Chapter 17: A Proposal for Marriage

Out of nowhere, a few people appeared and quickly cleared away the bodies.

Lin Mu had a thousand words he wanted to say to Shen Qinglu, but he knew this was not the time. Shen Qinglu did not look at him, seemingly unaware of what she had done, nor did she realize the profound impact her actions had on others.

He restrained the turmoil in his heart and thanked Cheng Ying, “A Ying, thank you for what happened today.”

A trace of doubt flickered across Cheng Ying’s delicate face as he looked at him and said, “We received the intelligence in advance and lay in ambush inside the temple. Every move was coordinated. Why should you thank me?”

“I…” For once, he felt shy and smiled faintly.

“Don’t tell me you’re thanking me for saving Miss Yali?” Cheng Ying’s slanted phoenix eyes narrowed as he glanced at Shen Qinglu beside him. His audacious gaze was unabashed, scanning her thoroughly from head to toe.

Shen Qinglu paid him no mind and let him look.

Yu Jingliang frowned, blocking his view, “Lord Cheng!”

Cheng Ying twisted the corner of his mouth, appearing indifferent. “Yu Commander, I did save her just now. What harm is there in taking a good look? Miss Yali, I saved you. How do you intend to repay me?”

Such teasing, such insolence, even Lin Mu’s face darkened.

The Marquis Yongyi’s household had many relatives nearby. The Cheng family was a distant cousin of the Mu family, several generations removed. Strictly speaking, Cheng Ying was not a legitimate relative of the Mu family.

If Cheng Ying had not demonstrated his own skills and talents in the Divine Martial Camp, the Mu family likely would never have paid him any attention.

“A Ying, among comrades in the camp, casual jokes are fine, but Miss Yali is still unmarried. You should be more cautious with your words.”

Men spoke without restraint when alone, indulging in all manner of crude talk. But in the presence of a young lady, they had to show some restraint.

Cheng Ying remained nonchalant, seemingly oblivious to the sparks in Yu Jingliang’s eyes. “Miss Yali, do you also think I shouldn’t demand a reward?”

Shen Qinglu shook her head. Her eyes, dark as polished black jade beneath the moonlight, were serious as she said, “I’ll treat you to something delicious.”

“Lord Cheng, sometime soon I will host a banquet and hope you will honor us with your presence.” Yu Jingliang breathed a sigh of relief and winked at Shen Qinglu, as if to say, well done.

Lin Mu also said, “If you don’t mind, I can keep you company.”

Cheng Ying curled his lips in a careless smile. “A Lin, at that critical moment just now, Miss Yali threw herself between danger and you. How do you intend to repay her?”

Lin Mu’s heart stirred violently. “I… whatever Miss Yali wishes me to do, I will do without question.”

“Then Miss Yali, what do you want him to do?” Cheng Ying looked at Shen Qinglu, his phoenix eyes slightly tilted, exuding an unspoken nobility.

Yu Jingliang panicked. “Lord Cheng, my Yali…”

“Commander Yu, I’m asking Miss Yali,” Cheng Ying’s tone unexpectedly sharpened with an authority that brooked no dissent.

“Lord Cheng…”

Shen Qinglu quickly tugged Yu Jingliang’s sleeve. “Second Brother, I’m fine now. I can answer Lord Cheng’s question myself.”

She did not want any repayment. But if there had to be one, she hoped to see a familiar face like his from time to time to comfort the longing hidden deep in her heart.

“I want him to eat well and take good care of himself.”

A brief silence followed her words.

No one expected such an answer.

Seizing the moment of surprise shared by Cheng Ying and Lin Mu, Yu Jingliang hurried them away. Once they were at a distance, he grumbled, “Little Sister Yali, if you ever meet that Cheng Ying again, remember to keep your distance.”

They were in a superior-subordinate relationship, with Cheng Ying as his superior.

When Yu Jingliang first joined the Divine Martial Guard, he looked down on the seemingly delicate, pale Cheng Ying. He often provoked him but was eventually completely subdued by Cheng Ying’s prowess. Though convinced, he still held a grudge.

“We were supposed to watch the stars tonight, but all this happened instead. Next time, I’ll be sure to check the almanac better.”

