Chapter 44
When Liu Feng uttered those words, both Mu Qing and Qin Qin felt as though they’d been struck by lightning.
Mu Qing was still relatively composed—after all, she’d had more than a few dealings with this man before, and was more or less accustomed to Liu Feng’s shameless behavior. But Qin Qin was a different story entirely.
She had only met Liu Feng earlier this month, and even then, they’d only exchanged a few words. The two of them had never gotten along, and now, at her most vulnerable, his sudden appearance only provoked her further.
Especially since she had just spoken poorly of him. Liu Feng choosing to “appear” at this very moment meant he had walked straight into her line of fire.
Qin Qin immediately exploded: “Shameless scoundrel! This is the inner courtyard of the academy, reserved for family members—outsiders are not permitted to enter. How did you get in?”
Liu Feng coldly replied, “The same way my cousin got in.”
There was a flagrant disregard in his tone.
It was clear he no longer intended to play along with Mu Qing’s performance, instead directly exposing her identity.
And judging by his tone, it was also obvious he already knew Qin Qin’s true identity.
This must have been what gave him the confidence to strut in here and run his mouth.
From what Mu Qing knew of him, she was sure this was not the full extent of it—his demeanor was far too confident, carrying the air of someone who came with ill intent.
Qin Qin’s face flushed red with anger, but she was at a loss for words once again—clearly revealing the flaw of being too well-raised to argue or curse.
Mu Qing, though equally furious, didn’t show it on her face. Instead, she responded with a cold smirk: “How could I possibly forget my cousin-in-law? Cousin Hong just visited the other day, repeatedly urging me to keep a close eye on her husband—reminding me again and again to make sure he focused on his studies and stopped visiting old neighbors’ daughters.”
Liu Feng clearly hadn’t expected Mu Qing, who usually couldn’t be bothered to talk to him, to speak so much this time—and every word hit where it hurt. Her tone was scathing, and her expression full of disdain. It clearly struck a nerve.
But as the protagonist of this book, Liu Feng had long been hardened by years as an orphan, developing a keen ability to read the room. A few mocking remarks meant nothing to him—he could even smile in the face of open insults.
Whether or not he held a grudge, though—that was a certainty.
Mu Qing knew this well.
But she had no intention of holding back anymore.
Previously, Mu Qing had believed that as long as she kept her distance from Liu Feng, avoided marrying him, and stayed out of his storyline, she’d be safe.
She hadn’t expected Liu AoTian to leverage the plot’s favoritism and take a roundabout route—still ending up as a live-in son-in-law, just under a different roof.
Not only was he a son-in-law, he was mooching off his wife with impressive shamelessness.
Thick-skinned to this extent—well, that was its own kind of power.
Mu Qing internally mocked him while outwardly maintaining a calm expression, watching Liu Feng’s forced composure as he struggled to suppress his anger with a forced smile.
The more miserable he looked, the more satisfied she felt.
Since she was already cast in the unfortunate role of the “original wife”—if not her, then her cousin—then might as well go all in.
What was there to fear? She was still his cousin-in-law. He couldn’t afford to be disrespectful to her.
And Mu Qing had a hunch that this wasn’t over. If Liu Feng were just some brainless villain, then even with all the plot’s “cheat codes,” his achievements would be limited.
What made him truly dangerous was his ability to read people and endure more than most. That kind of person was terrifying.
If not for his compulsive need to collect women—especially the type who rejected him—and his serial womanizing habits, if he had focused on the imperial exams and his career, his potential might have exceeded the novel’s own description.
On closer inspection, other men conquered the world and won the women; he, on the other hand, conquered women to conquer the world. From a penniless scholar, he rose step by step: marrying a wealthy heiress, entering the top academy, passing the exams, becoming a top-ranked scholar, and landing a post at the Court of Judicial Review…
Every step of the way, rather than relying on his own ability, he leaned on the influential women he met.
Whether it was the original novel’s Mu Qing, Qin Qin the academy master’s daughter, Madam Yanran of the brothel, or the many other women who appeared later on—each was more than just a pretty face.
They were all useful.
Take them away, and what was left of Liu Feng?
Not nothing, perhaps, but certainly no longer someone who could keep up his “devil-may-care” persona.
