Song Xingzhi lived during the reign of Emperor Huizong

Chapter 35

For the first time, He Suchen hated himself for only reading martial arts and romance novels online, instead of studying philosophical ideas like Taoism or Buddhism. Even if he only knew a little about the development of Taoism or the struggles during its development, he could have argued with him! Unlike now, he knew there was definitely something wrong with what he said, but he just couldn't find any allusions or cite any scriptures to make a reasonable argument.

Seeing her speechless expression, Cui Shiran couldn't help but laugh. "I was just joking. Did you really take it seriously? How would I know anything about these sects? I just use the name of Longhu Mountain to get by. I've never really studied any of the classics. How would I know if you ask me?"

The man in front of her smiled calmly, but Su Chen was almost in tears.

Okay, okay, how awful! She finally understood why she had never liked this guy before; he and He Su Shi were exactly the same! They were so infuriating, always putting on an arrogant act behind people's backs, pretending to be a bit narcissistic, a bit handsome, and a bit powerful!

Chapter 55, Casual Talk

The promotional function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join us now!!! Su Chen gritted his teeth, suppressing his resentment, and put on a nonchalant expression, saying, "I've recently become quite curious about religious sects and am thinking of practicing Taoism. I wonder if Brother Zhiran could recommend a few books for me to read, so I can learn a bit about Taoist principles?"

You little punk, if you actually recommend this, I'll take it back to my brother and tell him you're abducting a minor to become a Taoist nun! He'll beat you to a pulp!

Cui Shiran seemed to be thinking carefully, and then slowly said, "I just find it strange. Since you are the younger sister that Shizhi values, you must have learned three or four parts of his principles. So why do you like these things?"

??don't know……

He Sucheng was indeed puzzled.

Cui Shiran continued, "He usually speaks to me behind people's backs. How can you describe him as simply lawless? Since you are his sister whom he trusts and doesn't shy away from, how could you possibly be interested in this kind of religious stuff?"

He said, half-jokingly and half-self-deprecatingly, "Shi Zhi bluntly said that most religious people are ignorant and suffering, who entrust their faith to others, or use it to achieve their own desired goals, to make a gesture, or to show off their own charity, or other things. Although there are some who truly take the sect's tenets as their guiding principles and absorb the essence of the sect as the foundation of their character, they are few in number. You are his sister, so how could you not have been lectured by him countless times? If you want to read books, go ask him for them. Shi Zhi has read more Buddhist and Taoist classics than I have."

Brother, you're telling him all this?! Aren't you afraid that saying such blasphemous things will get out and cause unnecessary trouble? She murmured, "Brother has his own understanding of the teachings..."

Cui Shiran nodded in agreement, “Shizhi is a genius. His thoughts are often in areas that ordinary people cannot even begin to comprehend. For example, he has ideas like ‘economic base determines superstructure’ and ‘matter determines consciousness, and consciousness reacts on matter.’ Although these ideas may seem a bit incomprehensible at first, after his explanation, even if we cannot fully accept them, if we spend a few decades developing them, we can say that they are a school of thought that we have never seen before.”

"It would be strange if you'd even seen Marx's theories..." Su Chen felt increasingly uneasy. If He Su Shi was allowed to spout nonsense like this, although he might gain attention and fame, what about Emperor Huizong of Song?! Since he knew He Su Shi was not someone to be trifled with, why leave behind evidence that he might be a time traveler? What if he really found out about him?

Cui Shiran ignored her fluctuating complexion and said with a smile, "I only heard these words myself, so you don't need to worry. Since Shizhi dared to say them to me, and I dared to listen to him, we must have our reasons. Ah Chen, don't overthink it. You don't need to worry about what your brother does."

Su Chen stared directly at him. The man spoke with an intimate tone, his voice soft and affectionate, as if she were his own sister. Thinking back to when she entered, he was the only one inside. According to the customs of this era, how could he have left her behind? Men and women shouldn't touch! A lone man and woman alone in a place where no one knew them was against propriety. How could he not know the implications of such an arrangement? Why did he leave her behind—what did he mean by that?!

