On the other side.
Mu Anxiao let go of Zhao Xiang's hand after pulling him into the crowd.
Zhao Xiang said indignantly, "Why didn't you let me deal with him?" Although he knew he couldn't waste time, he was still upset that the kid dared to steal his money pouch in public. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
"Stop your nagging," Mu Anxiao said, reaching out to pat Zhao Xiang's shoulder. "That kid is also to be pitied."
"Pitiful people can steal things," Zhao Xiang said angrily. He lowered his head and glanced at the money pouch in Mu Anxiao's hand, saying, "If it weren't for giving it to you, I wouldn't have run into that little thief."
"You're blaming me," Mu Anxiao said, deliberately putting the money pouch into her怀 in front of Zhao Xiang.
Zhao Xiang's heart ached when he saw this. "I was just saying, but speaking of which," he said, still a little breathless, "aren't you tired?"
"Not tired."
"Why?" Zhao Xiang asked, confused.
Mu Anxiao chuckled and said, "You don't need to know this." As she spoke, she suddenly stopped.
Then, Zhao Xiang followed Mu Anxiao and stopped, then glanced at the pedestrians who had bypassed them and said, "Why did you stop so suddenly?"
"That guy is following us quite closely," Mu Anxiao muttered, quickly turning around to look at the man in the bamboo hat who was waving at her from across the way. She curled her lips and said, "Are you a dog?"
Hearing this, Zhao Xiang turned his head and looked, exclaiming, "Maybe he really is a dog." He glanced at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Zhao Xiang, then looked at the man in the bamboo hat who was walking towards her, without speaking.
"You used magic," the man in the bamboo hat said in a low voice.
When Mu Anxiao heard this, her eyes flickered. She said, "It's none of your business." As she spoke, she glanced around as if to avoid suspicion, then looked back at the man in the bamboo hat.
The man in the bamboo hat smiled. "Don't worry, they can't hear us," he said, raising his hand.
At the same time, Mu Anxiao glanced at the man's hand and said, "Consider yourself clever." As she spoke, she looked at She Ning, who was beside him, and asked, "Are you following him or me?"
"You have a terrible memory," the man in the bamboo hat suddenly said.
"What do you mean by that?" Mu Anxiao helplessly withdrew her gaze from She Ning's face and looked at the man in the bamboo hat.
"Alright, you really forgot what I said," the man in the bamboo hat said, sighing softly, and continued, "I said, my purpose is the same as his."
Purpose?
Mu Anxiao had never paid attention to the man in the bamboo hat, so she had always taken everything he said with a grain of salt. However, this time, at his reminder, she remembered that his purpose was the same as She Ning's.
Thinking about it, she sighed softly and said, "You want to see Ouyang Ye too."
The man in the bamboo hat replied, "Yes."
Mu Anxiao sighed, realizing... the few of them together were too conspicuous. So, after thinking for a moment, she suddenly turned to Zhao Xiang and said, "Let's split up."
"What do you mean?" Zhao Xiang wanted to follow Mu Anxiao, so he was clearly displeased the moment she said this.
Similarly, Mu Anxiao heard the hesitation in Zhao Xiang's tone and said, "It means I'm going to the place I need to go to inquire about the coachman's whereabouts. You guys can find a teahouse and wait for me."
"Us?" Zhao Xiang said, glancing at the man in the bamboo hat, and shook his head, "No."
"Why?" Mu Anxiao said anxiously.
Zhao Xiang said, "I'm not familiar with him, and my money pouch is with you. I don't want to..."
"Here you go," the man in the bamboo hat suddenly took out a money pouch and handed it to Zhao Xiang.
Zhao Xiang's expression clearly froze when he saw the money pouch. He said, "Why are you giving me a money pouch?" He still took the money pouch.
Mu Anxiao muttered, "Useless," seeing Zhao Xiang like this.
At the same time, the man in the bamboo hat said, "I'll follow you, and he can go to the teahouse for tea." As he spoke, he fixed his gaze on Mu Anxiao.
Ever since the man in the bamboo hat uttered the words "love at first sight," Mu Anxiao had developed a sense of resistance towards him. In other words, she felt awkward just standing next to him, let alone doing missions together. She would be miserable.
Therefore, to avoid getting too close to him, she flatly refused, "No."
"Why?" The man in the bamboo hat frowned.
Mu Anxiao cleared her throat and said, "The place I'm going is quite... private, and most importantly, it's a woman's room. It's not appropriate for you to enter."
"You're also a man," the man in the bamboo hat pointed at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao's eyes flickered. "It's different, anyway..." She cautiously looked at the man's face, which was covered by black cloth, and continued, "You can't go. That woman only allows one man in."
"One?" The man in the bamboo hat repeated, and then realized, "That place is a pleasure house, isn't it?"
Zhao Xiang was startled. "You have this kind of hobby?" he said, scanning Mu Anxiao from head to toe.
Pleasure house? Hobby?
The man in the bamboo hat spoke, and Zhao Xiang responded. The two of them cooperated "seamlessly." Looking at them, Mu Anxiao was speechless and angry. She took a deep breath, looked at each of them, and said, "I'll state again, I'm going to an inn, not a pleasure house." She then looked at Zhao Xiang and said, "And I don't have any of the hobbies you mentioned. If you agree with him again, I'm done with you." She pointed at Zhao Xiang.
Zhao Xiang curled his lips. "Since it's not that place, then take us with you."
"No," Mu Anxiao said coldly.
Zhao Xiang frowned and was about to speak when he accidentally saw the dirty-faced man passing by Mu Anxiao. Looking at him, Zhao Xiang became instantly angry. "It's that guy."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao followed Zhao Xiang's gaze, looked back at the dirty-faced man's retreating figure, and remained silent.
Zhao Xiang felt indignant. He turned to Mu Anxiao and said, "That thief is really thick-skinned. He can still laugh after I beat him. It looks like I have to teach him a lesson." As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves.
"Are you sure you want to teach him a lesson?" She Ning said in a low voice, looking at Zhao Xiang, who didn't move an inch.
Zhao Xiang snorted, glanced at She Ning, and said, "I'm a magnanimous person. He heard what I said just now, and it should have scared him. He can still laugh, I guess..." He remembered the wooden sticks floating above the dirty-faced man's head and smiled, "He's scared silly."
Mu Anxiao looked at the wildly bragging Zhao Xiang with a calm expression and said, "He's not scared silly, it's just that he thinks he's capable." As she spoke, she looked in the direction the dirty-faced man had gone. "He's about to get another title soon."
"What title?"
"Madman," Mu Anxiao said, looking at the man in the bamboo hat. "I'm not going to a pleasure house."
"If not, then take me with you, or else I'll give you a title like that thief," the man in the bamboo hat threatened Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao was speechless when she heard this.
Zhao Xiang thought for a moment and asked, "He didn't know about my appearance?" He was referring to the part where he rushed into the alley.
Mu Anxiao said, "He didn't know, because... from the moment those wooden sticks fell, he was already lost in his own fantasy, unable to extricate himself." After speaking, she curved her lips and looked up at the man in the bamboo hat.
Seeing Mu Anxiao smile, the man in the bamboo hat said, "You are truly despicable."
"You're the despicable one," Mu Anxiao said, glancing sideways at the man in the bamboo hat.