Acting young

"You didn't see?" Yan Shanshui eyed the young mortal man before her suspiciously.

This mortal had been sitting right by the entrance, barely a dozen meters from where she had landed. How could he have missed a living, breathing person falling from the sky?

But... no Outer Demon had descended even now, so apparently he really hadn't seen her.

She relaxed a little, then checked again. "You really didn't see?"

Is she that scared of someone seeing her embarrassing fantasy role-play? Fair enough. It really was humiliating.

Lin Zhishui gave the long-legged girl an amused look and said, "Don't worry. Anything I shouldn't have seen, I'll pretend I didn't."

Yan Shanshui was a little bewildered.

Did this mortal mean... that he actually had seen her, but would pretend he hadn't?

Oh, come on... did you see me or not?!

Still, since no Outer Demon was drawn here, he definitely didn't see me... He probably thinks I'm young and cute and wants my attention, so he's teasing me...

Yan Shanshui took a deep breath and helplessly tapped her forehead. "Fine, then let's say you didn't see."

She was about to turn and leave when she caught something out of the corner of her eye. There was actually a camera mounted beneath the little shop's eaves!

Even if this mortal hadn't noticed anything yet and was merely suspicious, it would be disastrous if he checked the footage and saw her falling from the sky!

As that thought flashed through her mind, Yan Shanshui froze with one foot raised.

"Ha, hahaha."

Yan Shanshui laughed awkwardly, then lowered her little leather-shod foot as though nothing had happened. Turning toward Lin Zhishui as naturally as she could, she looked at him pitifully, as if she were about to cry, and pleaded, "Hey, handsome, look, I'm soaking wet. Could you let me come in and sit for a bit?"

As she spoke, she clasped her hands tightly and pressed them against her chest, putting on a forlorn expression. All she lacked was a little whimper.

Combined with her pretty, youthful face, her wet black hair clinging to her fair skin, and the droplets on her long, fine eyelashes, it made her look all the more appealing.

The corner of Lin Zhishui's mouth twitched.

Why... does that sound so wrong?

Anyone who didn't know the circumstances and only saw the scene before them, taking her words together with her expression and the water trickling down her legs, would surely exclaim excitedly, "I've seen this plot before!"

"Ahem. Come in."

Although Master Lin wasn't exactly single-minded in his pursuit of anything slippery, he wasn't going to refuse. He had to wait for his Little Snake anyway, so letting her shelter from the rain was no trouble. Having a cute girl to chat with and pass the time was rather nice, too...

"You're such a good guy! Thank you!"

Yan Shanshui gave a delighted cry and immediately darted inside at a speed approaching the limits of a mortal, all while silently sneering.

I knew it. These mortal men can't move an inch when they see a pretty young girl. All I did was say something slightly suggestive, and this guy's probably gone weak in the knees. His head must be full of filthy thoughts now, right? I only look sixteen, you know! What an animal! I really want to tell him I'm already forty-five!

Of course, she could only grumble about that in her head.

The urgent task was to delete the surveillance footage. If it attracted an Outer Demon, she was done for.

I'll play young for now... she decided silently.

"Just shelter from the rain here."

Lin Zhishui took a sip of tea and glanced at the girl. "My girlfriend's coming to pick me up. She should be here soon, so I'll be heading home in a bit. You can leave once the rain stops. Just lock the door for me on your way out."

Yan Shanshui paused slightly and asked, "Is that really okay?"

Wasn't this mortal afraid she would steal things from his shop? Even with a camera, catching a thief would be a hassle, wouldn't it?

He actually trusted a stranger like her that much?

And he had specifically mentioned his girlfriend. Could it be... that he wasn't interested in chasing underage girls after all?

"Of course." Lin Zhishui smiled and nodded.

There wasn't a single valuable thing in this shabby shop. Even the camera by the entrance was just for show. As for the calligraphy and paintings, he could produce piles of them anytime. To anyone who didn't appreciate calligraphy, they were nothing but wastepaper.

Why worry about anyone stealing from a shabby shop like this?

Besides, judging by the girl's clothes and bearing, she clearly came from a wealthy family. Why would she steal his worthless odds and ends?

Naturally, he wasn't worried.

"Then thank you so much, handsome." Yan Shanshui immediately beamed.

She had originally planned to secretly use the Spirit-Erasing Needle to make this mortal forget what had happened during this time, then destroy the camera and leave. Now that he seemed to be a decent person, she decided against it.

She would simply wait for this mortal to leave, then delete the surveillance footage.

Lin Zhishui glanced at the sky outside. "Still, the rain should stop before long, so you won't have to wait too long. Besides, you don't mind getting rained on anyway, right?"

After all, she was already soaked through. What was a little more rain?

"How did you know?" Yan Shanshui looked at Lin Zhishui in surprise.

