Mu Anxiao felt a prickle of unease under Ouyang Ye’s steady gaze. As she avoided his eyes, Ouyang Ye’s earlier words came back to her. "That's not right," she murmured.
"..." Ouyang Ye frowned.
Mu Anxiao steeled herself, meeting Ouyang Ye's gaze. "You're going to pull out all my hair... how are you going to do that?" she asked, a hint of bewilderment in her voice.
Mu Xiang, expecting something more, was met with this. She felt a wave of exasperation and speechlessness.
Ouyang Ye shared Mu Xiang's sentiment. "....." He didn't know what to say.
Mu Anxiao wanted precisely this reaction from Ouyang Ye, as it allowed her to deceive herself into believing he hadn't discovered her true gender.
So, she pressed on. "Shouldn't you be pulling it all out?"
"You really want me to pull out all your hair," Ouyang Ye said, reaching out as if to do so.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao gave a strained laugh and covered her head with her hand. "No, I just thought, if you say the wrong words to me, it's not a big deal. But if you say the wrong thing to others," she smiled, "they'll laugh at you."
"Laugh at me," Ouyang Ye pointed to himself.
Mu Anxiao nodded.
Ouyang Ye snorted and returned to their previous topic. "Didn't you want to know why I locked you in here with them?"
"..." Mu Anxiao pursed her lips. "I don't want to know anymore," she said with a forced laugh.
"Why?"
"Because," Mu Anxiao’s gaze flickered. "You tell me, what do you think? I’m sure your intention is not good. Of course, I don't want to know what you mean. I feel quite good here right now. I like being with women; the whole room smells fragrant." As she spoke, she deliberately sniffed the air in front of Ouyang Ye.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's expression, Ouyang Ye's face hardened. "You're disgusting."
Mu Anxiao offered a foolish smile.
Ouyang Ye: "I only wanted to keep you here because I was worried you'd try to corrupt the idiot. I didn't expect..." He reached out and grabbed Mu Anxiao's arm. "You'd be sniffing the air here, and not only that, but you're standing so close to her. It seems you don't want to live anymore." He glared at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao, however, had always believed Ouyang Ye was acting this way because he knew she was a woman. She hadn't anticipated such a melodramatic turn of events. With a slight twist of her lips, she managed a polite smile.
Ouyang Ye: "What are you smiling about?"
Mu Anxiao: "I thought you knew I was a woman, so..." She gave a bitter smile. "That's why you locked me in here with them. Hearing you say this, I'm quite happy."
Ouyang Ye: "Shameless."
"Really," Mu Anxiao said with feigned sincerity. "I'm quite happy you don't think I'm a woman. If it's possible, please take me away. I want to go talk to the idiot." She continued to smile.
Ouyang Ye looked coldly at Mu Anxiao's hypocritical expression. "Don't even think about it."
"You..."
"Get away," Ouyang Ye interrupted.
Mu Anxiao stiffened and looked down at the arm Ouyang Ye was still holding. "You're holding me, and you tell me to get away. How can I?"
"You talk too much," Ouyang Ye said, releasing his grip and pushing Mu Anxiao aside. As he took a step forward, Mu Xiang quickly turned and ran behind Mu Anxiao.
Ouyang Ye froze, pulling back his left foot and turning to face Mu Anxiao, who was shielding Mu Xiang entirely. He recalled Mu Xiang's words in the reception hall, and his eyes darkened. "It seems you really like her."
"..." Mu Anxiao felt Ouyang Ye's jealousy. She glanced at Mu Xiang behind her and quickly said, "She doesn't like me. Don't overthink it."
"You're just doing this for yourself," Ouyang Ye added.
Mu Anxiao gave a wry smile. "What do you mean, for myself? I'll tell you the truth," she said. "I don't like women, and, I am... a cultivator. My master doesn't allow me to date."
"Dating?" Ouyang Ye clearly didn't understand Mu Anxiao's modern-day slang.
Mu Anxiao smiled. "It means, having a relationship with her. Don't misunderstand, she's just..." She glanced at Mu Xiang behind her again and continued, "We're quite familiar with each other."
"So, you mean she's not familiar with me."
"Is she familiar with you?" Mu Anxiao countered.
Ouyang Ye was silenced.
Mu Xiang: "You bad person, I don't want to talk to you." She peeked out at Ouyang Ye.
Hearing Mu Xiang's words, Ouyang Ye lowered his gaze slightly. "You didn't say that back then."
