"Why are you smiling?" Qiu Yan asked, confused.
Mu An Xiao glanced down at the dagger held so close to her, then said flatly, "I'm smiling at you, you're stupid."
"How dare you insult me!" Qiu Yan's eyes widened, but the dagger in his hand didn't move an inch.
Knowing Qiu Yan wouldn't dare to act, Mu An Xiao continued with a mocking tone, "What's wrong with calling you stupid? You're about to kill me, and you won't even let me smile at you or call you names? You really think highly of yourself, you fool."
"Mu Xiao, say that one more time," Mu Yan Xing growled, unable to contain himself any longer.
Mu An Xiao flicked her eyes sideways. "Oh, oh, oh, you're getting angry now. When the patron finds out about him later, you'd better control your temper, lest you accidentally harm both families."
"You..."
"I don't want to talk to you," Mu An Xiao interrupted. After glaring at Mu Yan Xing, she turned back to Qiu Yan. "If you're going to kill me, hurry up and do it. Don't be so indecisive." She glared at him angrily.
Qiu Yan looked into Mu An Xiao's eyes, then considered every word she had spoken. He hesitated. "You said you weren't trying to scare us, so what do you want?" He returned to their previous topic.
Mu An Xiao gave a faint smile. "Oh, you're not going to kill me anymore?"
"You finish your sentence, and then I'll kill you," Qiu Yan said without thinking.
Immediately, Mu An Xiao raised her hand, touched the dagger, and said, "Since that's the case, then you should just do it."
"You..." Qiu Yan looked at Mu An Xiao's lowered hand, his heart sinking. "You really want to die."
"I don't want to die, but you've said it all, and if I don't die," Mu An Xiao gave a dry laugh, "it's probably impossible."
"You think I'll kill you?"
"You've said so much, I can't maintain a good state of mind," Mu An Xiao said. "My heart doesn't allow it either, so if you're going to kill me, do it quickly. Before it gets dark, throw me out, so the wolves can eat me sooner."
Listening to Mu An Xiao's words, Mu Yan Xing was truly frightened. "Mu Xiao, you really are quite optimistic."
"Of course. For a full three months, you've thrown me to many places. Just like last night, I almost fell to my death. If I hadn't been lucky," Mu An Xiao shook her head slightly, "I would probably have been reduced to mere bone fragments by the wolves at the bottom of the cliff by now."
Mu Yan Xing put on a disgusted expression.
Mu An Xiao chuckled. "In short, everyone in the Mu mansion wants me dead. And you," she smiled, "are fulfilling their wish. But your future, and the future of this guy, will also be ruined because of it."
"What do you mean by that?" Mu Yan Xing took Mu An Xiao's words to heart.
Mu An Xiao sighed. "It's simple. Your mother managed to last three months, constantly ordering people to throw me to different places. So, she will definitely insist on you entering the palace for the selection of concubines. Not only that," she said, glancing at Qiu Yan, "but this kid's life will also be in danger."
"Impossible."
"Impossible..." Mu An Xiao repeated, then sneered. "To be honest, I've known about your relationship for a long time, I just never said anything."
"You knew all along?"
"Your secret meeting places were always at the back door. I remember not too long ago, when I returned from outside, I saw him. At the time, I was thinking, haven't you two had a falling out? Who knew..." Mu An Xiao smiled. "Just as I was pondering this, you came out, and then I saw him kiss your face. I was truly shocked at that moment."
"You're lying," Mu Yan Xing said, agitated.
Seeing Mu Yan Xing's agitated expression, Mu An Xiao's lips curled. "If I'm lying, why are you so agitated? Anyway, I've never spoken of this. If you believe me, tell him to put down the dagger," she pointed at Qiu Yan.
Mu Yan Xing's eyes deepened. After glancing at Qiu Yan, she asked, "Qiu Yan, what do you think?"
Hearing this, Qiu Yan glanced at Mu Yan Xing and said, "Did you really see it?" He stared at Mu An Xiao's face.
Mu An Xiao smiled. "I'm only saying what I saw. In other words, I don't have the leisure to spout nonsense."
"You..."
"Stop with the 'you's. Put it down first," Mu An Xiao interrupted, pointing at the dagger.
When Qiu Yan heard this, he consciously put down the dagger and said, "What do you want to do?"
"How much do you like her?" Mu An Xiao pointed at Mu Yan Xing.
Mu Yan Xing blushed shyly.
Qiu Yan felt too embarrassed to look at Mu Yan Xing and said, "Very much."
"Very much..." Mu An Xiao nodded slightly and then asked, "To the point of wanting to marry her?"
"Yes," Qiu Yan stated firmly.
