Chapter 48
When Mu Qing suddenly made that request, Fifth Brother couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.
Even the worldly Steward Li looked a bit dumbfounded.
He glanced at Fifth Brother, his mouth opening slightly, as if about to exclaim “Fifth Master,” but Fifth Brother didn’t give him the chance.
He only paused for a brief moment before recovering and flashing Mu Qing his signature smile: “Since it’s Fourth Sister-in-law’s request, of course this little brother must obey… Mother has mentioned Fourth Sister-in-law often; I’m sure she’d very much like to see you again.”
Mu Qing had just breathed a quiet sigh of relief, about to offer thanks and follow up with a few more words, when unexpectedly, Liu Feng, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly sneered, “If I were you, I certainly wouldn’t do something so foolish.”
Now that was an interesting comment—enough to draw everyone’s attention.
Although… definitely not a pleasant one.
Luckily, Mu Qing was long used to this kind of behavior from him. She didn’t even flinch, let alone get angry—just calmly fixed her gaze on Liu Feng to see what kind of nonsense he’d spit out next.
But before Liu Feng could say anything more, Qin Qin burst out.
She had never been able to stand Liu Feng in the first place. After spending the whole day watching him make a big show with no results—leaving Mu Qing to do all the running around—her feelings of frustration had only grown stronger.
Even if she didn’t know what kind of personal connections Mu Qing had used, she could tell this wasn’t easy. Her gratitude and dependence on Mu Qing had grown deeper, and naturally, her dislike for Liu Feng grew stronger.
And on top of that, she’d been worrying about her father’s safety all day… They knew he’d been summoned by the Sage, but not what for. Although everyone here was trying to help, in the end, this was her father.
Her one and only close family.
When it came to her father’s life or death, it was only natural for Qin Qin to break down—she wasn’t some cold-blooded person. The bond between her and Elder Qin was deeper than she had even realized.
Under these circumstances, her losing it was perfectly normal.
Especially with Liu Feng continually presenting her with opportunities to explode—it was hard to know what to say about that. Maybe this was just the power of the original plot?
Even when it seemed like there was no way their relationship could develop into anything romantic, it still insisted on forcing them into a “bickering couple,” “love-hate relationship” direction. It was absurd.
Mu Qing silently grumbled about the “stubbornness” of this world, while watching Qin Qin square off against Liu Feng—her first words were sharp as a whip:
“Oh? So only the things you do aren’t foolish? From where I’m standing, you’re easily the most foolish one in this room.”
Qin Qin’s little mouth went off like a machine gun. Her barrage of words left Liu Feng utterly speechless, and even Mu Qing was briefly stunned.
Wow. Qin Qin’s grown up!
She actually knows how to argue now—amazing.
Mu Qing watched her with a glowing sense of pride… Was this the joy of raising someone?
She was genuinely delighted… though Elder Qin might not be so pleased to see this “personality shift” in his daughter.
As Mu Qing indulged in these silly thoughts, her eyes were filled with amusement.
After her outburst, Qin Qin suddenly realized what she’d said. But seeing Mu Qing’s expression, whatever embarrassment she’d felt was completely wiped away.
Liu Feng also came back to his senses. He looked at Qin Qin, then at Mu Qing, his expression tangled and complex. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, he didn’t fire back at Qin Qin.
Honestly, in terms of verbal sparring, ten Qin Qins wouldn’t be able to beat him.
In fact, no one present could really match him in that department. But some people didn’t want to fight, and others didn’t need to.
And yet, the person who lashed out at him had been the one least capable of arguing—Qin Qin. That made things awkward.
If he retorted now, it would be seen as lacking in class—and even someone like Liu Feng cared about certain things.
At this moment, what he cared about was clearly his image—especially in front of Fifth Brother.
Whatever their relationship or arrangement was, he clearly wanted to maintain a good impression in front of him.
At the very least, he didn’t want to appear like some street thug.
Qin Qin had gone all-in and picked a fight, and Liu Feng didn’t dare respond. That, in itself, was a small victory for her.
Everyone walked away happy.
Qin Qin’s first battle: won.
Liu Feng: successfully played the gentleman in front of Fifth Brother and Steward Li.
But none of it helped move things forward.
Mu Qing’s suggestion to visit her husband’s mother ended up going nowhere.
Because she realized—it really was too risky. If even her husband had entered the palace, then it was entirely possible his mother had too.
If that were the case, Fifth Brother’s immediate agreement became… interesting.
Mu Qing hesitated for a moment, then accepted Fifth Brother’s proposal—to go back and ask their mother for her thoughts, and reply to her later.
That single event made Mu Qing look at Fifth Brother in a new light.
He was still so young, yet already had such a well-rounded and diplomatic personality. She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of woman his mother must be.
Mu Qing drifted into her thoughts for a bit, and before long, it was time to leave.
