Chapter 123

“Hmm,” Liu Fei’er nodded shyly.

“There! Inside.”

“All right.”

When Fubao arrived at the academy, Liu Fei’er had already gone next door. Upon entering, she saw Miss Chen pouting unhappily, leaning her head on the table.

“What’s wrong?” Fubao placed the items in her hands on the table and asked.

“Hmph, Liu Fei’er went next door, saying she was delivering food to Brother Gu. Hmph, how annoying. She really has a knack for this, pretending to know him when they barely do. Why would she have the nerve to bring him food?” Miss Chen grumbled nonstop.

“Oh, why be upset? Brother Li isn’t paying attention to her anyway,” Fubao said with a smile.

“Hmph, that wicked woman. Seeing Gong Da Ge unwell, she immediately turned her sights on Brother Li.”

“Uh! You really hold a grudge,” Fubao replied, speechless.

“No way, I want to deliver food too,” Miss Chen suddenly slammed the table, making up her mind.

Fubao “...” silently put down her pastries.

Just as Gu Li was pondering how to refuse Liu Fei’er, he was distracted by Fubao’s few pieces of cake, and Gong Shaoyu began to taunt him sarcastically.

Gu Li “...” headache.

That day, the dean planned to take the students to learn from the previous-generation master, Mr. Jing Yuan, who had long retired in the mountains. If not for his relationship with the dean, he would never have allowed the students inside.

“Hurry up!” Fubao pulled Miss Chen ahead, running while continually urging the heavily laden Bai Jie following behind, and even Han Xiaoyu wasn’t spared.

What did these two women bring? Everyone else traveled light, yet they carried so much.

“Hmph, how pretentious. This isn’t just a spring outing; bringing so many things, aren’t you afraid Master Jing Yuan will laugh at us and think the girls’ academy is disgraceful?” Of course, no need to guess—it was Liu Fei’er again.

“Exactly, just like country bumpkins coming into the city, ha!” chimed in Liu Fei’er’s little follower.

The two of them egged each other on, only fueling Miss Chen’s temper.

“Who are you talking about? Speak clearly!” Miss Chen’s fiery temper flared.

“Hmph, talking about you, what can you do about it?” The opponent was arrogant.

“I...”

“Oh, come on, Sister Liu, you don’t understand us young girls. We have to apply all sorts of creams and lotions every day; naturally, we have to protect our skin,” Fubao delivered a direct blow.

Liu Fei’er was furious. Who’s old? It’s just that you’re a few years older, and you’re late for school.

“You all...”

“What about us? Hmph, Sister Liu, you better go back and take better care of yourself,” Fubao said, leaving with the victorious Miss Chen.

“Damn it!” Liu Fei’er stomped angrily behind them.

Gu Li, strolling leisurely behind, overheard their conversation and shook his head with amusement.

Fubao never expected there to be a hot spring here. She was very sensitive to water and always excited wherever there was water.

“Wow! Amazing!” Not just Fubao, the other young ladies nearby were very pleased.

“No way, is there only this one hot spring?” Miss Chen muttered. How would they bathe then?

“Pfft—No, the men and women are separated, each with several private rooms,” the young maid in charge of the hot springs smiled and explained.

“So that’s how it is. That’s great! We’ll try it out tonight.”

“Good.”

Fubao made plans with Miss Chen.

After meeting the master, the students at the academy arranged their things, as they would be staying here for several days.

Everything was peaceful until an argument broke out over a private room, only resolved by the hot spring maid.

“So comfortable!” Fubao sighed, leaning against the bank.

“Mm-hmm,” Miss Chen nodded in agreement.

“You’ve worked hard cleaning. Thank you, sister,” Miss Chen said to the hot spring maid.

“It’s no trouble. This place used to be very beautiful,” the maid replied.

“Used to?” Miss Chen was puzzled.

“Then why didn’t you leave? What use is staying here?” Fubao suddenly asked.

The maid froze.

“Fubao, what are you saying?”

“Nothing, just soaking for a while before going back,” Fubao said with closed eyes.

...

“I say, why are children so easily restless?” Fubao looked disdainfully at the little ginseng child, who was bleeding from the nose uncontrollably. She had already chased him off to the male colleagues’ side, but he dared to sneak into the adjacent hot spring. If she hadn’t dragged him out, the brat might have enjoyed himself to death.

“You’re the kid here. Who knows where you wandered off to—into the women’s hot spring,” Fubao scolded.

“I don’t believe it,” the little ginseng child pouted.

“Hmph.”

“Be careful, I found something strange here.” The little ginseng child covered his nose with Fubao’s handkerchief, buzzing.

Fubao “...” she only had that one handkerchief.

“I noticed it long ago,” Fubao said, leaning over the small table.

“Just be careful. To think such a solemn place would have these spirits and monsters,” the little ginseng child said, holding his nose.

“Enough. I’ll take you to wash up, really,” Fubao dragged him out.

“Bao’er, where are you going?” Miss Chen pulled back the embroidered curtain.

“Out to find the restroom,” Fubao replied without turning back.

At that moment, the academy’s corridor was quiet as a whisper.

“It’s just too quiet,” Fubao muttered.

“Hey! Slow down, my nose can’t breathe,” the little ginseng child struggled.

“Wash yourself.”

“Hmph.”

“Shh-shh~” A strange sound came through, and the little ginseng child’s ears perked up.

“Delicious!” the little ginseng child was delighted.

“Huh?” Fubao saw some black mist rising from the water’s depths.

“What is that?”

“Ah! Mom, so ugly!” Fubao had just taken a step forward when the little ginseng child leapt into her arms.

“What are you screaming about? Wasn’t it delicious?”

“No, it’s too ugly—I can’t eat.”

Fubao “...” just skip a few meals and you’ll be fine.

“Let me see. Why does it look like this?” Fubao leaned in to look into the water and was startled. In the water was a disheveled woman with pale skin, rolling her eyes—a frightening sight in the dead of night.

“Drowned ghosts all look like this,” the little ginseng child rolled his eyes.

“Then why did you scream like a ghost just now if you weren’t scared?” Fubao also rolled her eyes.

“Who’s scared?”

“If you’re not scared, can you please let go of my leg?” At that moment, the little ginseng child clung tightly to Fubao’s leg.

“Ask her why she stays here,” Fubao threw the little ginseng child toward the water.

“Oh,” feeling wronged.

“Ah! She threatened me!” the little ginseng child screamed as he ran back.

“Heh, did you claim to be the big boss again?”

“No.”

“Heh.”

In the end, Fubao ignored the female ghost. She hadn’t harmed anyone, so why should anyone harm her?

That was Fubao’s view, but not everyone thought the same.

The next day, someone looking for trouble hired a Taoist priest to exorcise the ghosts here.

This all began when Fubao left the pool edge last night. Liu Fei’er, wandering about at an odd hour, saw Fubao sneaking out to “use the restroom.” She noticed Fubao acting oddly and lingering near the pool, which made her suspicious.

Back in her room, she overheard talk of ghosts haunting the place.

With a wicked plan in mind, she thought she could kill two birds with one stone—either get rid of the ghosts or ruin Fubao’s reputation and drive her out of the academy.

That very night, she sent her attendant down the mountain to invite a Taoist priest.

And so, today’s events unfolded.