"Alright,楼主, you should rest. We're heading down."
Dai Mei nodded. She hadn't expected that in the end, it was the Flower Palace Master who was causing trouble from behind the scenes. She had truly mistaken him for a friend. She used to let him come to Xiaoyao Island whenever she pleased, but from now on, he wouldn't set foot on Xiaoyao Island again.
Two days later, Bu Xiangyin's situation was clarified. Bu Xiangyin had only started performing at Xuexiang Tower two years ago, and upon arrival, she was said to have lost her memory.
Liu Liu sneered. It seemed Hua Wuyou intended to use this pawn to lure Feng Xie out. Xuexiang Tower was undoubtedly an industry of the Demon Palace. Hua Wuyou made Xuexiang Tower so famous simply to attract Feng Xie.
He hadn't expected Feng Xie to have left the palace. Then, was Feng Xie's near-death experience last time his doing? If he was the one who killed Feng Xie, there would be no need to keep Bu Xiangyin at Xuexiang Tower. If not, who else wanted to kill Feng Xie?
Liu Liu was waiting for a move, but Hua Wuyou hadn't sent anyone to discuss cooperation with the Seven Stars Tower again. Had he already sensed that his scheme had been seen through?
Liu Liu mulled over it repeatedly in her room, her head aching. Thinking about their arrival in Fengyue City, she hadn't taken Mu Xing out to play yet. The weather today was excellent, so why not take Mu Xing out for a stroll? With that thought, she stopped dwelling on troublesome matters.
"Hong Xiu, go and fetch a carriage for me. I'll take Mu Xing to the streets."
"Yes, Master." Hong Xiu nodded in response and instructed the young maids attending the courtyard to prepare a carriage at the front gate. After giving the order, Hong Xiu went next door to call Mu Xing and Cui'er.
As soon as Mu Xing heard this, he was so happy he jumped three feet high, pulling Cui Yi's hand and rushing into his mother's chambers.
"Mother, is this true? Does Mother finally have time to take Mu Xing out to play?"
"Mm, Mother will take Mu Xing out to play today."
Seeing her son's happiness, Liu Liu had already thrown her worries to the wind. Today, she would accompany her son and not think of anything else. This child had probably been remembering her words all along. Liu Liu pursed her lips and smiled.
"Alright, let's go. The carriage is ready."
Liu Liu took Mu Xing's hand. It was a rare occasion to visit Fengyue City.
Liu Liu instructed the few people who accompanied them to stroll along. The carriage was already prepared at the front of the Feng residence. The Feng residence's butler, Lu Qing, led the servants and waited at the entrance. Upon seeing their group, he respectfully asked,
"Does the楼主 require my assistance in touring the city? Fengyue City has several places worth visiting."
Butler Lu looked at Mu Xing in Qi Ye's hands. The child's cheeks were rosy and exceptionally radiant, his large eyes blinking as he smiled at him. The usually stern old man felt a warmth in his heart.
"No need. Butler Lu, you may attend to your duties. Don't forget, this isn't my first time in Fengyue City. I know all the famous places."
Liu Liu declined politely. She was, in fact, more familiar with Fengyue City's layout than anyone else. She had come here a few times openly and many more times discreetly to inspect the Seven Stars Tower's properties. How could she not be familiar with it? She waved her hand, signaling Butler Lu not to worry.
Butler Lu led the servants and saw Liu Liu and her group onto the carriage.
As the carriage moved, Mu Xing lifted the curtain, eagerly looking outside. The street was bustling with people, and many vendors were selling goods along the roadside – fruits, vegetables, and many clay figurines.
Mu Xing soon clamored to get off the carriage, and Liu Liu, with no other choice, agreed.
Since she had promised to take him out to play, all his wishes would naturally be accommodated. The group alighted from the carriage, asking the coachman to wait in a corner of the street. They wandered around, and Mu Xing, having never seen such things before, walked and observed, touching everything.
