Chapter 60: The Pure-Hearted Boy Mu Zhi’an
Huang Manting was the daughter of Old Master Huang of the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce. She was at the eighth level of Qi Refinement. From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever scolded or reprimanded her. She showed astonishing talent from a young age, reaching the peak of Qi Condensation at the age of thirteen and entering the Qi Refinement realm at fourteen.
She was very intelligent and had excellent talent. Although both her parents were busy, she didn’t develop the habit of being spoiled like ordinary wealthy young ladies.
However, Huang Manting’s problem was actually far more serious than being spoiled…
Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce.
It was located in the most prosperous area of Tianxuan City, with a rather luxurious mansion situated there.
The exquisitely and lavishly decorated main hall showcased the owner’s wealth. Huang Manting, known as the enchantress, sat with her legs crossed, her hand supporting her cheek, and her fair feet in black embroidered shoes swaying back and forth.
Beside her, the secret agent responsible for secretly investigating Mu Zhi’an stood respectfully, recounting the information obtained in the past two days.
“Miss, this is the information about Mu Zhi’an that I found in the past two days.”
Huang Manting narrowed her eyes slightly and said softly, “A few years ago, he was still a wastrel young master indulging in beauty, good for nothing except for his face. Later, because he became infatuated with the young lady of the Bai family, he restrained himself and crazily pursued her, but was repeatedly rejected.”
“Then, some time ago, the Bai family suffered a calamity, being suppressed by your father and the Gongsun patriarch joining hands. Bai Ruoxi had no choice but to seek the assistance of the Mu family… There’s no problem up to this point.”
“However, now the patriarch of the Bai family has already returned, and the sect assessment is about to begin. There’s no reason for Bai Ruoxi to be so devoted to Mu Zhi’an.”
After all, with the strength Bai Ruoxi displayed yesterday, entering the Two Polarities Sect would be a very easy matter. Perhaps she could even compete for the position of an inner sect disciple.
In this situation, there was no reason for her to be so devoted to Mu Zhi’an… unless she liked Mu Zhi’an.
But for a long time in the past, Bai Ruoxi had been extremely disgusted with Mu Zhi’an. At that time, Mu Zhi’an couldn’t even be considered Bai Ruoxi’s backup… Why did Bai Ruoxi’s attitude change so much in just a few days?
“Could it be that she was threatened?” the maid beside her asked.
Huang Manting casually hooked her embroidered shoe with her toes and said indifferently, “Impossible, unless the Bai family is really facing the crisis of extermination, otherwise Miss Bai has no reason to do so.”
“Moreover… I saw that she had no intention of resisting yesterday.”
“Could it be that she simply likes Mu Zhi’an?” the maid guessed.
The embroidered shoe fell from her toes to the ground. Huang Manting twirled her hair with a slender finger, narrowed her eyes, and said, “If that’s the case, it would indeed be interesting.”
In just a few days, how did Mu Zhi’an capture the heart of that cold number one beauty?
Also… if Bai Ruoxi knew that the man she liked was gradually turning into the shape of another person, even becoming a slave under someone else’s feet, what would her reaction be?
Huang Manting lightly tapped the armrest of the chair. The maid understood her meaning, slightly bent her knees, grasped Huang Manting’s jade-like smooth toes, and put on the embroidered shoe for her.
At this moment, a servant hurriedly entered the main hall, his expression subtle, and said, “Miss, Young Master Mu is seeking an audience at the door…”
He remembered that when Old Master Huang went to the auction house today, he specifically instructed that if Mu Zhi’an wanted to see him in the next few days, he should say that he had gone out and hadn’t returned home yet.
These words clearly meant that he didn’t want to get involved in the matters between the Mu family, the Gongsun family, and even the Bai family.
Old Master Huang was a merchant, and what merchants valued most was only profit.
Huang Manting raised her eyelids slightly and said, “Didn’t you tell him that my father is not at the chamber of commerce today?”
“I did… but Young Master Mu said he came to see you.”
“Oh?” Huang Manting narrowed her eyes slightly, becoming a bit more interested.
As the largest chamber of commerce in Tianxuan City, the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce naturally had trade dealings with many families, and the Mu family was no exception.
However, in the past, Mu Zhi’an had basically never said more than a few words to Huang Manting.
Although the latter was also a beauty, her personality was something Mu Zhi’an couldn’t bring himself to like.
Today, Mu Zhi’an specially came to see her, naturally making Huang Manting a bit more curious.
“Let him in,” Huang Manting said.
Before long, under the guidance of a servant, a rather handsome young man walked into the main hall.
Huang Manting immediately showed a sweet smile on her face and said, “Young Master Mu, please have a seat.”
