Mu Hanzhang’s sharp phoenix eyes fixed coldly on Qu Xiangxiang, his gaze devoid of emotion. Under that stare, her calves went weak, and her whole body felt numb.
Don’t misunderstand—it was fear.
Qu Xiangxiang glanced around nervously, then forced herself to whisper, “Why don’t we… go inside and talk?”
“Inside?” Mu Hanzhang spat out the word icily. He didn’t believe Qu Xiangxiang would ever allow him into her courtyard.
Clearly, she misunderstood. Raising three fingers solemnly, she swore: “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything improper!”
Mu Hanzhang: “…” Now he wanted to go inside even less.
“Hey,” Qu Xiangxiang didn’t want to discuss such a strange topic at the doorway, nor did she want to keep staring at Mu Hanzhang’s bloodied face—it was honestly terrifying. “If you don’t come in, I’ll use Zhuoyue…”
“Bind me inside, is that it?” Mu Hanzhang’s face darkened at the thought, and he walked in on his own.
Once the door closed, Qu Xiangxiang pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve and tossed it to him. “Wash your face before you come into my room.”
Mu Hanzhang caught the pale green handkerchief embroidered with hibiscus flowers, his brows furrowing.
Back in her room, Qu Xiangxiang’s proud expression collapsed instantly. This was too hard, far too hard. Maybe she should just end it all—at least then she wouldn’t become snake food. She rummaged around with a frown until her eyes caught her reflection in the bronze mirror atop the rosewood vanity. She froze.
Good heavens. For this face alone, she decided she had to live.
Outside her boudoir, Mu Hanzhang saw her holding the little mirror, cupping her cheeks, gazing at herself in a daze, even giggling foolishly at times. The scene looked disturbingly bizarre.
Mu Hanzhang: “…What are you doing?”
At his voice, Qu Xiangxiang quickly straightened her expression and looked up.
The youth stood at the door, hands folded, his handsome brows faintly impatient. Perhaps because he had just washed his face and hadn’t dried it, droplets clung to his curled lashes and high nose bridge, making his immortal-like features even more ethereal. Even the scar marring his forehead couldn’t diminish his beauty.
Good heavens. Qu Xiangxiang nearly gawked outright. Honestly, his face hit every one of her aesthetic preferences.
Such a handsome face—too bad he was a cold, twisted maniac.
Mu Hanzhang stepped back two paces, faintly disgusted. To put it bluntly, her gaze was like a puppy staring at a bone. “…Your drool is dripping.”
What!
Qu Xiangxiang snapped back to herself, frantically wiping her mouth, then raised her brows angrily: “You’re the one drooling! Get in here!”
Mu Hanzhang’s temple twitched. Crossing his arms warily, he said, “Whatever you need to say, I can hear you from here.”
Qu Xiangxiang sighed, grabbed a small bundle from the table, and tossed it into his arms. Pointing at her own forehead, she said: “For you. Remember to apply the medicine.” Then, sincerely, she added: “Having such a face is your blessing.”
Mu Hanzhang forced himself to open the bundle—and froze. Inside was a collection of expensive healing salves, their ornate bottles proof of their value. He didn’t even need to look closely. The Qu family had practiced medicine for generations; of course, their daughter’s remedies would be the finest.
His expression shifted again and again, darkening until it seemed ink might drip from his face. “Qu Xiangxiang… is this payment?”
Qu Xiangxiang blinked innocently. “Payment for what?”
If anything, it was compensation. She hadn’t injured him herself, but since she now occupied this body, she had to take responsibility.
“You just said you wanted to…” Mu Hanzhang’s face twisted. He couldn’t understand—Qu Xiangxiang might be foolish and malicious, but she was still a lady of a noble family. How could she say something so shameless?
“Oh, that,” Qu Xiangxiang nodded, clearing her throat with the air of a spoiled young miss. “Don’t misunderstand. I just want to hire you to help me with my homework, so I can get by with Elder Xu. As payment, I’ll give you five high-grade spirit stones every month. Isn’t that a good deal?”
She knew Mu Hanzhang had lived in poverty, unable even to afford winter clothes, so she made the offer deliberately.
Mu Hanzhang stared in disbelief. “That’s all?”
Qu Xiangxiang looked utterly innocent. “What else?”
“Then why did you say…” *Keep me…*
Qu Xiangxiang scratched her head awkwardly. She’d been reading too many “sugar daddy” novels lately, dreaming of signing checks to keep handsome men. Staring at Mu Hanzhang’s face had made her lose her mind, and the words had slipped out.
“Anyway!” She slapped the table loudly. “Just say yes or no!”