Liu Liu bought a few items that he liked, and soon they had accumulated a pile. Many were gifts from the vendors. Seeing how beautiful and cute Mu Xing was, they gave him something extra with every purchase. Soon, both Cui'er and Hong Xiu's hands were full.
"Mu Xing, stop buying. We won't be able to carry any more."
"Okay, okay."
Mu Xing nodded contentedly, mentally deciding which items to give to Abu and which to Abu's sister. His dark eyes flickered up and down, more dazzling than gemstones, and the deep dimples on his cheeks made him incredibly adorable.
Seeing that they had bought enough, Liu Liu took Mu Xing to watch open-air performances, including sword-play, monkey shows, and everything else. It was extremely lively.
Mu Xing, seeing the crowd's excitement, couldn't help but want to release his little golden snake and black scorpion.
Liu Liu shook her head at him, stopping him. It was fine in Mu Xing's eyes, but they were highly venomous. If they were to harm anyone, it would be troublesome. Liu Liu didn't want their outing to be interrupted by unexpected events.
The group browsed for a long time. By noon, the sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, casting myriad rays of light. The ground grew hot, and the group was a bit tired. They decided to find a place for a meal.
Looking up, they saw a signpost standing by the roadside not far ahead. A waiter stood beneath the signpost, enthusiastically waving a towel and shouting with a face full of smiles. Customers were entering the establishment one after another.
Although the establishment wasn't very large, they were quite tired from walking. Liu Liu instructed them to dine at this restaurant.
Upon entering, they found that despite the unimpressive exterior, the interior was quite exquisite, clean, and refreshing.
The proprietor and waiters were also extremely hospitable, giving them a feeling of being at home. Dai Mei smiled and asked the proprietor, "Do you have any private rooms?"
"Yes," the proprietor nodded repeatedly, beckoning a busy waiter. "Take these guests to the private room on the second floor, room number three."
The waiter immediately nodded enthusiastically, turned around, and asked, "Esteemed guests, please follow me."
With that, he led the way. Liu Liu, holding her son, led her subordinates behind the waiter towards the second floor. The stairs were made of solid wood, as were the handrails, polished smooth and dust-free, giving a refreshing impression without any trace of impurity.
As Liu Liu was lost in thought, a cold voice sounded from above: "Be careful."
It turned out she had been lost in thought and hadn't looked up. Several people were descending from upstairs on the left side of the handrail, and they were about to collide. Thus, the other party called out a warning. Liu Liu smiled sheepishly, looked up, and quickly moved aside.
Unexpectedly, the people descending from upstairs were Feng Xie and his three subordinates: Zhan Yun, Ri Ying, and Yue Ying. The group stared directly at their party.
Upon seeing Feng Xie, Liu Liu's expression turned cold, her lips pursed tightly. Without a word, she followed the waiter to the side. Mu Xing, who was being held by her, turned his head and glared fiercely at Feng Xie, then stuck out his tongue and made a face.
Feng Xie, standing still, was stunned. This child constantly occupied his thoughts. Even the slightest movement he made made Feng Xie fantasize. Zhan Yun saw his master's expression flicker, unsure what was happening.
Just as he was about to ask, Feng Xie strode forward and followed Qi Ye and the others towards private room number three.
Ri Ying and Yue Ying exclaimed in surprise, "Master."
They had already eaten. Why was the Master following them? Moreover, Qi Ye clearly disliked the Master, and that child also harbored significant hostility towards the Master.
Yet, whenever the Master saw the two of them, he would involuntarily do things that were unfathomable.
Zhan Yun shook his head, signaling the other two to stop calling out. "Let's go and see."
Let's see what the Master intended to do. His Master had been too abnormal these past few days. Previously, he had been very interested in that Miss Bu, but now he seemed less concerned.
Did he no longer have feelings for the Empress? The three subordinates speculated from time to time.
They had already discovered that Bu Xiangyin entered Xuexiang Tower two years ago and lost her memory immediately upon arrival. Nothing else could be traced. Now, they could only rely on news from the capital to see if the Empress's remains were in the imperial mausoleum.