In addition, he knew that what He Su Shi said was vague and would definitely cause trouble if it were revealed. Given this guy's identity and background, his words were highly credible in the eyes of ordinary people. If he really told others, could you clear your name, brother?

He Suchen was always prone to overthinking and finding fault even where there was none. The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. The more he looked at Cui Shiran, the more he felt the man was abnormal; everything that had happened today seemed strange. Finally, he couldn't hold back and blurted out, "What exactly are your intentions?! What do you want to do?!"

The moment the words left her mouth, she knew she had been too impulsive. Even if these were just wild guesses, and the other person was perfectly normal, what if they were right? Even if her thoughts were correct, she absolutely couldn't say them aloud! She should have calmed down and gone back to explain things to He Su Shi, but the words were already out, and she was in a difficult position. She could only continue, "What exactly do you mean?! Although Zhi Ran and my brother are close friends, we're not related by blood. Today, here, a man and a woman alone, you not only didn't avoid me, but you even invited me to sit down. And when you talked about my brother, you only used those rather inappropriate things. What exactly do you mean?"

Cui Shiran's smiling face froze. His features were not particularly outstanding, but they were well-proportioned and his outstanding temperament gave people the feeling that "this person is really comfortable to look at." At this moment, his smile faded and his expression froze, making him look righteous and imposing. Although he was not yet twenty, he already had the air of someone who could take charge.

As the saying goes, appearance reflects the heart; a person's aura can be expressed through their expression and appearance. Seeing his reaction, He Suchen felt a pang of unease. His initial confidence and doubt were quickly extinguished, and he sensed something was wrong. But the words were already out, and there was no going back. He could only repeat, "What exactly does Brother Zhiran mean? I'm young and don't understand, so please don't scare me." The previous accusatory and decisive tone was completely gone; he spoke only cautiously and softly.

Cui Shiran's expression froze for only a minute or two before he quickly recovered and chuckled, "This is something I didn't expect. My grandmother told me to treat you like my own sister. I've always been on good terms with Shi Yizhi, so I naturally felt that his sister was just like my sister. I've seen you every day these days and feel quite familiar with you. Today, when we bumped into each other, I completely forgot about avoiding suspicion. Well, it was my fault. I apologize in advance."

After saying this, he immediately stood up and bowed.

This time it was He Suchen's turn to be stunned, but her expression was one of astonishment, far from the intimidating feeling of the man just now. It only made people feel sorry for this child.

Cui Shiran further explained, “Although Zhiran’s statement is unorthodox, I am not the kind of person who spreads rumors. Since Zhiran told me this, she must have been absolutely certain that nothing would happen. On this point, it is you, Chen, who are wrong. It is normal for you to doubt me, but it is disheartening not to trust your brother’s judgment. Furthermore, I have not harmed you or Zhiran in the slightest. Although I am not prominent, I do not need to gain any benefit by spreading rumors. Chen, your words are somewhat displeasing.”

After he finished speaking, he began to tidy up the books on the stone table. After finishing, he made an apologetic gesture and said, "I'm sorry to have startled you, Ah Chen. I have something to attend to and must go now."

He Suchen was filled with remorse, but it was too late to shout. She quickly grabbed his sleeve.

Chapter 56, Dissolution

<><A><>The promoter function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join now!!!</A><> She had to admit that she still had some doubts at this time, but things had developed in this way, and she could not hesitate. At this moment, Su Chen boldly tugged at his sleeve. Cui Shiran turned his head to look at her, his eyes clear and helpless.

Su Chen had a headache.

It seems, perhaps, maybe it really is all just my own paranoia. Do you think your family is some kind of cushy prize, with everyone wanting a piece of it? It's all He Su Shi's fault for making He Zi Yuan sound so amazing, with all the warnings and reminders, telling him to always be careful not to be taken advantage of, which has made me overthink every day. Now how am I going to clean up this mess...?

