Running a Food Stall to Support My Deceptive Omega - Chapter 23.1

Hearing the knocking, Mu Jinyu couldn’t help but feel nervous.

She struggled to keep her voice steady as she shouted toward the outside, “Coming, coming! Who is it?”

She picked up an outer garment from the bed and draped it over herself, then patted the head of the little colorful leopard cat, whose fur was standing on end due to the aggressive knocking.

With a shiu sound, the little cat scurried away, hiding under the wardrobe.

Mu Jinyu had no time to worry about it. She walked quickly toward the courtyard, preparing to open the door.

But the knocking outside became increasingly urgent. After a few breaths, someone finally lost patience, and a deafening bang rang out.

The courtyard gate was kicked open.

The old gate trembled precariously, looking as if it were about to fall apart.

The leading official outside retracted her foot, her hand resting on the saber at her waist as she strode inside. The men behind her drew their blades with a shua and ran into the courtyard. Without saying a word, they began hacking wildly at any place where a person might be hiding.

Even though Mu Jinyu had prepared herself mentally, seeing them slicing through things in the yard like they were cutting melons caused an uncontrollable chill of dread to rise in her heart.

She froze in place, her breathing rapid, her nails digging into her palms. Her feet refused to move another inch.

Before seeing these people, Mu Jinyu hadn’t felt the reality of their arrival. Anxiety was one thing, but it hadn’t affected her this deeply. But now that she was actually seeing them, she realized these people were no different from bandits committing a home invasion.

They were killers!

Fear occupied her heart; she was not a strong person. On the contrary, having been thrown from a safe world into this one filled with hidden dangers, she was far more terrified than anyone else. A single look or reaction could cost her life at the hands of those blades.

But she couldn’t retreat. She had to stand at the front like a high wall.

Looking at how these people were hacking at everything, it was clear they had no intention of letting Rong Heng live.

Rong Heng was the Regent of this country—who on earth had the audacity to try and kill her?

Mu Jinyu suddenly felt a sense of tragedy. It turned out that even someone as powerful as Rong Heng found it difficult to stay alive.

She tightened her grip on the clothes draped over her shoulders and asked in a trembling voice, “O-officers, what are you doing?”

The lead official scanned her up and down, judging whether she was the type to hide someone. After a while, the official saw nothing amiss. In her eyes, Mu Jinyu was no different from any other commoner.

She didn’t answer Mu Jinyu. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the open door of the main house. With her right hand on her saber, she walked toward the room.

Mu Jinyu wanted to follow but was stopped by another official—the lead official’s deputy, by the looks of it.

The deputy blocked her path and said with a smile, “Don’t be afraid. We are just catching an assassin. Once we find them, we’ll leave.”

“Do you know where the assassin is, girl?”

Mu Jinyu looked bewildered. “What assassin?”

The deputy had no interest in explaining much to a commoner and simply asked again, “Have you noticed any unusual people or events lately?”

Speaking of this, Mu Jinyu frowned, trying hard to recall recent events.

“Yes, yes, yes!” She became slightly agitated.

Hearing her say “yes,” the deputy also became visibly excited and couldn’t help but urge her to speak quickly.

“Seven days ago, the small table I just had a carpenter make… I left it on the Night Market street for just one night and it was stolen!”

Mu Jinyu’s anger was not faked. She had no place to complain when her things were stolen and could only accept the bad luck. Those copper coins were wasted for nothing!

“And, and! A kitten on the Night Market street was beaten! There was a huge bloody hole in its leg!” Mu Jinyu gestured with her hands. “I don’t know which heartless bastards did it! How can there be such scum on the Night Market street!”

Hearing these stories, the deputy, who had been excited, rolled her eyes and barked, “Shut up!”

She thought she had finally found a lead, but it turned out this person was useless. This job was truly thankless—cursed if they didn’t catch the person, and likely to offend powerful people if they did. Truly difficult.

The deputy told Mu Jinyu to stand aside, having lost hope in this courtyard. She urged her subordinates to hurry up their search so they could move to the next place.

Meanwhile, the lead official who had entered Mu Jinyu’s room scanned the area. She noticed an outer garment left on the messy bed.

It was the one Rong Heng hadn’t had time to put on.

The lead official’s eyebrows twitched, sensing something was wrong. She used her scabbard to hook the garment and brought it out into the yard.

“Explain this clothing.” The hooked garment was thrust in front of Mu Jinyu, the tip of the scabbard pointing directly at her face, nearly hitting her head.

Mu Jinyu’s heart hammered like a drum. Looking at the scabbard, her eyes almost crossed, but she forced herself to stay composed, not letting her expression give her away.

