After Jianxiu Gave The Villain In The Book A Wedding To Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 5

Mu Wan had no memories and was unfamiliar with the Mu estate, so a servant girl was assigned to lead him to his quarters.

The choice of his quarters was rather telling. Although Mu Wan was the eldest son, the servant led him straight toward the West Wing, a section of the estate that was even more remote.

“Who lives in the East Wing?” he suddenly asked.

The servant girl was startled. She had not expected the eldest son, who had been silent until now, to speak, and his tone was so clear and articulate that he did not sound mentally challenged at all. However, she dismissed the strange thought, remembering that while the old Mu Wan had behaved like a child, he was often docile and well-spoken. She smiled and replied, “The eldest son has forgotten. The second son lives there.”

The second son was Mu Yan.

The arrangement of the quarters was peculiar, and judging by the servant’s attitude, it seemed to be the standard practice.

Mu Wan did not press the issue. When they reached the western courtyard, he could not help but raise an eyebrow. He had only been away for three days, yet the courtyard was already desolate. The flowers and plants were withered, clearly showing that no one had tended to them since his departure.

Although this identity was arranged by the system, once he merged with this world, everything was supposed to follow the life trajectory of the original Mu Wan. This state of neglect was clearly a reflection of the Mu family’s indifference.

The Mu family’s willingness to swap him into a marriage with Ning Bumo made their apathy unsurprising. What intrigued Mu Wan, however, was the faint grey energy surrounding the Mu family members. Both Mu Zhe and his wife and children were enveloped in this aura, which suggested they had committed various immoral deeds. Yet, the Mu estate itself was surprisingly clean—perhaps even abnormally so—creating a sharp contrast with the lingering black mist found at the Prince Jing residence.

The spiritual energy he had just begun to recover spread outward from his body, attempting to observe the vast estate. As his spiritual perception expanded, no clear clues emerged, but faint golden light appeared near the west side of the main house.

Mu Wan grew thoughtful and quickly walked toward the main house.

This panicked the servant girl trailing him. “Young Master, that is the residence of the Master and his wife! You cannot enter as you please!” She spoke anxiously, but Mu Wan ignored her.

In everyone’s eyes, he was a fool, and fools were often forgiven for eccentric behavior. More importantly, he was curious about what could possibly emit that rare golden light on the west side of the main house.

Today, everyone was busy preparing to welcome the Princess Consort’s return to his family home, so there were few guards around. Coupled with Mu Wan’s unique status, he managed to barge straight inside.

By the time he reached the main house, Mu Wan headed straight for the room on the west side. The servant girl was frantic, but she dared not barge into the outer hall to inform Mu Zhe. She nervously tracked his movements and was stunned when she realized where he was headed.

Ever since the new mistress had entered the household and Mu Wan had been branded as a simpleton, no one had spoken of Mu Zhe’s late wife for a long time. However, everyone knew that after Qi Yue became the mistress, the room on the west side was used to store the personal belongings of the first wife, Chu Xueqing.

Previously, no one had told Mu Wan about his biological mother; when they spoke of his mother, they always did so in the context of Qi Yue. Yet now, he was walking straight toward that room, as if he knew exactly what was inside.

The situation was too unusual for the servant to intervene. She could only watch as Mu Wan pushed open the door. Under normal circumstances, this room should have been locked, but when Mu Wan’s hand touched the door, he encountered no resistance.

With a creak, the door that had been shut for so long swung open. A cloud of dust billowed out, making the servant girl shiver as she wondered whether she should follow him inside.

Mu Wan did not hesitate. Although the room was cold, it did not feel in the slightest bit chilling; instead, it held a faint, lingering warmth.

This world lacked lingering spirits, as souls typically passed into the next life upon death. However, those with keen spiritual perception could sometimes detect faint remnants.

Such was the case now.

The moment he stepped into the room, a faint phantom began to coalesce. A young woman appeared before Mu Wan. She sat on the edge of the bed, gently rocking a cradle. The infant inside gripped her finger, prompting a gentle smile on the woman’s face.

Soon, the phantom shifted to the window, where the infant, now grown, leaned against a table, wearing a tiger-head hat as he took his first cautious steps. This scene repeated two or three times before shifting to the final image: the woman lying weak and pale on the bed, her hair disheveled and her gaze filled with deep, lingering resentment.

These were merely remnants of her final thoughts, yet before she closed her eyes, she seemed to pierce through time and look directly at Mu Wan.

The phantom vanished, transforming into a tiny, pale golden light that drifted in the room. Mu Wan was finally struck with surprise.

An ordinary person would not recognize this, but a cultivator could not fail to identify it. It was clearly the light of merit. Although the glow was incredibly faint, it indicated that its owner had once been a truly virtuous person, or she would never have accumulated such light.