After suffering three successive defeats at the hands of Mu Qing, Qin Qin, and Madam Yanran, he was finally making moves.
Though the results were meager, it was still notable.
Unfortunately for him, they were of no use to Mu Qing.
After hearing her pointed remarks, Liu Feng realized she wasn’t someone easily dealt with.
So he restrained his rage and indignation—he had always known Mu Qing looked down on him, but never understood why.
From his perspective, perhaps he could only assume she, the daughter of a wealthy Jiangnan merchant, disdained his humble origins.
That wasn’t the real reason.
But Mu Qing had no intention of clarifying—whether it was because he was poor or because he was a womanizer, it made no difference. They were never going to be friends.
Mutual dislike was already the best-case scenario.
One look at Liu Feng’s face, and Mu Qing knew he was already plotting in his mind, stewing over how to get revenge someday.
His kind of thinking was just too easy to read.
Mu Qing found it both disgusting and ridiculous.
But she couldn’t be bothered anymore.
After putting on a show and delivering a few lines, Liu Feng finally dropped the act and got to the point.
“I have an old acquaintance who has connections in the palace. If you’re worried about the Academy Master’s safety, I could ask him to look into it…”
He paused dramatically here and looked at both Mu Qing and Qin Qin.
Unfortunately for him, neither showed the reaction he was hoping for.
So his “X factor” moment fell flat.
Still, being the indomitable Dragon-AoTian, he wasn’t rattled. A minor setback was just a bump in the road. You couldn’t embarrass someone like him that easily.
Even with both Mu Qing and Qin Qin giving him the cold shoulder, he smiled and continued on as if nothing had happened:
“Don’t underestimate it—this friend of mine is highly valued in the palace. Even His Majesty favors him, and the princes respectfully address him as Chief Steward Li.”
His boasting was so extravagant—and so clearly tailored to the palace matter involving the Academy Master—that Qin Qin began to waver. After all, this was her father. And as the saying goes, “love makes one blind.” In her current panicked state, it was easy for someone to exploit that weakness.
Mu Qing had been watching her closely and noticed the shift. She gently took Qin Qin’s hand and gave it a small shake.
When Qin Qin anxiously tried to say something, Mu Qing gave her a calming pat and then turned to Liu Feng, her tone icy:
“So, Cousin-in-law, are you here to help, or are you just here to enjoy the show?”
She didn’t beat around the bush.
Liu Feng, unable to keep up the charade any longer, could only respond, “Of course I’m here to help.”
Mu Qing smiled slightly and clapped her hands. “That’s all I wanted to hear. I never knew Cousin-in-law was such a chivalrous and warm-hearted man… It seems I’ll have to start seeing you in a new light.”
Her words were part sincere, part sarcastic.
Then she requested that he arrange an introduction to this “friend,” making sure that Qin Qin never had to open her mouth.
If Qin Qin had been the one to speak up, it would’ve meant she was personally asking for help to save her father.
And if Liu Feng actually managed to help, it could quickly spiral into one of those “I owe you my life, I can only repay you with my heart” situations.
If Liu Feng were truly a man of integrity, it wouldn’t be a problem. But Mu Qing knew exactly what kind of person he was.
If Qin Qin ever owed him a favor like this, he would definitely find a way to manipulate her, take advantage, humiliate her, and then discard her.
As things stood, thanks to Mu Qing, Qin Qin had already treated Liu Feng with indifference—far beyond what a “bickering romance” could recover from.
If he did manage to get his hands on her now, her fate would probably be even worse than in the original story.
Mu Qing couldn’t allow that to happen.
Thankfully, with her around, Liu Feng’s schemes didn’t always go smoothly.
Though this would undoubtedly raise his hostility toward her, it was already sky-high anyway. A little more wouldn’t matter.
With that mindset, Mu Qing engaged in a brief verbal sparring match with Liu Feng—not a total victory, but enough to make him suffer.
In the end, he had no choice but to agree to take them to meet this so-called friend.
There was no time to waste—they set out immediately.
The meeting place?
Of course—it was once again Xinghualou.
But Mu Qing never expected that this so-called “friend” would turn out to be… another familiar face.
