I've never felt happy to become an immortal.

Chapter 62 Bedtime Story

"Miss Ning, this seems to be my room, right?"

"Well, the other guest rooms in the county government office are all full. I have nowhere to stay, so I have to squeeze in with you for one night... We're both women, so you shouldn't mind, right?"

"I mind, could you please go out and stay at the inn?"

"I'm afraid all the inns are closed now."

"I have a terrible sleeping posture at night...I grab the quilt, grind my teeth and snore."

"Really?" Ning Jianshuang opened her eyes slightly and smiled, "Then would you like me to introduce you to a doctor to treat your body?"

Faced with the stubborn Ning Jianshuang, Lin Jiaolu gritted his teeth secretly, but he had no suitable reason to drive her away.

Leaning against the bed, Miss Ning said softly, "It's not appropriate for a single man and a single woman to be in the same room. Although it makes you feel uncomfortable, I have good reasons to be here to prevent you from making mistakes."

Lin Jiaolu said in embarrassment, "Miss Ning, do you think I'm a demon? How could I be so unrestrained? I know clearly what I can and cannot do!"

In this era where all the heroes in the martial arts world pursue romance, holding hands and hugging are not considered a big deal, but the bottom line must still be maintained.

Ning Jianshuang nodded: "I know you know, but others may not know, so I need to be here to prevent some bad rumors from spreading. You must know that in this world, three people can make a tiger. Even if it is a lie, as long as the person involved does not deny it, it may become true."

There was no streaming media in this era, not even traditional print media, and a lot of information was spread by word of mouth.

Humans are creatures that love gossip and watching others have fun. The ancient saying "Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles" means this.

There is an ancient anecdote that goes like this.

——Once there was a poor man who fell in love with a girl from a wealthy family. He felt that if he proposed marriage, her parents would definitely not agree because he had no talent, no money, and no looks. So he thought of a way, not to make himself rich, but to incite rumors. He found an opportunity to secretly spread some false news, saying that the girl had a bad character, or that there was a rumor that she had secretly gone to the river to take a bath and was seen by others and had a scar on her back.

——Because of these rumors, the girl's marriage could not be settled. From the age of sixteen to eighteen, there were gradually no matchmakers coming to propose marriage, and the girl was in tears. At this time, the man felt that the time had come, so he came to propose marriage. Although the girl's parents looked down on the man, their daughter was too old to get married. They were very grateful to see someone coming to propose marriage, so they naturally agreed to it.

There are actually many other versions of this anecdote. In some versions, the man and woman are in love with each other, but the idea was proposed by the woman in order to grow up into a woman and get her parents to agree to the marriage.

The details are unimportant; the main point of the story is this: the rumor was false, but it became true as it spread.

Human nature is compromising. They would rather believe in something than not believe in it. For example, many people do not have reverence for ghosts and gods, but they do have a certain degree of fear of them.

So, if there's a rumor, people often don't think too deeply about it. Instead, they wonder if there's something wrong with the person. If there's nothing wrong with them, then why is the rumor spreading about them? After much deliberation, they decide it's best to stay away from that person. Unintentionally, the rumor-monger's goal has been achieved.

Ning Jianshuang's few casual words directly pointed out the essence of the rumors.

Lin Jiaolu's heart trembled, as if his little thoughts were exposed, but he quickly pretended to be ignorant, as if "the little deer knows nothing."

Although she is good at socializing, she usually communicates mostly with elders. Because of her junior status, she is not as difficult to deal with as her elders. When she meets Ning Jianshuang, who is also good at networking, Xiaolu is obviously suppressed by Miss Ning unilaterally among her peers.

Her thoughts and intentions are always easily predicted.

However, Ning Jianshuang's next sentence changed the subject.

"Ms. Lin, please don't misunderstand me. From my perspective, there's no reason to stop you from pursuing the love of your dreams."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, you don't have to regard me as an enemy." Ning Jianshuang said softly, "I just want to remind you that it is very difficult to completely control your own destiny. You will encounter many obstacles, and those are not walls that can be overcome by wishful thinking."

"You have your identity and your responsibilities. These are the shackles of life, the constraints that no one can escape. So... even if I support you, it's meaningless. You can't hold on to him right now, nor can you keep your own happiness."

This is a sophistry that replaces the original concept.

——Instead of blaming others, it is better to look for the reasons in yourself.

Typical CPU.

Office workers will certainly look down on this, and people who surf the Internet frequently will also laugh it off.

But Lin Jiaolu listened to it, because she was at the age where she needed some inspirational advice.

"So, Sister Ning, you don't object?"

"Yes, I don't object, but I can't support it either." Ning Jianshuang said slowly: "Unless you can prove yourself one day..."

She's still on the CPU!

"I have great talent, and my father also said that as long as I work hard, it's only a matter of time before I can reach his level." Lin Jiaolu said this and then fell into deep thought: "But by the time I reach my father's level of cultivation, won't it take another twenty years? By then, it will be too late."

