The plan remains unchanged

‘Me, the protagonist’s teacher?’

‘Is this real?’

Despite the reality of the situation, Mù Qīngyǔ still felt a profound sense of unreality.

She spent the entire walk down the mountain, lost in thought about the astonishing events of the evening.

In her previous life, Mù Qīngyǔ would flush with embarrassment just trying to teach her elementary school cousin simple equations, let alone mentoring Xǔ Tiānlí.

Yet, facts were facts, even if Mù Qīngyǔ hadn’t fully processed them.

“Master, Master?”

Hearing Xǔ Tiānlí’s voice, Mù Qīngyǔ snapped back from her reverie and turned to look at him.

Xǔ Tiānlí pointed to a nearby building, his expression a little awkward.

“Master, my home is here.”

Mù Qīngyǔ, having walked past it in her distraction, felt her breath catch in her throat.

“However, Master has been on the mountain for a long time.”

“If you wish to explore the city, I can certainly be your guide,” Xǔ Tiānlí declared, patting his chest with confidence.

Well, it seemed his ability to overthink and fill in the blanks was quite strong.

For now, she wouldn’t have to worry about her identity being exposed.

“No, it’s getting late.”

Before Xǔ Tiānlí could speak again, Mù Qīngyǔ turned and walked towards him.

After the apprenticeship ritual concluded, Mù Qīngyǔ and Xǔ Tiānlí left the small valley; it was hardly a suitable place to entertain guests.

Given Xǔ Tiānlí’s financial situation, he decided, after a moment’s thought, to invite his newly recognized master back to his home.

‘This is my first time bringing a woman home.’

‘My father, who always teased me about my lack of luck with women, surely wouldn’t have imagined I’d bring back a tall, dark-haired, sophisticated older woman, would he?’

As Xǔ Tiānlí inserted the key into the lock and twisted it open with a click, a terrible realization suddenly struck him.

Xǔ Tiānlí’s house had two floors.

The first served as his agency’s workspace, while the second was their living quarters.

The space wasn’t particularly large, nor was it very old, but… it was incredibly messy.

The moment the lights flickered on, Mù Qīngyǔ felt as if she had stepped into a landfill.

Aside from the scattered junk everywhere, the air itself reeked of fermenting garbage.

For years, only two slovenly men had lived here.

When Xǔ Tiānlí was a child, he diligently cleaned, but as he grew up, he began to emulate his father’s lazy habits.

Compounded by his father’s recent death and the closure of the agency, Xǔ Tiānlí had lost all motivation to clean, allowing the place to descend into utter squalor.

Even standing at the doorway, Mù Qīngyǔ knew that if she took another step forward, her stocking-clad feet would kick into bulging trash bags.

Finding a place to sit was out of the question; simply clearing a path to the sofa seemed an insurmountable task.

It was difficult to imagine what kind of life Xǔ Tiānlí had been living recently.

‘Mù Qīngyǔ, Mù Qīngyǔ, look at the mess you’ve made.’

‘You’ve ruined this man’s life, so it’s no wonder Xǔ Tiānlí will eventually stab you three years from now.’

‘The more despondent Xǔ Tiānlí is now, the more ruthless he’ll be later.’

‘I can already picture myself, after being crippled by him, living a life as wretched as his current one.’

“How miserable,” Mù Qīngyǔ muttered softly.

Xǔ Tiānlí, who overheard her, couldn’t help but glance at her expression.

‘Master seems to care about me more than I thought?’

‘She doesn’t seem as cold as I imagined.’

Xǔ Tiānlí instantly swept away his embarrassment, thinking that as his master’s student, he couldn’t bring shame upon her.

‘I must treat this as a brand-new trial.’

‘Yes, a trial!’

With this thought, and for the sake of the three-year pact and to teach his heartless ex-fiancée a lesson, Xǔ Tiānlí immediately sprang into action.

He swiftly cleared a path for her, then emptied the sofa and tabletop, ensuring Mù Qīngyǔ didn’t have to stand awkwardly at the door.

Even while bustling about, Xǔ Tiānlí managed to boil water and brew tea.

After handing her the cup, he continued to pack useless clutter into cardboard boxes, moving them to the doorway, and throwing anything that smelled rancid directly outside.

It truly was fitting for a protagonist; his initiative was impressive.

In her previous life, Mù Qīngyǔ would simply let trash pile up until it stank before she even considered throwing it out in batches.

However, this only increased her own pressure.

To avoid being seen through, she could only feign composure, holding the white porcelain teacup and sipping the bitter tea that almost made her stick out her tongue.

In about half an hour, he had completely tidied the once chaotic living room.

Wiping sweat from his brow, he then sat in the opposite seat.

