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Gears of Fate

The Red Neighborhood, as its name suggests, was where the first, second, and third generations of political figures lived. "Red" referred to government officials. To live here meant one was part of the first generation of political figures, not just any ordinary official. Any person here could cause a significant change in the political landscape.

Gu Qin figured out who Qin Xiansheng was bringing her to meet based on the rumors she had heard about him being close to a war hero who was once a leader of the country and now enjoys a high status due to his title.

Access to the neighborhood required a pass, even for visitors, who needed to be let in by the residents.

Qin Xiansheng had a pass and led Gu Qin inside after swiping it. Strangers entering needed identity checks, scans, and other security measures, which were very strict.

Gu Qin also underwent these checks and scans before being allowed in. Even the gifts she brought were inspected before she was permitted entry.

The neighborhood housed only a few dozen households, each with their own security guards. Qin Xiansheng walked with Gu Qin for about ten minutes until they arrived at a villa. The villa was not very large, a three-story house in traditional Chinese style. The front courtyard was about two hundred square meters, complete with a small fountain.

The neighborhood had nice architecture with plenty of greenery and an artificial lake planted with ornamental lotuses.

The main entrance of the villa was a pair of large iron gates. Qin Xiansheng pressed the doorbell, and a guard came out quickly. "Mr. Qin, you've arrived. Old Master Mu is waiting for you inside."

After opening the gate, Qin Xiansheng led Gu Qin in. The guard, a young man in his twenties, was very curious about Gu Qin, constantly looking at her, likely wondering about her relationship with Qin Xiansheng.

During their walk to the main hall, the guard chatted with Qin Xiansheng, saying, "Old Master Mu has missed you a lot. He talks about you all the time, wondering why you haven't visited him yet."

Qin Xiansheng smiled. "Today, I specially brought my girlfriend to see him."

Girlfriend? The guard was stunned and looked at Gu Qin again. How old could this girl be? Is she really Qin Xiansheng's girlfriend? Oh no, Xiao Yue is coming back...

Gu Qin was quite good at reading people's expressions. The guard's face first showed surprise, then a hint of pity. Was something about to happen?

Inside the main hall, there was an elderly man quietly sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. Upon hearing the commotion, he turned and saw Qin Xiansheng and the girl beside him.

The old man's gaze fell on Gu Qin. Gu Qin also sized him up. The old man looked to be in his seventies or eighties, his face marked with the signs of time, his hair gray, but his posture straight. Despite his age, he exuded strength, his expression firm, his lips pursed, giving an impression of sternness.

Qin Xiansheng greeted him, calling him Old Master Mu. The old man was much older than Qin Xiansheng. Gu Qin had always known that Qin Xiansheng was not from this era, at least from the last century. She hadn't asked too much about his exact age, as age didn't matter much to cultivators like them once they reached a certain level of cultivation.

Qin Xiansheng looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties, meaning he had already achieved the realm of Refining Spirit Returning Void by that age, a remarkable talent.

Indeed, Qin Xiansheng was much older than Old Master Mu. When Qin Xiansheng escaped from his master, he was nearly dead, but was saved and taken care of by an elder of the Mu family. The Mu family owed him a debt, and after the elder passed away, Qin Xiansheng continued to look after the younger members of the Mu family. Old Master Mu was the eldest grandson of the elder who saved him.

Old Master Mu lost his parents early and was raised by the elder of the Mu family. Qin Xiansheng essentially grew up alongside him.

When he was young, Old Master Mu called him Uncle Qin, but as he grew older and realized Qin Xiansheng was no ordinary person, calling him uncle didn't fit, so he simply called him by his name. They became more like friends. As Old Master Mu grew older and his status rose, eventually reaching the pinnacle, Qin Xiansheng addressed him as Old Master Mu, mainly to avoid unnecessary gossip.

As for Qin Xiansheng's identity and age, Old Master Mu never told anyone else, and his family believed Qin Xiansheng was a feng shui master, an old friend of Old Master Mu.

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Gu Qin followed suit and called him Old Master Mu.

Old Master Mu's gaze returned to Qin Xiansheng. His stern face softened into a smile. "Sit down, it's been a while since we last met."

"The past few days have been busy," Qin Xiansheng sat opposite Old Master Mu, and Gu Qin followed suit. "Old Master Mu, this is my girlfriend."

Gu Qin placed the gift box on the table. "I found some things on the mountain and brought them especially for you to try. If you like them, Old Brother Qin can bring more next time."

Upon hearing it was from the mountain, Old Master Mu assumed it was wild game and asked the guard to take it to the kitchen.

Old Master Mu's gaze fell on Gu Qin again, and after a long moment, he sighed. "I understand."

Qin Xiansheng briefly introduced Gu Qin's background to Old Master Mu, telling him that she was roughly on par with him in terms of status. Old Master Mu understood that Gu Qin was also a feng shui practitioner.

Old Master Mu smiled. "Alright, I understand. Qinqin looks like a little girl. How old are you? Not twenty yet? Why don't you call me Grandpa?"

Qin Xiansheng couldn't help but laugh. "That won't do. If Qinqin calls you Grandpa, what will I call you? The family tree will get mixed up."

