Everything happened too fast. Before Mu Anxiao could react, Ouyang Ye grabbed her face. His grip stunned her, leaving her staring blankly at his face.
In contrast, Ouyang Ye hadn't expected Mu Anxiao to remain so passive. Watching her, he couldn't help but smile. "What, you want to thank me again? Think I saved you?" he said, glancing at the terrified girl slumped on the ground. With a smirk, he turned back. "Go on, tell me, are you going to offer yourself to me?"
Offer herself?
Mu Anxiao had no idea where Ouyang Ye got the nerve to say such a thing. Frowning, she spat at him without thinking, "Don't talk nonsense." She then lowered her gaze, glancing at Ouyang Ye's left and right hands, and put her hands behind her back, preparing to counterattack.
Ouyang Ye then looked down at Mu Anxiao's arm and chuckled. "What, you want to attack me?" As he spoke, he deliberately removed his hand from her face.
"Good that you're self-aware," Mu Anxiao said, taking her hands from behind her back and rubbing her cheek, which had gone stiff from his grip.
The dirty-faced man stood behind the two of them.
"Truly a coward," Ouyang Ye remarked, glancing at the dirty-faced man. He then turned back to the girl who had already stood up opposite them, a frown on his face.
Similarly, Mu Anxiao was watching the girl opposite them, and a sudden ominous feeling washed over her.
"This girl looks like she's about to explode," Ouyang Ye warned.
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao glanced at Ouyang Ye's face and said coldly, "Anyone could see that." As she spoke, she suddenly took a step back.
The fierce struggle she had just endured with the girl had left Mu Anxiao drained of her basic strength, and more importantly, it made her cherish her spiritual energy. At that moment, she decided to let Ouyang Ye deal with the girl for her. Although she wasn't sure of the outcome, she believed Ouyang Ye would surely seize the spotlight.
"What do you mean by that?" Ouyang Ye asked, fixing Mu Anxiao with a side-eye.
Mu Anxiao smiled and gestured towards the girl. "If you hadn't knocked her down, she wouldn't be this furious," she said, glancing again at the girl's enraged expression. "So, she's all yours." She pointed at Ouyang Ye.
Ouyang Ye snorted coldly.
Mu Anxiao's gaze flickered, then she looked towards the girl. Indeed, the girl had conjured stones again. "She's about to make a move," she warned, tilting her head to look at Ouyang Ye.
Ouyang Ye continued to stare at Mu Anxiao. "Do you know who I dislike the most?" he asked, his gaze sweeping across her face.
While suppressing her awkwardness, Mu Anxiao replied, "I know you dislike people like me who use you. But," she glanced at the girl glaring at her, then back at Ouyang Ye, and began to spin a tale, "you're the one who made her lose her dignity. Now she's about to attack you, and you..."
"She's always been targeting you," Ouyang Ye stated with stark clarity.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao was speechless for a few seconds before deciding it was pointless to "please" him any further. "Since you don't want to help me, forget it."
"There's no such thing as a free lunch, you..."
"Feng Qishi already doesn't want to bother with me, what more do you want?" Mu Anxiao interrupted, not wanting to hear Ouyang Ye's reply.
Ouyang Ye disliked being interrupted like this. He let out a soft hum. "The way you talk, as if you know me so well."
"You..."
"I'm not demanding anything from you. I just want you to promise me that after this is over, you'll leave with me."
"Leaving with you is still a demand," Mu Anxiao grumbled.
Ouyang Ye took a deep breath and continued, "Do you want to witness the lives of Feng Qishi and Gu Yan?"
"No," Mu Anxiao blurted out.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's response, Ouyang Ye lowered his gaze and smiled. "Since you don't want to, why aren't you listening to me?"
"I don't think this is the time to discuss this. Right now," Mu Anxiao said, glancing at the girl who could attack at any moment, and then considering Ouyang Ye's transactional nature, she abandoned the idea of him making a move. "You move aside."
"You're going to fight?" Ouyang Ye assumed Mu Anxiao would hold out a little longer.
"Otherwise? Let..."
"Your spiritual energy is scarce. If you go, I fear..."
"Enough with the nonsense," Mu Anxiao said, taking two steps forward.
Seeing this, the girl's lips curved into a slight smile. "I've decided. That man's life is mine," she declared, glancing through the gap between Mu Anxiao and Ouyang Ye towards the dirty-faced man hiding behind them.
"Oh, your life is mine," Mu Anxiao declared, clenching her fists, ready to strike.
Ouyang Ye looked down at Mu Anxiao's clenched hands and smiled. "You know, your temper is truly terrible." As he spoke, he stepped forward, positioning himself beside Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao: ... Her nerves were taut, ready for a 'duel' with the girl.
Ouyang Ye, on the other hand, remained unfazed and calm. "You took quite a while to break the demonic enchantment on that lock," he said, fixing his gaze on the girl.
Mu Anxiao frowned and immediately turned to look at Ouyang Ye beside her.
This time, Ouyang Ye didn't look at Mu Anxiao but continued to stare at the girl opposite them.
Hearing his words, the girl quickly turned to look at the lock on the wooden door, which exuded a strong demonic aura. Then, she glanced down at the scratch on her wrist and considered the power of the stones she had thrown earlier. Her heart sank, and she slowly turned back to look at Ouyang Ye. "Who exactly are you?" Curiosity about Ouyang Ye's identity arose within her.
"It's not important who I am, but," Ouyang Ye sneered, "if you dare to harm a single hair on her head, I will not rest until I'm done with you." His eyes held only killing intent.
"You..."
"If you don't believe me, want to try?" Ouyang Ye interrupted, slowly raising his right hand, which emitted a dark glow. "The power of that demonic enchantment."
"You are the master of this lock," the girl's eyes widened.
"Master..." Ouyang Ye repeated, looking down and smiling. "You could say that." After speaking, he suddenly glanced smugly at Mu Anxiao beside him.
Mu Anxiao, seeing Ouyang Ye's smug expression, twitched the corner of her mouth and turned her face away.
The girl then considered for a moment and said with a cold smile, "I don't believe you." She turned to look at Ouyang Ye.
Ouyang Ye didn't know what the girl was thinking and remained silent.
Seeing Ouyang Ye's silence, the girl threw her head back and let out a loud laugh. "It seems I guessed correctly," she said. Then, her expression suddenly turned stern. "You're just trying to scare me."