"I don't know you," Mu Xiang said, tightly gripping Mu Anxiao's arm and poking her head out, using Mu Anxiao as a human shield.
Mu Anxiao, acting as the shield, didn't know what to say in this situation.
Ouyang Ye: "You said you wouldn't forget me."
Mu Xiang: "I said that? When did I say that?"
A few years ago, Mu Xiang had fallen gravely ill. After that illness, she had almost forgotten herself entirely. It was thanks to her sister-in-law that she hadn't completely lost her memory.
She had never mentioned this to anyone, not even her sister-in-law.
Now, seeing Ouyang Ye's almost furious face, her sister-in-law felt it was time to bring up the matter. "Don't pressure her anymore. She's forgotten many things."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye looked at Mu Xiang's sister-in-law, who had stood up, and frowned.
Forgotten many things?
Mu Anxiao suddenly felt that this scene was becoming familiar. But she couldn't pinpoint why. Regardless, she thought the situation was quite bizarre.
Mu Xiang's sister-in-law continued, "I'm telling the truth. She caught a cold after getting rained on once, and after that, she forgot many things."
"Cold?" Ouyang Ye repeated, looking at Mu Xiang.
As Ouyang Ye looked at her, Mu Xiang quickly hid her face behind Mu Anxiao and then nudged Mu Anxiao's back.
The nudge from Mu Xiang made Mu Anxiao unconsciously straighten her back.
Ouyang Ye completely misunderstood. "What do you want?" he asked, clenching his fist.
Mu Anxiao casually glanced at Ouyang Ye's clenched fist and said, "I don't want anything. She moved me." She tilted her head.
She had no desire for any confrontation with Ouyang Ye, as it would be a waste of her time.
Ouyang Ye: "..."
Mu Xiang's sister-in-law stopped beside Mu Anxiao. "I'm telling the truth."
Mu Xiang: "Sister-in-law, why are you saying all this?" She stared at her sister-in-law.
Mu Xiang's sister-in-law ignored Mu Xiang and added, "That day... she kept calling 'Don't go, don't go' from her mouth."
"Don't go?" Ouyang Ye mumbled, recalling the day he met Mu Xiang. It had also been raining. Hearing Mu Xiang's sister-in-law speak now, his heart stirred. "Was she holding a green umbrella?"
"Yes."
In reality, Mu Xiang had not brought an umbrella home that day.
"So, it means she got caught in the rain and caught a cold because of me," Ouyang Ye said, reaching out and grabbing Mu Anxiao's arm. Before Mu Anxiao could react, he forcefully pulled her aside and threw her.
The next moment, Mu Anxiao collided with a pillar.
Mu Xiang was stunned.
Mu Xiang's sister-in-law glanced at Ouyang Ye and then deliberately walked away.
Thus, Ouyang Ye and Mu Xiang stood facing each other, looking at each other without saying a word.
Mu Anxiao dared not move, tightly hugging the pillar.
Meanwhile, Wan Sha woke up. "Where am I?" she asked, sitting up and stretching.
Ouyang Ye, upon hearing this, his face darkened. He turned his head to look at Wan Sha by the bed. "...."
Mu Anxiao sensed the magical energy emanating from Ouyang Ye and slowly turned her head to look at Wan Sha, pursing her lips.
Wan Sha, oblivious to the magical energy, calmly turned to glare at Ouyang Ye and frowned. "Why are you here?"
Ouyang Ye: "Monster."
Wan Sha: "...." She was startled by Ouyang Ye's gaze.
Mu Anxiao dared not speak.
Seeing this, Mu Xiang quickly reached out and grabbed Ouyang Ye's arm. "She's my friend. You're not allowed to touch her." She looked up at Ouyang Ye.
Ouyang Ye, hearing this, looked back at Mu Xiang, who was pleading for Wan Sha, and said, "I'll give you another chance to choose. Choose me, or the idiot."
Mu Xiang didn't want to choose anyone and fell silent.
Ouyang Ye frowned. "Speak."
Wan Sha looked at Mu Anxiao, who was hugging the pillar motionlessly, and asked, "Hey, what's going on?"
Mu Anxiao smiled and tilted her face away.
Wan Sha was taken aback, then slowly turned her head, meeting Ouyang Ye's eyes. Startled, she quickly retracted the leg she was about to put down and lay back down.
Ouyang Ye snorted and turned back to Mu Xiang.
