As soon as Mu Xiang spoke, Mu An Xiao couldn't help but find the man in red rather strange, though she couldn't pinpoint why. Thus, she refrained from commenting.
Wan Sha looked down at Mu An Xiao's suddenly quiet expression and frowned. "Why aren't you speaking anymore?" she asked.
Hearing this, Mu An Xiao tilted her head up to look at Wan Sha. "What do you think of him?" she inquired.
"You're asking what I think?" Wan Sha was surprised by Mu An Xiao's question.
Mu An Xiao nodded. "Yes, you saw him too, didn't you? What do you think of him?" She reasoned that if Wan Sha also found the man in red strange, she could be sure he was. Then she could properly consider what was strange about him.
If Wan Sha didn't share their sentiment, it would only mean that Mu Xiang had influenced her judgment.
"I..." Wan Sha glanced cautiously at Mu Xiang, who was waiting for her answer. She cleared her throat. "You asked me to tell the truth."
"Of course, the truth," Mu An Xiao asserted firmly.
Wan Sha's eyes darted away briefly. "To be honest, I think he's quite handsome." She nodded slightly.
Mu Xiang's face turned cold.
Mu An Xiao, just like Mu Xiang, put on a stern face. "And then?" she challenged, eager to hear what Wan Sha would say.
Wan Sha chuckled sheepishly. "And then, I think he's probably not a bad person."
"Probably?" Mu An Xiao frowned.
Wan Sha looked down at Mu An Xiao's face and pursed her lips. "I don't know the man, how can I tell if he's bad? Unlike you two, who immediately said he was strange."
"What do you mean by that?" Mu An Xiao realized that Wan Sha seemed quite taken with the man in red.
Wan Sha: "She, with the intention of not wanting to marry him, called him strange. You," she paused mid-sentence, suddenly confused. "Why do you think he's strange?"
"I..." Mu An Xiao pointed to herself. After deliberately repeating Wan Sha's words in her mind, she said, "I was just going along with what she said." She pointed to Mu Xiang again.
Mu Xiang had thought Mu An Xiao agreed with her, only to hear her say this.
Hearing this, Mu Xiang felt disappointed in Mu An Xiao. "What do you think? Tell me your thoughts, don't just agree with me." She was still trying to find hope.
At this, Mu An Xiao turned back to Mu Xiang, who was expecting her reply. After considering what Mu Xiang had just said, she hesitated before speaking. "You want to hear my honest opinion."
"..." Mu Xiang stared at Mu An Xiao for a few seconds, then said, "If you're going to try and persuade me to marry him, then don't bother."
"I wasn't thinking of saying that at all," Mu An Xiao quickly replied. "I'm asking you now, what is it about him that you find strange?"
Mu Xiang dismissively replied, "He's too polite."
At that time, Mu Xiang had just witnessed the man in red's attitude towards her sister-in-law. She had also clearly heard him address her sister-in-law as 'sister-in-law' repeatedly. Moreover, he had called her 'Xiang'er'.
This made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Also, the man's red attire made her feel... that the man had deliberately disguised himself in that manner, solely to trick her into marrying him.
In short, these were the things that made him seem strange to her. However, she didn't want to tell Mu An Xiao and Wan Sha. Because she knew they would ultimately dismiss it as her overthinking.
Therefore, she believed it was more practical to focus on how to get Mu Xi out of Mu Long's body rather than discussing these issues.
"Um," Mu An Xiao touched the back of her head. "Could you be more specific? Your words make me feel like you're... being perfunctory with me."
"I..." Mu Xiang uttered a syllable, still unwilling to voice her true thoughts. Then, annoyed, she said, "Can you just stop asking? I don't want to get married, and that's that. Tell me now, how should I approach Mu Xi? This tea-serving business is definitely out."
"Why are you getting so worked up?" Wan Sha frowned.
Mu Xiang: "I want to get worked up. If you don't want me to follow you, that's fine. At worst," her tone softened, "I'll just wander the martial world alone."
"You..." Wan Sha knew that at this stage, only Mu Xiang could help her. If their relationship was jeopardized by such trivial matters as 'marriage,' it wouldn't be worth it. Swirl, she quickly gave Mu Xiang a sheepish grin. "Alright, no more talk, no more talk. We're partners, you and I."
Hearing this, Mu An Xiao lifted her head and fixed her gaze on Wan Sha's face. "Can you stop imitating Shen Fengzi's style?"
