MM Racing Page 12
Page 12
The determination in her eyes gradually softened. Mu Yuan was her only daughter, whom she had cherished and loved since childhood. How could she really be so heartless as to force her?
Moreover, the daughter's talent is exceptional, a once-in-a-century talent in the entire Qing family.
Given time and careful nurturing, with her own abilities, she might just be able to bring a brighter future to the Qing family. Why must she be trapped in a marriage contract?
The patriarch put down his teacup, his voice tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"Then you should try to get to know him first. If you really don't want to spend time with him, then I will personally go to the Mu family to cancel the engagement."
"Really? Thank you, Mother!"
Aoki Hime instantly went from tears to laughter, her eyes still glistening with tears, but the corners of her mouth had already curved into crescent moons.
She suddenly threw herself into Qinglan's arms, her slender arms tightly wrapped around her mother's waist, her cheeks rubbing against the brocade dress. All her previous grievances vanished, leaving only joy.
Qinglan helplessly rubbed her daughter's head, her fingertips tracing through her soft hair, her tone both reproachful and full of affection.
"You, you're always so willful, and only I will indulge you."
"Hehehe, because my mother loves me the most!"
Aoki Hime tilted her head back, revealing a pair of shallow dimples, her eyes sparkling as if filled with starlight.
She suddenly remembered something and tugged at her mother's sleeve.
"By the way, Mother, what's the name of the guy I'm engaged to?"
"Hmm? Didn't I tell you?" The patriarch was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "He is the most outstanding genius of the Mu family in this generation, the young master of the Mu family—Mu Qinghan."
"Mu Qinghan? That born sword immortal?"
She had long heard that the Mu family had a young master with extraordinary talent who recognized swordsmanship at the age of three and grasped the essence of swordsmanship at the age of five. He was praised by countless senior experts as having "the appearance of a celestial being" and the name "Little Sword Immortal" had spread far and wide.
She never imagined that her fiancé would be this legendary genius.
But... so what? Everyone's a genius, unless he's beaten into submission by her, otherwise he's not considered a genius by her standards.
Chapter 16 Surprise
The dust on the bluestone slabs had not yet completely settled.
Ji Wuji lay sprawled out, his chest heaving violently.
Her once sleek and stylish outfit was torn to shreds, with strips of fabric hanging from her body, leaving her with only a pair of close-fitting underwear to cover her shame.
He gazed at the drifting clouds above, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Little Qinghan, you really are... a monster... no, a genius! I'm convinced, truly convinced this time."
Deng Qiyue, standing to the side, was in no better shape. His burly body leaned against the stone chair, and his once thick brown outfit was now ripped open with several neat cuts from his shoulders to his waist.
Finally, he simply tore his entire shirt into shreds and threw it on the ground.
Several shallow sword marks remained on his bronze chest, the result of Mu Qinghan holding back.
He wiped the sweat from his face, looked at the boy standing not far away, and stared in disbelief.
"You must have started cultivating your strength from the womb, right? That's outrageous! You're so arrogant. You and he share the same mother. Go ask your mother if she secretly fed him some rare and precious herbs when he was born."
"Get out of my way!" Mu Shenqi, clutching his aching back, stood up from the ground, his whole body aching.
"If you can't beat them, you resort to twisted logic. Why waste so much time on nonsense?"
"Do you want to go back to your mother's womb and start over?"
He rubbed his aching shoulders, but his heart was in turmoil.
Holy crap, bro, this is way too outrageous!
At the age of ten, barely reaching his chest, the sword in his hand moved so fast that its trajectory was impossible to see.
Is this really the kind of ability a ten-year-old should have?
They took turns attacking him, but he was completely unharmed.
Mu Shenqi secretly glanced at Mu Qinghan, who was standing quietly in the arena. The young man was still dressed in a moon-white robe, spotless.
He sheathed the wooden sword and remained calm.
Damn, this strength is almost on par with a great demon king!
Looking across the entire Dao Alliance, apart from the two unfathomable patriarchs of the Dongfang and Wangquan families, only a handful of senior figures and patriarchs possess such abilities.
My little brother is going against the heavens!
"Brother, come home for dinner."
He looked up at Mu Shenqi, who was still arguing with Ji Wuji and Deng Qiyue. He remembered the mission he had come here for.
My mother's words of advice from this morning flashed through my mind: today is Mu Shenqi's birthday.
Mother got busy early in the morning, preparing longevity peaches and stewing medicinal dishes. She also specifically instructed that Mu Shenqi should keep it a secret, saying that she wanted to give him a big surprise.
Mu Qinghan's expression softened as she thought of her mother wearing an apron and bustling around in the kitchen.