Mu Xiang was nervous. "What did you do to her?" she asked, glancing at Wan Sha lying motionlessly on the bed.
Ouyang Ye: "Answer my question."
"You answer mine first," Mu Xiang said, agitated.
Mu Anxiao's heart skipped a beat, and she secretly peeked at Wan Sha on the bed, thinking how good she was at pretending.
Meanwhile, Wan Sha opened one eye, thinking that if even Mu Anxiao was afraid of Ouyang Ye, then Ouyang Ye was certainly not to be trifled with. If she tried to confront him with her demonic powers, it would be overestimating her abilities.
Therefore, for her own safety, she chose to 'faint'.
However, hearing Mu Xiang's voice at this moment, she was also touched.
Ouyang Ye: "I didn't do anything."
"You didn't do anything, so how could she..."
"I've answered. You can answer me now." Ouyang Ye gave Mu Xiang no chance to continue.
Mu Xiang thought her agitated emotions might provoke Ouyang Ye, thus making him drop the topic. To her surprise, he was completely unfazed.
"I choose no one," she mumbled.
Ouyang Ye frowned. "What did you say?"
"I choose no one," Mu Xiang said, her gaze darting away.
Wan Sha, unable to understand their conversation, furrowed her brow.
A'long stood beside Mu Anxiao, calmly observing the situation and sighing.
Mu Anxiao blinked at A'long.
Over there.
After hearing Mu Xiang's words, Ouyang Ye's face turned cold.
Mu Xiang lowered her head.
Then, silence fell.
Mu Anxiao, hugging the pillar, felt an unusual sense of oppression.
Outside, Feng Qishi seized the moment when the servants were absent, pushed the door open a crack, and stealthily peered through the gap into the room, spotting Mu Anxiao.
Just then, the fake servant who had gone to the privy returned. "Hey, what are you doing?"
Hearing this, Feng Qishi was not startled. Instead, he calmly turned to the servant and whispered, "The master is inside." He then closed the door.
Mu Anxiao, hearing Feng Qishi's voice from outside, wondered why he had come.
At the same time, Ouyang Ye said coldly, "You'll wait to marry the idiot." He then turned to Mu Anxiao. "You, keep an eye on her for me." He pointed at Mu Xiang.
Mu Anxiao was taken aback. "You want me to do it? I'm not your subordinate."
"I admire you," Ouyang Ye said, then walked around Mu Xiang and headed for the door.
Outside.
Feng Qishi stood in place, looking at the disbelieving servant. Just as he was about to speak, Ouyang Ye opened the door. "...." He stared at the back of Feng Qishi's head.
Feng Qishi sensed Ouyang Ye's gaze, then lowered his head, turned to Ouyang Ye, and remained silent.
Ouyang Ye: "You were peeking."
"Your subordinate..."
"Tell the truth," Ouyang Ye interrupted.
Feng Qishi's eyes darkened. "Yes, your subordinate did glance, because your subordinate didn't understand," he said, looking up at Ouyang Ye.
The fake servant became nervous for Feng Qishi.
Ouyang Ye: "Didn't understand what?"
Feng Qishi: "I don't understand why you would lock that smelly beggar in with the young ladies. Aren't you afraid she'll have ill intentions towards them?"
"You stay here and guard," Ouyang Ye suddenly said, then walked past him.
Feng Qishi blinked blankly, then turned to the fake servant staring at him, remaining silent.
The fake servant gave an awkward smile under Feng Qishi's gaze.
Feng Qishi's expression was blank.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao was completely bewildered by Ouyang Ye's words. She separated from the pillar, turned, and walked to Wan Sha's bedside. Just as she was about to speak, Wan Sha suddenly exclaimed, "This is bad."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao looked down at Wan Sha. "What's wrong?"
Mu Xiang also looked over.
Wan Sha sat up, looked down at her hands, and said, "My demonic powers have failed."
"Failed..." Mu Anxiao repeated, then suddenly remembered Mu Xiang's sister-in-law was also present. She then chuckled, "What are you talking about? You must be groggy from sleep." As she spoke, she bent down and playfully hit Wan Sha on the shoulder.
Wan Sha realized what was happening, glanced at Mu Xiang's sister-in-law, who was standing there stunned, and gave a silly smile.
Mu Anxiao breathed a sigh of relief.
