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"Ah... Miss Muxin, your face..."
His loud exclamation made Xia Muxin roll her eyes. She swiftly delivered a light smack to his head, causing Ouyang Xuan to crouch down with a look of grievance, hugging his head and drawing circles on the ground.
"Hey, Ouyang Xuan, why do I subconsciously feel that you are quite fickle? As the owner of the shop, you are wise and mature, but once we arrived at Daimiao Mountain, your intelligence seems to have plummeted. Now, it feels like you've lost all your wits; all you do is laugh and cater to others. I want to know, what kind of person are you? Are you suffering from a split personality?"
She was straightforward and disliked beating around the bush. Besides, after spending these past few months together, Ouyang Xuan had become somewhat of a friend to her.
Suddenly, Ouyang Xuan paused, his downcast eyes flickering slightly. After a long moment, he looked up at Xia Muxin, his lips still curled into an innocent and pure smile. Indeed, to Xia Muxin, his smile today radiated innocence—like that of a child. However, the more he acted this way, the more it felt like he was trying to cover something up, which only made Xia Muxin more suspicious.
With a sigh, Xia Muxin waved her hand dismissively, feeling that she was wasting her breath. She had no interest in admiring the night scenery of this unfamiliar place and headed straight to her room.
The next morning, she insisted on going out to explore. After all, this was Qi Nation—a strange land that represented not just a journey but also a challenge for her. Moreover, she had no idea when Shen Muhan would find her; if she didn’t do something productive, she would feel like she was letting herself down.
"I'll take you out when I get back."
Rong Li was dressed formally; it was clear he was heading to court. Xia Muxin was still eating breakfast absentmindedly when he casually mentioned his departure. She quickly replied:
"Okay, remember to bring back some food on your way home. The meals at your place are terrible."
Rong Li's brow twitched slightly as he shot her a sidelong glance before striding away with purpose.
"Where did this little girl come from? She hasn't even grown all her hair yet and dares to criticize in the Third Prince's residence. Is she tired of living?"
As Rong Li settled into the sedan chair at the entrance, Xia Muxin had yet to put down her bowl when a large knife clattered onto the table with a sharp sound. A rough voice followed suit, and Xia Muxin even felt the table tremble slightly.
The chopsticks were tossed aside as she turned to look at the source of the noise. Upon seeing the figure, she swallowed hard. Goodness, where did this hefty woman come from? She must weigh at least three hundred fifty pounds, if not four hundred. Her head seemed to be suffering from gigantism, with her features nearly buried in flesh. Xia Muxin couldn't help but wonder how someone as picky and appearance-conscious as Rong Li could tolerate such a kitchen.
The reason she referred to her as the Cook was that the woman wore an apron and had grease all over her hands, looking quite intimidating.
Meanwhile, the Concubines who were still dining vanished in an instant. Xia Muxin caught a glimpse of several heads peeking through the door, their eyes wide with schadenfreude mixed with a hint of fear.
"I told you so! Where did this Fat Cook come from? And is this breakfast even fit for human consumption? Even pigs would complain."
Suddenly, Xia Muxin's eyes sparkled with mischief as she placed her hands on her hips and began scolding the overweight Cook. Without hesitation, she grabbed a greasy plate of food and hurled it at the woman's face. The Fat Cook, perhaps taken aback by Xia Muxin's audacity, forgot to dodge and was hit squarely. Grease dripped down her head and face, yet she extended her tongue to lick the oil off around her mouth, looking utterly delighted. This made Xia Muxin feel nauseous; thankfully, she hadn't eaten much that morning, or she would have surely been sick.
After licking off the grease, the plump Cook seized a kitchen knife from the table and charged at Xia Muxin. A glint of cunning flashed in Xia Muxin's eyes as she turned on her heels and ran. Fortunately, she had planned ahead and dressed in simple boy's clothing for a trip with Rong Li, tying her hair up on top of her head which allowed her to run much faster.
As she dashed past the Concubines, she noticed several thumbs up and admiring gazes directed at her. However, there was no time for showing off; she felt an earthquake behind her as the Fat Cook was now only a meter away from her. If that woman threw something at her directly, Xia Muxin would be done for. With wide eyes, she quickened her pace and sprinted outside.
"Ah... Help! The Fat Cook is trying to kill me! Help!"
She shouted for help as she ran, but no one came to her aid.
It wasn't until she reached the main entrance that two guards stopped her.
"The Prince has ordered that no one may leave without his permission."
