As soon as Cousin Yan Hong said those words, the flower hall once again exploded.
Master Mu and Madam Bai were both furious, and Master Yan was so enraged he nearly rushed at Liu Feng to beat him…
He had actually wanted to hit Yan Hong too, but she was still his own daughter, and with them being guests in a relative’s home, his raised hand ultimately fell back down. But his eyes were already filled with disillusionment and despair.
And yet Yan Hong, sobbing uncontrollably, still clung to Liu Feng, shielding him with all her might, making it impossible to tell whether to laugh or cry.
Seeing the whole hall in chaos, Mu Qing sighed and still went to check on her husband first.
Thankfully, her husband was perfectly intact, showing no visible injuries.
Only then did she feel slightly relieved. She leaned in and quietly asked, “About what Cousin Hong just said… is it true?”
To be honest, she had been full of doubts about the situation. Her question was just to probe a little.
When she saw her husband give her a helpless nod, Mu Qing felt somewhat unwell.
So… it was true?
Liu Feng actually slept with her cousin?
Heavens!
Then how did her husband know about it? How did they end up together, and how did this whole thing even happen?
Mu Qing’s mind was instantly flooded with a hundred thousand questions, but all her doubts turned to dust when she saw her husband’s tightly sealed lips.
After living together as “husband and wife” for a few months now, she could read this expression well enough.
Whenever he made that face, it meant either it was hard to say or he refused to speak of it.
Since her husband didn’t want to talk, she could only ask the parties involved.
Fortunately, although one of them was in a daze, the other remained quite clear-headed—and even looked like she could keep going for five more rounds.
By now, Cousin Yan Hong had been helped up by Bingtang and Xueli. Her tear-streaked face was a bit dirty, and her clothes were rumpled, but with a cloak thrown over her shoulders, she didn’t look too disgraceful.
She had barely been coaxed upright when she broke free of the two maids and threw herself into Madam Bai’s arms, wailing as she sobbed out the entire story in broken pieces.
Before everyone’s patience completely ran out, they finally pieced together what had happened—or at least the version Yan Hong wanted to tell.
It turned out that after she and Liu Feng parted ways with Mu Qing and Qin Qin in the afternoon, Liu Feng, clearly wanting to avoid her, made up an excuse to return to Baihe Academy.
After all, everyone knew Baihe Academy didn’t allow female visitors. Liu Feng probably thought he could use that rule to escape.
But he underestimated Yan Hong’s shameless persistence. The moment he entered the academy gate, she began yelling outside, demanding to see her “husband.”
Faced with the astonished gazes of the academy’s remaining scholars and instructors, Liu Feng wished he could disappear on the spot. He had no choice but to come out and drag her away.
Since he couldn’t return to the academy, and with the whole afternoon still ahead and knowing that her father, Master Yan, had come to Tongzhou as well, Liu Feng didn’t dare return to the Mu residence either.
So, he took Yan Hong wandering all over the city, trying everything he could to shake her off, but she stuck to him like glue. In desperation, he headed into a brothel for a drink.
A brothel was certainly no place for a respectable lady, but Yan Hong didn’t care. The moment she saw Liu Feng go in, she barged in after him.
Liu Feng, avoiding her, refused to meet her face-to-face, so she started searching all over the building, disrupting business and drawing unwanted attention. Provoked by someone using reverse psychology, she downed a drink that had been spiked—and promptly fell victim to the setup.
As for why Liu Feng was the one who ultimately did the deed—well, it was a “miraculous coincidence.”
Mu Qing thought the whole thing was way too convenient. There must have been someone orchestrating it behind the scenes. But seeing her cousin sobbing yet with a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes, she figured Yan Hong had gotten exactly what she wanted, and so refrained from saying anything more.
Now that the two had shared the reality of a husband and wife, and Yan Hong was fully willing, the matter was wrapped up as a “happy ending.”
That very evening, Liu Feng was forced to marry Yan Hong, becoming Mu Qing’s cousin-in-law.
Though it was a wedding night, no one apart from the beaming bride Yan Hong looked happy—not the groom Liu Feng, not Master Yan, nor even Mu Qing’s parents.
