The moment Cousin Yan Hong said those words, the entire Mu household was thrown into an uproar.
Forget Mu Qing’s parents—even Mu Qing herself was momentarily stunned.
This Young Master Liu truly lived up to his status as the original novel’s Dragon-AoTian male lead. His protagonist aura was simply off the charts.
It had only been a little over twenty days since he’d come to the Mu family, and yet he’d already managed to impress her aloof scholar of a little brother and now, even her sharp-tongued, overbearing cousin had fallen head over heels for him with a vibe of “if it’s not him, I won’t marry.”
That destructive power was honestly terrifying. Mu Qing silently apologized in her heart—clearly, she had underestimated this big shot before.
As the thought passed through her mind, she instinctively turned to glance at Liu Feng, only to see that, contrary to what one might expect when favored by a beauty, his expression wasn’t smug or pleased in the slightest.
Not only did he not show even a trace of delight, his face actually revealed an odd and helpless look.
Mu Qing blinked in surprise, then instantly understood.
Of course—not every show of affection from a beautiful woman was necessarily welcome.
Wasn’t there a saying, “the hardest to repay is a beauty’s grace”?
And her cousin was precisely the kind of beauty that not just any man could handle.
Thinking of her cousin’s personality, Mu Qing felt a twinge in her molars and also a bit of a dark delight—so, even Dragon-AoTian has something he fears?
If a charming, dignified beauty confessed to him—like the original Mu family’s eldest daughter in the novel, someone a bit spoiled but essentially kind-hearted and well-raised—he’d surely accept her into his harem and enjoy the blessings of many wives.
But someone like her cousin… beautiful, yes, but that personality…
No exaggeration, her Cousin Yan Hong was a real lioness from the East River—not a single trace of “virtuous wife and competent housekeeper” in her. She was a walking disaster, the queen of chaos.
Liu Feng must have already developed a deep understanding of her cousin’s nature by now. From the way her little brother had been radiating his disdain earlier, it was clear Yan Hong had visited their home quite often during Mu Qing’s two-month absence.
Even her own blood cousin disliked her—how could someone like Liu Feng, a male lead with lofty tastes and a refined appreciation for beauty, ever be interested?
Too bad for them both—because neither of them had any idea what kind of trump card her cousin had up her sleeve.
Since childhood, whatever her cousin set her sights on, she got.
Because beyond being overbearing, she had one unbeatable, ultimate move.
So far, there had only ever been one exception—Mu Qing herself.
For a moment, Mu Qing wasn’t sure whether to feel sorrow that her cousin had chosen such a playboy, or pity for the Dragon-AoTian, who might end up with a shrieking harpy as his main wife.
Ah… but now she was starting to feel curious. How would things unfold between those two?
Still, as an elder cousin, for the sake of sisterly bonds, should she remind her cousin not to board this flashy yet thoroughly leaky ship?
Mu Qing fell into an inner conflict between logic and sentiment, which left her temporarily silent.
It was her father, Master Mu, who recovered first. He coughed lightly and said, “Hong’er, what nonsense are you spouting again? A young lady, talking about marriage and weddings every day—what kind of behavior is that?”
Doused in cold water just as her excitement peaked, Cousin Yan Hong immediately became upset and snapped back:
“Uncle, how could you say that? I’ve been coming here every day, getting along well with Brother Liu, and you never said a word… Now what? If Cousin wants him, I can’t have him. And if she doesn’t want him, I still can’t have him! Ah, Mother! My poor mother, why did you have to leave me so soon! Why didn’t you take Hong’er with you!”
And with that, she launched into her ultimate move—crying over her dead mother.
Master Mu’s beard trembled in fury, but he had no way to deal with her. Madam Bai, on the other hand, was so moved she started crying as well, holding her niece and dabbing at her tears…
In an instant, the entire room echoed with “Mother, your daughter’s life is so hard!” and “My poor sister! My poor Hong’er!”
Their duet of middle-aged and young female sobbing was loud and dramatic, with shockingly high damage output.
Worse still, since they were invoking the name of Mu Qing’s late aunt, no one could really step in to stop them. It was a complete deadlock.
Master Mu’s face had turned pale from anger. Adopted Brother Mu Hai remained hunched in a corner, not daring to say a word. Little Brother Mu Jiang looked utterly unfazed, as if this were just another Tuesday. He was still engrossed in a scholarly discussion with his new brother-in-law, his usually expressionless face lit up with joy…
Alright, then. Not a single reliable ally in sight.
Mu Qing, seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control, sighed inwardly and finally stepped forward to smooth things over:
“Alright, alright. Hong’er, stop crying. Mother, please help calm her down. What’s the rush about marriage? Young Master Liu is here with us—he’s not going anywhere. And we’ve only just returned from the capital today. Shouldn’t we at least have a welcome-home feast first?”
