Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

After that, Jiang Mu returned to his normal life as a homebody.

Demon Shadow Number One was responsible for cultivation breathing and practicing the *Violet Extreme Art*, a technique of unknown use.

Shadow Number Two was responsible for practicing the Spirit Snake Body Step.

This martial art could be practiced without a Star Pill.

As for him personally...

He was bored out of his skull.

All he did was occasionally help in the vegetable garden or supervise Yuan Ahqing, who was practicing Body Tempering.

One day, a bored Jiang Mu went to the vegetable garden.

By the fence, Bai Xiang was squatting in front of a beanstalk frame where the vines had just begun to climb. With a thin hemp rope in hand, she was carefully securing the tender vines to the bamboo poles.

Today, she wore a lake-blue dress.

Because of her squatting posture, the plump, round curves below her waist stretched the fabric taut, creating a stark contrast with the slender, willow-like waist above.

Like a large, ripe peach hanging from a slender branch.

"Need any help?" Jiang Mu asked as he walked over.

Without turning her head, Bai Xiang lifted a dirt-covered hand and pointed to a bundle of bamboo poles nearby.

Jiang Mu understood. He went over, picked up the bamboo poles, and helped her build the frame.

They were on opposite sides of the trellis, extremely close to each other.

As Bai Xiang raised her arms to tie the rope, the collar of her dress opened slightly.

Jiang Mu’s gaze inadvertently swept over it.

He caught a glimpse of a line of crow-blue embroidered trim, and beneath it, skin as white and smooth as snow.

Black and white.

The profound and the delicate.

Jiang Mu continued working as he said casually,

"Being cooped up at home all day is boring. Don’t worry about making dinner tonight. How about I take you all out to eat at Ruyi Tower? I hear their specialty shrimp is quite good."

Bai Xiang tied the last knot, straightened up, and dusted off her hands.

She looked up at Jiang Mu and nodded gently, a faint smile in her eyes.

...

After Yuan Ahqing finished her last round of Body Forging, Jiang Mu had her wash up and change into clean clothes. Then, the three of them left together.

Ruyi Tower was one of the finest restaurants in Hu State City.

The Shopkeeper naturally recognized the former playboy and eagerly led them to the third floor.

The patrons here were few, making it rather quiet.

Even so, when the three of them came upstairs, they still attracted many sidelong glances.

Bai Xiang’s figure was simply too eye-catching.

Even just the sight of her back, with the rhythm of her walk like a willow swaying in the wind, was enough to stir the hearts of countless men.

But when Bai Xiang revealed her plain, unremarkable face, those gazes shifted away in disappointment.

Bai Xiang remained poised and unconcerned.

She chose a seat by the window and sat down calmly.

It was Yuan Ahqing’s first time in such a grand place. In the past, she wouldn’t have even dared to peek in from the doorway.

Now, she sat huddled close to Bai Xiang, very timidly, only daring to peek at her surroundings out of the corner of her eye.

Jiang Mu ordered a few of the house specialties.

Then he turned and had Bai Xiang order two light seasonal vegetable dishes.

Just as they finished ordering, a resonant voice suddenly called out, "Isn’t this Nephew Jiang?"

Jiang Mu turned his head to look.

He saw a middle-aged man in rich, ornate clothing walking over with a grin.

The man was about forty years old, with a portly build and a ruddy complexion. He exuded the air of the nouveau riche from head to toe.

"Ah, it’s Uncle Shen."

Memories of this person surfaced in Jiang Mu’s mind.

Shen Wanhai.

A famous textile and medicinal herb merchant in Hu State City.

Some time ago, when the Jiang family was holding a funeral, this man had come to offer condolences. Between the lines, he had probed about buying one of the Jiang family’s properties at a low price, but Jiang Mu had politely refused him.

"What a coincidence, to run into you here, my dear nephew."

Shen Wanhai’s gaze lingered on Bai Xiang for a moment before he teased, "Are you out for a stroll with your wife, Nephew?"

Jiang Mu gave a faint smile.

"You jest, Uncle Shen. This is the housekeeper of my residence. I’ve been busy with matters recently, and since I have some free time today, I brought my family out to try something new. Are you here for a meal as well, Uncle Shen?"

"Yes, we just offered incense at the temple outside the city, so I brought the whole family to try something new."

Shen Wanhai pointed to a large table not far away.

Seated at the table were two elderly people, a child, and a lavishly dressed woman.

The woman was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a beautiful face and a hint of seductive charm in her eyes. She was draped in pearls and jade.

She was also holding a swaddled infant in her arms.

Just as Jiang Mu’s gaze swept over, the woman happened to look up.

Their eyes met.

A trace of resentment flashed in the woman’s eyes. She bit her lower lip gently, then quickly lowered her gaze.

Jiang Mu: "?"

’What was that look about?’

...

The two didn’t talk for long. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shen Wanhai returned to his table.

Jiang Mu sat back down, his brow slightly furrowed.

Madam Shen’s gaze just now had been too strange, and it gave him the creeps.

’She couldn’t have been looking at me, right?’

He shook his head, pushing the inexplicable thought to the back of his mind.

Before long, all the dishes arrived.

