Chapter 146 - 146: 146. Suddenly becoming so well-behaved (Second Update)
Chapter 146 - 146: 146. Suddenly becoming so well-behaved (Second Update)
Translator: 549690339
The darkness had completely set in.
When Lin Shun found Su Liang, she was standing by the Garden Lake, gazing at the water’s surface.
Huang Bo was by her side, presumably speaking about something.
“Su Xiaoliang!” Lin Shun’s voice was filled with joy as he addressed her.
Upon hearing this, she turned around and saw a pair of radiant eyes and a set of neat white teeth, all under the cover of the night.
If she were asked to describe him in two words, she would say “sunshine”.
Among all the young men she had come to know since her transmigration, only Lin Shun emanated an inherent pleasant cheerfulness.
When Su Liang walked over, Lin Shun said, “Little Cheche believes that you are the real you.”
Su Liang looked indifferent, replying, “But?”
Lin Shun laughed heartily, “How did you know there was a ‘but’?”
Su Liang shrugged, “Intuition.”
“But he thinks that even if you are the real Su Liang, you might have been trained as a spy over the past year or so,” Lin Shun stated honestly, keeping nothing hidden.
Su Liang’s reaction was as he expected; she calmly said three words, “Makes sense.”
“I knew it! Su Xiaoliang, you are not as nave as my stupid younger brother!”
Lin Shun laughed heartily, “You’ll treat him first. I’ll teach you the Disguise Technique as a payment for treatment. We’ll look into other matters once he has had some time to think, okay?”
“Does he agree?” Su Liang questioned.
Lin Shun nodded, “Absolutely, he always listens to me!”
Su Liang was silent, smiling.
The next time she saw Duanmu Che, his eyes were locked onto Su Liang, loaded with inquiries. He was silent, yet agreeable.
Su Liang had initially planned to abandon the idea of collaborating with Duanmu Che, but with the changes in the circumstances, she no longer sought any immediate answers. She treated him as mute.
After finishing with the acupuncture treatment, Su Liang instructed Huang Bo to administer the medicinal diet recipe she had prescribed. She encouraged him to follow the dietary restrictions she had mentioned as well.
“Master Lin had instructed us to prepare the medicine early in the morning!” Huang Bo said.
Duanmu Che frowned looking at Lin Shun and remained silent.
Huang Bo then presented the Medicinal Diet Recipe that Duanmu Chen had sent earlier, asking Su Liang if there was any problem with it.
On examining it, Su Liang saw that it was a copy of the one she had given to Qin Yujin, copied by Duanmu Chen.
Unsurprising.
She picked out two that were suitable for Duanmu Che’s body’s current condition.
“Are there issues with the remaining ones?” Huang Bo asked with a serious expression.
Su Liang shook her head, “No issues. It’s just not suitable for your master’s current weak health. He can use it when he gets better.”
Huang Bo was naturally cautious about anything that came from Duanmu Chen, but Su Liang’s response surprised him. It seemed like Duanmu Chen hadn’t tampered with anything.
The diet recommended by Duanmu Chen, unsuitable for Duanmu Che’s current condition, didn’t signify anything, given that Duanmu Chen wasn’t a doctor.
“It’s getting late, so I’ll take my leave now. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow at noon.” After preparing her medicinal kit, Su Liang took her leave.
Lin Shun requested her to stay for dinner.
“I’m not hungry,” Su Liang shook her head.
Without pressuring her, Lin Shun said, “It’s so late, you being outside alone is
dangerous. Let me walk you home!”
Su Liang declined his offer politely, but Lin Shun still followed her out.
“Su Xiaoliang, how did you come across Ning Jing?” Lin Shun asked out of curiosity.
Su Liang shook her head and replied, “No comment.”
“If he gets married, or if you get married, the two of you would split up, right?” Lin Shun asked again.
Su Liang replied with a question, “Have you never thought of the possibility that the two of us might end up together?”
Lin Shun smiled, “If there are mutual feelings, then you two wouldn’t be sworn siblings.”
Su Liang nodded, “Indeed.”
“So what kind of man do you like?” Lin Shun asked. Offhand, Su Liang said, “Someone who is pleasing to the eyes.” A large face came close to Su Liang’s, “Look at me.”