Her plan was simple: find an excuse to get close to Mu Hanzhang, treat him kindly, and over time, even a pig would hesitate to kill her. Definitely not because she wanted to avoid doing homework.
Mu Hanzhang was about to refuse when a knock sounded at the door.
Qu Xiangxiang quickly checked herself in the mirror again, giggled, then fluttered out like a butterfly to answer.
Mu Hanzhang: “…”
She was so dazzled by her own beauty, she forgot to maintain her persona—until she met Mu Hanzhang’s horrified stare. Hastily, she dropped her skirt, smoothed her smile into a haughty smirk, lifted her chin, and strode to the door with feigned arrogance.
Mu Hanzhang: “…” He truly couldn’t understand this woman. Compared to him, she looked more like the one who’d hit her head.
Qu Xiangxiang opened the door to find a plump man with thick brows and a sycophantic grin, holding a tray of pastries. Judging by his face—another cannon fodder character.
“Junior Sister, I heard you like Tianyue Pavilion’s mung bean cakes. I especially bought some for you when I went down the mountain.” The man held up a box of pastries, presenting it to Qu Xiangxiang like a treasure.
Qu Xiangxiang racked her brain, trying to recall the details from the original novel. After thinking for a while, she remembered: to highlight the heroine’s charm, the story had deliberately given the “vicious cannon-fodder” Qu Xiangxiang a suitor named Shao Mai. This man was scheming and insincere. While pursuing Qu Xiangxiang, he would occasionally gift her pastries or trinkets, such as rouge and powder. In the novel, once she accepted them, he spread rumors everywhere that she had agreed to be his Dao partner, ruining her reputation. In truth, he was only coveting the powerful Qu family background. Later, when the heroine arrived, he was dazzled by her talent and beauty, immediately dismissing Qu Xiangxiang as a shallow, pretty fool unworthy of him, and shamelessly shifting his affections. After that, Qu Xiangxiang became the laughingstock of the entire Cangxuan Mountain, which naturally deepened her conflict with the heroine.
Hah, what a scheming, stingy man.
“Brother Shao Mai?” Qu Xiangxiang tentatively called his name.
“Junior Sister, please accept this small token of my heart.”
Sure enough, it was him. Qu Xiangxiang suppressed her disgust and waved her hand. “I don’t like these anymore. You should keep them for yourself.”
“Junior Sister,” Shao Mai grew anxious, “did I do something wrong to make you angry?”
Having transmigrated into the role of the vicious supporting character, Qu Xiangxiang was already on edge in front of Mu Hanzhang. Now, with this tactless fool barging in, she vented her pent-up frustration. Folding her hands, she sneered: “Brother Shao, when I was at home, the koi I raised ate bird’s nest pastries. Mung bean cakes? I really can’t stomach them. You’d better take them back.”
She didn’t know if the original character had ever raised koi, nor what bird’s nest pastries even were. She just wanted to embarrass Shao Mai.
Serves him right for running his mouth!
Shao Mai’s face darkened. “Junior Sister, what do you mean? Are you despising my heartfelt gift?”
“Heartfelt gift?” Qu Xiangxiang curled her lip. “Your so-called sincerity is rather cheap.”
“Junior Sister, I thought you weren’t the type to scorn the poor and favor the rich.”
“Mhm,” Qu Xiangxiang nodded. “I’m not.”
“Then why…”
“I didn’t want to be so blunt,” Qu Xiangxiang sighed, feigning helplessness. “I may not scorn poverty or favor wealth, but I do judge by appearances. Do you understand?”
That was a roundabout way of calling him ugly. Shao Mai’s face flushed crimson with anger. “Hah! Then what kind of face would satisfy Junior Sister’s eyes?”
Qu Xiangxiang shook her head. “My standards are too cruel for you. You’d better leave.”
Humiliated again and again, Shao Mai’s temper flared. “Junior Sister, unless you explain clearly, I won’t go!”
Qu Xiangxiang rolled her eyes. “The only way you’d please me is if you looked like Mu Hanzhang. Does that answer satisfy you?”
“Mu Hanzhang? That bastard?” Shao Mai’s voice rose in disbelief. “But don’t you hate him?”
Qu Xiangxiang sighed. Some people just had no sense of self-preservation. “I don’t hate him,” she said, a little guilty. If not for fear of Mu Hanzhang overhearing, she would have said it more boldly—because of that face, she really couldn’t hate him.
“But you usually—”
Annoyed, Qu Xiangxiang cut him off. “Don’t you know? Hitting means affection, scolding means love.”
Shao Mai looked as if he’d swallowed a fly, then fled in panic.
Qu Xiangxiang watched his retreating figure with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Mu Hanzhang—who had been secretly listening through a sound-transmission spell—remained silent.