Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 225 When the Cicadas' Song Gradually Ceases

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"We won't be negligent! Absolutely not!" Wang Rui almost jumped up, his face beaming with barely suppressed joy. "Being able to stay in the Cloud Hidden Sect and breathe this air is a blessing! We will definitely behave ourselves and not cause any trouble!"

Zhang Hao and Sun Wei nodded in agreement, their eyes shining with the satisfaction of their wish being fulfilled.

Seeing their expressions, Zhao Mengmeng finally couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head to stop teasing. She turned to Wei Qingyi and asked with concern, "Second Uncle-Master, your room has been cleaned all along, and nothing has been touched. Do you want to go back and rest now? Or would you like to get something to eat first? Junior Brother Li heard you were back and has already prepared some of your favorite snacks."

Wei Qingyi shook her head and stood up: "Let's go back to our room and put down our luggage first." She looked at Su Wan and Chen Anran, "Senior Sister, Junior Brother, I'll come back later."

"Go ahead," Su Wan said gently. "Get some rest."

Then, Lin Xiaoman led Wei Qingyi to her room.

Wang Rui and the other two were temporarily housed in the disciples' quarters by Su Wan.

The three of them, dragging their suitcases, followed behind Zhao Mengmeng, their eyes constantly glancing left and right as they passed through the courtyard. A mountain breeze wafted through the corridor, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, and the faint sound of a babbling spring could be heard in the distance. Wang Rui took a deep breath and whispered to Zhang Hao, "Can you feel it? This air... it makes you feel so refreshed!"

Zhang Hao pushed up his glasses and nodded: "Indeed, it truly lives up to its reputation as a land of immortals."

"Alright, alright," Sun Wei interrupted softly. "Let's think about how to get noticed by the immortal masters first." She looked up at Zhao Mengmeng's back and lowered her voice even further. "The key is how to let Immortal Master Chen see our sincerity."

Zhao Mengmeng's ears twitched slightly, and the corners of her lips curved into a smile. She turned to the three of them and said with a smile, "Continue to cater to their preferences, but don't be too deliberate. Master and Senior Uncle-Master dislike pretentious and overly purposeful behavior the most. Just act the same way you did with Second Senior Uncle-Master on set—oh, but you still need to tone it down a bit and not be so flamboyant. Focus on doing your job well and say less fancy words."

Wang Rui nodded thoughtfully, Zhang Hao had already taken out his phone and started using the memo function, and Sun Wei said earnestly, "Thank you for the reminder, Mengmeng."

Zhao Mengmeng waved her hand and asked, "By the way, where's Li Ming? Why isn't he with you guys?"

The original five-person haunted house adventure team is now missing one member.

Sun Wei explained, "Our name is Li Ming. His parents took him abroad last month to settle down overseas."

Wang Rui sneered, "I really don't know what's so great about foreign countries. Is the moon rounder there?"

Zhang Hao didn't care. "So he lost his chance to become an immortal."

Zhao Mengmeng didn't comment on this; everyone has their own ambitions and paths, there's no need to dwell on it. She led them to a relatively secluded courtyard. The courtyard contained several clean and quiet rooms, each with a small bamboo plaque hanging in front of its door.

"These rooms are all empty; you can choose whichever you like. There are new bedding and toiletries in the cabinets. There is hot water on the mountain, but the supply will decrease after 10 p.m. You can go down the mountain to the Immortal Cuisine Restaurant for meals, or wait until mealtimes when the sect has simple vegetarian meals. Of course, you can also cook your own meals in the kitchen. But remember, don't make noise in the main hall area where Master and the others are meditating."

"Understood! I will absolutely abide by the rules!" Wang Rui patted his chest and assured him.

After settling the three "ambitious" guests, Zhao Mengmeng turned and left. Wang Rui and the other two were left standing in the courtyard, looking at each other with a mixture of bewilderment and excitement, as if their "dreams had come true."

…………

Meanwhile, Wei Qingyi returned to her familiar room.

The room was almost exactly the same as when she left, bright and spotless. There was even a small vase of freshly picked wildflowers on the wooden table, the pale purple petals still glistening with dew, clearly freshly changed that day. The bedding on the bed exuded the warm fragrance of sunshine.

Lin Xiaoman helped her put her luggage away. "Then, Sister Wei, you should rest first."

With that, Lin Xiaoman left and closed the door behind her.

Wei Qingyi walked to the window and pushed it open. Familiar mountain scenery came into view.

In the distance, the layered peaks rise slightly in the summer heat, while in the nearby courtyard, the old locust tree with its lush branches and leaves casts dappled shadows on the ground.

She stood still for a moment before turning and walking to the wooden table, her gaze falling on the vase of wildflowers. The pale purple petals were still glistening with morning dew, clearly freshly picked that morning.

Wei Qingyi stretched out her finger and gently touched the soft petals, a slight smile playing on her lips.

The canvas backpack sat on a low stool beside the bed. Instead of tidying it up, she sat down at the table and took a plain cloth bag from her bosom. Inside the bag were a few odds and ends: a commemorative badge from the film crew, a neatly folded script supervisor's sheet, and a thin notebook.

The notebook was where she jotted down notes on set. Opening it, there were no diary-like reflections, only a few scattered lines of writing:

"On the seventh day, the bamboo forest scene. The director requested that the scene be 'floating down gracefully,' but the wire rope design was flawed and could easily injure the back. It was suggested that the scene be changed to use the bamboo on the left side for leverage, and three point jumps could achieve the same effect, and would be more natural. This has been discussed with the action director."

"Day 23, rain scene. Rainwater contains impurities, and prolonged immersion can cause significant damage to skin and clothing. We recommend using water purification equipment or shortening the duration of each scene."

"Day 39, filming wrapped. Wang Rui and the other two brought over some pastries, they were too sweet."

Her handwriting was slender and neat, just like her personality—no unnecessary emotional embellishment, just objective records and suggestions. Wei Qingyi turned the pages one by one, and those days and nights on the film set flashed through her mind like a silent film.

The lights in the dressing room at four in the morning, the rustling of bamboo leaves in the bamboo forest, the repeated rehearsals in the rain, and the warmth of the boxed lunches when we finished work.

It wasn't a matter of liking or disliking it; it was just a job that needed to be done. However, compared to her previous odd jobs, filmmaking was indeed well-paid, and—she recalled the director's shocked expression when he saw her complete those difficult stunts, and Wang Rui and the others' cautious, apologetic smiles outside the set—it seemed to make some people happy.

The notebook was turned to the last page, where a faded ticket stub was tucked inside.

It was a movie ticket for "The Legend of the Cloud Mountain," from the town's cinema, dated a few days ago. The edges of the ticket stub were worn, clearly indicating it had been handled multiple times. Wei Qingyi stared at the ticket stub for a while, recalling Xiao Lu's angry voice on the phone, and Xiao Ling'er's bright eyes and the words "especially handsome" in the reception room just now.

She put the ticket stub back into the notebook, closed it, and put it into her cloth bag along with a few other items.

"Alright, now we can have a proper get-together with everyone in the sect."