Following closely behind, Mu Anxiao stepped on Feng Qishi's shoulders and clambered onto the wall. To her surprise, there was not a single speck of light on the other side. She had no idea what the situation was below.
She felt both anxious and helpless in the face of this predicament.
With no other option, she decided to vent her frustration on the owner of the house. "Who usually manages this area?" she asked, her tone laced with belligerence, as she lowered her head and shifted her gaze to Feng Qishi, who was practically pressed against the wall.
Feng Qishi, unable to lift his head, continued to endure Mu Anxiao's "trampling" and replied, "What do you think?" Although she wasn't particularly heavy, this way of speaking was exhausting for him.
"I said," Mu Anxiao repeated, resting her elbows on the wall and tutting, "if I knew, do you think I would have to ask you?"
"You... you've been in my manor for quite some time now, you should know," Feng Qishi said, unable to look up.
"I haven't..." Before she could finish, Mu Anxiao suddenly remembered her "Cao Gen" identity. She cringed at what she had just said to Feng Qishi. "Don't say it. This manor truly can't function without me. They haven't even lit the lamps by the back gate."
"It seems it can't function without you. Can you hurry up?" Feng Qishi urged, growing impatient.
Hearing the urgency in Feng Qishi's voice, Mu Anxiao felt a prickle of annoyance. "What's your attitude? I can't see how to proceed. What if there's a trap below, and I jump down? I'd be finished. This..."
"Then come down and think," Feng Qishi interrupted.
"Are you even a man?" Mu Anxiao detested Feng Qishi's habit of cutting her off and decided to retort.
Hearing this, Feng Qishi paused for a few seconds before replying, "I'm asking you to come down. It has nothing to do with whether I'm a man or not." He, too, was displeased with Mu Anxiao's attitude.
"I'm just standing on your shoulders for a moment to ponder. Must you rush me like this? As if," Mu Anxiao said, completely disregarding Feng Qishi's feelings and looking down at him, "I'm some great weight."
"It has nothing to do with your weight."
"If it has nothing to do with my weight, then why are you asking me to come down?"
"Don't you think you're being a bit too conspicuous up there?" Feng Qishi said calmly.
"How am I conspicuous?" Mu Anxiao retorted, feeling indignant.
Feng Qishi found Mu Anxiao's sudden sensitivity baffling and exasperating. "You're already higher than the wall. If someone happens to pass by and sees a head on the wall, are you sure they won't be terrified?"
"You're underestimating the bravery of the people in your manor," Mu Anxiao said, finding Feng Qishi's excessive caution rather amusing.
Feng Qishi, acutely feeling the pressure from Mu Anxiao's feet, sighed and reached out with one hand, grasping her ankle. "It's not about bravery," he said.
"How is it not about bravery?" Mu Anxiao countered.
"Aren't you afraid they'll see you and throw something at you?"
"You..."
"I've set rules for them," Feng Qishi suddenly interrupted Mu Anxiao again.
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao furrowed her brow. "What rules?" she asked, a premonition dawning on her that Feng Qishi's rules would be anything but pleasant.
"If anyone is found on the wall, they are to be unmercifully pelted with objects. If they die, it's on me," Feng Qishi stated matter-of-factly.
"..." Mu Anxiao was speechless.
From her speechless state, Feng Qishi understood that she had likely taken his words to heart.
He then deliberately reminded her, "Since you're afraid, come down." As he spoke, he braced himself against the wall and slowly crouched down.
This time, Mu Anxiao did not stop Feng Qishi. Instead, as he crouched, she leaped down backward.
The next moment, Feng Qishi felt a sudden lightness on his shoulder. "You're down," he said, completely ignoring the dust on his shoulder, and stood up to look at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao concealed her embarrassment. "I came down only because I didn't want you to be burdened. As for your words," she glanced away, "they have nothing to do with it."
"You just need to..."
"Mu Anxiao, you've found your way here."
At the sound of the voice, Feng Qishi and Mu Anxiao's nerves immediately tensed. They both looked up and turned around to face Ouyang Ye, who had stopped directly in front of them.
Ouyang Ye crossed his arms and, ignoring Feng Qishi behind Mu Anxiao, smiled. "I asked you to find the coachman, and you ended up here. It seems your affection for Feng Qishi runs quite deep." He still did not glance in Feng Qishi's direction.
Seeing this, Feng Qishi took the opportunity while Ouyang Ye was ignoring him to adjust his bamboo hat and face veil.
Mu Anxiao realized that Ouyang Ye had not noticed Feng Qishi's presence, so she began to feign ignorance. "It's deeper than yours, anyway."
"You..."
"You were the one who told me to find the coachman, right?" Mu Anxiao deliberately interrupted Ouyang Ye.
Ouyang Ye frowned slightly.
"Don't look at me like that. I came," Mu Anxiao thought that she couldn't let Ouyang Ye know the coachman's whereabouts for now, so she paused deliberately and said, "just to look for clues."
"Look for what clues?"
"He's been with you for so long; he must have your demonic aura on him. So, I thought," Mu Anxiao said, subtly gesturing for Feng Qishi to leave with one hand behind her back, and smiling at Ouyang Ye, "to find you first, memorize your demonic aura. That way, I can find the coachman more easily."
"What do you mean?" Ouyang Ye did not quite understand Mu Anxiao's intention.
Seeing Ouyang Ye's confused expression, Mu Anxiao chuckled dryly. "I suppose we just don't have good chemistry."
"We don't have chemistry, so you mean you have chemistry with him?" Ouyang Ye finally shifted his gaze to Feng Qishi.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao's nerves tightened. She quickly turned to Feng Qishi and said, "Big Brother, thank you for leading the way. You can go now." She looked up at Feng Qishi.
Mu Anxiao still needed Feng Qishi for many things. If Feng Qishi were captured by Ouyang Ye now, how would her subsequent plans proceed?
Therefore, to ensure the smooth execution of her next plan, she felt it was necessary to secure Feng Qishi's safety first.
Similarly, Feng Qishi immediately understood Mu Anxiao's intention. Without a word, he turned and prepared to leave. However, the suspicious Ouyang Ye had no intention of letting Feng Qishi go. "Stop," he commanded sternly, stepping forward to approach Feng Qishi.
But Mu Anxiao could not allow Ouyang Ye to disrupt her plans. As Ouyang Ye began to move, on impulse, she quickly stepped forward and embraced him in one fluid motion.
The moment Feng Qishi saw this, he clenched his fists. But he understood Mu Anxiao's intention and left without further ado.
Feng Qishi stiffened and looked down at Mu Anxiao, who was clinging tightly to him. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, frowning.
Mu Anxiao tilted her head slightly. Once she was sure Feng Qishi had gone far enough, she straightened up and said, "Alright, I've remembered your demonic aura."
"What do you mean?" Ouyang Ye looked a bit bewildered.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now," Mu Anxiao said, preparing to leave.