Chapter 33 – Elder Sister: This Proprietress Has a Very Special Identity…
The moment Mu Qing heard Liu Feng say those words, her fists clenched on instinct.
“Make a woman disappear without a trace”?
No ordinary person would utter something like that. Anyone who could say it so casually was clearly the kind of man who murdered his wife without batting an eye.
She recalled seeing reports back in the modern world—countless news headlines about scumbag husbands killing their wives for insurance, or scheming for years just to lay hands on the family fortune.
But even in those cases, they at least schemed and waited a while. Whether it was about deceiving the wife or waiting for the right moment, it usually took at least a year or two before the crime was committed.
But Liu Feng? He had just married her cousin Yan Hong yesterday, and already he couldn’t wait to make a move. Absolutely deranged.
Mu Qing was about to get up and give that bastard a lesson, but suddenly her hand was caught by her husband.
What was going on?
Mu Qing tried to shake free but failed. She turned to look at him, silently asking with her eyes.
Her husband shook his head gently and raised a finger to his lips, signaling for her to stay calm and quiet.
Mu Qing was startled for a moment, but seeing how serious he looked, she hesitated, then nodded in agreement.
The two of them fell into silent understanding and closed their mouths, quietly listening in on the conversation next door.
It seemed the pair in the adjacent room had no idea someone might be listening, perhaps because the room Mu Qing and her husband were in had remained quiet the whole time—or because they were simply too careless. Either way, they were discussing something incredibly secret without a second thought.
After Liu Feng’s bombshell question, the proprietress Yan’er didn’t speak right away. Clearly, even she was shocked by the audacity of it.
But she was, after all, no ordinary woman. She was a seasoned madam, skilled in dealing with men. No matter the type, she always kept her composure.
So after a brief pause, she gave a soft laugh and said, “My, my, it’s been so long, and now little Feng has learned how to joke. What do you need something like that for? Some deep-seated grudge? Why don’t you tell your sister about it? Maybe there’s a better way to handle it than something so extreme.”
Then she added with another teasing smile, “After all, if I recall correctly, little Feng has always had quite the way with women. How is it possible there’s a woman out there who hasn’t fallen under your spell?”
Liu Feng gave a bitter smile. “Sister Yan, please don’t tease me. I’m no Pan An, and I’m penniless to boot—naturally, there are women who don’t care for me.”
His tone no longer carried the arrogance he had when they’d first met. It was full of resignation and self-deprecation.
Yan’er, not understanding the full story, thought he was just playing coy and teased him again.
But Mu Qing knew—what he said was true.
There were already two women who didn’t take him seriously. Herself, and Qin Qin.
She wondered if this so-called “chosen son of heaven” had any kind of protagonist aura left. If he knew the two women meant to be his wife and concubine, and his biggest support in his lowliest days, had both abandoned him, how would he feel?
In any case, he clearly wasn’t doing too well right now.
Whether it was out of simple spite or something else, Mu Qing found his misery oddly satisfying.
She’d thought his character was just a little shady, but now it seemed he was utterly despicable. Talking about killing his wife after just one day of marriage—he’d leveled up from street scum to full-blown scumbag.
If he really tried to hurt her cousin, there was no way Mu Qing would let that slide.
Her cousin might have her flaws, but she was family. She wasn’t going to let some maniac try to murder her. But now, she finally understood why her husband had stopped her earlier—if they barged in now, it would only count as “attempted murder.”
Liu Feng could easily claim it was a joke and escape unscathed.
And her cousin? She was still in the honeymoon phase, head over heels for him. Even if Mu Qing revealed the whole thing, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t act like a lovestruck fool and defend him.
Just thinking about it gave Mu Qing a headache. It frustrated her to no end that her cousin had actually married this scumbag. But before she could spiral into too much annoyance, her husband gave her hand a gentle squeeze. When she looked over, she saw that perfectly handsome face of his wearing that calm, confident expression—as if everything was under control.
Immediately, her heart settled down.
Yes, someone like Liu Feng couldn’t be rushed. All she needed to do was watch quietly, wait for the right moment, and take him down with one strike.
For now, patience and planning were key.
Her emotions calmed, she lightly squeezed her husband’s hand back and gave him a small smile of thanks.
He remained expressionless, but on closer look, the tips of his ears had turned a little red. Still so easy to fluster—just like before.
Mu Qing found it amusing and couldn’t help but feel her mood improve. Now she finally had the mental space to think clearly.
Leaving Liu Feng aside, this “Sister Yan” seemed interesting in her own right.
From what she’d just said, it sounded like she was trying to guide Liu Feng away from evil? Could she actually be a kind-hearted soul despite being raised in a brothel? Trying to help this scumbag see the light?
That was…
Wait. A character from the brothel…
Actually, that did ring a bell.
But that should’ve been later in the plot—after Liu Feng passed the imperial exams as Third-Rank Scholar. Why was she showing up now?
