"This place is also considered forbidden ground. That woman came from the depths. Don't you think," Feng Qishi said earnestly, "there's something fishy about it?"
"There is."
"Alright, let's go back," Feng Qishi said, pulling Mu Anxiao to turn around. Mu Anxiao's gaze, however, did not leave the maiden.
At that very moment, after Feng Qishi spoke, the maiden collapsed.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao exclaimed, "Oh no, she's fainted." As she spoke, she quickly pulled her hand away from Feng Qishi and strode towards the maiden.
Feng Qishi: "...." He glanced sideways at Mu Anxiao's retreating figure running towards the maiden with a look of helplessness. He tutted and quickly followed.
The next moment.
Mu Anxiao squatted beside the maiden, then reached out and nudged her arm, calling out, "Miss, miss."
Upon hearing this, the maiden stirred, opened her eyes, and looked at Mu Anxiao with a hazy gaze, saying, "Save me." She reached out and grabbed Mu Anxiao's arm.
Mu Anxiao was startled. She looked down at the maiden's tightly clasped hand and asked, "What is your name?"
At this moment, Mu Anxiao was convinced that the maiden was mortal.
"My name is Xie Xin."
"Xie Xin?"
"Yes, save me, please." After saying this, Xie Xin fainted again.
Following that, Mu Anxiao looked down at Xie Xin's hand, which had instantly gone limp. She gasped, "She's the one with immortal destiny."
"What did you say?" Feng Qishi stopped behind Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao stood up and looked at Feng Qishi. "Heaven helps me, Shen Fengzi, she's the one with immortal destiny."
"How is that possible?"
"If you don't believe me, look for yourself."
"I don't believe it," Feng Qishi said. He crouched down, reached out, and tugged at Xie Xin's hand, saying indifferently, "She's not."
"She is."
"She's a demon," Feng Qishi released her hand and looked up at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao: "She's clearly the one with immortal destiny."
"She's not."
"She is."
"She's not."
"...." Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes and said, "I see, you're afraid I'll make you marry her, so you're saying she's not. Shen Fengzi, you're truly cunning."
"She really..."
"Enough nonsense, she is."
"She's not," Feng Qishi stood up.
Mu Anxiao, thinking she couldn't out-argue Feng Qishi, shouted, "Annoying!" She bent down and took Xie Xin's arm.
"What are you doing?"
"She is the one with immortal destiny," Mu Anxiao said, forcefully pulling her up.
"You're going to carry her?"
"Help me."
"I won't."
"If you don't help me, then you carry her."
"A man and a woman should not touch," Feng Qishi said, full of resistance, still believing Xie Xin was a demon.
However, Mu Anxiao was adamant in her belief. "Then hurry up and help."
Feng Qishi: "...." His face darkened, but he still helped.
A quarter of an hour later.
Mu Anxiao carried Xie Xin on her back, walking step by step behind Feng Qishi, and said, "Are you even a man?"
"What's wrong with me?" Feng Qishi stopped and turned to look at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao: "You ask what's wrong with me? I told you not to carry her, and you're still walking so fast. Do you want to tire me to death?"
"...." Feng Qishi curled his lips. "I'll walk behind you, alright?" Saying this, he consciously moved behind Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao glanced sideways at Feng Qishi and said, "Matchmaker fee plus transportation fee, one hundred taels."
"Mu Shazi, can you shut up?"
"No," Mu Anxiao said, turning around and continuing to walk forward.
Feng Qishi glared at Mu Anxiao and followed, saying, "Fine, I'll set aside the issue of gender and help you."
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao stopped, turned, and looked at Feng Qishi with a smile, saying, "That's great. As long as you carry her, I'll set you two up. What do you think?"
"Can you stop insulting the maiden?"
"I'm not insulting her. You're a good catch, and she'll definitely fall for you at first sight when she wakes up," Mu Anxiao raised an eyebrow.
At that moment, Xie Xin opened her eyes. "Where am I?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao withdrew her gaze fixed on Feng Qishi's face and said sideways, "You're awake."
"It's you."
"Yes, how are you feeling?" Mu Anxiao asked with concern.
Xie Xin: "I feel much better. Please put me down."
"You..."
"I'm very heavy. Please put me down."
Hearing Xie Xin's insistent request, Mu Anxiao could only oblige. She bent down and set her down, then casually asked, "Why did you come here?" As she spoke, she thoughtfully took Xie Xin's arm.
Xie Xin said, "Thank you," then turned and smiled at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi deliberately turned his face away.
Seeing that Xie Xin was ignoring her question, Mu Anxiao frowned and asked, "Why are you looking at him?"
Xie Xin: "Young master, do you dislike me?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Qishi turned back to look at Xie Xin and was taken aback. "I didn't say anything."
"Then why don't you want to look at me? Just now, you..." Xie Xin glanced at Mu Anxiao. "You wanted to take this maiden away, clearly not wanting her to save me."
"You could see that from so far away."
"...." Xie Xin's eyes welled up with tears, and she suddenly choked out, "I've been waiting for someone to save me. I finally waited, and you wanted to cruelly abandon me." She cried inexplicably.
"Why are you crying?"
"How can people's hearts nowadays... be so... cruel and venomous."
Hearing Xie Xin's words, Feng Qishi's eyes darkened. He said, "Are you scolding me?" He pointed at himself.
"You, a grown man, letting a weak maiden carry me, what were you doing?"
"Miss, are you alright?"
"I heard you say I was a demon."
"Aren't you a demon?"
"Of course I'm not a demon. I'm human. My name is Xie Xin. Everyone in my village is a woman with immortal destiny. Because they couldn't wait for an immortal, they all got married. But I, unwilling to give up, left home to find an immortal myself. Who knew that as I walked, I ended up in this forest." Xie Xin cried.
Mu Anxiao: "...." She took out a handkerchief and handed it to Xie Xin.
Xie Xin took the handkerchief, wiped her tears, and said, "I've walked here for who knows how many days. I've eaten all my dry rations. Then I saw you, and I was so happy. Who knew you would be so heartless." Xie Xin pointed at Feng Qishi.
Mu Anxiao looked down at her male attire and said, "How did you know I was a woman?"
Xie Xin: "I usually like to wear male attire too, so I can tell whether you're a woman or a man at a glance."
"Is that so?" Mu Anxiao said, glancing at the awkward Feng Qishi and explaining, "He feels it's improper for men and women to touch, so he's not carrying you. Don't be angry."
Xie Xin: "In any case, I'm only grateful to you."
"No, he's also part of it." Mu Anxiao wanted to play matchmaker between Feng Qishi and Xie Xin, so she said this.
"I really didn't want to save her," Feng Qishi saw through Mu Anxiao's intention.
Xie Xin: "Heartless."
"I am heartless. Speaking of which, what's with the demonic aura on your body?" Feng Qishi spoke frankly, wanting Mu Anxiao to see Xie Xin's true colors.