Chapter 3: She Truly Was Different

"No! I won't allow it!" Di Lanying screamed in a mental breakdown.

Neither Fang Yinnian nor Pan Yongdang paid her any mind. The two men exchanged a silent glance for a second before looking away in tacit agreement. Pan Yongdang waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to seize the others. Seeing there was nothing left for them to do, Fang Yinnian took Mu Wanguan by the arm and led her away.

Mu Wanguan stood there, bewildered. Before her was the tall back of the man, and behind her were the shrill screams of Di Lanying and the desperate, frantic explanations of Fang Wenbin.

Fang Wenbin: "Let me go! I didn't seduce the young woman!"

Pan Yongdang: "If you didn't seduce her, then why were you here?"

Di Lanying interjected: "Because that slut Mu Wanguan seduced my man!"

Fang Wenbin: "Exactly, exactly!"

Pan Yongdang: "Exactly my foot! Her husband is right there; she’d have to be insane to seduce someone right in front of him."

Fang Wenbin: "Fang Yinnian wasn't here just a moment ago!"

Di Lanying: "It was Mu Wanguan who seduced my man!"

Pan Yongdang: "Do you two have anything else to say besides accusing others of seducing the Fang guy? Look at Fang Wenbin—he’s such a weakling, no woman would be blind enough to fall for him..."

"He’s right." As they turned out of the alley and stepped onto the main road, Mu Wanguan heard the last sentence and nodded in agreement.

Stepping out onto the main road, the lights suddenly grew bright.

Fang Yinnian looked back, his eyes dark and inscrutable. "Right about what?"

"He said that Fang Wenbin is a weakling. He's absolutely right." Mu Wanguan’s eyes curved into crescents, pleased to have her opinion validated.

Seeing her smile, Fang Yinnian was momentarily stunned. It was as if this were the first time he had ever seen Mu Wanguan smile.

In truth, Fang Yinnian had known Mu Wanguan for some time; marrying her had been an accident. His mentor was Mu Wanguan’s father, Mu Yuanzhou, who had guided Fang Yinnian from his university days through his time in the research institute. Everything Fang Yinnian had achieved could be said to be a legacy from Mu Yuanzhou.

After Mu Yuanzhou was framed and he and his wife took their own lives, the Mu family estate was sealed. Mu Wanguan had just turned eighteen at the time, and to protect her, Fang Yinnian had proposed marriage. In the nearly two years since they had married, Fang Yinnian had never seen her smile. But now...

Fang Yinnian didn't know why, but watching her smile, he suddenly wanted to smile himself. His mood, which had been frayed and irritable from the exhaustion of recent days, instantly lifted.

Fang Yinnian turned back around, seemingly looking ahead, though his peripheral vision remained fixed on her. "Mm, you're right too."

"Right? I kicked him flying with just one strike earlier. You didn't see it, but he was really—"

"I saw it."

"How could you..." Mu Wanguan finally realized something was off. Who was this man? Why was he here? And why was she walking away with him?!

A flurry of questions flashed through her mind. She turned stiffly, then quickly took two steps forward to stare directly at the man's face.

The streetlamps on the main road were brighter than those in the alley, and now Mu Wanguan finally saw his face clearly. The man had clean-cut, short hair and well-defined facial features. His silhouette was sharp, possessing a strangely exquisite quality that held a bizarre, magnetic appeal. He had a high-bridged nose, sword-like eyebrows, and star-bright eyes. His long, phoenix-like eyes were half-lidded yet clear and piercing, as if they could see into one's soul.

What was even more striking was a small, red tear mole at the corner of his right eye. Under the dim, yellow light, that tiny red mark made Mu Wanguan frown.

"What's wrong?" Fang Yinnian was keenly aware of her sudden distaste. He turned, facing her directly, causing the tear mole to be hidden from her view.

Mu Wanguan, feeling justified, pointed at the mole hidden in the shadows and said, "I don't like your tear mole."

Fang Yinnian: "..."

Fang Yinnian was so exasperated he laughed. He was truly both annoyed and amused. He let out an "Oh" and straightened his face. Whether intentional or not, the tear mole was once again visible to Mu Wanguan, who was staring at him.

Mu Wanguan pursed her small lips, her cheeks—still holding a trace of baby fat—puffing out.

"Hmph." She turned to face forward, deciding she didn't want to talk to Fang Yinnian anymore.

She finally remembered who this man was: he was Fang Yinnian, the male lead from that ancient Blue Star novel. He really was a weakling. She hated men with tear moles at the corners of their eyes. She detested them even more when the mole was under the right eye, as it reminded her of the person she loathed the most.

To show how annoyed and unhappy she was, Mu Wanguan intentionally quickened her pace, walking ahead of him. Fang Yinnian was left behind, but instead of being angry, the corners of his mouth curled up almost imperceptibly. "Walk slow..."

"Ah! It's green!" As she walked, Mu Wanguan suddenly broke into a run, rushing to a tree by the side of the road and squatting down.

Fang Yinnian’s brow twitched, and an ominous feeling rose within him. Sure enough, when he caught up to her, he saw Mu Wanguan cradling a blade of grass, looking absolutely enchanted, swaying back and forth like a noodle as she said, "You are so beautiful~~"

The veins on Fang Yinnian’s forehead bulged, and he couldn't help but press his temples. He thought to himself: *What kind of bizarre taste does this girl have? Calling a piece of grass beautiful? There really is something wrong with her, isn't there?!*