My Five Bigshot Seniors: I am The Most Coddled Junior!-Chapter 82 - 34: The Secret Realm’s Phantom Reappears
After Gu Qingqing and Yun Ran freshened up, they too went out to shop. Yue Zhao had some matters to attend to and stayed behind at the estate, Mu Chen had new ideas about elixirs and remained in the estate for experiments, while Rong Ye loathed the idea of shopping. In the end, only Si Lin, Nan Hua, and Zhuo Tingqiu accompanied Gu Qingqing and Yun Ran out.
The five of them were all strikingly attractive, drawing many admiring glances as soon as they hit the street.
Particularly Si Lin, Nan Hua, and Zhuo Tingqiu, the three men who each had distinctly different styles, offering the women in the street a visual feast.
Many women even openly flirted with them, but Si Lin always ignored such advances, maintaining a cold, expressionless demeanor. Nan Hua, on the other hand, occasionally flashed a smile in some direction, which would send women screaming and fainting. Zhuo Tingqiu, less composed compared to Si Lin and Nan Hua, had no choice but to learn from Si Lin, keeping a cold face, ignoring those around him.
"Little Qingqing, did you see those women? I bet if Senior Brother Nan beckoned to them, they’d rush over and knock him down!" Yun Ran whispered into Gu Qingqing’s ear, observing the reactions of the women around them.
Gu Qingqing couldn’t help but glance back at Nan Hua, who was exuding charm like a peacock displaying its tail, and turned back, nodding in agreement.
The three men behind them also overheard their conversation. Si Lin frowned slightly, casting a look at Nan Hua.
"Tone it down, don’t corrupt Qingqing!" Normally, Si Lin would not bother with Nan Hua’s affairs—after all, it was none of his business. But with Gu Qingqing present, whom he still saw as a child, he was determined not to let Nan Hua lead her astray.
Warned by Si Lin, Nan Hua glanced at Gu Qingqing, nodded, and immediately dropped the smile from his face, turning as stern as Si Lin.
The carriage carrying Nalan Qing and the others happened to pass by Si Lin and his companions. Being bored, Qiu Yu Fei lifted the curtain and spotted Si Lin and the others. She froze for a moment. On her side, Qiu Yuyan turned her head and saw Si Lin’s face, a trace of astonishment flickered in her eyes as she suddenly asked the carriage to stop.
Nalan Xin and Nalan Qing were puzzled as to why Qiu Yuyan suddenly had the carriage stopped but seeing her get off, they followed suit without question.
Standing on the ground, Nalan Qing’s gaze immediately locked onto Nan Hua.
This face, she would never forget no matter how much time passed. It was the most handsome face she’d ever seen and belonged to the first man ever to reject her. Despite his merciless refusal, she never stopped thinking about him. At this moment, upon seeing that face again, she instantly fell for him all over again.
Qiu Yuyan’s expression was not much better than Nalan Qing’s.
Si Lin was the first man to stir her heart with just his looks. Even though he rejected her, she couldn’t muster up any resentment against him. Her thoughts were still filled with the desire to win him over!
Now seeing him again, she had thought her reaction might be more composed than before, but her heart couldn’t help but race, and her eyes wouldn’t leave him!
Qiu Yu Fei, aware of Qiu Yuyan’s feelings, was momentarily taken aback upon seeing Si Lin. At that moment, she observed Qiu Yuyan’s expression. Seeing the infatuation in Qiu Yuyan’s eyes, she involuntarily took a breath, and when her gaze swept over Nalan Qing, finding her similarly fixated, she was even more astonished.
Of the four, the only one still oblivious was likely Nalan Xin.
Back when Nalan Qing sought out Gu Qingqing and the others, Nalan Xin hadn’t met them, nor did she know what happened. Therefore, seeing Nalan Qing and Qiu Yuyan both focused on a man each puzzled her greatly.
The intense gaze from Qiu Yuyan and Nalan Qing wasn’t something Si Lin and Nan Hua could ignore, yet both merely glanced over and couldn’t recall them. Such looks, they had endured too many, leading them to quickly avert their eyes.
The group made their way to the Tian Gong Pavilion in Xingnan City. The Tian Gong Pavilion here was expansive, with two floors. The first floor featured rows of shelves for browsing, while the second floor was for entertaining VIPs.
As they were entering, Qiu Yuyan finally spoke up, calling out to Gu Qingqing and the others.
"Miss Yun, Young Master Zhuo, fancy meeting you here again." Even though she most wanted to speak with Si Lin, knowing his coldness towards others and not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Nalan Xin and Nalan Qing, she addressed Yun Ran and Zhuo Tingqiu instead, though her attention never left Si Lin.