Mu Qing thought hard, going over the original novel’s plot. She remembered that at the time, Liu Feng was working at the Dali Court, obsessed with solving cases, and this brothel proprietress had appeared then.
Compared to Liu Feng’s other women, this woman was different.
Because she wasn’t one of his women—she was his “sister.”
She was eight years older than him. On the surface, she was the madam of a brothel. But in reality, she ran the biggest intelligence network in the country.
After all, brothels were where men went to relax—and where secrets spilled freely. But few women had the brains to turn that into a full-fledged business.
She, however, had done exactly that. And with that intelligence, she had helped Liu Feng climb to the top.
In the novel, her appearances were brief and mysterious. Even her name wasn’t revealed. She was simply called “sister.”
Because of that, Mu Qing had never made the connection—until now. The way they bantered, the way Liu Feng called her “sister”… it all clicked.
This was the brothel sister from the novel. She’d shown up ahead of schedule.
That realization brought a fresh wave of unease.
Mu Qing fell deep into thought, analyzing how this might impact her and her family.
But while she was spacing out, that Yan’er actually managed to talk Liu Feng down with just a few words.
Well… not exactly talk him down.
She at least convinced him to abandon the idea—for now—and try seduction instead. Use his charm to manipulate her cousin instead of killing her outright.
Not that this was much better. One would kill her body, the other her soul.
Still, at least her cousin wasn’t in immediate danger anymore.
And, true to the original novel, this woman was indeed an important player. She thought logically, had clear priorities, and got results. A very capable woman.
Mu Qing had a sudden idea—what if she could “poach” this woman too? Pull her away from Liu Feng?
It seemed fate was on her side. Just when she’d been worrying about how to get close to Yan’er, Liu Feng had delivered the opportunity on a silver platter.
The two of them were still chatting inside their private room, but business was booming at Xinghua Tower that day, and food was delayed. Liu Feng, impatient, got up to go urge the staff.
Mu Qing caught the cue. She and her husband exchanged a look and left their room at the same time to “go check on their food.”
Just like that, they ran into Liu Feng in the hallway. Mu Qing immediately greeted him with wide-eyed innocence.
“Well, if it isn’t my dear cousin-in-law! What are you doing here?”
Liu Feng’s face was… spectacular. The kind that screamed, “What the hell?! Why is she here again?” and “I really didn’t want to see her today.” Classic guilty-cheater face.
Mu Qing inwardly laughed but kept her expression perfectly pleasant, continuing the act with enthusiasm. “What a coincidence! Are you here meeting someone? Won’t you introduce us?”
The more she talked, the more uncomfortable Liu Feng looked. He clearly didn’t want her anywhere near the woman in the room. He even looked ready to refuse outright.
But then, the woman inside called out.
“Little Feng, do you have friends outside?”
With her voice already out in the open, Liu Feng had no choice. He reluctantly brought Mu Qing and her husband inside.
At last, Mu Qing got a close look at the infamous Madam Yan’er.
She was beautiful.
But that wasn’t your first thought when you saw her.
What you really thought was—you wanted to do something with her.
Because that was what she had been trained for. She was a walking temptation, designed to draw men in.
When her gaze landed on Mu Qing and her husband, there was a flicker of surprise in her eyes. But she quickly composed herself and smiled politely. “And these are…?”
Liu Feng answered vaguely, “Relatives of my wife.”
He didn’t give details, but Yan’er smiled and said, “These two are interesting. No, I should say—one young master, one young lady?”
She had immediately seen through Mu Qing’s disguise, which didn’t surprise Mu Qing at all.
Yan’er was older by nearly a decade and raised in a brothel—her understanding of men was unparalleled. Even though Mu Qing’s male disguise was convincing, there were subtle tells.
To most people, those flaws might not be noticeable. But to someone like Yan’er, who was practically an expert in human nature? Nothing escaped her.
Still, Mu Qing wasn’t fazed. She smiled and said, “Sister, your eyes are sharp indeed. I’m Mu Qing, cousin to Liu Gongzi’s new bride. This is my husband, Feng Qing. May I ask how to address you?”
Yan’er returned the smile and replied, “Miss Mu, you’re as lovely as a goddess, and Young Master Feng is quite the gentleman. What a heavenly couple you two are—truly enviable.”
Then she added, “My name is Yan Ran, though most call me Yan’er. Since you’re little Feng’s family, you’re no outsider. If you don’t mind, you may call me ‘sister’ as he does.”
Mu Qing grinned. “If I had a sister as beautiful as you, I’d smile in my dreams.”
She was known for her honeyed words, and handling social situations like this was her forte.
The conversation flowed easily. After a few polite exchanges, Mu Qing figured it was time.
Pretending to be careless, she took out the jade pendant she had originally planned to give her husband—and let it “accidentally” fall onto the table.
As expected, Yan Ran’s expression changed instantly.