The atmosphere settled into silence.

Xǔ Tiānlí felt he had performed admirably and awaited his master’s praise, but she remained unresponsive.

Mù Qīngyǔ kept her gaze fixed on her reflection in the tea, her expression so impassive that it was impossible to discern her thoughts.

‘Master’s expression still looks terrible.’

‘Did I not do well enough?’

Xǔ Tiānlí sniffed, catching a faint, metallic odor mixed with the other smells.

It wasn’t from the household trash, but from Mù Qīngyǔ herself.

After all, she had just been drenched in blood; it was natural for her to smell.

‘Could it be…?’

Xǔ Tiānlí’s eyes flickered, and he proactively broke the silence.

“By the way, I haven’t yet had the honor of asking for your name, Master.”

“Oh, right.”

Mù Qīngyǔ’s consciousness returned to reality, and she met his genuinely earnest gaze.

Although she had initially given this new identity the title of “diviner,” she hadn’t yet settled on a specific name.

This was because Mù Qīngyǔ was terrible at naming things.

Now, questioned by Xǔ Tiānlí, she instantly mused in her mind.

‘Mù Qīngyǔ, Mù Qīngyǔ… Qīngyǔ…’

“Call me Qín Yuè.”

“Understood, Master Qín Yuè.” Despite it being a casually chosen fake name, Xǔ Tiānlí beamed.

“If Master doesn’t mind, you’re welcome to use my bathroom.”

“Bathroom?” Mù Qīngyǔ frowned slightly.

“Because Master got into this state saving me, I must do something for you in return.”

“So eager to curry favor, or rather, do you want to see me?” Mù Qīngyǔ asked, a flicker of light in her narrowed golden eyes as she spoke.

“Ah, how could I?”

Xǔ Tiānlí instantly panicked.

“I know this is a new trial Master has set for me.”

“I merely wish to perform my best and become your worthy student.”

‘A new trial?’

‘What is this guy talking about?’

Mù Qīngyǔ had only intended to tease him, yet she sometimes found herself genuinely unable to follow his thought process.

‘Never mind,’ Mù Qīngyǔ finally said.

“Though we now share the bond of master and disciple, bringing me home like this, aren’t you being too trusting?”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll silence you?”

This question made Xǔ Tiānlí’s face show a hint of difficulty, but he forced himself to answer calmly.

“Is Master one of Mù Qīngyǔ’s people?”

“…Do I look like it?”

“I don’t think so.”

“As long as it has nothing to do with Mù Qīngyǔ, even if I might become a tool for Master to use, it doesn’t matter.”

“I have no other path; only by following you, Master, can I achieve what I most desire.”

To grow stronger, then seek revenge against Mù Qīngyǔ.

This was Xǔ Tiānlí’s sole objective in life, now that he had no relatives left.

As for what would happen afterward, whether he would be killed or tortured, that could wait until the main task was accomplished.

Mù Qīngyǔ chuckled softly, though it was a mirthless smile, her heart silently complaining.

‘With such unwavering resolve, do you have to be fixated on me?’

On the way down the mountain, Mù Qīngyǔ had considered many things, even contemplating telling him the truth then and there, and then hand-in-hand, they could search for the true mysterious master.

But seeing the fervent fire in Xǔ Tiānlí’s eyes, Mù Qīngyǔ dared not do so, fearing that one more shock would make him irrevocably blacklist her.

The situation had changed, but the plan could not.

Mù Qīngyǔ’s life reversal plan included two crucial elements:

First, build a good relationship with Xǔ Tiānlí and eradicate the hatred he harbored for her.

Second, grow stronger alongside him, relying on him to escape the death threat from her father’s side.

Even though the initial idea of being fellow companions sharing hardships had morphed into that of a mysterious master, the plan still seemed viable.

‘Provided I can truly fulfill the responsibilities of a “Master.”’

‘Will I win?’

‘Teaching people isn’t my forte, but I can certainly bluff.’

‘All I need to do is divert his attention, right?’

‘Manipulating a problematic virgin boy—I like that.’

Mù Qīngyǔ had enjoyed teasing children since her previous life; now, it was just a slightly older one.

Only men truly understood men.

Mù Qīngyǔ’s greatest advantage now was that her body had become female!

“Alright, you pass.”

“That’s good,” Xǔ Tiānlí said, visibly relieved.

Mù Qīngyǔ’s long legs, encased in black stockings, naturally crossed, her knees slightly bent.

Her movements held an air of casual languor, and her tone was natural.

“As a welcome gift, tonight, I shall give you your very first lesson in life, Xǔ Tiānlí.”

Her expression was not that of a teacher looking at her student, but rather that of a predator gazing at its desperate prey.