Hearing the peerlessly beautiful girl before him speak like a common ruffian, Young Master Jun’s mind instantly short-circuited: Is this really the gentle and lovely Miao Xiaomiao from just a moment ago? Who exactly is she? She’s too ferocious!
In that instant, Young Master Jun vaguely felt as if he had been transformed into an innocent maiden, facing a bandit chief brandishing a broadsword, who was unscrupulously dominating him and decreeing his fate as his own property…
“This world is truly wondrous,” Young Master Jun murmured with a wry smile, rubbing his nose. He realized that ever since arriving at the Misty Illusory Mansion, the frequency with which he rubbed his nose had increased unusually often…
“It’s getting late… We really should be going…”
Jun Mo Xie cast a pitying glance at the still-unconscious man in black. A pool of blood had already formed beneath the fellow, and wounds entering and exiting meant the injury was certainly not light.
“Truly knocked out… He hasn’t woken up for this long… Even a single moan during this time would have allowed me an easy out… But doesn’t that scoundrel even feel pain?”
Jun Mo Xie was genuinely helpless. It seemed Miao Xiaomiao had completely forgotten this crucial witness. If they waited for her to remember him voluntarily, the man would probably have bled to death by then…
With a subtle flick of his finger, a gentle surge of vital energy sealed the slow-bleeding wound on the masked man’s body. If the bleeding continued, this man would certainly not survive…
“Hmph,” Miao Xiaomiao whispered quietly, still covering her face, “Where are we going?” She then suddenly jumped up, exclaiming, “Oh dear, it’s already so late… If I don’t get back now, my family will worry…”
“Yes, yes, you should hurry back…” Young Master Jun replied eagerly, a profound sense of relief washing over him. His words flowed out smoothly, carrying a distinct eagerness.
Miao Xiaomiao abruptly stood up, fixing Jun Mo Xie with a glare from her large eyes, her expression surprisingly sulky and unfriendly. Jun Mo Xie was baffled and instinctively looked down at himself where her eyes had landed.
“You’re that eager for me to leave? Then I deliberately won’t go!” Miao Xiaomiao retorted with an obstinate roll of her eyes.
“Uh, well… I was wrong…” Young Master Jun felt his head swelling to the size of a bushel basket…
“I will forgive you if you answer one question for me.” Miao Xiaomiao was exceptionally sharp and knew this was not the time for coquetry. “About that upper couplet competition today—did you really not manage to respond before? The more I think about it now, the more it seems like a deliberate trap you set? While that couplet was certainly a profound one, once the key was found, even if one couldn’t match its magnificent grandeur, achieving neatness wouldn’t be that difficult! The only real hurdle was the extremely short time limit, forcing haste!”
“Ha,” recalling how Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu had shot themselves in the foot with their cleverness, Jun Mo Xie felt a surge of amusement. “Miss Miao is truly insightful. That’s exactly what happened. That couplet was merely context-specific, hardly an eternal masterpiece; in essence, it was quite shallow… Even if one couldn't answer immediately, given the time, an answer should have been found. Only those two fools from the Zhan family would think I genuinely couldn't match it…” He added, “Actually, those two Zhan brothers were quite dense; they walked right into the trap you laid in the previous round…”
Miao Xiaomiao’s eyes widened. “But you say that couplet was shallow at its core? That’s a rather bold statement. The upper line was magnificent and grand, brimming with unrestrained arrogance. If merely matching it neatly wasn't difficult, then matching that grandeur would be as hard as climbing to heaven. How could it be shallow?” As she spoke, Miao Xiaomiao softly recited, “Heaven forms the chessboard, the stars form the pieces; who dares to play? This upper line is truly superb. But your lower line was also brilliant: Earth forms the Pipa, the road forms the strings; which one dares to pluck? Haha…”
“It’s the same sentiment: once the core is understood, matching this upper line isn’t difficult… Furthermore, there isn't just one possible lower line.” Jun Mo Xie rubbed his nose again, thinking he was developing rhinitis…
“Not just one?” Miao Xiaomiao’s eyes widened further. “I thought about it for a long time, and not a single line could properly match that upper verse. Could it be that you composed several?”
“For instance… Thunder forms the war drums, lightning forms the banners; who dares to fight?” Jun Mo Xie smiled lightly. “This lower line truly possesses grandeur, showing utter disdain for all sentient beings!”
“Thunder forms the war drums, lightning forms the banners! Brilliant! Truly brilliant!” Miao Xiaomiao murmured the line softly, her gaze growing brighter, and the look she gave Jun Mo Xie became increasingly filled with tenderness. “Jun… your talent is truly…” Jun Mo Xie broke out in a cold sweat… This was also plagiarized; frankly, he didn't possess the actual literary skill to compose that…
“Oh no, Little Bean Sprout is still over there! I paralyzed her acupuncture points just now.” Miao Xiaomiao suddenly remembered, cried out in alarm, rushed over, gathered up Little Bean Sprout, removed her invisibility cloak, and unblocked the girl's pressure points.
The young girl opened her eyes and immediately shouted, “Miss is in danger, don’t go!” Her consciousness was clearly still fixed on the moment Miao Xiaomiao had rushed out… Opening her large, round eyes, she stared at Jun Mo Xie and Miao Xiaomiao before her, freezing in place. After a long moment, she shook her little head and asked adorably, “Miss, and Young Master Mo, how… how are you still alive? What… what is happening? Am I dreaming?”
