Although Liu Feng was the original Dragon-AoTian protagonist of the source material, right now he was still in his pre-glory grassroots phase, looking no different from the many poor scholars crammed outside the gates of White Crane Academy.
And while his protagonist halo was undoubtedly formidable, it could only guarantee smooth sailing during major plot events. When it came to smaller details, there were always blind spots where its light didn’t reach.
Take something like queueing, for example. Even as a future Dragon-AoTian, no one was going to give up their spot for him.
But of course, that wasn’t going to stop him.
After all, he claimed to be an orphan raised in the streets and back alleys, and had supposedly learned all kinds of “street smarts” growing up. Sure, some of that might have stemmed from hardship and desperation—but most of the time, he gave off an annoying air of “the barefooted don’t fear the shod,” or worse, “I’m poor, so I’m righteous,” which tended to grate on people.
Like right now.
Never mind what he was about to do—just the way he shook off decorum and casually butted into the conversation was already unpleasant to watch.
Mu Qing frowned ever so slightly. She recalled that this Dragon-AoTian had once managed to maintain the appearance of a proud, aloof scholar—someone who, despite his poverty, still carried himself with dignity. He’d even held his own while chatting with her father, Mu Laoye, a man of considerable wealth, which had indeed seemed rather impressive.
But lately, that proud façade appeared to be cracking. What was once stiff dignity was now unraveling into something more erratic and agitated.
Mu Qing wasn’t entirely surprised by this change—she had a pretty good guess as to the reason behind it.
Clearly, it was because his usual, invincible charm had failed. And he just couldn’t handle it.
He’d finally set his sights on a “fat sheep”—only for it to run away from under his nose. He must’ve been absolutely livid.
According to the novel, Liu Feng had grown up in Daohua Village just outside of Linqing. But based on Mu Qing’s own investigation, the boy hadn’t suffered much hardship at all. Thanks to his protagonist halo, he’d grown up beloved by all, with charisma so powerful even flowers would bloom at his feet.
That same charisma had enabled him—still a mere child back then—to not only survive on his own but also become the object of affection for an entire group of young girls in the village…
So it was no surprise that Mu Qing’s direct rejection had left him utterly unable to cope.
Sure, Mu Qing had appeared before him as a “married woman,” but Liu Feng still looked at her with that incredulous, devastated gaze—as if asking, “How could you not fall for me?”
Clearly, something was wrong with him.
He needed to understand: just because beautiful women had always fallen for you in the past didn’t mean they always would. She was the beginning of his storyline’s downfall.
Mu Qing had originally planned to take the offensive—keep her distance early on and avoid any unnecessary entanglements. But fate had other plans. Not only did she fail to dodge him, she’d somehow triggered that uniquely Dragon-AoTian brand of pride—
“You dare ignore this young master, woman? Very well—you’ve successfully caught my attention.”
Though never spoken aloud, everything about him—from head to toe, every strand of hair—oozed this attitude. He might as well have lunged forward for a forceful grab.
It was absurd. Mu Qing found herself deeply exasperated—but she quickly adjusted her mindset. Fine. She would simply ignore this guy entirely and go on living her happy little life.
No matter what, she was still married. Her husband was right beside her. Let Liu Feng do as he pleased—it wasn’t going to change anything. Instead, he just looked more desperate, unsure what to do next to gain her attention.
Mu Qing and her husband had kept up their loving couple persona the entire journey—always side by side, always tender and intimate.
Although Liu Feng had traveled with them, Mu Qing had arranged for him to ride on a separate passenger boat “for propriety’s sake.”
He had originally been eager to use the long journey to warm her up a bit—but alas, Mu Qing hadn’t given him even the slightest opening. All that passion had nowhere to go, leaving him deeply frustrated.
Not only that, he had to endure watching Mu Qing and her husband flaunt their affection all day, every day. It had been torture.
He’d stayed relatively quiet throughout the journey, but now that they were in Tongzhou—almost in familiar territory, just a stone’s throw from his old stomping grounds in Linqing—he saw his chance to make a move.
This was the northern riverside belt. The customs and landscape were familiar. It was the perfect opportunity to show off.
He squinted at the long line ahead and began pushing his way into the crowd.
His not-so-burly build, ironically, made it easier to wedge through the masses—but instead of just pushing forward, he suddenly changed direction and began squeezing backward through the throng.
In a sea of people all moving one way, he moved in the opposite direction—this unexpected maneuver threw the entire line into chaos.
Mu Qing had no idea what he was doing until, right in the midst of the confusion, Liu Feng let out a sharp cry and dramatically collapsed to the ground.
Only then did it dawn on her: was he seriously… playing the victim?
Faking an injury in a crowd of hundreds just to make a scene—forget whether or not it would work, just the sheer audacity of it earned him a reluctant salute.
As the crowd around the academy’s gate erupted in even greater disorder, Liu Feng, agile as a cat, rolled and twisted through the stampede while carefully avoiding injury—but still screamed louder than anyone else.
Mu Qing’s teeth ached from the absurdity.
Her little brother, caught off guard, truly thought his beloved “Mister Liu” had been trampled by the crowd. Terrified, he cried out, voice breaking:
“Sister! Brother-in-law! Mister Liu fell! Please go save him! There are so many people—he’ll be crushed!”
For anyone else, such a stunt would’ve been genuinely dangerous. But this was the Dragon-AoTian. Pulling a move like this didn’t just lack danger—it might even earn him unexpected benefits.
Ah, little brother. You’re still too young.
Mu Qing sighed and exchanged a glance with her husband. Sure enough, they both wore the same helpless expression—
This trick of Liu Feng’s might fool a clever but naïve child. But anyone with a bit of worldly experience? Not a chance.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, the chaotic crowd abruptly fell silent. Then, as if choreographed, the mass of people parted neatly down the middle, leaving a clear ring around the writhing, howling Liu Feng.
The so-called Mister Liu, deeply immersed in his “performance,” suddenly noticed the change in atmosphere.
The air had gone still.
The silence was excruciating.
More excruciating still was the sight of a young scholar—dressed in azure robes and jade accessories—stepping through the crowd with a cold gaze fixed on Liu Feng.
“Who is making such a ruckus here?” the scholar asked frostily.
He was not tall, with a slender waist that could be circled by a hand. His fair face, red lips, elegant brows, and refined eyes made him even more beautiful than a girl.
Liu Feng, who had been wallowing in embarrassment a moment ago, suddenly perked up at the sight of him. Grinning with arrogance, he called out loudly:
“Well, that would be your Brother Liu here, of course… Say, little lady—whose family are you from? Dressing like a man and sneaking into the academy to meet your lover? Naughty, naughty.”
