The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 59 - 58

Chapter 58

Mu Manor

The next morning, after Mu Gongzhen had returned to the capital, he had promised his sister that he would take her out for a day. Additionally, he planned to show Mu Qingxuan the Zhuiping Residence, which he had been granted by the Emperor. Originally, Mu Gongzhen had always wanted to separate from the Mu family, but he knew it was impossible.

As the only son of the Mu family, no matter what happened, his father would never allow the family to be divided, otherwise, the Mu lineage would lack a male heir to continue it. Therefore, Mu Gongzhen was not in a hurry to find a way to separate from the family. At the very least, with the Zhuiping Residence, he could take his sister to live there.

Mu Qingxuan herself woke up early to carefully dress. It was not often that her eldest brother took her out, as he was usually busy with work or did not have free time. She wanted to make the most of this opportunity.

Today, the young girl decided to wear a pinkish mauve outfit, revealing her budding beauty like a blossoming flower.

Her beautiful face was lightly adorned with makeup, but her features were so exquisite, it seemed like they were crafted by the heavens. Even though she was only thirteen years old, her exceptional beauty was already strikingly noticeable.

"Eldest Brother..."

A melodious voice called out to her brother from behind. Mu Gongzhen, who was waiting at the front gate of the manor, turned towards the source of the voice. His eyes lit up momentarily, and his face showed admiration.

He vividly remembered the appearance of their mother. She had been the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Seeing his sister today, who resembled their mother so closely, it was as if he was seeing a superimposed image of the same person.

"Xuan’er, you look truly beautiful today,"

Mu Gongzhen complimented his sister with a smile. However, his heart grew heavy. If she was already this beautiful now, how much more stunning would she be when she grew older?

A beauty capable of toppling cities could be a double-edged sword, bringing both benefits and dangers. If not careful, this beauty could bring trouble to the owner...

It seemed he needed to quickly build a power base to protect and care for his beautiful sister!

"My brother is the handsome and heroic Master Mu. If I don’t dress up nicely, won’t I be overlooked when we go out together?" Mu Qingxuan said, laughing.

Mu Gongzhen could only shake his head and smile at his sister’s teasing words. He stepped forward to help her onto the large carriage before climbing in himself.

"Where would you like to go first? Should we visit Zhuiping Residence or take a boat ride on Emerald Lake first?"

Mu Gongzhen asked gently. Today, he had cleared his schedule to spend the day with his sister.

He had achieved quite significant accomplishments recently, earning rewards and gaining more power. This meant he could now take better care of his sister and ensure she lived happily. Once Zhuiping Residence finished refurbishing, he planned to move Xuan’er there.

They would finally be able to leave the filthy, corrupt Mu Manor!

Mu Qingxuan, munching on a snack, quickly sipped her tea. "I want to see Zhuiping Residence first. I’ve heard it’s very beautiful, and I want to see it with my own eyes."

"Of course,"

Mu Gongzhen nodded and continued to tell the story of Zhuiping Residence. "Originally, Zhuiping Residence was the private residence of Princess Zhuihong during the previous reign. In that era, Princess Zhuihong was the Emperor’s most beloved daughter. He indulged her every wish, granting her anything she desired."

"At that time, Princess Zhuihong wanted to build a private retreat outside the palace to relax and be close to nature, so the Emperor ordered the construction of Zhuiping Residence. Though it is called a residence, it is essentially a palace with its expansive grounds. Inside, it is divided into dozens of smaller quarters, all beautifully decorated with scenery as splendid as the imperial gardens."

"Behind Zhuiping Residence is a small lake, followed by a man-made mountain and waterfall, creating the illusion of being in a real valley. Each building is beautifully and spaciously decorated, making it truly magnificent."

"After Princess Zhuihong married into Liang Region to forge an alliance, Zhuiping Residence came back under the royal court’s care.”

“Now, His Majesty has granted it to me as a reward. From now on, Zhuiping Residence will be our new home..."

Mu Qingxuan listened intently. In her previous life, she had heard about Zhuiping Residence but hadn’t paid much attention since it was irrelevant to her. Now, however, things were different. Her eldest brother’s merits had earned them this residence, and they could live there together in the future.

"It seems I must see it for myself,"

Mu Qingxuan said with a sweet smile, her peach blossom-like eyes reflecting warmth and tenderness. The coldness that once marked her demeanor had faded away.

Though many things in this life differed from the previous one, she was genuinely happy because it signaled a bright future awaiting the three siblings...

Emerald Lake, North of the Capital.

Not far to the north of the central business district of the capital lay the famous Emerald Lake. It spanned a quarter of the capital’s area and was a popular recreational spot for many young misses and young masters.

The lake was filled with boats of various sizes. Some were small boats owned by common folk who came to row and enjoy the scenery, while others were larger vessels belonging to the nobility who often hosted banquets on these boats while cruising on the Emerald Lake.

The sound of music played from the large boats of the young masters and young misses drifted along with the breeze, adding to the lively atmosphere.

On one of these large boats, a tea party was being held for young misses and young masters. This reign was known for its openness, giving both women and men considerable freedom, so the strict customs separating genders were not as rigid. Young misses and young masters could attend these gatherings to meet each other, as long as they maintained a respectable distance and avoided physical contact.

Today’s banquet mostly included the children of high-ranking officials. The city’s goddess, Su Baimiao, was also present with her close friends, Jiao Fangniang and Wan Ningtong. These three young women immediately became the center of attention at the party.

Other young misses gathered around the trio, and many young masters looked on, hoping to form connections. However, the three women were used to this kind of attention and took pride in their status and power.

Su Baimiao secretly eyed Jiao Fangniang, who looked sweetly and delicately beautiful in her light pink dress, with jealousy. However, her face remained gentle and adorned with a constant smile.

Today, Su Baimiao was dressed in a pure white gown embroidered with golden threads, making her appear as noble and ethereal as an immortal.

She glanced over at her friends with a hidden, cold smile. Today, Jiao Fangniang was wearing a light pink outfit. If she were to fall into the water, her clothes would cling to her and become quite revealing!

Even though Jiao Fangniang had been her friend since childhood, if she harbored any thoughts of competing for Mu Gongzhen, she shouldn’t blame Su Baimiao for being ruthless!

Su Baimiao lowered her gaze slightly to hide her malicious intent before speaking in a normal tone, "Let’s go stand in the breeze. The weather is lovely today. Since we’re out on a boat, we shouldn’t waste the opportunity."

"You’re right! Let’s go for a walk. I’ve been sitting so long that I’m getting sore,"

Jiao Fangniang quickly responded, frustration was evident on her beautiful face. Since boarding the boat, she had been sitting, sipping tea, and chatting, growing increasingly bored and eager for a walk.

Wan Ningtong nodded in agreement. They had been sitting around for some time, so taking a walk would be great. "We’ve been sitting and talking for a long time. Let’s have a change of scenery and take a walk."

"In that case, I must invite everyone to join us in changing the atmosphere. I have come up with a game to alleviate everyone’s boredom."

Su Baimiao invited everyone on the boat, to which no one declined. They all followed the three misses to stroll around the boat. They soon arrived at the edge of the boat, then Su Baimiao turned back to speak to everyone with a smile.

"To change the atmosphere, let’s play a game of poetry."

"Agreed!"

The enthusiastic response was unanimous. Su Baimiao smiled slightly upon hearing. "Then I will start first. The rule is to compose poetry based on what we see before us on Emerald Lake."

As everyone was enjoying the poetry game, many crowded closer together without realizing it to get a better view of the scenery for their verses. Su Baimiao seized the opportunity. When no one was paying attention, she made eye contact and signaled her accomplice among the crowd.

