"Xiao Fan, you and Secretary Tian are definitely going to be famous now. Everyone for miles around will know about it," Song Yue said with a hint of sourness.
"How can that be? How many people even watch the news nowadays?" Lin Fan replied humbly, sensing the shift in Song Yue's tone.
Xia Xue had also noticed and turned to look at Lin Fan.
"Why are you both looking at me?" Lin Fan felt a prickle on his scalp. "You two were the ones who grabbed me first thing this morning and fussed over me. Are you saying I did something wrong?"
He spread his hands and added, "It's getting late. I'm going back to the clinic. You two should also get some sleep. You were up at four or five this morning, so hurry up and catch up on your rest."
With that, Lin Fan left sheepishly under the watchful eyes of the two beautiful women.
"Sister Xue'er, what do you think Xiao Fan should do about this?" Song Yue asked, her brow furrowed with worry.
"What do you mean, 'what to do'?" Xia Xue feigned ignorance.
Song Yue immediately became anxious. "It's about him and Secretary Tian. What if something serious happens? We're just ordinary folks, how can we afford to offend them?"
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things. Nothing serious will happen," Xia Xue said calmly.
"You..." Song Yue looked at Xia Xue helplessly and sighed, "Sister Xue'er, you really must keep a close watch. Make sure Xiao Fan doesn't make any mistakes."
"Okay," Xia Xue nodded, then added, "I'm going back to sleep." She had no other options. If worse came to worst, she'd just marry Lin Fan sooner. Once they were married, she didn't believe Lin Fan would dare to flirt around outside.
...
Late into the night.
Lin Fan lay on the sofa, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. More than one person had seen him on television. Wang Ying and Su Yurou had both called him earlier, offering congratulations with a touch of teasing. Lin Fan had managed to fend them off, but his head was still pounding.
"Sigh~ Sister Yurou is right. He's such a troublemaker!"
"Sleep, sleep..." Lin Fan pulled the blanket over himself and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.
The moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and Luofeng Village was quiet. Lin Fan's breathing evened out, and he gradually drifted off to sleep.
However, in a grand and imposing villa, over fifty feng shui and fortune-telling masters from major cities were gathered, their faces etched with worry and gloom. Dense smoke filled the air, making their eyes red, but no one seemed to notice or bother to turn on the exhaust fan.
Knock, knock, knock!
An elder with white hair and beard, seated in the main position, suddenly rapped on the table. "Let's hear from everyone."
The elder had a ruddy complexion and few wrinkles, giving him a youthful and ethereal aura. He was Zhong Chen, the president of the Northern Metaphysics Association! Zhong Chen scanned their faces, seeing them all with their heads bowed, and a sense of helplessness washed over him. The entire hall was silent, and no one dared to meet his gaze.
"This year, the 'Illustrated Compendium of Chinese Feng Shui' is scheduled for publication. In principle, this is a great event for the feng shui community, indicating the revival of our ancestral heritage after years of development," Zhong Chen sighed softly. "But the Li Qi Sect from the south is simply too overbearing!"
He slammed the table heavily, his face filled with indignation. "Originally, the study of feng shui and metaphysics began with the Book of Changes. It's just that different schools have different interpretations, leading to various branches. There's no superiority between the northern and southern schools. But those liars from the Li Qi Sect are insisting on writing their heretical theories into the compendium to pass down to future generations. How can we agree to this?"
Zhong Chen's voice boomed, echoing throughout the hall. However, no one dared to respond.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
Bang! Zhong Chen smashed his fist on the table. "The Li Qi Sect has bullied us to our doorstep, and you all still want to be cowards?" He suddenly stood up, his eyes wide, scanning the faces of the masters who usually carried themselves with such pride.
After a long pause, someone cleared his throat and said, "President, this competition is no small matter. If we lose, it means the entire Northern Metaphysics Sect will lose, and we will be suppressed by the Li Qi Sect for many years to come." The speaker was a vigorous old man with half a foot of silver hair. He was the vice president, An Hai!
An Hai looked solemn. "Who here can confidently claim victory?" The assembled masters nodded in agreement. The battle between the northern feng shui community and the southern Li Qi Sect was the most crucial event for the association in decades. Pride, especially in the feng shui world where reputation was valued more than life itself, was paramount. A single misstep and a loss would make them sinners in the eyes of the entire northern feng shui community.
"I've said it before, my disciple Yuan Fei was born intelligent and grasp things with ease. He is a once-in-a-million genius," said a thin-faced old man with a goatee, wearing a Tang suit, proudly. "Moreover, he has already surpassed his master. If he competes, victory is assured."
"Nonsense!" An Hai rebuked. "Song Tian, if your disciple loses, can you, a mere head of the Tianjin branch, bear the responsibility?"
"My disciple is a once-in-a-lifetime genius and will not lose," Song Tian said confidently, stroking his beard.
An Hai sneered. "Li Yusheng of the Southern Li Qi Sect, a disciple of the renowned Lin Xingnan, has already made a name for himself before the age of thirty. How could he be an easy opponent? Your disciple is merely known in Tianjin, while the other is famous throughout Jiangnan!"
"You!" Song Tian's face flushed with anger as he glared at An Hai and retorted, "My disciple Yuan Fei is young and his reputation is not yet widespread. When he reaches Li Yusheng's age, he will naturally possess unparalleled brilliance!"
"You son of a..." An Hai was about to curse when Zhong Chen quickly raised his hand to stop him. "What are you arguing about? Will arguing solve the problem?"
"Hmph!" "Hmph!" An Hai and Song Tian glared at each other and then turned away, refusing to look at each other.
At that moment, Zhong Chen inadvertently noticed someone in the back row pursing his lips, seemingly trying to suppress a smile. Zhong Chen immediately flew into a rage. Everyone was worried about the reputation of the northern feng shui community, and this person was actually gloating!
"Long Yun!" This person was Long Yun, who had previously competed with Lin Fan. Zhong Chen looked at Long Yun coldly and asked in a stern voice, "What are you happy about? Are you excited because there's no one to compete from the north, and the Li Qi Sect is about to completely overwhelm the northern school?"
"Uh?" Long Yun immediately regained his composure. He was a northerner who practiced the southern Li Qi Sect's methods. After falling out with his sect, he had returned north. The struggle for orthodoxy had always been a significant matter. Therefore, he had no foundation in the south and was not welcomed in the north.
"President, I didn't mean that," Long Yun stood up and cupped his hands.
"Then can you tell us what you were smiling about?" Zhong Chen was full of pent-up anger and was looking for an outlet. The gaze of everyone in the hall fell on Long Yun. They were all watching with an attitude of wanting to see Long Yun make a fool of himself and suffer. Serves him right! You traitor, if you had kept your head down, you wouldn't have run into trouble like this.