Fox Spirit: One Sword Sweeps the World

Page 89

Mu Qinghan responded softly and gently lowered her from his arms.

As his fingertips brushed against her furry earlobe, he deliberately pinched it gently, then raised his hand to pat her head, speaking in a tender tone.

"Don't be afraid. My parents aren't old-fashioned people. They'll definitely like you."

Tu Shan Ya Ya nodded vigorously, as if to encourage herself.

She then tightly grasped Mu Qinghan's hand and followed him step by step into the magnificent Mu Mansion.

The servant at the door was already dumbfounded, his mouth agape enough to fit two eggs.

He had never seen a young master who looked like this before.

That person was the strongest human at the age of seventeen, and he was usually cold and distant to everyone.

He was usually taciturn even with the elders in the mansion, but now he was being so patient with a young girl, even speaking in an unusually soft tone.

The servant suddenly blinked and stared intently at the top of Tu Shan Ya Ya's head.

The two tufts of snow-white fox ears swayed gently with the girl's steps, the fur at the edges gleaming softly under the light.

The servant was startled.

He hurriedly shook his head, trying to banish the horrifying thought from his mind.

No, no, I must be thinking wrong!

He suddenly remembered that a few days ago when he passed by the West Street Restaurant, the proprietress was wearing similar furry ears on her head. He had even heard someone say that it was called... role-playing!

Yes, yes, that must be it!

Wow, this thing is already so popular?

Even the young master's sweetheart is following this trend?

The servant secretly peeked at the pair of fox ears, finding them increasingly exquisite and adorable, and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

It seems that even the young master has similar tastes to me.

Hehehe... I'll go buy a pair too, maybe I can win over the girl next door, Xiao Cui...

The vermilion gate slowly opened inward, and a warm glow, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus, wafted in.

Inside the gate, under the eaves, hung many exquisite and translucent colored lanterns, with patterns of pine trees and cranes symbolizing longevity painted on the plain white silk lampshades.

The flickering candlelight cast a dazzling glow on the bluestone path.

Tu Shan Ya Ya subconsciously moved closer to Mu Qing Han, her fingers gripping his sleeve tightening even more.

Her eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, and she saw servants dressed in blue and gray short jackets, or elders of the clan in brocade robes, all stopping what they were doing and looking in this direction.

"Young Master is back!"

A young maid carrying a copper kettle brightened up and called out in a clear voice. As soon as she finished speaking, a chorus of greetings rang out from all around.

"Greetings, young master!"

"Qinghan is here, you're back early today."

The speaker was an elderly man with graying temples. He stroked his beard and nodded with a smile, but his gaze involuntarily fell on the girl beside Mu Qinghan.

A low gasp suddenly broke the silence from the crowd.

"Holy crap? Who's this person next to Qinghan...?"

This question, like a pebble thrown into a lake, instantly stirred up a thousand ripples.

Several old women gathered under the eaves, picking vegetables, whispering amongst themselves, their eyes wide open.

"Good heavens, Qinghan actually brought a girl home?"

"Having lived this long, this is the first time I've ever seen a young master accompanied by a young lady!"

"This girl is so beautiful! Look at her eyebrows and eyes, she looks like she stepped out of a painting. Standing next to our young master, they are truly a perfect couple!"

Amid the exclamations of praise, a slightly hesitant voice broke in.

"Wait a minute...look, why are her ears different from ours?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes turned to Tu Shan Ya Ya's head.

The pair of snow-white fox ears were slightly pursed at the moment, the tips of the ears were tinged with a faint pink due to tension, and the downy fur shone with a delicate luster under the light, which was indeed very different from ordinary human ears.

A young man gasped, instinctively taking a half-step back, then scratched his head. "But I didn't sense any demonic energy, and the manor's protective array didn't move either."

"Hey, why are you making such a fuss?"

An uncle who often goes to the market to shop slapped his thigh and said confidently.

“This is a decoration! A while ago, I delivered food to the ‘Drunken Spring Breeze’ restaurant on West Street, and the proprietress wore the exact same one on her head. She said it was the most fashionable ‘role-playing’ item right now.”

"Huh? I've seen that before too!"

Another round-faced girl quickly chimed in, "Isn't that the proprietress with the double-bun hairstyle? She's wearing rabbit ears, she looks so pretty!"

"So that's it."

The servant who had previously questioned the situation breathed a sigh of relief and joked with a smile.

"No wonder you never bothered to even glance at girls who came to you before, young master. Turns out you were hiding such a treasure!"

"This girl is much prettier than the Zhang and Li family ladies who came to the manor a while ago, and her temperament is also exceptional!"

The murmurs were neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to reach Tu Shan Ya Ya's ears.

