Ye Muyan read the words written on the wooden board at the stall: ten copper coins for one chance to shoot arrows, or one silver ingot.
He said in a low voice, “Ten arrows, please.”
The stall owner took the money, grinned, and struck the copper gong three times before handing the arrows to the young master who had signed up.
Just as he was about to announce the rules, a clear and bright voice came: “Wait, I want to participate too.”
Everyone turned to look and saw an elegant young man dressed in silver-white silk brocade, a gold-inlaid Hetian jade pendant hanging from his waist, and a folding fan in his hand.
His graceful demeanor made the surrounding women somewhat excited, whispering among themselves.
Suddenly, a woman exclaimed, “It’s the eldest son of the An family, An Liu!”
“The number one handsome man in the capital, An Liu! Both his talent and appearance rank first in the capital.”
“So it’s Young Master An. What brings him here?”
“Ahhh, which woman will he shoot arrows for?”
Gu Qinghan glanced at him and then looked away. The voices of those women were not at all soft, and she could hear every word clearly.
Is this considered the number one handsome man in the capital? It must be that there are no men left in the capital.
He’s not even half as good-looking as Ye Muyan, yet he has the nerve to flaunt himself like a peacock.
However, his father is an important minister in the court, only slightly lower in rank than her own father. Yet the son he raised is nothing but a worthless good-for-nothing.
Gu Qinghan thought idly before shifting her gaze back to Ye Muyan.
Unexpectedly, An Liu walked up to her, cupped his hands, and bowed slightly. “I am An Liu, pleased to meet Miss Gu. I have long admired you. Today, allow me to win all the prizes for you.”
Before Gu Qinghan could react, Ye Muyan stepped forward, his tall figure blocking her.
He glanced coldly at An Liu, his thin lips parting slightly. “That depends on whether you’re worthy.”
This was the closest he had been to Gu Qinghan all day. She could even catch the faint scent of cold fragrance on Ye Muyan and feel the scorching warmth of his body.
Gu Qinghan’s heart raced slightly, her red lips parting a little.
Ye Muyan was somewhat like catnip to her—always captivating.
She always blushed and felt her heart flutter for him.
Gu Qinghan patted her cheeks, forcing herself to calm down.
Her expression returned to its usual coolness as she asked coldly, “I have never met you before. For our first meeting, you are being so presumptuous. Even Prime Minister An would be ashamed of your behavior!”
These words were quite harsh, and An Liu’s expression turned unpleasant, but no one dared to object, only whispering among themselves.
After all, she was Gu Qinghan, the jewel of General Gu. Not only did she speak harshly to An Liu, but even if she kicked him twice, he wouldn’t dare to resist.
However, there were still women who, hoping to gain favor in An Liu’s eyes, spoke up loudly: “Your talent is inferior to Young Master An’s. Being noticed by him is your good fortune! I think it’s you who lacks manners!”
Gu Qinghan snorted coldly, her voice clear and loud. “Speaking frivolously to an unmarried young lady in front of everyone—is this the talented young master you speak of?”
“You say his talent surpasses mine, yet my family is beyond his reach. If I humiliate him, would that also be his good fortune?”
Gu Qinghan’s two rhetorical questions left the woman speechless. Her companion also reminded her that Gu Qinghan was not someone she could afford to provoke.
Hearing this, Ye Muyan’s lips curved into a smile.
His Qingqing was both precious and adorable—he could never get enough of her.
The smile had vanished from An Liu’s face, but remembering the instructions he had received, he forced himself to apologize.
“Miss Gu, I sincerely apologize for my offense.”
“But my feelings for you are as clear as the sun and moon, and I hope you can give me a chance to prove myself today.”
“I just want to make myself more familiar to you.”
As An Liu spoke, he lowered his head, his lovesick appearance making some of the women around them feel sympathetic.
Gu Qinghan was truly fed up with this kind of hypocritical behavior. In her previous life, she had been deceived by Xiao Yinghuai’s pretense and lost her life because of it. Now she had to endure being disgusted by such things again.
A man who only had a pleasant-sounding reputation, with a brain as empty as straw.
If he loved acting so much, he might as well find a job at a theater. He shouldn’t perform his lovesick act in front of her—it was truly nauseating.
Gu Qinghan said impatiently, “I already have a male companion today. If you can beat him in archery, I will accept your gift.”
An Liu put on an excited expression again.
“Thank—”
But before he could finish his words, Gu Qinghan interrupted him.
“If you lose, starting tomorrow, you must sing at the Willow Blossom Hall for three days.”
“Do you accept?”
The crowd around them gasped in shock.
“Isn’t Willow Blossom Hall a place of ill repute? Only lowly women perform there for guests.”
“Gu Qinghan is truly vicious, humiliating An Liu like this.”
“Master An, don’t agree! She’s clearly insulting you!”
Some felt Gu Qinghan had gone too far, while others were excited to see the drama unfold.
“An Liu, are you a man or not?”
“That’s right, hurry up and agree!”
“Are you so scared you’ve wet your pants?”
An Liu gritted his teeth. He saw Gu Qinghan’s expression unchanged, simply waiting for his answer.
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
No one knew that the so-called “most handsome man in the capital” was actually a murderer who secretly abducted beautiful young women from the common folk every month, taking them back to his residence to abuse them to death.
Having been reborn, Gu Qinghan had a strange intuition for malice.
By pure chance, she had managed to strike a blow against An Liu. It was rather amusing.
An Liu observed Ye Muyan, who appeared calm and indifferent, and upon closer inspection, he couldn’t sense any martial prowess.
Moreover, he wore a mask, likely indicating he wasn’t anyone of importance.
Steeling himself, An Liu couldn’t help but reveal a trace of hatred.
He replied loudly, “I accept!”
“But if I win, Miss Gu must also agree to one condition from me.”
Gu Qinghan didn’t take the bait. “Master An, use your brain and think—do you have the right to add more stakes now?”
“Having my male companion compete with you is already a tremendous favor to you.”
“Don’t push your luck.”
An Liu hadn’t expected her to refuse his ploy. He could only grit his teeth and pretend to maintain a gentle demeanor as he agreed.