Chapter 36 – Confession: Everything, From Beginning to End
To be honest, when Mu Qing suddenly heard her husband ask such a question, she was genuinely a little surprised.
After all, in her impression, her husband wasn’t someone who cared about such things.
They weren’t a real married couple, and Mu Qing understood that under such circumstances, it was best to keep some boundaries between them when they interacted.
Therefore, matters like who he spoke to and what he said—it wasn’t her place to ask, and she’d never thought to interfere.
She hadn’t expected that her husband would actually take the initiative to bring up this topic.
For a moment, she found it a bit awkward to respond.
Normally, in such situations, she would simply brush it off with a laugh and change the subject—so long as they didn’t dig too deep and just kept things peaceful on the surface, they could pretend nothing had happened.
Her husband was a smart man. Usually, he would cooperate with her and play along, and the two of them had managed to spend the better part of six months living together as “respectful guests under one roof.”
But this time, he didn’t go along with the usual act.
Instead, he pressed again with quiet insistence, “You really don’t want to know?”
Mu Qing paused, then replied honestly, “If husband doesn’t wish to say, I actually…”
“What if I do want to say it?”
“…”
With the conversation reaching this point, it seemed she had no choice but to give a clear answer.
She didn’t know why her husband was suddenly being so firm, but Mu Qing had never been one to make him lose face in public.
Besides, they were headed back to Baihe Academy anyway, and would still be sharing a room. If he wanted to talk more, they could do it there.
This entire afternoon had already been emotionally exhausting.
She didn’t think she could take any more surprises—not that she was trying to run away from any frightening truth, of course.
With that thought, Mu Qing decided to end the day’s adventures and tugged her husband along to head back.
Unexpectedly, the return journey went smoothly.
Though Mu Qing remained on high alert the whole way, wary of any potential complications—after all, they had just dealt with a brothel madam like Miss Yan Ran, who likely had underworld connections, so encountering trouble now wouldn’t have been surprising.
But in the end, absolutely nothing happened. Everything was calm and uneventful as they returned to Baihe Academy.
Of course, after an entire afternoon of investigation, chasing leads, encounters, and conversations, it was fully dark by the time they made it back.
The academy grounds were quiet, only a few “Windless” lanterns swaying gently under the eaves, casting dim pools of light.
Under such conditions, sneaking back in without drawing attention would be nearly impossible for someone like Mu Qing, who had terrible athletic coordination.
When was the last time she climbed anything? Six or seven years old?
Faced with this looming challenge, Mu Qing frowned—when suddenly, her hand was grabbed.
Again?
Mu Qing sighed internally and turned to look at her husband, but before she could say a word, her whole body lifted off the ground.
He had picked her up completely.
Not only that—he leapt directly off the ground with her in his arms, toes brushing lightly against the wall surface, and like a great bird, soared over the academy wall and landed softly beneath it.
The movement was swift, clean, and soundless. He didn’t stir a single leaf or stone when he landed.
What did startle, however, was a passing cat on the wall, which froze, gave them one look, then darted away in terror.
Realizing just how physically close they were, Mu Qing’s face flushed bright red.
She instinctively struggled to get down, but her husband held her tighter.
“Don’t move—if someone sees us, it’ll be bad.”
He murmured close to her ear as he adjusted his grip.
In the dim moonlight and flickering lantern glow, Mu Qing couldn’t make out his expression, but she felt like he wasn’t very pleased, so she stopped resisting. Feeling awkward, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stayed still like a lifeless doll.
Seeing that she was finally cooperating, her husband seemed satisfied and carried her onward.
And so, Mu Qing was carried all the way back to their room.
Their courtyard was deep within Baihe Academy, not far from Qin Qin’s quarters.
As they passed by, Mu Qing noticed the lights in Qin Qin’s place were already out and let out a breath of relief. Usually, her cousin studied late into the night.
She must’ve been shaken today, so even studying didn’t appeal to her.
Thank goodness for that.
Otherwise, if the girl had suddenly felt inspired and come over to chat, it really would’ve been a disaster.
Even though today was still a rest day, according to academy rules, everyone had to stay in their rooms after dark. If it was discovered that she and her husband had left without permission, it would be a serious infraction.
