According to the legend, the great scholar Chen Tuan once traveled east and reached this Suiyun Mountain. He saw the lush green mountains and the enchanting scenery, with mist swirling around the hot spring, and praised it as a Shangri-La.
From then on, the fame of Suiyun Mountain’s hot springs quickly grew, capturing the interest of powerful officials and aristocratic families, who proceeded to create more hot springs and built luxurious villas around it, among them the family Mo Jingxi served.
Qingge was currently immersing herself in the swirling waters of the hot spring. The gentle warmth, along with a faint scent of sulfur in the air, was pleasantly soothing. A unique structure channeled the water several meters above, allowing it to cascade down in a whirlpool around her, melting away her exhaustion.
Though she appeared relaxed, Qingge was quietly circulating her internal aura, sensing its slow, steady movement within her meridians. Ever since the residual poison had invaded her body, her aura had become sluggish, and any attempt to hasten its flow brought a dull ache. But now, immersed in the sulfurous hot spring, the pain seemed to ease slightly, much to her satisfaction.
But Qingge also understood that this poison could not be easily solved. She had to take her time. If she could acquire some top-grade medicinal pills with warmth properties and nourish herself carefully, she might be able to recover at a much faster speed. Once she got her hands on the promised one hundred taels of silver, she could purchase some rare medicinal ingredients and prepare the pills herself.
Absorbed in her thoughts, the sky outside the window gradually darkened, unveiling a vast expanse of night sky. The cool air of early spring night mingled with the rising steam from the hot spring. Qingge rose up, got dressed, and left the bath. It was a moonlit night, the sky so bright it seemed nearly transparent. On the nearby hill, clusters of green bamboo cast dappled silhouettes against the sky.
Underneath the stars and moon, right outside the window, Mo Jingxi, dressed in black, was alone, a jug of wine sat on the table in front of him. When he heard the rustle and the footstep, he slowly raised his eyes and looked over.
The mountain breeze blew, causing the bamboos to sway under the moonlight. Their fresh, cool scent passed under the wide sleeves of the woman’s gown as her white gauzy robe fluttered lightly, her figure radiating an unparalleled elegance.
Mo Jingxi’s gaze fell on Qingge’s face. She was very beautiful, so beautiful it seemed otherworldly. Her brilliance rivaled that of the stars and the moon—just like his young miss.
Qingge, of course, noticed Mo Jingxi’s strange expression, but she paid it no mind and walked over to the table to sit down.
From the moment she arrived, Mo Jingxi’s gaze never left her face: “So much alike, so very alike, incredibly alike.”
He said ‘alike’ three times in a row.
Qingge took the white porcelain wine jug and poured herself a cup. With the rich aroma of the wine lingering in the air, she said, “Then the young miss you serve must be exceptionally beautiful.”
Mo Jingxi was startled by her words and then laughed, “Are you praising yourself?”
However, Qingge was very serious: “I only observed how others looked at me and came to a logical conclusion—I must be one of the rare beauties in the world.”
“Naturally, your young miss must be, too.” She smiled and added.
Mo Jingxi laughed even more, and as he laughed, he took out a scroll and handed it to Qingge: “This is a portrait of our young miss. You can take a look.”
Qingge took the scroll. During her training years, she learned a wide range of skills, and after four years serving as a secret guard by Ning Wang’s side, her knowledge had expanded considerably. For example, she immediately recognized the paper used for the scroll as Chengxintang paper1, which was as fine as jade, thin and smooth, but extremely expensive. Ordinary people wouldn’t dare to use it. Additionally, the mounting of the scroll was very exquisite and required high craftsmanship.
Seeing this, she couldn’t help but be curious about the family’s identity.
When Qingge unrolled the scroll, she was met with the image of a beautiful young lady. The person was stunning, dressed in a delicate sky-blue silk blouse with a high collar, paired with a skirt embroidered with gold-threaded flowers. She sat by the window, leaning against the railing, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
The appearance indeed resembled Qingge’s current face. However, this young miss’s skin was snow-white, even paler than hers, and she looked quite frail and delicate.
