Suburbs, Shunhe Temple.
Accompanied by the first sound of the morning bell, Liu Qingxu, who had just returned from outside, quickly took off her stealth suit in the guest quarters. She changed into a plain-colored dress, then let down her beautiful hair and yawned as she went to open the door.
A young maid of twelve or thirteen stood outside. Seeing her open the door, the maid first paid her respects, then brought the washing supplies and breakfast into the room. After finishing these tasks, under Liu Qingxu’s indifferent gaze, the little maid respectfully left the quarters.
After a busy night, Liu Qingxu washed her face, feeling much more refreshed. After finishing breakfast, she began her lesson for the day—copying scriptures.
She had transmigrated from the twenty-first century to this Jade Swallow Kingdom. She was now the Legitimate Daughter of the Protector General’s Mansion; her previous name was Liu Xiao, but now she was Liu Qingxu.
As for why she was in this temple, it was a bit laughable.
Because the current Crown Prince had proposed to her, her father, the Great General, in order to prevent her from marrying the Crown Prince, had publicly declared that his daughter was seriously ill and needed rest, and then sent her to this temple.
One might wonder why such a family-honoring marriage was not favored by the Great General. That was a long story.
Only six months after this body’s mother passed away, the Great General had brought back a pair of illegitimate children from outside. In the Great General’s words, her younger sister had suffered a lot growing up outside, so as the elder sister, she should take more care of her. Matters like marrying the Crown Prince should be yielded to the younger sister; only then could the suffering the sister endured outside be compensated…
As noon approached, the little maid’s voice suddenly came from outside the door, “Reporting to the Eldest Miss, the Second Miss has arrived.”
Liu Qingxu raised her head, looked at the sky outside the window, and organized the scriptures she had copied on the table.
“Come in.”
The door was pushed open, and a girl dressed in expensive and bright clothing entered. She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a pure and beautiful appearance, like a flower about to bloom. However, her beautiful eyes narrowed as she looked down on others, her expression arrogant, and her steps carried an overbearing aura.
Her first words were a sneer, “Oh, Big Sister, have you finished copying the scriptures?”
Liu Qingxu lazily lifted her eyelids. “If you have something to say, say it. If you need to fart, let it rip. If you need to defecate, take a left out the door.”
Liu Yuanyin—this was the original body’s half-sister.
The reason she was able to transmigrate was also thanks to this illegitimate daughter.
In order to make herself the only daughter of the Liu family, Liu Yuanyin had not hesitated to strike at the original body, directly poisoning her to death.
“Liu Qingxu, you should know my purpose for coming here.” Seeing her still maintaining an arrogant and dismissive posture while stuck in a temple, Liu Yuanyin showed a look of hatred. “I’ll give you two paths: either shave your head and become a nun here, or personally reject the Crown Prince’s proposal. Otherwise, don’t blame me for making things difficult for you!”
A blatant threat…
Liu Qingxu tilted the corners of her eyes, watching her like a clown’s performance.
“If Second Sister is so capable, why not personally beg the Crown Prince to marry you?” Pausing for a moment, she showed an expression of sudden realization. “Oh, I see. The position of Crown Princess is so noble, destined to be the Mother of the World in the future. If an illegitimate daughter like Second Sister, who doesn’t even count as a concubine-born daughter, becomes the Crown Princess, where would that leave the Crown Prince’s Side Consort? As far as I know, that Side Consort was not only born of a noble house but is also from the legitimate line of her clan. If Second Sister sits above her, let alone her own dignity, I’m afraid her entire family would have nowhere to hide their faces.”
“Liu Qingxu, you dare humiliate me!” As if struck by a sharp sword, Liu Yuanyin’s beautiful face became distorted with rage. Her eyes bulged like a dead fish, and she looked as if she wanted to pounce on her and tear her apart.
“Humiliate you? Is what I said not the truth?” The corners of Liu Qingxu’s mouth curled into nothing but a mocking sneer. She didn’t want to marry a breeding stallion, yet someone was eager to be trampled by one—how could she not find it funny?
“Liu Qingxu, I came here today to warn you. Within three days, I want to hear the news of your rejection, or I’ll make sure you can never return home!” Liu Yuanyin gritted her teeth and spat out the harsh words before turning to leave in a rage.
“Heh!” The mocking sneer on Liu Qingxu’s lips widened.
Even if she didn’t become the Crown Princess, the position would never fall to Liu Yuanyin.
Liu Jingwu held military power, had countless merits, and was famous throughout the court. He was an absolute power in the Jade Swallow Kingdom. It was no wonder the Crown Prince wanted to win him over. But to ask the Crown Prince to give up a legitimate daughter like her and marry an illegitimate daughter like Liu Yuanyin instead—even if the Crown Prince agreed, the Emperor and Empress probably wouldn’t.
After lunch, she started to sleep.