Though Liu Feng had once seemed promising, and Master Mu had even considered him as a potential son-in-law for Mu Qing herself…
Well, comparisons only made things clearer. Standing next to Mu Qing’s current husband, Liu Feng was exposed as cheap stone beside a flawless jade.
And honestly, for someone so young to be frequenting brothels, and even getting their niece drugged…
Though no major harm had come of it in the end, and it could be written off as youthful indiscretion, it still didn’t sound good. It was, after all, a stain on a young lady’s reputation.
Fortunately, they had now married. But only they would know what kind of marriage it would turn out to be.
Mu Qing sighed as she watched her jubilant cousin and shell-shocked Liu Feng get ushered into the bridal room. From a distance, she saw the red bridal candles being snuffed out and suddenly felt a strange sense of unreality.
Though the details were different, the setup felt hauntingly familiar. Could it be that her cousin had now taken on the role of the original heroine in the novel—the daughter of a wealthy merchant who became Liu Feng’s official wife?
Thinking of the story’s future developments, Mu Qing couldn’t help shivering. But she also knew full well that Yan Hong was nothing like the original dignified, capable, and tolerant main wife.
Expecting her to gracefully manage the household, tolerate Liu Feng’s escapades, or even help him win over other women? Impossible.
With such a fiery and domineering cousin in that role, could Liu Feng still keep a stable home and a harem outside?
Knowing how her cousin couldn’t stand the slightest grievance, Mu Qing actually started to worry about what the future would hold for them.
But in the end, this was her cousin’s choice. She’d already tried to talk her out of it, used every tactic she could think of. If Yan Hong still insisted, then she’d have to face the consequences herself.
Mu Qing stared into the dark night sky, and for some reason, suddenly recalled the first time she met her cousin.
Back then, the little rascal was just a toddler of three or four, unsteady on her feet but grinning cheek to cheek as she insisted on playing with her.
Even then, she had been proud and stubborn, never willing to lose. She’d swing her tiny fists at the slightest provocation—only to be beaten into submission by a slightly older Mu Qing.
Since then, she’d looked up to Mu Qing from afar, idolizing her, even after turning into a troublemaker.
Now she’d even rushed in to take a bullet for her, shielding her from this ill-starred entanglement.
Thinking of all this, Mu Qing felt a complicated swirl of emotions, a strange maternal affection—as though she’d just married off her own daughter.
Lost in these memories, she didn’t come back to her senses until someone approached and gently draped a cloak over her shoulders.
Turning her head, she saw her husband standing beside her.
Right. She still had a husband.
Now that her cousin had locked down Liu Feng, it was time for her to settle matters with her own.
Noticing the subtle worry in his eyes, Mu Qing smiled and said softly, “Thank you, husband. It’s late. Let’s go back to our room—I have something to discuss with you.”
Her husband paused, then nodded. “I also have something I wish to say.”
Mu Qing grinned. “What a coincidence. Let’s talk it out when we’re back.”
Hand in hand, they returned to their courtyard. Bingtang and Xueli were already waiting to help them change and wash up, then quietly retreated with knowing smiles.
Mu Qing caught the amused expressions on the maids’ faces and guessed what they were thinking.
No doubt they were teasing her and her husband for finally becoming a real couple.
After all, they were technically newlyweds, though there’d been no proper wedding, no formal announcement. They shared a courtyard but had never shared a room—until Baihe Academy assigned them to one.
Day in and day out in such close quarters, they’d gotten used to it.
Though nothing had ever happened between them, Master Mu, Madam Bai, and the rest of the family had long regarded them as a true couple.
And with Liu Feng as the perfect negative example, everyone in the Mu household held Chu Yu in high esteem, thoroughly satisfied with him.
As for their “secret marriage,” no one seemed to care. He’d already proven himself a gentleman—unlike a certain someone.
Moreover, it had been Chu Yu who brought back the wayward Liu Feng and Yan Hong, earning even more praise.
In short, he’d been fully accepted by the Mu family.
