I watched the police car drive away from the entrance of Musheng. I also observed a middle-aged couple, both wearing expressions of deep anxiousness, supporting each other as they walked out from the store. In the midst of it, the wife clearly was not ready to give up on something, attempting to return to the store but being restrained by her husband. Full of sorrow, they finally got into their car and left in a cloud of dust.
Mu is a smart woman. The change in her eyes the moment we locked gazes conveyed this fact.
No one's eyes have ever been such an enchanting dark green, moving about beneath long and thick eyelashes. They aren't just the eyes of a living person; it's a shade of living green that only the combination of heaven and earth can breed. If you stare into them for a while, it seems as though they could seamlessly melt into your body and consciousness without hindrance.
Intelligence cannot be feigned, and Mu's eyes make something like intelligence tangible.
I didn't even have to ask about the police car and the couple; she had already smilingly poured me a glass of juice and calmly explained, "I hear there have been several missing persons cases recently, and the police have been here several times."
She spoke so naturally, as if relaying a weather forecast.
I held the saffron-color glass of orange juice, gently swirling it like red wine. I had no intention of drinking it; I just found the color pleasing. It resembled the decor of this small shop — rich and uniform colors, primarily dominated by forest green. It's attractive and elegant, yet ultimately shows a touch of solid stubbornness. From the furnishings to the tables, chairs, cabinets, and lamps, everything in the store is round or square, with no confusing or novel shapes. If not for the tasseled tablecloths adding a touch of liveliness, this small shop wouldn't have any charm that attracts children.
The most important thing is that the dessert counter, supposed to be the highlight, only occupies an inconspicuous corner of the shop. A few red, yellow, blue, and green cotton candies tremble somewhat lonely in the wind occasionally leaking in. Compared to my Unceasing, it's truly too bleak here.
There is no excuse for losing business to such a rival.
"Anyone else would have panicked facing the police," I remarked, setting down the orange juice. I looked at her with approval. "You keep your cool."
"Those missing children did visit my store before they disappeared. But after buying something, they left. No matter how many times the police come, I always give the same answer," Mu said calmly, glancing at my untouched juice again. "So, Miss Shaluo, does the juice not suit your taste?"
"I prefer tea," I replied with a smile, placing the glass down. "But your fruit juice has a beautiful color."
Yes, the color of the fruit juice is beautiful, but everything here pales in comparison to the beauty of Mu before me. I seldom admire the beauty of someone of the same sex from the bottom of my heart. Except for the immortal lady in the pure white robes from years ago, Mu is the second one. I appreciate women who exude the most captivating charm and allure with the simplest and most casual adornments. Such women are far superior to carefully crafted deliberate beauty and easier to be etched into your memory.
Mu's attire was a simple knitted light green long dress cinched with a delicate belt. Her white flat shoes revealed a hint of snowy ankle, with a red thin cord tied around, featuring a small, inconspicuous emerald pendant at the end, which looked delicate and cute against her flawless skin. Mu's long hair was casually tied behind her head, forming an indescribable shape resembling a partially bloomed rose. A dried flower hairpin added a unique charm, and with every movement, she emanated the refreshing aura flowing through the mountains and forests.
It's hard not to be attracted when such a woman sits in front of you with a hint of indifference in her smile.
If I were a man, perhaps I would have fallen in love with her at first sight.
I felt an indescribable sense of familiarity with her and a willingness to be close to her. This is a strange change for someone like me, who is accustomed to being cold and indifferent to people upon first meeting.
This woman is, after all, a rival who has come to steal my business, yet I have no intention of engaging in tit for tat with her.
We continued chatting, and she told me that she's new here. She had passed by my Unceasing and even bought some desserts. She had also heard about Unceasing's beautiful proprietress, but unfortunately, I wasn't there when she visited. Only a skinny guy like a bamboo pole and a chubby guy like a ball were busy in the store. Both fought over who would pack the desserts for her, and the skinny one also asked for her phone number with a brazen face.
Are they ever any different?
"Oh... my two helpers are always very enthusiastic towards customers," I said with a smile, while secretly plotting how to deduct Fatty's and Skinny's wages using the excuse of tarnishing the image of my store.
"They seem to be particularly enthusiastic towards female customers," she chuckled, covering her mouth with a coquettish charm. "But your desserts are really delicious. That's why I also had the idea of opening a dessert shop. Although there are so many desserts I don't know how to make, my cotton candy is quite popular with the kids."
"Haha, indeed! All my customers have become glued to your cotton candy," I joked deliberately, letting my seemingly casual gaze wander around her shop.
Of course, I know that this can't be an ordinary dessert shop, and I also know that the beautiful woman named Mu in front of me can't be an ordinary person, even though she's trying hard to portray herself as one.
I cannot see through Mu. She shouldn't be a demon; no matter how old a demon is, with my level of cultivation, I can immediately discern the unique scent they carry. The so-called demon aura is an imprint that demons cannot get rid of throughout their lives. However, I haven't detected any similar suspicious scent from Mu. Yet, intuitively, she's unlikely to be an ordinary human.
As we continued our casual conversation, I didn't find anything unusual in this store, except for a book titled "On the harms of separation of border towns[1]" placed on the neighboring table, which piqued my interest.
"Do you like this kind of rather uninteresting historical research books?" I pointed to the obviously worn paperback book. "I thought you might prefer something like Eileen Chang or Amy Cheung."
"The so-called feudal princes are nothing but rebellious ministers who should be eliminated to prevent future troubles. Do you think that's really the case?"
She asked me such a question to my surprise.
Though I am a demon who has lived for many, many years, and I have personally heard about the separatist regime of the fiefdoms that emerged after the An-Shi Rebellion, I didn't have the sense to pay attention to such major national events at the time. I couldn't answer Mu's question.
"Why don't they say that the feudal princes were clearly guarding the borders and defending the territories for the emperor, sharing the worries and solving the difficulties? If an incapable ruler holds power, what's wrong with the feudal princes taking over?" Mu's tone was noticeably a bit urgent, as if she were in a debate.
She truly is such a strange woman. In a jiffy, she effortlessly dragged our casual gossip into the heavy realm of historical judgment.
Is this another woman who has read too many books and read herself into a woman who is a literary enthusiast, an artist, and an activist all in one, beyond the scope of ordinary thinking?
"It doesn't matter, it happened a thousand years ago." I had no intention of discussing these ancient and dusty tales.
Her smile was chilling, "It's not necessarily all in the past."
I thought I should take my leave.
It's clear that in our first meeting, she was probing, and so was I.
There is plenty of time for the two sides to face each other.
"You're really good-looking," Mu suddenly said as I was about to get up and leave, her eyes earnestly fixed on my face.
As we looked at each other, my eyes passed over her peerless beautiful eyes, and hers dropped from my face to my wrist. After a while, she gave a faint and cold smile, remarking, "A pure-gold dragon patterned amulet[2]... I heard that Unceasing's proprietress values gold like her life; looks like it's true."
My gaze fell on the little trinket made of 99.9% gold on my wrist, and I deliberately shook it to make it jingle. "I like cash too."
"Hehe, take care," Mu waved at me as I left.
[1] 论藩镇割据之害. Read about fence towns on Wikipedia.
[2] 平安扣: doughnut-shaped jade pendant thought to bring safety to the wearer. Something like this but with a dragon pattern…
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