What? Too young? Not interested?
Putting aside her prominent family background, Mu Xi was an incredibly beautiful woman. If suitors lined up for her, the queue would stretch down two streets. If each of them had a gun, they could probably liberate Taiwan.
And yet this guy said she was too young? That he wasn't interested?
In that moment, Mu Xi had the sudden urge to rush over and gouge out his eyes—just to see if he was truly blind.
Jiang Chen, oblivious to the eighteen times Mu Xi had killed him in her heart during those few short seconds, simply shrugged and asked casually,
"So? Are you willing or not?"
Mu Xi lowered her head, her gaze landing on the jade pendant around her neck. Her clear eyes were filled with reluctance.
Her grandfather, Mu He, saw right through her hesitation. He gave a soft cough and said gently,
"Mr. Jiang, this jade pendant is a keepsake left to Xi'er by her mother. It holds deep sentimental value. If you're fond of jade, I can arrange for someone to—"
Before he could finish, Jiang Chen impatiently waved his hand.
"If that's the case, then forget it. I won't insist. Farewell."
With a cold expression, he turned and made to leave. He wasn't cold by nature, but he found this kind of emotional haggling pointless. If he gave an inch now, who knew if the other party would take a mile? In order to keep control of the situation, he didn't mind playing the villain this once.
Seeing Jiang Chen suddenly turn to leave, Mu Xi's expression shifted.
"Wait!" she called out. "As long as you can heal my grandfather's injuries, Mu Xi is willing to hand over the jade pendant!"
As she spoke, she took it off and respectfully held it out to him.
But Jiang Chen didn't take it.
Mu Xi looked at him in surprise, uncertain what he was planning.
Jiang Chen gave her a faint smile.
"Keep it for now. Once your grandfather is healed, I'll come for it."
A smile finally bloomed on Mu Xi's usually cold face—and the effect was stunning.
Her beauty, already breathtaking, seemed to eclipse everything else around her. It was said her smile could topple cities, and even the most elaborate makeup in the imperial court couldn't compare.
Jiang Chen stared at her, momentarily dazed.
Mu Xi's cheeks turned pink under his gaze, a rare flush of embarrassment.
"What's the second thing?" she asked softly.
Jiang Chen collected himself and replied,
"Prepare some medicinal herbs for me. It might be quite a few, so take note."
Mu Xi nodded immediately, pulling out her phone and unlocking it with a light swipe of her slender finger.
"Go ahead."
"Ox gallstones, astragalus, ginseng, goji berries, lingzhi…"
He paused, then quickly rattled off thirty-seven types of rare Chinese medicinal herbs.
Of course, if he were only treating Mu He, this would be overkill. But if he was refining a Body Tempering Pill, that was a different matter entirely.
When he finally stopped, Mu Xi's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Anything else?"
Jiang Chen thought for a moment.
"Before I descended the mountain, my master told me not to take action lightly. But sometimes, there are just too many annoying flies buzzing around."
"If you find it inconvenient to act, our Mu family will take care of those flies for you!" Mu He cut in before Jiang Chen could finish.
Truthfully, even if Jiang Chen hadn't mentioned it, Mu He would have done the same. For a mere seventeen- or eighteen-year-old to already possess such divine-level medical skills—and to have a master even more powerful—establishing a good relationship with Jiang Chen was clearly to their benefit.
As he thought about this, Mu He's cloudy eyes flicked toward his granddaughter.
Mu Xi and Jiang Chen—on paper—were a perfect match.
If they could form a bond, perhaps even marry, the Mu family might be restored to its former glory. They could even re-enter the ranks of Huaxia's top aristocratic families.
But Jiang Chen had already made it clear he wasn't interested in Mu Xi. And with her pride, she'd never lower herself to chase after a man.
Jiang Chen, too, was clearly proud—perhaps even more so.
Even with his insight, there was no way he could guess that at this very moment, the old man was already contemplating making him their family's future son-in-law.
"Well then, it's settled," Jiang Chen said. "Prepare the herbs. Once everything's ready, call me. I'll come in person to treat the old master."
As he spoke, he and Mu Xi exchanged phone numbers.
Mu He nodded and turned to his granddaughter.
"Xi'er, see Mr. Jiang out."
Before she could respond, Jiang Chen raised a hand.
"No need. I'd prefer to walk alone."
Mu Xi bit her lip as she watched him walk away, muttering under her breath,
"Tch. So arrogant. What's so great about him anyway? I didn't even want to escort him!"
Mu He chuckled at his granddaughter's sulky expression and shook his head.
"Xi'er, that young man Jiang Chen is no ordinary person. If the chance arises, try to spend more time with him. It'll be nothing but good for you—and for our Mu family."
"I know, Grandpa," Mu Xi replied casually.
But her eyes were fixed on Jiang Chen's fading figure. There was something about him—something hidden, something intriguing.
At that moment, Mu Xi realized she was eager to unravel the mystery that was Jiang Chen.