This had been Mu Qing’s plan from the start—but she hadn’t expected her cousin to swoop in like a “spoiler character” and scoop up Liu Feng, resolving the biggest crisis.
Now, there was no need to keep up the charade.
Their year-long agreement was nearing its end. With Liu Feng taken care of, it was time to release her “husband” from the contract.
She just needed to consider how best to do it—amicable separation? Sudden widowhood?
Lying on the bed pondering her options, she waited for Chu Yu to join her under the covers and start chatting.
Eventually, he lay down too—still a bit stiff, but far more at ease than he had been months ago.
Seeing his perfectly straight posture, Mu Qing chuckled quietly. Before he could ask why, she beat him to the punch:
“So, husband—what do you think? Chatting like this in bed feels safe and private, doesn’t it?”
Chu Yu furrowed his brows slightly, then nodded with resignation. “Yes. You said you had something to tell me?”
Mu Qing grinned. “Didn’t you say you had something too? You go first.”
Curious about this rare initiative from her normally reserved husband, she happily gave him the floor.
Chu Yu glanced at her, hesitated, then said, “It was all because of me.”
Huh?
Thrown off by the abrupt statement, Mu Qing quickly realized he must be referring to the incident with Yan Hong and Liu Feng.
Her gossip-loving instincts ignited—who would’ve thought her husband would share juicy details during a quiet midnight chat?
She perked up immediately and soon coaxed the full story out of him.
Turned out, the original trap had been set for Chu Yu. The spiked wine had been meant for him—but he saw through it and avoided the setup.
Unexpectedly, Liu Feng and Yan Hong had stumbled into the scheme. By the time Chu Yu realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
He found them mid-act, pulled Liu Feng off the bed, beat him up, helped clean up Yan Hong, and hauled both of them back home.
So Yan Hong’s version had glossed over some very suspicious details, but now it all made sense.
And with so many “coincidences,” it was clear someone was manipulating things behind the scenes.
Mu Qing ruled out their business rivals—none of them would chase the Mu family all the way to Tongzhou.
That left one possibility: the threat came from Chu Yu’s side.
After all, this was his hometown. The setup had happened in a brothel—he’d even mentioned he grew up in Baixiang Pavilion, the biggest brothel in Tongzhou.
Everything pointed back to him.
She had let her guard down lately, but now it was obvious—his troubles weren’t over.
Just as she was about to bring up ending the contract early, Chu Yu suddenly spoke again:
“This happened because of my carelessness. Though I punished Liu Feng and your cousin got what she wanted, now that you know the truth, let’s not dwell on it. Instead, I have another request.”
He rarely talked this much. Clearly, this was important.
Mu Qing smiled. “Oh? What is it, husband? Just say the word—I’ll go through fire and water if needed.”
That made Chu Yu nearly laugh, but he composed himself and said, “I’d like you to accompany me tomorrow morning to meet someone.”
“Who?”
“My… stepmother.”
That word made him pause, his eyes clouding with some long-buried pain.
“She and I were never close, but suddenly she’s taken an interest in me… She heard we were married and wants to meet you.”
“She’s going to Fahua Temple for incense offerings tomorrow. Would you come with me?”
Faced with such a formal request, Mu Qing was stunned.
But then she remembered their agreement. He’d done so much for her—it was only fair to return the favor.
So she agreed without hesitation. “I thought it was something serious. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
Seeing his lingering anxiety, she added with a grin:
“Come on, husband, don’t worry. If she’s your stepmother, she must be an impressive lady—but I’ve always been popular with the older generation. I’ll charm her for sure.”
And so the next day, they headed to the renowned Fahua Temple to meet his stepmother.
But the moment Mu Qing saw the woman, cloaked in simple robes yet exuding unmatched noble air, she realized—
This wasn’t just any high-status old lady.
This was a true “noblewoman,” in every sense of the word.
As she sat in the mountain pavilion, eyes lowered, she looked upon Mu Qing with calm curiosity, like one might gaze at an object of interest—not a person.
It was then the woman finally smiled and said:
“So, A-Qing, what do you think of our Fourth?”