"How am I imitating him?"
"He just likes to..."
Mu An Xiao's words were cut short as beams of blue light suddenly spilled from the roof beams. Then, Feng Qi Shi appeared behind Mu Xiang. "Partner, badmouthing me." He looked at Mu An Xiao.
Mu Xiang was startled and turned her head to look at Feng Qi Shi.
Then, Feng Qi Shi lowered his head and smiled at Mu Xiang. "Long time no see."
Mu Xiang's face turned cold. "Mu An Xiao, he's not listening to you." she said, turning to look at Mu An Xiao, who was glaring furiously at Feng Qi Shi. She thought, now that Feng Qi Shi was here, Mu An Xiao surely wouldn't question me further!
Immediately, Mu An Xiao stood up. Just as Mu Xiang had thought, Mu An Xiao stopped pursuing the topic and instead glared at Feng Qi Shi, asking, "Why are you here?"
Feng Qi Shi: "I thought about it. The wolf demon and my disciple can handle that matter. Besides," he walked up to Mu An Xiao, "I said, if you abandon me, you have to pay me wages." He held out his hand.
Mu An Xiao was taken aback. "Which of your eyes saw me abandoning you? I was merely splitting up to act separately." She put a hand on her hip.
Feng Qi Shi smiled. "We are partners, partner," he raised an eyebrow. "What sense does it make to separate?"
Mu An Xiao was rendered speechless.
Wan Sha jumped down from the table and smiled. "Exactly, what sense does it make for partners to separate? Mu Xiang, you and I can't separate either."
The reason Mu An Xiao didn't want Feng Qi Shi to come was because she knew he wasn't aware of Mu Xi's situation. Therefore, she didn't want Feng Qi Shi to witness her confrontation with Mu Xi, hence her plan to act separately.
He was quite perceptive, appearing with the identity of a 'partner.' Moreover, what he said was quite reasonable.
This left Mu An Xiao truly at a loss for words.
Feng Qi Shi looked down at Mu An Xiao's speechless expression and smiled. "You also think what I said makes a lot of sense, right?" He reached out and patted Mu An Xiao on the shoulder. "Partner."
"..." Mu An Xiao sighed, tilted her head up, and glared furiously at Feng Qi Shi. The gaze Mu Xi had directed at Feng Qi Shi suddenly flashed in her mind. Then, glancing at Mu Xiang, she suddenly started laughing.
However, Mu An Xiao's laughter left them bewildered.
Mu Xiang: "What are you laughing at?"
"Exactly," Wan Sha looked at Mu An Xiao's twitching smile, utterly confused, and asked, "Are you alright?"
Conversely, Feng Qi Shi saw something significant in Mu An Xiao's smile. "Mu Shazi, what are you thinking about?"
Mu An Xiao pursed her lips and said, "Mu Xi is interested in you."
Feng Qi Shi's face turned dark. "Can you stop slandering me?" he said angrily.
Then, Wan Sha and Mu Xiang followed suit, casting their gossipy gazes onto Feng Qi Shi's face.
Feng Qi Shi frowned. "Can you stop looking at me?" Their gazes were too obvious; he could feel them even if he couldn't see.
Mu An Xiao continued to smile at Feng Qi Shi.
"...." Feng Qi Shi looked at Mu An Xiao's strangely smiling face and felt awkward. "Alright, alright, I'll leave, I'll leave then." He thought this might be a way for Mu An Xiao to force him away. If he didn't compromise, she would continue to stare at him with that smile. While her smile seemed okay at first glance, being stared at like that continuously would be a torment.
Therefore, he'd rather leave than endure her smile any longer.
"Don't go." Mu An Xiao retracted her smile and put on a stern face.
Seeing this, Feng Qi Shi was startled. "Mu Shazi, are you alright? Your face changed so quickly." He took half a step back.
Mu An Xiao glanced at Mu Xiang, who was equally shocked, and said, "Cooperate with her." She pointed to Mu Xiang.
Feng Qi Shi followed Mu An Xiao's finger, glanced at Mu Xiang, and frowned. "No, I don't understand what you mean. Can you explain it more clearly?"
"You know why I came here, right?" Mu An Xiao countered.
Feng Qi Shi shook his head, then nodded. "Yes, it must be because Mu Xi is here. Otherwise," he pursed his lips, "you wouldn't have come up with such a plan."
