Chapter 55
When Mu Qing asked, the man didn’t answer directly but simply smiled and said, “It was nothing, no need to mention it. Miss, you need not concern yourself. Since you are unharmed, I’ll take my leave.” He turned to leave as soon as he finished speaking, without a hint of lingering or any attempt to strike up a conversation.
This left Mu Qing slightly confused—after all, this wasn’t the first time she had found herself in such a situation, and without exception, those men would always try to flirt or make conversation.
After all, her character in the original novel was a very popular beauty.
As the main wife of the Dragon-Ao-Tian-type male lead Liu Feng, she was dignified and stunning, as rich and grand as a peony, a first-class beauty. Her character was a mix of delicate charm at home and capable wisdom after marriage, managing the household with grace and skill. In short, all the traditional virtues of a classic beauty could be found in her.
Under such a setting, if she went out alone and wasn’t approached by at least one sleazy scoundrel, it would practically break the laws of the genre.
Previously, Mu Qing was always accompanied by her maids Bing Tang and Xue Li, along with the mature and steady old servants assigned by her father Master Mu and her older brother Mu Hai. These people effectively kept those flies away.
Of course, just because Mu Qing didn’t interact with them didn’t mean she was unaware. Almost every time they went out, Bing Tang would sneakily gather gossip and then come back to parrot the ridiculous antics of those men like jokes for Mu Qing’s amusement.
Although Xue Li often half-jokingly scolded her for bringing up such indecent nonsense and “tainting the young miss’s ears,” neither Bing Tang nor Mu Qing took it seriously and continued their “incorrigible” behavior. Eventually, Xue Li gave up trying to stop them.
However, Xue Li herself would never talk about such things—not only would she not mention them, she avoided the topic like the plague, even to the point of wanting to hide Mu Qing away completely. That was also how Mu Qing came to understand that, if Xue Li ever acted abnormally, it meant some lecherous fool had appeared again.
In short, Mu Qing had seen many such scenes before. Not only were her maids experienced in handling this sort of situation, Mu Qing herself had some tricks up her sleeve.
She had even mentally prepared for how to politely and firmly reject any attempts at flirting from this “rescuer.”
But unexpectedly, the man had no such intentions at all.
That was… a little awkward.
Mu Qing silently relaxed her tense nerves and tried to act as though nothing had happened. At the same time, she also found that this man’s actual personality seemed quite different from the impression he gave at first glance—
Normally, in such a desolate, secluded place, upon encountering a lone woman who had just faced danger—even without the added beauty of a top-tier supporting female character from a novel—wouldn’t any ordinary man at least ask, “Miss, where is your home? Are your maids or servants nearby? Would you like me to escort you back?”
From the looks of him, he seemed like a polite and gentle gentleman type. So why wouldn’t he even follow this basic script?
Truly not playing by the book.
And she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but ever since she first laid eyes on him, something felt… off. Not because of his looks, of course.
Although, to be fair, his looks were flawless—otherwise, she wouldn’t have immediately thought of her husband. After all, not just any man could be mentioned in the same breath as her husband when it came to appearance.
It was true that she’d been surrounded by high-quality men for some time, including the original novel’s male lead, Liu Feng—the ultimate Dragon-Ao-Tian harem king. In terms of looks alone, he was indeed excellent.
Just like how the novel described the female characters as coming in various styles of beauty, the men Mu Qing had met recently were each attractive in their own way. Every one of them could be considered a handsome man on his own.
In that sense, the original author of the novel was quite something. They’d clearly taken the time to design each character’s appearance, leading to a world where the average attractiveness was ridiculously high.
Of course, none of them compared to her husband. His beauty was truly at the level of a god among men.
Before, Mu Qing hadn’t known much about his background, but after hearing his heartfelt confession yesterday in that rundown courtyard in a back alley of Tongzhou, things had changed.
