Translator: _Min
At that moment, in the headquarters of the Thousand Army Alliance within the city of Sijiu, Mu Qingmeng was engrossed in watching a live stream of âYouth With You.â
A knock sounded at the door, followed by a respectful voice from the other side, âLady.â
âCome in,â Mu Qingmeng said without taking her eyes off the screen.
The door opened, and Jiang Shuihan walked in.
Seeing that Mu Qingmeng was in a good mood, watching her computer, he smiled, âYou look well, Lady.â
âAh, Little Jiang, youâre back,â Mu Qingmeng was delighted. âCome, come, the show featuring Qingqing is live. Join me in watching it.â
Jiang Shuihan nodded and took a seat nearby. âThe others are still in Lin. I came back early because I found an herb for you. Iâll have to head back to Lin later.â
âThatâs great. Did you meet her? What do you think?â Mu Qingmeng was visibly excited. âQingqing is excellent, isnât she?â
Jiang Shuihan smiled, âMiss Si is indeed wonderful.â
âOf course,â Mu Qingmeng was even happier. âItâs rare to find someone who suits my taste, much better than my naughty son.â
Jiang Shuihan simply smiled. The door was knocked again.
It was the butler.
âLady, the person has been brought here,â the butler announced.
Mu Qingmengâs demeanor changed instantly, her voice dropping low, âBring her in.â
âThud!â
Mrs. Chen was thrown onto the floor by two guards.
Her hair was disheveled, but her clothes were intact.
Although her wounds had been cleaned, they were still shocking to look at.
Mu Qingmengâs expression twisted in disgust, her voice trembling with anger, âYouâre a woman too; how could you do something so repulsive?â
âThey offended me, they should pay the price!â Mrs. Chenâs face twisted in rage.
âAs for you, my dear older sister, youâve climbed higher than I ever thought.
Hiding it so well.â
Mrs. Chen had come to her senses.
Managing to bring her quietly to the city of Sijiu, even if she didnât fully understand the status of Mu Qingmeng, she knew that this was a person she couldnât afford to mess with.
She couldnât bear it⦠she just couldnât.
Initially, her parents had valued her more; she should have been the one looking down on Mu Qingmeng. Yet now, she found herself trampled underfoot.
Madam Chen felt as if her heart were being gnawed by ants, a tingling sensation crawling up her spine. Yet, what overwhelmed her more was fear, even though she was loath to submit to Mu Qingmeng.
After all, she was Mu Qingmengâs own half-sister. She couldnât believe that Mu Qingmeng would actually do anything harmful to her.
Gripping the armrests of her chair so hard that they creaked, Mu Qingmeng seethed in silence.
Jiang Shuihan spoke up, âThe Lady is enjoying her show. Letâs not let unrelated matters dampen her mood. Iâll take her away.â
The butler nodded respectfully, âThank you, Mr. Jiang.â
Ignoring Mrs. Chenâs cries and struggles, Jiang Shuihan easily lifted her up and took her away.
For those who entered the justice division, wishing for death became a luxury. Jiang Shuihan made a call, âYes, Shang Lu, inform Miss Si after her show is done that the matter has been resolved.â
In the vicinity of Lin, Si Fuqing was still engaged in filming the show.
The morning had flown by, and among the panel of mentors, only she had managed to find three notes, successfully adding 30,000 votes to Xie Yu and his team.
After a brief lunch, the filming resumed.
Lu Ningsheng took a few steps and there was a fit of violent coughing, her complexion paling instantly.
Si Fuqing hastily unscrewed a thermos bottle. âTeacher Lu?â
Lu Ning took several sips of water and popped a pill.
Gathering her composure, she shook her head and smiled, âItâs nothing serious, just a minor issue. Donât worry about me.â
Si Fuqing eyed her cautiously. âYour recent trip abroad wasnât for a conference, was it? You went for treatment.â
A pause lingered in the air. Finally, Lu Ning exhaled deeply. âYes, I went abroad for treatment, but it seemsâ¦â
It seemed her voice would likely never improve.
