Chapter 34 – Self-Sacrifice: This Counts as a Noble Act, Doesn’t It?
Mu Qing exchanged a glance with her husband, then rose to her feet and used an excuse to lead Liu Feng out of the room.
Truth be told, she hadn’t really expected this tactic to succeed—after all, from the beginning, she had been deliberately keeping her distance from Liu Feng, doing everything she could to appear like she was avoiding him at all costs.
Now she was going out of her way to strike up a conversation and ask to “speak privately”? It was beyond awkward—it was downright disgusting.
But for the sake of her husband, Mu Qing gritted her teeth and went through with it.
First, that elder sister Yan Ran was very likely the owner of the jade pendant—if not, then at least someone who knew the truth. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have changed her expression the moment she saw it.
Second, Mu Qing was honestly annoyed that this brilliant elder sister was standing on Liu Feng’s side.
Even though it was their first meeting, and they’d only exchanged a few words, Mu Qing could already tell that this elder sister was no ordinary woman.
But she wasn’t malicious, either—she had actually tried to sincerely persuade Liu Feng, a scumbag of a man, to “lay down his knife and become a better person,” and all without anyone pressuring her. That alone proved she was truly a beautiful soul.
To hold onto such kindness in a place like that, it was rare and admirable.
Even rarer, she was strong.
Forget the whole intelligence network subplot from the original novel—just from how she’d handled Liu Feng earlier, her emotional intelligence and tact were clearly exceptional.
No wonder others in the brothel world spent their whole lives trying and failing to become head courtesans or madams, while she had already become the one and only “proprietress” at such a young age.
A woman like that—whether in ancient times or the modern day—was a rare, elite talent. Pairing her with Liu Feng? A complete waste.
Even if her husband wasn’t looking for someone, this kind of woman deserved far better.
In short, every time Mu Qing looked at Liu Feng now, she felt like any woman ending up with him was a tragic waste.
Not only was he undeserving, he was now her cousin’s husband. Those wandering eyes of his needed to be put out completely.
Mu Qing figured that if she thought of it this way, what she was doing now could actually be considered a good deed. Rescuing a misguided woman while protecting her cousin’s marriage—two birds with one stone. Truly a “virtue of the day.”
That was what she told herself to push through the nausea and take on the role of bait—drawing Liu Feng out so her husband could have a quiet talk with Sister Yan Ran.
If it had just been a theory before, that look on Yan Ran’s face when she saw the jade pendant made Mu Qing feel almost certain now.
All that remained was for her husband to approach and “recognize his kin.”
To make that happen, some sacrifice was necessary. At this moment, Mu Qing knew she was the only one who could do it.
She hadn’t expected much, but when she casually mentioned “having something to discuss” and “could we speak in private,” Liu Feng immediately agreed, even taking the initiative to rise and leave the room first.
His cooperation genuinely surprised Mu Qing.
Still, since he was playing along so eagerly, she forced herself to continue.
She looked toward her husband, signaling for him to go ahead with the plan and leave everything outside to her. Her husband met her eyes with gratitude as she turned around with a small smile. Despite sighing inwardly, her face remained calm as she followed Liu Feng out the door.
By then, most of the guests had already finished eating, and the second floor had grown much quieter. The two of them walked to the far end of the corridor, where a small table sat—a perfect spot to sip tea and enjoy the view.
Mu Qing invited Liu Feng to sit, signaled a waiter to bring a pot of top-grade Biluochun tea, and began their little tea session.
She hadn’t expected herself to remain so composed while sitting across from Liu Feng—considering he was someone she found utterly unbearable in every aspect, she should’ve been fleeing in the opposite direction.
But today was different. Today, she was “sacrificing herself for others,” so she forced herself to endure it.
At first, she thought it’d be torturous, but once they sat face-to-face, she began to feel the faint pressure of a protagonist’s halo.
Truthfully, when Liu Feng didn’t speak, he could still be somewhat tolerable—it wasn’t that hard to endure. But unfortunately, he lacked patience. While Mu Qing stayed silent, he didn’t last long before finishing his tea and asking:
“Qing-jie, what is it you wished to speak with me about?”
Since he had married her cousin Yan Hong, he ought to be calling Mu Qing “cousin sister.” But no—he followed Qin Qin’s lead and called her “Qing-jie,” making it sound way too familiar and entirely uncomfortable.
Mu Qing suppressed the wave of nausea that rose within her and forced a dry laugh. “Oh, nothing serious. I just wanted to ask how cousin-in-law is settling in lately. Are you comfortable?”
It was obvious small talk.
Liu Feng looked startled for a moment, glanced at her, then nodded. “I’ve been quite comfortable.”