Although Ruyi Tower’s dishes were exquisite, their flavor seemed to lack the home-cooked warmth of Bai Xiang’s cooking.

Jiang Mu lost his appetite after a few bites and started pouring and sipping wine by himself.

Beside him, Yuan Ahqing was still tense and reserved.

Holding her bowl, she only dared to pick at the plate of green vegetables in front of her.

Seeing this, Jiang Mu shelled a few drunken shrimp and, ignoring whether the little girl wanted them or not, stuffed them into her bowl.

"Master, I..." the little girl stammered, holding her bowl and shrinking back in a panic.

"You’re not eating?"

Jiang Mu put on a stern face. "If you don’t eat it, I’ll throw it all out!"

Yuan Ahqing was startled and had no choice but to obediently pick up the shrimp and put it in her mouth, looking utterly wronged.

"Is it good?"

"...It’s-it’s good."

"If it’s good, then eat more!"

Jiang Mu got into the spirit of it, continuously picking up food and feeding it to her.

He only stopped, still feeling unsatisfied, when the little girl was stuffed so full her belly was round and she couldn’t eat another bite.

He then turned his attention to Bai Xiang, picking up a deboned piece of fish and offering it to her.

But Bai Xiang only gave him a faint glance, then picked up a bamboo shoot tip herself, chewed it slowly, and put down her chopsticks.

She leaned toward the window, quietly gazing at the street scene below.

The evening breeze brushed past, gently lifting a few strands of hair at her temples, which caught a soft halo in the dim lamplight.

After a while, Shen Wanhai’s family finished their meal and got up to leave.

As they passed Jiang Mu’s table, Shen Wanhai called out with a smile,

"Enjoy your meal, Nephew. We’ll be heading back. Let’s get together again some other day."

"Take care, Uncle Shen."

Jiang Mu stood up and politely saw him off with a clasped-hand salute.

Madam Shen followed at the end, holding her child.

As she passed by Jiang Mu’s side, whether intentionally or not, the tip of her shoe stepped on his foot.

Jiang Mu winced in pain, frowning as he looked up.

But he saw the woman had already hurried to catch up with her family, her figure disappearing around the corner of the staircase.

Jiang Mu’s heart sank.

Thinking of Jiang Chen’s past dalliances, a terrible premonition welled up in his heart.

Could it be,

’I’ve become a homewrecker?’

***

They walked out of the restaurant.

The night had grown deep.

A bright moon, like a jade plate washed clean with water, hung quietly in the sky.

Feeling the cool night breeze, Jiang Mu smiled and said,

"Let’s not take the carriage. How about we walk back? The moonlight is lovely tonight, and it’ll be a good way to walk off our meal."

Bai Xiang smiled sweetly, the moonlight reflected in her eyes, and nodded gently.

"Ah Qing, what do you think?"

Jiang Mu turned to look at the little shadow trailing behind him.

Yuan Ahqing was making a pained face, one hand pressed to her bulging stomach. She let out an "Ah?" before quickly nodding.

"I’ll listen to whatever you say, Master!"

"How many times have I told you? Call me Young Master."

Jiang Mu tapped the little girl on the forehead. "Am I that old?"

"Yes, Master... ah, no, Young Master!"

Jiang Mu couldn’t help but laugh. He ruffled the top of her head, then turned to walk side-by-side with Bai Xiang.

The long street was silent, the lights few and far between.

The moonlight stretched their shadows long and thin.

Bai Xiang walked very slowly.

She always maintained a certain distance from Jiang Mu. Whenever he unintentionally drew a little closer, she would shift half a step away.

Jiang Mu didn’t notice these details and simply kept talking,

"When things quiet down in a few days, I’ll take you to the Capital City for a visit. I hear it’s very prosperous. The Qionglin Flower Banquet, painted pleasure boats crowding the lakes, music and singing all through the night... It’s much more lively than Hu State City."

Hearing the words "Capital City," Bai Xiang’s gaze flickered.

She shook her head gently.

"You don’t want to go?" Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow.

Bai Xiang shook her head again.

The evening wind brushed past her simple dress, making its hem flutter.

"Right,"

Jiang Mu said with understanding. "You have a quiet nature and don’t like all that noise and excitement."

He went on to ramble about various interesting things he had seen and heard.

Bai Xiang listened quietly.

When she heard something interesting, she would press her lips into a small smile, her eyes curving.

Occasionally, she would look up at the moon.

For some reason, it reminded her of the moon in her homeland, Jing Country.

The moon there...

always seemed to be rounder and brighter.

As she watched, her gaze fell back on the man beside her.

Since she started living here, day after day, she had grown accustomed to seeing his figure whenever she looked up.

It wasn’t love, nor was it about romance.

It was just a habit.

A habit of seeing his figure drenched in sweat in the sand pit.

A habit of his incomprehensible dry jokes, a habit of the small courtyard that was so full of life and a sense of security.

’This guy... is actually kind of cute.’

Bai Xiang thought to herself.

Perhaps bewitched by the gentle night, she put her hands behind her back, mischievously leaned to the side, and lightly bumped his shoulder with hers.

It was just a brief touch.

But behind them, their shadows kissed.