NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: I Am Too Beautiful
Chapter 7: I Am Too Beautiful
Shopkeeper Hao moved swiftly.
In moments, he presented six or seven garments, each with tasteful designs.
Their soft, pale colors perfectly complemented Ji Wutong’s cool, elegant demeanor.
“Do you like them?”
Lin Mu, eyes gently closed, asked.
Unable to see, he relied on Ji Wutong’s opinion.
“I love them~”
Ji Wutong gazed at the new clothes, her delight easing her earlier hunger.
“Then I’ll trouble Shopkeeper Hao to pack them and deliver them to Yanshan Jishi Hall,” Lin Mu said, fumbling with the garments. “Gu Xing will settle the payment.”
“Payment? Divine Physician Lin, no need to worry!” Shopkeeper Hao beamed. “I’ll deliver them myself soon, and I guarantee no mistakes!”
“Thank you~”
Lin Mu nodded. With Ji Wutong’s support, they continued down the street.
“There’s a small lamb shop nearby,” Lin Mu recalled. “Their lamb soup and baked flatbread are delicious.”
“We should stop by and try them~”
Having lived in Yanshan City for years, Lin Mu knew the streets and shops well.
Even with his eyes closed, he navigated without faltering.
Sure enough, after a few hundred steps, Ji Wutong caught the rich aroma of cooked lamb wafting through the air.
“Let’s grab a roasted sweet potato too. They’re best in winter!”
Settling at the shop, Lin Mu smiled, hearing a nearby vendor’s calls.
Ji Wutong nodded, rose, bought a roasted sweet potato, and split it in half.
Steam rose, carrying the sweet potato’s warm fragrance.
Its golden, soft texture sparked Ji Wutong’s appetite.
“Here’s half for you—careful, it’s hot~”
As before, Ji Wutong peeled the skin for Lin Mu, blew on it gently, and handed it to him.
She didn’t ask how he knew she hadn’t eaten enough.
She simply tucked his thoughtfulness into her heart.
Though Ji Wutong bore the title of Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect, with a seemingly exalted status, she was, in truth, a fugitive of a fallen dynasty, forever on the run.
A peaceful moment like this was a rare luxury.
Were it not for her noble Ji bloodline and the burden of restoring her kingdom, Ji Wutong sometimes wished to abandon the Demon Sect and live in seclusion.
Sipping steaming lamb soup, her gratitude toward Lin Mu deepened. “Thank you, my benefactor!”
“Just call me Lin Mu—‘benefactor’ feels too formal!”
“Mm~ Then call me Wutong!”
Amid their playful banter, Ji Wutong savored two bowls of lamb soup and two pieces of flatbread.
Only then did she let out a satisfied burp.
Lin Mu, meanwhile, barely nibbled half the sweet potato.
His true aim today was to ensure Ji Wutong ate her fill.
The sweet potato was just a whim.
“Look at you, your face is smudged black~”
Ji Wutong eyed Lin Mu’s face, now speckled like a tabby cat, and her lips curved beneath her veil.
She drew a handkerchief from her bosom, dampened it with tea, and gently wiped his face.
Her subtle fragrance wafted over, making Lin Mu shift uncomfortably, instinctively flinching.
“Don’t move~”
Ji Wutong chided softly, her left hand steadying his cheek.
Warmth spread across Lin Mu’s face, her delicate, silky touch stirring a faint intoxication.
So, Wutong’s palm is this soft?
Suddenly, Lin Mu recalled something and asked curiously, “Last night, Gu Xing mentioned you wear a veil—why is that?”
“Because I’m too beautiful. Without it, I’d cause too much trouble~”
Ji Wutong’s tone was matter-of-fact.
Her bold claim, delivered with effortless charm, left no room for doubt.
Anyone who heard her would instinctively believe she was extraordinarily beautiful.
“You truly are beautiful,” Lin Mu nodded, a fleeting memory surfacing from ten years ago.
Though Ji Wutong was not yet grown then, her beauty had been breathtaking, capable of toppling kingdoms.
And when he cured her poison, he had glimpsed her face beneath the veil.
“Besides my master, you’re the second to see my true face~”
“And the only man~”
Ji Wutong bit her lip, folding the handkerchief and tucking it back into her bosom.
“My apologies~”
Lin Mu, still feeling the warmth on his cheek, flashed a mischievous grin.
Just then, several figures passed by. One, spotting Lin Mu, strode forward.
“Lin Mu!”
“My sister just broke off your engagement, and you’re already flirting with another woman?”
“Have you no respect for the Gu family?”
The man’s voice boomed with accusation.
“Have you ever seen anyone flirt in a lamb soup shop?” Lin Mu, recognizing the voice, retorted with a laugh. “Besides, your Gu family—nay, the whole world—means nothing to me!”
The speaker was Gu Ming, Gu Yueling’s older brother and the Gu family’s young master.
With decent talent and years of martial training, he was now a sixth-grade martial artist.
Gu Ming and Lin Mu had grown up together, and they were once close friends.
That bond had frayed when the Gu family annulled the engagement.
Behind Gu Ming stood Gu Yueling, several Gu family servants, and a purple-robed Taoist.
“That woman from yesterday is here too. Shall I drive them off for you?”
Ji Wutong rose, stepping protectively in front of Lin Mu, and whispered.
The sight only stoked Gu Ming’s fury.
He had only one sister, Gu Yueling, whom he’d doted on since childhood.
Though the Gu family had ended the engagement, he couldn’t stomach Lin Mu’s boldness. To find a new companion mere days after the annulment? He should’ve waited at least ten days or half a month.
“No need to bother with them. Let’s go~”
Lin Mu shook his head, unwilling to engage Gu Ming further.
With the engagement dissolved, he saw no need for entanglement with the Gu family.
“Mm~”
Ji Wutong stood, taking Lin Mu’s left arm to guide him.
Ignored by the pair, Gu Ming’s anger surged. He shouted and lunged toward Lin Mu with the intent on stopping him.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
“How dare you!”
A sharp rebuke rang out, halting Gu Ming’s advance.
Ji Wutong lowered her hand, turning to the purple-robed Taoist.
Had he not spoken, her palm strike would have claimed Gu Ming’s life.
“Brother, show respect before Elder Xianyun!”
Gu Yueling stepped forward, grasping Gu Ming’s hand and urging softly.
While speaking, she shot frantic glances at him when no one was looking.
Gu Ming caught her signal and turned respectfully to the Taoist, bowing. “What wisdom does Elder Xianyun offer?”
“I’ll follow your guidance without question!”
“Apologize!”
“What?”
Gu Ming blinked, confused.
“Kneel!” Elder Xianyun barked, his purple robe billowing without wind, exuding an overwhelming presence.