The living room instantly fell into a dead silence.
Mrs. Lu's face visibly turned pale. "Shiqing, I-I didn't mean it like that."
Mu Beiyin raised an eyebrow. Oh? The same Mrs. Lu who had just slapped her without hesitation was now cowering in front of Huo Shiqing? So this woman had two faces.
Huo Shiqing narrowed his eyes, an invisible pressure emanating from him. "Then what did Mrs. Lu mean?"
Mrs. Lu trembled all over and hurried to explain. "Shiqing, Mu Beiyin isn't worthy of you! She… she caused her own mother's death. Everyone in the Mu family says she's cursed!"
"She'll bring misfortune to you too! Unlike my daughter, who's always been a blessing to our Lu family…"
"Heh." Huo Shiqing let out a cold chuckle.
Instantly, Mrs. Lu swallowed all her remaining words. "Sh-Shiqing…"
"Cursed?" Huo Shiqing's tone was calm, as though he'd just heard a joke.
"Does Mrs. Lu truly believe I would be afraid of a so-called curse?"
Both Mrs. Lu and Butler Chen began to tremble, cold sweat running down their backs.
Right—everyone in the Huo family called Huo Shiqing a bringer of misfortune, saw him as inauspicious. Why would he fear being cursed by Mu Beiyin?
Huo Shiqing glanced at the two of them. "See them out."
See them out? No—no! Mrs. Lu quickly came to her senses and swallowed her fear.
"Shiqing, my daughter is more talented than Mu Beiyin, more considerate too. You can't be this heartless! She's loved you for so many years—how can you not marry her? What will happen to her?"
Mu Beiyin couldn't help but laugh at those words.
"Mrs. Lu, are you saying that every woman who loves Huo Shiqing deserves to marry him? Then he might as well do nothing else in this life but keep getting married."
Mrs. Lu choked, furious. She was Huo Shiqing's elder—who did Mu Beiyin think she was, daring to mock her like this?!
Rage surged to her head. In a fit of anger, Mrs. Lu raised her hand and swung hard. "You insolent girl!"
Mu Beiyin dodged backward. The slap grazed her face and landed on her neck, snapping her necklace.
With the necklace gone, the scar on her neck was fully exposed for all to see.
Mrs. Lu's eyes lit up as if she had discovered a new continent, and she shrieked in excitement.
"Shiqing! Look—there's a scar on her neck! This woman isn't even worthy of a toe of my daughter's. Why would you marry her?!"
Butler Chen's contemptuous gaze also swept over. "Exactly, young master. Madam hand-picked so many socialites for you, yet you rejected them all and chose this? If you bring someone with such an ugly scar to a banquet, won't everyone laugh at you?"
Their disgust was practically spilling from their eyes.
Just a scar—and in their eyes, it was an unforgivable crime.
Huo Shiqing's gaze suddenly turned ice-cold. "It seems Mrs. Lu has lived too comfortably and forgotten what kind of person I am. Bai Ji."
A visible look of fear crossed Mrs. Lu's face. She had finally realized the danger. Her expression changed. "No—no, I was just thinking of you, Shiqing! I only said it for your own good… Let me go! Let me go!"
In the next moment, Bai Ji grabbed Mrs. Lu with one hand. Ignoring her screams, he said coldly, "Forgive me, Mrs. Lu."
Mu Beiyin stood frozen as the once-arrogant Mrs. Lu sobbed and struggled, yet was still dragged out by Bai Ji so quickly that Mu Beiyin couldn't even react.
Just as she was about to speak, Huo Shiqing's gaze turned to Butler Chen.
Butler Chen's expression stiffened. He straightened his neck and said rigidly, "Young master, I serve Madam directly! If you kick me out, you'll—"
Before he could finish, Bai Ji abruptly seized him by the throat. Huo Shiqing smiled faintly, casting a sidelong glance as he slowly opened his mouth—
"Butler Chen, have you perhaps forgotten something? I'm the one in charge now. It's one thing for you to stir up trouble and incite Madam Lu, but if it happens again, I won't mind sending you off to 'enjoy your twilight years.'"
Butler Chen's face twisted in fear. "You…"
"Butler Chen, this way please." Bai Ji made a polite gesture. "You've served the old madam for many years, and our sir won't take any action against you for now. But if you really don't know how the word 'death' is written, he wouldn't mind shedding blood again."
Chen clenched his teeth, shot a vicious glare at Mu Beiyin, and hastily left.
Bai Ji also quietly exited, leaving only Huo Shiqing and Mu Beiyin in the living room.
The man narrowed his long, slender eyes slightly, a smile tugging at his lips. "That was unexpected. They won't have another chance to get close to Yujing Garden again."
Mu Beiyin finally came back to her senses. That exchange had revealed so much information…
No wonder Huo Shiqing was so resistant to marriage. Turns out his elders weren't just pressing him—they were using every means possible. Sigh, for someone who seemed to have everything, being the heir of such a family was no easy life.
Huo Shiqing looked at her thoughtful expression and suddenly lowered his eyes. "Miss Mu, aren't you curious why Madam Lu accused you of being a homewrecker?"
Mu Beiyin jolted. "Not curious!"
Then she realized she'd responded too quickly, and immediately tried to smooth things over. "Of course I'm not curious, because I know Mr. Huo. You're clearly not the kind of man who'd cheat, so obviously I couldn't be the mistress either. There's no need for you to explain."
After all, knowing too much gossip about a powerful family could be dangerous. She and Huo Shiqing were just in a contract marriage—there was no reason to bring trouble upon herself.
"Know him?" What a joke. She didn't really know him at all—she was just trying to stay out of trouble.
Huo Shiqing let out a soft laugh, his eyes narrowing meaningfully. "Miss Mu, you didn't seem so timid just now when you hit someone."
Mu Beiyin's face changed. Oh no—she'd kicked Song Lingqian and slapped Madam Lu today… What if Huo Shiqing thought she was violent?
She remembered that Huo Shiqing liked gentle women, so she quickly coughed and lowered her head, feigning embarrassment.
"Mr. Huo, you make it sound like I'm brave. I'm actually very timid, and I never cause trouble on purpose."
"It was Madam Lu who provoked me—I just couldn't help fighting back. I've never even hit anyone before today. I only slapped her once and my hand's already red—it really hurts."
Huo Shiqing glanced at her fair, delicate palm, completely ignoring her obvious lie.
From the kick she gave Song Lingqian, it was obvious she had training in combat.
The rumors said that this young lady, sent to the countryside by the Mu family and labeled as a good-for-nothing, was proving to be full of surprises.
And just now… something about her appearance, and that scar on her neck, reminded him of someone…
Mu Beiyin's heart pounded under his intense gaze.
She instinctively realized—her necklace had broken. Was he staring at her scar?
She hurriedly bent down to pick up the necklace, but Huo Shiqing was one step ahead.
He held the necklace in his hand, casually fiddling with it. "Today was my fault. The necklace broke—naturally, I should get you a new one. The steward of Fuluyuan recently acquired a blue diamond necklace in Europe. I'll have Bai Ji deliver it to you."
Mu Beiyin swallowed hard. She wanted to politely decline, but the mention of Fuluyuan instantly caught her attention.
"The steward of Fuluyuan bought that necklace—how did it end up with you?"
Huo Shiqing paused meaningfully, his tone unreadable. "Didn't Miss Mu say she knows me well? Surely you know Fuluyuan is one of my businesses?"
Mu Beiyin suddenly realized she'd just dug herself a pit: "…"
Of course she didn't know! That whole "I understand Mr. Huo" line was just her bluffing. Who knew he'd take it seriously?!