"I… I… Earlier, I…" Qiu Mu Qing was blus.h.i.+ng when she let go of Duan Ling Tian's hand. Even her neck was red. She looked even more delicate like this.
Earlier, for reasons unknown to herself, Qiu Mu Qing became extremely anxious when she heard Duan Ling Tian said he had no intention of leaving Clarity City. When Duan Ling Tian asked the waiter to get her a set of utensils, she could no longer contain her anxiety. She had stopped the waiter and paid for Duan Ling Tian's meal before she hurriedly pulled him out of the restaurant. She was so anxious she had even forgotten about the proper etiquette between a man and a woman. She felt today was one of the craziest days in her life. She had even held a man's hand on her own accord. She found it hard to believe as well. If it was before, she did not think she would be capable of acting this way.
'Is it because I fell in love with him?' Qiu Mu Qing thought to herself before she quickly dismissed that thought. 'Impossible… It's my first time meeting him. How can I fall in love with him? At most, I'm a little fond of him. It's definitely not love!' Qiu Mu Qing defended her own actions to herself.
Duan Ling Tian coughed a few times to ease the awkward atmosphere when he saw how shy Qiu Mu Qing was after she released his hand.
"Miss Qiu, where do you intend to bring me?"
Qiu Mu Qing regained her senses when she heard Duan Ling Tian's voice. However, she did not dare to meet Duan Ling Tian's eyes. Instead, she lowered her head and shyly said, "You… You're no longer safe in Clarity City… You… It's best if you leave Clarity City."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Duan Ling Tian was touched by Qiu Mu Qing's concern. However, he said with a slight smile on his face, "Besides, I really have something to do in Clarity City. I can't leave just yet."
"If that's the case, please come to the Qiu Clan with me!" Qiu Mu Qing said after a moment of silence. She no longer insisted that Duan Ling Tian leave when she saw how determined he was.
When Qiu Mu Qing finished speaking, she seemed to have recalled something. Her cheeks reddened again as she stuttered, "That… You… Please don't misunderstand… I just thought… I feel responsible for the conflict between you and Dongfang Zhu that's why I don't want any harm to come to you." Her excuse seemed weak even to herself.
"That's not necessary…" Duan Ling Tian understood Qiu Mu Qing's good intentions, but he gently refused her. He was not afraid of the Dongfang Clan at all.
It was best if people from the Dongfang Clan did not come looking for trouble with Duan Ling Tian. Otherwise, he would kill them all!
"If you don't come with me, I'll feel bad… Please. If you return to the Qiu Clan with me, I'll speak to my father and you can become a guest of our Qiu Clan." Qiu Mu Qing began to feel anxious again when Duan Ling Tian rejected her. "If you're a guest of the Qiu clan, the Clan Leader of Dongfang Clan won't dare to harm you even if he wants to. The Qiu Clan is not afraid of the Dongfang Clan!"

"Fine, fine… I'll go with you." Duan Ling Tian gave in when he saw tears began to pool in Qiu Mu Qing's eyes. After all, her kindness had touched him as well. She was a good girl.
A brilliant smile appeared on Qiu Mu Qing's face when Duan Ling Tian agreed to her request. She was like a child who had been given candy.
Duan Ling Tian fell into a daze again when he saw Qiu Mu Qing smiled.
Qiu Mu Qing blushed when she saw Duan Ling Tian's dazed expression. She quickly said to him before they return to the Qiu Clan, "Let's go."
...
At the entrance of the Qiu Clan's estate, the Qiu Clan disciples guarding the entrance bowed respectfully when they saw Qiu Mu Qing. "Young Miss!"
"En." Qiu Mu Qing nodded at them and gestured to Duan Ling Tian to follow her into the Qiu Clan's estate.
When the Qiu Clan disciples saw Duan Ling Tian, they were shocked. It took them a while before they regained their senses.
"Am I imagining things? D-did Young Miss bring a man back?"
"I'm not dreaming, am I? Is this really the Young Miss of our Qiu Clan?"
"Who's that man? For Young Miss to bring him back to the estate, they must be quite close."