"You understand me quite well." Mu An Xiao lifted her chin.
Hearing Mu An Xiao's words, Feng Qi Shi couldn't help but chuckle sheepishly. "Of course, you know what kind of relationship we have." As he spoke, he also lifted his chin.
Mu An Xiao looked at Feng Qi Shi's goofy expression, speechless for a few seconds, and said, "Since you understand me, do you know what I plan to do next?" She wanted to see how well Feng Qi Shi understood her.
Taking advantage of Mu An Xiao's words, Feng Qi Shi frowned. "You want me to cooperate..." He paused mid-sentence, looked at Mu Xiang's face, and suddenly remembered the matter of Mu Xi possessing Mu Long's body. He realized, "You don't mean for me to cooperate with her to lure Mu Xi out of Mu Long's body, do you?"
"Not to lure," Mu An Xiao shook her head. "To awaken him with sincerity." She reached out and poked Feng Qi Shi's chest.
Swirl, Feng Qi Shi looked down and quickly shielded himself with his arm. "Men and women should not touch each other, what are you doing?"
"..." Mu An Xiao looked at Feng Qi Shi's expression, then at her hand that had just touched him, and took half a step back. "Sorry, I forgot, you're a man."
"...." Feng Qi Shi's face turned cold.
Mu An Xiao glared at Feng Qi Shi and opened her mouth to continue explaining things to them when Mu Xiang's door was knocked upon. Then her sister-in-law's voice came through, "Xiang'er, your future husband is here."
Upon hearing this, Mu Xiang's brow furrowed, and she whispered, "What should I do?" xxs壹贰
Mu An Xiao had intended... that Mu Xiang's sister-in-law's conversation with the fake Mu Long would last at least half an hour. She hadn't expected her sister-in-law to show up so soon.
Moreover, she had only managed to convey half of what she wanted to say.
Thus, she glanced towards the door and whispered, "How are you with your sister-in-law? Is she impatient?"
"She's alright," Mu Xiang, afraid her sister-in-law would overhear their conversation, leaned out. "But, she is impatient."
"Impatient..." Mu An Xiao uttered the word, then glanced at Mu Xiang's attire and quickly said, "Go and get dressed up."
Mu An Xiao hadn't said this, but Mu Xiang had forgotten her servant's attire. However... she also didn't want to dress up for that man in red. Thus, with this rebellious thought, she remained stunned.
"...."
Seeing the rejection written on Mu Xiang's face, Mu An Xiao helplessly looked at Wan Sha. "Speak for her."
"Huh? Why me?" Wan Sha's mind had completely gone blank.
Mu An Xiao looked at Wan Sha with a helpless expression and whispered, "Sister, if they find out I'm here, her sister-in-law will definitely get angry. By then, if I'm kicked out, what will you two do?"
"You..."
"Speak," A Long suddenly appeared beside Wan Sha.
Wan Sha's body stiffened, and she turned to look at A Long. "Right away, you go first. I'm currently doing Mu Xiang's hair."
Outside the room, the sister-in-law heard Wan Sha's words and couldn't help but smile. "You've been here for a while... you already know, haven't you?"
Hearing this, Wan Sha's expression froze. "Yes, I saw it when I went to the outhouse just now, and then I," she blabbered, "I told Mu Xiang, and she was very happy."
Upon hearing Wan Sha's words, Mu An Xiao had a flash of inspiration and laughed heartily.
However, her laughter also made the sister-in-law happy. "Good, then you two hurry up." As she spoke, she covered her mouth and smiled, then glanced at the two maids who were also stifling laughter and whispered, "It seems I should properly thank the girl by Xiang'er's side." With that, she and the two maids left.
Before coming, the sister-in-law had planned to persuade Mu Xiang. Now, hearing this laughter, she felt relieved.
Inside the room. Feng Qi Shi's eyes widened, startled by Mu An Xiao's exaggerated laughter.
Mu Xiang, stimulated by Mu An Xiao's laughter, snapped back to reality. "Are you sick?" she glared furiously at Mu An Xiao, not caring if anyone outside could hear her.
Mu An Xiao sensed that Mu Xiang's sister-in-law had already left, so she didn't care about Mu Xiang's voice.
"I'm not sick," she said, and coughed a few times. Casually looking at Feng Qi Shi, who wore a look of disdain, she asked, "What's with that expression?"
