I Snatched the Male Lead’s "Cool Novel" Script - Chapter 11

Loved wearing blue, had golden eyes, and could come and go freely in Langdie Valley.

Adding these traits together, Yan Yu quickly figured out the identity of the woman before her. She was Ying Fan, one of Langdie Valley’s Five Lesser Guardians, who specialized in water-element spiritual arts.

She had been born in the Kingdom of Pose. Because her physical body and Beast Soul were fused together, she had been born with a half-human, half-fish body. Treated as an abnormality by her own people and left homeless, she had eventually entered Yin Beiqing’s service.

Under ordinary circumstances, Ying Fan generally used spiritual arts to transform herself into a human appearance. In truth, her real form had a human face and a fish body, similar to a mermaid from myths.

“I’m not stealing. I’m trying to plant these back,” Yan Yu explained.

Ying Fan did not care about her words. She took a step back, looked her up and down, then suddenly smiled and pointed at her.

“I know you. You’re that sickly goddess Sister Ruan hates the most, aren’t you?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you talking?”

Yan Yu turned her back and continued planting. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Aren’t you curious why I’m here too?”

Of course Yan Yu was not curious. She knew the reason.

As a water-element Beast Arts Master, Ying Fan loved water. Looking across all of Langdie Valley, the best water quality belonged to Gulao Spring.

The original book had mentioned that she would occasionally avoid Yin Beiqing and come here to enjoy herself.

But she was right about one thing. Compared with secretly bathing here, stealing fruit was still the act of someone even less afraid of death.

Ying Fan took off her outer robe and sank her body into the water. Her two slender, straight legs immediately turned into a fish tail covered in scales. The pale-blue scales shimmered with layers of rippling light beneath the moon, very dazzling.

She swayed her tail comfortably, rested both hands on the pool wall, tilted her head, and started chatting with Yan Yu.

“Actually, it wouldn’t matter even if you picked some and took them. The Valley Master never cares about those few plants. No one takes care of this stuff either. It just absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth here and grows into a whole patch by itself.”

Listen to that. If people outside who could not buy even one stalk with a thousand gold heard this, they would probably die from anger.

Yan Yu smiled politely, but her hands sped up instead. It was not that she was afraid, because Ying Fan was actually considered one of the better-tempered among Yin Beiqing’s subordinates. But this person had one problem…

“Hey, I heard you can bring the dead back to life. Is that true?”

“Oh right, someone said you slept in the Valley Master’s room all night yesterday. Did she summon you to attend her bed?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Looking closely, those bruises on your neck and chin couldn’t be…”

“No!” Yan Yu answered before she could finish.

“Hahahaha.” Ying Fan laughed while holding her stomach. “Don’t be anxious, don’t be anxious. Then I’ll ask something easier for you to answer. Sister Ruan said you also know stitching techniques, and that your technique is especially good. Another day, help stitch me up too.”

Listen to that. Who cursed themselves like this?

“Why aren’t you talking again? Do you hate me too?” Ying Fan flipped over, and her fish tail slapped heavily against the water’s surface, splashing Yan Yu all over.

Yan Yu sighed and silently brushed the water droplets off her body. She felt a faint swelling pain at her temple. She really could not handle talkative people. Every time she encountered one, she got a headache.

Such a beautiful woman. Why did she have to have a mouth?

“I don’t hate you. I just normally don’t like talking.”

“Really?” Ying Fan blinked. “All right, then. Actually, it doesn’t matter if you hate me. I just like going over to torment people who hate me when I have nothing to do. You also think I’m noisy, don’t you?”

“I said I don’t hate you.” Yan Yu finally planted all the Lotus Bead Flowers in the basket back into the ground. She stood up and wiped her hands clean. “Keep soaking. I won’t tell anyone about tonight.”

“Quite loyal, aren’t you?” Seeing that Yan Yu was not heading back but carrying her basket toward the back mountain, Ying Fan said, “Little goddess, you’re going the wrong way. The back mountain is very dangerous at night. If you trip, fall, or get bitten to death by strange insects and fierce beasts, no one will save you.”

Yan Yu suppressed the turbid breath in her chest. She really could not expect Ying Fan’s mouth to say anything pleasant.

“Thank you for the reminder.” Yan Yu’s footsteps did not change direction because of her words.

Swish— Ying Fan suddenly shot out of the water. When she landed on the ground, her fish tail had already turned back into a pair of beautiful human legs. She used spiritual arts to dry her clothes and casually pulled on her outer robe.

“If you really want to go, I’ll go with you.”

“No need.” Yan Yu lowered her head and quickened her steps.