The woman nodded subtly in response and used all her strength to pretend to stumble into the person in front of her, causing a domino effect of people toppling over. Jiao Fangniang was standing at the very front near the boat’s edge.

When the crowd toppled over, she was pushed forcefully and lost her balance, falling quickly into the lake.

"Aaahh!"

Splash!

The sound of a startled scream was immediately followed by the splash of water as Jiao Fangniang’s slender body hit the lake. Those who had just regained their balance turned pale with shock and hurried to the edge of the boat, peering down in panic.

"Fangniang!"

"Fangniang!"

"Help! Someone fell in the water!"

Multiple cries rang out simultaneously. Su Baimiao pretended to be shocked, her face pale, and quickly shouted for help. Wan Ningtong was equally alarmed, leaning over to look at her friend struggling in the water.

"Help! Someone, please help me!"

Jiao Fangniang, floundering in the water, yelled for help, trying to keep herself from sinking. Her beautiful face showed an unprecedented look of fear.

"Someone fell in the water! Someone fell in the water!"

The shouts continued unabated, and the situation on the boat quickly became chaotic. The young misses were so frightened that they didn’t know what to do, while the young masters hesitated, unsure whether they should jump in to rescue the young miss.

The height from the boat to the water was considerable, and the water in this area was quite deep. Jumping in could very well be tantamount to suicide...

"Fangniang! Hold on! I’ll go get help!"

Wan Ningtong, having calmed herself, shouted to her friend and then quickly walked through the crowd towards the helm to order the boatman to stop and send skilled crew members to help.

Amidst the chaos, no one noticed Su Baimiao’s cold gaze as she quietly observed the scene. She only pretended to be shocked and at a loss, her pale face almost devoid of color, while she secretly smirked inside as she watched her friend struggle in the water.

At that moment, a medium-sized boat approached and pulled up alongside the large boat. A man used his inner energy to tap his foot, propelling himself off the boat.

As his foot touched the water and sank to half of the calves, his strong hand grabbed the young miss’s wrist, pulling her up before swiftly tapping his foot, flying back to the boat with her.

Once the young man was back on the boat, he let go of Jiao Fangniang’s body, allowing her to sit down. Then, a young miss approached with a large cloak to cover the wet garments.

"How are you feeling?"

Mu Qingxuan asked calmly, extending her hand to secretly check Jiao Fangniang’s pulse. Seeing that she was not seriously hurt, she helped the women wearing the large cloak to her feet.

"Cough, cough."

Jiao Fangniang coughed up the water she had swallowed for a moment, while Mu Qingxuan gently patted her back to ease her coughing.

"Th...thank you very much,"

Jiao Fangniang turned to say softly but then fell into a trance at the sight of the beautiful young girl before her. She didn’t expect someone to be this stunning.

Mu Qingxuan smiled faintly, and said, "No need to thank me. You should thank my brother instead."

Jiao Fangniang, realizing that it was a man who had saved her, froze instantly. She slowly turned towards the direction Mu Qingxuan had indicated. When she saw the man who was supposedly her savior, her face showed a mix of shock and delight.

Her heart raced, and her once pale face flushed with color.

"Ma...Master Mu."

So...the one who saved her was Master Mu!

Jiao Fangniang shyly bowed her head, never imagining that this misfortune would turn into a stroke of luck, giving her the opportunity to connect with the man every woman in the capital dreamed of.

"Th...thank you, Master Mu, for saving my life,"

She spoke softly, glancing up at the man before her with a shy demeanor, like that of a delicate young miss. Her eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope.

Mu Gongzhen narrowed his eyes slightly at her demeanor. It was clear that she was misunderstanding the situation. His handsome face turned cold.

"Miss, you are mistaken. It wasn’t I who saved you, but my close servant."

With that, Mu Gongzhen stepped aside, revealing Ding Yang, who was just changing his wet shoes. Jiao Fangniang’s body stiffened in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief. The smile on her face froze.

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