In short, while they indeed look quite similar to each other, their temperaments are worlds apart.
“Your appearances aren’t entirely identical now,” Mo Jingxi said to her, “but your bone structures are very similar. So it’s possible to nurture you, to shape you into the same appearance and demeanor as our young miss.”
Qingge replied, “But I remember you said we don’t have much time.” In seven or eight days, she would be sent off in the bridal procession to take the young miss’s place.
Mo Jingxi nodded: “Yes, but it doesn’t matter. There are still ten days on the journey until the wedding. So seventeen or eighteen days in total will be enough.”
“Can you read?” After a pause, he asked.
“I can, but I’ve never studied any poetry or literature.”
“As long as you can read, that’s fine.” Mo Jingxi nodded. “Starting tomorrow, a momo will help you get familiar with the daily routine of a boudoir young lady, and another tutor will come to train you on the poetry the young miss once wrote. I’ll personally teach you about her family structure, important relatives, and some other people you need to know so that you don’t reveal anything by mistake.”
“Well, let’s do as you arrange.” Qingge had no objection.
“We also need to teach you proper manners, take care of your health, and care for your skin…” at this point, his gaze once again fell on Qingge’s face, then moved downward along her strikingly beautiful features, passing her slender neck—
Under the curtain of the hazy, misty night, the soft moonlight revealed a glimpse of her delicate collarbone.
Qingge could feel Mo Jingxi’s gaze, like a snake flicking its tongue, caressing her body. A dark emotion lurked in his eyes, one that she found both unsettling and unfamiliar, which was difficult to describe.
She took a small sip of her cup. The wine smelled fragrant but tasted spicy. This was actually her first time drinking, because the secret guards of Qianying Pavilion were forbidden from touching alcohol.
At that moment, Mo Jingxi suddenly spoke up, “Can you take off your clothes and let me inspect your body?”
Qingge looked up and met his eyes: “No.”
Mo Jingxi’s long, slender fingers toyed with the wine cup as he coldly said, “I need to ensure everything is flawless. Everything would be over if your body has a trace of anything unfit for a boudoir young lady.”
Qingge was surprised by his sharpness. “I have scars from a whipping I received in the army, along with some other wounds. Can these be concealed?”
“Oh?”
“If not, that’s fine too,” there was no change of expression on Qingge’s face. “I’ll leave, and you can find someone else.”
Hearing this, Mo Jingxi suddenly chuckled, “Why are you in such a hurry? I haven’t said anything yet.”
Qingge didn’t even bother replying.
“Actually, the scars shouldn’t be an issue,” Mo Jingxi pondered. “Let the momo take a look first. We have miraculous medicine here. Even the deepest scars can heal in ten days and look like new.”
Qingge’s heart stirred slightly at this, but her expression remained calm as she simply said, “Alright.”
…
Time was indeed running out, Qingge began to learn the etiquette and routine of a boudoir young lady and was taught the names of the young miss’s relatives and the custom of their household. Of course, she also began to recite the poems the young miss had written.
From what she had learned so far, this young miss should be a talented, model young lady, skilled in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and paintings, and was especially well-versed in poetry and literature.
Given the rush, Qingge could only learn the basics. It was obvious that Mo Jingxi was cautious around her. He had not revealed the young miss’s name or the names of the key family members. All the information she was learning deliberately omitted important details, making it impossible for her to determine the identity of the person she was preparing to impersonate.
Of course, if she were to replace the young miss in the marriage, she would need to know these things eventually. It seemed Mo Jingxi simply intended to leave the key information until the last moment.
But Qingge wasn’t particularly curious either. She was only interested in whether the husband would be young and handsome. If he was, she could play her role as promised, enjoy a tender romance with him, earn the rest of the money, and then leave. Either way, it would be worth it.
Besides… since the household she was about to ‘marry’ into belonged to a wealthy and influential one, there might be rare medicinal herbs in their storage. She could use some trick to obtain them, quietly nurse herself to health, perhaps even cure her poison. That way, she’d save a lot of silver!