After inviting Mu Zhi’an to sit down, Huang Manting ordered the servants to leave the main hall, then personally poured a cup of tea for him.
“Young Master Mu, I wonder what brings you to visit our Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce so early in the morning?” Huang Manting asked softly.
Mu Zhi’an shook his head with a smile and said, “Originally, there was nothing, but recently I learned from a secret agent that Miss Huang is investigating me.”
It had to be said that the Mu family lived up to its reputation, having eyes and ears all over Tianxuan City. In less than half a day since the investigation of Mu Zhi’an began, the news had already leaked out.
Huang Manting narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice clear and pleasant, “Is Young Master Mu here to blame Manting?”
What she did, at most, was just to satisfy her personal curiosity and wouldn’t threaten the overall interests of the Mu family. Therefore, even if the Mu family knew about it, they would at most give a verbal warning and wouldn’t do anything.
In other words, even if Mu Zhi’an came to the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce today to hold her accountable, it would just be an impotent rage.
Unexpectedly, Mu Zhi’an shook his head.
“How could I bear to blame a beauty like Miss Huang?” Mu Zhi’an smiled.
Huang Manting narrowed her eyes slightly, quite pleased with Mu Zhi’an’s compliment.
She stared at Mu Zhi’an suspiciously, “Then what is Young Master Mu here for…?”
“I’m here to satisfy Miss Huang’s curiosity,” Mu Zhi’an said seriously.
“Rather than having you investigate for half a day and not finding out anything, it’s better for me to answer Miss Huang’s questions in person.”
Huang Manting smiled charmingly, “You came to the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce in private just to satisfy my curiosity…?”
“If Miss Bai finds out, won’t she be jealous?”
How catty it sounded… Mu Zhi’an picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile, “She’s not the jealous type.”
Although Mu Zhi’an felt that he didn’t understand women very well, he could tell from Bai Ruoxi’s personality that although the girl looked cold and clear, she was actually a person with a very big and tolerant heart.
After all, with such a big heart, being able to tolerate others was also a very normal thing.
“I once heard that Young Master Mu was pursuing Miss Bai, and often had his enthusiasm met with a cold shoulder in the past. Is that true?” Huang Manting suddenly asked.
Since Mu Zhi’an had already said that he came to answer her questions, she naturally wouldn’t stand on ceremony.
“It’s true,” Mu Zhi’an nodded with a smile.
In the past, he had indeed had his enthusiasm met with a cold shoulder. Bai Ruoxi had always been indifferent to Mu Zhi’an’s pursuit, even extremely disgusted. She just couldn’t say it too bluntly because he was the young master of the Mu family.
However, if he had to say, in the past two days, Mu Zhi’an had also had his enthusiasm met with a cold shoulder, but this time, Bai Ruoxi was much more enthusiastic towards him and even a bit shy.
“Then it’s strange… How did Young Master Mu manage to win Miss Bai’s heart in just a few days?” Huang Manting asked curiously.
Mu Zhi’an smiled and said, “The way I pursued her in the past is naturally the same way I pursued her recently.”
With that, he sighed and said, “Ruoxi is actually a relatively simple girl. The reason she agreed to my pursuit might be because she was touched by my sincerity.”
Huang Manting smiled faintly, “Then congratulations to Young Master Mu. It’s really great to be able to win the heart of a beauty like Miss Bai.”
Mu Zhi’an smiled slightly, “I also feel very lucky.”
Huang Manting changed the topic and continued, “Miss Bai’s performance yesterday was truly stunning and peerless. With a single sword, she defeated Gongsun Cheng. I wonder how much Young Master Mu knows about her bronze sword?”
This was what she really wanted to know. She was naturally concerned about the relationship between Mu Zhi’an and Bai Ruoxi, but what she was more concerned about was the overwhelming power Bai Ruoxi displayed yesterday.
Mu Zhi’an pondered for a moment and said, “I’m not sure about the specifics, but within the same realm, she probably has no opponents.”
Huang Manting stared into Mu Zhi’an’s eyes and said, “Young Master Mu is so confident?”
“You seem to be at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, right? At that time, you should have seen the power displayed by that bronze sword much more clearly than I did,” Mu Zhi’an said.
Huang Manting fell silent.
Although she didn’t want to admit it, when she saw Bai Ruoxi’s sword strike on the stage at that time, she indeed felt a sense of powerlessness.
Even though she kept telling herself that as long as she avoided Bai Ruoxi’s strange sword strike, she would have a chance to counterattack… but the problem was, could that sword really be avoided?
“It seems that this time, Miss Bai should be able to defeat her peers and become the first disciple to enter the Two Polarities Sect,” Huang Manting said faintly.
Mu Zhi’an smiled without saying a word.
