Chapter 48: Forty-Eight Cuts "My husband is a bit clingy..."
Xu Qian has a firm grasp on controlling public opinion.
Just after the news of the interview with "the most beautiful goddess in the heart of the Jade Fairy" was published, Xu Qian came to find Luo Mingshu.
“Super beautiful goddess, although our tabloid has always had many loyal readers, you have a fatal flaw that makes it easy for Dongzhi Wonderland to find a handle against you.” Xu Qian had already collected the voting results of the first issue of the tabloid. Although Luo Mingshu’s votes were higher than Shui Qingnian’s, the two votes were actually close.
The reason for this is naturally the existence of Xie Changming.
"What? Just because I brought a demon as the security captain of Wuji Palace, they're saying I'm colluding with demons?" Luo Mingshu asked in surprise.
“The reason you’re considered a stunning goddess isn’t because you’re with a demon, but because you’re currently still the Daoist partner of the Supreme Immortal Lord, yet you openly keep a demon by your side and have an ambiguous relationship with him,” Xu Qian explained to Luo Mingshu. “If you were unmarried like the Cold Fairy, you could do whatever you want.”
After she finished speaking, she even glanced at Xie Changming, who was standing next to Luo Mingshu.
Actually, if it were before, Luo Mingshu would have been willing to let Xie Changming share a divine seat with her, but Luo Mingshu knew that the current Xie Changming was actually the Supreme Immortal Lord in disguise, so she wouldn't let him sit there.
If Xie Changming is really standing next to her, then she is willing to take the blame, after all, what's done is done.
However, the problem now is that, in Luo Mingshu's mind, the real Xie Changming has long since disappeared, and the one who is with her now is the Supreme Immortal Lord—her nominal husband.
She didn't have any ambiguous relationship with any demons. Is there anything wrong with couples playing role-playing games? Luo Mingshu tried to justify herself.
“I didn’t do that, and I won’t admit it,” Luo Mingshu said.
Xie Changming pursed his lips. He thought, yes, it is true, but Luo Mingshu is now denying it.
"How do you explain this?" Luo Mingshu asked Xu Qian.
“The cultivators in the Heavenly Realm haven’t seen the Supreme Immortal Lord return to the Wuji Palace, so they all believe that you’ve angered him so much that he’s been keeping to himself.” Xu Qian told Luo Mingshu about the current situation.
"Hiss—" Luo Mingshu gasped.
Xie Changming lowered his head and whispered to Luo Mingshu, "I can change back and explain."
"Speaking of which, this whole thing was caused by his love of joining in the fun," Luo Mingshu thought. "If this Supreme Immortal Lord hadn't insisted on being so clingy, turning into Xie Changming and following her around, she wouldn't have this kind of reputation."
"You change back?" Luo Mingshu was always competitive. Although this first round of the competition seemed absurd, she was determined to win.
This was purely a misunderstanding by the celestial cultivators, and it was also a misunderstanding created by the Supreme Immortal Lord himself. Therefore, in order to increase her votes, Luo Mingshu agreed to stage a scene of a loving couple with the Supreme Immortal Lord.
Xie Changming readily accepted the offer and skillfully switched between the two aliases.
He went into the hall with Luo Mingshu, and when he came out again, he had transformed back into the appearance of the Supreme Immortal Lord.
This greatly shocked Xu Qian: "Stunning goddess, are you your security captain?"
“My security captain is actually the Supreme Immortal Lord in disguise,” Luo Mingshu whispered to Xu Qian. “My husband is a bit clingy.”
Xu Qian suddenly realized, but also felt a little strange, because this Supreme Immortal Lord played Xie Changming so convincingly.
"Let's go to Dongzhi Wonderland and perform for them, let's see what they have to say." Luo Mingshu was extremely confident. She called her teammates from Wuji Palace and prepared to go to Dongzhi Wonderland to dispel the rumors circulating in the Heavenly Realm.
When they set off, Luo Mingshu didn't really want the Supreme Immortal Lord to sit in the back seat of her tortoise, but since they were here to show that the two of them were not at odds, she could only reluctantly let Xie Changming sit in the back seat of her car.
"This is the only time you're allowed to ride," Luo Mingshu whispered to him. "I don't usually give rides to people, so be careful not to collapse."
Xie Changming started to get jealous of himself again: "Your security captain sat there before, so why can't I?"
Luo Mingshu used another excuse to brush him off: "You're not as good-looking as him. My turtle is only good at carrying beauties."
That was true. Xie Changming was very satisfied. He lightly jumped onto the back of the turtle and then naturally put his arm around her waist.
When Luo Mingshu pressed his arm against hers, she didn't feel anything was wrong. Zai Taishang Immortal Lord and Zai Xie Changming seemed to be no different.
"Let's go," Luo Mingshu said to Xie Changming. "It's all your fault for always following me. Now you've caused this trouble, and it's your turn to solve it."
Xie Changming lowered his eyes, rested his chin on Luo Mingshu's head, and responded cheerfully.