Steward Li, being from the palace, had a fixed curfew. He took his leave quickly and disappeared without a trace.
The four remaining students of White Crane Academy also had to head back.
Mu Qing and Qin Qin had come out with Liu Feng—on the pretense of accompanying him to the medical hall.
After all, the bruises on his face hadn’t completely faded. They still looked quite alarming.
Even though his injuries had improved, no one would stop him from going out—since the teachers mostly focused on teaching and held no administrative duties. The only one who did… was currently detained in the palace.
Of course, they couldn’t just skip class with no excuse.
Skipping openly would result in punishment. Mu Qing couldn’t help but admire Liu Feng for managing this little escape.
He had many flaws, yes—but one couldn’t deny his resourcefulness.
He always managed to come up with quick solutions. Even if they were half-baked, they usually got the job done. Most people didn’t have that.
It was thanks to Liu Feng’s impromptu excuse—“getting his injuries checked”—that Mu Qing and Qin Qin were able to slip out. Truly, “seeing a doctor” was the ultimate excuse across time and space.
Still, despite the elaborate plan, they hadn’t gotten the results they’d hoped for.
Qin Qin remained anxious about her father, and seeing that, Fifth Brother was moved with compassion. He couldn’t help but offer comfort: “Though there’s no news yet, we’ve already asked Steward Li to investigate. If he doesn’t know, he can find someone who does… Brother Qin, please don’t be so disheartened. Take care of your health.”
Hearing this, Mu Qing suddenly felt something was… off—why did that sound a little like tender affection?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she heard Liu Feng snort impatiently beside her. He turned to her and said, “Qing Sister, my face hurts. Come with me to the medical hall.”
He said it so naturally, as if Mu Qing owed it to him.
Mu Qing paused, just about to reject him, when he lowered his voice and added, “Come with me—I have something else to say to you.”
When she still hesitated, he sneered, “What, are you that scared of me? Fine, don’t come. Whatever. A dying man’s business has nothing to do with me.”
There was clear subtext in his words. Maybe he was being mysterious again. Either way, Mu Qing felt it was worth a try.
Besides, there wasn’t much he could pull in public—not if he was broadcasting like this.
Mu Qing weighed the risks, then glanced over to see Fifth Brother and Qin Qin talking quite happily.
She remembered Qin Qin confiding in her earlier—she seemed to have a crush on this Fifth Brother. If she stayed with him a bit longer, maybe he’d open up and offer new clues.
It was worth a shot.
With that, Mu Qing quickly made her decision.
She gave Qin Qin a few instructions and entrusted her to Fifth Brother, reminding them to “head back properly.” Then she turned to follow Liu Feng to the medical hall.
It was an easy excuse.
“Since we used the medical excuse to get out, we can’t go back empty-handed. I’ll just accompany him for a quick trip—it’s no trouble.”
Reassured by Mu Qing’s smile and calming words, Qin Qin reluctantly agreed. Mu Qing then followed Liu Feng onto another street, toward a supposed medical clinic.
But both she and Liu Feng knew—that wasn’t the real destination.
They simply kept up the pretense, not wanting to reveal anything in front of the other two.
Sure enough, once the pair was out of sight and nearing an empty alley, Liu Feng suddenly picked up speed, rushing ahead to cut Mu Qing off.
He turned around and cornered her against a wall, slamming a hand beside her head—classic “wall slam.”
“Qing Sister… Ah Qing… you’re really bold, following me like this. Aren’t you afraid I might…”
His gaze turned suggestive, his actions more brazen, but Mu Qing remained perfectly calm.
Watching this half-sincere, half-acted display of roguery, she finally spoke—just as his hand was about to touch her:
“If I were you, I certainly wouldn’t do something so foolish.”
The exact same words he’d said to her earlier—thrown right back at him. Extremely satisfying.
Liu Feng froze, then suddenly laughed. “Am I to take that as you teasing me, Ah Qing?”
This time, Mu Qing didn’t reply. She just looked at him with a trace of pity in her eyes. And in the next moment, a shadow flashed before her.
Liu Feng barely had time to cry out before he was sent flying.
In the blink of an eye, the person standing before her had changed.
And he looked… a little unhappy.
Mu Qing let out a sigh, stepped forward, and grabbed his hand, playfully flattering, “So strong~”
She had been planning to butter him up a bit more—but to her surprise, the familiar, handsome face only darkened further.
That… didn’t feel right.
Mu Qing grew more uneasy and cautiously asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen…”
Before she could finish her sentence, he sighed and pulled her into his arms.
Mu Qing froze.
Wait, what…?
Was this her husband?
He wasn’t… possessed by something, was he?
While she stood there dazed, her husband still awkwardly held her without letting go.
And at that moment, a teasing laugh rang out nearby, followed by a soft, coquettish voice: “Oh my, are we just going to hug all day? Keep it up and we won’t get anything done today.”
