Is This Elegant Beauty the Villainess

Xu Mu arrived at the antique market in the western district of Yang City by car.

This was the largest antique trading hub in Yang City—in fact, the biggest in the entire Jiangbei region.

Treasures sourced from elsewhere often ended up being resold here.

And Dai Xingluo, who had a passion for antiques, was a frequent visitor to this place.

With his divine-level appraisal skills, Xu Mu decided to drop by for a chance encounter.

Inside the antique market, the streets bustled with activity.

Compared to the urban streets outside, this place had a far more vibrant, lived-in atmosphere.

Shops lined both sides of the road, but most vendors simply laid out their goods on makeshift stalls.

"Hey, buddy, looking for anything in particular? Everything here is genuine, no fakes," a slightly plump, bespectacled middle-aged man asked with a smile, noticing Xu Mu lingering by his stall.

Xu Mu didn’t respond, merely scanning the items with a glance.

Thanks to his expert appraisal ability, he could instantly tell that every single piece was a counterfeit.

It was as if each object had an invisible label, revealing its age and materials to him.

The oldest item was a porcelain piece in the center—likely no more than a decade old.

Hands in his pockets, Xu Mu continued strolling, not just searching for real antiques but also using his divine vision to survey the women around him.

He had never met Dai Xingluo before, and the novel’s description alone wasn’t enough to confirm her appearance.

Suddenly, his gaze landed on a jade pendant at one of the stalls.

The pendant was circular, carved with a dragon motif, and in relatively good condition.

It was a Chi-dragon jade pendant from the Song Dynasty, easily worth over a hundred thousand.

Just as Xu Mu approached the stall, a woman from another street paused at the same spot.

She wore a traditional Hanfu dress, her eyes clear as spring water, devoid of emotion.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, adorned with an exquisite hairpin shaped like a crabapple blossom.

Her beauty was striking, with delicate, classical features.

In the past, walking around in such attire might have drawn criticism, but now, with the resurgence of cultural pride, people had embraced tradition once more.

Her outfit barely raised an eyebrow.

Xu Mu discreetly used his divine vision to assess her—and froze on the spot.

No way.

This woman was the infamous villainess?

Seriously?

When he first read about her in the plot, he’d imagined her as somewhat attractive but with a sharp, sinister demeanor.

Yet here she was—a vision of grace and elegance.

Name: Dai Xingluo

Identity: Heiress of the Dai family, outer disciple of the Tianjian Sect.

Favorability: 0

Fate Level: 3 (Max: 10)

Xu Mu was stunned. No wonder Dai Xingluo remained untouchable in the Dai family despite being the daughter of a concubine whose mother had long passed.

Her status as a sect disciple explained it.

Still, her Fate Level seemed fitting.

The story had indeed foreshadowed her eventual demise at the hands of the Dragon King.

Dai Xingluo’s fingers hovered over a jade pendant—but not the one Xu Mu had his eye on.

The one she picked looked convincingly aged, but it was a fake.

"How much for this?" she asked softly, her tone refined, like a noblewoman’s.

Xu Mu could hardly believe such a gentle-looking woman was capable of ruthlessness.

"You’ve got a great eye, miss! I bought this for 30,000—I’ll just charge a small markup, 35,000," the balding stall owner replied with a grin.

Dai Xingluo examined it carefully before nodding. "I’ll take it."

The owner’s face lit up with delight.

"Wait!" Xu Mu suddenly interjected. "Little sister, 35,000 is too much. Let’s not buy it."

Dai Xingluo’s eyes narrowed as she turned to him.

Who was this man?

The stall owner glanced between them, realizing they might be together.

"Sir, this was passed down through generations in a rural family—it’s at least from the Ming or Qing Dynasty!"

Xu Mu scoffed. "I don’t care which dynasty it’s from. A thousand, take it or leave it."

"Are you kidding? At least 10,000!" The owner held up a finger.

"Fine, 10,000—but throw in a little extra. Otherwise, we’re walking." Xu Mu pretended to browse before picking up the Chi-dragon pendant. "This one. My sister was born in the Year of the Dragon."

The owner’s eyes gleamed—that piece had cost him a mere 200.

Even though he was making a killing, he feigned reluctance. "Throw in a bit more."

"Let’s go, sis." Xu Mu glanced at Dai Xingluo.

"Alright, fine! Only because this young lady is so lovely!" The owner sighed dramatically.

"Well, sis? Buying or not?" Xu Mu grinned.

"Shouldn’t big brothers buy things for their little sisters?" Dai Xingluo smiled back.

Xu Mu’s eyes narrowed.

Ah, there it was.

The villainess energy was kicking in.

"Forgot my wallet today," Xu Mu shrugged.

"How careless of you."

Dai Xingluo shot him a look before scanning the payment QR code.

But she only took the pendant she’d chosen and walked away without another word.

[Favorability -1]

Xu Mu gaped at the black text floating above her head.

I just saved you from getting scammed, and you dock me points?

Dai Xingluo remained expressionless, her eyes as calm as ever. She was used to men trying to strike up conversations.

But one who pretended to help while refusing to spend a cent? That was new.

Xu Mu hurried after her. "Miss, that jade pendant you bought is from the Zhou Dynasty."

"Zhou Dynasty? Western Zhou or Eastern Zhou?"

"Last week."

Xu Mu chuckled. "I just didn’t want you getting ripped off. The one I picked is the real deal—probably Ming Dynasty. Adorably clueless, aren’t you?"

With that, he pressed the Chi-dragon pendant into her hand and walked off.

Dai Xingluo blinked, watching his retreating figure before letting out a soft laugh.

That might have been the first time someone had described her that way.

[Favorability +5]

She examined the pendant he’d given her, shaking her head slightly.

The craftsmanship and material were mediocre at best.

Seems he just wanted to show off.

Continuing down the street, she entered an antique shop called "Treasures of Past and Present."

Inside, displays of pottery, jade, calligraphy, and paintings filled the space.

The moment she stepped in, an elderly man in Tangzhuang attire, holding a string of Buddhist beads, greeted her warmly. "Miss, any luck today?"

"Not much. Just a decent jade piece."

She handed both pendants to him.

The old man inspected them, running his fingers over the surfaces. Suddenly, his expression shifted.

He hurried to the counter, examining one under a magnifying glass before smiling.

"Your eye for quality keeps improving, miss. This is a Chi-dragon jade pendant from the Ming Dynasty—worth around 200,000."

"Chi-dragon?"

Dai Xingluo frowned. The pendant she’d chosen didn’t have a dragon motif.

She stepped closer and realized the old man was holding the very item Xu Mu had given her.

"And the other one?"

Dai Xingluo asked.

"Trash. Probably machine-polished scraps, worth a few hundred at most."

The old man couldn’t even be bothered to spare it a second glance.

Dai Xingluo’s eyes widened in surprise—so that man from earlier was actually an expert?