She slept until dark before stretching and getting out of bed.
After eating dinner and sending the little maid away, she took out the stealth suit from under the bed and changed into it.
If things were arranged properly over the next two nights, she would be able to leave the capital within three days with the silver she had earned over the past six months…
She opened the door.
Just as she was about to vanish into the night, a dark shadow suddenly fell from the sky, catching her off guard.
Before she could see what it was, the shadow lunged at her.
Thump!
As her rear hit the ground hard, she realized the thing that had tackled her was a person.
And a man at that!
“Save me… and I shall… grant… you… everything…”
Outside the temple.
Several figures moved quickly through the small forest, radiating killing intent wherever they passed.
After searching for a long time, one of them said resentfully, “It’s like seeing a ghost. We clearly saw him hide in here, how could he have disappeared!”
Another person said anxiously, “The Master ordered that Prince Zhen must be eliminated before he returns to the capital. If he escapes this time, how will we report back to the Master?”
One person pointed at the temple on the hilltop. “Could he be hiding there? Let’s go take a look!”
But just as he was about to move, he was stopped by a companion. “The Liu family’s people are up there. Don’t act rashly, lest we be discovered. In my opinion, it’s better to report back to the Master and let him find a way to enter the temple.”
The others agreed with the suggestion. After whispering together, one person quickly left the forest and headed down the mountain, while the remaining accomplices dispersed to secretly monitor the various paths leading to the temple.
In the guest quarters.
Looking at the unconscious man, Liu Qingxu’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
If she threw him out, he would surely be treated as an assassin. If that happened, Shunhe Temple would lose its peace. She wasn’t afraid of trouble, but she feared her General father would find another place to keep her under house arrest because of this.
Seeing as she was about to break free from the General’s Mansion, a sudden change of residence would definitely affect her plans.
But with such a large man, how could she handle it without making a scene?
Smelling the blood emanating from the man, she frowned and went to the bedside, taking out the things she had hidden under the bed.
For the sake of being in a Buddhist temple, she would be kind-hearted for once…
Without lighting a candle, she moved the man to the window, and using the moonlight pouring in, she began to strip his clothes.
Upon checking his pulse, she found that the man’s Internal Power had been heavily depleted. Fortunately, it wasn’t fatal; he would recover after resting for a while. The real reason he was unconscious was excessive blood loss from external wounds.
Having grown up in a military family, the original body had been exposed to much violence and knew some simple medical treatments. Over the past six months, Liu Qingxu had inherited some of the original body’s habits, keeping some medical tools and herbs by her side. Therefore, saving him now wasn’t particularly difficult.
She found two serious wounds on the man’s body: one on his flank and one on his thigh.
By the time she had applied medicine and bandaged these two wounds, she was drenched in sweat. She collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily, and finally began to examine the person she had saved.
Previously, she had only focused on treating his injuries and had forgotten he was a man. Looking closely now, she realized this man was truly good-looking.
Ignoring his pale complexion, his face was as well-defined as a sculpture. His thick eyebrows were sharp and cold, his high-bridged nose was like a towering mountain, and even his dry, thin lips were sexy and elegant. Every feature was exquisite, a beauty that made one sigh.
And then there was his physique, which was enough to give someone a nosebleed. He looked to be at least 180 cm tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His body was imposing, his muscles lean and powerful, and even the hair on his legs radiated a masculine aura.
Especially between those legs…
Cough, cough!
To prove she wasn’t a pervert, she quickly turned her attention out the window, only cursing silently in her heart.
What a monster!
The next morning.
The Zen bell rang, and the little maid appeared outside the door on time.
Liu Qingxu pulled the door open, took the water and food herself, and said indifferently, “I don’t want to do anything today, I just want to sleep. Don’t disturb me if there’s nothing important.”
“Yes, Eldest Miss.” The little maid left obediently.
After confirming the person had gone far away, Liu Qingxu closed the door. Placing the food on the table, she walked toward the screen in the corner.
The man had been placed behind the screen. As soon as she entered, she met a pair of eyes flashing with a cold light.
Admittedly, those narrow eyes were also extremely beautiful, but they were currently sharp and cold, which she didn’t quite like.
“You’re awake?”
The man had already been changed into a clean stealth suit. However, due to the size, the suit couldn’t fully contain his robust body. The chest couldn’t be buttoned and had to be left open, revealing a large area of smooth chest muscle, and the shoulders and arms looked like they might burst through the fabric at any moment.
Fortunately, the pants were tied with a string; although they were a bit short, they at least covered the essentials.
“You saved me?” Instead of answering, the man’s voice was low and cold, even laced with a hint of wariness.
Liu Qingxu couldn’t help but frown and asked back, “What, have you forgotten the words you promised?”
The man’s sword-like brows knitted slightly, and a glint flickered in his narrow eyes as if he were recollecting.