Just as Si Fuqing was about to speak, a commotion erupted in front.
Lin Qingyan had found a note.
The note spelled out the consequences of failure and the rewards for success in a challenge.
Success would mean an addition of 30,000 votes for everyone in the class, and failure would result in a deduction of 10,000 votes.
Lin Qingyan unfolded the paper, her expression pausing momentarily.
âIt appears luck is not on my side today. The challenge requires me to complete a one-minute dance in the rain.â
âThe sun is making this challenge useless. Itâs a pity; I was rather interested.â
Back in the vehicle, the producer swiveled his head. âWho on earth prepared this challenge? Didnât anyone check the weather?â
The assistant director stuttered, âDidnât you tell us to download a set of challenges directly from online games?â
The producer pressed his temples and took a deep breath.
âLet this one pass; let them continue searching for the next.â
The assistant director nodded, ready to signal the cameras to move forward, when a feedback echoed in his earpiece.
A languid and melodious female voice floated through: âSo, Teacher Lin, you mean to say that if it rains, youâll dance in it?â
The assistant director exchanged a baffled look with the producer and the director.
The producer hesitated for a moment: âHold on, letâs see what theyâre up to.â
He couldnât wait for Si Fuqing to speak more; the more she said, the more explosive moments could be captured.
âOf course,â Lin Qingyan was uncertain why Si Fuqing had posed the question. âIf it rains and sets a challenging backdrop, Iâll definitely go for it. It could earn my students an extra 30,000 votes. I donât mind getting wet.â Although she said this, she wasnât serious in her heart.
How could she possibly dance in the rain?
Just to get some extra votes for the trainees in her class?
She was not that generous, sacrificing her own dignity to help others.
But of course, on the surface, she maintained the image of a good mentor.
Lin Qingyan then smiled again, âSo itâs a pity that today is a sunny day, there wonât beââ
âIf Teacher Lin feels that way, then let me reluctantly assist you.â Si Fuqingâs fox-like eyes curved, interrupting her. âDonât worry, Iâll pray for rain for you.â The entire set fell into a momentary silence.
Lin Qingyanâs smile froze on her face.
The live chat exploded.
p??? Praying for what, rain?]
[When did Si Fuqing become the Rain God?]
[Um, is Si Fuqing some kind of feudal leftover? Praying for rain, has she lost it?]
[Pray for rain? How? Are you going to do a rain dance or set up an altar?]
[I just checked the weather forecast. FYI, today is April 18th, and the temperature in the city has reached 27 degrees. Not even a breeze.]
Lin Qingyan could barely maintain her smile as she said, âTeacher Si, the weather forecast predicts a sunny day. Moreover, whether itâll rain or not isnât something you can simply wish for; it depends on cloud cover.â
âTeacher Si, this isnât something to joke about,â Li Jingchen frowned. âI know you have issues with Teacher Lin, but now is not the time to stir the pot.â
Si Fuqing appeared indifferent, not bothering with the others, her fingers pinched a talisman from her bag.
Unseen by all, the talisman slowly began to burn.
In the production vehicle, the producer was immersed in a perplexing silence.
Seconds later, he finally spoke in a low tone: âAre we sure this is a talent show?â
Math problems were one thing, but now praying for rain?
If this were broadcasted, wouldnât it suggest that they were promoting superstitious beliefs?
âYes, yes, of course, itâs a talent show,â the assistant director vigorously nodded. âWerenât the trainees just singing and dancing a moment ago?â The producer was choked up.
The traineesâ side might be normal, but the mentors here were a bit too eccentric.
âEnough, stop talking. What can we do at this point?â The director sighed, seemingly resigning to fate, âCamera crew, prepare. Cameras one and three, aim at the sky.â
Today was supposed to be a cloudless, perfect day for outdoor shooting. How could it possibly rain when there wasnât a single cloud in the sky?