Juan'er said this to inform Ouyang Ye that Mu Anxiao was not going to give up on marrying him. It also served to distance herself from the matter while simultaneously increasing Ouyang Ye's hatred for Mu Anxiao, prompting him to order her complete capture.
However, Ouyang Ye gave her such a response. She clenched her fist. "Mu Anxiao, if you're not dead, I'll kill you," she declared, getting out of bed.
In the woods.
After mocking the vine spirit, Mu Anxiao and the wolf demon returned to normal. The vine spirit, after this moment of laughter and shyness, resolved to find the woman who had saved him.
"Mu Anxiao, I'm coming in with you," he said with a determined expression.
"Are you sure? Just now..." Mu Anxiao began, recalling the vine spirit's earlier hesitation, and smiled faintly, "Didn't you refuse? Why have you compromised now?"
"It's the power of love at first sight," the wolf demon said in a tone like a spoken-word poem.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao got goosebumps. "That's disgusting, you like that," she glanced at the wolf demon.
The wolf demon chuckled. "I've had enough of this place. If you're willing, I'll help you, and then you can take me away. What do you say?" He knew Mu Anxiao's heart only belonged to Feng Qishi.
Mu Anxiao frowned.
Meanwhile, the vine spirit mocked the wolf demon, "What are you thinking? She's going to marry Ouyang Ye. Then," he looked at Mu Anxiao, "she'll definitely lose her freedom. You still want to rely on her to get out? Haha, a fool's dream."
The wolf demon smiled at Mu Anxiao.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao realized that the wolf demon must know her plan. To prevent him from causing trouble or exposing her, she started to laugh.
The wolf demon frowned. "What are you laughing at? I'm serious."
"Wolf demon, if you behave well, I can put in a good word for you with Ouyang Ye before I lose my freedom," Mu Anxiao said, not wanting the wolf demon to hold any leverage over her, and intentionally sowing confusion in his thoughts.
Upon hearing this, the wolf demon indeed hesitated.
The vine spirit laughed. "I just want a position, and then I'll find her... and live a life of comfort." He then began to imagine his future blissful life.
Mu Anxiao also smiled. "Before all that, you two should bring me back first." With that, she walked ahead.
The wolf demon fell into self-doubt.
Then, the vine spirit pulled the wolf demon along and followed Mu Anxiao. "Do you know where to go?"
"Just head towards that palace, right?" Mu Anxiao replied without looking back, starting to hesitate... whether to cooperate with the wolf demon.
The wolf demon also fell into a state of self-doubting reflection.
Just then, Ouyang Ye flew over the forest canopy, returning to the shore. He cast his gaze upon the seven-colored lake water and asked, "Did you see the one I brought back..."
"Master, this servant saw."
Hearing this, Ouyang Ye looked down at the ground, where an ant was. "Transform into human form." He heard the ant's words clearly.
"Master..."
"If you don't obey me, I'll crush you," Ouyang Ye said, lifting his foot.
Immediately, the ant, in fear, quickly transformed into human form. "Master." She was a female demon.
"Why did you only transform after I threatened you?" Ouyang Ye asked directly.
The ant demon nodded slightly. "Master, this servant was once a maidservant named Xiao Yao. But because I looked at you a couple of times too many, Lord Master banished me. Please don't tell Lord Master... this servant..."
"I asked you to transform into human form only to ask if you saw the woman I brought back. No need for nonsense," Ouyang Ye said, glancing at the ant demon. "Of course, I have no interest in your affairs. Naturally, I won't tell Juan'er what form you take."
Upon hearing this, the ant demon smiled. "Thank you, Master."
"Answer," Ouyang Ye fixed his gaze on the ant demon's face.
Immediately, the ant demon hesitated.
Ouyang Ye grew impatient. "Speak, why are you hesitating?"
"There," the ant demon pointed towards the lake water.
The ant demon's original form was too tiny, so her range of vision was limited. Most importantly, the locations where the wolf demon and the vine spirit were were precisely in her blind spot, and she was sleeping at the time, thus she did not see Mu Anxiao being rescued.
"There?" Ouyang Ye followed the ant demon's pointing finger and looked towards the center of the lake, frowning.
"She fell in," the ant demon said. Recalling the scene at the time, she continued, "That woman probably couldn't swim. After a few struggles... she sank."
"How did she fall in?" Ouyang Ye's heart skipped a beat, and his expression turned serious.
The ant demon thought for a moment and said firmly, "She jumped in herself. She insisted on washing here at the time, and Lord Master tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. In the end, Lord Master even jumped in to find her, but unfortunately... she sank too deep, and Lord Master couldn't find her." After saying this, she nodded slightly.
Ouyang Ye was stunned.
In the room, Juan'er sat before a bronze mirror, watching the ant demon conversing with Ouyang Ye in the mirror. A slight smile curved her lips. "This little girl is quite clever." Then, she lowered her eyes to think and vanished on the spot.
In the blink of an eye.
Juan'er appeared behind Ouyang Ye and the ant demon, saying, "Who told you to transform into human form."
Hearing this, the ant demon's eyes widened. As she quickly turned to look at Juan'er, she knelt. "This servant knows her mistake, this servant will..."
"I'll forgive you because you explained the situation to Ye. You may rise," Juan'er said. Passing by the ant demon, she walked to Ouyang Ye's side. "Ye, I'm sorry."
"Why did you lie to me?" Ouyang Ye asked, turning his head to glare at Juan'er.
Juan'er cried, "Ye, I only lied to you because I didn't want you to be sad, saying she escaped. I..." She clutched her forehead. "I searched for a long time too." As she spoke, she leaned on Ouyang Ye's shoulder.
Conversely, Ouyang Ye merely glanced at Juan'er before pushing her away. "I don't believe Mu Anxiao would die."
"Her swimming ability..."
"You go back. I'll go look," Ouyang Ye said, transforming into a black streak of light... and shot into the water.
Juan'er clenched her fists watching Ouyang Ye's action.
The ant demon dared not revert to her original form... she could only watch her quietly, a sense of panic rising within her.
"This lake is too deep. Mu Anxiao... definitely won't survive," Juan'er said, wiping away tears from the corner of her eyes, and turned to face the ant demon. "Tell me, am I right?"
"Yes, whatever Master says is right," the ant demon replied quickly, her mouth twitching slightly.
Juan'er liked the ant demon's attitude and chuckled softly. "Come back to the palace with me." With that, she transformed into a red light and left.
Immediately, the ant demon, without time to hesitate, quickly followed Juan'er.