"..." Zhao Xiang, taking advantage of Mu Anxiao's interaction with the man in the straw hat, glanced in the direction the man with the dirty face had gone. His eyes sank as he said, "No wonder he didn't react when we were here, no wonder he kept smiling foolishly. It was you who tampered with him."
She Ning said, "Didn't you say you taught him a lesson?" He deliberately teased Zhao Xiang about this matter.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiang snapped back to attention, turned his head to look at She Ning, and gave a sheepish smile.
Just then, Mu Anxiao said, "Alright, go wait for my news at the teahouse."
"You..."
"You don't want to end up like that guy, do you?" Mu Anxiao raised the finger she had used to cast her spell, preventing Zhao Xiang from insisting.
Seeing this, Zhao Xiang instantly recalled the reaction of the man with the dirty face earlier and started smiling foolishly. "You misunderstood my meaning, I didn't mean that," he said, glancing at Mu Anxiao's finger.
Mu Anxiao's lips curled. "If you didn't mean that, then tell me, what did you mean?"
"My meaning is..." Zhao Xiang lost the courage to offend Mu Anxiao, turned to look at She Ning, and said with a dry laugh, "My meaning is, you take us to the teahouse."
"I take you?" Mu Anxiao deliberately asked.
Zhao Xiang nodded.
Mu Anxiao snorted lightly, lowered her head, and glanced at the money pouch in Zhao Xiang's hand. "You want that guy's money pouch too, and then you want me to treat you?" she tilted her head. "Are you trying to swindle me?"
"You're taking my money pouch, what's there to swindle?" Zhao Xiang grumbled.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao clearly heard Zhao Xiang's words, and she sighed softly. "You're complaining about me."
"No," Zhao Xiang shook his head. He had only been grumbling under Mu Anxiao's 'reminder,' and he hadn't expected Mu Anxiao to react so strongly. Seeing her like this, he became nervous.
"If not, then don't grumble," Mu Anxiao said, looking at the man in the straw hat and deliberately reminding him with her eyes.
Similarly, the man in the straw hat understood Mu Anxiao's meaning and said, "I am not him."
"I didn't say you were him," Mu Anxiao feigned ignorance, took a deep breath, and continued, "Now that he has agreed, you can follow him."
"I am not him," the man in the straw hat repeated.
This time, Mu Anxiao frowned.
"You frown, but I won't change my mind," the man in the straw hat said resolutely.
Mu Anxiao looked at the man in the straw hat before her, so determined and stubborn. His appearance brought to mind Feng Qishi, who had insisted on 'pestering' her back then. Looking at him like this, she became dazed. "Shen Fengzi, is that you?" she blurted out.
Zhao Xiang was startled and quickly shifted his gaze to the man in the straw hat's face.
She Ning looked at Mu Anxiao with confusion and remained silent.
"..." The man in the straw hat chuckled.
Upon hearing the man's laughter, Mu Anxiao immediately came to her senses and said, "What are you laughing at?" She realized... she had mistaken him.
The man in the straw hat continued to laugh. "No wonder you didn't accept my love at first sight. So," he glanced at Mu Anxiao's face, "you have someone you like."
Someone I like?
Hearing the man's words, Mu Anxiao thought about her 'liking' for Feng Qishi, and her heart inexplicably became uneasy. As far as she knew, very few people knew she liked Feng Qishi, including Zhao Xiang. If she admitted it, it would undoubtedly give Zhao Xiang an opportunity to create gossip.
Therefore, she said disdainfully, "Can you stop talking nonsense?" She was angry.
The man in the straw hat laughed. "Then tell me, what is your relationship with Shen Fengzi?"
"It's none of your business," Mu Anxiao said angrily.
"I'm just curious, it has nothing to do with whether I'm meddling or not," the man in the straw hat said shamelessly, glancing at Mu Anxiao's face again. "If you like him, I'll do as you say."
If I like him, he'll obey.
However, for Mu Anxiao, this was also an opportunity to get rid of the man in the straw hat. And in fact, she did develop feelings for Feng Qishi.
Thinking about it, since it was said, it was said. Besides, she could gain a quiet 'environment,' which was so good. "Yes, I like that Shen Fengzi," she said directly, abandoning her hesitation.
"His name is Shen Moyun, that's the... nickname she gave him," Zhao Xiang quickly explained, afraid Mu Anxiao would tarnish Feng Qishi's reputation.
Unexpectedly, the man in the straw hat didn't even look at Zhao Xiang. He nodded at Mu Anxiao and said, "Alright, since your heart is already taken, my efforts are futile."
"Even if you don't try, it's still futile," Mu Anxiao said directly.
The man in the straw hat lowered his head and chuckled.
Mu Anxiao cast a disdainful glance at the man in the straw hat and looked at Zhao Xiang. "Go to the teahouse closest to the General's Mansion. I'll find you after things are done."
"Be careful," Zhao Xiang quickly said.
Mu Anxiao nodded and said to She Ning, "I'm leaving."
She Ning nodded. "Okay, be careful."
"I know," Mu Anxiao said, without even looking at the man in the straw hat, she turned and walked in the direction the man with the dirty face had gone.
Seeing this, Zhao Xiang wore a puzzled expression. "No, where is she going?" he asked, looking at Mu Anxiao's retreating figure.
"That inn should be over there," She Ning said.
Zhao Xiang felt She Ning made sense and nodded. Then, he inadvertently noticed the man in the straw hat. "What are you doing?" he stared at the back of the man's head.
Hearing this, the man in the straw hat turned to look at Zhao Xiang and said, "Don't you think I look familiar?"
"..." Zhao Xiang didn't react and blinked.
"Alright, I understand," the man in the straw hat nodded and turned around.
Seeing this, Zhao Xiang hurriedly said, "What are you doing?"
"Go after her. You go to the teahouse," saying this, the man in the straw hat was about to step away when Zhao Xiang quickly stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and then, frowning, asked without looking back, "What are you doing? Let go of my hand." He struggled a couple of times.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Xiang said, "You promised her, you..."
"If you keep holding me," the man in the straw hat intended to interrupt Zhao Xiang, then lowered his head to look at Zhao Xiang's hand and said, "I'll make you as crazy as that little thief."
"You..."
"I mean what I say," the man in the straw hat said firmly.
The words 'I mean what I say' always carried a lot of weight in Zhao Xiang's eyes. Because... Ouyang Ye liked to say that, so the moment the man in the straw hat said those words, he quickly let go.
"If you follow her, she won't be happy," he reminded him.
"Thanks for the reminder. You'd better go to the teahouse and wait for us," the man in the straw hat said, then strode off in the direction Mu Anxiao had gone.
Zhao Xiang was speechless.