"Miss Qiu." Yun Ran was also somewhat surprised to run into Qiu Yuyan again. But considering that their destinations were all related to the Secret Realm, it was not unexpected. However, since she didn’t know Qiu Yuyan well, she merely offered a polite greeting.
Zhuo Tingqiu, like Yun Ran, wasn’t familiar with Qiu Yuyan and offered a similarly distant greeting.
"These are Miss Nalan Qing and Miss Nalan Xin from the Nalan Family. They’re acquainted with Xingnan City. Perhaps we could shop together?" Qiu Yuyan took the initiative to introduce Nalan Qing and Nalan Xin to Yun Ran, and reciprocated by introducing Yun Ran to Nalan Qing and Nalan Xin, "This is Miss Yun Ran from the Yun Family, and this is Young Master Zhuo from the Zhuo Family. They are her friends."
Nalan Xin and Nalan Qing were surprised upon hearing Qiu Yuyan’s introductions, not expecting to meet someone from the Yun Family and Zhuo Family in Xingnan City.
As members of the five great families, and with Qiu Yuyan’s introduction, it was only natural for them to exchange formal greetings.
"Miss Qiu is right, my sister and I know Xingnan City very well, why don’t we stroll together?" Nalan Qing was eager to spend more time with Nan Hua, hopeful that through this opportunity, she could demonstrate her qualities, and perhaps Nan Hua might just grow to like her. For the first time, she found herself aligned with Qiu Yuyan’s intentions.
Yun Ran and Zhuo Tingqiu, although unaware of the history between Nalan Qing and Nan Hua, could sense that Nalan Qing and Qiu Yuyan’s intentions were elsewhere. They exchanged a glance and simultaneously looked to Si Lin for a decision.
"There’s no need." Si Lin’s cool demeanor remained unchanged. While indifferent to romantic affairs, this didn’t mean he was unaware. To him, Qiu Yuyan was purely a nuisance, and he had no interest in lingering with such troubles.
"Apologies, Misses, we must decline your kind offer; we prefer exploring on our own." Yun Ran quickly intervened to soften the rejection, tactfully turning down Nalan Qing and Qiu Yuyan’s suggestion.
Qiu Yuyan’s smile froze; it was the second time her invitation had been refused, just as decisively as before, quashing all her expectations into disappointment. Had her composure not been steadfast, she might have cried or fled in disarray as she did previously.
Nalan Qing, lacking Qiu Yuyan’s composure, directly showed her irritation, her expression shifting from anticipation to resentment.
"In that case, we must have been presumptuous. I wish you all a pleasant stroll," Qiu Yuyan maintained a perfect smile, managing to mask her embarrassment, and gracefully offered her well wishes.
"Thank you for your kind words, Miss Qiu. We’ll take our leave now and not hold you up any longer." Yun Ran said promptly, then turned to depart with Si Lin and the others.
After the others vanished up the stairs, Qiu Yuyan’s smile remained unchanged, whereas Nalan Qing huffed coldly and ascended first. Nalan Xin followed behind Nalan Qing, casting an apologetic glance at Qiu Yuyan and Qiu Yu Fei before heading upstairs.
A flicker of darkness flitted through Qiu Yuyan’s eyes, and taking Qiu Yu Fei along, she too ascended.
Inside the elegant room, a row of jewelry was displayed in front of Gu Qingqing and Yun Ran. Each piece was exquisitely beautiful, dazzling to the eyes.
"Geng Geng, is there anything you like?" Yun Ran retracted her gaze from the jewelry and asked Gu Qingqing.
Gu Qingqing shook her head.
[I have a lot of jewelry already. Senior Brother made many beautiful pieces for me.] Gu Qingqing explained to Yun Ran with a bright smile, using sign language.
Speaking of which, she took out a few pieces of jewelry from her Storage Bracelet for Yun Ran to see.
Those pieces were extremely exquisite, made from very precious materials, but they weren’t suitable for Gu Qingqing to wear at her age. She mostly wore things like tassel flowers.
Looking at the beautiful jewelry in Gu Qingqing’s hand, Yun Ran almost turned into a lemon from envy, once again lamenting that she wasn’t as fortunate as Gu Qingqing, not having met such wonderful senior brothers like Si Lin and the others!
[Of course, my senior brothers are the best!] Hearing others praise her senior brothers made Gu Qingqing happier than being praised herself, and she immediately showed a proud expression.
Si Lin and Nan Hua couldn’t help but smile at the corners of their lips.
"We didn’t spoil you for nothing, little girl." Nan Hua rubbed Gu Qingqing’s hair, and after being glared at by Gu Qingqing, he lovingly said.
Gu Qingqing tidied her hair, gave Nan Hua a sideways glance, and turned to help Yun Ran pick out jewelry.