She said, “Half a month ago, my two mothers encountered mountain bandits and unfortunately lost their lives. This clothing and the one I’m wearing belonged to them. I just… I missed them too much…”

Mu Jinyu choked up for a moment and suddenly burst into tears.

“Why is my life so bitter! I didn’t want them to die! I miss them so much! Those damned bandits, why did it have to be them?”

Whether it was out of fear or genuine emotion, Mu Jinyu’s tears flowed uncontrollably. She was devastated.

The lead official’s sharp expression momentarily turned to disgust; she hadn’t expected the girl to cry like this. She looked closely at the garment; it didn’t look like something that person would wear. She decided not to press the issue.

She tossed the clothes onto the ground and asked the other officials, “Finished searching? Hurry up, let’s go to the next place.”

The other officials responded one after another, “Finished, finished.”

They sheared their blades and walked toward the gate, preparing to leave.

Seeing them leave, Mu Jinyu quietly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the ordeal was over.

But just as the lead official’s foot crossed the threshold, the breeze vanished, the trees went still, and the courtyard became eerily silent.

A rustling sound drifted out slowly from Mu Jinyu’s room.

Everyone present changed expression instantly!

The officials drew their blades in a flash, pointing them at Mu Jinyu and the seemingly empty room.

The glint of the white blades reflecting in the sunlight made Mu Jinyu’s tears flow even harder. Despair surged, and she could no longer control her facial expression.

It was over. She was going to die.

Inside the house, the half-awake Rong Heng had been hastily stuffed into the hole by Mu Jinyu.

She lay there dazed for a while, hearing the voices outside. Among them, the most pleasant voice belonged to Mu Jinyu. Mu Jinyu had never spoken to her in such a gentle tone before.

Rong Heng stayed quiet. In the unventilated hole, a medicinal fragrance lingered.

What was it?

She felt around and found a small square package wrapped in oil paper. She suddenly remembered—this was the thing Mu Jinyu had hidden a few days ago. The thing that made Mu Jinyu get flustered and change the subject whenever it was mentioned.

In the cramped space, Rong Heng managed to bring the object to her nose. Sniffing carefully, a faint medicinal scent wafted from it.

Rong Heng tried to resist, but her curiosity got the better of her. She began to try and open the medicinal package with very light movements. She didn’t think such careful actions would alert the people outside. Even when she tasted a piece of the herb and her face twisted from the bitterness, she made no sound.

But she didn’t realize that the people outside had already heard the rustling.

Qiang—!

Blades were drawn, creating a chilling wind.

The lead official pointed her sword toward the room, her footsteps light as she tentatively moved forward.

Everyone held their breath, their faces showing tension and even terror. You had to realize, that person was… if they faced her head-on, barely one in ten would survive! They never expected they might actually encounter her!

As expected, this life-threatening job would only fall to small fries like them. Many officials’ hands began to shake, cold sweat trickling down their temples, their faces pale. Despite it being a sunny day, the courtyard felt deathly cold.

Just as the lead official approached the house and her blade was about to reach inside—

“Meow!”

A piercing cat cry suddenly rang out from inside.

The little colorful cat with the injured hind leg scrambled out, jumping into Mu Jinyu’s arms. Clearly, the animal was more sensitive than the humans; it sensed the killing intent and could no longer stay inside, seeking Mu Jinyu’s protection.

Seeing it was just a cat, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. The officials immediately lowered their weapons, their stiff backs relaxing, and some even patted their chests. They were no longer the fierce warriors they had been toward Mu Jinyu.

The lead official sheathed her sword and turned to glare at Mu Jinyu with anger and speechless frustration, looking like she wanted to curse. With a wave of her hand, she led the rest away to search the next house.

Once they left, Mu Jinyu quickly carried the cat, closed the door, and locked it. Only then did she place the cat on the stone table and slide down beside it, her body losing all strength.

She leaned half-prone against the cat. Her cheek touched the soft fur of the little leopard cat, and she heard the purr-purr sound coming from its throat.

Mu Jinyu felt a peace she had never felt before; the world suddenly seemed beautiful. She would have to treat this cat like a deity now. If not for the little cat, she and Rong Heng would likely have died here.

“Ancestor, I’ll call you Ancestor from now on.” Mu Jinyu buried her face in the cat’s belly and rubbed back and forth. Sucking in a breath of cat scent every now and then felt incredibly comforting.

After a long time, she heard the voices of the officials fading away until they completely disappeared from the street. Only then did Mu Jinyu find the strength to walk back inside.

She hurriedly dug up the dirt under the bed, lifted the wooden board, and let Rong Heng out.

The hole under the bed had poor air circulation; it wasn’t actually a good place to hide a person.

Seeing Rong Heng, she didn’t scold her. Instead, she asked with concern, “Are you alright? Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Rong Heng’s face had an unnatural flush. Her body was limp, like she had no bones. When Mu Jinyu pulled her wrist, she didn’t resist, but she didn’t cooperate either. She just lay softly in the hole.

