As soon as they left, Wu Caiwei climbed over from a nearby abandoned courtyard, feeling fortunate for her quick reaction. That woman's martial arts skills were not low; she had been detected with just one extra glance.
Although her master's face was unfamiliar, he always gave Wu Caiwei a sense of familiarity, though she couldn't recall where she had seen him before.
To resolve her doubts, she followed closely behind them. Along the way, Liu Yue felt a sense of unease, as if a pair of eyes were intently watching her. When she looked back, everything appeared normal, leaving her deeply uncomfortable.
Mu Fei was completely unaware of this. She took Liu Yue to a teahouse, and as soon as they sat down, they heard everyone discussing the matter of a Master Liu who had lost two hundred thousand taels of silver the previous night.
"Heavens, two hundred thousand taels of silver! How much is that? In my entire life, let alone two hundred thousand, I've never even seen ten thousand taels."
"Who isn't? I wonder what business that Master Liu is in to have so much silver. I heard it was a gift for someone else, so his household must be incredibly wealthy!"
"I wonder how clever that person was to target him, to get two hundred thousand taels in one go. If that silver were mine, how wonderful it would be."
Listening to the murmurs of the crowd, Liu Yue was also astonished. The previous night, she had been ordered by Mu Fei to steal the silver. Although Mu Fei had said there was a lot of silver, she had thought a merchant, being an outsider coming to the capital, wouldn't carry much, perhaps tens of thousands at most. She hadn't expected it to be so much.
Mu Fei sipped her tea, thinking she was the object of envy, and felt quite pleased. The reason she had specifically come here was to find out the aftermath of this incident.
"Has the thief been caught?" a man beside them asked with interest. Mu Fei unconsciously perked up her ears, as this was what she most wanted to know.
"I heard that because Master Liu provided too little useful information, the magistrate is baffled and doesn't know where to start." The man dining with him clearly knew a lot about the matter and immediately enlightened him.
"That's incredibly lucky, though it's also possible the culprit is a repeat offender with unusual methods," the man said enviously.
Mu Fei didn't hear what they said next. Her eyes were fixed on the entrance of the teahouse, watching a figure that was both familiar and unfamiliar. She clenched her fists tightly, afraid of revealing any unusual expression that might alert the other person.
The woman who walked into the teahouse was Wu Caiwei. To seek the answer in her heart, she decided to take a risk, wanting to see who the other person was. Yes, she had already sensed that the person might be in disguise.
She surveyed the surroundings and found the teahouse already packed with no empty seats. With a smile, she walked towards Mu Fei.
Mu Fei watched her approach, her heart skipping a beat and rising to her throat.
"Miss, hello. There are no empty seats in the teahouse. May I sit here?" Whether it was Wu Caiwei's imagination or not, even though the other person had masked her emotions very well, she could sense hatred in her eyes.
Mu Fei wanted to refuse from the bottom of her heart, not wanting to sit with her and fearing she might notice her strangeness. However, with so many people watching, she couldn't refuse and could only offer an awkward smile and nod slightly.
"Is Miss also inquiring about the Liu family's lost silver? This matter is truly bizarre. Does Miss have any insights?"
Hearing this question, Mu Fei's body stiffened unconsciously. She looked up to observe the other's expression and, seeing only a calm inquiry, belatedly realized her reaction had been too strong. Fearing she might arouse suspicion, she quickly lowered her head and said in a hushed voice, "Madam worries too much. I just came here for some tea and only learned of the Liu family's affairs from them. As a simple woman, what insights could I possibly have? I just think the Liu family is quite wealthy."
"Is that so? I don't think things are as simple as they appear on the surface. I also learned that yesterday Miss specifically requested a room at that inn, next to Master Liu's, and I wonder if that has anything to do with this matter." Wu Caiwei looked at her meaningfully.
Mu Fei's pupils involuntarily contracted. She hadn't expected her actions to be so subtle, yet she had still detected them. Speaking to her face like this clearly indicated she was already suspicious. She tried to calm her nerves and feigned anger, saying, "What do you mean, Madam? Are you suspecting me? I merely had a disagreement with my family and stayed out for a night to clear my head. Besides, Master Liu brought many people with him, while we only had two. How could we possibly be a match for them?"
"It's true that you only had two people, but the maid beside you is exceptionally skilled, renowned throughout the martial world. Dealing with a few commoners would be easy for her." Before Wu Caiwei finished speaking, Liu Yue looked at her guardedly. She hadn't expected the other person to see through her so quickly, clearly possessing superior martial arts skills. She placed her hand on the dagger hidden at her waist, ready to engage in combat at any moment.
Mu Fei saw that their conversation had attracted the attention of those around them and felt a sense of urgency. Her identity couldn't withstand scrutiny. If she were reported to the authorities, wouldn't she be exposed?
"It seems Madam has ill intentions. She is just an ordinary maid, not as extraordinary as Madam claims." Mu Fei deeply felt that every encounter with Wu Caiwei brought no good fortune. She gave Liu Yue a look, signaling her to leave quickly, unwilling to continue this entanglement.
Seeing the two of them get up to leave, Wu Caiwei grabbed Mu Fei's arm and said provocatively, "What? Have I exposed your intentions, and you're leaving in anger?"
Mu Fei instinctively shook her hand away. The other's grip was very strong; no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. Becoming somewhat indignant, she said, "You are too unreasonable. You come up to me saying things that are neither here nor there, and when we don't want to bother with you, you block our way and won't let us leave. What exactly do you want?"
"I also want to know why you are wearing a human skin mask when you go out. Is it because your true self cannot be seen in daylight?" After only a short period of close conversation, Wu Caiwei had discovered a flaw. Although she had hidden it extremely well, ordinary people wouldn't be able to tell, but Wu Caiwei was a master and saw the key point at a glance.
Mu Fei's heart churned. She hadn't expected to be discovered despite her excellent concealment. Seeing the astonished looks from everyone, she knew she had attracted the attention of those who mattered. Angrily, she exclaimed, "You're crazy! Let go of me. I don't understand what you're saying."
The next moment, before she could prepare herself, she felt a sensation on her face, followed by the sound of everyone gasping in astonishment. She quickly touched her face, feeling the unevenness, and felt utterly devastated.