Shen Qinglu, her mind full of thoughts, asked, “Second Brother, who is Ninth Uncle?”

“He’s the youngest cousin of A Lin’s father. I heard A Lin mention him before. He often stays a few days at the temple. Today was probably just a coincidence.”

A coincidence?

Shen Qinglu was skeptical.

Earlier, she clearly saw that the assassins targeted Ninth Uncle.

Yu Jingliang seemed to think she was curious and patiently explained, “Which ‘Mu’? The character for ‘Mu’ meaning envy—do you recognize it?”

They shared the same surname?

Her heart raced wildly, and she shook her head blankly.

They looked alike, their voices were similar, and even the surname matched…

Could Lin Mu really be the reincarnation of someone from her past life?

*

At the southernmost edge of Daxuan Temple lay a dense bamboo grove.

Moonlight slanted through the shifting bamboo shadows, their shapes swaying with the night breeze like the fickle human heart—one moment ordinary, the next unforgettable.

Lin Mu hurried over and caught sight of a tall, graceful figure by the bamboo’s edge. He smoothed his clothes, took a deep breath, and approached.

“Ninth Uncle.”

“Why haven’t you left yet?” Mu Hanshi stood with his back turned, seemingly admiring the bamboo sea under the night sky.

“I came to bid you farewell,” Lin Mu said, growing uneasy. After a long hesitation, he spoke, “There’s something else—about Miss Yali. Ninth Uncle, you saw just now. In such a perilous moment, she threw herself before me without regard for her own life.”

“So?”

Mu Hanshi looked at him, waiting calmly for him to continue.

But Lin Mu could not find the words. His heart pounded like a drum, his face flushed—typical of a young man awakening to tender feelings. The passion and hope in his eyes burned like fire in the moonlight.

“I… I think she is different from other girls. She’s a Yu, a daughter of the Yu family. From the first time I saw her, I felt our fates were deeply entwined. Ninth Uncle, can you help me?”

“Are you sure you’ve thought this through?”

“I have.”

“Marriage between two families requires the elders’ approval. You’ll have to find a chance for your grandmother and parents to meet her.”

Lin Mu’s heart leapt with joy. He had long sensed that Ninth Uncle regarded him specially.

There were over a dozen of them in the Mu family of this generation, but no one except him had stepped into the quiet courtyard of the Marquis’s mansion, let alone received Ninth Uncle’s private tutelage.

He knew this would not be easy.

Though Miss Yali bore the Yu surname, she was indeed the daughter of a disgraced official. No matter how open-minded the Mu family was, they would never consent to such a background for the next matriarch. But if Ninth Uncle intervened, there might be room for maneuver.

“Thank you, Ninth Uncle.”

“No need to thank me. That girl’s schemes run deep—far beyond what you can control. Whether it’s good or bad is your own choice.”

“Ninth Uncle, she risked her life for me. How could she be scheming…”

“My opinion doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you like her.”

Lin Mu never imagined that Ninth Uncle valued him so much. Regardless of right or wrong, as long as he was happy, even his grandmother and parents might not match that.

“Ninth Uncle, I truly like her.”

The young man did not hide his feelings. Though his face reddened and his eyebrows furrowed shyly, his whole countenance bloomed with springtime joy.

“Then I understand.” Mu Hanshi’s deep eyes regarded him. “It’s late. You should return home quickly and not worry the elders.”

After Lin Mu left, the steward who attended him appeared from somewhere, looking puzzled. “Master, since you see how cunning Miss Yali is, far beyond ordinary people, why didn’t you stop the Young Master?”

“Because he truly likes her.”

The bamboo grove swayed ceaselessly in the night wind like a vast green sea, rising and falling without end.

Having followed him for many years, the steward knew well the master’s special affection for Lin Mu and sighed, “The master truly favors the Young Master. No wonder he’s fallen for her. That Miss Yali is indeed beautiful.”

A subtle ripple crossed the master’s usually indifferent expression.

Unexpectedly, a vivid image of a delicate and radiant face surfaced in his mind, especially those dark, mottled eyes that clearly showed displeasure toward him.

In that instant, in the quiet pool of his heart—lifeless for so many years—it was as if a brilliant wild fish suddenly appeared, swimming wildly and stirring countless ripples.