"Your laughter is truly... exaggerated," Feng Qi Shi said in a low voice.
Mu An Xiao also felt that her laughter was indeed exaggerated, but considering Mu Xiang's sister-in-law's impatient nature, if she didn't make some noise, the outcome would be disastrous.
Therefore, she accepted Feng Qi Shi's words and looked at Mu Xiang, who was glaring at her, and asked, "Why are you glaring at me?"
Mu Xiang: "You ask me why I'm glaring at you? With you making this scene, my sister-in-law will definitely think I like that man. Then... I'll have to marry him even if I don't want to," she said, her voice choking. "I don't want to marry an idiot." As she spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks.
Seeing this, Mu An Xiao froze.
Feng Qi Shi cautiously glanced at Mu Xiang and asked, "What's going on?" He stared at Mu An Xiao.
Mu An Xiao blinked, ignoring Feng Qi Shi, who was not very familiar with everything. She lowered her eyes and thought, suddenly realizing... where the strangeness of the man in red lay.
Immediately, she exclaimed excitedly, "I know!"
Mu Xiang cried and said nothing.
Wan Sha glanced at Mu Xiang, then at Mu An Xiao, and asked, "You know what?"
Mu An Xiao swallowed, took a handkerchief from her sleeve, stepped forward, and while handing it to Mu Xiang, said, "That person is very strange."
Hearing Mu An Xiao say this, Mu Xiang pouted, took the handkerchief, and wiped her tears.
Wan Sha: "Are you saying... her future husband." She pointed to Mu Xiang.
Mu Xiang still didn't want to reveal what she was thinking, so she remained silent.
Mu An Xiao looked at Wan Sha, lowered her eyes in thought, and then fixed her gaze on Mu Xiang's face. "He clearly came dressed in red deliberately. And also... he hasn't met your sister-in-law, nor has he met you, yet he knows your sister-in-law, and he knows that guy," she said, "So, from this point of view, he is very strange."
"...." Mu Xiang sobbed.
Mu An Xiao: "Every word he spoke was deliberate, and he was reading a book, but," her eyes were firm, "he was holding it upside down. Moreover, the content of the book was all numbers, indicating it was an account book, not a book."
"Mu An Xiao, why are you saying this?" Wan Sha couldn't understand Mu An Xiao.
"He was hired." A Long said indifferently.
Hearing this, Wan Sha's brow furrowed, and she turned to look at A Long. "What did you hear?"
A Long: "Him, I've seen him."
"You've seen him?" Wan Sha was stunned.
Conversely, Mu An Xiao was not surprised. She calmly looked at A Long, whom she had arranged to be in the reception hall to observe everyone. "I knew you would notice something."
"...." Wan Sha's brow furrowed upon hearing Mu An Xiao's words. "Mu An Xiao, you knew he was fake all along?" She was completely unable to understand Mu An Xiao.
Mu An Xiao: "No, I just asked her to help look at Mu Xi and also observe that man, and then," she looked at Mu Xiang, "tell her the real situation. Because... as the saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up a marriage. What if they have fate, who knows, maybe I'm just meddling."
"You know that too." Mu Xiang's tone was cold.
Mu An Xiao chuckled dryly. "I am very self-aware." She looked at Mu Xiang.
Mu Xiang: "Actually, from the first moment I saw that person, I felt he was very strange. You..." she stared at Mu An Xiao, her tone softening, "Your explanation is the same as what I thought."
"I knew we had telepathy." Mu An Xiao went with the flow.
Wan Sha, hearing Mu An Xiao's words, said angrily, "Mu Xiang, you and I are partners. Why didn't you tell me about something so important?"
"I thought you could sense it too. Who knew, you only looked at his face," Mu Xiang said indifferently.
Wan Sha admitted that she was indeed attracted by the handsome face of the man in red, so she had no grounds to refute Mu Xiang.
"...."
Mu An Xiao saw Wan Sha's speechless expression, chuckled lightly, and looked at A Long. "Do you know what his name is?"
A Long: "No, but I know he's someone who specializes in escorting brides. No matter how disobedient the bride is, she will compromise once he appears."
"That厉害 (lì hài - formidable/amazing)." Mu An Xiao was surprised.
Wan Sha said speechlessly, "His face alone is very convincing, of course, he'll succeed. Idiot."
"No," Feng Qi Shi, having understood their conversation, said, "Haven't the bride's family met the real groom?"