Luo Mingshu's tortoise sped forward and soon arrived at Dongzhi Wonderland. On this day, a special event was being held in Dongzhi Wonderland.
"Yes, yes, that's the angle. Bend your waist a little more. Okay, Fairy Leng, you're perfect now. Oh, Fairy, could you please cast a spell to sprinkle some sweat on Fairy Leng's forehead to make her look more diligent? Ah Mo, stop touching her. Create some wind to make her clothes flutter and enhance the atmosphere," Wei Qing instructed.
In order to be able to lie flat for a long time, he also began to work hard. At this time, he was planning to record the heroic figure of the Cold Fairy in planting trees and publish it in the "Heavenly Gossip Gazette" to create her image as a moral role model.
Shui Qingnian was helping the disciples in Dongzhi Wonderland plant peach trees. The peach trees in the Heavenly Realm were not ordinary varieties. They could not survive if planted with magic. Only professional cultivators could plant and carefully nurture them to ensure their survival.
Planting trees is a tough job, and the news that the Cold Fairy is personally planting trees will surely win the praise of all the cultivators in the Heavenly Realm.
When Wei Qing gets serious, he's actually quite reliable, but Luo Mingshu is here today.
After entering Dongzhi Wonderland, Luo Mingshu and Xie Changming, disguised as the Supreme Immortal Lord, passed through layers of peach forests and arrived at the depths of Dongzhi Wonderland. The peach blossoms here were sparse, and they had to wait for the disciples to plant the peach trees.
From afar, Luo Mingshu saw Shui Qingnian and the others posing for photos. She walked up to them and said bluntly, "Cold Fairy, why are you sticking your butt out so high?"
Upon hearing this, Shui Qingnian, who had been holding her pose for a long time, immediately lost her composure. She stood up straight and glared at Luo Mingshu: "Super beautiful goddess, I see your vote count isn't high either. You can't even protect yourself, yet you come to my Dongzhi Wonderland to cause me trouble?"
Wei Qing's painstakingly directed Cold Fairy's tree-planting diagram failed due to her lack of cooperation. Disappointed, he threw down the image crystal, looked up, and planned to ask Shui Qingnian to do it again.
But at this moment, Luo Mingshu turned to the side, revealing the face of a man standing next to her.
"The Supreme Immortal Lord?" Shui Qingnian and the others did not recognize the Supreme Immortal Lord, but the junior cultivators of Dongzhi Immortal Realm were very familiar with his appearance.
The main reason is that the appearance of the Supreme Immortal Lord is too ordinary, which makes him stand out in the Heavenly Realm where beautiful women and handsome men are everywhere.
Even Master Ye Nan, who had been marginalized in Dongzhi Immortal Realm, spoke up: "Supreme Lord, you've finally returned. You've gone back to Wuji Palace, but why didn't you come to see me? It would be good for us to have a drink and catch up."
Even Ye Nan said he was the Supreme Immortal Lord, so it seems that the person Luo Mingshu brought was not fake. But—wasn't the relationship between the beautiful goddess and the Supreme Immortal Lord bad? Wasn't the Supreme Immortal Lord so angry that he had to stay in seclusion because of her keeping a demon prince?
Their relationship seems pretty good, so are the rumors outside just false?
The rumor was actually spread by Wei Qing after he learned what had happened. Later, Luo Mingshu's low voter turnout showed that his scheme had worked. However, Wei Qing never expected that the Supreme Immortal Lord would actually step in to help Luo Mingshu.
Moreover—the moment Wei Qing saw the appearance of the Supreme Immortal Lord, he frowned slightly, because the Supreme Immortal Lord's image was very familiar. He seemed to have seen this face somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it. That's how it is with common faces; they don't easily leave a lasting impression on others.
While Wei Qing was deep in thought, Luo Mingshu had already reached the center of the peach grove. As she walked over, the Supreme Immortal Lord seemed to try to take her hand, and Luo Mingshu reluctantly accepted in the end—after all, they had come here to put on a show and dispel the rumors.
Watching from behind, Meng Weifang was genuinely moved. He said to Xu Qian with emotion, "Is this the reality of the 'wife-chasing-after-the-cremation' novel?"
"Now we don't have to worry about the rumors outside." Xu Qian was very relieved.
Luo Mingshu's hand was being held by "Supreme Immortal Lord". She didn't feel awkward at all. Although she didn't really like being touched by others, she felt very comfortable and at ease whether it was this Supreme Immortal Lord or Xie Changming.
In the end, she didn't shake off his hand; after all, the score would be settled later.
Their interaction surprised Shui Qingnian. She shook her wrist, which was stiff from posing all afternoon, and said loudly, "Super beautiful goddess, you didn't have someone else impersonate the Supreme Immortal Lord, did you?"
She couldn't believe that the Supreme Immortal Lord could be so good-tempered. Luo Mingshu lived in his house, spent his spirit stones, and even used his Wuji Palace and spirit stones to support a demon prince. How could the Supreme Immortal Lord tolerate this?