“Don’t be like that. It’s rare that you’re this loyal, so I’ll take care of you this once.” Ying Fan smiled cheerfully and draped her arm over Yan Yu’s shoulder, impolitely pressing all her body weight onto her. “Once you enter Langdie Valley, you’re one of us. Why be polite with your own people? Besides, you just said you’d keep my secret. Doesn’t that mean you treat me as a good sister? How could I refuse you, right?”

Who is being polite with you?!

“Why don’t you have any flesh on you? You’re so bony my hand hurts.”

“Why are you going to the back mountain this late?”

“Hey, hey, little goddess~ Pay attention to me!”

“To gather medicinal herbs.” Yan Yu gritted her teeth and answered.

To treat her qi deficiency, Lotus Bead petals alone were not enough. She also needed the root and stem of Soul-Gathering Grass. This thing was not especially rare. In addition, she remembered that the original book had said many strange flowers and herbs naturally grew on Langdie Valley’s back mountain, so she had wanted to come and try her luck.

Soul-Gathering Grass was different from Lotus Bead Flowers. Its appearance did not differ much from ordinary weeds. Most people could not distinguish it even up close. Moreover, the back mountain did not clearly belong within Langdie Valley’s jurisdiction. If she picked a few stalks to use as medicine, the chances of being discovered were not high.

“So that’s it. Then you should’ve said so earlier. I’m familiar with the roads here.” Ying Fan hooked an arm around her neck and pulled her closer. “There are more medicinal herbs to the east. I’ll take you there.”

Yan Yu felt uncomfortable being choked, but the difference in strength between her and Ying Fan was too great. After struggling once and finding it useless, she let Ying Fan do as she pleased.

The farther east they went, the denser the forest became, and the darker the light grew. Yan Yu kept her eyes fixed on the ground. Whenever she saw something that looked like Soul-Gathering Grass, she immediately stopped, picked one, and placed it in the basket.

The forest was mixed with all kinds of scents: pollen that made people want to sneeze, the smell of grass and soil after rain, and also… also a familiar cold fragrance.

“Who’s there!”

“Damn! Boss!” Before Yan Yu could react, Ying Fan’s fur metaphorically exploded first.

A long, slender black shadow floated out from some unknown direction and stopped in front of Yan Yu.

Yin Beiqing narrowed her eyes. Her cold gaze swept over Ying Fan’s hand resting on Yan Yu’s shoulder.

“Good evening, Boss! I just remembered I’m on guard duty tonight. I’ll go tidy up and get to work now, ha!” After saying this, Ying Fan leaped toward a puddle by the roadside. After a spiritual art that no one could understand, she vanished without a trace.

Only Yan Yu was left standing where she was, silently staring at the displeased Yin Beiqing.

Yan Yu’s heartbeat was very fast. She felt that this time, she really was finished.

Yin Beiqing lowered her eyes. Her gaze happened to sweep over the basket in Yan Yu’s hand. Feeling guilty, Yan Yu hid it behind her back. But Yin Beiqing reached out to her and crooked her finger. The meaning was obvious.

Yan Yu pressed her lips together and handed the basket over.

But after taking the basket, Yin Beiqing did not even glance at it. She casually tossed it into the muddy ground beside them, then used her other hand to pull a bundle of something from her wide sleeve like a magic trick.

“Take it.”

Yan Yu blankly reached out and held it. Lowering her head to examine it, she realized—wasn’t this the Soul-Gathering Grass she had spent half the day searching for, only finding two small stalks?

“…” What did Yin Beiqing mean?

Yan Yu could not figure out Yin Beiqing’s thoughts. But she discovered that this person had begun staring at her again with an expression as if she wanted to swallow her alive in one bite. Fine, stare if she wanted to stare. But she also stubbornly refused to speak.

At this moment, every silent second in the air was torture for Yan Yu. Her heart also grew more and more panicked.

Could this be the legendary method of giving a sweet date first, then striking with a stick?

The Soul-Gathering Grass in her hands was the sweet date. Then where was the stick? How did Yin Beiqing plan to torment her now?

“Hey.”

“What?”

“Do you have any manners?” Yin Beiqing’s face was wooden.

“Hm?”

“You don’t know how to say thank you?”

Yan Yu finally reacted. She looked at the grass in her hands, then raised her head to look at a certain person standing with both hands behind her back, chin slightly lifted, her whole face written with, I am very noble, kneel and thank me immediately.

Understood, understood.

She respectfully held the bundle of Soul-Gathering Grass with both hands, raised it up, bent at a standard ninety-degree angle, and bowed to Yin Beiqing.

“Thank you very much, Valley Master.”

“…”

Are you worshipping Buddha?

Author’s Note:

Yan Yu: I understood, but not completely.

Imagine Sister Yin hugging the thought of “My wife will definitely praise me fiercely,” diligently searching for Soul-Gathering Grass, and then…