When Jiang Huihui heard that, her eyes widened like copper bells, and a rosy flush spread across her cheeks.
She instinctively ducked behind the seat to hide her blushing face.
"You… what nonsense are you spouting!?" she said, pretending to be indifferent.
"Brother Mu, am I talking nonsense? Isn't that a workable solution?"
Chen Xuan looked innocent. "My master once said that those sons of great sect families value purity above all when it comes to women."
"Well, it is one way," Xu Mu nodded lightly.
"Xu Mu, don't you dare get any ideas!"
Huihui's heart was racing; her head felt dizzy. "Anyway, I don't agree! You're a married man, you pervert!"
"I only said it's an option. I never said we'd actually do it," Xu Mu replied with a faint smile. "Huihui, you're overthinking it."
Huihui pouted. "Then what do you suggest? You caused this mess — you have to fix it."
"Brother Mu, there's something I'd like to say, though I'm not sure I should."
Chen Xuan turned to him seriously.
"Just say it — no need to be polite with me."
"Senior Jiang Sheng once taught me a few moves, so I guess that makes Huihui my half–senior sister."
Chen Xuan's tone grew solemn. "I don't want my senior sister to marry someone she doesn't like."
Huihui nodded slightly — this Chen Xuan was actually quite decent.
"So I think, Brother Mu, you should enter the martial tournament too," Chen Xuan continued. "With your ability, you might actually win!"
Huihui froze. Xu Mu… join too?
If he really won… wouldn't that mean she'd have to marry him?
"With my ability? You overestimate me," Xu Mu said, shaking his head. "I only know a little about cultivation. Competing with sect disciples would be too hard."
"My instincts are never wrong. I say you can win."
Chen Xuan remembered how Xu Mu had treated his illness.
He'd thought about it long afterward — Xu Mu had managed to kill the parasite in his brain using nothing but silver needles and inner energy control. That meant his mastery over Qi was terrifyingly precise.
Someone that skilled couldn't be weak.
Jiang Huihui, too, became serious. Xu Mu really was an ancient martial artist — her grandfather hadn't even seen through him, which only proved how deep his skill ran.
"Xu Mu, I, Jiang Huihui, never beg anyone—"
"You've begged me several times, actually," Xu Mu interrupted casually.
"You—!" Huihui pointed at him, then snorted. "Fine, I've never sincerely begged anyone. Happy now?"
Xu Mu nodded. "Go on."
"I'm begging you to enter the tournament. If you win, we can have a fake marriage," she said, moving behind his seat. "That way, no one else will come after me."
"Even if I could win — what's in it for me?" Xu Mu asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. "Seems like all risk and no reward. My wife would be furious, and those sect brats might try to kill me."
"That's true — it's unfair to Brother Mu," Chen Xuan said seriously. Then he added with a grin, "So how about you make it a real marriage, senior sister? That way Brother Mu gets something out of it."
Xu Mu was speechless. This guy really is my best brother — always looking out for me.
He himself hadn't even thought that far — his real plan was to have Huihui become his subordinate afterward.
Not just for a year — permanently.
At the moment, Xu Mu seriously lacked skilled allies.
Surprisingly, Huihui didn't reject the idea outright. She just lowered her head and thought quietly.
To be fair, Xu Mu was right — in this world, all relationships were about exchange.
Except for one's parents, no one helps you for free.
She'd already asked Xu Mu for so much, but what could he gain from helping her? It made sense he wouldn't agree otherwise.
But if they did have a "real" relationship… would that still count as a fake marriage? Wouldn't it just be marriage?
"I'll think about it," she said finally, leaning back in her seat and calming down.
Anyway, the tournament wasn't starting immediately — there was still time.
"Huihui, I think you should consider what happens if I lose," Xu Mu said as they reached the highway toll gate. "I may know a lot, but I'm not a master of any one thing. Losing would be normal."
"If you lose, I'll run away from home and never come back," Huihui said, clenching her fists. "My future's mine to decide."
"There's actually another solution," Xu Mu said suddenly. "But it's too difficult."
"What is it?"
"You could train hard, get stronger. When you reach the Grandmaster Realm — or even surpass your grandfather — who would dare force you into marriage then?" Xu Mu smiled.
"You think too much. Who knows how long it'd take me to catch up to Grandpa?" Huihui sighed bitterly.
"The future's full of surprises," Xu Mu said, smiling faintly.
Either way, today's mission was a success — Chen Xuan and Huihui's engagement was officially off.
…
Back in Yang City.
Xu Mu dropped Huihui near the sanitation bureau, and they agreed to stay in touch.
Then he turned to Chen Xuan. "What are you going to do next?"
Chen Xuan pulled three photos from his bag and handed them to Xu Mu. "I want to cancel the other three engagements too."
"Why give them to me?" Xu Mu asked, glancing at him.
"Brother Mu, I don't know anyone here, but you've got connections. Could you help me find out who these women are?" Chen Xuan said with a smile.
Xu Mu sighed. "All right, I'll just take pictures of them."
"Thanks," Chen Xuan said sincerely.
As Xu Mu snapped photos of the portraits, he finally took a closer look — all of them were beautiful. As expected of a protagonist's potential lovers.
Chen Xuan left soon after to investigate on his own, while Xu Mu exhaled deeply and turned his attention to his next priority: dealing with Fang Chu and the Chai family.
He hesitated for a moment, then thought of a woman — Guo Xiao, Fang Chu's wife.
She had previously added Xu Mu's contact info, and now seemed the perfect person to ask.
He called her and invited her out for dinner.
At the same time—
Li Yun tried calling Xu Mu again, ready to apologize. But his phone line was busy.
Her heart sank. Did he block me?
Panicking, she quickly messaged Zhao Yingying, asking her to reach Xu Mu.
She regretted everything bitterly — why had she been so foolish?
…
In Jiang City, at the Spring Breeze Hotel — one of the Xu family's businesses —
on the sixth floor, Xu Mu sat quietly in a private western-style dining room.
Before long, the door opened and Guo Xiao entered, wearing an apologetic smile.
"Brother Xu, sorry to have kept you waiting."