The two of them burst out laughing.
“It’s getting late; you two should head back soon,” Jun Mo Xie said with a smile. “There will be plenty of time later; why rush this moment?”
“Yes… there will be plenty of time later…” Miao Xiaomiao’s eyes softened as she looked deeply at Jun Mo Xie. “Then… I’ll be going…”
“Mm,” Jun Mo Xie nodded.
Little Bean Sprout finally noticed that Miao Xiaomiao was holding her own face veil in her hands, causing her to gasp in shock, which quickly turned into delighted surprise. “Miss… you… you… congratulations, your wish has been fulfilled…”
“What wish fulfilled… you little imp, what nonsense are you spouting,” Miao Xiaomiao instantly flushed crimson, gently pinching Little Bean Sprout’s cheek in a feigned show of anger.
Having said that, she instructed Little Bean Sprout to drag the unconscious man in black across the ground and turned to Jun Mo Xie. “Jun… you still owe me the score for the ‘Lament for Burial Flowers.’ I’ll come find you tomorrow to get it. Don’t dare stand me up.” Jun Mo Xie agreed with a wry smile.
He saw a flash of white before his eyes, and a strip of white gauze, like mist, drifted into his view. Jun Mo Xie instinctively reached out and caught it, just as he heard Miao Xiaomiao’s voice, brimming with shyness, drift from afar: “This… you took it off, so it belongs to you…” In the distance, the figures of Miao Xiaomiao and Little Bean Sprout were already reduced to two tiny black specks.
Jun Mo Xie sighed wryly, thinking, How did I take it off? You took it off yourself… But holding the piece of white gauze, his heart was thrown into turmoil. The gauze lay softly in his hand, its delicate touch almost intoxicatingly sensual… A faint, fresh scent of a woman’s body emanated from the fabric—the very fragrance of Miao Xiaomiao…
Jun Mo Xie let out a breath, wondering how he would ever settle this emotional debt. After a moment of contemplation, he tucked the gauze into his robes, then activated the Yin-Yang Evasion technique, silently pursuing the direction in which Miao Xiaomiao had departed.
This place was still desolate wilderness. The mistress and servant were just two women. Although Miao Xiaomiao’s cultivation was considerable, there were too many prying eyes in this area, and many who possessed profound skills; unforeseen incidents were inevitable. Caution was the best course…
From a distance, he saw Miao Xiaomiao and Little Bean Sprout moving forward lightly. Faintly, he could hear snippets of their conversation: ‘…Miss, …you are truly amazing. That Young Master Mo Junye seems to have been captured by you…’
“Captured? You little girl, you don’t know how to speak…”
“..Miss, how exactly did you do it? Young Master Mo is both smart and honest, and incredibly talented, with the potential of an Ethereal Physique. His future is boundless… He’s an ideal husband candidate…” Little Bean Sprout’s words almost made the invisible Young Master Jun stumble: Heavens, someone actually calls me smart and honest… What an exaggerated assessment…
“…” After a long pause, Miao Xiaomiao’s voice sounded again: “What I value… isn't his future… it’s… him as a person…”
“Exactly. Young Master Mo is good in every way, except his looks are a little too plain. That’s the only thing that doesn’t match Miss, but no one is perfect…” Little Bean Sprout’s words made Jun Mo Xie stagger again. “Nonsense! How is Young Master Mo plain? I think he’s quite handsome…” Miao Xiaomiao’s voice was anxious; judging by her tone, her face must have been bright red…
“Fine, fine… I won’t say anything more. But how will you explain this matter to the Master? This seems difficult to broach, even if Young Master Mo has an extraordinary background, even…” Little Bean Sprout’s voice turned worried.
“Sigh… we’ll take it one step at a time…”
Following Miao Xiaomiao’s sigh, the mistress and servant floated into a grand estate. On the golden plaque above the main gate, two characters were inscribed majestically: Miao Residence!
Jun Mo Xie stopped abruptly, staring fixedly at the gate of the most powerful family in the Illusory Mansion. His heart felt heavy, and his mind went completely blank for a moment…
What should I do? And what about you?
If there is a future… then how should I be? And how should you be?
Standing beneath that brilliant, starry sky, Young Master Jun’s thoughts churned relentlessly, impossible to sort out. For the first time in his two lives, he was utterly unsure of how to conduct himself!
Such tumultuous thoughts were unprecedented for him. In his previous life, he drank lavishly and frequented pleasure houses, roaming through crowds of women without ever letting a single leaf stick to him. Although it was all pretense and mere necessity, lacking true emotional connection, it also meant fewer worries.
As for this current life, living in such a feudal society, it was a man’s paradise. For a man, especially a successful one, having three wives and four concubines was considered natural, and even women accepted this concept deep down. If your wives were few, it only meant you lacked ability, or you were firmly controlled by the tigress at home; otherwise, the more the better. Take Young Master Jun’s current mother, Dongfang Wenxin, who lived in harmony with her husband, Jun Wuhui, but required her son to marry several wives and father numerous sons and daughters… (To be continued. For the next developments, please visit Qidian.com for more chapters, support the author, and support legitimate reading!)