Devour: Can you also draw entries from clone projection worlds?

[...(Some details are omitted here, as some things don't need to be explained too explicitly.)]

In short, that night by the mountain stream, there was a flat blue stone, on which your outer robe was laid.

As the moonlight shone down, Mu Wanqing's black veil was blown into the stream by the wind and drifted away with the current.

The first time you see her, she is completely pale, but warm to the touch.

She kept biting her lip, not making a sound, until finally, she suddenly hugged you tightly, buried her face in your shoulder, and cried silently.

You know, that was a rule set for her by her master (actually her mother), and it was the first time in eighteen years that she had given herself completely to a man.

You gently pat her back and whisper in her ear, "From today onwards, you are my woman, Wei Wen's woman."

She didn't say anything, she just hugged him tighter.

In the latter half of the night, Mu Wanqing fell asleep in your arms. Her sleeping face was peaceful, without the sharpness and vigilance of the day, like an ordinary eighteen-year-old girl.

Looking at her face, a thought suddenly popped into your head: Duan Yu will never know what you missed.

As dawn approached, Mu Wan woke up. The first thing she did upon opening her eyes was to touch her face; the black veil was gone.

She paused for a moment, then turned to look at you, her eyes filled with an indescribable emotion: "Where's my veil?"

"It got washed away by the water," you said. "But it's okay, you won't need to wear that thing anymore."

Mu Wanqing lowered her head, remained silent for a while, and then suddenly said something you wouldn't expect: "You...you help me choose a name."

"A name? Don't you have a name?"

"Mu Wanqing was the name my master gave me," she said. "She said... she said I was born without a father, only this surname. Now that I'm with you, I want... I want to change my name."

Your heart softened, and you reached out to ruffle her hair: "No need to change it, the name Mu Wanqing is very nice, and..." You paused, "and you will always be you, you don't need to change your name for anyone."

She looked up at you, and something suddenly appeared in her black, gem-like eyes.

"Then... after dawn, should we still go to find Duan Yu?" she asked.

"I'm not looking anymore," you said. "Let him do what he wants."

Mu Wanqing softly hummed in agreement and rested her head back on your shoulder.

As dawn broke, sunlight streamed in from the east, bathing the entire valley in a golden-red hue.

You leaned against the bluestone, and Mu Wanqing rested her head on your arm, still not awake.

Her breathing was light and even, her long eyelashes trembled slightly like butterfly wings, and a hint of color finally returned to her face, her lips flushing a pale pink.

You didn't move, afraid of waking her.

You're thinking about something, something very important. Mu Wanqing, like Zhong Ling, is Duan Yu's cousin.

Besides, the same goes for the other women: A'Zhu, A'Bi, Wang Yuyan… these are all Duan Yu's cousins!

Just then, Mu Wanqing stirred, her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

She saw you looking at her, paused for a moment, and then a blush quickly rose to her face.

"What are you looking at?" She turned her face away, her voice returning to its icy tone, but her ears were already bright red.

"Look at you," you said. "You're beautiful."

Mu Wanqing's face turned even redder. She sat up abruptly and reached for her black veil.

"What are you looking at?" She turned her face away and reached for the black veil. After touching it a few times without finding it, she remembered that it had been washed away by the water last night.

Her movements froze, her hands hovered in mid-air, and the blush on her face slowly faded, replaced by an indescribable expression.

"The veil is gone," she said softly, a hint of unease in her voice.

"No need." You sat up and took her hand. "I told you, you don't need to wear that anymore."

Mu Wanqing lowered her head and remained silent for a while. Then she suddenly raised her head, looked into your eyes, and asked, "You...you really don't mind me?"

"What do you dislike about me?"

"I..." She bit her lip. "I don't have a father. My master said I'm an unlucky person, and whoever is with me will be unlucky."

You couldn't help but laugh: "Your master said that? Do you even know who your master is?"

Mu Wanqing was taken aback for a moment: "My master is indeed my master."

"Your master is your mother," you said. "Your biological mother."

Mu Wanqing was stunned, as if struck by lightning. She stared at you with wide eyes, her lips trembling slightly, unable to utter a word for a long time.

"How...how did you know?"

"I know a lot of things," you said, "like who your biological father is, why your master—your mother—treated you that way, and what your relationship is with Duan Yu."

"But now is not the time to tell you these things. You only need to know one thing: you are not a bad person; you were just unlucky to have such parents."

Mu Wanqing's eyes reddened, and she suddenly threw herself into your arms, burying her face in your chest, her shoulders trembling violently.

She didn't cry out loud, but you could feel her tears seeping through her clothes and burning your skin.

You gently patted her back without saying a word. Some things don't need to be said too much.

It took a long time for Mu Wanqing to calm down.

She lifted her head from your arms, her eyes and the tip of her nose were red, she looked both pitiful and adorable.

"You just said... what is my relationship with Duan Yu?" she asked.

You hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell her part of the truth: "Duan Yu is your half-brother, and you share the same father."

Mu Wanqing's eyes widened even more, and her mouth opened and closed, before she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Then...then I also..."

"So your choice last night was right," you said. "Duan Yu isn't right for you, and he won't marry you. Even if he wanted to, you two wouldn't end up together."

Mu Wanqing remained silent for a long time, her head lowered, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on your palm.

After a long while, she suddenly raised her head, her eyes revealing something you'd never seen before—a look of unwavering determination.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Taihu Lake," you said. "Let's find a quiet place to live near Taihu Lake in Suzhou, the farther away from here the better."

"That far?"

"Yes, it's not safe to stay nearby. Your mother will be looking for you, and so will the people who are chasing you. Only by going far away can you escape them."

Mu Wanqing nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

You stood up and pulled her up too. Her clothes were dirty and wrinkled from last night, with several tears from tree branches.

You took off your outer robe and draped it over her. Your robe was too big; it looked like a long skirt on her, with the hem trailing on the ground.

"Let's find a town first and I'll buy you some clothes," you said.

Mu Wanqing looked down at her own wrinkled clothes, then at you wearing only your undergarments, and a slight smile appeared on her lips: "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm not cold," you said. "I have internal energy protecting me."

Mu Wanqing gave a soft "Mmm" and naturally reached out to take your arm.