He said it nicely, but there was a flicker of displeasure in his eyes. Mu Qing suddenly realized—her question probably came off as patronizing to someone like him.
Wasn’t she basically rubbing salt in the wound, reminding this poor protagonist-wannabe that he was so broke he couldn’t even afford his own wedding and had to live off others?
The kind of thing that breeds grudges and future revenge scenarios once the underdog rises to power.
Mu Qing sighed to herself. Normally, she wouldn’t care what someone like him thought, but this guy? He was dangerous.
She’d tried everything to avoid getting dragged into the plot, yet here he was, still finding a way in. Couldn’t marry her, the Mu family heiress? Fine—he’d marry her cousin, the Yan family heiress instead. Same wealth, different surname.
And now he was back at White Crane Academy, just like the original storyline intended.
From the bigger picture, not a single thread had gone out of place.
Worse still, he’d already connected with the woman who would later become his top intelligence source—the very same brothel proprietress, Sister Yan Ran.
Everything was going perfectly for him.
It was exhausting how inevitable it all felt.
She’d braced herself for this possibility, but now that it was unfolding, the sense of defeat was real.
Still, all was not lost. Everything had just begun. If she stirred things up a bit more—who knew what could happen?
Remembering her previous small victories, Mu Qing found herself eager again.
She adjusted her mindset quickly and smiled at Liu Feng. “I may have been a little cold before. Now that we’re all family, if I ever offended you, I hope cousin-in-law won’t take it to heart.”
Liu Feng’s expression immediately relaxed, even putting on a generous facade.
“Qing-jie is too kind. Since you’re Hong’er’s elder sister, you’re also mine. If there’s ever anything you need, I’d gladly face fire and blade for you.”
He said it while staring straight into her eyes—an intense, invasive gaze that was incredibly uncomfortable.
But Mu Qing wasn’t afraid of him. She’d lived two lives. Her previous one involved years of clawing through the corporate world, and this life was rooted in merchant blood. She’d seen her share of cunning and slime.
Liu Feng? Without his protagonist aura, he wouldn’t even warrant a second glance.
But, trapped in this story world, her fate wasn’t her own. Just when she thought she’d escaped the plot, her foolish cousin had run straight back into it. Unavoidable, truly.
Still, maybe she didn’t need to avoid it anymore.
Figuring the people inside wouldn’t be done any time soon, Mu Qing forced herself to keep the conversation going.
“In that case, I’ll be blunt. What exactly is the relationship between you and that Miss Yan Ran?”
Apparently not expecting such a direct question, Liu Feng froze for a second. But he answered honestly enough.
“You mean Sister Yan Ran? She was my neighbor when I was a child in Linqing…”
As soon as he brought up Yan Ran, Liu Feng started to go on and on.
Mu Qing gave a small sigh of relief and pretended to listen intently, encouraging him to continue.
Liu Feng, obliging, began to recount their entire “past lives” together.
Even though the story was about Sister Yan Ran, his eyes never left Mu Qing’s face—gleaming with thinly veiled desire and dark thoughts.
Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have much material. Before long, the tale was over.
Short as it was, Mu Qing couldn’t help but sigh internally. So this was what it meant to be heaven’s favorite.
How did a random girl-next-door from childhood end up becoming a beautiful, powerful brothel proprietress?
And of course, there were childhood memories—a shared steamed bun, shelter from the rain, quiet nights comforting each other…
Mu Qing instantly understood why Yan Ran would eventually become Liu Feng’s confidante. To find someone who understood you in your youth? That was something unforgettable.
But alas, such deep emotion was wasted on him.
No matter. Now that she’d encountered Yan Ran, maybe there was still hope.
Mu Qing lowered her eyes and decided that for all the trouble Liu Feng had caused her recently, it was time for payback.
And what better place to start than by taking away his confidante? She wondered how her husband was doing.
Almost as if in response, her husband peeked out from the private room and waved at her.
The moment she saw his expression, Mu Qing knew.
It had worked.
Well then, time to let Liu Feng in on the news. If he wasn’t happy about it, she certainly would be.
Smiling brightly, Mu Qing stood and said, “Cousin-in-law, it looks like my husband is calling for us. He probably has good news. Let’s go back.”
Liu Feng had wanted to spend more time with her, but he couldn’t object—not with Sister Yan Ran still in the room, and certainly not with Mu Qing’s husband involved. The two of them could barely tolerate each other.
So he followed her back to the room without complaint.
The moment they entered, Mu Qing noticed that Sister Yan Ran’s eyes were slightly red, as though she had just cried.
But upon seeing them, she smiled brightly and said, “Ah Feng, little Mu, you’re back. I have some wonderful news to share with you both.”
