Mu Anxiao's plan was completely disrupted by Feng Qishi.
Leaving the room, Mu Anxiao followed closely behind Feng Qishi, not saying a word.
Feng Qishi walked ahead and stopped when he confirmed there was no one else around.
Unexpectedly, Mu Anxiao didn't react and bumped into Feng Qishi's back. She then stumbled back a few steps uncontrollably before regaining her footing.
"..." She tilted her head up to look at the back of Feng Qishi's head, deliberately staying silent.
Following this, Feng Qishi turned around to look at Mu Anxiao, who was staring at him, and said coldly, "Apologize."
"..." Mu Anxiao frowned inexplicably and asked, "Why should I apologize to you? If it weren't for you, that brat would have begged for mercy. You..."
"You bumped into me," Feng Qishi interrupted.
Mu Anxiao's gaze flickered. "It was you who stopped so suddenly. I haven't even complained about your hard back, and you're picking a fight with me. Shen Moyun, your skin is really thick."
"Your wound doesn't hurt anymore," Feng Qishi said suddenly.
Mu Anxiao paused, looked down at her injured arm and hand, and said, "Of course it hurts."
"Since you know it hurts, why act like that."
"What do you mean by 'like that'?" Mu Anxiao retorted.
Feng Qishi deliberately remained silent and turned his head to look at Jia, who was hiding behind a tree.
Seeing Feng Qishi looking at her, Jia no longer hid. She obediently circled out from behind the tree, walking over gracefully as she spoke, "You clearly hurt, yet you still treated Mu Hua like that. In the end, her hand didn't break, but yours was rendered useless first."
"..." Mu Anxiao turned her head to look at Jia.
Jia stopped behind Feng Qishi and said, "I said it."
"You still have the nerve to show yourself," Mu Anxiao glared at Jia furiously.
Jia: "I was helping you. If her hand really..."
"She would never let herself go that far. Just now, she was about to beg me for mercy. It's all your fault; you accomplish nothing and ruin everything," Mu Anxiao said indignantly.
Jia was startled by Mu Anxiao's tone and said with a trembling voice, "I was doing it for you..."
"Don't say you were doing it for me. You were clearly worried I would break her hand," Mu Anxiao interrupted again.
Jia was speechless.
Feng Qishi glanced at Jia and said, "He was also doing it for your own good."
"For my own good..." Mu Anxiao scoffed, "You're not much better."
"..." Feng Qishi frowned slightly.
Mu Anxiao: "Do you know how much trouble your meddling will cause me?" She glanced at both Feng Qishi and Jia.
Jia dared not speak.
Feng Qishi said, "Do you know how much blood your wound would lose if you continued like that?"
"Are you caring about me, or are you mocking me?" Mu Anxiao asked, glaring at Feng Qishi unpleasantly.
Feng Qishi: "Think whatever you want. Come back with me."
"I am following you. You were the one who stopped," Mu Anxiao said coldly.
Feng Qishi was speechless for a few seconds and then said, "Mu Anxiao, some things cannot be resolved with impulsiveness."
"I wasn't impulsive."
"You weren't impulsive? Don't you know how stubborn that Mu Hua is? If you had continued, you would have only played into her schemes."
"Schemes... I don't know what schemes she has, but I know you two ruined my plan," Mu Anxiao completely ignored Feng Qishi's words and said impatiently, "Now I don't want to hear your voice. Go."
"You..."
"Go," Mu Anxiao deliberately widened her eyes.
Feng Qishi's eyes darkened. He turned around with Jia and walked forward.
Mu Anxiao endured the pain of her wound and followed them.
Madam's Room.
Mai Xia still stood beside the Madam, looking down at Mu Hua, who was sitting at the table, holding a pastry in one hand while the Madam held her other hand. Mai Xia said softly, "Mu Hua, I apologize to you on behalf of Mu Xiao."
Mu Hua: "You apologize to me on her behalf." She looked up at Mai Xia.
Mai Xia nodded. "I'm sorry. My daughter was wrong. She..."
"She's not your daughter at all. If you ask me," Mu Hua said, her eyes full of provocation, "she's just a brat impersonating Mu Xiao. As for Mu Xiao, she's probably dead long ago."
"..." Mai Xia's eyes darkened.
The Madam glanced at Mu Hua and said in a low voice, "Hua'er, don't talk nonsense."
"Mother, I remember that Mu Xiao, who was lost, was still sick. Given her survival skills outside," Mu Hua took a bite of the pastry, "it's impossible for her to be alive."
"Hua'er, you can't talk like that." The Madam felt that Mai Xia was still useful to her, so she didn't want to offend her.