"You know how outstanding Erlang is. Once his identity as the Jiang family's young master gets out after he returns to the capital, there will definitely be many matchmakers knocking on his door. As his sister, I can arrange his marriage. Even if I can delay it, it will only take two years at most."

Ning Jianshuang thought for a moment and said casually, "If you can make it onto the Human Ranking within two years, I think..."

"I can do it! I can do it!" Lin Jiaolu grabbed Ning Jianshuang's wrist, opened the cabinet, took out a piece of paper, and quickly wrote a contract: "Sister Ning, please sign it!"

"Wait a minute..." Ning Jianshuang realized that he had said the wrong thing and was about to pull his hand back, but Lin Jiaolu held it tightly.

"Sister Ning, words are like spilled water. Please don't be like a pendulum on a scale." Lin Jiaolu said seriously, "You just said that as long as I make it onto the Human Ranking within two years, you will agree to my marriage to Master Bai."

"I..." Ning Jianshuang's eyes dodged: "What if I agree? Will the Langya Lin clan agree?"

"Let's not worry about whether they agree or not, let's talk about it first." Lin Jiaolu said firmly: "Sister Ning, please sign and seal it!"

...No, no, am I just giving her some inspirational words to buy time?

...How did it become selling my own Erlang’s marriage certificate?

When did you get involved?

Ning Jianshuang thought about it secretly, and then realized that it was not her who had the problem, but the little girl Lin Jiaolu who had the problem.

When a normal person hears such a high requirement, the first reaction is definitely "It's too difficult, I can't do it", just like a high school student's online master recognition ceremony, but the computer is directly shut down by the netizen's words "I require you to be admitted to Tsinghua University".

Who in their right mind would be so ecstatic?

While he was distracted again, Ning Jianshuang discovered that his name had been written on the contract paper... It was signed so quickly!
"Ms. Lin, calm down."

"I can't calm down, I'm so excited, I'm so happy!"

Lin Jiaolu's eyes lit up: "With this, in two years, he and I will be legally married, hehe, hehehehehe..."

Holding the paper, the little deer jumped happily.

Ning Jianshuang was powerless: "This kind of informal document cannot be used directly as a marriage certificate. It needs to be notarized by the court, or else it needs the seal of the family head..."

"Thank you, Sister Ning, for the reminder." Lin Jiaolu gave a thumbs-up. "I'll steal Daddy's seal and stamp it when I get home!"

Miss Ning now just wants to sew her mouth shut.

She continued, "You only have two years. Can you really do it? To be on the Human Ranking at eighteen... No one has ever done that since the appearance of the Heaven-Repairing Book five hundred years ago."

"I will do it." Lin Jiaolu paused for a moment, then said firmly, "I can do it!"

Ning Jianshuang opened her mouth, but hesitated to speak.

She was very depressed, feeling as if the ownership of something that belonged to her had been taken away.

Suddenly I wanted to tear the paper into pieces.

"Ms. Lin, I didn't read the words on the contract clearly. Please let me take another look to confirm..."

At this time, there were three knocks on the door.

"Please come in."

Bai Xuan pushed the door open and saw Lin Jiaolu with a big smile on his face and Ning Jianshuang who looked like he was about to burn out.

"Did I come at the wrong time?"

"No, you came at the right time."

Lin Jiaolu quickly lay down: "I'm ready and can sleep anytime."

Bai Xuan: "Okay."

Ning Jianshuang realized that he had missed the best opportunity and could only lie down and accept his fate.

"Then I'll start hypnotizing you."

"Wait a minute..." Lin Jiaolu pulled the boy's clothes: "Can you tell me a story first? I like to hear your bedtime stories."

Bai Xuan raised the corner of his lips: "Okay." He still liked to tell bedtime stories. When he coaxed his apprentice to sleep in the past, he would listen in silence.

Cleared his throat.

"listen."

"Once upon a time, there was a Mr. Dong who lived alone at home. He had a very poor memory."

"In order to remind himself to go out and do things, he would write them down on slips of paper to remind himself."

"When he was leaving the house today, he searched his pockets and realized that the note had fallen out. Naturally, he had forgotten what he was supposed to do."

"He was on the street and ran into a neighbor who told him they were delivering rice to his home."

"When it was evening, Mr. Dong returned home, turned on the light, and surprisingly found a note on the table."

"There was a line of words written on it: Go buy rice."

"And then the door closed."

Bai Xuan clapped his hands lightly: "The story ends."

Ning Jianshuang sat up immediately: "What kind of bedtime story is this!"

"A little bedtime story, and I'm so silent while listening to it." The corners of Bai Xuan's mouth raised even more.

Lin Jiaolu blinked his eyes and pleaded softly, "Anything else? I want to continue listening."

"Okay, I'll satisfy you!"

"Wait……"

Miss Ning didn't really want to listen to it. It wasn't a question of whether she was brave or not, but she would definitely not be able to fall asleep if she listened to such a story before going to bed.