What was happening?

The Mu Jinyu who had just relaxed felt her heart leap into her throat again, thinking Rong Heng had been buried too long and was suffocating. She scrambled to pull her out.

But as she held her, she realized Rong Heng’s body felt like soft, boiled noodles—so soft and slippery that Mu Jinyu couldn’t find a grip! She was afraid of hurting her if she pulled too hard, but she couldn’t lift her if she was too gentle. She was caught in a dilemma.

“Rong Heng, wake up, wake up! It’s okay now, it’s over. Take big breaths.”

Due to her extreme worry, Mu Jinyu hesitated for a few breaths before gritting her teeth and dragging her out. She settled her properly on the bed.

“Rong Heng, Rong Heng, say something! Are you okay?”

She pressed the back of her hand against Rong Heng’s burning forehead, then began to unbutton Rong Heng’s collar so nothing would constrict her neck, allowing her to breathe better. She kept calling Rong Heng’s name, trying to bring back her unfocused gaze.

The officials were searching Louxu County and wouldn’t leave anytime soon. Mu Jinyu was afraid that if she went out to find a doctor, she would run into them again and bring about a death sentence. So she stayed, pacing around in a panic one moment and fanning Rong Heng with her hand the next.

She hoped the other would recover quickly. She couldn’t understand what was wrong. Was it suffocation? Was she scared? Or was the fever from a few days ago back?

“Rong Heng? Rong Heng?”

Mu Jinyu clutched Rong Heng’s soft hand. Her already red eyes now filled with tears. She couldn’t accept that they had evaded the search only for Rong Heng to be at death’s door now. She had worked so hard for them both to live—why was this happening?

Mu Jinyu wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand and knelt on one leg on the bed, wanting to give Rong Heng artificial respiration. It was okay; she knew some first aid. As long as she worked hard to save her, Rong Heng would be fine.

At this moment, Mu Jinyu had long forgotten that Rong Heng was someone who might take her life in the future. Rong Heng was the first person she had met since coming to this world! Rong Heng was the person she had lived with for so long!

She just wanted Rong Heng to live, regardless of the future.

Mu Jinyu leaned down, her tears dripping onto Rong Heng’s unnaturally flushed cheek.

Pa-da—

The hot, scalding tear brought a flicker of light to Rong Heng’s wandering eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her gaze slowly focused on Mu Jinyu.

For a moment, time stopped, the sun and moon reversed, and countless flowers bloomed in Mu Jinyu’s heart. Each one was vibrant, carrying an incredible life force.

What surged up first wasn’t joy, but relief. Relief that Rong Heng was okay. Relief that the person who had been with her the longest was still there.

Mu Jinyu knelt on the bed, curling inward, her head resting against her own hand as large tears fell. But her expression was one of happiness, the corners of her mouth uncontrollable as they turned upward.

“Are… are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Don’t stay silent, please speak.” Mu Jinyu asked with a sob. She was so scared and worried that she felt a bit embarrassed to meet Rong Heng’s eyes.

Rong Heng didn’t react much, just stared at her blankly.

On the small bed, a faint floral scent appeared.

In Mu Jinyu’s mind, the colorful flowers were replaced at some point by the “Phoenix Vibration Feather” (a type of chrysanthemum). The slender petals began to sprout and stretch outward like tentacles exploring the world. Yet the tips of the tender petals curled inward shyly, like fingers or little hooks, entangling the person closest to them.

A rich, fresh fragrance enveloped Mu Jinyu’s entire body, causing her to tremble. The golden-red Phoenix Vibration Feather exploded into flashes of golden light in her mind.

Her curled-up body suddenly went weak. Her forehead rested on Rong Heng’s shoulder, her head buried in Rong Heng’s embrace, swept away by the even more intense fragrance.

What was… happening…?

Mu Jinyu fell into a state of chaos. Every nerve in her brain was being pulled by the tender petals. Those slender golden-red petals were like dodder vines, growing unceremoniously into her nerves. They seemed intent on taking root in her heart and planting a sea of flowers.

Mu Jinyu keenly sensed something was wrong. This feeling was too terrifying; it triggered her deep-seated fear of addiction. She wanted to pull back, to tear away the petals piercing her nerves. But the curled tips of those petals were slowly caressing her nerves. Like fingers, they wandered over her body. They were treating her kindly.

Chaos. Endless chaos.

The parasol tree, still a sapling, shook violently. The giant Phoenix Vibration Feather grew behind it. Every branch and every leaf of the parasol tree was firmly entwined by its petals. The ordinary tree bloomed with a sea of golden-red fire. The tree swayed, a rustling sound echoing.