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墨書 Inktalez
"Tell the old man that I will voluntarily request the Emperor to remove all my positions and then become a son-in-law."
With a thud...
Upon hearing this, the teacup in Su Yan-Chu's hand rolled off the edge of the table and fell to the ground, spilling tea everywhere. Some of it splashed onto his knees as the fine fabric of his clothing began to steam, but he seemed oblivious, staring wide-eyed at Shen Muhan.
Suddenly, he clapped his hands and burst into laughter:
"Hahaha... Hahaha... What a great idea! I'll send a message right away."
Without waiting for Shen Muhan to respond, he sprang up and dashed out.
Although he was a direct descendant of the Su Family, the old man favored Shen Muhan and his brother more because they were capable. Moreover, their aunt had been married for decades, and the old couple insisted on meddling in everything. Fortunately, their uncle doted on their aunt and respected the elders; otherwise, life would be chaotic every day.
Of course, the marriage prospects of the two brothers were currently their top concern. The Retired Emperor had asked several times and issued edicts for Shen Muqing to return. However, each edict was met with excuses for delay, dragging on for several years.
Watching their peers become grandfathers while they remained single made several elderly people envious.
Naturally, Old Master Shen was not pleased with this union. He and his grandfather held differing opinions and had been at odds ever since because he had his eye on the daughter of his apprentice, Wei Jianshuang from General Wei's family.
Speaking of Wei Jianshuang, she was renowned far and wide, proving that women could match men. She had been following General Wei into battle since she was ten years old, making it six years now. Her personality was bold and unrestrained; few young ladies interacted with her due to her straightforward nature. Several times at banquets, she had injured others during disputes, leading General Wei to forbid her from attending such events again.
Old Master Shen came from a martial background while his grandfather was scholarly. These two had been in conflict for decades, never ceasing their rivalry. They were both enemies and friends in a truly contradictory relationship.
Now, with Shen Muhan's bold declaration today, one wondered if these two old men would rush over with their beards bristling in anger.
The scene was bustling...
Watching Su Yan-Chu leave with a smug expression, Shen Muhan slightly furrowed his brows before returning to his calm demeanor as he sipped his tea. The soft sunlight streamed through the window, casting patches of golden light that danced across his refined and deep features, enveloping him in a lazy warmth. His eyes, deep like a tranquil pool, gazed out through the window at the busy street below, suddenly fixating on a slender figure, as if he had turned into a statue.
At one end of the street stood Xia Muxin, dressed in a light blue summer shirt. The sleeves were still her own creation, double-layered and trimmed with moonlight silk thread. The hem of her skirt was embroidered with delicate flowers that seemed to come alive. Her lively eyes sparkled like the crescent moon in the sky, and a gentle smile graced her lips, elegant as a chrysanthemum.
"Miss Muxin, it's hard to recognize you after just a month! You've really transformed—look at this exquisite face; you won't find another like it in this town."
That's how business works; familiarity breeds comfort. Moreover, Xia Muxin was clever and kind-hearted, leaving a lasting impression after just one encounter. Each time her goods arrived, her loyal customers would be the first to buy them, and her reputation gradually grew. At this moment, Ant couldn't stop praising her.
"Yes, Miss Muxin, where are you from? Have you found someone yet?"
As soon as one person spoke up, others joined in teasingly.
Xia Muxin smiled lightly at the curious crowd and replied softly, "My home is quite remote; my family consists of the elderly and the sick. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to expose myself like this!"
She understood well that daughters from noble families in ancient times rarely stepped outside their doors. Moreover, needlework and embroidery were essential skills for them to learn, along with etiquette. Her casual outings could be seen as inappropriate; if she were to marry someday, it would bring shame to her husband's family. In their eyes, this was considered unrefined behavior.
Her brief statement struck a chord, causing a hint of embarrassment to flash across the faces of several questioning Aunts. They quickly dropped the subject and hurriedly bought some Wine-Pickled Fish before leaving.
After selling all the Wine-Pickled Fish and noticing that Shen Muhan had not yet returned, Xia Muxin tilted her head to glance at Fushou Tower. After blinking a few times, she took some silver coins to a money exchange shop to convert them into banknotes before heading off to browse various shops.
She bought things here and there until she was unaware of how much she had accumulated. The items piled up so high that they blocked her view. She intended to buy more but found it impossible to carry everything. So she made her way toward the carriage but struggled with the weight of her purchases. She walked slowly and occasionally had to peek around her pile to see where she was going.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept past, and Xia Muxin didn't have time to dodge before colliding with something. The items in her arms tumbled to the ground, and she herself was knocked down, landing hard on the ground.
"Ouch... Are you blind when you walk?"
With that fall, Xia Muxin found herself sitting on the ground amidst the various items that had rolled away. As she landed, she heard a squelching sound; her eyes darkened as she glared at the person in front of her without even looking at them, and began to shout angrily.
These were fresh oranges she had just bought, and they were quite expensive—several coins each. Not only had she stepped on three of them, but she had also crushed a few more beneath her. In her frustration, she felt both heartbroken and furious.
The sky was a clear blue, and the glaring sunlight made it difficult for Xia Muxin to open her eyes. The heat was stifling, with not a single breeze to relieve her discomfort, causing beads of sweat to soak through her clothes and making her frown.
Rong Li looked down at the furious Xia Muxin with his beautiful peach blossom eyes, a cold smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. He pointed beside him and spoke in a clean yet wicked tone:
"Miss, please clarify the situation first—who exactly bumped into whom?"
Xia Muxin quickly got up and shot him a fierce glare before retorting:
"You’re the miss! Your whole family is made up of misses!"
After cursing him out, she ignored him and bent down to pick up her things.