…
As soon as the training started, Mo Jingxi quickly brought the miraculous medicine he had promised, which turned out to be the Seven Fragrance Ice Skin Powder.
This surprised Qingge. Seven Fragrance Ice Skin Powder was the exclusive formula of the renowned physician Nan Zhiyong, known for its ability to clear heat, dissolve knots, remove scars, and rejuvenate one’s complexion. It was said that it could even restore the youthful appearance of an eighty-year-old woman.
Years ago, the Emperor had summoned Nan Zhiyong to the palace to prepare Seven Fragrance Ice Skin Powder for his concubines. Initially, Nan Zhiyong refused, and only after repeated requests from the Emperor did he reluctantly agree.
Even so, Nan Zhiyong only prepared seven boxes of the powder. The imperial family treated these boxes like treasures, distributing them only to the most favored consorts and close relatives.
Yet now, Mo Jingxi had brought an entire box of this Seven Fragrance Ice Skin Powder to her.
Qingge looked at the powder, her expression calm: “What is this?”
“It’s called Seven Fragrance Ice Skin Powder. Apply it to the scars on your body,” Mo Jingxi explained with a smile, “It’ll make your skin as white as snow.”
“Alright,” Qingge didn’t ask further. The reason she knew about Seven Fragrance Ice Skin Powder was because of her lord Ning Wang. Ning Wang had a box of this powder, a bestowal from his emperor father. As the daughter of a common military household, ‘Wang San’ wasn’t supposed to know about such things.
The medicine treasured by the imperial family was, of course, extremely effective. On the first day of use, Qingge felt nothing, but by the second day, she noticed her scars starting to itch and peel. Beneath the peeling layer of dry skin, slightly pink, new skin slowly emerged.
Mo Jingxi inspected her back and commented: “Very good.”
Qingge told him: “By the time of the bridal night, there shouldn’t be any noticeable scars, but the color will be different from the surrounding skin.”
“That doesn’t matter, just don’t let him see it.” His tone was slightly cold. “You are allowed to be shy. As a shy bride, it’s normal that even the new husband can’t see her skin.”
Qingge nodded in agreement: “Yes, I’m shy.”
“You—” Mo Jingxi raised his eyes to look at her and suddenly laughed, “Do you even know what it means to be shy?”
“Of course I do.” Qingge looked back at him.
“For example?”
“Look at me.”
“Hmm?” As Mo Jingxi looked at Qingge, he suddenly noticed her clear eyes softening and her pale face gradually flushing with red. She spoke in a low voice, “Mr. Mo, when you touched my back just now, I was really embarrassed, I…” She paused, her tone completely different from before, much lower and softer, the trailing sound like a small hook, tugging at one’s heart.
Mo Jingxi’s heart was shaking violently. As if in a trance, he stared at Qingge, momentarily stopped blinking.
The pair of eyes, as clear as the pool of clear spring water, reflected pure innocence: “Why are you suddenly so silent?”
Mo Jingxi suddenly snapped back to reality, taking three steps back in a panic. His usually calm eyes flashed with embarrassment. After a sharp intake of breath, he looked at Qingge, his expression fierce: “What are you doing?”
In an instant, Qingge’s gentle softness vanished, replaced by a cool indifference. Even her voice became crisp and cold, like the breaking of spring ice: “I am playing the role of your young miss. Do I look the part?”
Mo Jingxi slowly reined in the emotions he inadvertently leaked out, staring at her intently. After a prolonged silence, he finally muttered, “Yes. Too much so.”
He knew she had done it on purpose, but even so, he had easily fallen into her trap.
Such an excellent actress.
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Hm, sounds like Mo Jingxiu harbors feelings for his mistress.
An excellent actress, but perhaps also a mark of his poor self control and integrity, since he was looking to take advantage of his ‘authority figure’ role and make her strip in front of him for – from her reaction to his obtuse approach, pretending to validity – untrustworthy purposes. Between this and his reaction when she haggled well previously, I don’t trust him at all. But I love a practical heroine, and her skill and ruthless efficiency. Looking forward to the future developments!