Upon hearing this, Mu Yan Xing pursed her lips and giggled.
Mu An Xiao glanced at the secretly giggling Mu Yan Xing and sighed. "It's already come to this, tsk tsk..." She shook her head.
Seeing this, Qiu Yan asked, confused, "What do you mean by that?"
"It must feel terrible to love someone but not be able to be together."
"I've already resolved the matter."
"Paper can't wrap fire. She's considered the most outstanding daughter of our Mu mansion. My father and the Madam's goal is to have her marry King Jin. Moreover," Mu An Xiao said, "most people in the mansion know that she has the opportunity to enter the palace every month. Imagine, if they find out that she ended up marrying you, hmph, just think about it... the consequences would be dreadful."
"King Jin hasn't met her," Qiu Yan said with righteous indignation.
Mu An Xiao looked at Qiu Yan's self-consoling expression and smiled. "Yes, he indeed hasn't met her, but King Jin must have heard about the Mu mansion girls entering the palace for selection."
"King Jin is very busy. He won't concern himself with harem matters," Mu Yan Xing said calmly.
Mu An Xiao chuckled lightly. Using the information she had received from the wind as she arrived, she said, "Yes, he won't concern himself, but those concubines in the harem who are prejudiced against the Mu mansion might not be so indifferent."
"You... what do you mean?" Mu Yan Xing sensed the danger of the situation.
Mu An Xiao said, "What I mean is, if possible, you should let me have your chance to enter the palace." She looked expectant.
Mu Yan Xing froze.
Qiu Yan was also stunned by Mu An Xiao's words. "Are you crazy?" he asked, looking utterly bewildered.
"What's wrong? I'll go to the palace in her stead, so you two can be together," Mu An Xiao said, looking at both Mu Yan Xing and Qiu Yan. "Isn't that wonderful?"
Beside them, the servant who had been quietly standing by, upon hearing Mu An Xiao say this, chuckled to himself.
Hearing the sound, Mu An Xiao turned her head to look at the servant who was openly mocking her and asked, "What are you laughing at?" Her expression was displeased.
The servant pursed his lips and said, "Nothing, I just find it surprising."
"What's surprising?" Mu An Xiao was annoyed.
"You..." the servant pointed at Mu An Xiao and continued, "Your appearance can't even compare to those concubines. Even if you go, you'll only be rejected. At that time, you'll only bring shame to your Mu mansion."
Mu An Xiao blinked her eyes and looked at Qiu Yan and Mu Yan Xing, who had the same expression as the servant. "Do you both think the same way?"
Qiu Yan and Mu Yan Xing exchanged a look, then nodded in unison.
Mu An Xiao looked at their consistent reaction and gasped. "Fine, I won't help you anymore. I'll just keep this matter buried in my heart, alright?" Saying this, she glared at the servant and turned away.
Mu Yan Xing looked at Mu An Xiao's actions and exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
"..." Mu An Xiao flicked her eyes. "I'm leaving, lest I get implicated by you."
"You... where are you going?" Mu Yan Xing was frightened.
Mu An Xiao took a deep breath, looked up at the sky, and said with feigned solemnity, "The world is so big, I can go anywhere. Anyway," she turned to look at Mu Yan Xing, "it's better than dying with you."
Mu Yan Xing's eyes deepened. "Are you that heartless?"
"Heartless," Mu An Xiao repeated softly, then turned back. "If you want to talk about heartlessness, it's you who are heartless. I didn't offend you, yet you treated me that way."
"..." Mu Yan Xing seemed unwilling to accept this reality and lowered her head. "I wasn't involved in it."
"You weren't directly involved, but you subtly offered advice, which is a form of participation."
"You... those words are really unpleasant to hear."
"Whether they sound good or not, anyway, I'll tell you the truth now. The reason your father locked me in the woodshed was precisely because I said I wanted to replace you and enter the palace."
"What?" Mu Yan Xing was truly shocked again.
Mu An Xiao continued, "Don't 'what' me. You've thrown me to many places these past three months. To be honest, I'm tired of this place. Now, I want to go into the palace to have a look. Anyway, whether I'm selected or not, I don't care."
"You're thinking very simply," Qiu Yan said.
Mu An Xiao lowered her eyes and smiled. "I know I'm thinking simply, but I just want to see the palace." She looked at Qiu Yan.
Mu Yan Xing said, "Father could lock you in the woodshed for this matter, which shows that whatever you do is in vain."
"If your father knew about what you and he," Mu An Xiao pointed at Qiu Yan, "have been doing in secret, I imagine your father would either die of anger or beat you to death."
