Feng Qishi found it truly impossible to fathom Mu Anxiao's thoughts. Seeing her silence now, he grew anxious, "Why aren't you speaking?"
Mu Anxiao took a deep breath and said, "There's nothing to say."
"Why is there nothing to say?" Feng Qishi asked.
Mu Anxiao had intended to say more, but after Feng Qishi asked the question again, she genuinely didn't want to.
"..."
Seeing Mu Anxiao fall silent once more, Feng Qishi deliberately cleared his throat and said, "I've already forgiven you, you don't need to atone like this."
Hearing such a narcissistic statement from Feng Qishi, Mu Anxiao couldn't help but glance down at the portrait in her arms. She asked, "Did you misunderstand something?"
"No."
"I haven't even told you what you misunderstood, and you say 'no'?" Mu Anxiao inquired.
Feng Qishi stared straight ahead at the road and said, "You don't say, and I won't ask, so I'll answer according to my own thoughts."
"You..."
"Do you want a steamed bun?" Feng Qishi took a steamed bun from the paper bag and offered it to Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao took the bun, took a bite, and said, "I just want to hold your portrait, I don't know why?"
Feng Qishi smiled. "You always used to do this, you'd answer me properly whenever you ate something."
In the past, whenever Mu Anxiao argued with Shen Yan on the road, as long as Shen Yan gave her something to eat, she would immediately stop being angry and honestly answer Shen Yan's questions.
Thus, the moment Feng Qishi uttered these words, Mu Anxiao felt Shen Yan once again. She stopped walking and said, "Stop for a moment."
Feng Qishi obediently stopped and turned to look at Mu Anxiao, asking, "What is it?"
"Have you really remembered everything?"
Previously, Mu Anxiao thought Feng Qishi was joking with her. Now, after hearing Feng Qishi say this, she felt that the Feng Qishi before her wasn't lying. She asked this question simply to confirm.
Feng Qishi smiled. "Why would I lie to you about this? What, you don't believe me?"
"No."
"If not, then let's go," Feng Qishi said.
Mu Anxiao took a step forward and, after hesitating, said, "Can I call you Shen Yan from now on?"
She had wanted to call him by this name for a long time but was always worried Feng Qishi wouldn't like it. Since he had recalled so much, she thought she should have this right now!
"Why do you want to call me Shen Yan?" Feng Qishi asked.
Mu Anxiao said, "I feel it's more natural to call you Shen Yan."
"Is that all?"
"Yes," Mu Anxiao nodded.
Feng Qishi pursed his lips and said, "Although I am still the same me as before, ... I still prefer the name Feng Qishi."
As expected, Feng Qishi still didn't agree, a result Mu Anxiao had anticipated.
"Alright," she nodded in acceptance.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's dejected expression, Feng Qishi deliberately paused before saying, "However, you can call me Shen Yan in private, because I am both Feng Qishi and Shen Yan. Moreover, if you call me that, I won't do anything."
Hearing Feng Qishi's words, Mu Anxiao's sense of disappointment vanished instantly. She lifted her face and smiled at Feng Qishi. "You've gotten much better."
"Are you trying to say bad things about me?" Feng Qishi asked.
Mu Anxiao smiled, quickly finished the steamed bun, freed one hand, and linked her arm through Feng Qishi's. Then, swallowing the bun with difficulty, her cheeks bulging, she said, "I'll support you as we walk, Shen Yan."
Feng Qishi was startled by Mu Anxiao's action and asked, "Why are you supporting me?"
"Aren't I afraid you'll get tired?" Mu Anxiao joked.
In just two days, Mu Anxiao had transformed from someone who wanted to drive Feng Qishi away to this.
Anyone who saw this would find it hard to accept, and Feng Qishi felt the same.
"You offer favor without cause, you're either a thief or a traitor," Feng Qishi said.
Mu Anxiao grinned sheepishly. "How can you say that about me?"
"These past two days, you were aloof and wanted to send me away, and now you're suddenly so clingy. No, no," Feng Qishi shook his head.
Previously, Mu Anxiao had indeed had that thought because she felt Feng Qishi was deceiving her. But after the portrait incident, she saw the shadow of Shen Yan thoroughly in Feng Qishi.
For some inexplicable reason, she suddenly felt that seeing Feng Qishi was like seeing a family member; it felt intimate!
At the same time, she thought about her encounters with Shen Yan, her encounters with Feng Qishi over the past two days, and combined with Feng Qishi's words, she thought this might be their fate!
Since they had fate, they should get along well, cultivate diligently, and ascend to immortality smoothly. Finally, she would help Feng Qishi find a suitable celestial-fated woman.
And in the end, he gained an immortal position because of the woman, and she gained an immortal position because of Feng Qishi. What a perfect ending, she thought, and smiled.
Feng Qishi looked at Mu Anxiao's expression, which was lost in thought and then bursting into laughter, with a look of bewilderment. He asked, "Mu Anxiao, why are you laughing?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao immediately stopped laughing and said, "It's nothing, we'll get along well from now on, get along well." As she spoke, she removed her arm from Feng Qishi's and took his hand.
The moment Mu Anxiao took his hand, Feng Qishi was startled and asked, "Why are you holding my hand?"
"Pleasant cooperation," Mu Anxiao smiled.
Feng Qishi's mouth twitched. "You've changed too quickly."
"Yes."
"Are you sick?" Feng Qishi asked again.
Mu Anxiao shook her head. "Not sick, not sick. I just suddenly understood some things. I'll take this portrait." She hugged the portrait tighter.
"Don't you find it cumbersome?" Feng Qishi asked, looking down.
Mu Anxiao smiled. "Not cumbersome. From now on, I'll carry it with me."
"How will you carry it?" Feng Qishi felt that Mu Anxiao's mind might have a problem, so his tone weakened considerably.
Mu Anxiao looked down at the portrait, then let go of his hand. "When we get back, I'll find a rope, tie both ends of the portrait, and carry it on my back."
"You're not going to use my painting as a ward against evil, are you?" Feng Qishi asked.
Mu Anxiao shook her head. "How could I do something so morally reprehensible?"
"You definitely will," Feng Qishi stated with certainty.
Mu Anxiao just smiled and remained silent, thinking to herself: In the future, when I meet a celestial-fated maiden, I'll show this portrait to that maiden. This might help this fellow find a good marriage, heh, I'm truly clever. After thinking this, she chuckled foolishly at Feng Qishi twice.
Feng Qishi looked at Mu Anxiao's silly face with disdain, then glanced at the passersby looking their way. "Stop laughing," he said, reaching out and pushing Mu Anxiao's forehead.
Mu Anxiao wasn't angry and continued to stare at Feng Qishi, asking, "What type of girl do you like?"