"The Supreme One and Master Ye Nan are old acquaintances. Whether they are or not, Master Ye Nan can naturally discern the truth." Luo Mingshu even used a nickname to describe her role, showing that she was indeed quite immersed in the performance.
Ye Nan was also surprised, but he carefully sensed the aura of the Supreme Immortal Lord. It was still his familiar old friend. He had the scent of divine bone wood on him. There would be no one else in the celestial realm like him.
"Ah Leng, don't speak nonsense," Master Ye Nan said. "How dare you speak so presumptuously about the identity of the Supreme Immortal Lord?"
After speaking, Master Ye Nan nodded to Xie Changming, but Xie Changming ignored him.
Xie Changming didn't have to wear so many disguises, but it's all Ye Nan's fault for being a sore loser. His grand-disciple ran away, and his disciple ignored him. He even wrote a letter asking for outside help, asking Ye Nan to take him away to Misty Star Sea to impersonate someone else.
Master Ye Nan, accustomed to the aloofness of the Supreme Immortal Lord, out of longing for his old friend, ordered a banquet to be held in the Eastern Branch Immortal Realm to entertain him.
Because Luo Mingshu and Taishang Xianjun were nominally Daoist partners, they were forced to sit together. The table in front of them wasn't exactly narrow, but it felt rather cramped for Luo Mingshu.
"Move over a bit." Luo Mingshu turned her head and whispered to Xie Changming, "Keep some distance between us. We're not that close as Daoist partners."
She still remembered that the Supreme Immortal Lord had abandoned her for a thousand years in the Misty Star Sea setting.
Xie Changming obediently moved to the side a little. Ye Nan sat in the main seat, observing the interaction between Luo Mingshu and the Supreme Immortal Lord. He couldn't help but sigh that the relationship between the two had indeed improved. As for him, he was all alone, and now even the fairy ignored him.
Shui Qingnian openly brought her demon boyfriend, Suo Ai, up. It's true that there's some connection between demons; as soon as Suo Ai entered the peach grove pavilion, he noticed Xie Changming.
He was about to step forward and call out to the Lord when Xie Changming put a finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet.
Suo Ai naturally obeyed; he nodded and came to Shui Qingnian's side.
Shui Qingnian carefully observed Luo Mingshu and Taishang Xianjun, but no matter how she looked at it, the two were a perfect match, and the atmosphere between them was not awkward, as if they were a real Daoist couple.
At this moment, Luo Mingshu had long forgotten about acting or not, because Xie Changming kept putting food in front of her, making her focus on eating and not have time to think about anything else.
In fact, Luo Mingshu is very picky about food. For example, she doesn't eat coriander. When Dongzhi Wonderland serves dishes, they don't take her tastes into consideration. Many of the dishes served contain foods that she doesn't eat.
But Xie Changming was able to accurately identify what she didn't eat and placed the selected dishes in front of her. Luo Mingshu scooped up the honeydew melon bowl in front of her with a small spoon. She had long forgotten about acting or not. Since Xie Changming was feeding her, she would just eat it.
Of course, this harmonious atmosphere ended when the last dish was served, and Luo Mingshu felt that the scene was somewhat familiar.
"Your Excellency, after all these years, I still remember what dish you like to eat," Master Ye Nan said warmly to Xie Changming. "That's why I specially ordered the chefs of Dongzhi Immortal Realm to make this dish."
After Master Ye Nan finished speaking, Luo Mingshu turned her head and looked at Xie Changming suspiciously, wondering what kind of dish he liked.
Luo Mingshu's intuition was sometimes too sharp; the soup bowl for the last dish was presented to them.
"This fish head tofu stew is rich and fragrant, perfect for enjoying under these peach trees. Your Excellency, this is also one of your favorite dishes." Ye Nan really seems to be a good brother, remembering everything about Xie Changming.
but--
Xie Changming looked down at the fish head and tofu stew on the table. A delicious aroma wafted from it, but he had no appetite for the food. He suspected that he might be about to be exposed.
"Fish head tofu stew?" Luo Mingshu scooped up a piece of tofu and said through gritted teeth, "Is this really the end of the road?"
Xie Changming thought he was about to be exposed, but Luo Mingshu, because of the repeated appearances of fish head tofu casserole, began to suspect that the appearance of this thing was her own inner demon.
Because the anonymous cultivator, Xie Changming, had insulted her about the fish head tofu stew, leaving a deep impression on her, she would eat a bite of the fish head tofu stew every time she ate.
"Anonymous cultivator, Xie Changming, you just wait. Don't let me see you again. You'd better disappear now and never come back." Luo Mingshu muttered to herself while enjoying the delicious fish head tofu stew. "Otherwise, I'll definitely have an online romance with you, scam you out of 80 million, and swindle the entire Demon Realm over."
Xie Changming was the type of person who only listened to half of what was said; he automatically ignored everything else and focused on the keyword "online dating".
He suddenly realized that Luo Mingshu really wanted to have an online relationship with him.
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