She had created this persistent drizzle with a rain-summoning technique. The Gonggong Dharma Body she cultivated belonged to a lineage passed down by the Defiled Earth Jianmu. Its first Heavenly Pass, the Celestial Observatory, already allowed her to read celestial phenomena, while its second Heavenly Pass, Rain Sacrifice, specialized in summoning rain.

She had summoned this light rain to find that Miemeng Bird using Rain Sacrifice's divine ability and rainwater magic. The cloud wasn't very large, so the rain would end before long.

Yet this mortal... could actually tell?

He had also said she didn't mind getting rained on, which kept giving her the feeling that he had seen right through her.

But he was clearly a mortal. What great senior expert would shelter indoors from the rain and need someone to pick him up just to get home?

Mm, I must be overthinking it.

That was what she told herself.

"Of course I know. It's easy enough to tell, isn't it?" Lin Zhishui smiled slightly.

Actually, he had just looked up an expert's analysis online. Apparently, this sudden rainfall only covered the city, and precipitation this light was merely a passing shower.

Of course, he didn't really understand the scientific theory behind it. He could only bluff his way through with a little girl.

"You must be guessing, right? Don't try to fool me. I'm not a little kid." Yan Shanshui deliberately pursed her lips and gave a petulant little huff, imitating a sixteen-year-old girl.

Lin Zhishui shook his head in amusement. "Only little kids say they aren't little kids. Old folks all like pretending they're young."

Yan Shanshui opened her mouth but didn't dare say anything. She felt rather helpless, but could only swallow her words. She couldn't very well tell him she was already forty-five, could she?

"Speaking of which..." Lin Zhishui glanced at the sky outside and casually asked, "You had an argument with an elder in your family, didn't you? Aren't they worried something might happen to you, going out alone?"

"My elder isn't worried about me. She just bosses me around..." Yan Shanshui muttered, then looked at Lin Zhishui with some surprise. "But you're really good at guessing, handsome."

For some reason, this mortal's guesses were so accurate that she kept getting the inexplicable feeling that he had seen right through her.

Lin Zhishui merely smiled without saying anything.

A rebellious teenage girl staying out in the middle of the night, getting soaked in the rain, and acting this immature? Of course she had argued with her family.

Seeing the mysterious smile on this mortal's face, Yan Shanshui grew even more puzzled and couldn't help asking with a curious look, "By the way, handsome, why do you talk so strangely?"

She had noticed that this mortal's speech was half archaic and half colloquial. It felt... just like her master and those seniors who had lived for centuries trying hard to speak like modern people, only to slip into old-fashioned language out of habit.

Could he be... studying classical literature?

"Ahem. I've gotten used to talking this way. Haven't quite broken the habit."

Lin Zhishui gave a light, embarrassed cough, inwardly at a loss.

He had spent too much time talking to customers these past few days and couldn't switch back right away...

Ah, to these post-2000 kids who usually chat with things like "I'm dead," "LMAO," and "such a kid," I probably look like a stiff old fossil already, don't I?

"Gotten used to it?"

Yan Shanshui was a little puzzled and couldn't help asking, "Are you an actor or a voice actor, then?"

"Just an ordinary fellow selling calligraphy and paintings."

Lin Zhishui shook his head slightly, not feeling like explaining too much to a child.

"Oh, so this is a calligraphy and painting shop. I was wondering why you had the four treasures of the study here." Understanding dawned on Yan Shanshui as she glanced at the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk.

"Do you like calligraphy?" Lin Zhishui couldn't help asking. Judging by her clothes and bearing, the girl seemed to come from a wealthy family. Perhaps he could turn her into a customer.

"I studied it for a while, but I'm not really interested. It's just something my elder likes." Yan Shanshui shook her head.

"Oh, all right."

Lin Zhishui said no more. To people who didn't love calligraphy, his works were no different from wastepaper.

Just then, his phone rang. He took it out and checked. Sure enough, it was his Little Snake calling, so he answered.

She Xilu's voice came from the other end, sounding frightened and aggrieved. "H-hello? I... I can't find your shop. It's dark here, and... and confusing. I... I... I'm scared..."

Somewhat amused, Lin Zhishui said, "You're coming to pick me up, and you're the one who's scared? Fine, stop looking, then. Just wait for me at the bus stop by that crossroads in the lanes."

"Oh, then... then hurry..." She Xilu said quickly.

"All right, just wait there." Lin Zhishui smiled.

After ending the call, he picked up the shoulder bag he had packed and set beside him, then waved to the girl. "I'm heading out. Stay here and shelter from the rain. Remember to lock the door for me when you leave."

"Okay. Bye, handsome." Yan Shanshui eagerly waved goodbye.

If this mortal hadn't been fairly kindhearted and honest, as well as rather good-looking, she would have long since lost patience with pretending to be a pitiful, whimpering girl. Calling him handsome in every sentence, too. Ugh...

Disgusting.

After all that time pretending to be young and chatting, the man was finally gone.

She needed to hurry and delete the surveillance footage, then get back early to claim credit from her master.

P.S. (First update~)