Though Mu Qing was usually laid-back and always smiling politely, when she spoke with authority, no one in the household dared to take her lightly.
With her words, her parents finally snapped back to their senses and quickly nodded in agreement.
Madam Bai took out her handkerchief, wiping her tears while smiling. “You’re absolutely right. We’ve been sitting here talking for ages, and no one’s even eaten yet. Where’s the steward? Tell them to bring out the food!”
While ordering the meal, she turned to Mu Qing and added, “Miaoniang, I’ve been preparing this feast for days, just waiting for you to return. Now that Hong’er’s here too, I made sure to prepare all your favorites. Come eat with your cousin, alright? No more crying. Don’t worry—Auntie and your cousin will take care of everything.”
Master Mu also cleared his throat and said, “Indeed. Let’s eat first. Fengqing and Young Master Liu, please join us too. There are no outsiders here today. Let’s all relax and enjoy ourselves.”
Hearing her father call her husband by name, Mu Qing smiled and nodded before walking over to him.
Looks like she and her “fake” husband had successfully passed the family’s inspection.
Despite all the unexpected chaos, they’d managed to keep things under control. Everything was going according to plan.
Now it was just a matter of ironing out the details.
As long as no one brought up marrying her off to that “Liu AoTian” again, everything else was manageable.
In high spirits, Mu Qing practically skipped over to her husband, gave him a smile full of gratitude and admiration, and took his arm as they prepared to sit down.
Her little brother followed eagerly behind them. His bond with his new brother-in-law had clearly leveled up overnight, and it looked like he’d already forgotten all about his old “Mr. Liu.”
As for said “Mr. Liu,” he wasn’t exactly lacking in company either.
Seeing Mu Qing and her husband acting all lovey-dovey and perfectly in sync, Cousin Yan Hong was unwilling to be outdone. She immediately ran over and clung to her “Brother Liu’s” arm, loudly whispering so everyone could hear:
“Brother Liu, stop looking at my cousin. Looking won’t help—she’s already married. Look at me instead! Everyone says I’m prettier than she is…”
…Wow.
She really was Mu Qing’s blood cousin—every jab hit with ruthless precision.
Walking up front hand in hand with her husband, Mu Qing didn’t hear Liu Feng’s reply, but she could imagine that his expression must be very interesting right now.
She nearly burst out laughing, but when she looked up, she found her husband staring at her.
His exquisitely handsome face was expressionless, but those dark eyes of his seemed to pierce straight through her, unsettling her more than a little.
Mu Qing quickly suppressed the goosebumps rising on her arms. After a moment of holding out, she couldn’t help but whisper under that intense, borderline “longing gaze”:
“Husband… what’s wrong? Are you still uncomfortable with me touching you?”
To her surprise, he shook his head and pulled her hand up slightly. “It was about to slip.”
Ah?
That…
Mu Qing was stunned. Considering that this man used to flinch at even the slightest touch, the fact that he now reached out to adjust her hand himself—this was major progress.
If only his body weren’t so stiff while doing it, it’d be perfect.
Seeing how he kept a straight face and moved as if nothing were out of the ordinary—yet still looked visibly awkward—Mu Qing had the urge to shower him with praise. But, considering this was a family banquet and people were everywhere, it wasn’t quite the right time. She simply gave him a sweet smile and quietly said, “Husband, you’re the best.”
Then she dragged him straight to the dining table—after all that talking, she was starving. This meal was going to be enjoyed thoroughly.
What she didn’t expect was that this welcome feast would soon start to feel like a “Hongmen Banquet.”
Barely had they sat down and tasted a few bites when Liu Feng stood up, raised his cup, and said:
“Today, I’m deeply honored to have been invited by the Master and Madam to dine with all the young gentlemen and ladies of the Mu family. Allow me to drink three cups in thanks for your hospitality.”
And with that, he actually downed three full cups—clean, swift, and impressively bold—earning a round of praise.
Of course, looking cool always came with a price.
Those three hefty drinks on an empty stomach quickly brought a flush to his cheeks, and a dazed look crept into his eyes.
He used the alcohol’s momentum to refill his cup, then turned to Mu Qing, raising it:
“This cup is for you, Eldest Miss Mu. Your grace and courage are admirable—you truly live up to your name. Meeting you today has inspired great admiration in my heart.”
Wait—was this a public confession?
Mu Qing froze. Then a rush of heat flared straight to her head. She was just about to rise and give him a piece of her mind when—suddenly—someone pressed down on her cup.
Startled, she looked up and saw that her husband had already stood.
He gave her a gentle smile, then lifted her cup and turned to Liu Feng:
“Young Master Liu flatters her. My wife cannot handle alcohol well. If you don’t mind, I’ll drink this one on her behalf—as her husband.”