Su Liang moved away and shook her head, “Far from it.”
Lin Shun laughed out loud, “Oh Su Xiaoliang, my feelings are hurt! This is the first time someone has called me ugly!”
Su Liang: …So, he’s hurt but still laughing? Sure.
Obviously, Lin Shun wasn’t ugly. At first sight, he might not be as delicate as Duanmu Che, but he had an enduring charm. With his cheerful demeanor, being outgoing yet discreet, talkative yet not noisy, Su Liang felt that apart from Ning Jing, Lin Shun was the most comfortable male person to be around.
After asking a few questions, Lin Shun didn’t inquire any further about Su Liang’s affairs and began talking about himself.
It could be considered as a ‘tit-for-tat’.
As they neared Su Mansion, Lin Shun suddenly resignedly said, “Su Xiaoliang, today upon seeing you, I understand the phrase ‘familiar at the first meet’.”
Su Liang moved forward to open the door, waved at Lin Shun, and said, “Get ready, tomorrow when I visit the prince’s mansion, you will teach me the Disguise Technique.”
Lin Shun looked up at the sky, sighed deeply, “Alright. Are you sure you don’t feel the same way?”
Without getting any response, he heard the sound of the main gate closing.
As Lin Shun turned to leave, he heard Su Liang’s voice from inside the gate, “Not yet.”
The corner of Lin Shun’s mouth lifted and he hummed a song, disappearing into the night.
As Ning Jing was not at home, Su Liang read till late. Then, she slept in until daybreak. After waking up and doing her morning workout, she prepared a light meal and secluded herself with her books again.
A lot of the books were gifted by Xing Ji. They covered various subjects and were all previous collections of Bei Jingwang Mansion.
By noon, Su Liang made a bowl of noodles. After eating, she packed her medicine box and set off.
Upon reaching the prince’s mansion, Huang Bo politely let her in and informed her that Duanmu Che had slept better last night after taking the medicine he had been prescribed. Also, the signs of coughing up blood that had started showing a few days back didn’t occur today.
For Huang Bo, what mattered was healing Duanmu Che. Everything else was secondary.
When Su Liang saw Duanmu Che, she noticed Lian Shun was not present. However, she didn’t ask about him.
After she had checked Duanmu Che’s pulse and administered acupuncture, she still did not ask how he felt, maintaining an eerily calm demeanor.
“Su Xiaoliang!” Lian Shun walked in briskly. “Little Cheche, you look much better today, but you’re still ugly. Take your medicine properly, so you can become handsome and find a wife!”
Duanmu Che turned his wheelchair around, signaling that he did not wish to engage with him.
When silence fell again, Duanmu Che turned back to find that both Lian Shun and Su Liang had disappeared.
“Master Lin is teaching Miss Su the Disguise Technique. They have been preparing for it early in the morning. Miss Su just went to Master Lin,” Huang Bo said.
Duanmu Che snorted coldly, “And they say he’s not smitten by beauty?
Being knowledgeable about medicine, Su Liang picked up the technique quickly.
Lian Shun praised her for having a nimble mind and skillful hands.
Secretly, Su Liang compared herself to someone else and found herself lacking.
She wondered how the Great God Ning was doing in the Examination Hall. After the tests, she planned to take the opportunity to visit the examination site.
Lian Shun noticed Su Liang drifting off, “Su Xiaoliang, what are you thinking about?”
Still handling the medicinal herbs, Su Liang replied, “Nothing.”
In half a day, she had already grasped the recipe for the Disguise Medicine and successfully concocted it herself.
As the sun set, she left the Fifth Prince’s Mansion carrying a vial of the Disguise Medicine she had made.
Lian Shun had intended to accompany her, but when Huang Bo said that Duanmu Che was looking for him, Su Liang decided to leave on her own.
She stopped at the Wan Family Restaurant on her way home and had her dinner before finally returning home.
The final day of the Challenge Contest coincided with the final day of the imperial examination.
Su Liang didn’t go to watch, she was too busy with her own affairs.
The biggest difference from before was, she found cooking to be a waste of time when she was alone, unwilling to exert much effort, especially having to feed the fire herself. She would often forget to add wood. It used to be a task for Ning Jing.