She secretly raised her eyes and saw Mu Qinghan giving her a reassuring look. He gently touched the back of her hand with his fingertips and whispered.

"Don't be afraid, let's go see our parents first."

Mu Qinghan raised his hand and pressed it down, suppressing the increasingly noisy discussions around him, and nodded to the crowd.

When his gaze swept over several elders with graying temples, he paused slightly and responded gently.

"Is Third Uncle still in good health?"

"Didn't Sixth Aunt go to the back garden to tend to the flowers and plants today?"

"Qinghan, huh?" Second Grandpa smiled, his eyes narrowing into slits as he leaned on his cane, the tip of the cane gently tapping the ground. "So you've finally decided to bring your girlfriend home for us old folks to see?"

"Hmm," Mu Qinghan glanced at Tu Shan Ya Ya, who was sitting slightly down beside him, and gently squeezed her palm with his fingertips. He said in a frank tone, "Bring her back to the family to see her and let them get acquainted with the place."

"Hahaha--"

Second Grandpa's hearty laughter echoed in the courtyard as he reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

"You little rascal, you're clearly keeping a mistress hidden away!"

"I asked you the other day if you had someone you liked, and you stubbornly said no. Now suddenly this beautiful girl appears. You've been hiding it really well!"

The clansmen standing around also burst into laughter, their gazes falling on Tu Shan Ya Ya with friendly scrutiny.

Mu Qinghan smiled helplessly and bowed slightly to his second grandfather.

"Second Master, please don't tease me. I really didn't mean to hide it. It's just that I've been busy lately, and I've been tied up with some trivial matters. The situation wasn't quite right, so I didn't rush to bring it back."

After saying that, he didn't say anything more. He grabbed Tu Shan Ya Ya's hand tightly, nodded to everyone again, and then led her through the corridor.

The colorful lights under the corridor swayed gently in the wind, casting long shadows on the two people's clasped hands.

"Oh dear, why hasn't my good son come back yet?"

"Hey, the food's getting a bit cold, do you want it heated up?"

"Squeak-"

Chapter 108 Cospree?

"Squeak-"

The wooden door was gently pushed open a crack, and immediately a low, excited hiss came from behind it.

Shh! They're here! Don't make a sound!

Grandma Mu hurriedly patted Grandpa Mu, who was sitting upright beside her. Her hand was trembling slightly, but her face was beaming with joy, and the expectation in her eyes was almost overflowing.

The table was already laden with dishes. The sweet and sour fish was steaming hot, the braised prawns were bright red and tempting, and even the braised pork knuckle was stewed until it was tender and falling off the bone. It was clear that they had been looking forward to it for a long time.

Old Man Mu instantly held his breath, straightened his back, quietly put down the teacup he was holding, and stared intently at the half-closed door, even the mustache at the corner of his mouth was taut.

"Hi hi hi! I'm back!"

Before he could finish speaking, the wooden door was suddenly pushed open with a bang, and Mu Shenqi, carrying a cloth bag, swaggered in. When he saw his parents sitting in the room, he waved to them with a grin.

"Oh, Mom and Dad, you're both here."

He glanced at the dazzling array of dishes on the table, his eyes widening instantly, and he exclaimed in exaggerated astonishment.

"Wow! So many fancy dishes! Good heavens, has our old man gotten married again? Or is there some big celebration in the clan? Why are they making such a big fuss?"

As he spoke, he ignored his parents' expressions, rubbed his hands together, and moved closer to the table. He caught sight of the fish in vinegar sauce on the plate and immediately smiled.

"Oh my gosh, there's even my favorite vinegar fish! Dad, Mom, then I won't be polite—"

Old Mrs. Mu had barely managed to utter a single word when she became furious, her voice trembling slightly.

"Huh? Mother, what did you say?"

Mu Shenqi had already reached out and picked up a piece of fish, stuffing it into his mouth. He asked indistinctly, "Speak louder, my mouth is too full, I can't hear you!"

"How dare you, you brat, bully me like this?!"

Mother Mu finally snapped, slamming her hand on the table and standing up. Her voice rose eight octaves, and the expectation in her eyes instantly turned into anger.

"Holy crap! Mom, where did I ever bully you?!"

Mu Shenqi was so frightened that he almost spat out the fish in his mouth. His chopsticks fell to the table with a "clatter," and he ran out the door.

"Your Majesty! Let's talk this out! Please put down the spatula you're holding! It's dangerous! That thing hurts when it hits you! It's dangerous!"

"Stop right there, you little brat—"

Grandma Mu grabbed the iron spatula from the stove and chased after him, her voice filled with anger and anxiety.

"Stop right there!"

"Mother...Brother...What's going on here...?"