Worst case, they could be expelled.
Whether or not she stayed in school didn’t matter to her. But she couldn’t drag others down.
Her husband—whatever mysterious background he had—clearly benefitted from more study. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have tolerated all this drama to stick around.
Even if he chose to stop, her younger brother was still enrolled.
Her brother was now studying directly under the dean, and when she’d chatted with him during the break, he seemed like a whole new person.
A little bittersweet with that “elder sister as substitute parent” feeling, but mostly she felt proud—“My little brother is growing up.”
He was so talented and had such a bright future. Even if she couldn’t help him much, the least she could do was not hold him back.
Thinking of all this, Mu Qing really felt like this was a mistake—“One wrong step, a lifetime of regret.”
She never should’ve come to Baihe Academy. Now she was in too deep to get out.
As she was lost in her chaotic thoughts, she didn’t even notice her husband had carried her all the way inside, through the rooms, and placed her gently on the bed.
The moment she landed, she flailed like a fish tossed into hot oil, flipping over to get off the bed—only to realize her husband had already turned and left.
…Huh?
Mu Qing froze.
But then she saw him return—with her washing things in hand.
That was usually what Bingtang and Xueli handled for her.
But when she entered the academy, she’d tearfully bid farewell to her two maidservants and come alone.
And from the very first day, her husband had taken over these chores.
Without realizing it, an entire month had passed, and she’d gotten used to it. It felt natural.
Which was kind of scary.
She quickly got off the bed and respectfully thanked him.
He didn’t respond, just turned and left again, and she could only wash up with a sigh.
The autumn chill had set in. She took a brisk bath, quickly dried herself, and dove under the covers.
After such a long day, she should’ve been dead tired, and yet—she couldn’t sleep.
Though exhausted, sleep wouldn’t come. She tossed and turned.
She was just considering giving up and getting up to find her husband and talk, when suddenly, the bedroom door opened softly. A shadow flickered at her bedside.
It was her husband.
He didn’t say a word, just lifted the blanket and lay down beside her. Under her wide-eyed stare, he calmly said, “I have something I want to talk to you about.”
Mu Qing stared at him blankly, and it took her a while to find her voice. “May I ask what husband wishes to discuss?”
He smiled faintly, his expression glowing in the dim moonlight. “Everything. From beginning to end, let’s just talk it all through.”
With the conversation pushed to this point, Mu Qing had no choice but to keep him company.
What she didn’t expect was that her husband would really tell her everything.
He practically laid out his entire life story.
From how he came to be raised by Madam Feng at Baixiang Pavilion, to the truth behind Miss Yan Ran’s background, and even why he had gone to Linqing—he covered it all.
Only his relationship with that powerful stepmother was briefly mentioned, and when it came to his mysterious, distant noble family, he didn’t say much.
About that, he said candidly, “It’s not that I can’t tell you, but rather, it’s not the right time yet. Perhaps by year’s end—if things move quickly, then even before that—you’ll know everything.”
Mu Qing listened with curiosity and sympathy. She didn’t insist on answers. But she could tell that when her husband spoke of that matter, his tone was resolute—as if a major decision had just been made.
Though he looked like a cool and aloof god, he actually had a lot to say. And surprisingly, his story was genuinely interesting—mostly because it really was dramatic.
To be born into a prestigious clan—though unnamed—and then grow up in a brothel.
Orphaned young, raised by his mother’s old friend. That Madam Feng from Baixiang Pavilion must’ve been someone with a story too. Mu Qing couldn’t help wondering about her connection to his father…
As her thoughts drifted, she kept half an ear on his words, but eventually, her energy ran low.
By the time he reached the end, she was drowsy, still nodding occasionally, but hardly hearing a thing.
And so, when the room finally fell quiet, she finally let herself drift into sleep. In a haze, she seemed to hear him sigh and murmur, “Then I’ll take that as your agreement.”
Half-asleep, she tried to ask “Agree to what?”—but her eyes just wouldn’t open, and she slipped into deep slumber.
The next morning, she was jolted awake by Qin Qin pounding on the door.
Scrambling out of bed, Mu Qing rushed through her morning routine to get to class on time—only to realize, to her surprise, that her husband was already gone.
