Though Mu Anxiao had experienced the pain of parting countless times, it was the first time such a regretful farewell as Gu Yan’s had touched her. Her sorrow surged uncontrollably. At the same time, Gu Yan's death made Mu Anxiao truly understand what kind of person Ouyang Ye was.
Wiping the tears from her face, she put her sadness aside for the moment and walked behind Ouyang Ye. "This is the outcome you wanted."
As Mu Anxiao spoke these words, Hun Ling and Jia could only choke back their sobs.
"Outcome..." Ouyang Ye repeated, a sudden emptiness filling his heart. He couldn't help but ask, "Did I do something wrong?" He slowly turned to look at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao’s expression was calm. "Shouldn't you be asking yourself that?"
"I..." Ouyang Ye hesitated, lowering his gaze slightly.
At that moment, Mu Anxiao couldn't tell if Ouyang Ye was truly sad or faking it. However, from Gu Yan's dying words, she understood that none of Ouyang Ye's words could be taken seriously. "Think about it yourself," she said. Turning her head, she looked at Gu Yan, who stood not far away with a similar expression, and scoffed, "Doesn't it feel bad to lose a competitor?"
Hearing this, Gu Yan slowly lifted her head to look at Mu Anxiao and said softly, "You killed her."
"Ridiculous," Mu Anxiao sneered, then turned back to Ouyang Ye. "I'm claiming those resentful souls." With that, she turned to leave, but Ouyang Ye suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm. Before she could react, Ouyang Ye pulled her forcefully towards him.
The next second, she was embraced by Ouyang Ye.
Gu Yan watched this scene, her expression freezing.
Then, Mu Anxiao struggled violently. "Let go of me, let go of me!" she roared.
Conversely, Ouyang Ye paid no mind to Mu Anxiao's actions and deliberately held her tighter, saying, "Mu Anxiao, just be quiet for a moment."
"Why should I? You killed Gu Yan, you..."
"I was wrong," Ouyang Ye interrupted sternly.
And so... Mu Anxiao stopped struggling after Ouyang Ye uttered a single word of apology.
At the same time, as Ouyang Ye spoke, Gu Yan's mind replayed Gu Yan's final moments and her last words. "Am I really going to be... like her?" she repeated mechanically, stepping back.
Meanwhile, after Mu Anxiao stopped struggling, Ouyang Ye stood up. "But I have no regrets," he said, as if catching his breath.
Mu Anxiao laughed when she heard this.
Gu Yan also laughed after Ouyang Ye uttered those words.
"What are you laughing at?" Ouyang Ye asked.
Hearing Ouyang Ye's question, Mu Anxiao immediately withdrew the smile from her lips. "I knew you'd have more to say." With that, she shook off Ouyang Ye's hand, which was gently holding her arm.
Ouyang Ye froze and reached out to pull Mu Anxiao again.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao took two steps back and shouted, "Don't touch me, you disgust me."
"You..."
"The resentful souls are mine, don't even think about touching them," Mu Anxiao interrupted, pointing at Ouyang Ye's face before turning towards the sack.
Ouyang Ye was startled by Mu Anxiao's actions and stood rooted to the spot.
Gu Yan's earlier fear stemmed from Ouyang Ye's declaration of "I was wrong." Therefore, upon hearing Ouyang Ye say this, her suspended heart finally settled.
Inside the shop, Gu Tie glanced at the now relatively stable Hun Ling and Jia. "Let's go help her."
Hearing this, Hun Ling looked back at Gu Tie and walked forward first.
Then, Jia paused for a moment, retracting his bước chân. He turned to look at Gu Tie, who was about to follow, and said, "Why don't you stay here for now."
"Why?" Gu Tie asked.
Jia: "Are you stupid? Just now, Gu Yan..."
"As long as my master is here, I'm not afraid," Gu Tie stated firmly.
Jia smiled helplessly. "You really trust Mu Anxiao, don't you."
"I forbid you from speaking about my master in that tone," Gu Tie said indignantly.
Seeing Gu Tie's protective nature, Jia smiled helplessly again. "Gu Tie, no offense, but haven't you noticed that your formidable Master Mu Anxiao is a little unstable right now?"
"What are you trying to say?" Gu Tie asked impatiently.
Jia shrugged. "I don't have anything specific to say, just stating a fact."
"What?" Gu Tie's attitude softened.
Jia looked at Gu Tie's curious expression and thought for a moment. "I've noticed that your master is quite weak in front of Ouyang Ye."
"You mean my master is afraid of Ouyang Ye?" Gu Tie, not understanding Jia’s point, could only ask based on his own perception.
"It's hard to say. How about..." Jia deliberately delayed, trying to avoid work, "you analyze your master's thoughts for me."
"Me?" Gu Tie pointed at himself, looking surprised.
Jia nodded.
Gu Tie gave an awkward laugh.
Seeing Gu Tie's awkward smile, Jia twitched his lips. "That smile really doesn't suit you."
"Master isn't weak," Gu Tie said seriously.
This was the serious reply Jia was looking for, and he became excited. "Analyze it." His eyes lit up, thinking he had found a way to avoid working.
Outside.
Hun Ling walked up to Mu Anxiao and squatted beside her in front of the sack of resentful souls, asking in a low voice, "What are you doing?" He glanced at Mu Anxiao's hand as it reached into the sack.
Mu Anxiao: "I'm counting." She whispered.
"What do you mean?" Hun Ling asked, not forgetting to glance back at Ouyang Ye, who stood with his hands behind his back, watching Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao: "Just keep an eye on Ouyang Ye."
"Okay." Hun Ling respected Mu Anxiao's arrangement and stood up.
In front of the shop, Gu Tie stared at Mu Anxiao's back for a few seconds and said, "Master is testing him."
"Testing?" Jia asked, frowning in confusion.
Then, Gu Tie turned to look at the perplexed Jia and suddenly smiled.
Jia, still not understanding Gu Tie's meaning, furrowed his brow even deeper. "No, what exactly are you trying to say? Can you explain it to me clearly, once and for all."
"Why are you so slow," Gu Tie said, looking down at Jia's face.
Jia tutted. "No personal attacks, please."
"Ouyang Ye's nature is difficult for most people to fathom. The reason Master is acting this way is simply to test... what kind of person he truly is, understand?" Gu Tie finally lost his patience.
"This..."
"In other words, her cooperating with Ouyang Ye like this is actually for our safety," Gu Tie added.