The Jianghu of Feng Qingcheng and Mo Xibei

Chapter 47

“You’re criticizing the dishes because of what you keep criticizing. Miss Murong spent the whole afternoon making them especially for Young Master Mo and my young master.” Tian Xin, who had been standing to the side, couldn’t help but feel indignant on behalf of Murong Lianyun. “Miss Murong has just recovered a bit and was thinking of cooking a few dishes for Young Master Mo herself. It’s just that some people…” He didn’t finish his sentence because Chu Junfeng turned and glanced at him. Without needing to say anything, Tian Xin obediently shut up.

"So it was my fault. It turns out that Miss Murong is intelligent and kind-hearted. Not only is she beautiful, but she also cooks such delicious food. Northwest, you are truly blessed." Mu Feinan suddenly changed his tune, praised her a couple of times, and then spread his hands. "Look, I praised her, but she has already left. What a pity. I rarely praise someone."

"It's my fault; I failed to make everyone enjoy themselves to the fullest." Mo Xibei also put down his chopsticks and said to Xiu Wen, "Please forgive my poor performance, sir."

"Don't you find it ridiculous? The food is delicious." Xiu Wen finally put down his chopsticks and replied calmly.

Where no one could see, Chu Junfeng clenched his left hand into a fist under the table. After a moment, he loosened his grip and said, "Northwest, go check on Miss Murong. She put a lot of effort into it this afternoon. If Young Master Feinan doesn't feel he's had enough to eat, how about we ask the kitchen to prepare something to your liking and send it to the front building?" "Sure, Northwest, I'll go buy yesterday's Daughter's Red wine. We'll drink until we drop tonight." Mu Feinan didn't stand on ceremony. As she spoke, she glanced at Chu Junfeng. Their eyes met, but there was no spark. However, everyone in the room felt as if the temperature had suddenly dropped two degrees.

During the stalemate, Xiuwen took his leave and got up, casually tugging at his collar as he walked away, looking out the window and saying, "It's late at night, and the wind is indeed getting chilly."

When Mo Xibei arrived at Murong Lianyun's room, the girl in front of him had already cried so much that her eyes looked like rabbit eyes. "Why are you doing this? You've only just recovered. Even though women are said to be made of water and flesh, they can't withstand crying like this every day, can they?" Mo Xibei teased with a smile.

"And you say that, you heartless..." Murong Lianyun was amused by Mo Xibei, but before she could finish her sentence, tears started falling again.

“There has to be a reason for crying. Tell me, what is it this time?” Mo Xibei handed over a handkerchief.

“Brother Mo, I’ve thought it over. Living like this, dependent on others, isn’t a long-term solution. If your friend looks down on me like this today, even more people will despise me in the future. We have no official status or relationship, so it’s not appropriate for me to stay here any longer.” Murong Lianyun wiped away his tears and said, “Why don’t I move out? That way, you won’t be burdened by me and won’t be stuck in the capital. Wouldn’t that be a win-win situation?”

“Lianyun, why do you say that? You know I promised to take care of you for the rest of my life, so I would never leave you alone to face the tigers and wolves of the Eastern Depot. Why do you keep saying that?” Mo Xibei said solemnly, holding Murong Lianyun’s hand. “I just want you to live a happy life. Everything I do is for your own good.”

Volume Two: The Wind Leaves a Mark, Chapter Six: The Dinner Party (Part Two)

“Brother Mo, I know you mean well, but I am, after all, a woman. What I want is more than just your kindness.” Murong Lianyun lowered her head, seemingly mustering great courage, before raising it again. Her eyes shone with a strange and fervent light, and her voice rose. “Brother Mo, I like you, I love you, but do you love me? I want to marry you, to be your wife, to stand proudly by your side, no longer afraid of how others look at me. But will you marry me? Will you let me be your wife?”

"You want to marry me? Are you sure?" Mo Xibei's face didn't show any particular expression, but his voice was heavy. Each word seemed to weigh a ton. He spoke slowly, and as he spoke, Mo Xibei's eyes were fixed on Murong Lianyun.

For a moment, Murong Lianyun felt as if "his" gaze was a deep abyss, drawing her in and leaving her suspended in mid-air, unable to find a foothold. But she still nodded vigorously, her voice hoarse as if it weren't her own, yet equally clear, saying, "I do."

"Even if it means eternal damnation?" Mo Xibei was momentarily confused. She couldn't tell who she was seeing, Lian Yun or Nan Li. She wanted to laugh or cry at the same time. In this world, are there really girls like Nan Li who are willing to do anything for love and have no regrets even if they die?

"Even if it means utter destruction." After answering this question, Murong Lianyun felt a sense of peace settle down. If he was no longer afraid of utter destruction, then what was there to fear?

"It's late, let's talk another day." Mo Xibei suddenly felt she was doing something incredibly cruel—something incredibly cruel to a girl who still believed in love and was willing to give everything for it. Frustrated, she got up, ready to run away. "You're running away? You really don't love me, even though I love you to the point of being so humble. Why? You like men, you like that alluringly beautiful man?" Murong Lianyun could no longer restrain himself and hugged Mo Xibei from behind. "I won't let you go! No, you're mine. I knew you first. I can't let anyone take you away."

“Lianyun…” Mo Xibei finally made up her mind. She couldn’t delay any longer. She originally thought that after living together for a long time, Murong Lianyun would see through her identity like Chu Junfeng and Mu Feinan. However, it seemed to have no effect. So, the best way was to be honest and take advantage of the fact that the damage could still be made up for.

"Northwest, are you there? I have something urgent to tell you." Just as she was about to reveal the answer, someone outside the window suddenly called her name. It was Chu Junfeng.

“Lianyun, you should get some sleep first, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. Brother Chu is outside.” Mo Xibei had no choice but to say this. “Why wait until tomorrow?” A strange smile appeared on Murong Lianyun’s face, cold and empty. “Let’s talk about it today, and let Brother Chu be a witness.” As he spoke, he pulled open the door and said to Chu Junfeng, “Brother Chu, you were there when my father betrothed me to Brother Mo, weren’t you?”

"Yes, why bring this up?" Chu Junfeng looked bewildered, glancing at the two with contrasting expressions, before finally looking at Murong Lianyun, whose eyes were fervent but whose smile was cold. "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond, isn't that right?" Murong Lianyun quickly asked again.

“That’s right,” Chu Junfeng replied.

"Alright, Brother Chu will be my witness today. Brother Mo, if you don't want me, just say so. I'd rather die than suffer this torment." Murong Lianyun pulled out a hairpin and held it to his throat.

"What are you doing?" Mo Xibei and Chu Junfeng asked in unison.

"I just want a quick end, Brother Mo. Just give me a death sentence." Murong Lianyun's smile was desolate, his eyes already unfocused.

"Why make such a fuss over something so wonderful?" Chu Junfeng tugged at Mo Xibei's sleeve. "Let's set a wedding date quickly."

"You?" Mo Xibei looked at Chu Junfeng in surprise, then saw that blood was seeping from Murong Lianyun's throat. He could only sigh and say, "It will be fine in three days."

Volume Two: The Wind Leaves a Mark, Chapter Seven: The Wedding (Part 1)

"Why won't you let me just tell you the truth?" With the marriage settled, Murong Lianyun, like a sponge soaked in water, quickly regained her vitality, urging the people in the Mo household to get things done as soon as possible. Money makes things easier. Despite the hasty preparations, when Mo Xibei got up early the next morning, he still found red lanterns hanging high and colorful ribbons fluttering everywhere in the courtyard. Thinking that Chu Junfeng hadn't said anything the night before, he felt strange and, without even eating breakfast, went straight to the courtyard where he was temporarily staying.

“Miss Murong wasn’t in good condition at the time, and I was afraid that if you told her, it would be too much of a shock to her.” Chu Junfeng had basically recovered and was in high spirits after practicing his martial arts.

"Are you worried that she might do something rash? What will she do when the wedding date arrives but there's no groom?" Mo Xibei scoffed at Chu Junfeng's answer.

"Alright, if you insist on me being blunt, then I'll be blunt. Weren't you deliberately provoking her last night? There's been a lot of trouble at your home lately. Don't you suspect that Murong Songtao is behind it all? Don't you want to force Murong Songtao to show himself? If you don't have such thoughts, then I was wrong. I'm willing to go and clear things up for you right away. Tell me, do you want me to do that?" Chu Junfeng sent Tian Xin out to guard the courtyard gate and said slowly, "Northwest, your kindness is both a strength and a weakness. You shouldn't be such an indecisive person. I don't understand why you seem to completely change when it comes to Miss Murong."

"You really did this on purpose," Mo Xibei knew from Chu Junfeng's words that he had seen everything. She couldn't help but stare at him for a few moments. He was still the same person, even his gentle expression was unchanged. But for some reason, a chill suddenly rose in her heart, pressing on her chest, and it took her a while to calm her breathing. "You say I provoked her, but weren't you provoking her too? Lian Yun is a very good girl. She shouldn't have gotten involved in these troubles. You clearly know that she has feelings for you, so why are you forcing her like this?"

“Northwest, silly girl, you can only be happy if you put your feelings on the right person. If you give them to the wrong person, it’s better to have a short pain than a long one.” Chu Junfeng looked at Mo Northwest, his eyes as calm as ever, but his heart was filled with complicated emotions. He didn’t know how to control himself and stay away from what might be the only temptation in his life. He only knew that the more he warned himself not to get close, the more his body, even his brain and consciousness, would guide him to act in the opposite direction.

"But how can you know what's right and what's wrong without trying?" Mo Xibei left these words behind and turned to leave.

In the afternoon, the Brocade Weaving Workshop delivered two sets of bright red auspicious robes, the hems of which were embroidered with auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns in gold thread, making them extremely luxurious.

"I heard this was originally embroidered by the Brocade Weaving Workshop for a prince to marry a princess. Unexpectedly, before the prince even used it, things went wrong. The garment was too exquisitely made, the price was outrageously high, and coupled with the bad omens, it's been sitting idle. I never imagined it would end up here today." Mu Feinan hadn't even entered the room yet, but she already saw the auspicious robe on the red lacquered tray on the table. "I don't know how this garment ended up here either." Mo Xibei smiled wryly, picking up the robe for a closer look; the dragon feet at the hem had just been altered.

"Alright, if we're going to put on an act, let's go all the way. Come on, put on these clothes and let me see." Mu Fei wasn't interested in the dragon claw, so he snatched the clothes and draped them over Mo Xibei's shoulders.

Because Mo Xibei's clothes were smaller than those of normal northern men, the weaving workshop had already altered them before sending them over. Now, when he wore them, he looked exceptionally handsome and dashing.

"That's wonderful. It would be even better if I wore it and you were the bride," Mu Feinan exclaimed repeatedly, still trying to take advantage of the situation.

"Dreaming in broad daylight? How's your preparation going?" Mo Xibei seemingly unintentionally stepped on Mu Feinan's foot.

“No problem, we’ll catch him as soon as he shows up.” Mu Feinan forcefully pulled his foot out and shrugged.

"I hope that Lian Yun won't hate me too much by then." Mo Xibei sighed sadly. He had done everything he could to protect himself, knowing it was wrong, yet he had let himself continue down the wrong path.

“She shouldn’t hate you,” Mu Feinan pulled Mo Xibei in front of him. “You gave her a chance to choose. Everyone has to be responsible for their own choices. She didn’t choose you, so you don’t need to worry about her.”

Volume 2, Chapter 7: The Wedding (Part 2)

On the eve of the wedding, Mo Xibei secretly brought something to Murong Lianyun's room. According to custom, they should not meet on this night, so Murong Lianyun was very surprised by Mo Xibei's arrival. As soon as she opened the door, her fair cheeks were flushed red even in the candlelight, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz as she asked, "Why are you here at this hour?"

"We're getting married tomorrow, and I haven't been able to find a suitable gift for you. Luckily, I remembered something. Let me show it to you first." Mo Xibei's voice was also very low. After entering the room, he locked the door from the inside before gently opening the bundle. After layering the contents, a rusty short knife appeared in front of Murong Lianyun.

"How did you get it? You took Father's..." Murong Lianyun's eyes widened. He had been staring at Mo Xibei's hand, but when he saw the short knife, he was extremely frightened. His legs almost immediately went weak, and he fell to the ground. Tears welled up in his eyes and fell down in the blink of an eye.

"Don't get so agitated. Didn't Murong Songtao admit that he's your biological father? Why are you reacting so strongly to the knife? If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have taken it out." Mo Xibei reached out and pulled Lian Yun up, annoyedly trying to calm her down and stop her crying.