He only came to the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce to “discuss” and put on a show for the Gongsun family to see. Chatting with Huang Manting was just to pass the time. He could leave in a while.
At this moment, Huang Manting suddenly changed the subject and said faintly, “I may not be a match for Bai Ruoxi, but if…”
She gently placed her slender hand on the back of Mu Zhi’an’s hand, slightly raised her eyelids, and said in a charming and sweet voice, “If I were Bai Ruoxi’s love rival?”
“Why don’t you stop being Bai Ruoxi’s husband and become my man instead?”
As she said this, her slender hand gently held Mu Zhi’an’s palm.
Mu Zhi’an frowned slightly, instantly feeling a bit “embarrassed,” but also a bit tempted. He said, “Miss Huang, this is inappropriate. I can’t betray Ruoxi.”
The corner of Huang Manting’s mouth unconsciously curled up. The hand holding the teacup suddenly trembled, and the tea spilled on her chest. She instantly panicked and stood up, saying softly, “Oh no… Young Master Mu, can you help me wipe it?”
Mu Zhi’an lowered his head and said helplessly, “Miss Huang, I really can’t… Ruoxi will be angry if she finds out.”
“Just help me wipe it~”
Huang Manting gently grabbed Mu Zhi’an’s hand, put a handkerchief in his hand, and guided his palm to wipe the tea for her.
Mu Zhi’an was full of helplessness, but at Huang Manting’s request, he still “reluctantly” wiped it gently for her.
Huang Manting saw Mu Zhi’an’s performance clearly, and her eyes couldn’t help but show a hint of contempt.
Bai Ruoxi’s strength was impressive, but her taste in choosing a Dao companion was truly disappointing.
With a little trick, he was already infatuated.
This time, she let him wipe the tea on her body. Next time, she should let him lie on the ground and lick her feet.
The so-called training should progress step by step like this~
“Sorry for troubling Young Master Mu,” Huang Manting said with apologetic eyes and a soft voice, “You won’t blame Manting, right?”
“Miss Huang… You must not tell Ruoxi about this. She will ignore me if she finds out,” Mu Zhi’an said helplessly.
“If she ignores you, wouldn’t it be just right for Young Master Mu to accompany me in the future?” Huang Manting said softly, “By the way, Young Master Mu, we have an auction in a few days. I’d like to invite Young Master Mu to sit in a private room. I wonder if you would give me the honor?”
As she said this, she slightly raised her eyelids, her moist eyes carrying a pleading look.
“If Young Master Mu refuses to agree, I’ll have to tell Miss Bai about what just happened.”
Mu Zhi’an said with difficulty, “But I really can’t betray Ruoxi… Sigh.”
As he said this, he let out a heavy sigh.
Looking at Mu Zhi’an’s handsome face that seemed as pure as a boy next door, and his current embarrassed expression, Huang Manting unconsciously hooked a charming curve at the corner of her mouth and said softly, “Just this once… Just accompany me this once, okay?”
With that, she gently grabbed Mu Zhi’an’s hand with both hands, her eyes showing a bit of pleading like a young girl.
The soft and sweet voice, paired with that enchanting and charming face, as well as that pitiful plea, if someone of a lower level were to encounter it, they might have already quietly fallen into the sweet love web woven by Huang Manting.
Mu Zhi’an looked at the plea in Huang Manting’s eyes, fully demonstrating his self-cultivation as an actor. He sighed lightly, gently rubbed Huang Manting’s slender and jade-like soft little hand, and said, “Alright… But Miss Huang, please don’t threaten me with this matter again next time.”
“Really? That’s great!” Huang Manting lightly clapped her hands in front of her chest, a strand of hair sliding down from her forehead, looking particularly charming.
Afterward, Mu Zhi’an chatted with Huang Manting for a few more words, during which his gaze was “involuntarily” attracted by her, as if he was infatuated.
Then, seeing that it was getting late, he got up to take his leave.
Mu Zhi’an cupped his hands and said, “Miss Huang, I’ll see you at the auction house in two days. I’ll go find you then.”
Huang Manting nodded with a smile, “Mm, I’m looking forward to it.”
Accompanied by the maid, Mu Zhi’an turned around and left the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce.
He lightly held his palm and recalled the feeling of that enchantress’s hand just now.
Heh, that volume, not even half of Bai Ruoxi’s.
No wonder she couldn’t win the title of Tianxuan City’s number one beauty.
One reason was her almost morbid sadistic personality, and the other was probably… her bust size was far inferior to Bai Ruoxi’s.
Mu Zhi’an boarded the carriage and said to the driver, “Go to Chaohai Inn.”
Since he was already out, he might as well go buy some osmanthus cakes and pay a visit to Senior Sister Lan.
The snow lotus he had given her before was about to wither, so he could give her a new one to replenish it.