If Mu Anxiao remembered correctly, Mu Xi had also lost her demonic powers, and Wan Sha and Mu Xi both had a connection, albeit a fatal one, to the vine demon.
Thinking about this, Mu Anxiao suddenly became suspicious about the matter.
Mu Xiang, due to Ouyang Ye's words and the fact that Wan Sha had lost her demonic powers, became dispirited.
Mu Xiang and her sister-in-law sat facing each other at the table, not daring to speak a word.
Mu Anxiao leaned against the pillar, pondering whether Ouyang Ye was an immortal or a cultivator.
Wan Sha, having lost her demonic powers, lay on the bed, unwilling to move and thinking of all sorts of terrible things, remaining silent.
The entire room fell silent.
Outside, Feng Qishi dared not act rashly, so he could only watch Mu Anxiao through the crack in the door.
After a short while, Ouyang Ye returned. This time, however, he was carrying wedding attire.
"It's time to change," he said, walking to the table and placing the wedding attire on it.
Hearing this, Mu Xiang looked up at Ouyang Ye and said calmly, "Can you give me another chance?"
"...." Ouyang Ye frowned.
Wan Sha, hearing this, sat up abruptly and looked at the wedding attire on the table. "What exactly are you trying to do?" she asked. To this day, she still hadn't understood what was happening.
Mu Anxiao thought Wan Sha had figured it out, but after so long, she knew nothing.
So, she glanced at Mu Xiang and Ouyang Ye, who were ignoring Wan Sha, and said nonchalantly, "This guy is making Mu Xiang marry an idiot."
"Idiot?" Wan Sha repeated, immediately getting off the bed and quickly walking to the table. She looked down at the wedding attire and asked, "Aren't you the one who was supposed to marry her?"
Ouyang Ye: "What business is it of yours?" He finally looked down at Wan Sha.
Wan Sha: "I won't allow her to marry an idiot!" she said, looking up and glaring at Ouyang Ye, completely lost in the unfolding events.
Ouyang Ye sneered. "Do you think you have the right to stop my intentions?"
"Your intentions..." Wan Sha couldn't keep up with their pace. She shifted her gaze to Mu Xiang's face. "What's going on?"
Mu Xiang's eyes darkened. "It seems you won't give me a chance," she said, looking at Wan Sha. "I'm sorry, I can't be with you anymore."
"What?" Wan Sha was completely dumbfounded.
Mu Anxiao watched Wan Sha, who was completely clueless, and then glanced at Ouyang Ye. "If you can't have it, you destroy it, understand?"
Hearing this, Wan Sha turned to Mu Anxiao. "I don't understand."
Mu Anxiao knew Wan Sha was also somewhat of an 'emotional' simpleton, so she began to patiently explain. "It means, he likes her," she pointed at Ouyang Ye, then at Mu Xiang. "But she doesn't like him, and she doesn't want to marry him. So, he's unhappy with her decision, brings out her deceased fiancé, the idiot, and then... he makes her marry the idiot. Now, that's the situation."
"No, wasn't he the one who was supposed to marry her? If I remember correctly," Wan Sha thought back, continuing, "his name was... Ouyang Ye, surnamed Ye at home. How has it become like this now?"
Mu Anxiao had always assumed they had already discussed that topic. Now, hearing Wan Sha say this, she realized that everything had been her own assumption.
Wan Sha knew nothing.
With a sigh, she patiently said, "He is not Mu Xiang's fiancé. Mu Xiang's fiancé is the idiot."
"What?" Wan Sha was truly shocked by this revelation.
Mu Xiang: "My fate might just be this," she said with a bitter smile.
Ouyang Ye, seeing Mu Xiang's pessimistic expression, recalled Mu Xiang's sister-in-law's words from not long ago. "You mean, she has amnesia?" he asked, looking at his sister-in-law.
The sister-in-law nodded.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye nodded, then gently pointed his finger towards Mu Xiang's forehead. Mu Xiang closed her eyes.
"...." Mu Anxiao stared at this scene, dumbfounded. She hadn't expected Ouyang Ye to be so powerful! He could even heal people's minds.
Wan Sha was also speechless.
Minutes later.
Mu Xiang opened her eyes.
Ouyang Ye: "Do you remember me?" he asked, his face full of anticipation.
"You..." Mu Xiang looked up at Ouyang Ye's face, her eyes wide. "I remember you're the thief who stole my umbrella and caused me to fall seriously ill," she accused, pointing at Ouyang Ye.