Liu Qingxu coldly pulled a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to him. “Setting aside your promise to grant me everything, first, take a look at this bill.”
The man’s sharp, cold eyes moved from her face to the paper she held out, and he reached out to take it.
However, after glancing at the contents of the paper, his handsome, demon-like face instantly turned as cold as a frozen pond, and a chilling aura radiated from his entire body.
“Are you sure this isn’t a robbery?”
“A robbery?” Liu Qingxu’s mouth suddenly curled into a bright smile. “If it weren’t for money, would I have saved you? Even if you feel your life isn’t worth eighty thousand taels, the labor, materials, and the losses incurred from the delay cannot be bought for eighty thousand taels.”
Her smile was as bright as the sun, an almost ethereal beauty, but in Yan Siyuan’s eyes, that brilliant smile was filled with calculation.
“What if… I cannot pay?”
“Then work for me to pay off the debt.” As if she had long expected him to default, Liu Qingxu spoke while pulling another piece of paper from her sleeve.
“Work?”
Yan Siyuan snatched it away.
The first piece of paper was full of various items: clinical fees, medicinal fees, cleaning fees, labor depletion fees, loss of work fees, spiritual purification fees… In his twenty-three years of life, it was his first time seeing such creative naming of debts, and these names were things he had never even heard of!
Calling it absurd was an understatement!
This second piece of paper was no longer a bill but a contract—
‘I, (), currently owe Liu Qingxu eighty thousand taels of silver in total. Being unable to repay, I am willing to stay by Liu Qingxu’s side from this day forward, following all her orders and helping her earn eighty thousand taels of silver before I can regain my freedom. While serving Liu Qingxu, I shall strictly follow these rules: 1. I must not disclose Liu Qingxu’s identity to anyone. 2. I must not disclose anything Liu Qingxu is engaged in to anyone. (The final right of interpretation for this agreement belongs to Liu Qingxu.)’
He slowly raised his head, an extremely complex expression churning in his narrow phoenix eyes. “You… are the daughter of the Protector General, Liu Jingwu?”
Liu Qingxu folded her arms and slightly lifted her chin. “Indeed.”
She wasn’t surprised that a stranger knew her name. Liu Jingwu’s fame echoed across the lands. Let alone in the Jade Swallow Kingdom, even among the great figures of the four seas, Liu Jingwu was a prominent name. As the Legitimate Daughter of the Liu Family, it would be strange if someone hadn’t heard of her.
Seeing his dark face, which looked as though he had swallowed too much soy sauce, she thought he was dissatisfied with her conditions. She pointed at the agreement and explained, “This is just a labor agreement, not a deed of sale. You can rest assured. I guarantee in the name of my father, the Protector General, that I will definitely not harm you.”
Yan Siyuan stared intently at her peerlessly beautiful face. “Since you are the daughter of the Protector General, why are you so strapped for cash?”
Calling it “strapped for cash” was being polite. If it weren’t for the fact that she had saved his life, he might have killed her on the spot for the crime of “taking advantage of someone in peril”!
Liu Qingxu hadn’t expected him to be so talkative. Her face darkened with impatience. “Precisely because I am the daughter of the Protector General, I don’t save just anyone. Therefore, the price is naturally high!”
Yan Siyuan pursed his thin lips tightly.
Though dissatisfied with her extortionate behavior, he was currently indebted for her kindness and living under her roof. He was destined to owe these eighty thousand taels of silver.
Looking down at the clothes he was wearing, his voice suddenly turned low. “Are these your clothes?”
“Yes.”
“Then, did you see my body?”
Liu Qingxu looked at him from the corner of her eye. “Otherwise, where do you think the ‘spiritual purification fee’ came from? As an unmarried maiden, I risked getting styes to stop your bleeding and treat your wounds. Have you considered my feelings?”
Yan Siyuan pursed his lips again, his narrowed eyes swirling with a dark light.
Though he could hear the grievance in her words, he could also hear her disdain.
No matter how dissatisfied he was, in the end, he bit his fingertip and used blood as ink to sign his name on the paper and added his thumbprint. He then tossed the paper toward her.
Liu Qingxu reached out to catch it and looked down.
“Your name is A-Si?”
Yan Siyuan remained silent with a dark face.
Liu Qingxu curled her lip, folded the agreement, and put it into her pocket. She turned and walked out from behind the screen to the table to wash up and eat breakfast.
The temple breakfast was very simple. Her daily breakfast consisted of a bowl of rice porridge and a vegetarian bun.
Taking a look at the screen, she drank half the bowl of rice porridge, ate half the vegetarian bun, then returned behind the screen and handed him the remaining half bowl of porridge and the half bun.
To her surprise, upon seeing the food she offered, the man, who was meditating, turned his face as black as the bottom of a pot. His narrow gaze shot at her like cold arrows.
“You’re giving me your leftovers?”