CHAPTER 237: 237: MONA LISA-LIKE SMILE

Everyone knew that Mu Qiuniang rarely showed any expression on her face. If it weren’t for her unique aura, her face wouldn’t really attract much attention.

But no one expected that when she smiled, she could be this stunning.

Whether it was the fans in the audience or Xu Jing sitting nearby, they were all completely dumbfounded.

Even the cameraman froze, forgetting to move the camera.

Too beautiful!

It was as though an actual Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus had bloomed, captivating anyone who glanced at it.

Jiang Nuo was stunned at first, but quickly snapped back to reality. His first reaction was to grin, blocking his wife’s face and teasing jealously, "Honey, you promised me you’d only smile like that for me in the future."

His tone was filled with exaggerated grievance.

The audience finally came to their senses, and the whole room erupted: "Ah! Goddess, I’ve seen a real goddess!"

"So beautiful!"

"Ah——"

"Ah——"

...

Some fans even hugged each other and screamed.

At this point, Xu Jing couldn’t possibly stand out anymore and could only sigh, "She really is unbelievably beautiful!"

Held tightly in Jiang Nuo’s arms, Mu Qiuniang looked a little dazed. She nudged his chest quietly and whispered, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, sweetheart, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that they lack self-restraint. All you did was smile, and they’re acting like maniacs. Is that really necessary?"

Mu Qiuniang silently decided to indefinitely postpone the matter of restoring her full beauty.

No wonder, back before her "disfigurement," her master and the others always kept her from going out and strictly forbade her from smiling indiscriminately. Turns out, her smile truly could be deadly.

"Alright, alright, stop screaming already. If you keep this up, your goddess’s ears are going to suffer." Xu Jing finally managed to catch a brief lull in the noise and quickly shouted into the megaphone brought by the staff.

It took another half an hour to calm everyone down and get them to sit down.

Watching Jiang Nuo and Mu Qiuniang seated again, their hands tightly clasped, Xu Jing teased, "When your male idol came out earlier, none of you were this excited. But the moment your goddess smiled, she stole all your souls. Aren’t you afraid your male idol will get jealous? Though really, should your male idol be jealous of your goddess or of you all?"

Before Jiang Nuo could answer, the fans replied, "Of the goddess!"

"Wow, you all have such a unified response. Did you plan this ahead of time? Did you already know the secret behind your goddess’s smile?"

"We didn’t/No."

"Alright, I won’t joke with you guys anymore. I need to chat with your male idol and goddess quickly before the show’s time runs out. Afterward, it might be tough to find a chance to talk again."

No one had predicted such a beautiful and unexpected turn of events on the program.

The atmosphere of the show hadn’t been this good in ages. With Jiang Nuo saying so many emotionally charged things, it would’ve been impossible for Mu Qiuniang not to respond. What she didn’t expect was just how big the reaction would be.

Xu Jing smiled and asked, "Mrs. Jiang usually doesn’t smile often. Is it because your smile is so enchanting that people can’t look away?"

Mu Qiuniang nodded honestly, "Since I was little, my master trained me not to smile easily in front of outsiders."

"Wasn’t that difficult?"

Mu Qiuniang shook her head. "There were always so many things to do; I didn’t have time to think about it."

"Don’t tell me you’ve been like me, needing to learn many things every day?"

"Mm."

"Judging by Mrs. Jiang’s poise, it’s evident you must’ve had formal training in Huaxia’s traditional classical arts when you were younger. Could you share what you’ve learned?"

"Music, chess, calligraphy, painting, etiquette, dance, horseback archery, even needlework, cooking, and household management..." Mu Qiuniang thought for a moment, deliberately leaving out anything about cultivation.

"That much? You actually managed to learn all of it?" Xu Jing was somewhat surprised. She had assumed that learning music, chess, calligraphy, and painting alone would be overwhelming, but Mu Qiuniang’s list far exceeded her imagination.

It finally made sense why Mu Qiuniang had said she was too busy to smile.

In truth, Mu Qiuniang had spent most of her time on cultivation.

Although she listed the things she had learned, they weren’t actually all that difficult for her. With the sheer amount of time she had in life, she never had to worry.

Because ultimately, it was cultivation that determined her fate.

"Not busy." While others might only have ten years of youthful vigor, she had a hundred years—there was no rush at all.

Even before planning this episode, Xu Jing had known that Mu Qiuniang was skilled in ancient arts, so she had made many arrangements in advance.

Now, as soon as she spoke, the staff brought everything out.

"Your cooking skills have already earned you the title of God of Cooking among your fans, so we don’t need to verify that. What I want to see now is your calligraphy and painting. Let’s start with writing. Let’s both write a few characters together."

Mu Qiuniang nodded, picking up a brush to casually pen the characters: "The highest virtue is like water."

From the time she started to when she finished, it only took a few minutes for an imposing, vigorous piece of Crazy Grass Collection-style calligraphy to appear on the table.

Xu Jing was slower in her attempt. She preferred the style of Lady Wei’s calligraphy—"like a maiden arranging flowers, modest yet elegant; like a beauty stepping onto a stage, a celestial goddess casting reflections, a Red Lotus reflecting in water, and rosy clouds floating over azure seas"—almost perfectly recreating Lady Wei’s charm.

"You’ve written wonderfully!" Mu Qiuniang sincerely praised when she saw it.

But after seeing Mu Qiuniang’s writing, Xu Jing was awestruck, exclaiming, "I always thought my writing was good, but after seeing yours, I understand what it means to have a level beyond another level, a sky beyond another sky. Mrs. Jiang, I must recommend you to join the Huaxia Calligraphy and Painting Association. With writing like yours, if you’re not a member, I’d be too ashamed to remain part of it myself..."

She was so excited that if they weren’t currently filming, she’d have immediately called her mentor to announce her discovery of a prodigy.

Jiang Nuo wrapped an arm around Mu Qiuniang’s shoulder and grinned, "Heh heh! I told you my wife is amazing. Not only is her calligraphy outstanding, but she’s also a fantastic painter, and her embroidery skills are unparalleled..."

His face was full of pride, as if these skills were his own, with an unmistakable air of showing off.

Everyone knew Jiang Nuo was a wife-praising fanatic, but Xu Jing still couldn’t help but laugh at his words. "Jiang Nuo, the way you talk, someone who doesn’t know better might think you’re the one who mastered all these skills."

"If my wife knows them, it’s the same as me knowing them. After all, she’s mine. If she knows it, then I know it too!" Jiang Nuo exposed his teeth in a wide grin, seeming utterly delighted.

Even Mu Qiuniang felt a bit embarrassed by his shamelessness, but Jiang Nuo, completely unfazed, turned to ask the audience, "Isn’t that right, everyone?"

The audience burst out laughing, shouting, "Right!"

"They’re all your fans. If you said the sun was square, they’d agree with you," Xu Jing joked, turning to the audience, "Am I right?"

"Yes!"

"See? Told you!" Xu Jing shook her head with a helpless smile.

"To be adored by Nuomi fans like this is my greatest honor!"