[Scum Villain Fanfic] The Writing Adventures Of Liu Su Mian Hua

#5: Simmering thoughts

In the weeks that followed, the story of how Peak Lord Shen single-handedly saved the Sect from the clutches of demons became a hot topic. All the other Peak Lords, regardless of their previous relations with Qing Jing Peak, paid a visit to Peak Lord Shen. Even the weekly book meetings would somehow end up discussing that day's events. Luo Binghe had gained many fans in Xian Shu Peak. During these meetings Mingyan silently hoped that at least one person would say they saw parallels between the stories they have read and the events that occurred. She felt she was thinking too much about it and wanted to see if anyone else had the same thoughts as her. Bringing up the topic herself was also possible, but if she was wrong, it could land her in trouble. After all, one of the people involved in her speculation was a Peak Lord. Compared to the others, she had read very few books of this genre. It would make more sense if others saw the similarity - Mingyan was still new to this world. Also, there was not much evidence to back up the speculation. Just one event was not enough to prove anything. It was possible that the events were a genuine interaction between a dedicated disciple and a caring master, and viewing it through such a lens would taint the purity of the relationship.

So Mingyan decided to keep mum about her thoughts and continued reading new books. Qiaohui was her guide to reading Danmei and she was gradually introduced to more graphic and explicit works. 'The Doctor Who Broke My Heart' was one such series. Just like drinking alcohol, it appalled her initially, but overtime she developed a liking to reading such works.

(AN: This is probably what Mingyan experienced when she fell deep into the Danmei blackhole. Wear headphones before you play the video.) 

Xiuying was the leading supplier of books – she had a lot of friends and connections in the common folk's world and knew quite a lot of sources that sold these books. She also visited the rouge shop in Shuang Hu city with Mingyan and befriended Chen MeiRong and JiaYi. Many a times while running errands for their Shizun, Mingyan and Xiuying would go about together to buy books that others had requested. Mingyan also learnt how and where this ever-increasing stash of Danmei works was stored: it was Shizun-proof. Almost everyone on Xian Shu Peak knew of this secret stash and sometimes disciples not part of the core Danmei reading group would join the weekly meetings. Seeing Mingyan initially made them uneasy, but when they saw that she was a part of the core group, they would let go of their worries.

After reading through a pretty big selection of books, Mingyan started writing small scenes, fanfiction and short stories that she would share at the weekly meetings. Her work was always appreciated and she received a lot of tips on how to improve her writing. There were a few others who did the same. There were also others who would draw out scenes and characters from their favourite books and make fanart. Qiaohui was one of them. Chuntao would always ask her to draw her favourite characters, she wouldn't have it any other way. If she was asked the reason for such favouritism, she would say, "Qiaohui Shijie draws exactly how I see the picture in my head. It is as good as me drawing the picture myself. You guys can't read my mind as perfectly as her." and Qiaohui would smile about it the for the entire day.

Apart from reading Danmei, Mingyan and the others also practiced their sword skills diligently and improved their cultivation. They were aiming to become cultivators after all. Mingyan's cultivation improved rapidly and she was soon well-known in the Sect as a capable disciple. After attaining a certain level in their cultivation, each disciple was expected to visit Wan Jian Peak to find their sword. Mingyan managed to draw out the Shui Se Sword. She was picked out by Qingqi to participate in the upcoming Immortal Alliance Conference with nine others and worked even harder.

Mingyan would sometimes visit the other peaks as a representative of her Shizun. When visiting Qing Jing Peak, she would pay close attention to the interactions of Peak Lord Shen and Luo Binghe. Most of the time, the latter was absent and the former would pick faults in the food, saying that it wasn't anywhere near Binghe's cooking. On the off chance the other was present, he would always be at the beck and call of his Shizun, paying attention to all the details to a fault. Mingyan would also run into Luo Binghe at Sect Master Yue's place or when he visited Xian Shu Peak.

Since Xian Shu was a 'females only' Peak, young males that visited the Peak would try to sneak into the dormitories or the bath and would get brutally beaten up. Luo Binghe was not one of them. Whenever he visited, all the disciples would put on their best behaviours and act like cultured pretty ladies in hopes of catching his attention. Luo Binghe, however, kept his distance from them all and treated them with respect and decency. After he left, they would all gather to discuss how perfect he was and sigh and swoon. Chuntao would throw a fit after he left. "Qiaohui Shijie, am I not pretty?" she asked one day. "You are the prettiest person I have ever seen." Qiaohui smiled as she patted her head. "Then why does Binghe not like me?" she puffed her cheeks. Qiaohui didn't respond. Seeing her sigh, Chuntao was alarmed. "Does- does Qiaohui Shijie like Binghe too?" she asked. "No, I hate Luo Binghe." Qiaohui squinted her eyes. "Why is that?" Chuntao continued with an innocent expression. "Because he makes make my pretty Shimei sad." She folded her hands across her chest. "I don't think that's nice of him." That was enough to lift Chuntao's spirits. " Shijie cares so much about me!" she hugged Qiaohui and walked away with a smile on her face, while Qiaohui remained in her spot, with a hand on her heart and a pink face, watching her junior disciple cheerfully trotting away.

The day to set out for the Immortal Alliance Conference finally arrived. Mingyan was riding a horse and joined the large gathering that was waiting to depart. Her Shizun was riding in a carriage. Mingyan turned around to locate it and saw Peak Lord Shen trying to get a seat in the carriage. Luo Binghe, as always, was staying close, riding a white horse. He had even prepared snacks for his Shizun to eat during the journey. The old speculations resurfaced. A lot of time would be spent in travel. This was her chance to see if what she thought was real.

Half a day after they set out, Mingyan was surprised to find Luo Binghe riding beside her. He had left behind the carriage that he was riding alongside before. "Liu Shimei." he greeted her.