The sky was azure, birds chirped, and insects hummed. Nestled between two artificial hills, with a mountain spring flowing down, the place was still chilly despite it being summer. Su Chen tugged at his sleeve for a long time, unsure what to say, only feeling the wind making him feel cold.

She knew it was time to say something nice and apologize, so she gritted her teeth and said pitifully, "Brother Zhiran, why are you holding this against me? Our two families are so close, you must have told me off for my temper. I've always been so immature, please don't be angry." She added, "Brother Zhiran is a man, with Luo Wan in his heart, how could he hold such a grudge? It's my fault, really my fault. What kind of friendship do we have? Please don't let this become awkward!"

Perhaps because she hadn't encountered any truly dangerous situations since arriving, and with He Su Shi, a fellow transmigrator, as her support and scapegoat, and as she gradually became familiar with life here, Su Chen herself didn't realize that she had slowly begun to reveal her true nature.

When she first arrived, she was extremely cautious, fearing she would be discovered and treated like a monster. Although many people still suspected her and she was recognized by He Su Shi, she forced herself to maintain the facade and avoid speaking or acting rashly. Now, whether it's because the pretense has become too tiring or she's gotten used to the environment, she feels that it's not a big deal to occasionally be herself. Perhaps it's also partly because of He Su Shi. In any case, she's slowly reverting to her former personality.

During He Sucheng's generation, her parents divorced early and were reluctant to give her much money, but she lived a comfortable life, partly because her grandmother doted on her and partly because of the care she received from her many aunts and uncles.

There were seven or eight children in the Zhou family, but everyone would say with absolute certainty that Zhou Geyin was the most beloved. Of course, the fact that she had no parents from a young age and was therefore pitiful was a major reason, but her ability to win favor, act cute, and pretend to be obedient also played a significant role.

It could be said that Zhou Geyin was very good at pretending to be well-behaved. Well, now we could say that He Suchen was also very good at pretending to be well-behaved.

In her haste, she unconsciously adopted the same whiny and coquettish tone she used with her old friends. Cui Shiran had never seen anything like it before and was at a loss for words, so she pulled him back. After listening to her apologize and ramble on, Cui Shiran finally surrendered and said, "I really didn't mean to blame you. You don't need to say so much, you can stop now."

Su Chen smiled sheepishly, "I really was overthinking it. My brother said things are really chaotic in Kyoto lately, and he told me to be extra careful and pay attention to these kinds of things to practice my ability to read people and situations. I thought I had nowhere to practice, but then I started making wild guesses..."

"You guessed it was me?" Cui Shiran replied promptly.

Su Chen felt even more embarrassed.

He added, "That is indeed necessary." He paused, "Since you are going to the capital with me, there are some things that need to be discussed. I don't know if anyone has told you."

He thought for a moment, then carefully chose his words to tell her the general situation in the capital. He explained that if she went with her brother, there would be banquets, poetry gatherings, and invitations. He then told her that if it were her, she should know which girl's invitation she couldn't accept, and what attitude and tone she should use when meeting certain people. He also mentioned a few names and told her to stay away from these men.

He Su Chen listened, nodding repeatedly, while his head ached from not being able to remember so many names. In his heart, Cui Shi Ran's position had changed from someone who needed to be wary of to someone worth associating with.

She had only thought about it briefly when she realized she was being neurotic. The He family and the Cui family had such close ties that Tang's mother had already told her to "treat Grandma Cui as just your own grandmother." He Su Shi had also said that Cui Shi Ran was trustworthy. Moreover, the Cui family's status was no lower than the He family's, so there was really no need for them to do anything to her own family.

Once I figured this out, I realized how incredibly stupid I had been, thinking such a foolish thought like a narcissist and saying such nonsensical and unreasonable things. I don't even know why I did it.

Her thoughts shifted, and her initial embarrassment grew stronger, prompting her to express her gratitude even more earnestly. After speaking for a while, Cui Shiran hesitated before finally saying, "Ah Chen, you women must be feeling bored at home. If, if..."

What if?