After buying jewelry and clothes, an hour had passed. The sky was somewhat dark, looking like it was about to rain.
Gu Qingqing and her friends came out of the Tian Gong Pavilion, ready to head back, when suddenly the sky darkened, followed by a bright light at the horizon, and an Immortal Palace appeared in the sky.
"It’s the shadow of the Secret Realm!" Zhuo Tingqiu was the first to exclaim.
What appeared in the sky was precisely the shadow of the Secret Realm that had appeared many times in recent years. This time, the shadow was clearer than before, almost as if one could smell the fragrance of grass and flowers in the air, and the patterns on the palace doors were vividly visible.
People on the street stopped what they were doing to look at the shadow of the Secret Realm, with exclaims of surprise coming from the crowd from time to time.
The shadow of the Secret Realm did not last very long, approximately a quarter of an hour, and then the sky returned to normal. Gu Qingqing and her friends’ expressions were no longer as relaxed as before, and they quickly hurried back to the estate.
Yue Zhao and the others were also waiting inside the estate. Seeing them return, they quickly went up to greet them.
"The shadow of the Secret Realm has appeared again, and the time of its appearance is going to be sooner." Yue Zhao said to Si Lin with a serious expression.
Hearing this, everyone present looked at Yue Zhao with some surprise.
"Can you calculate the precise location now?" Si Lin furrowed his brow and asked.
"The approximate position is still in the south, but I’m not very familiar with the Great Tang Dynasty’s area, only that the entrance is very near the Imperial City of the Great Tang Dynasty." Yue Zhao said, moving his fingers.
"All right, we set off tomorrow, speed up, and head to the Imperial City of the Great Tang Dynasty first." Si Lin pondered for a moment and instructed.
Everyone nodded and returned to their rooms to prepare.
Si Lin followed Gu Qingqing to her room, "Geng Geng, the matter of the Secret Realm is urgent. Once it’s settled, the senior brothers will accompany you on a good tour." Worried that Gu Qingqing might be unhappy, Si Lin specially explained to her.
Gu Qingqing shook her head, [Senior Brother, it’s okay as long as I’m with you. Whether it’s going to the Secret Realm or going on a tour, I’m fine with it!]
Si Lin gently rubbed Gu Qingqing’s head, his expression becoming even more tender, "All right, Senior Brother will always be with you!"
Knowing that Si Lin valued his promises and would definitely do what he said, Gu Qingqing’s eyes immediately lit up, and she nodded brightly.
...
Besides Gu Qingqing and her friends, everyone who saw the shadow of the Secret Realm took action. Nalan Jin and Nalan Xin’s elder brother, Nalan Qin, personally led a team. Almost the entire younger generation of the Nalan family was mobilized. Qiu Yuyan and Qiu Yu Fei also didn’t plan to stay longer at the Nalan family and hurriedly set off to rendezvous with the other members of the Qiu family. People from other factions also set off one after another, and in no time, the youth from all over the Xuantian Continent was heading towards the Imperial City of the Great Tang Dynasty.
Jun Wu, who was pursuing Gu Qingqing, also saw the shadow of the Secret Realm. Thinking that Gu Qingqing would definitely go to the location where the Secret Realm appeared, he adjusted his route directly to the spot, awaiting her arrival!
Gu Qingqing and her friends, with the Heavenly Qilin Horse and fewer people, were traveling rather swiftly. Hua Shiyu simply left his guards behind and traveled with Gu Qingqing and her group, since being with them meant he wouldn’t face any danger, and if there was something even Si Lin couldn’t handle, the guards wouldn’t be of much help anyway.
The distance from Xingnan City to the Imperial City of the Great Tang Dynasty, Shangjing City, wasn’t far. It took them a full seven days at their speed to arrive.
Shangjing City, worthy of being the Imperial City of the Great Tang Dynasty, a city existing for tens of thousands of years, looked like a magnificent dragon from afar. The queues at the gates for entering and exiting were long, with each person needing to pay an entrance fee, a small amount, only one low-grade Spirit Stone. Great Tang Dynasty nobles were exempted from this fee, but Gu Qingqing and her friends didn’t want to draw attention, so they mixed into the queue to wait for entry.
"Is there some major event happening in Shangjing City recently? Why do I feel like there are so many more people entering the city?" A man dressed in a blue brocade robe, with dark skin, standing three or four spots ahead of them, looked at the line and asked puzzledly.
"Are you really unaware or just pretending?" The man in a dark purple brocade robe in front of him heard his question and turned his head in surprise.
"I really don’t know. You seem very knowledgeable; why not enlighten me?" The man in the blue brocade robe asked humbly for advice.