Bai Xuan started telling the story directly.

"Zhang is a constable."

"One day, he received an anonymous report and went to a village in the mountains to investigate a case."

"The deceased was an elderly man who lived alone in a large house. His body was found hanging."

"According to the stories told by the surrounding villagers, this old man has no relatives and is very lonely."

"Surrounded by villagers, Zhang went to the elderly man's home to conduct an on-site investigation. The surrounding villagers all expressed regret and grief."

"There was a suicide note on the table in the main hall. After reading it, Zhang immediately told the surrounding villagers that it was suicide. Suicide by elderly people living alone is not uncommon. According to the suicide note, the old man's property would be divided equally among every villager."

"The villagers were very happy and surrounded Zhang from front and back as he left the village."

"After Zhang left the village, he immediately rushed back to the county government office. He didn't dare to stop for a moment. He was shaking all over and covered in cold sweat."

"Because he saw a baby carriage and brand new children's toys in the old man's home."

"End of story."

Ning Jianshuang clenched his fists.

She knew she shouldn't have listened, she should have covered her ears just now!

But I am still very curious inside, this damn curiosity.

"One more, one more." Lin Jiaolu continued.

"Stop talking, it's time to go to bed!" Ning Jianshuang immediately stopped him: "If you say a few more words, you won't be able to sleep tonight."

Bai Xuan also nodded: "It's time to go to bed."

Then he simply reached out and pressed on the back of the banana deer.

The little girl immediately fell into a baby-like sleep.

"...Is this how you hypnotize people?"

"What else?" Bai Xuan asked, "Do you really think horror stories can replace physical therapy?"

"..." Ning Jianshuang was silent for a while: "Erlang, hypnotize me too. I'm not used to sleeping in the same bed with others..."

"Okay, put your head over here... Relax and listen to me count to three, three... one!"

Miss Ning fell asleep immediately.

Bai Xuan stretched the quilt for the two of them, and then realized how old-fashioned this action was.

It really has become a habit.

It’s nothing special, I just started to practice.

Not far away, the little girl Luluo was lying by the window.

After seeing Bai Xuan, he waved repeatedly: "Master, come in quickly. The water for washing feet is ready. If you don't rest, you will be sleepy on the road tomorrow."

It looked like he was afraid that Bai Xuan would be abducted and taken somewhere else to spend the night.

She was just a maid, so it didn't matter where she rested.

According to the lady's instructions, we have to spend the night at the table to ensure that Bai Xuan will not elope with Miss Lin at night.

The little maid squatted down, testing the water temperature in the foot basin, and asked tentatively: "What does the young master think of Miss Lin?"

He dipped his feet into the basin, feeling the foot massage: "Is this what you want to ask, or does your lady want to know?"

"Well, both?"

"Your worries are unnecessary." Bai Xuan said calmly: "I have no intention of getting married and having children. Even falling in love always feels troublesome and burdensome."

"Really?"

"real."

"But Miss Lin is so beautiful, has a good family background, and listens to the young master very much..."

"But in my opinion, she's still a child, too young." Bai Xuan leaned back in his chair. "Also, my perception is different from yours. I don't see the Langya Lin family as that great. Aristocratic families, powerful officials, and great men are all mortals after all... Since we're mortals, as long as we're alive, it doesn't make much difference. In my eyes, Lin Jiaolu is no more noble than you."

Luoluo's fingers trembled slightly, and the little maid's heart was in turmoil, her breathing became uneven, and she lowered her head and said, "How can you say that, young master? I'm just a little maid who massages feet. How can I compare with the daughter of the Lin family?"

Bai Xuan said no more and did not force her to agree with modern people's values.

There was no such thing as equality for all in feudal society, and even in modern society, there is no equality. On the same planet, the differences between different countries are as huge as the difference between heaven and earth.

But he doesn't want to forget these values.

People will be subtly changed by the environment.

Having lived in the world of true cultivation for too long, the total length of my life has already exceeded the length of my life on Earth and in China. It would definitely be a lie to say that there is no impact at all.

For example, he did not refuse Luoluo's foot washing service.

There are two reasons for this. One is to reassure Luoluo and make sure that she will not leave with the forest deer; the other is that she thinks this is reasonable and there is no need to be hypocritical and refuse.

He had taught Luoluo the 'Hundred-Step Flying Sword' and could be considered half her master; he was also the young master of the Jiang family; it was natural for a disciple to respect his master, as it was the case in his previous life, and the disciples even competed to show their filial piety.

If he had just arrived in the world of true cultivation and was still a young boy at that time, he would most likely refuse.

Now I am a complete veteran. I don’t seek enjoyment, but I will not refuse the opportunity to enjoy it.

Because he knows that he has been influenced and changed by the environment, Bai Xuan would rather retain his original character.

This is not an easy task.

Therefore, he made three rules for himself in certain aspects to restrain his behavior.

Some of the most important points are...

(End of this chapter)