The silver needle trembled as Ouyang Ye looked at it, and just as it was about to speak for itself, Mu Anxiao, fearing it would seize the opportunity, emphasized, "Boss, I'm telling the truth. If possible, can you give it to me?" As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at the silver needle in Ouyang Ye's hand.
Immediately, Ouyang Ye hesitated for a moment upon hearing Mu Anxiao's words and said, "You have a way." He then looked up at Mu Anxiao, "Are you telling the truth or a lie?"
Mu Anxiao replied, "I never lie, Boss. If possible, can you give me this needle?" She ignored Ouyang Ye's reluctance to part with the silver needle and became serious, "I believe it is a crucial step in making the poison."
"What do you mean by that?" Ouyang Ye grew suspicious of Mu Anxiao's words, but seeing her serious demeanor, he also felt she was reliable. In short, he was in a state of inner conflict.
Mu Anxiao smiled, "Originally, it would have taken me three years to make such a poison, but now you want me to hurry. Naturally, I have to find a way. To be honest," she furrowed her brow to show her professionalism, "I was thinking of ways on my way to the kitchen, but I couldn't come up with anything. Unexpectedly, just as I hit a bottleneck, this needle pierced me. It was at that moment that I thought of a new method. So, can you give it to me now?" She deliberately looked at the silver needle.
The silver needle became frightened and quickly said, "Master, don't believe her words. She was just talking to me moments ago. Everything she's doing now is a lie. Don't believe her!" As it spoke, its voice was filled with agitation.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye looked down at the silver needle, "You mean she's lying to me?" he asked, then looked up at Mu Anxiao again.
In contrast, Mu Anxiao looked at Ouyang Ye calmly and asked, "Boss, I don't know what that needle is, but I can guarantee that she is lying, not for any other reason than the fact that she pierced me." After saying this, she suddenly felt that what she had said was rather far-fetched, but even so, she was determined to play the role to the fullest.
"You heard it speak." After Mu Anxiao's statement, Ouyang Ye began to distrust her.
However, Mu Anxiao knew that her far-fetched words would arouse Ouyang Ye's suspicion and even more so, his distrust. She understood even better that the only thing she could do now was to perpetuate the mistake, because only then could she eliminate Ouyang Ye's doubts.
Therefore, after a few seconds of silence, she began to play dumb, "Who did I hear speak? Boss, I only heard you speak. You asked me if she was lying to me? I was just answering you. What are you talking about? Who could I hear speak?"
"I said," Ouyang Ye insisted, picking up the silver needle and holding it in front of Mu Anxiao, "you heard it speak." As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
Mu Anxiao calmly looked at Ouyang Ye's expression of lost trust and hesitated before saying, "Boss, what do you mean by that?" she said, feigning grievance, "I knew I was pierced by this needle. Now I understand." As she spoke, she lowered her head.
Ouyang Ye frowned, "What do you understand?" He was completely confused by Mu Anxiao's words.
Mu Anxiao sighed and said, "I understand that this needle holds a higher status in your heart than I do. It will always gain your trust, while I," she snorted lightly, "will be suspected by you at the slightest misstep. If that's the case, why did you ask me to do this? If you ask me, you are so capable, why not take on this immortal-killing mission yourself? Am I right?" As she spoke, she bravely raised her head to look at Ouyang Ye.
At once, Ouyang Ye looked at Mu Anxiao's dejected yet sincere appearance, frowned, and said helplessly, "Just answer whether you can hear it speak or not. What's with all this nonsense?" He seemed to be at his wit's end with Mu Anxiao.
"I only heard you speak. Could it be," Mu Anxiao put on an air of curiosity, leaning forward slightly to stare at the frustrated silver needle that couldn't voice its grievances, continuing, "that it can speak too?" After saying this, she looked up at Ouyang Ye.
Unexpectedly, the moment Mu Anxiao looked up, Ouyang Ye suddenly saw her reflection. He then stared at Mu Anxiao for a few seconds and said, "Cao Gen, why do you look so familiar?" As he spoke, he withdrew the hand holding the silver needle, took a step forward, and stared intently at Mu Anxiao's face.
At the same time, Mu Anxiao sensed the danger and grinned, baring her teeth, "Boss, whose shadow are you seeing in me? Don't mention it," she chuckled heartily, "when I was young, my brother thought I was his wife. And also, anyone who meets me sees various people's shadows in me. Sometimes I think, why don't I just become a woman and use a woman's identity to trick men out of their money? That would be great. But, I am a person with a pure heart. I want to be a doctor. But now that you mention it, that idea suddenly came back to me. What do you think?" After saying this, she deliberately picked her nose in front of Ouyang Ye.
Ouyang Ye looked at the finger Mu Anxiao had inserted into her nostril at close range and immediately felt disgusted with her, "Watch yourself!" As he spoke, he took a step back, pointed at the bundle Mu Anxiao had slung over her shoulder, and asked, "What's in this bundle of yours?"
Mu Anxiao feigned a sudden realization with an "Oh," then removed her hand from her nose, took off the bundle, and said, "Didn't I get beaten? Then I shamelessly demanded compensation, and in the end, they gave me some snacks. Boss," she said, putting her hand into the bundle, "I'll get it for you now."
Ouyang Ye saw this and recalled Mu Anxiao's previous action. He quickly stopped her, "No need. Give it to A'ju to eat. I have something to do here. I'll be leaving now." As he spoke, he turned his back.
Seeing this, and thinking about the harm the silver needle could inflict on mortals, Mu Anxiao's mind raced, and she shouted, "Boss, wait a moment, you seem to have forgotten something." As she spoke, she took her hand out of the bundle and took two steps forward.
Immediately, Ouyang Ye frowned, looked down at the silver needle, and said, "I'm not giving you this needle. You..."
"Boss, if you don't give it to me, I won't make that poison. At worst," Mu Anxiao intentionally threatened Ouyang Ye, "you can kill me, and at worst, my soul will be scattered. In short, I really need it now. Otherwise, I can't do anything."
Hearing this, Ouyang Ye's eyes darkened. He then turned around and looked at Mu Anxiao's resolute face, asking, "Do you really want this silver needle that much?"
"Yes, I need it very much. If you don't give it to me, I won't do it. At worst, I'll die," Mu Anxiao said, her eyes sharpening, "Of course, I'm not doing this for myself, but for you."
"For me?" Ouyang Ye was completely bewildered by Mu Anxiao's words.
Mu Anxiao nodded, "Yes, for you. I saw my usefulness in you. If I can't complete the mission within the stipulated time, I will have failed your expectations. At that time, you won't get what you want, and you'll kill me, won't you?" As she spoke, her expression turned cold.