Feng Qishi watched Mu Anxiao’s back as she diligently tended to Shu’er, his fist clenched tightly.
The next moment, Mu Anxiao withdrew her hand, looking down at Shu’er, who lay on her side. "Her memory is extensively damaged. If this continues, I fear she will…" She looked up at Feng Qishi, her words trailing off.
Feng Qishi: "Will what? Why don't you finish?"
"Become a lone wandering spirit."
"What?"
"Her willpower controlled her soul. Although I pushed her consciousness back, the other…" Mu Anxiao fell silent again halfway through her sentence.
Feng Qishi asked, puzzled: "Why are you stopping again?"
"Her consciousness does not wish for her to be in her soul. In other words," Mu Anxiao said, "in her consciousness, her soul is now a cage. She wants to shatter the cage and go to her rightful place."
"What does 'her rightful place' mean?"
"It means she wants to find Gu Yan."
Mu Anxiao had initially not intended to say this. However, she felt Shu’er’s situation was dire. If she didn't clarify, and Feng Qishi learned of it from someone else later, it would undoubtedly cause conflict between them.
Therefore, to prevent such a conflict, she decided to let Feng Qishi make the final choice himself. Before that, though, she wanted to clarify Feng Qishi’s stance.
Feng Qishi fell silent.
Mu Anxiao calmly observed Feng Qishi’s silent demeanor and remained quiet as well.
Subsequently, Feng Qishi looked down at both Shu’er’s soul and her body. He asked, "What should I do?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Is there any way to make her consciousness clear?" Feng Qishi said, finally looking at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao looked up at the anxious Feng Qishi and said, "There is no other way except to entrust her to Gu Yan."
"What?" Feng Qishi was startled, as this was clearly not the answer he wanted.
Mu Anxiao: "I know you can't accept it, but this is her choice. If we don't comply, it will only plunge her into more despair and pain. If we do, perhaps we can awaken her will."
"Is that your solution?"
"Yes. Let’s satisfy her first. Once she’s over there and discovers Gu Yan isn't good, she’ll think of us. This might even be a way to unravel Ouyang Ye's scheme," Mu Anxiao said with confidence.
Feng Qishi was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then you'll do it?"
"You agree?"
"Since you have your way, of course, I must support you. Also," Feng Qishi’s gaze was firm, "I believe your decisions are basically correct."
"What do you mean 'basically'?"
"Correct," Feng Qishi gave a faint smile.
Mu Anxiao rolled her eyes at Feng Qishi, turned, and walked to Shu’er’s body. She then squatted down, gently placed her hand on Shu’er’s wrist, and said, "Very weak, but present."
"She still has vital signs?" Feng Qishi asked, surprised.
"Yes, this is truly rare," Mu Anxiao said, standing up and looking at Shu’er’s soul. "I’ll extract her consciousness. You watch over her soul then."
"And you?"
"I’ll follow her consciousness to look for other consciousnesses," Mu Anxiao said calmly.
Feng Qishi: "Aren't you afraid this is a trap?"
"I’ve already been harmed to death by him once. What else," Mu Anxiao scoffed, "do I have to fear?"
"Then be careful."
"Don't worry, I will be careful," Mu Anxiao said. She walked to Shu’er’s soul and was about to cast a spell when Shu’er suddenly sat up and looked up at her. "You’re awake."
Shu’er: "I've thought it through."
Mu Anxiao frowned: "Thought what through?" She had already prepared to follow Shu’er to find other consciousnesses, so Shu’er’s next decision piqued Mu Anxiao’s interest.
Shu’er: "I want to live."
"What?" Mu Anxiao was startled.
"Only by living can I do what I want to do. If I become a wandering spirit, I will be nothing. Especially for him," Shu’er snorted, "it’s not worth it at all."
"For whom?" Mu Anxiao was surprised and couldn’t help glancing at Feng Qishi.
Seeing this, Feng Qishi quickly said, "It has nothing to do with me. Why are you looking at me?"
Mu Anxiao ignored Feng Qishi, continued to stare at Shu’er, and asked, "What do you mean by what you’re saying?"
"I heard everything you said, and it was your words that woke me up," Shu’er said, standing up.
Mu Anxiao’s body stiffened. She quickly reached out to test Shu’er’s spiritual body and exclaimed, "No fluctuation in consciousness." With that, she turned to look at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi: "Everything you just said is void."
Mu Anxiao swallowed and looked back at Shu’er, testing, "Have you remembered something? Or has your memory returned?" She said this deliberately to observe Shu’er’s state and see if she was normal.
Shu’er: "In other people’s eyes, I am a lively, crazy girl. Only he listened to me, cared for me. Talking with him, I felt completely relaxed. I didn’t have to pretend; I could laugh when I wanted to laugh and cry when I wanted to cry. But he… he betrayed me." As she spoke, she lowered her gaze.
Mu Anxiao: "Entangled by love." She said this while carefully glancing at Shu’er, then at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi looked speechless. "Why are you looking at me?"
"Entangled by love," Mu Anxiao repeated, then turned back to Shu’er, pursing her lips.
Feng Qishi was utterly speechless for a moment as Mu Anxiao uttered this.
Then, Shu’er looked up at Mu Anxiao and asked, "Do you think I love him?"
"Don't you?" This question, coming from Mu Anxiao’s mouth, was quite convoluted.
Listening to Mu Anxiao, Shu’er lowered her gaze again and said, "I don't understand what love is. I only know that being with him is very easy. Because of this, I once thought that those who bullied me were bad people. But after becoming like this," she looked at her transparent clothes and hands, "I realized that everything has nothing to do with those people."
"..." Mu Anxiao couldn't understand Shu’er, but she knew her plan had gone to waste.
Shu’er: "It was all because of him." She said, then her eyes widened.
Seeing Shu’er’s furious expression, Mu Anxiao chuckled dryly. "Don't get agitated. Let’s talk calmly."
"You said I committed suicide, right?" Shu’er suddenly retorted.
Mu Anxiao blinked her eyes and asked, "If you didn't commit suicide, then what was it?"
"I was murdered," Shu’er leaned forward slightly, looking very serious.
Mu Anxiao’s expression froze. "You’re not joking, are you?"
"Only after suffering can one see everything clearly. If you don't believe me," Shu’er said, "then investigate. The murderer is among those servants from today."
"..." Mu Anxiao hadn’t expected such a turn of events. She immediately shifted her gaze back to Feng Qishi’s face.
This time, only seriousness remained on Feng Qishi’s face.
The error-free chapters of "A Wry Smile Bloomed As The Wind Began To Stir" will continue to be updated.