The next morning, Wu Qingyi rose before dawn and wandered deep into the forest, searching for the finest gifts she could offer her future husband's family. By the time she returned, her dress was dusted with mud and leaves, her cheeks smudged, her hair slightly tangled, but her eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought of finally meeting her husband and in‑laws. When the Liu family's butler arrived at the mountain to fetch her, his face twisted with barely concealed disgust the moment he saw her untidy appearance. Qingyi, lost in her own happiness, didn't notice the expression at all. But the old man did and his gaze turned icy and sharp enough to slice through bone. The glare he shot at the butler carried a silent warning: Dare look at her like that again, and I'll tear your head off myself.
Knowing the time was slipping away, Wu Qingyi decided not to change, leaving the mountain in her dirt-streaked clothes so they could reach their destination before dusk. Before stepping away, she cast one last glance at her master and noticed his eyes glistening, tears threatening to spill at any moment. Without a word, she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce, heartfelt hug. "Take care of yourself, Master," she whispered. "I'll come back soon, with my new family."
As the car rolled down the winding mountain path, the old master pulled out his phone, intending to inform all the people who cherished the little girl that she had finally left the mountains. His thumb hovered over the screen, then paused. If he told them now, they would rush back instantly, and Qingyi's marriage into the Wang family would never happen. With a long, conflicted sigh, he slipped the phone back into his sleeve. He would later regret that hesitation deeply, because the moment the truth came out, a war unlike anything the capital had ever seen would erupt, with the Wang family standing fiercely against every single person who dared compete for the girl's affection and devotion, but that was a storm for another day.
As the car wound its way down the mountain road, Wu Qingyi pressed her forehead against the window, letting the cool glass steady her fluttering heart. One memory after another rose before her. Her laughing by the waterfall with her brothers and sisters, listening to her grandaunts' stories, sneaking fruit with her granduncle, playing with the birds, the deer, and of course, her beloved pet. A soft ache spread through her chest. She would miss them all, every face, every voice, every creature that had filled her world with warmth. Above all, she would miss her master, the one who had been her guiding star since the day she could remember. Yet the road kept moving forward, carrying her toward a new life she barely understood.
The butler had already informed the Liu family that they would be arriving a little later than expected that night. But no one in the Liu household bothered to care about the girl's exhaustion or the hour she would reach their doorstep. What mattered to them was only one thing: when the Wang family came the next morning to welcome their bride, the one standing there must be Wu Qingyi and not their precious, pampered Liu miss.
The delay occurred because the driver had decided to stop for lunch just before entering the capital. Yet he clearly didn't wish to be seen dining beside a girl who looked like a beggar. Instead, he ordered a takeaway box of mushroom egg fried rice, thrust it into Wu Qingyi's hands, and told her to eat while standing by the roadside. He didn't want her inside the restaurant, nor did he want to risk her "dirtying" the car seats with spilled food. Qingyi accepted the box with genuine happiness as after such a long journey, she was starving. But the smile on her face faded almost instantly the moment she lifted the lid. Her eyes dimmed with disappointment, Mushrooms? She couldn't eat them. Even the smell made her skin prickle; she was severely allergic. She turned immediately to inform the butler, only to realize he was nowhere nearby. He had already vanished into the restaurant without a backward glance. Left alone, she clutched the untouched meal and wandered toward the entrance to look for him. But the moment she tried to step inside, the security guard blocked her path with a scowl, and the receptionist waved her off as though she were among the street beggars trying to sneak in. With no choice, Qingyi backed away quietly. Her stomach growled painfully as she walked from stall to stall, shop to shop, hoping to buy something or anything she could eat. But everywhere she went, people shooed her away, treating her as though she were there to beg for scraps or coins.
As she wandered along the roadside in search of something she could eat, her empty stomach rumbling softly, her gaze suddenly fell upon a man dressed entirely in black. He stood beneath the shade of a withered tree, silently studying a single crumpled five-yuan note in his hand, as though weighing its worth against an unspoken hunger. Moved by instinctive kindness, Qingyi walked toward him and called out softly, "Brother, are you hungry? And you only have five yuan?" She held out the takeout box in her hands, her expression warm and sincere. "Here, this is my mushroom egg fried rice. You can have it. You must be starving."
The man paused, genuinely taken aback by her generosity. This ragged little girl, who looked as though she hadn't eaten properly in days, was offering him her only meal without hesitation. His dark eyes softened as he studied her. "Aren't you hungry?" he finally asked, unable to hide the curiosity in his voice and surprised that she would give away her food so easily.
