A Chu looked at Mu Anxiao's dejected expression and thought about what she had just said. She said softly, "I can't see either."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao looked up at A Chu as if she had heard something extraordinary. "You can't see what's happening inside either?"
"Mm, I just know there are people there, but I don't know who. However," A Chu said, pausing to think, then continued, "I know there's someone there who really likes to drink tea."
"Likes to drink tea?" Mu Anxiao retorted, Zhao Xiang's face instantly appearing in her mind. Then she thought of the coachman's voice, becoming even more certain that they must have been locked up there.
"Yes, they particularly like to drink tea. Every time they deliver food, the food box is filled with tea leaves. I happened to see it by chance," A Chu said, not treating Mu Anxiao as an outsider.
After listening, Mu Anxiao smiled. "Are those people all like me?"
"No," A Chu shook her head.
"How are they different?" Mu Anxiao felt as if she was close to a crucial clue and grew excited. However, to avoid arousing too much suspicion from A Chu, she reined herself in.
"Those people are the ones captured by Ouyang Ye. You and Mai were captured by Ouyang Ye's subordinates. Tell me," A Chu smiled, "can they be the same?"
"It seems they are indeed quite different," Mu Anxiao said, thinking for a moment, then continued, "By the way, do you know Mai? Have you spoken to her, or..."
"I only know her, but I've never had any interaction with her. And honestly," A Chu paused, sighing softly, then continued, "I don't really like her."
"Why?" Mu Anxiao feigned ignorance, though she actually knew very well why A Chu disliked Mai. It was simply that Mai, as a human, could be valued by Ouyang Ye. Yet they, as beings of the same kind, had to endure such unfair treatment, and what's worse, they couldn't even earn his trust.
Thinking about it, if this happened to her, she would definitely feel indignant too.
As expected, A Chu's thoughts were also Mu Anxiao's thoughts. "Because she is human, why should she be trusted by Ouyang Ye, while we have nothing?" She then slammed her fist on the table.
"Alright," Mu Anxiao said lightly, as she truly didn't know what else to say.
A Chu lowered her head.
Mu Anxiao watched A Chu, saying nothing.
After a moment of silence, A Chu raised her head and looked at Mu Anxiao, asking, "Don't you have anything to ask me?"
"No more," Mu Anxiao shook her head. She had already learned what she wanted to know.
A Chu nodded and stood up, suddenly asking, "Do you have enough money?"
"Are you going to give me money?" Mu Anxiao thought of this immediately.
Unexpectedly, A Chu said, "No, I just asked casually. If there's nothing else, you can leave now." As she spoke, she glanced at the door. "If you want to know anything, you can come ask me again, but only if you tell me Song Xu's opinion."
Mu Anxiao had wanted to leave long ago, but since A Chu hadn't spoken, she felt it impolite to leave. So now, hearing A Chu say this, she was actually happy. "Alright, I'll leave now." She stood up and walked away.
After Mu Anxiao left, A Chu returned to the table, then took out a purse from her sleeve and muttered, "The matter isn't settled yet, so I won't give her the money." After saying that, she put the purse back and sat down.
Outside.
As Mu Anxiao walked down the stairs, her gaze happened to meet that of the waiter. The waiter had remembered Mu Anxiao's words and intentionally approached her. Mu Anxiao stood two steps higher than him and looked down at him, asking, "Is something wrong?"
The waiter smiled. "Nothing, are you leaving?"
"No, am I going to drink with you?" Mu Anxiao said, glancing at the waiter's face, and asked, "Do you have something to say?"
The waiter grinned sheepishly. "It's nothing major, I'm just curious why you came down so quickly. Usually, Young Master Song Xu stays inside for a long time." As he spoke, the smile on his face didn't diminish at all; instead, it grew.
Seeing the waiter like this, Mu Anxiao couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I say, why are you so bored? Also, this habit of yours to pry into everything is not good." She frowned slightly. "Speaking of which, you haven't taken any of the advice I gave you."
"I have," the waiter said quickly.
Mu Anxiao sneered. "If you had taken it, why are you here prying? Aren't you afraid I'll get angry," she pointed at his mouth, "and cut off your tongue?"
"I am afraid," the waiter pursed his lips, then continued, "but I know you wouldn't be so heartless."
"I wouldn't, but some young masters might. You should interact less with rich young masters like us in the future, lest..." Mu Anxiao trailed off, then suddenly smelled a demonic aura. She quickly swallowed her words and turned to see a woman in a green dress walking down. She stared at the woman and froze.
The woman in the green dress looked at Mu Anxiao with disdain and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
At the same moment, as the woman in the green dress spoke, Mu Anxiao felt a murderous aura directed at her. Mu Anxiao smiled.
The waiter quickly said, "Miss, this young lady is very wealthy." He said, glancing at the woman in the green dress.
The woman in the green dress sneered. "I don't care about money," she said, stopping beside Mu Anxiao. "Speaking of which, has the food been delivered? Why aren't you letting me deliver it today?"
Delivered food?
Hearing the woman in the green dress, Mu Anxiao instantly recalled A Chu's instructions. She thought, so it was her who delivered food to the thatched hut. She felt a pang of apprehension.
Conversely, the waiter said, "No, the proprietor has arranged for a new person."
"What? Who?" The woman in the green dress grew angry.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao suddenly realized... it was her who had taken the job from the woman in the green dress. She felt uneasy.
However, the waiter said, "You don't need to know this."
"You..."
"The proprietor instructed me not to say. If there's nothing else, you should go back and rest," the waiter interrupted, still smiling at the woman in the green dress.
Seeing this, the woman in the green dress snorted, ignored Mu Anxiao, turned around, and went upstairs with her skirt.
Mu Anxiao looked at the woman in the green dress, then turned back to the waiter, saying nothing.
After the woman in the green dress left, the waiter breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Mu Anxiao, smiling. "Honestly, I didn't expect you to know our proprietor's friend."
"How do you know I know your... proprietor's friend?" Mu Anxiao began to doubt if the waiter actually knew Ouyang Ye.
The waiter said, "Your menu is quite clear."
"Then why didn't you tell her that I was the one delivering the food?" Mu Anxiao was curious.
The waiter said, "It's a secret," and turned to leave.
Mu Anxiao glanced at the mysterious-looking waiter, curled her lips, and walked down.