Old Master Mu burst into laughter.

They chatted for a while, and Old Master Mu said, "Stay for dinner. Everyone is coming back today, and it's been a long time since we've all seen each other. Chen Auntie has prepared a table full of good dishes. Let Qinqin taste them. If she likes Auntie Chen's cooking, she can come often to keep me company when you're not around."

Gu Qin smiled. "Old Master, rest assured, I'll come with Qin Brother often."

Just then, the guard brought out hot water. He placed a cup in front of Old Master Mu first, then gave cups to Qin Xiansheng and Gu Qin. "Old Master, this is the honey and fruit wine that Miss Gu brought. Auntie Chen smelled it and said it was delicious, so I brewed some honey water."

Old Master Mu tasted it and nodded. "Good." The honey was indeed excellent, making his stomach feel comfortable. Its pure sweetness was unlike any sweetener, and Old Master Mu had rarely tasted such quality honey.

Dinner was almost ready, and the doorbell rang. The guard opened the door and brought in a group of people—men, women, old, and young—about a dozen in total.

Gu Qin glanced over them, not paying too much attention to anyone specific. These should be Old Master Mu's children and grandchildren.

They all greeted Qin Xiansheng and noticed Gu Qin, looking puzzled. They couldn't figure out who this girl was. Qin Xiansheng timely introduced her, "This is my girlfriend."

Girlfriend? The entire Mu family was stunned and turned to look at the girl sitting next to Qin Xiansheng.

She looked to be in her twenties, very pretty, with long curly hair, wearing designer clothes, and a seductive appearance, a rare beauty.

The beautiful girl froze when she heard that Gu Qin was Qin Xiansheng's girlfriend. She stared at Gu Qin in disbelief and then glared at Qin Xiansheng. "Brother Qin, you said this girl is your what?"

Oh, Gu Qin realized. This beauty must have feelings for Qin Brother. Considering her age, she was either Old Master Mu's granddaughter or great-granddaughter.

"Xiaoyue, Qinqin is my girlfriend," Qin Xiansheng said gently. He had known for years that Xiaoyue had feelings for him, and he mostly avoided her, seeing her rarely. However, as she was Old Master Mu's granddaughter, they would gather during holidays. He was clear that he had never given her any hope.

Xiaoyue had boldly confessed to him before, but he had politely declined. Bringing Gu Qin here was not to use her to make Xiaoyue give up, as she was the only one in his heart. He would never use her, nor would he let her be used. He brought Gu Qin here because he regarded Old Master Mu as family, wanting to introduce his girlfriend to him.

As for Xiaoyue, she would never be a threat to his relationship with Gu Qin.

"Xiaoyue!" Old Master Mu frowned. "Stop causing trouble."

"Grandfather!" Xiaoyue's eyes reddened. "Why? You know how I feel about Brother Qin. What's so good about this girl? Has she even grown up? Where does she qualify to be with Brother Qin?"

Xiaoyue was Old Master Mu's granddaughter. Old Master Mu had four sons and one daughter. His daughter married into the Kong family, and they had only one child, Xiaoyue. She was treated like a precious treasure, which made her somewhat spoiled and wilful.

Old Master Mu's four sons were also married and had children. The eldest son had one son and one daughter, while the other three sons each had one son. The eldest son's granddaughter and Xiaoyue were quite different in age, and the former was relatively mature and sensible. Therefore, regardless of whether it was the Mu family or the Kong family, Xiaoyue, as the youngest descendant, received more affection and pampering.

Everyone knew Xiaoyue had feelings for Qin Xiansheng. Although they hadn't seen him actively interact with her, they believed, given Old Master Mu's influence, that they would eventually end up together. Now, with Qin Xiansheng suddenly introducing a new girlfriend, everyone was quite surprised.

"Xiaoyue, listen to your grandfather and stop causing trouble," a woman in a white suit advised. She appeared to be in her forties, with wrinkles around her eyes, but her skin and figure were well-maintained. She was likely Xiaoyue's mother.

Mu Lao said to everyone, "Alright, sit down, dinner will be ready soon. You all haven't been back in a long time, and it's rare to have such a gathering."

Everyone sat down casually on the sofa. Mu Jinger, the eldest son, was over fifty and worked in politics. His wife, Xu Lian, was also involved in politics. Xu Lian was also over fifty but looked great with good health, wearing a simple light blue sportswear.

She sat next to Gu Qin and asked, "Qin Qin, how old are you this year?"

Gu Qin smiled and replied, "Auntie, I'm in my first year of university this year."

Xu Lian nodded approvingly and said, "Good child, come visit us more often with Xian Sheng. Xian Sheng is like family to us."

"Auntie, I will."

They chatted for a while. Xu Lian didn't pry too much into other matters; she only asked about Gu Qin's studies, future plans, and how she got along with friends at school.

After a while, the guard Xiao Ma brought out honey water. Everyone took a sip. Xu Lian couldn't help asking Xiao Ma, "Xiao Ma, where did this honey come from? It's quite good."

Xiao Ma laughed and said, "This is what Miss Gu brought."