The little girl shook her head, "No need, I can do it myself. This is dirty."
"I don't mind dirt," Mu Anxiao said without politeness.
"No, thank you," the little girl refused again.
Mu Anxiao nodded and said, "Alright then." As she spoke, she stood up and turned to the old man, "Your family is so powerful, why do you still stay here?"
"I've been here since I was very young. Perhaps because I've been busy my whole life, now that I'm old, I can't just be idle. Moreover, the former master here said to ask me to take good care of his son, so I've stayed until now. However, the former master also said that I could leave whenever I wished," the old man explained in detail.
"Outside the main gate just now, weren't you quite scared of this master? Why are you... suddenly not afraid anymore?" Mu Anxiao asked.
The old man smiled, "After the former master left, I also found it unbearable to be with this master for a time. At one point, I silently told myself that if this master were to ever suffer heavenly retribution, I would leave. So, as it turns out, he has indeed suffered heavenly retribution."
"Then your deed of indenture?" Mu Anxiao asked.
"It expired long ago. Even if he took it to find me, my son wouldn't let him off," the old man said with a smile.
"You still have a backup plan," Mu Anxiao smiled faintly.
"When living in this world, one must always have a backup plan, otherwise, when driven into a corner, you truly wouldn't know what to do," the old man said with a smile.
"What you say makes sense," Mu Anxiao nodded, then looked down and asked, "When will you leave?"
"I'll leave after you all depart," the old man said gently.
The Rabbit Queen stood at the door, listening to the old man's words and glancing at the wound on the little girl's face. She thought to herself, this old man's fate is likely difficult to change.
"What are you thinking about?" Piao asked the Rabbit Queen.
Hearing this, the Rabbit Queen came back to her senses, looked at Piao, and shook her head, "Nothing."
Piao didn't press further, his gaze fixed on the old man. "I always feel this old man will die a terrible death."
The Rabbit Queen lowered her head at Piao's words.
Feng Qishi's expression turned grave.
Yan stared at the Rabbit Queen's profile, remaining silent.
Inside the room, Mu Anxiao couldn't help but ask again, "By the way, wasn't your master fat before? Why did he get so thin?"
"You know?" the old man exclaimed in surprise.
Mu Anxiao said helplessly, "My deed of indenture was in his hands just now, so of course, I know."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm getting old and forgetful," the old man said, sighing. "The master once fell gravely ill, and after that illness, he inexplicably became thin."
"He's still alive," Mu Anxiao blurted out.
The little girl looked at Mu Anxiao in surprise and asked, "Do you wish my father dead?"
Hearing the little girl's question, Mu Anxiao gave a dry chuckle, "No, I was just speaking casually."
"If he died, I wouldn't have been born, and Mother wouldn't have to suffer. If he died..." the little girl's eyes were resolute, "how good that would be."
Mu Anxiao was surprised by how deep the child's resentment towards her father was. Then, looking at her eyes that were too mature for her age, Mu Anxiao asked, "What is your name?"
"My name is Xiao Nian, my mother gave it to me," the little girl said quite willingly.
"Xiao Nian," Mu Anxiao repeated, then chuckled, "That's a beautiful name."
The old man looked down at Xiao Nian, who had introduced herself, and smiled with satisfaction.
Xiao Nian suddenly looked up at the old man, "Grandpa, you persuaded my mother to leave. Do you know where my mother is?"
"Your mother..." the old man hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't know."
The Rabbit Queen, hearing the old man's words, couldn't help but exclaim, "Liar."
Yan asked, "Unless, he knows?"
The Rabbit Queen said nothing.
Piao's eyes narrowed, "This old man is indeed lying."
"So, that means everything he said was a lie to Mu Bixiao?" Feng Qishi asked.
Piao shook his head, "I don't know. People's hearts are complex, it's hard to figure out."
"Alright," Feng Qishi nodded slightly and shifted his gaze to Mu Anxiao's face again.
Mu Anxiao calmly stared at the old man's seemingly evasive gaze and asked, "You do know, don't you?"
Feng Qishi was startled, "Mu Bixiao has become smart."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao turned and glared at Feng Qishi, who was standing by the door, then turned her gaze back to the old man.
The old man's eyes began to dart around rapidly, and he said, "I was lying to you, but..."
"What would happen if you told me?" Mu Anxiao interrupted.
The old man looked at Mu Anxiao and said, "This is her family's matter." He deliberately glanced at Xiao Nian and continued, "Therefore, I have no right to interfere, nor do I have the right to tell you where her mother is."
"If her mother is dead, then the sin will be on you," Mu Anxiao said firmly.
"Auntie..."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao frowned and looked down at Xiao Nian, asking, "You call me Auntie? Am I that old?"
"Your age is similar to my mother's. If I called you sister, I would feel uneasy," Xiao Nian said.
Mu Anxiao's lips twitched, "Alright then, you can call me Auntie. If you, so young, feel uneasy, I will also feel uneasy."
"Auntie, my mother went to find a master for my father, how could she be dead?" Xiao Nian said with firm conviction.
Mu Anxiao gave a dry chuckle, "I was just speaking casually, don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously." She patted Xiao Nian's head.
The old man looked down at Xiao Nian's innocent demeanor and said, "Come out with me." With that, he turned and walked past Feng Qishi and the others, exiting the room.
Mu Anxiao looked down at Xiao Nian and said, "Wait for me here, don't come out, understand?"
"Mm, I'll apply medicine to myself," Xiao Nian said, holding up the medicine bottle.
"So good," Mu Anxiao smiled and then walked to the door, whispering, "Keep an eye on her for me."
"Got it," Piao and Feng Qishi said in unison.
Mu Anxiao paid no attention to their synchronicity and walked out quickly.
The two of them exchanged glances. Feng Qishi said, "I didn't expect us to have such perfect synchronicity."
"Who has perfect synchronicity with you?" Piao gave Feng Qishi a sideways glance and once again fixed his gaze on Xiao Nian's face.
Yan turned and followed Mu Anxiao.
The Rabbit Queen stood beside Piao.
Piao suddenly asked, "How did this child die?"
Hearing this, the Rabbit Queen was startled and said, "I forgot."
"Tell the truth," Piao said coldly.
The Rabbit Queen shifted her gaze unnaturally and said, "She froze to death."
"This child has really suffered," Piao sighed, looking at the environment in the room and listening to Xiao Nian's constant mumbling while applying medicine to herself.