Mai Xia remained silent.
Mu Hua glanced at Mai Xia and said, "I advise you not to have too much hope for this imposter. She might, at any moment..."
"She is my daughter," Mai Xia said, unable to bear it any longer.
Mu Hua was not intimidated by Mai Xia's tone. Instead, she sneered, "Just keep comforting yourself."
"Madam, I'll be leaving now." Mai Xia withdrew her gaze fixed on Mu Hua's face and looked at the Madam.
The Madam nodded. "Alright, you may go."
Mai Xia nodded and left without looking at Mu Hua.
After Mai Xia left, Mu Hua pulled her hand away from the Madam and said, "Mother, that brat grabbed me so hard. Why didn't you help me?" she pouted.
The Madam: "Hua'er, after entering the palace, Mother advises you to show some respect to Mu Xiao."
"Why? You were the one who said earlier that there was no need to respect her; she's just a wild girl. How come..." Mu Hua said aggrievedly, "You've changed your mind now. Am I even your daughter? And... if I weren't smart, my wrist would have really been broken."
"Do you want to be the Empress?"
"I..." Mu Hua thought for a moment, nodded, and then shook her head.
Seeing this, the Madam looked puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
"Mother, your daughter still can't let go of... Brother Shen." Mu Hua said in a low voice.
"You..."
"Mother, King Jin already said that our family has no chance. Since that's the case, let's give up, so we don't offend King Jin because of this matter. Then," Mu Hua picked up her teacup, "it won't be good for any of us." After speaking, she took a sip of tea.
The Madam's face turned cold.
Mu Hua did not notice the Madam's gaze and continued, "Mother, if you ask me, I..."
"You don't understand your father's situation, do you?" the Madam suddenly retorted.
Mu Hua was startled, her hand trembled as she put down the teacup, and then she turned her gaze to the Madam's face. "Mother, why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
"Your father got his position through connections. Do you know which connections he relied on?" the Madam asked suddenly.
However, Mu Hua had never understood her father's affairs. She had always thought her father was the most capable person. She even thought that their so-called 'connections' were just one-sided talk. Therefore, upon hearing the Madam's question, she became flustered. "Mother, what do you mean by that?"
"Your father's sister was a concubine of the late Emperor. It was because of this that your father had the opportunity to hold his current position. Initially," the Madam said, "your father thought that the current King Jin would still remember that connection, but who knew..."
"Mother, in that case, wouldn't King Jin be my cousin?" Mu Hua interrupted, surprised as she had never heard this before.
"...King Jin was not born to your aunt, so you don't have that relationship with him. Also," the Madam said in a low voice, "your aunt has no ability to bear children, but she has wisdom. It is because of this that she created such an opportunity for your father."
"Mother, what about my aunt then?" Mu Hua asked curiously.
"After the late Emperor passed away, your aunt was taken to be buried alive. However, according to unofficial sources, she didn't seem to be buried alive." The Madam said faintly.
"She didn't? Then where is she?"
"She seems to be in the palace, but no one knows exactly where."
"..." Mu Hua thought for a moment and then asked, "Mother, when you and Father asked me to marry King Jin, wasn't it to solidify Father's position through my connections? What does this aunt have to do with it?"
"That's one reason. The second reason is that your father and I hope you can find your aunt."
"Find my aunt?"
"Yes. There is a rule that if a late Emperor's concubine is still alive, a relative of the next generation can enter the palace to be a concubine and rescue her."
"Rescue? Mother, this is a bit serious, isn't it?"
"What's so serious? If we don't rescue her, she will die in the palace. You..."
"What if she's already dead?" Mu Hua interrupted.
The Madam slightly lowered her eyelids. "Then that would be her fate. In any case, if you have a chance, go look for her. Only then can your father stabilize his position."
"Why save her..."
"Because she is very intelligent," the Madam interrupted.
Mu Hua shut her mouth upon hearing this.
The Madam: "Your mother taught you that people must keep their word. What you say, you cannot take back. So, don't think about it anymore." She gently patted Mu Hua's hand.
Mu Hua nodded slightly, feeling a hint of resentment in her heart.
"..." The Madam was quite pleased with Mu Hua's reaction, smiled, and looked up at the maid. "Bring the medicine box and apply medicine to the young lady."
"Yes..." The maid uttered the word and remembered her previous actions. "Miss, my mind was indeed filled with those memories. I didn't do it on purpose."
Hearing this, Mu Hua sighed and said, "I don't blame you either. Hurry up and apply the medicine."
"Miss..."
