Mu Anxiao was growing increasingly impatient with Zeng, but she knew that beating him up now would only deepen his hatred for her.
With no other recourse, she continued to maintain her patience. "Fine," she said, raising an eyebrow. "If I lie to you, I'll tell the shopkeeper that I ordered you to do this. How about that?"
"Alright. If you dare lie to me, don't blame me for being impolite."
"Don't speak for a while," Mu Anxiao instructed Zeng, pointing at him.
"Depends on my mood."
"You..."
"Let's go!" Zeng interrupted.
At this moment, Zeng's agreement was more important than anything else, so Mu Anxiao didn't press him further. She turned and walked ahead.
Zeng obediently followed Mu Anxiao.
In the marketplace, Feng Qishi stopped in the middle of the crowd. Unmoved by people passing through him, he scanned his surroundings, muttering, "Where did that silly Mu go?" As he spoke, he furrowed his brow.
At the same time, Mu Anxiao, with Zeng in tow, smoothly merged into the flow of people. Her eyes landed on Feng Qishi, who had stopped in the crowd and happened to be looking her way. "He went missing again," she thought. "That's why he's looking for me." With that, she walked up to Feng Qishi and suddenly stopped.
Feng Qishi looked down at Mu Anxiao, her angry gaze fixed on him. "Where were you just now?" he asked.
Mu Anxiao glanced at the person passing by her and pointed behind him, saying, "At the flatbread stall."
Due to his invisibility, Feng Qishi dared not speak further with Mu Anxiao.
He then pointed at Zeng, who was stealthily attempting to pickpocket a passerby behind her, and said, "I'm leaving. Watch the person behind you." With that, he turned and walked away first.
Mu Anxiao had never expected Zeng to do something like this at this moment. She sighed faintly and pretended to be oblivious. Turning to look at Zeng, who wore a smug smile, she cleared her throat.
Immediately, the person whose money pouch Zeng had almost stolen stopped and turned to look at Mu Anxiao.
Seizing the opportunity, Zeng quickly withdrew his hand and pretended to be caught, glancing left and right.
Mu Anxiao winked at the man and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
The man shook his head slightly, glanced down at the money pouch hanging at his waist, and walked away.
Mu Anxiao breathed a sigh of relief.
Zeng looked displeased.
At this juncture, Mu Anxiao couldn't be bothered with Zeng. She turned and continued walking forward.
Zeng glanced at his hand and reluctantly followed Mu Anxiao.
A moment later, they returned to the flatbread stall. Mu Anxiao took out silver from her怀 and handed it to the owner. "I'm sorry, boss. My younger brother gets nervous whenever he sees you, so he didn't pay. Please forgive him."
The flatbread owner was not a difficult person. After hearing Mu Anxiao's explanation, he smiled at Zeng. "I knew this child would come back."
In reality, the flatbread stall owner thought, If I see Zeng again, I won't let him off!
Zeng saw through the flatbread owner's thoughts and deliberately lowered his head.
Mu Anxiao playfully smacked Zeng's arm. "Apologize to the boss."
"..." Zeng.
Mu Anxiao added, "Apologize."
Feng Qishi watched Mu Anxiao's forceful insistence with folded arms. "It's no use. This child is just like that," he remarked.
Mu Anxiao didn't even glance at Feng Qishi and roared, "Apologize quickly!"
However, her shout startled the flatbread owner. "No need, no need."
"Boss, this is a matter of principle," Mu Anxiao insisted.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's stern demeanor, the flatbread owner dared not say more.
Zeng was also quite frightened by Mu Anxiao's attitude. He slightly raised his head and mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, it's alright," the flatbread owner replied awkwardly.
Mu Anxiao smiled at the flatbread owner and grabbed Zeng's arm. "Let's go home."
This time, Zeng lacked the courage to confront Mu Anxiao and followed her without protest.
Feng Qishi sighed and followed Mu Anxiao.
The flatbread owner rubbed his chest and muttered, "His sister is truly terrifying." Then, he continued to hawk his wares, "Flatbread, flatbread, delicious flatbread."
"Five, please."
"Coming right up!" the flatbread owner said with a smile.
Before long, they stopped outside a dilapidated temple.
Zeng had been silent all the way, and Mu Anxiao had not said a word to him either.
Mu Anxiao did not intend to speak to him now; she wanted to see how long he could remain in a standoff with her outside the temple.
Feng Qishi glanced at them both and, brushing past Mu Anxiao, ran into the dilapidated temple.
Upon returning to the temple, Feng Qishi hastily used his magic to reappear. Then, feigning ignorance, he walked out of the temple gate and said, "You're back."
As soon as Zeng heard Feng Qishi's voice, he acted as if he had seen a long-lost relative and burst into tears.
Mu Anxiao looked at Zeng, who had suddenly started wailing, with disgust. "Are you even a man?"
"Big Brother," Zeng ignored Mu Anxiao and ran to Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi glanced at Mu Anxiao and asked, "What's wrong?"
"She bullied me," Zeng said, hugging Feng Qishi like a girl.
Zeng had been raised by his mother and had little contact with men, so he lacked much masculine spirit. Mu Anxiao had heard about this.
Therefore, seeing Zeng like this didn't surprise her, only angered her.
Feng Qishi did not push Zeng away. Instead, he looked at Mu Anxiao and coldly asked, "What did you do to him?"
Seeing Feng Qishi's pretense of seriousness, Mu Anxiao's lips curled. "Zeng, tell him, what did I do to you?"
Zeng thought Mu Anxiao was about to unleash her fury. To his surprise, she spoke to him so calmly.
He then wiped his tears directly onto Feng Qishi's clothes, stood up, and turned to Mu Anxiao. "You bullied me," he said, pointing at her.
Mu Anxiao suppressed her anger. "I hit you."
"You..." Zeng, seeing Mu Anxiao's calm demeanor, swallowed. "You didn't hit me."
"I exposed you in front of everyone?"
"No."
"Then tell me, what did I do to you? I can't think of anything."
Zeng: "....."
Since arriving here, whenever Zeng was caught outside, the beggars would help him. But upon returning, they would demand compensation, even asking for silver.
Because of this, most of what Zeng stole was extorted by them, leaving him with only one or two taels of silver.
At first, he thought Mu Anxiao would be like those beggars and demand his meager earnings. To be safe, he staged this scene in front of Feng Qishi.
Unexpectedly, Mu Anxiao asked for nothing and instead uttered these words, enduring the injustice.