"What right do you have to judge me?" Hu Yuan asked coldly.
Mu Anxiao's expression remained unchanged. "I don't have the right to judge you, but I want to tell you to be content with your current life. Your mother treats you very well. You..."
"Could you excuse us?" Hu Yuan interrupted, glancing at his mother.
Hu Yuan's mother nodded and stepped away.
"What do you want?" Mu Anxiao asked.
"It's not convenient to talk here. Let's go downstairs," Hu Yuan said.
"It's not convenient here, yet you're asking your mother to leave? Are you sick?" Mu Anxiao said helplessly.
"I am sick," Hu Yuan admitted.
Mu Anxiao clicked her tongue, glanced at Hu Yuan's mother who was watching them cautiously, then moved behind Hu Yuan. "Where are we going?" she asked, steadying the wheelchair.
"Directly to the garden downstairs," Hu Yuan replied without looking back.
Mu Anxiao said nothing and pushed the wheelchair towards the elevator.
Seeing Hu Yuan's mother's expression, Feng Qishi's heart sank. He walked over and asked, "Has Hu Yuan always been like this?"
"No, it's because of me," Hu Yuan's mother began to sob again.
"What reason?" Feng Qishi asked.
Hu Yuan's mother looked around without hesitation and whispered, "Hu Yuan has been unhealthy since he was a child. He has to be hospitalized periodically. To make him happy to go to school, I always lied to him, telling him he was already well. Over time, my lies... stopped working."
"He will understand your good intentions one day," Feng Qishi said, reaching out a hand before withdrawing it.
"Mm," Hu Yuan's mother nodded with a bitter smile.
Unsure how to comfort her further, Feng Qishi gestured towards the elevator. "I'll go check. Please give me your phone number, and I'll call you after they're done talking." He took out his phone.
"Alright," Hu Yuan's mother agreed and gave Feng Qishi her number.
After noting the number, Feng Qishi turned and left.
In the garden downstairs, Mu Anxiao stopped the wheelchair beside a gravel path. "Is there something you don't want your mother to hear?"
"There's a lot I don't want that woman to hear," Hu Yuan said, clutching his chest. "When the time is right, I hope you can do me a favor."
"What favor?" Mu Anxiao frowned.
"My lifespan is not long. I'll tell you when the time comes."
"I won't let you die," Mu Anxiao stated firmly.
Hu Yuan's brow furrowed. "Since I'm saying this, it means I've already made up my mind to die. If it weren't for the wolf demon's soul essence, I probably would have died today."
"You mean the wolf demon's soul essence is sustaining your life?" Mu Anxiao couldn't believe it, especially since Hu Yuan hadn't treated the wolf demon sincerely.
"Yes. Initially, I wanted to use his soul essence to maintain my life, but now," Hu Yuan said, "I feel it's unnecessary."
"Why?" Mu Anxiao asked, confused.
"My mother has a new family, and she's already pregnant. I would only be a burden. Also," Hu Yuan said indifferently, "I'm tired of this endless cycle of hospitalization."
Mu Anxiao hadn't expected things to develop this way. Looking at Hu Yuan, she opened her mouth, hesitated, and then said, "So, you deliberately treated your mother that way."
"There was also resentment, but just now... after you said that, I feel I shouldn't have treated her that way," Hu Yuan lowered his head.
"I don't think you need to die. Your lifespan..."
"Those two are trying to use their demonic energy to extend my life," Hu Yuan guessed Mu Anxiao's words.
Mu Anxiao was taken aback. "No wonder you didn't want to see those two. So that's why. But speaking of which, how do you have memories of your past life?"
"It's a secret," Hu Yuan said, lowering his head.
Mu Anxiao looked down at Hu Yuan. "I don't believe what you're saying."
"Why?" Hu Yuan asked, not looking up.
Mu Anxiao continued to stare at Hu Yuan. "Earlier today, you sternly told me you were an immortal soul and not to interfere. Now you're suddenly asking for my help. Tell me," she narrowed her eyes, "why would I believe you?"
"Believe it or not, it's up to you. My life will end by the end of this month. By then, I'll transfer all the spiritual energy from my immortal soul to the wolf demon. Tell me," Hu Yuan looked up at Mu Anxiao, a sinister smile on his face, "is that acceptable?"
"You want to help me?" Mu Anxiao was surprised.
Hu Yuan smiled. "The wolf demon, the wolf demon, he's a heartless wolf. How could he genuinely help me? If I don't have a backup plan, how can I help you, right, Mu Anxiao?"
At this moment, Mu Anxiao was confused.
Hu Yuan, seeing Mu Anxiao's bewildered expression, said, "A mortal body can't do much. After I die, the wolf demon will indeed possess my body, but if I take the spiritual energy with me, it will just be a mortal vessel, and he won't be able to do much. It will be easier for you to capture him then."
"He'll be unhappy being used by you like this, won't he?" Mu Anxiao looked at Hu Yuan's plan involving the wolf demon, inexplicably feeling that Hu Yuan was more terrifying than the wolf demon.
"Whether he's happy or not is irrelevant to me. I just wanted to draw you out," Hu Yuan spoke the truth.
Mu Anxiao's eyes widened. "Why would you want to draw me out?"
"Your purpose here is to capture the wolf demon. As soon as I accept the wolf demon, you will come looking for me. When you come looking for me, I can make you help me. If you don't know how to help," Hu Yuan smiled faintly, "you can consult the immortal texts to know everything."
"How do you know about the immortal texts?" Mu Anxiao's eyes widened.
"It's a secret," Hu Yuan smiled.
"You have so many secrets," Mu Anxiao said, glaring at Hu Yuan.
Hu Yuan smiled faintly. "Alright, go back and study. I'll see you tomorrow."
"What about the wolf demon now?"
"He's in a state where he can't hear anything," Hu Yuan said roughly.
Mu Anxiao looked at Hu Yuan and sneered, "As expected of someone who was once an immortal. Your planning is truly flawless."
"You don't need to praise me," Hu Yuan said, looking up at Feng Qishi approaching and smiling. "Could you please inform my... mother?"
"Sure," Feng Qishi nodded, took out his phone, and turned away to call Hu Yuan's mother.
"Hello," Hu Yuan's mother answered.
Feng Qishi glanced at Hu Yuan and said, "Uh, could you come down? We're in the garden, by the gravel path."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Feng Qishi hung up.
"Why didn't you call yourself?" Mu Anxiao asked, looking at Hu Yuan.
"I don't have a phone," Hu Yuan said, turning his head away.
Mu Anxiao glared at Hu Yuan and then looked at Feng Qishi, who had started to avoid her gaze, asking, "Did you hear our conversation?"