Inside the private dining room.
Xu Qingxiao looked at Mu Nan'ning.
Mu Nan'ning's gaze also fell on Xu Qingxiao.
Yet there was something strange in both their eyes.
Xu Qingxiao was astonished, though that could be taken as astonishment at seeing a peerless beauty.
Mu Nan'ning's gaze, meanwhile, held puzzlement.
For some reason, she felt as though she had met Xu Qingxiao somewhere before.
And the longer she looked, the more familiar he seemed.
Yet judging by his face alone, this was certainly their first meeting.
The two stared at one another.
This piqued Mu Nanping's curiosity.
Mu Nanping had expected the expressions on Xu Qingxiao's and Li Xin's faces. His younger sister was indeed a peerless beauty, but having grown up with her, he thought she was only so-so.
But his sister had never looked at a man like this before.
Could my sister have taken a fancy to Xu Qingxiao?
That would be a good thing.
Xu Qingxiao had now reached the Eighth Rank in Confucian cultivation, and his future was boundless. Young and handsome, skilled in both letters and arms, he was worthy of his sister.
His only shortcoming was his background, but that hardly mattered. Once Xu Qingxiao entered court, securing a sixth-rank post should pose no problem.
But what if Xu Qingxiao only wants to lean on my father's family standing?
Wouldn't that mean letting my sister down?
No, no, I can't celebrate too soon. I need to see whether Xu Qingxiao is sincere toward her.
Mu Nanping's imagination had run a little too wild. The two had merely exchanged a glance, and he had already spun so much from it.
But as a scholar himself, Mu Nanping naturally respected scholars, especially those with genuine talent. His father was the same.
Naturally, he was well