However, just as she bent over, a strong grip seized her delicate wrist. Xia Muxin looked at the large hand holding her wrist and shot him an angry glare. She tried to pull her hand back but heard his gritted voice:
"Take back what you just said."
At his words, Xia Muxin felt her temper flare. She raised an eyebrow and scoffed:
"What did I say? Who did I insult, you? Did I name names? Having delusions at such a young age is a sickness that needs treatment!"
Xia Muxin's sharp words caught Rong Li off guard, but beneath his calm exterior, a raging anger surged in his eyes as he tightened his grip on her.
"Say that again, let go!"
Xia Muxin winced in pain, cursing the damned man in her heart countless times, before responding coldly.
"Brother Rong, Miss Muxin, you two..."
"Ugh..."
Ye Feng had learned that Rong Li would be coming today, so he had gone to Fushou Tower early to make a reservation and ordered several new dishes. Just as he was about to head back, he spotted the icy Rong Li and the stubborn Xia Muxin. He was about to ask what was going on when he saw Rong Li suddenly bend over with a pained groan.
"Boss Ye, teach your friend how to respect others, especially women. Goodbye!"
Xia Muxin withdrew her foot and quickly grabbed the scattered items from the ground into her arms. She shot a glance at Rong Li, whose face was contorted in pain, and hurriedly left after saying a few words to Ye Feng.
"You... stop..."
Rong Li's lower body throbbed painfully; that damned girl had quite a kick. He doubted he could walk properly again. Gritting his teeth, he glared at her fading silhouette and called out somewhat indistinctly.
"Brother Rong... are you... okay?"
Ye Feng fought back the urge to laugh as he stepped forward and gently patted Rong Li's shoulder, trying to keep his voice steady as he asked.
Xia Muxin was incredibly bold, daring even to kick the Third Prince. If that resulted in any serious injury, would he have to pay for it with his life? However, the girl was clever, so he wasn't too worried about her. The real issue was how to calm the anger of the person before him; he needed to weigh his options carefully.
"Boss Ye... is it really that funny?"
After a moment, Rong Li felt the sharp pain slowly subsiding and straightened up. He noticed Ye Feng's face was flushed from holding back his emotions, and Rong Li's cold gaze pierced through him as he asked icily.
"Uh... not funny, not funny at all!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Feng stiffened, his expression shifting as he quickly tried to flatter Rong Li.
Although they had a decent relationship, it was all thanks to Liang Yi's mediation. Besides, their interactions were purely business-related, and as a mere merchant, he certainly didn't dare provoke such a formidable figure.
"You know her!"
Rong Li noticed the flicker of light in Ye Feng's eyes and fixed his gaze on the direction where Xia Muxin had disappeared, stating with certainty.
Ye Feng felt as if a crow had flown overhead and dropped its droppings on him. He lowered his head in defeat for a long while before finally looking up at Rong Li, who was scrutinizing him. In a subdued voice, he replied:
"A businessman must uphold his credibility; I cannot betray her."
"Oh? So your relationship is quite close then."
"......"
“Damn it, I just lost several coins because of you! I curse you, may you never get up again, and even if you do find a wife, may it be a miserable existence!”
Xia Muxin stormed toward the carriage, stuffing her belongings into the compartment while muttering curses under her breath.
“What’s wrong? Why are you so angry?”
Shen Muhan approached and took the items from her hands. Noticing her displeasure, he asked in a charming tone.
It was rare to see this girl so furious; she must have been genuinely offended. He wondered who could provoke someone as calm and composed as Xia Muxin to such an extent.
“It’s nothing. I was bumped into by a mad dog. Let’s go back.”
Still fuming, Xia Muxin ignored Shen Muhan and muttered as she prepared to jump onto the carriage.
“Miss Muxin, could you please wait a moment?”
Suddenly, a warm voice came from a distance. Shen Muhan frowned, his cold eyes narrowing at the sunlit figure of Su Yan-Chu.
He recalled what Su Yan-Chu had just said about staying at Muxin's house. Instantly, his gaze turned icy as he reached out to pull Xia Muxin closer.
There was an unmistakable sense of possessiveness in his actions.
In truth, even he didn’t understand why he felt this way every time a man approached Xia Muxin. It had to be said that she was special, one of a kind; even someone as indifferent as him was drawn to her. What else could she not attract?
Moreover, Su Yan-Chu didn’t seem as polite when he was around her...
"Is Boss Su busy with something?"
Xia Muxin had long grown accustomed to Shen Muhan's strong possessiveness and obsessive tendencies. At this moment, she merely glanced at him before turning her attention to Su Yan-Chu.
"I have some very important guests today and would like to trouble you to prepare a meal. The reward is two hundred taels."
Upon hearing the reward, Xia Muxin's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded in agreement. After all, it was a great opportunity to earn two hundred taels while being in Town.
Shen Muhan never interfered with her entrepreneurial endeavors because he understood her nature; she would never accept handouts. Even if he laid gold and silver mines before her, she might still refuse. Perhaps that was what made her so special.
Su Yan-Chu's eyes brightened at her response, unable to tear his gaze away from her.
However, Shen Muhan took the reins of the horse with one hand and wrapped his other arm around Xia Muxin, directly bypassing Su Yan-Chu as they headed toward Fortune and Longevity Restaurant.
"Uncle, aren't we going to cook? Why are you taking me upstairs?"
Xia Muxin followed Shen Muhan into Fortune and Longevity Restaurant, but he led her to a bedroom on the second floor. Indeed, it was a bedroom, and quite an exquisite one at that.
"Ugh..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Muhan leaned down and pinned her against the doorframe, lowering his head to capture her soft red lips. It was domineering yet not gentle, lingering without release.
- End of Chapter -
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