"Some things you wouldn't understand," Feng Qishi concluded the topic curtly. He glanced towards Alu and asked, "Where is Mu Anxiao?"
Alu: "Gone to find a ghost."
"A ghost?" Feng Qishi frowned. "How can there be a ghost?"
"I don't know. Just now, a ghost was standing at the alley entrance, looking this way. Then, when I turned to look at him, he ran off. Mu Anxiao heard about it and chased after him," Alu explained in detail.
Upon hearing this, Feng Qishi, without a second thought, pulled the fake Lin Yan, whom he was still holding by the hand, to stand before Alu. "Lead the way."
"Alright," Alu nodded. The moment she turned, she saw Mu Anxiao returning, looking dejected.
Seeing Mu Anxiao back and recalling Alu's words, Feng Qishi asked, "What's wrong?"
Mu Anxiao looked up. "Nothing. Let's go back first." As she spoke, she glanced at the fake Lin Yan, thinking, Is she really my brother?
The fake Lin Yan, noticing Mu Anxiao's gaze, deliberately averted her eyes.
Feng Qishi: "That ghost..."
"Ran away," Mu Anxiao interrupted, turning and walking ahead.
Immediately after, Alu glanced behind Mu Anxiao, her brows knitting. "...."
Feng Qishi sensed Alu had discovered something and asked, "What's wrong?"
"The puppy is gone," Alu said, chasing after Mu Anxiao.
Feng Qishi mumbled, "Puppy," and then followed them.
As they walked, the fake Lin Yan feigned confusion and asked, "Master, what puppy?"
Feng Qishi replied dismissively, "It's no puppy. The disciple has things to do. Ask what you should ask, but don't ask what you shouldn't, lest you invite trouble."
"Understood, Master," the fake Lin Yan said. Thinking of Mu Anxiao's expression and Alu's mention of a ghost, her heart sank. Calculating the time, she continued to walk forward with Feng Qishi.
In the blink of an eye, they returned to the front of the tavern. Mu Anxiao stood by a pillar, recalling the ghost's words after she had chased after him. Her eyes darkened, and she turned to look at the fake Lin Yan following Feng Qishi, asking, "Do you understand what loneliness feels like?"
"...." The fake Lin Yan frowned.
Feng Qishi turned to glance at the fake Lin Yan, then looked back at Mu Anxiao, who had suddenly posed the question, and asked, "Mu the silly, what's gotten into you?"
Mu Anxiao shook her head and walked into the tavern.
Alu followed Mu Anxiao's steps and asked, "Where's the dog spirit?" She walked up beside Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao: "It ran off with the ghost."
"What?"
"It seemed to quite like that ghost," Mu Anxiao said, walking over and sitting opposite Yuan Ye.
Lin Yan, seeing the fake Lin Yan return, stood up. "Brother, you're back."
To save face for the fake Lin Yan, Feng Qishi had untied the rope binding her wrists before entering.
"Mm," the fake Lin Yan nodded, pausing and looking down at Mu Anxiao before sitting down.
Mu Anxiao cautiously glanced at the fake Lin Yan, remaining silent.
Feng Qishi inadvertently observed Mu Anxiao's surreptitious gaze towards the fake Lin Yan, frowned, walked behind Mu Anxiao, and said, "Come out with me for a moment." He patted Mu Anxiao's shoulder.
Mu Anxiao stiffened, turned her head to look at Feng Qishi, and asked, "What for?"
"I have something to tell you."
"You have something..."
Before she could finish, Feng Qishi bent down, grabbed Mu Anxiao's arm, and pulled her up forcefully. "Let's go."
"You..." *love me.*
"Stop with the 'you'," Feng Qishi interrupted, pulling Mu Anxiao around the chairs and pushing her back towards the exit.
The waiter, standing by the counter, cautiously glanced at the fake Lin Yan's retreating back and lowered his head.
Yuan Ye, looking at the fake Lin Yan's silent expression, thought for a moment and made conversation. "Would you like some tea?"
"..." The fake Lin Yan snapped back to attention, looked up at Yuan Ye, and had a sudden idea. "Pour me some."
"Huh? Can't you pour it yourself?"
"You asked me, so you should pour me water," the fake Lin Yan said, unashamed.
Yuan Ye, seeing the fake Lin Yan like this, felt speechless but still picked up the teapot and poured her water.
Alu sat down beside the fake Lin Yan.
Meanwhile, Mu Anxiao was pulled out of the shop by Feng Qishi and stood by a tree opposite the tavern. Mu Anxiao asked, "What are you doing?"
Feng Qishi: "Why were you looking at him like that?"
"Looking at who?" Mu Anxiao's eyes flickered, knowing exactly who he was referring to.
Feng Qishi: "You kept looking at the imposter just now. What do you mean by that?"
"What do you mean by asking that?" Mu Anxiao tilted her head back, staring at Feng Qishi's face, and retorted.
Feng Qishi: "Have you found something out?"
"What have I found out?"
"You only pay this much attention to someone when you've sensed something. Your gaze just now clearly indicated you knew something," Feng Qishi said earnestly. "We are partners. I hope you can be honest with me."
"If your sister suddenly appeared and became a bad person, would you capture her or not?" Mu Anxiao cut straight to the core issue.
Feng Qishi was bewildered. "You said my sister? I don't have a sister. You..."
"Feng Feng."
Feng Feng was Feng Qishi's sister in his previous life, the closest relative who had treated him best. But even so, in his eyes, the past was the past. The moment he left the mortal world and resurrected in his past life's body, he had severed all ties with everyone in the Feng family.
Hearing Mu Anxiao suddenly mention her, he couldn't help but ask, "Why are you suddenly talking about her?"
"Just answer, capture or not capture?"
"She wouldn't come," Feng Qishi stated with certainty.
Seeing Feng Qishi's rational side, Mu Anxiao sighed. "Hypothetically, do you understand?"
"I understand, but," Feng Qishi said, "I don't want to hypothesize."
"You're afraid to face it."
"...." Feng Qishi lowered his gaze, his thoughts completely led by Mu Anxiao.
Seeing Feng Qishi's silence, Mu Anxiao gave a wry smile. "I knew you'd want to evade this. Anyone would choose to evade this kind of thing. It's only natural." After speaking, she lowered her gaze and pursed her lips slightly.
Feng Qishi: "But, if she made a mistake, I still would..." He took a deep breath. "...capture her without mercy, because that's what she would have to bear."
"She would disappear from this world forever, forever. If that were the case," Mu Anxiao's eyes welled up with tears, "would you still think this way?"
This was a question Feng Qishi had never considered. His previous statement was merely a hypothetical scenario, one that still contained the possibility of her survival.
Mu Anxiao's words carried a demanding tone and brought about a sense of oppression.
Feng Qishi didn't know how to answer this question.
"...." He remained silent.
Mu Anxiao, looking at Feng Qishi's somber expression, thought that such peculiar events could only happen to her.
So, she forced a smile. "I was just joking, don't take it too seriously." She lightly patted Feng Qishi's arm.