Damn it, Rong Li! He always made it difficult to sneak out. But who was she? Xia Muxin would never easily give in.
"Two Big Brothers, I'm not trying to leave; I'm just trying to escape for my life! Please stop that Fat Cook for me! If you do, I'll wait right here for His Highness to return."
The sound of thunderous footsteps echoed behind them, each step shaking the ground. Xia Muxin, pulling two guards with her, pointed at the approaching Cook and forced a smile, using all her strength to push them toward the Fat Cook. The guards trembled at the corners of their mouths, looking both troubled and helpless.
"Today, I'm going to take this little brat down and make soup for you all tonight. If anyone tries to stop me, I'll take them down too and throw them in the pot!"
The Fat Cook was now close enough to be within reach, panting heavily as he stood there for a while, finally raising his knife and pointing it at Xia Muxin and the others, his voice booming like thunder.
"Um... Auntie, this is a favored person of the Third Prince. Could you please show some mercy and spare her life?"
Not far away, a group of Yingying and Yan Yan were huddled by a tree, watching the spectacle with eager eyes, whispering among themselves about whether Xia Muxin would end up as tonight's delicacy in the soup.
Xia Muxin felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine. What kind of place was Rong Li's residence? It felt like a hell that devoured people whole. The Fat Cook actually ate human flesh—disgusting...
"Auntie... um..."
The two guards were caught in a dilemma, glancing between Xia Muxin and the Fat Cook, hesitant to speak.
"Auntie... I'm only eighteen! How dare you call me Auntie?"
Hearing "Auntie" again made the Fat Cook visibly impatient as he waved his cleaver and shouted at the guards.
Xia Muxin symbolically rubbed her ears but then caught sight of a pair of slippery eyes peeking out from behind one of the guards. She couldn't help but laugh:
"Haha, eighteen? You look more like you're forty-eight!"
Her voice wasn't deliberately lowered; everyone around heard it clearly. Laughter erupted immediately, but the Fat Cook shot a cold glare around, restoring silence once more.
"Two Big Brothers, I am also your Highness's Esteemed Guest. If I were to be slashed by this Fat Cook, I can only imagine that when your Highness returns, you would not know whether to deal with me or not. It might be a thousand cuts instead of just one. So, it would be better for me to step out and avoid the storm for now. Once your Highness returns, I will come back. In this unfamiliar place, I can't go far anyway. Besides, I have no money and no looks; where could I possibly run to?"
This Fat Cook might be someone important to Rong Li; even his Concubine seems afraid of him, indicating a high status. Since Rong Li brought her back, he must have explained something beforehand. Seeing their troubled expressions, she knew she had struck a chord.
This time, she lowered her voice and made exaggerated gestures. The Fat Cook glared at her little antics, likely thinking she was mocking him again. Before the two guards could react, he raised his knife and swung it at her. Xia Muxin feigned a loud scream, causing the two guards to loosen their grip on her hands. With a smirk at the corner of her mouth, she dashed away at full speed, leaving behind the chaotic sounds of the guards and the Fat Cook mixed together like pigs being slaughtered.
Once Xia Muxin burst out of the estate, she headed towards the crowded areas, filled with joy. The different customs of each nation fascinated her; even ordinary streets had their unique charm. Qi Nation resembled a modern Western Region in many ways—be it headgear or clothing—and the people had particularly large and round eyes. However, beautiful women were scarce; most females were at least 1.7 meters tall. Standing among the crowd made Xia Muxin feel out of place because she was so small, an inexplicable sense of desolation washing over her.
She missed home, missed Daimiao Mountain, missed Tianli Kingdom...
Her stomach growled with hunger, and as she patted herself down, she realized not only did she have no money, but she also lacked anything valuable.
Along the way, people almost mistook her for a monkey; anyone passing by would stop and chuckle at her, rendering even her thick skin useless.
"Ah, if only those stone uncles wrapped up could see me; only you would recognize my writing."
She kicked at some pebbles in boredom and spoke dejectedly. Suddenly, her gaze caught something in the distance, and she broke into a wide smile before running towards it.
At that moment, a tall figure wearing a straw hat turned abruptly. His starry eyes seemed to search for something in the crowd for a long time before he pressed his hand against his chest and softly murmured: "Muxin..."
Just as he turned back around, Xia Muxin happened to run past from another direction. In an instant, several tall figures rushed forward and blocked Xia Muxin's petite frame. Thus, they brushed past each other without realizing it.
- End of Chapter -
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