Before he could react, the light darted straight toward him. It moved too fast for Mu Wan to intercept. The golden light of merit flew into his dantian and merged with his body.

His withered dantian felt as if it had received a soothing rain, instantly absorbing the golden light to heal itself. The process was far more effective than the mid-grade spirit stone he had used earlier.

The system, which had been silently observing, finally spoke up, unable to hide its envy. “This is… Chu Xueqing gifting you her light of merit.”

“It appears so.” Mu Wan’s emotions were complex. He and Chu Xueqing were not biologically related, yet this light of merit had submerged into his body, as if it contained the greatest love a mother could hold for her child. If the original simple-minded Mu Wan truly existed, under the protection of this light, he might one day have regained his senses.

Unfortunately, the original Mu Wan was a character fabricated by the world, and in the original story, he never had the chance to visit his mother’s belongings before leaving the Mu estate.

“This is troublesome,” Mu Wan remarked.

He originally had no connection to Chu Xueqing, but with this light of merit, he was now inextricably linked to her. Thinking of the resentment in her dying eyes, Mu Wan added, “I do not know what regrets you had, but if the opportunity arises, I will fulfill them for you.”

His words terrified the servant girl, who trembled as she asked, “E-Eldest Young Master, who are you talking to?” She was too busy thinking about whether the room was truly haunted to even doubt Mu Wan’s sudden clarity of mind.

Mu Wan ignored her and turned to walk out the door. Once he left, the servant girl did not dare to remain. As they stepped out of the courtyard, they were met by two people. The one in the lead approached with a menacing air, his face filled with rage when he saw Mu Wan. The person behind him walked with delicate steps, wearing an expression of concern.

They were none other than Mu Zhe’s children, Mu Yan and Mu Yuwei.

“Mu Wan?!” Mu Yan, having just been lectured, was burning with fury. He had come looking for him the moment he heard he was out of the outer hall. Seeing him now, he spoke with the tone of someone coming to settle a debt. “Did you do this on purpose? Did you make that cripple give me trouble?”

Upon hearing this, Mu Yuwei’s expression changed, and she hurriedly restrained him. “Yan, do not speak nonsense!”

Mu Yan belatedly realized his words were inappropriate. If investigated, it would be a capital offense of disrespect.

However, Mu Wan suddenly spoke, startling them both. “You insulted Ning Bumo.”

“What kind of gibberish are you spouting?” Mu Yan stiffened his neck and lectured him. “I have not even started with you yet. How dare you? You went outside for a trip, and now you do not recognize your family? Are you colluding with others to make life miserable for your own kin?”

In the past, whenever he shouted at Mu Wan, the boy would be timid and fearful, looking up at him despite being taller. But now, Mu Wan looked down at him with an indifferent gaze, as if watching the performance of a pathetic clown, which only made Mu Yan feel more humiliated.

“Why are you staring? Has your tongue gone numb?” Mu Yan dared not insult Ning Bumo again, but he was still holding a grudge, lashing out with barbed words.

Mu Yuwei intervened, “Brother, do not be harsh with your elder brother. He was sent to a strange place and knows no one. He cannot even handle his own affairs, so he is surely more aggrieved than we are.”

“Then why did you not go instead?” Mu Wan countered.

Mu Yuwei froze, unsure how to respond, and bit her lip in feigned grievance.

Mu Yan could not stand to see her like this and stepped up to defend his sister. “What do you mean by that? Are you blaming my sister? I am telling you, the family has raised you until now, and no one has mistreated you. What is so wrong with you marrying Prince Jing? I see you are living quite happily, and now you have the nerve to come back and cause us trouble.”

“Ning Bumo is quite good, better than all of you,” Mu Wan replied calmly.

Ning Bumo, who had just found an excuse to come looking for Mu Wan, happened to hear this. His figure, which was about to emerge, froze. He gestured for his subordinates to hide him behind the corridor pillar, listening to their conversation with great interest.

To Mu Yan and Mu Yuwei, these words sounded like a fit of pique. Ning Bumo knew that Mu Wan would never say such a thing in the past; he was incapable of it.

Mu Yuwei frowned and said worriedly, “Elder Brother, have you been listening to someone else’s nonsense? No matter what, we are a family and should never drift apart. I know you are unhappy, but we are always your support. If you encounter any displeasure, you can only come to us. Do you know that the Prince’s residence chased away Xiaodie? Without her, we hear nothing of you. If you run into trouble, we will not be able to help.”

“That is right, and Xiaodie has cared for you since childhood. Were you not most obedient to her? Why are you so cold now? Do you not want to find her?” Thinking of Xiaodie, who had come crying to them about her grievances, Mu Yan’s tone grew increasingly impatient, as if Xiaodie were his own flesh and blood.

