Following this, after a period of vexed recollection, the man left the cell and approached Mu Anxiao. Seeing that the man seemed to have calmed down, Mu Anxiao quickly turned her face towards him, who now looked identical to her, and with a foolish grin, asked, "Are you... not angry anymore?" She reached out and nudged his arm.
The man glanced around, then quietly said, "Come in."
"This..."
"It's inconvenient for me to set up a barrier here. Come in," the man said, turning and re-entering the cell.
Hearing the man's relatively gentle tone, Mu Anxiao saw no reason to overthink it. She stepped in after him, saying, "It seems you have something to tell me." Her expression grew increasingly anxious with the man's serious demeanor.
Then, under Mu Anxiao's seemingly silent questioning, the man flicked a finger, casting a barrier over the area. Mu Anxiao had seen him perform this action countless times, but for some reason, her heart suddenly felt uneasy. However, she couldn't be sure if the man truly intended to settle old scores with her, so she maintained her silence.
At the same time, the man turned around and glared intently at Mu Anxiao.
Upon seeing this, Mu Anxiao's nerves snapped taut. "What... what are you going to do?" she asked, feigning ignorance, and subtly glanced at the cell door, which was left ajar behind her.
"Close the door," the man said, his tone indifferent.
Mu Anxiao had never imagined what she would look like if she adopted a cold demeanor. Seeing herself now, she was truly startled by 'her own face.' Swallowing, she hurriedly turned, closing the cell door while saying, "I just kissed your forehead, you..." She paused, took her hand away, and turned back to the man with a smile, asking, "You won't mind, will you?"
"Disgusting," the man stated simply.
Mu Anxiao let out a dry laugh. "I know it's disgusting, but because of the mission... using some charm should be alright, right?" As she spoke, she leaned tightly against the bars.
Observing Mu Anxiao's fearful reaction to him, the man scoffed. "Since you're afraid of me, why do you still do such shameless things? I really don't understand what you're thinking."
"What shameless things have I done? That statement of yours..." Mu Anxiao dared not offend the man again, instead smiling foolishly and appeasing him, "I don't understand."
"You've now made Ouyang Ye remember you thoroughly. If he doesn't see you when you enter the palace, he definitely will..."
"I think this identity suits me quite well," Mu Anxiao interrupted softly.
The man sensed a hidden meaning in Mu Anxiao's words. He narrowed his eyes slightly, walked up to her, and asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Make the pretense real," Mu Anxiao said, her gaze flickering away.
The man's face fell. "You mean... you want me to continue pretending to be you and enter the palace?" He was taken aback by Mu Anxiao's decision.
Mu Anxiao grinned foolishly. "Actually, you wouldn't be at a disadvantage. Think about it..."
"I won't do it," the man interrupted sternly.
Mu Anxiao was startled but still reached out and grabbed the man's arm, saying, "This is the only way. If you act like a spoiled child, it will be truly meaningless." As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly to observe his expression.
"What spoiled child behavior? Everything I do is after discussing it with you. And you," the man said, angered, "you've repeatedly made decisions on your own. I can only assume you're out of your mind, but now you're doing this too? Isn't that pushing your luck too far?"
"How have I pushed my luck too far?" Mu Anxiao retorted, unconvinced.
"How else have you pushed your luck? Can you guarantee what happens after entering the palace? I hear that Mo Juan is not a demon to be trifled with. If she discovers this, let alone you, I will be in trouble. If the mission fails, I'll lose my life here. Mu Anxiao, can you have some sense of responsibility?"
"Responsibility? It's precisely because I have responsibility that I've made this arrangement, man," Mu Anxiao said, also angered. "Don't overestimate yourself."
"How can I..."
"You listen to me finish first. If, after I'm done, you still think it's not suitable, I'll change back immediately, alright?" Mu Anxiao gave the man no opportunity to interrupt.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's reasonable words, the man considered it for a moment and finally conceded. "Fine, speak," he said, looking bewildered.
Mu Anxiao looked at her own face, paused for a few seconds, and began, "I'm protecting you. Can't you see that?"
The man narrowed his eyes.
Then, seizing on the change in the man's expression, Mu Anxiao elaborated further. "Think about it. You have no connections here. If you go around appearing so mysterious, I believe you'll be spotted by Ouyang Ye within half a day. But if you take on my appearance, it's different."
"How is it different?" the man asked, feigning ignorance.
Mu Anxiao clicked her tongue. "By using my appearance, he won't suspect you. Instead, he'll listen to everything you say. Most importantly," she said, a sly smile playing on her lips, "you can enter the palace."
"Even without using your appearance, I can... get in." The man clearly lacked confidence.
Mu Anxiao smiled at the man's attempt to put on a brave face. "Put aside your noble pride. As long as you enter using my appearance, I promise to complete this mission for you properly." Her eyes revealed only determination.
The man was moved. "So that's the reason for your nonsensical talk."
"What do you mean nonsensical talk? This is part of my plan. And the benefit of staying by your side with this identity is... if anything happens to you, I can help you solve it immediately. Most importantly, I can use this identity to find that so-called Rong Guang Hall. Isn't that great?" Mu Anxiao raised an eyebrow.
The man nodded.
Seeing the man's nod without speaking, Mu Anxiao frowned. "What? Are you still hesitating?"
"The thought of Ouyang Ye... makes me feel creeped out," the man said, raising his hand to rub his forehead vigorously.
Mu Anxiao smiled at the man's behavior. "It was just a kiss. You're a grown man." Seeing that he hadn't recovered his composure, she had a sudden idea. "Just consider it a dog licking you, alright?"
Hearing this, the man's eyes brightened. "Yes, now that you put it that way, I do feel a bit better." He lowered his hand.
Mu Anxiao smiled again at the man's simple-mindedness. "Speaking of which, you actually suit my face quite well."
"I only suit my own face," the man retorted.
Mu Anxiao chuckled. "You're quick to say anything." Suddenly remembering the demon-devouring beast, she asked, "Hey, speaking of which, did you make a promise to the demon-devouring beast?"
"Demon-devouring beast..." the man pretended ignorance. "You mean..."
"Don't pretend. I saw it. It told me someone had made a promise to it. If I'm not mistaken," Mu Anxiao tilted her chin, "that person was you, wasn't it?"
The man cleared his throat and lowered his head.
Seeing the man's attempt to evade by resorting to silence, Mu Anxiao's lips curved. "Oh, right, did you leave any food for me? I'm starving." She looked down, but saw nothing.
The man looked calmly at Mu Anxiao's retreating back as she searched for food, then glanced at the dry grass on the ground as she did. "Looking is useless. That food container was taken away by someone ordered by Xi'er." He then shifted his gaze back to Mu Anxiao.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao also turned her gaze to the man, but her eyes looked far from friendly. "Did you forget everything I told you?"
"I..."
"Even though I took such a big risk searching outside, you, on the other hand," Mu Anxiao interrupted, giving the man no chance to explain, "were eating and drinking here without leaving anything for me. You're going too far."
"This is not something I could prevent. Your words are too unreasonable," the man said, feeling helpless at Mu Anxiao's sudden shift in attitude over food.
Mu Anxiao glared at the man.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's gaze and recalling Song Xi's rather 'skillful' cooking, the man cleared his throat and said, "I'll definitely save some for you next time."
"If I wait for you, I'll starve to death," Mu Anxiao said, turning and walking towards the cell door.
Seeing this, the man asked in confusion, "Are you leaving already?"
"Otherwise? If I chat with you any longer, I'll starve to death," Mu Anxiao said, glaring at the man before leaving.
The man sighed, not daring to stop her any further.