He glanced at his older brother, who was already arguing with Deng Qiyue, and frowned slightly.
If this drags on any longer, it might turn into a shock rather than a pleasant surprise.
Knowing my mother's temperament, if she gets impatient, she might just come here with her big sword to "invite" someone.
Yes, it really is a big sword.
It's over three meters long, and it looks terrifying when swung around.
"Okay, okay, right away."
Mu Shenqi rubbed his arm, looking reluctant, and waved to his two friends.
"I'm leaving now, see you next time! Next time I'll show you my new moves."
Ji Wuji lay on the ground, laughing and cursing, "Come on, let's beat up your brother first!"
Deng Qiyue chimed in, "That's right! Next time, bring your little swordsman along, and we'll have another chance to learn from him!"
Mu Qinghan didn't reply, but just tugged at Mu Shenqi's sleeve and walked straight out of the arena.
Mu Shenqi was still grumbling about how his younger brother had been too ruthless during their sparring session, completely unaware of the fleeting helplessness in the eyes of the boy beside him.
He did beat his own brother a bit too hard; every punch landed squarely.
Actually, he originally planned to knock his brother unconscious and take him home, but he didn't expect him to be so resilient.
The Mu family mansion, however, now presents a completely different scene.
Red silk embroidered with the character for longevity hung in the main hall, and exquisite pastries and freshly warmed wine were laid out on the table. The kitchen was filled with enticing aromas.
Unlike the usual lively birthday celebrations, today in the inner courtyard study, Madam Mu was talking to a woman dressed in a dark green brocade robe, with a beautiful young girl standing beside her, none other than Qing Muyuan from the Qing family.
"Qinghan is a steady and reliable child, Muyuan, please bear with him."
Madam Mu smiled and patted Aoki Hiyori's hand, her eyes full of satisfaction.
"Today is a good day to celebrate Shenqi's birthday, so I'm letting you all meet and get to know each other beforehand."
Aoki Yuan clutched the hem of her skirt, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Damn it, I wasn't planning on coming anyway, but my mother insisted that I come.
However, she had actually considered coming over a tiny bit, after all, he was her fiancé on the surface, and even if they were to break off the engagement later, she should still consider it, right?
Chapter 17 It's Good to Be a Little Silly
"Mom! I'm home!"
Mu Shenqi kicked open the Mu family's door with a loud bang.
He grinned widely, swaying his still slightly sore shoulders as he barged in, a smug look on his face.
"You'd better give me a big chicken leg today, or I'll feel bad for my arm that got swollen from my brother's beating!"
But as soon as he finished speaking, he stopped abruptly, and the smile on his face froze.
Beside the table in the main hall, Grandma Mu was holding the hand of a beautiful little girl.
The girl was dressed in a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with skin as white as snow and bright, lively eyes; she was clearly a beautiful and charming young woman.
Mu Shenqi scratched his head, looked blankly at her, and leaned closer, speaking bluntly.
"Hey? Mom, where did you pick up this little girl? She's so pretty, I love her."
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the main hall froze.
The smile on Grandma Mu's face vanished in an instant, her lips twitched, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on Aoki Yuan's hand.
Old Man Mu, standing behind her, was practically blinking his eyes out, but Mu Shenqi didn't even glance at him.
Seeing the mother's face darken with dismay, and then secretly glancing at her son out of the corner of her eye, all that could be left for her was a long sigh.
Oh dear son, your mouth has really gotten you into big trouble.
Thank goodness, I still have an alternate account.
Aoki Yuan, who was being led by the hand, was also stunned. She gripped the hem of her skirt tightly with her little hands, looked up at the angry old lady Mu, and then at the silly-looking Mu Shenqi. She didn't realize what was going on for a moment.
This is... Mu Qinghan?
He looks... a little... a little older than his age...
Waaaaah, I want the engagement annulled! I absolutely want the engagement annulled!
"Shepherd, spirit, aura!"
Old Mrs. Mu gritted her teeth and called out her son's name slowly and deliberately, then reached out and grabbed the feather duster from the corner of the table.
"What nonsense are you spouting, brat! This is Qing Muyuan, the young lady of the Qing family, who has come here as a guest! I'll tear your mouth apart today!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Mom, I was wrong!"
Seeing that things were not going well, Mu Shenqi turned and ran out of the hall, shouting as he ran.
"I didn't know you were a guest! Please don't hurt me! Qinghan, save me!"
Mu Qinghan, who had just walked in, happened to witness this scene. He looked at his mother chasing after him with a feather duster and his older brother running away with his head in his hands. He then glanced at Qingmu Yuan, who was standing there staring blankly at him, and was slightly taken aback.
What's the situation?