Then, Ouyang Ye thought for a moment and said, "It's rather pointless to kill you," he said, lightly touching the rim of his cup. "If I married you off to that Cao Gen fellow, it would certainly be a mismatch made in heaven." He let out a cold laugh.
A Ju was stunned.
Hearing no reaction from A Ju, Ouyang Ye deliberately asked, "A Ju, what do you think of the punishment I've given you?" He tilted his head to look at A Ju.
A Ju dared not offend Ouyang Ye, so she managed a strained laugh, her heart filled with resistance. "Master, whatever you arrange is fine, but," she said cautiously, "a servant who enters the kitchen without permission, if unfamiliar with the kitchen staff, truly deserves to be beaten. If..."
"Not even married yet, and already worrying about your future husband," Ouyang Ye said, looking up at A Ju. "Impressive."
A Ju had intended to use this as a way to change the subject, hoping Ouyang Ye would immediately retract or forget his decision. She hadn't expected that not only would she fail to change the topic, but she would instead give Ouyang Ye more room to elaborate. Realizing she had nothing more to say, she simply lowered her head.
Ouyang Ye understood A Ju's inner thoughts and thus stared quietly at her face, letting out a cold laugh. "A Ju, you can't escape my grasp. To think you'd try to confuse me is laughable." As he spoke, he picked up the teapot.
A Ju heard a different meaning in Ouyang Ye's words, causing her body to tremble in fear. She quickly said, "I wouldn't dare, Master. My life is in your hands. Even if you lent me a hundred more fearsome qualities, I wouldn't dare..."
"Anyone can say pleasant things, A Ju," Ouyang Ye said, deliberately filling the teacup with water. "What you do, what you think, what you say, you must admit. Your behavior makes me think you're disloyal to me, and it infuriates me. So, just admit it or apologize. Any more wasted words will only harm yourself. I don't believe you don't understand this principle." With that, he put down the teapot.
"Master, I'm sorry." A Ju no longer dared to argue. All the explanations she had prepared in her mind had become 'wastewater' after Ouyang Ye's words.
Ouyang Ye remained silent, gazing at the teacup for a long time before suddenly bursting into laughter.
A Ju was bewildered but dared not ask further questions. She calmly watched Ouyang Ye, not daring to utter another word.
The next second, Ouyang Ye suddenly looked up at A Ju, in a relatively good mood. "A Ju, tell me what you were going to say." He smiled at A Ju.
A Ju looked at Ouyang Ye, whose mood had shifted so rapidly, with utter surprise. She didn't quite understand what he was referring to, but she feared that her silence would anger him again. So, she braced herself and asked, "Master, I don't quite understand what you mean?" Her eyes were full of apprehension.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea. "You don't remember what you were saying." He put down the teacup and looked at A Ju with a poker face.
A Ju heard him, lowered her gaze, and thought for a moment. She instantly recalled the sentence Ouyang Ye had interrupted her with. "Master, a servant who enters the kitchen without permission truly deserves to be beaten. If Cao Gen was not beaten and still received the pastries, then," she wanted to get rid of 'Cao Gen', a look of hatred appearing in her eyes, "if that were the case, it would indicate he has a problem."
"..." Ouyang Ye remained deliberately silent, then stared at the gradually sinking tea leaves in the teacup and laughed.
A Ju was startled, then her gaze flickered slightly. "Master, is what I said wrong? Or did my words offend you? Or..."
"People, above all else, if their interests are touched, they will resort to any means, A Ju," Ouyang Ye said, looking up at A Ju and raising an eyebrow. "You are too scheming. You'd sacrifice a life for yourself. Think about it, if your General knew of your character, how would he treat you?"
Ouyang Ye said this because he could see that A Ju wanted him to deal with 'Cao Gen' on her behalf. She also knew that he wouldn't easily lay a hand on a mortal, so she decided to sow discord between them.
This way, if he acted and 'Cao Gen' died, she could simply brush off her sleeves and act as if nothing had happened. He, on the other hand, would be completely exposed and would soon be discovered by Feng Qishi.
Thinking about it, such a deal was truly not worthwhile for him.
"That's not what I meant," A Ju said in a low voice, afraid her scheme had been discovered by Ouyang Ye.
"Only you know what you meant. Of course, I also know that you said this simply because you don't want any association with that Cao Gen. However, I want you to listen clearly to my words," Ouyang Ye said, his face turning cold. "I said that marrying Cao Gen is your punishment. If you complete your task for me, I naturally won't punish you in this manner. Do you understand?"
"I understand." A Ju's intentions had been completely exposed by Ouyang Ye, and her heart began to feel utterly uneasy.
Ouyang Ye: "It's good that you understand. It's tiring for you to look for him. Now," he gestured to the opposite side, "sit down."
"Yes, Master." A Ju nodded, then walked around the chairs and sat down opposite Ouyang Ye, lowering her head. "Master, is there enough tea? If not, I'll go boil some more water for you."
"No need. If I drink too much tea, I won't be able to sleep tonight," Ouyang Ye said, glancing at the teapot. "This tea you have is very cheap. Speaking of which, I've given you quite a bit of money, haven't I? Next time, I want to drink good tea. Do you remember?"
Hearing Ouyang Ye's indifferent words, A Ju was completely terrified. "I know, Master," she said, her voice trembling.
Following this, Ouyang Ye fell silent.
On the other side.
Mu Anxiao had intended to seek Feng Qishi's help to obtain the pastries smoothly. However, upon considering Ouyang Ye's treacherous nature, she was certain he wouldn't believe her so easily. If she returned unharmed, it would surely arouse Ouyang Ye's suspicion. If things went badly, A Ju would definitely add a few words, and then she would not only be exposed but also interrogated by Ouyang Ye.
In any case, now was not the time to seek favors.
With this thought, she fumbled her way to the kitchen entrance. Just as she was about to enter, a plump woman in her thirties with a round face came out. "Who's there?" she asked, looking A Ju up and down unfriendlily.
Mu Anxiao had been wondering who to talk to, and it was fortunate that this fat woman had appeared. She smiled sheepishly at the plump woman. "I'm new," she said, bowing and scraping.