That day, Su Liang went to the Fifth Prince’s Mansion to administer acupuncture to Duanmu Che as usual. There was very little conversation between the two and they tried their best to avoid eye contact.
After that, Su Liang went to learn the techniques of Disguise from Lian Shun.
After Lian Shun explained for a while, Su Liang was still confused, “Do I need to try it on a human face?”
“Me,” Lian Shun pinchec his own face.
Su Liang warned in advance, “I’m new to this. If I ruin your face…”
Lian Shun confidently said, “I trust you. You can definitely succeed on the first try! Go ahead!”
Just as Su Liang was about to apply the Disguise Medicine on Lian Shun’s face, Huang Bo came in to serve tea.
He intended to set it down and leave, but was stopped by Su Liang.
“Huang Bo, could you bring me a fish?” Su Liang asked.
Huang Bo was taken aback. The other day while showing Su Liang around the garden, he had mentioned that they had raised many fat fish in the lake. Duanmu Che, however, didn’t like eating fish.
“You like fish?” Lian Shun asked.
Grasping the situation, Huang Bo quickly agreed, “Alright, I will get a fish right away!”
Lian Shun wanted to ask more, but Su Liang asked him to shut his mouth, close his eyes, and keep his face steady because she was starting.
Lian Shun could feel Su Liang applying the medicine onto his face. Her touch was firm, avoiding any suggestiveness.
He forgot to ask Su Liang what appearance she intended to change him into, and was full of expectation.
After some time, Lian Shun couldn’t help but ask, “Are you done?” Su Liang took two steps back to examine her work, and then nodded, “Not bad.”
As soon as Lian Shun opened his eyes, he rushed to find a bronze mirror, curious to see the fruits of Su Liang’s debut in using the Disguise Technique.
Shocked, Lian Shun stared at the beautiful face reflected in the mirror…
“You… You… You turned me into a woman?!” made him utterly surprised.
He had been thinking that for Su Liang’s first makeover, the resulting face would be one that she likes.
Well, now he knows, Su Liang never takes the conventional route!
“How is it?” Su Liang asked, quite satisfied with her work.
Holding up the mirror, studying his reflection from different angles, and touching his own face, Lian Shun objectively pointed out Su Liang’s deficiencies in her technique. However, he approved of her first use of the Disguise Technique. Then, he pulled at his hair and said, “If you would do my hair, I’ll be even more beautiful!”
Noticing it was getting dark, Su Liang suddenly remembered that Ning Jing should have finished his exam by now. As promised, she was going to cook him a delicious meal when he returned home…
Seeing Su Liang hastily packing up, Lian Shun invited her to stay for dinner again. He mentioned that he also liked fish and they could eat together.
“You can have dinner with your cousin,” Su Liang said as she picked up her medicine box and left.
As someone entered the courtyard, Huang Bo appeared first, carrying two fat fishes. Behind him was a familiar figure – was it not Ning Jing?
“Miss Su, Master Ning is here to see you,” Huang Bo said with a smile.
Following him out, Lian Shun’s eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at Ning Jing.
Ning Jing also noticed Lian Shun standing behind Su Liang.
Huang Bo looked astounded, “Master Lin? What happened to you?”
With a chill, Lian Shun walked up to Su Liang and said in a falsetto voice, “Who can I blame when Su Xiaoliang’s Disguise Technique is so good? For her first try, my face is her masterpiece! All in all, I taught her well!”
“Su Liang,” Ning Jing called her.
Carrying her medicine box, Su Liang quickly walked towards him, “I am sorry, I lost track of time. I am about to go home and cook for you!” As she said this, she took the two fishes from Huang Bo, not forgetting to thank him.
Ning Jing’s gaze lowered to the two live fish twisting in her hands.
“For sweet and sour fish?” Su Liang asked.
Ning Jing took Su Liang’s medicine box from her and nodded slightly,
“Mm-hmm.”
The two left shoulder to shoulder, leaving an oddly expressionless Lian Shun behind.
“Huang Bo, why did the lady become so obedient when she saw Ning Jing? She even wants to go back to cook fish for him?” Lian Shun asked, his tone sour.
Huang Bo laughed and answered, “Obviously, she must likes Master Ning!”