Her husband had told her everything about his past, and especially when she saw the portrait of his late mother kept in that bedroom, she finally understood where his devastating beauty came from.
From that faded, curling portrait, it was clear that at least eighty percent of his appearance came from his tragically short-lived mother.
This poor Miss Han, daughter of a scholar-official, wasn’t just breathtakingly beautiful, but her aura was also unmatched—one in a million.
Mu Qing had always thought that Qin Qin was the pinnacle of human beauty, but after seeing the portrait of her husband’s mother, she truly grasped the meaning of “otherworldly” and “heart-wrenching,” and also came to understand the phrase “beautiful women meet tragic fates.”
Although her husband only briefly described his mother’s life in a few words, Mu Qing could still feel the tragedy of it all—such a beauty, treated so poorly, ending up in that miserable state and dying tragically. It was heartbreaking.
Perhaps this was why her features seemed to carry a faint sadness and melancholy.
It made the portrait even more moving. One couldn’t even focus on her features, being instantly drawn in by the subtle sorrow between her brows.
And when you did focus on her features, not a single one was lacking—truly a stunning woman.
A stunning woman with a tragic past.
That only made her more unforgettable. As the saying goes, “longing for what one cannot have”—this must be exactly that feeling.
From the moment Mu Qing saw that portrait, she knew she’d never forget those eyes.
And her husband’s eyes were exactly the same as his mother’s… which explained why his beauty could be so piercing.
Even after half a year of seeing him day and night—especially the past month when they’d been together constantly—she still wasn’t immune to his looks. Aesthetic fatigue? That didn’t exist.
If you get tired, it’s only because they’re not beautiful enough. But someone like her husband? A hundred glances wouldn’t be enough. There was always something new to admire.
That kind of beauty could even make a woman like Mu Qing, who proudly claimed to be a heartless money-making machine, pause in her tracks and feel like she was in a romantic dream.
Of course, in the end, she still reined herself in.
Otherwise, if she were the one to break the terms of the contract she proposed… how humiliating would that be? What would happen to the Mu family’s business reputation?
Such was the power of her husband’s beauty.
But now, after all these months, she had actually met someone whose looks could match her husband’s… Well, saying they were equals might be a bit of a stretch.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and she still thought her husband was more handsome. But objectively speaking, this unfamiliar man’s appearance and demeanor were indeed enough to rival her husband’s.
His beauty didn’t carry sharp edges, but that only made it more dangerous. Mu Qing couldn’t explain it, but her instincts told her: don’t get involved with this man if you can help it.
After a moment’s thought, she called out to him again, politely gave her name, offered her thanks, and gave the proper farewells.
Even if “great kindness need not be repaid,” Mu Qing believed that whether someone asked for something in return was their business, but expressing gratitude and offering repayment was the right attitude of someone who had received help.
Whether or not this man accepted it, her attitude had to be proper.
Mu Qing’s actions clearly caught the man a little off guard.
He gave her a curious glance and suddenly said something rather odd: “No wonder…”
He paused, didn’t finish his sentence, just smiled and nodded, then turned and walked away.
Leaving Mu Qing standing alone, staring at the wrecked carriage and wondering where the horses had gone.
Since she had gotten up so early today, it was still quite early in the morning.
Which meant this was some unknown wilderness, with not a soul in sight.
In other words…
She was truly all alone in the middle of nowhere… That was a little tragic.
Also, was this place really safe?
What if bandits or robbers suddenly appeared?
And just as the thought crossed her mind—
The very thing she feared came true.
She suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from the dense woods nearby.
She instinctively crouched down, trying to use the broken carriage as a makeshift hiding place—it wasn’t much, but at least it gave her some psychological comfort.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she prayed she was just imagining things.
Unfortunately, a moment later, a group of people burst out of the thicket.
At the front was a brawny man who looked to be middle-aged, followed by about a dozen others. Their clothes were ragged, and their faces bore vicious expressions. If they weren’t bandits, then what were they?
