Mu Gui watched Mu An Xiao's serious questioning expression, then glanced down at the number one servant still kneeling at his feet. He said, "I cannot judge this matter."
"..." Mu An Xiao sneered.
Mu Gui frowned, "What do you mean by that smile?"
Mu An Xiao replied, "Since you've said that, it's enough to show you don't believe me. Fine," she nodded. "Since that's the case, I won't say anything more. Speaking too much might lead to mistakes."
Mu Gui's eyes darkened, "You..."
Unexpectedly, just as Mu Gui uttered a word, the Madam arrived with Mu Hua. "My lord, what is happening?" the Madam asked anxiously.
Hearing this, Mu An Xiao turned her head to look at the Madam and Mu Hua, frowning slightly, thinking, it's over.
Immediately after, Mu Gui withdrew his gaze from Mu An Xiao's face and looked at the Madam and Mu Hua, whose eyes were swollen from crying. He asked, "Why have you come?"
Mu Hua said, "Father, my maid is missing." As she spoke, she stopped beside Feng Qi Shi.
Feng Qi Shi didn't even glance at her.
Mu An Xiao cast a glance at Mu Hua, frowning slightly.
Jia looked disdainfully at the Madam and Mu Hua who had suddenly appeared and said, "How strange, why would they come here."
"..." Mu An Xiao glanced at Jia and said nothing.
Jia continued, "I didn't see anyone tipping them off either, this..." He spoke to himself, then glanced at the Madam and Mu Hua again, his eyes widening, "I know."
Mu An Xiao cleared her throat.
Jia, completely disregarding Mu An Xiao's reaction, said, "This place is full of the Madam's informants. It's no wonder." He then looked up at Mu An Xiao, "Mu An Xiao, what are you going to do?"
"..." Mu An Xiao glared at Jia, who was worrying unnecessarily, then looked up at Mu Gui, who was looking at Mu Hua with concern. She said nothing.
Subsequently, the number one servant, as if finding hope, turned around on his knees and looked up at the tearful Mu Hua, saying, "Miss, it was Mu An Xiao who did it."
Mu An Xiao frowned slightly.
Mu Hua wiped away her tears, deliberately not replying to the number one servant, and immediately turned to Mu An Xiao, saying, "You are so heartless."
Mu An Xiao said, "You think it was me." She said it deliberately, as a final test for Mu Hua.
Mu Hua, while crying, said, "Whether it was you or not, you should know better than I do." As she spoke, she didn't forget to wipe her tears with her handkerchief.
Mu An Xiao replied, "It wasn't me." She then looked down at the number one servant and said, feigning realization, "Oh, I. I remember now."
"What do you remember?" Mu Hua suddenly became flustered.
The Madam sensed Mu Hua's nervousness and said, "Mu Xiao, I know it wasn't you who did it."
Hearing this, Mu An Xiao was taken aback. She looked at the Madam, who showed some intelligence, and said, "Madam, you believe me."
"Yes, if I'm not mistaken..." the Madam started, but then stopped.
Mu An Xiao frowned, "Madam, why aren't you saying anything?"
The Madam revealed a bitter smile and said faintly, "What I'm about to say might hurt you."
"..." Mu An Xiao suddenly had a bad premonition.
The Madam lowered her eyes slightly.
Mu Gui understood that the Madam was not one to beat around the bush. Seeing her now, he was puzzled, "Madam, is there something you cannot say?"
"...." The Madam turned to look at Mu Gui and asked in a low voice, "My lord, can I really say it?"
Mu Gui frowned slightly, "What can't be said? Speak." He said it with a serious expression.
The Madam glanced cautiously at Mu An Xiao, "I'm afraid she won't be able to accept it." She pointed at Mu An Xiao, as if Mu An Xiao was preventing her from speaking.
Mu Gui followed the Madam's finger and looked at Mu An Xiao, saying softly, "It's alright, speak."
Mu An Xiao glanced at Mu Gui and said, "You tell me." She was curious to hear what the Madam would say.
The Madam cleared her throat and said, "If I'm not mistaken, it was your mother who did it."
"..." Mu An Xiao was stunned. She hadn't expected the Madam to shift the blame for such a heinous act onto Mai Xia. She felt the situation was becoming complicated.
Seeing Mu An Xiao's stunned reaction, the Madam pretended to be wronged and said, "I have already ordered someone to bring the maid. If you wish, could you please ask your mother to come as well."
Ask?
Mu An Xiao did not believe the Madam truly wanted to invite Mai Xia. On the contrary, she thought the Madam was deliberately sending her to do so, thus further verifying Mai Xia as a bad person.
She decided she could not let the Madam's scheme succeed.
Therefore, she looked at the Madam's saintly demeanor, and then at Mu Gui, who was looking at his wife with concern, and said, "My mother lives very far from here. Moreover, as far as I know," she did not want to involve Mai Xia and glanced at the first and second servants, "aren't these two your people?"
The Madam frowned slightly. Before she could speak, the number one servant quickly said, "My lord, I will tell the truth." As he spoke, he turned to Mu Gui again on his knees.
"..." Mu An Xiao was taken aback.
Mu Gui looked down at the number one servant again, "You mean, what you said earlier was all a lie."
The number one servant dodged his gaze and said, "Replying to my lord, I had no choice."
"What do you mean?" Mu Gui began to believe the number one servant again.
The second servant became nervous for the number one servant.
"..." After intentionally hesitating for a few seconds, the number one servant said, "It was her mother who told me to do it."
Upon hearing this, Mu An Xiao was startled by the number one servant's astonishing quick-wittedness.
At this moment, she didn't know what to say.
Feng Qi Shi stood with her arms crossed, listening to the number one servant's nonsensical words, and took a deep breath without speaking.
In contrast, Mu Hua cautiously looked at Feng Qi Shi and burst into tears.
Feng Qi Shi was startled and took a step aside without even looking at Mu Hua.
Seeing Feng Qi Shi move, Mu Hua cried even louder. Furthermore, she lamented how pitiful the maid was.
Hearing this, Mu Gui and the Madam looked at their daughter with concern.
The number one servant, hearing Mu Hua's words, felt even more certain that his life was truly in the hands of these mother and daughter. Therefore, taking advantage of Mu Gui's silence, he continued, "My lord, please believe me, it really was her mother." He glanced cautiously at Mu An Xiao.
"..." Mu Gui's eyes darkened. He looked at the number one servant, "What you are saying is the truth."
"Every word is true. If there is half a lie, may lightning strike me," the number one servant said, pointing to the sky.
Then, Feng Qi Shi said coldly, "You said that before as well."
"..." The number one servant's heart sank. He turned to Feng Qi Shi and said earnestly, "General, this servant spoke incorrectly before. This time, I am serious."
"..." Feng Qi Shi glared at the number one servant.
The number one servant, seeing Feng Qi Shi's dismissive expression, his eyes darted. Just as he was about to speak, Mu Gui said, "Get up."
Hearing this, the number one servant quickly looked at Mu Gui and said, "Yes." Then he stood up and cautiously glanced at Feng Qi Shi.
Mu An Xiao glared unhappily at the number one servant, preparing to act when the opportunity arose.