When Mu Qing asked that question, Qin Qin froze for a moment.
Clearly, no one had ever asked her so directly before. But to say she had never thought about it herself would obviously be a lie.
Because her face quickly flushed pink, and she looked so flustered she didn’t know what to say—clearly she’d given the question quite a bit of serious thought.
The two of them sat face to face, so Mu Qing had a front-row view of the beauty lost in thought, cheeks lightly flushed—a truly lovely scene. She had to admit, this girl really was very pretty.
Not only did she hit every point of conventional beauty standards, she also carried an elegant scholarly air that made her overall temperament especially refined and unique.
No wonder Liu Feng had taken one look and decided she had to be his second wife.
Too bad he didn’t treasure her for long before he went chasing after the next one.
Well, having no romantic ideas at all was still better than having them but aiming in the wrong direction.
Mu Qing smiled and teased, “I’m guessing it’s got to be a gentleman who’s both talented and handsome, full of scholarly accomplishment, and most importantly, loyal and devoted. I’ve heard that Headmaster Qin was such a man in his youth—since you’ve had such an outstanding father, I imagine you’d hope to find a husband just as fine?”
Without making a fuss, she switched from calling her “Miss Qin” to “A Qin,” and that subtle shift made them feel much closer.
Qin Qin had grown up as the only child in her household, without siblings. She had always yearned for the kind of closeness shared by those with brothers or sisters. So although Mu Qing’s familiarity might have seemed abrupt, Qin Qin didn’t resist it. Instead, she softened quickly under Mu Qing’s warm approach, gradually opening her heart:
“Elder Sister Qing speaks the truth. My father raised me on his own, which wasn’t easy. I originally thought I’d stay by his side all my life, never marrying. But Father insisted… He even wants me to participate in the palace selection in two years…”
Mu Qing’s greatest strength was her ability to seamlessly switch from chatterbox to ideal listener. Once Qin Qin started opening up, she immediately shut her mouth and listened, only chiming in with a word or two at the right moments to encourage her.
Before they’d even finished a pot of chrysanthemum goji tea, Qin Qin had told her whole story.
It was another one of those relationships where both sides claimed to be thinking of the other’s well-being, but never actually talked about it.
Qin Qin didn’t want to marry. She wanted to stay at the academy, become a teacher, and live out her days with her aging father. But Mu Qing couldn’t help thinking—such an ideal was all well and good, but reality could be so unforgiving.
In a world like this one, where everything silently but firmly centered men, a woman trying to live her own life was up against impossible odds.
Even Mu Qing, equipped with her cheat-like foresight, had to struggle hard to barely manage staying afloat.
Qin Qin, smart and filial as she was, was trying her best to fight back—but she was still likely to fall into the same old pattern: married off to some “decent match” her father had chosen.
But the harder the fight, the more reason not to give up.
Both of them came from households with no material worries, loving family, and literacy—already better off than most. To give up without even trying would be a waste.
And besides… wasn’t Qin Qin’s situation kind of like hers?
Sis, do you need a live-in husband?
The kind that won’t suddenly become a dragon king?
Mu Qing very much wanted to pitch this suggestion, but she held back at the last moment.
As long as Qin Qin’s sense of taste hadn’t been corrupted, she’d never fall for Liu Feng. So the next step would be to tackle Headmaster Qin—Mu Qing could already sense that her secret identity wouldn’t remain secret for long with him anyway.
Might as well come clean, help mend the communication between father and daughter, and smooth things out that way.
And with Headmaster Qin standing guard, Liu Feng—this poser of a scholar—wouldn’t stand a chance of getting near his daughter.
Still, the desire to marry her daughter off would probably be harder to shake. If it came to that, Mu Qing could take the bold step of proposing a live-in son-in-law instead. With the right spin, it might just work.
After all, she herself was living proof.
A marriage forged under the guise of a “life-saving debt repaid with marriage,” a contract-based husband, cooperative and discreet—it was honestly the best deal she’d made this year.
If the opportunity arose in the future, she would definitely recommend it to Qin Qin.
But for now, the time wasn’t ripe. No need to rush.
After that afternoon of heart-to-heart in the luxurious private room at Xinghua Tower, Mu Qing had truly won herself a new sister—a heartfelt bond strong enough to last a lifetime.
Logically, she should have invited Qin Qin home to meet her family over dinner. But since both of them were still disguised as young men studying incognito in Baihe Academy’s special class, it was better not to draw attention.
The fewer people who knew, the better.
Besides, both the Mu and Qin families were now based in Tongzhou. Her little brother was officially studying at Baihe Academy, so there would be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future. No need to rush.
And there was the fact that her uncle-in-law from the Yan family, and her cousin Yan Hong, were both currently staying at her home—she’d have to face them eventually.
Just thinking about that earlier ambush by her cousin on the street gave Mu Qing a headache again. But what could she do? Like it or not, she still had to go back. Otherwise, who knew what her bratty cousin might stir up next?
Mu Qing bid Qin Qin farewell, packed a few boxes of desserts from Xinghua Tower, and returned to the jade shop with her gift list.
In addition to her previous purchases, she picked out several pretty but inexpensive trinkets to give her uncle-in-law and cousin.
That bumped up the total even more. It was impossible for her to carry it all back by herself. The shop owner, thrilled by the big order, offered to have an attendant deliver both her and her packages home by cart.
While waiting for the address to be confirmed and the goods packed up, Mu Qing idly wandered through the shop—and by chance, spotted a jade pendant tucked in the corner.
It looked like an old piece—the tassels were frayed and dull—but the stone itself had excellent luster, cool and smooth to the touch, radiating a soft, restrained glow. Mu Qing liked it immediately.
She asked the owner about the price. He examined it for a long time, but couldn’t recall ever acquiring such an item—probably one of those pawned goods left unclaimed. He casually named a very low price, and Mu Qing bought it without hesitation.
Clutching the pendant, she was suddenly inspired. She excitedly bought a few matching tassels in different colors, planning to let her husband choose one when she got back. It would replace the one he’d shattered with his bare hands earlier that morning to teach Liu Feng a lesson.
It might be a contract marriage, but a good partner like him was hard to come by.
They were both just working folks—life on the road wasn’t easy. She couldn’t let her husband lose a valuable accessory over this “job” without offering compensation. That’d be too stingy.
Mu Qing returned with bags full of goodies, bringing joy to everyone in the Mu household. The gifts were properly distributed to all branches, but before she could even chat much with her mother, the priority was to change clothes and go greet the houseguest.
Her former uncle-in-law, Master Yan, was currently in the flower hall with her father, sipping tea and chatting. As the biological father of the beautiful Yan Hong, Master Yan himself was also quite striking. But unlike the Mu family’s affable air or the Bai family’s grandeur, he had a calculating look, with thin lips that gave off a cold, petty vibe—the kind that, when looked at for too long, made people uncomfortable.
Mu Qing had always maintained only superficial ties with this uncle-in-law. After respectfully paying her greetings, she intended to withdraw—but Master Yan suddenly stopped her:
“Eldest girl, you’re no longer young. Why are you still running around outside all day? No wonder your marriage had to be settled in such a rush. Truly a misfortune upon the family—a shame to any noble house.”