Mu Wan truly did not know that the maid had been driven away, nor did he know if Ning Bumo was responsible. Regardless, her departure made his life much simpler. As for the two people in front of him, Mu Wan only had two words to describe them: “Hypocritical.”

They were stupid and hypocritical. One was a reckless idiot like a wild bull, and the other was a two-faced schemer pretending to be aggrieved.

His words were satisfying, but they struck a nerve. Mu Yuwei’s eyes filled with tears, and Mu Yan could no longer contain himself. He raised his hand, ready to strike. “Mu Wan, say that again. Do you believe I will not—”

“Believe what?” The unfinished sentence was interrupted. A pebble flew from the distance, striking Mu Yan’s arm. Stung by the pain, his arm jerked, and he staggered back several steps.

Looking at the figure who had finally revealed himself, Mu Yan dared not think of retribution. The man being pushed out was none other than Ning Bumo.

To beat the Princess Consort in the presence of Prince Jing—even if Mu Wan was their kin, this was an act that could not be easily forgiven. All they could do was gloss over the matter and deny Mu Yan’s true intentions.

Mu Yuwei hurriedly pulled her brother to his knees and steadied her mind. “Your Highness, my brother is foolish. They often play and fight at home, and for a moment, he forgot his place. I hope you and the Princess Consort will forgive him.”

On the other side, Mu Zhe, who had hurried over upon hearing the news, saw the scene and heard Mu Yuwei’s explanation. His heart skipped a beat, but he did not feel reassured. Instead, he stepped forward with a glowering expression and delivered a kick to Mu Yan. “Rebellious son! It is one thing to play and fight with your brother at home, but what occasion is this? How dare you act so recklessly? If you offend the Prince and the Princess Consort, how can we face the consequences? Apologize to them immediately!”

The kick appeared vicious but was executed with skill, landing in a spot where it would cause the least injury. Yet, for Mu Yan, who had been pampered since childhood, it was a profound grievance. However, Mu Zhe still held authority as his father. Looking at his father’s anger and his sister’s panic, Mu Yan—not entirely devoid of common sense—gritted his teeth, crawled over to Mu Wan, and said, “Princess Consort, please forgive me…”

He felt deeply humiliated, yet Ning Bumo did not let the matter rest. “Fighting, you say? I do not think so. The look of intent to harm the Princess Consort just now was quite arrogant.”

Mu Zhe had realized by now that the current Prince Jing was like a rabid dog, biting anyone he could. He had no hope of settling this simply, so he said with reluctance, “Although my son meant no harm, it is a fact that he offended the Princess Consort. Men, take him away and administer twenty strokes, then confine him for seven days, so he does not forget his place.”

This was a severe punishment for Mu Yan. Furthermore, the blow had not actually landed, and since it was the day of the return visit, causing too much of a scene would reflect poorly on the Princess Consort’s own reputation.

The protocol officer, seeing that Ning Bumo had yet to agree, stepped forward to remind him, “Your Highness, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor are waiting for the report after the visit.”

Ning Bumo understood that one should not push too far. He finally relented, “If so, then carry out the punishment—in the presence of the Princess Consort.”

Seeing him act on Mu Wan’s behalf, one might have thought they were deeply in love. But no one believed Prince Jing truly favored Mu Wan. They assumed he had been forced to marry a simpleton and was taking his frustration out on the Mu family, or else he would not have been so utterly disrespectful.

Regardless, the punishment was necessary. With the Prince’s men watching, the servants of the Mu estate dared not strike lightly. By the time they left, the wails of Mu Yan seemed to linger in the air.

In the carriage back to the Prince’s residence, Mu Wan closed his eyes to digest the remaining light of merit, while a gaze flickered toward him repeatedly. After several times, Mu Wan could not help but ask, “Is there something wrong with your eyes?”

Ning Bumo’s expression stiffened. “I am perfectly fine.”

“Then why do you keep looking at me?”

“Who is looking at you?” Ning Bumo retorted subconsciously, though he looked as if he had words stuck in his throat.

Mu Wan did not press him. Finally, Ning Bumo could not hold back any longer. A voice as thin as a mosquito’s hum echoed in the carriage.

“Well? Did you feel humiliated today?” He asked, though he refused to look at Mu Wan, sitting upright in a formal posture. If Mu Wan’s hearing had not been so sharp, he would have thought he had misheard.

So, after struggling like an ant on a hot pan for so long, this was the question Ning Bumo had wanted to ask.

Mu Wan curled his lips, his mood inexplicably good, though his words were deeply unsatisfactory.

“Not bad.”

Having waited in expectation only to receive this answer, Ning Bumo turned his head and verified the statement three or four times. Finding that Mu Wan had no intention of elaborating, he gripped his prayer beads until they creaked.

What kind of evaluation is “not bad”?

It must have been his own wishful thinking. He would certainly not ask Mu Wan another word next time.