The few Qiu Clan disciples stared at each other in shock. After all, the Young Miss of Qiu Clan had never been close to any men, let alone bringing a man home.
Even her outings with the Dongfang Clan's Second Young Master, Dongfang Zhu, was forced upon her. As disciples of Qiu Clan, they knew this very well. However, today, their Young Miss had brought another man back to the Qiu Clan's estate.
Apart from the Qiu Clan disciples guarding the entrance, all the disciples and servants Qiu Mu Qing and Duan Ling Tian encountered in the Qiu Clan's estate were shocked as well.
"Young Miss brought an unknown man back to the Qiu Clan?"
This news spread like wildfire through the Qiu Clan's estate and caused a commotion.
After Qiu Mu Qing brought Duan Ling Tian back to the Qiu clan, she brought him to one of the rooms in her residence. As the Young Miss of Qiu Clan, she, naturally, had her own independent residence in the Qiu Clan's estate.
Apart from the servants' quarters, there were a few rooms meant for guests in her residence.
There was no doubt Duan Ling Tian was the first guest to be invited to stay at Qiu Mu Qing's residence.
"Miss Qiu, is it appropriate for me to stay in your residence? Won't this tarnish your reputation? I can stay in another residence," Duan Ling Tian said with a wry smile. He understood Qiu Mu Qing's good intention, and he did not want to tarnish the kind-hearted girl's reputation.
The Dao Martial Saint Land was somewhat similar to the olden days on earth, a girl's reputation was extremely important.
"It's fine. You can stay here in peace. I'll go speak to father now. From now on, you're my friend and a guest of the Qiu Clan!" Qiu Mu Qing said as she began to blush again. She instructed a few servants to tend to Duan Ling Tian before she left in a hurry.
A sense of warmth rose in Duan Ling Tian's heart as he watched Qiu Mu Qing's departing figure.
Meanwhile, the servants were looking at Duan Ling Tian in shock and disbelief. After all, this was the first time their Young Miss brought a man back to the Qiu Clan. Moreover, she had brought him over to stay in her residence.
If news of this spread out, their Young Miss might not be able to marry!
"I'm Duan Ling Tian." Duan Ling Tian sent a Voice Transmission to Qiu Mu Qing right before she disappeared from his sight.
Qiu Mu Qing had gone to a lot of efforts to help Duan Ling Tian. How could he not disclose his name?
"Duan Ling Tian!" Qiu Mu Qing's eyes brightened and her cheeks flushed again when she heard Duan Ling Tian's name.
While Qiu Mu Qing went to look for her father, the Clan Leader of Qiu Clan, a middle-aged man with a strong build accompanied by two servants arrived at the restaurant where Duan Ling Tian and Qiu Mu Qing were at earlier.
"I can't believe the most beautiful woman in Clarity City is taken just like that!"
The middle-aged man with a strong build heard the voice, and his eyes lit up immediately.
'There's progress between Qing'Er and Dongfang Zhu? That's good... If that's the case, the Qiu Clan can form an alliance with the Dongfang Clan in the future. We no longer have to worry about being oppressed by the Feng Clan!"
The middle-aged man with a strong build was none other than the Second Master of Qiu Clan, Qiu Gang Yi. He had strongly advocated for a marriage alliance between the Qiu Clan and the Dongfang Clan. He was the one who had fanned the flames and asked the elders of the Qiu Clan to pressure the Clan Leader into forcing Qiu Mu Qing to go on a date with Dongfang Zhu. This had put the Clan Leader of the Qiu Clan in a difficult position.
Qiu Mu Qing was a filial daughter. She had decided to give in when she saw the difficult position her father was in.
However, she would rather die than marry Dongfang Zhu! She had only agreed to a casual outing with him because she did not want to place her father in a difficult position. Therefore, she obeyed the wishes of the elders and the Second Master of Qiu Clan. However, that did not mean she intended to marry Dongfang Zhu.
Qiu Mu Qing was a person, not an object. No one could force her if she was unwilling.
"What?! It's not Dongfang Zhu? It's the man who beat up Dongfang Zhu?" The Second Master of Qiu Clan, Qiu Gang Yi, soon learned about what had happened. His expression darkened immediately.