"..." Mu Yan Xing understood Mu Gui's temperament, so after Mu An Xiao finished speaking, she fell silent.
Mu An Xiao calmly watched Mu Yan Xing's silent expression and then said, "Of course, if you want to be safe, listen to me." She patted her chest.
Mu Yan Xing frowned. "Do you have a way?"
"As for the method, it might be a bit difficult for you to accept." Mu An Xiao looked at both Qiu Yan and Mu Yan Xing again.
Mu Yan Xing said, "Tell us. As long as it's a good method, we can accept it."
"A good method..." Mu An Xiao gave a dry laugh. "It's just a pity that the method I have for you isn't a good one."
"Tell us, let us hear it," Qiu Yan said impatiently.
Mu An Xiao kept her injured arm behind her back and said, "The method might be a bit… damaging. You need to prepare yourselves mentally first."
"Tell us," Mu Yan Xing stepped forward.
Mu An Xiao paused for a few seconds as if in difficulty and said, "I'm going to file a complaint."
Upon hearing this, Mu Yan Xing and Qiu Yan both widened their eyes.
The servant exclaimed, "You're crazy!" He was also startled by Mu An Xiao's words.
Mu An Xiao glanced at the servant, then at the two before her who couldn't accept her method. "Aren't you curious why I'm here?"
Qiu Yan echoed, "That's right, why are you here?"
"After I was locked in the woodshed, the Madam found out about what I did outside the mansion. So, in a fit of anger, she ordered people to drag me from the woodshed to her room, scolded me, and then sentenced me to thirty strokes of the paddle. However, just as I was about to be beaten, the General appeared," Mu An Xiao said, shaking her head slightly. "Because I offended the General when I returned, the General was angry when he saw me and then beat me. After that, we had a big argument, and in the end, he took me to the coroner for a medical examination."
"Coroner?" Mu Yan Xing was frightened by what Mu An Xiao had said.
Mu An Xiao nodded. "Yes, you know what a coroner does. To be honest," she looked down at her own injuries, "all these injuries on me were inflicted by the coroner. I almost died at that time."
"The coroner should be in the city, right?" Qiu Yan asked the crucial question.
Mu An Xiao replied, "That's the problem. I was knocked unconscious and taken out. That General took me out of the city all the way, and then threw me into a small dark room. After that, the coroner came in with an axe, saying he was going to examine my injuries. Seeing that situation, I kept dodging, and in the end, I was still injured. But fortunately, I escaped."
"Are you sure you saw a coroner, not an assassin?" Qiu Yan said calmly.
Mu An Xiao shook her head. "I don't know. In short, it was too terrifying." As she spoke, she looked at Mu Yan Xing, who was staring at her. "Why are you looking at me?"
"My mother treated you like that, and you still want to help me?" Mu Yan Xing suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
Mu An Xiao smiled. "I just want to enter the palace now, and by the way, file a complaint."
"File a complaint?" Mu Yan Xing asked, confused.
Mu An Xiao nodded. "Yes, that General almost killed me. Based on that alone, I have to report him."
"Are you sure you can meet King Jin?" Qiu Yan tried to dampen her spirits.
Upon hearing this, Mu An Xiao turned back to look at Qiu Yan and said, "It is said that the General will escort the women entering the palace at that time. Even if I can't see King Jin then, I can use my identity to scare him."
Qiu Yan said, "You're too naive."
"I don't care, I'll remember him." Mu An Xiao said with a deliberately childish tone.
Qiu Yan shook his head, speechless.
Mu Yan Xing had never seen Mu An Xiao like this before. At first glance, she smiled. "You really are childish."
"As long as it's satisfying, that's enough," Mu An Xiao said seriously.
Mu Yan Xing smiled faintly and asked, "Can you tell me your plan?"
"Plan... let me summarize it, just a moment." Mu An Xiao said, recalling something.
Mu Yan Xing and the other two saw that Mu An Xiao wasn't joking, so they all fell silent.
On the other side.
With the help of magic, Feng Qi Shi and Jia Zai could clearly hear every word Mu An Xiao spoke.
At this moment, after Mu An Xiao fell silent, Jia Zai turned to Feng Qi Shi and said, "It seems you've offended her."
"..." Feng Qi Shi glanced at Jia and said, "She's just acting."
"Acting..." Jia shook his head. "I really couldn't tell she was acting. On the contrary, I feel that every word she speaks carries her disgust towards you." He stared at Feng Qi Shi's profile.
Feng Qi Shi remained unresponsive and said, "Whatever."
"Whatever? You've really changed," Jia said in a low voice.
Feng Qi Shi: "..." He didn't even look at Jia.