"I don't want to mention what just happened anymore. Go," Mu Hua said impatiently.
The maid looked at Mu Hua's impatient expression and dared not say anything else. She turned and walked towards the dressing table where the medicine box was placed.
Mu Hua smiled at the Madam.
The Madam glanced at the maid's retreating figure and said nothing.
Meanwhile.
Mu Anxiao sat at the table, looking at Feng Qishi, who was carrying the medicine box towards her, and asked, "Didn't you make a threat about teaching me rules? Where are the rules?"
Jia stood beside Mu Anxiao, looking down at Mu Anxiao's hand, and said in a low voice, "You should say less."
Mu Anxiao: "Kid, when he wasn't around, you were quite obedient. How come..." She shot Jia a glance. "Now that he's here, you have a backer."
"You..."
"That Mu Hua is very much like her mother," Feng Qishi interrupted Jia, stopped, and casually placed the medicine box on the table. "She definitely won't beg for mercy. Moreover, from my observation of her and her mother, neither of them are easy to deal with. They are extremely ruthless in their actions. If you don't use your brain, you will definitely not be their match."
"I was almost successful."
"Almost successful," Feng Qishi uttered the three words, bent down, and gently lifted Mu Anxiao's arm. He then looked down at the wound on her arm. "Why did the wound on your arm tear open?"
"I..."
"She knew you were injured, so she deliberately wore down your strength, just for..." Feng Qishi carefully lifted Mu Anxiao's sleeve, "this."
Mu Anxiao was stunned.
Feng Qishi glanced at Mu Anxiao's face and said, "Her mother favors you so much, you should know why." As he spoke, he freed one hand, opened the medicine box, took out a piece of gauze, and gently wiped the bloodstains around Mu Anxiao's arm.
Mu Anxiao looked down at Feng Qishi's focused action of treating her wound and said, "She doesn't want to offend her daughter, so she deliberately shifts the blame onto me. I know this."
"Continue," Feng Qishi said, glancing up at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao frowned. "Continue... That's all there is. What else is there to continue?"
"She wants to increase Mu Hua's hatred for you," Feng Qishi said indifferently.
Jia heard this and then thought about it, saying excitedly, "It seems like that's the case."
"..." Mu Anxiao hadn't thought of these things. Hearing their explanation, she suddenly didn't know what to say.
Subsequently, Feng Qishi stood up again, took out two medicine bottles from the medicine box, then squatted in front of Mu Anxiao, pushed open the cork stoppers with his thumb, and poured the medicine directly onto Mu Anxiao's wound.
The next second, Mu Anxiao winced as she moved her arm, saying, "Ugh... it hurts so much." Her expression contorted.
Feng Qishi completely disregarded Mu Anxiao's feelings, continued to hold Mu Anxiao's arm, and said while applying the medicine, "If she hadn't done that, your wound wouldn't have become like this."
"..." Mu Anxiao was in so much pain she couldn't speak.
Jia looked at Mu Anxiao's expression as if he could empathize and pursed his lips.
Mu Anxiao's head felt dizzy from the pain.
In the blink of an eye, Feng Qishi had bandaged Mu Anxiao's wound. Then, she placed one hand on the table, breathing heavily.
Feng Qishi stood up, looked down at the sweat beads on Mu Anxiao's forehead, then unhesitatingly picked up the handkerchief on the table, bent down, and wiped it for her.
Mu Anxiao had not yet recovered and allowed Feng Qishi to do as he pleased.
Jia looked at Feng Qishi's actions with surprise and smiled, "You're truly a warm guy."
Hearing this, Feng Qishi paused the handkerchief on Mu Anxiao's forehead, then turned to look at Jia, who was grinning, and said, "If you were injured, I would do the same for you."
"No need," Jia's expression stiffened, and he shook his head.
Feng Qishi: "You're just a child, you shouldn't overthink things." As he spoke, he turned back and happened to meet Mu Anxiao's eyes.
Mu Anxiao calmly met Feng Qishi's gaze and asked, "How long will my injury take to heal?"
"Why are you asking that?" Feng Qishi retorted.
"If I'm like this all the time, won't I always be manipulated by that brat Mu Hua? In the end, I'll have to have an amputation," Mu Anxiao began to worry about her injury.
"You should be clear about your identity," Feng Qishi said calmly, removed the handkerchief, and straightened up.
Mu Anxiao thought for a moment and said, "I'm only at the first level of spiritual energy now. If it continues like this, it will definitely delay all my plans. So..."
"I will not use healing spells on you," Feng Qishi guessed Mu Anxiao's thoughts immediately.
Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes.