Shen Wan was completely at a loss, to the point where she almost no longer recognized the word "ugly."
She had always been curious why, in the original novel Beloved, Lu Zhan didn't end up with Liu Mu after learning the truth. Now it seemed the reason was simple: Liu Mu already had someone she liked—and possessed an almost miraculous deviation in aesthetic taste.
After all, when your aesthetics don't align… how do you even fall in love?
As for why the original author never wrote this detail, that was easy enough to understand. Who would willingly admit that the male lead they created was ugly? That would be ridiculous.
In such a short span of time, Shen Wan's understanding of things had been overturned, refreshed, and reassembled. Fortunately, she adapted fairly well and soon accepted this setting.
"Wanwan," Liu Mu said softly, her face full of guilt. "Did I scare you just now?"
The tea on the table had been poured before they went out and was already completely cold. Shen Wan didn't care—she drank several mouthfuls in a row before finally suppressing that heart‑attack‑like feeling. She shook her head, half amused and half helpless.
"It didn't scare me," Shen Wan said. "I just feel that… no matter how you look at it, Prince Yong really has nothing to do with the word 'ugly.'"
Thinking about someone like Lu Zhan being called ugly, Shen Wan couldn't help but want to touch her own face. "Then what about me, Sister Liu? Would you think I'm ugly too?"
"That wouldn't be the case," Liu Mu replied, shaking her head.
It was Shen Wan's first time encountering something like this, and her curiosity was fully piqued. "Forgive my bluntness, Sister Liu… could it be that Uncle Liu and the others don't want you and Liu An together for this reason as well?"
Liu Mu was clearly taken aback. She didn't answer immediately, instead falling into thought. After a while, she said softly, "I've never thought about that… but I'm not sure either. How about I draw Liu An for you to see?"
Shen Wan nodded immediately.
It was close to noon, and the sunlight outside was just right. Shen Wan opened the window, spread out xuan paper on the desk, and even helped Liu Mu grind the ink. A faint smile lingered at the corner of Liu Mu's lips; every stroke of her brush seemed to carry deep affection.
Shen Wan watched from the side, a little entranced.
When Zhi Chu entered, she happened to see this scene. She glanced at the brilliant sunlight outside, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately chose not to disturb them, quietly pulling the door halfway shut again.
About an hour later, Liu Mu finally put down her brush and rubbed her slightly sore wrist. She glanced helplessly at Shen Wan, who was nearly dozing off, lightly tapped the table, and turned the drawing toward her.
Half‑asleep, Shen Wan followed the motion and looked at the paper. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she instantly woke up—
On the xuan paper was a man with an especially "ferocious" appearance, his head tilted slightly as he looked over. From his brows to the corners of his mouth, every detail exuded a fierce, murderous aura, making him look thoroughly unapproachable. If placed in a household with children, he might even be useful for stopping nighttime crying.
It wasn't that he was unattractive—he just looked far too intimidating.
Shen Wan scanned the image quickly, lingering for a moment on the scar along the man's jaw. After a long pause, she still couldn't find a particularly fitting description, yet Liu Mu was gazing at her expectantly.
Steeling herself, Shen Wan compared the gentle, graceful Liu Mu with the man in the portrait and inexplicably thought of a fairy tale—Beauty and the Beast.
"Well?" Liu Mu asked gently, glancing at the portrait.
Shen Wan had never met Liu An, so she couldn't judge how closely the drawing resembled him. But seeing Liu Mu like this, she could clearly feel how deep her feelings for Liu An ran. Shen Wan respected Liu Mu's preferences and thoughts. Though she also felt their appearances didn't quite match, she didn't want to interfere. Still, when she thought of Liu Mu's parents, she couldn't help wanting to sigh.
After some thought, Shen Wan asked, "How did he get the scar on his face?"
"He got it saving me—he fell," Liu Mu replied. She had been watching Shen Wan's expression closely and seemed to have a sense of the answer already. She gave a bitter smile. "In your eyes, he may not be good‑looking, but he's a very kind person. Back then, he could have ignored me and escaped on his own, but instead he carried me on his back, step by step, out of the mountains."
Shen Wan waved her hands repeatedly and said carefully, "It's not that he's bad‑looking, and he's certainly not ugly. He's just a bit… a bit fierce. The kind of fierce that makes people instinctively afraid. Your parents' opposition may well be because they're afraid of him, and also worried that you might be acting on impulse and could be bullied in the future."
Liu Mu froze, clearly not expecting such words. After a long pause, she asked in return, "So… when Xiao Cui and the others don't dare look at Liu An, it's not because he's ugly?"
Shen Wan couldn't help it—she smiled, her eyes curving into shallow dimples.
Liu Mu's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but Zhi Chu happened to push the door open and walk in. Seeing that the two of them were finally done, Zhi Chu visibly relaxed. "Miss, it's time for us to prepare to leave. If we don't go now, we won't make it back to the residence before nightfall."
Glancing at the sky outside, Shen Wan exchanged a look with Liu Mu and stood up somewhat guiltily. "Then let's hurry."
The Shen residence's guards had already harnessed the carriage early on and were waiting outside Huguo Temple. Shen Wan took her leave of the monks in the temple, which didn't take much time. Liu Mu hadn't slept well for quite a while; now that a weight had lifted from her heart, she had barely sat down in the carriage before leaning against a soft cushion and dozing off.
Shen Wan had taken a short nap at noon and wasn't particularly sleepy. She lifted the curtain beside her, resting her chin on her hand as she admired the tranquil mountain scenery along the road.
The mountain road on Mount Sumeru wasn't wide, only enough for two carriages to pass side by side. The Shen family's driver was extremely steady by nature. Though the descent was easier than the ascent, he held the reins and whip even more cautiously. The carriage swayed along slowly, its speed unhurried.
Though the scenery in the mountains had a natural freshness and elegance, it was largely the same everywhere. After watching for a while, Shen Wan grew a little bored and raised her hand to lower the curtain—only for her fingertips to touch something cool. She instinctively turned her head and realized it had suddenly started raining. Judging by the intensity, it was clearly going to get heavier.
At first, the driver cautiously urged the horse forward. But when muddy brown water began washing down the mountainside, he had no choice but to pull the reins and bring the horse to a stop. The guards by the carriage exchanged glances, all somewhat at a loss.
With no village ahead and none behind, they were stuck halfway up the mountain with nowhere to take shelter from the rain. Catching a chill would be a minor matter—the real concern was the horses panicking and losing control, or even a landslide. For a moment, advancing or retreating were both impossible.
The commotion woke Liu Mu. She lifted the curtain to look outside, her face turning pale. "This is my fault. Prince Yong reminded us early on that it would rain tonight. If I hadn't delayed things by painting, we wouldn't have run into such heavy rain."
Shen Wan blinked and reached out to hold her hand, about to offer some comfort, when a faint sound came from behind them. Along with it was a somewhat familiar male voice: "Who is blocking the road ahead? Why are you stopped in the middle?"
Mu Su, who had been silent and worried all this time, twitched her eyelids. The corners of her tightly pressed lips relaxed again.
Liu Mu had already recognized the voice. She felt both guilty and pleasantly surprised. "It's the guards from Prince Yong's side!"
The Shen residence's guards had also recognized the Prince Yong Manor's carriage. After paying their respects, they briefly explained the situation. With the sound of rain interfering, Shen Wan couldn't hear very clearly from inside the carriage and only caught a few scattered words. Just as she was wondering why Lu Zhan hadn't gone down the mountain yet, a guard returned, all worry gone from his voice, his cheerfulness unmistakable even through the curtain.
"Miss, Miss Liu—Prince Yong invites you both to ride in his carriage. He says he'll escort us to the foot of the mountain."
Shen Wan silently glanced at Liu Mu, meeting the same inquisitive look in her eyes. Both of them were full of questions, but could only suppress them for now and let the maids help them down with umbrellas.
Prince Yong's carriage was built to the highest standards permitted for a prince of the first rank. At a glance, Shen Wan could tell it was far sturdier than the Shen residence's carriage. The two climbed aboard carefully, only to be surprised to find that there was no one inside.
Qing Su lowered the curtain and flicked the whip. Once the carriage began to sway forward, he explained in a low voice, "His Highness was worried the two ladies would feel constrained, so he changed to riding on horseback."
Shen Wan's heart tightened. She cautiously lifted the curtain a crack and squinted into the white mist of rain. After searching for quite a while, she finally spotted Lu Zhan riding ahead to the left of the carriage. The rain was heavy—his cloak and clothes were completely soaked. Whether it was his jet‑black hair or the hem of his robes, water droplets dripped steadily down.
Shen Wan had always liked his looks, and the impact of this scene was even stronger. She couldn't help but look a few more times. Yet she also felt guilty about taking his carriage and worried that he might catch a chill because of it. Her expression grew complicated.
Mu Su sat properly beside her. Taking advantage of the others' inattention, she also glanced outside. Then she withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyes stiffly, and silently curled her lips—
After delivering messages so many times, she hadn't even received a single brief reply. She had thought the Empress had guessed wrong, that Prince Yong actually had no special feelings toward Miss Shen. And yet? The moment he learned she had gone up the mountain, he worried she might be delayed and catch a chill. The next moment, he hurried after her. He had clearly told Miss Liu that it would rain in the evening, yet he himself refused to leave, insisting on following behind Miss Shen—and even specially dispatched the manor's carriage…
Such an awkward temperament—so very similar to Miss Shen's!
Author's Note:
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When ancient vocabulary becomes richer:
Q: Please briefly comment on Prince Yong's personality?
Mu Su: Put elegantly, he's reserved. Put bluntly, he's a repressed flirt :)
Q: And Miss Shen of the Shen family?
Mu Su: Shy, introverted, loving yet unwilling to speak it aloud.
Q: Uh… your opinion?
Mu Su: They look like a perfect couple! I approve of this match!
Thanks to Blackcurrant Milk for the landmine—too generous, mwah~ Thanks as well to Lanyin, Pavilion Master, and Passerby for the nourishing support. Sending you all a huge heart!