feng’s rescue plan coming along?”

“Don’t worry, young lady. He’s practically an immortal now! I bet the young master will use the magic he showed last night, and those evil bandits will be terrified, carrying uncle and aunt home in a grand sedan chair!” Xiner’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she recalled Lin Feng’s actions.

“Of course!” Teng Yan, too, was lost in memories of Lin Feng’s elegant moves the night before, her beautiful eyes shining and cheeks glowing, forgetting all about teasing her maid. Watching Teng Yan in a daze, Xiner thought: Hmph, she punished me for teasing her, but now she’s doing the same! Still, that scoundrel’s magic was truly impressive.

“Achoo!” At that moment, Lin Feng, chatting with others, felt his ears burn and sneezed twice. “Who’s talking about me behind my back?” he wondered.

•••••••

“Daughter, won’t you reconsider?” In a small but warmly furnished room, a gentle-faced middle-aged woman earnestly asked her daughter.

The daughter nodded firmly, her beautiful eyes filled with determination. “Mom, I’ve decided. No matter how hard it gets, I’ll keep going!”

“My child, after all these years, not only have you not forgotten him, your love has grown deeper. Maybe your father and I made a terrible mistake back then. We ruined things for you…” The woman’s voice choked, pulling her daughter into her arms as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Outside the door, a well-dressed middle-aged man listened to the mother and daughter’s conversation, extinguished his cigarette, and said, “Ah Qin, you know our daughter’s temperament better than anyone. If we’d forced Wei’er to live with us back then, things might have been worse. We should be grateful for this place; otherwise, we might have lost Siwei long ago.”

Upon hearing her husband’s words, the woman stopped sobbing and scolded, “Xiao Ming, you have so many fine qualities, but our daughter inherited none of them—only your hopelessly devoted nature! This is all your fault!”

“Alright, alright, it’s all my fault. I’ll call a renovation company right away!” Xiao Ming walked in, continuing, “But really, isn’t it a good thing she inherited this from me? After all these years together, you’re the one who’s benefited most from it. Don’t say anything you don’t mean, or I’ll be heartbroken!”

The woman laughed through her tears. “You’re in your fifties, and you still embarrass yourself in front of the child!”

“Passion is the foundation of my life—there’s nothing embarrassing about it! But look at you, your makeup is all streaked from crying, like a watermelon rind. Better wipe it off!” Xiao Ming handed her a tissue.

“If you’re not embarrassed, why should I be?” Though she said this, she quickly took the tissue and wiped her face, clearly caring about her appearance.

“Mom, let me help!” Xiao Siwei pulled out some wet wipes, helping her mother clean up while asking, “Dad, why are you calling the renovation company?”

“Your mother said I should take responsibility. Since you’ve made your decision, you’ll need someone to look after you. You can’t live alone anymore, so I plan to have a room just like this built in our new house.”

“Thank you, Dad. But I still want to stay here. What if he comes back and can’t find me?”

Xiao Ming placed his hands on their shoulders. “I’ve spoken to the landlord. We’ll keep renting this place. If he ever comes back, the landlord will let us know.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

“No need to thank me. We’re family! Your mother and I have arranged for the best doctor to perform your surgery, with a 100% success rate. We’re not getting any younger, and we’ve long hoped for a grandchild!”

“Mom, Dad, have you really come to terms with it?” Hearing her father’s words, the daughter smiled through tears—tears of joy and gratitude.

“In this day and age, what’s there to not accept? As long as you’re happy, that’s all your mother and I want.” Xiao Ming took their hands. “Oh, by the way, in a few days there’s a game called ‘Rescue Han’ going public. Siwei, you—” He was immediately silenced by Ah Qin’s glare.

“Dad, I know. It’s Three Kingdoms themed. Xiaofeng’s favorite…” Xiao Siwei’s mood dimmed, slipping from her father’s embrace to stare blankly at the paused game screen.

Ah Qin pinched Xiao Ming hard and whispered, “Can’t you be more tactful? Siwei needs at least half a year to recover after surgery; she can’t play games.”

Xiao Ming slapped his forehead and quickly said, “Ah Qin, Siwei, when we get home, I’ll take you both to the new music restaurant for dinner! They’ve hired a master of the ancient zither—an opportunity not to be missed!”

Ah Qin played along, and soon their attention was diverted to the musician. Together, they coaxed Xiao Siwei out of the room.