Hearing his question, Wu Qingyi's eyes dimmed like a candle flickering in the wind. She answered with disarming honesty, "I am very hungry, but I can't eat this. There are mushrooms in it, and I'm allergic and..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced toward the bustling food stalls. "No one here will let me buy anything. They all think I'm a beggar."
The man frowned slightly and asked, "If you're allergic to mushrooms, then why did you buy it in the first place?"
Wu Qingyi answered softly, "I didn't buy it. My family's butler bought it without even asking what I wanted. They don't really care about me. They're only taking me back from the mountain so they can marry me off for money."
The man couldn't help the faint curl of amusement at her blunt honesty. Only then did he truly notice the innocence in her eyes, the childlike simplicity woven into every word she spoke. His heart softened unexpectedly. "Then," he asked gently, "what will you eat if I finish your fried rice?"
Wu Qingyi pondered for a moment, her brows scrunching in careful thought. Then she looked up at the man with hopeful eyes and said, "Brother, can you please buy me two plain steamed buns with your money - the five-yuan note in exchange for my fried rice?"
The man blinked, genuinely taken aback by her request. For a moment, he simply stared at the girl, this strange creature who offered her only meal to a stranger and now bargained with such innocent sincerity. He lowered his gaze to the crumpled 5-yuan note in his hand, then back at her hopeful face. Something warm flickered in his chest, a feeling he hadn't known in years. This girl, she wasn't simply naïve. She was painfully sincere. Slowly, the corner of his mouth lifted. "You're really something," he murmured, half to himself, half to her. Then, straightening, he added aloud, "Alright. Two steamed buns, is it? I'll buy them for you." His voice, usually cold and distant, carried an unfamiliar gentleness, as if her innocence had brushed against a part of him, he thought long dead.
Wu Qingyi's eyes sparkled, her smile blooming like sunlight breaking through clouds. "Thank you, brother!" she chirped happily. Then, tilting her head with innocent curiosity, she asked, "Brother, what should I call you? What's your name?"
The man hesitated for a moment, as if weighing whether she was ready to hear it. But in the end, he spoke, his voice low and edged with danger. "People call me… Iron Fang."
The naive girl beamed at him, completely unfazed by the intimidating name. "Then I'll call you Brother Fang," she declared with a bright, innocent smile, as if she were naming a gentle neighbour instead of someone the world feared.
The man fell quiet for a moment, saying nothing to her innocent declaration. Then, without another word, he turned and strode toward the stall, returning shortly after with two warm, freshly steamed buns in hand.
They settled on a worn wooden bench beside a small food stall. The moment the stall owner spotted Wu Qingyi, he marched over, ready to drive her away like a stray. But before he could utter a word, the man in black lifted his gaze. A cold, razor-sharp glare sliced through the air, silencing the owner instantly. With a subtle shift of his coat, he revealed the hidden blade at his side, a silent warning that spoke louder than any threat: Take one more step towards the girl, and you'll regret it. The owner froze, face draining of colour. Without another word, he backed away into his stall, doing everything in his power to avoid meeting the man's eyes again.
Once they had finished their meal, Wu Qingyi reached into her small purse and pulled out a handful of notes. She handed them to the man with a gentle smile. "Brother Fang, thank you for spending all your money on my meal. Now you must have nothing left. Please, take this, my pocket money from my master before I left the mountains."
The man's eyes widened in surprise at the amount of money the girl pressed into his hand. What Wu Qingyi did not know was that he was far from poor, it was only that he rarely carried cash. At that moment, he had nothing but a single five-yuan note and was quietly wondering if he could find an ATM nearby, as most of the stalls here refused card payments. Just then, the girl stepped closer to him.
Just as he reached out to return the money, the girl gently waved him off. "Oh! The butler might be looking for me. I have to go." Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. "Thank you so much, Brother Fang. You're a truly good person. I hope we meet again soon. Take care, bye!" With that, she turned and ran toward the car, her light steps fading into the distance.
The man stood rooted to the spot, stunned. It was the first time anyone had ever called him a "good person." By the time he shook off his surprise, the girl had vanished without a trace. A quiet hope stirred within him, that fate might one day grant him another encounter with such a kind, innocent soul. Yet little did he know how swiftly that illusion would shatter, or the true nature of the devil queen she would soon reveal herself to be.