Mu Anxiao watched Ouyang Ye’s sudden burst of laughter with utter confusion. She then furrowed her brow slightly and asked, "Boss, what are you laughing at? Is what I said funny?" She feigned caution, glancing at the silver needle.
At the same time, Ouyang Ye had taken in Mu Anxiao’s words and ultimately decided to abandon one side. Without another word, he handed the silver needle in his hand to Mu Anxiao. "Here, for you."
Mu Anxiao hadn't expected her casual remarks to sway Ouyang Ye. She felt a sense of admiration for herself. Swallowing, she took the silver needle with a grin and looked up at Ouyang Ye. "Boss, thank you for your trust. I, Cao Gen, will surely live up to your expectations and create the poison that allows you to achieve your grand ambitions."
"You really have a way with words. Once you succeed, I'll bestow A Ju upon you. However," Ouyang Ye said, his face turning cold, "if you fail, your fate will be as tragic as this silver needle, perhaps even worse. Remember that."
Mu Anxiao knew Ouyang Ye’s methods were always despicable. If he had said this before, she might have faltered or shown fear. But after what she had endured, she was no longer afraid. Without a change in her expression, she said, "Boss, rest assured. Since I went to such lengths to ask you for the silver needle, I am completely confident. Just wait and see the results." With that, she casually placed the silver needle into her money pouch.
However, from the moment Ouyang Ye began listening to Mu Anxiao, the silver needle had already fallen into despair. It had accepted its impending doom and, sliding into the money pouch, had no desire to speak further.
Ouyang Ye looked at Mu Anxiao’s determined expression, smiled, and said, "I'll await your news." With that, he turned and left.
After Ouyang Ye had gone far, Mu Anxiao looked down at the money pouch and said, "It seems you truly don't want to live."
From within the money pouch, the silver needle peered through the seams at the light outside and let out a cold scoff. "I truly didn't expect your brainwashing skills to be this strong. If I had known, I should have..."
"To be reduced to this state and still act tough. Truly worthy of being Ouyang Ye's capable subordinate," Mu Anxiao said, deliberately sneering.
Upon hearing this, the silver needle replied coldly, "How dare you utter your master's name. Master detests being addressed like that by his subordinates. If he knew you did this, he would surely kill you. You..." It then recalled how Ouyang Ye had abandoned it, and its voice lowered as it said, "Aren't you afraid I'll report you?"
Mu Anxiao scoffed at the silver needle's words. "I, Cao Gen, fear no one but monsters. Moreover, now that you're in my hands, do you really think you can get out?" As she spoke, she deliberately cast a sealing spell on the money pouch.
The silver needle hadn't reacted yet and boasted arrogantly, "Now, you've given me leverage. I now..." Before it could finish, its needle body began to burn. Then, a series of blinding blue lights enveloped it. Witnessing this scene, it cried out, "Cao Gen, what are you doing?"
Mu Anxiao looked down at the money pouch glowing with blue light and heard the silver needle's agitated words. She smiled. "It seems my spell is working quite well. You, die now." With that, she glanced around, shouldered her bag, and turned away.
And so, after being tortured by the spell, the silver needle dissolved into a wisp of smoke and vanished.
In a blink of an eye, Mu Anxiao stealthily returned outside A Ju's room. She then gently knocked on the door, placed her bag on the ground, and turned to leave.
At that very moment, A Ju opened the door and looked directly at Mu Anxiao's retreating figure. "You're leaving already."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao immediately stopped, turned back to face A Ju who had called out to her, and hesitated. "You don't like me, and if I stay, I'll only bother you," she said, pointing to the bag at A Ju's feet. "There are some pastries in that bag. Eat them. When Boss comes, give them to him. These pastries will last for three days."
"Master has left," A Ju said softly.
Mu Anxiao looked calmly at A Ju, who seemed to have something to say. "I know. I saw him. Um, you should go in. Aren't you busy this afternoon? I..." She became more shy than before. "I'll be going now."
"Wait," A Ju said, noticing Mu Anxiao's injury. "You've been hit."
Hearing A Ju's words, Mu Anxiao felt there was nothing left to hide. She casually replied dismissively, "Yes, I was hit. But if I hadn't been, I wouldn't have these pastries. Eat them, I'm leaving now." With that, she waved her hand and turned away.
Seeing this, A Ju's eyes deepened. She quickly caught up to Mu Anxiao and said, "Don't go, I have something to tell you." She then grabbed Mu Anxiao's arm.
Mu Anxiao stiffened and said, "Don't you dislike me? Why do you have something to say to me?" As she spoke, she looked down at her arm, held tightly by A Ju, and felt a growing anxiety.
A Ju: "I do have something to tell you. Come, let's go back to my room." With that, she forcefully pulled Mu Anxiao and turned towards the room.
However, Mu Anxiao wanted to return quickly to have Feng Qishi heal her with magic, as her wound was hurting terribly. Unexpectedly, A Ju suddenly became proactive. She felt the urge to refuse, but then she remembered A Ju's relationship with Ouyang Ye and temporarily put that thought aside.
In the next moment, Mu Anxiao followed A Ju into the room. A Ju placed the bag on the table and looked at Mu Anxiao, who stood by the table refusing to sit. "Does it hurt a lot?" she asked, opening the bag in front of Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao: "It definitely hurts. But even if it didn't, I wouldn't want to sit down because I prefer to stand." With that, she gave a strained smile and then looked down at the pastries wrapped in parchment paper. "The people in the kitchen are truly thoughtful."
"Yes, speaking of which," A Ju said, opening the parchment paper and taking out a pastry, handing it to Mu Anxiao. "How did you manage to convince her? Most people don't have such skills."
Mu Anxiao couldn't refuse and took the pastry, taking a bite. "I just..." Before she could finish, she suddenly thought that A Ju's proactiveness might be Ouyang Ye's arrangement. So, she was cautious and continued, "I brought up the carriage driver's matter, and they gave me compensation out of consideration for him."
"They gave it directly?" A Ju revealed a flaw.
Mu Anxiao calmly looked at A Ju's reaction and smiled faintly. "Of course not. I badgered them relentlessly for compensation before I mentioned Boss. If I had known Boss was so effective, I would have spoken up sooner, and I wouldn't have ended up like this." With that, she lowered her head and focused on eating the pastries.
This time, A Ju remained silent, instead fixing her gaze on Mu Anxiao.