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Kapitel 32

"Why does everyone I know have to be so serious?" Mo Xibei laughed, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Why make things so clear? Life is only a few decades long, and no one can predict what will happen tomorrow. Isn't it better to be a little oblivious?"

“You want to be confused, but it’s not enough for you to be confused alone in this world. Have you thought about what you will face when we leave here tomorrow and go back? You saved Murong Lianyun, are you really going to marry her? Can you marry her? What are you going to do then?” Mu Feinan asked.

“Things will work themselves out. She was determined to die that day, and so many days have been wasted. She might have died countless times by now. Maybe this won’t even be a problem by then, so why should I waste my brain cells thinking about it now?” Mo Xibei shook his head. “She won’t die.” Mu Feinan was very certain. “So you can’t escape this problem. As soon as you leave here, you’ll have to face it very soon.”

"That's a matter for the future," Mo Xibei said impatiently.

"Okay, let's leave that for later. So what about Chu Junfeng? What do you consider him to be, a friend or a lover?" Mu Feinan refused to let the matter drop.

"I'll only consider answering this question if Chu Junfeng asks me." Mo Xibei shook his head and yawned. "Are you done asking? I'm going to sleep now, I'm very sleepy."

"One last question: what do you take me for? An enemy, a friend, or something else entirely?"

Mo Xibei remained silent for a long time, stunned by the question. What was her relationship with Mu Feinan? Enemies? Aside from their clash in the Eastern Depot's camp, they had no other conflicts. In fact, they had fought side-by-side, he had even risked his life to save her, and they had spent a peaceful and tranquil time together in this small mountain village. Enemies? Could they still be considered enemies? Then, friends? Besides knowing that the man before her was named Mu Feinan, what else did she know about him? His background, his origins, why he served the Eastern Depot? She knew nothing about any of this. Okay, friendship is about mutual understanding and shared values, but did they understand each other? Did they share the same values?

"It seems I overestimated myself." Seeing Mo Xibei remain silent, Mu Feinan chuckled a few times, his voice slightly dry. "I know someone like me shouldn't lack this self-awareness. You don't need to sleep on the roof. After so many days of rain and a single day in the sun, the straw won't dry at all. You might as well sleep here. Even if my injuries have healed, even if I'm an assassin, I still wouldn't stoop to doing shameful and despicable things. By the way, do you know why we're here today?"

"Why?" Mo Xibei was taken aback, and his gaze naturally fell on the wound on his chest. Now, new flesh had grown over the wound, but the direction of the sword's momentum would not disappear immediately.

"You have no doubt whatsoever about why I was injured on the cliff that day, and who has the ability to injure me with a single move?" Mu Feinan's gaze was cold and his sarcasm was hard to hide.

"I thought you were going to pull me up with all your might, so I was careless." Mo Xibei suddenly felt his throat was dry, as if he really wanted to drink water.

“Northwest, you are not suited for this world. The good and evil of people are not as simple as you see them. You may not have seen it clearly at the time, but I saw it very clearly. When I was trying to pull you up, the person who took the opportunity to stab me with his sword was Chu Junfeng. The person you entrusted your life to, when you were in the most danger, his first thought was to take the opportunity to kill me.”

Rolling around, pie, where are you? Looking up, nothing... keeps rolling...

Chapter 51 Truth or Falsehood (Part 1)

"Who said Chu Junfeng is someone I can entrust my life to? That's absolutely a rumor." For a moment, Mo Xibei felt her simple heart suddenly become indescribably complicated. It was a complex and tangled mess, with a faint sadness that she couldn't quite explain. It wasn't an intense, sharp sadness, but it was a subtle, persistent sadness that clung to her heart. With each breath, it felt as if her internal organs were being torn apart, causing a dull ache. With each pull, her heart sank deeper and deeper. Instinctively, she wanted to refute this claim, as if she were fighting against another part of herself.

"You're really stubborn." Mu Feinan shook his head. "Do you think no one knows? Before you came to the Eastern Depot camp that day, you entrusted Honglu to him. Do I need to explain what Honglu is to you? Even if she's not your entire fortune or life, half of her is still worth it. I really don't understand what it is about Chu Junfeng that makes you trust him so much?"

"I've heard that people who know too much usually don't live long." Mo Xibei glared at Mu Feinan. No one likes being spied on. Being spied on, and then having the person who spied on you say it to your face, makes you feel even more uncomfortable. It's a bit like being forced to run naked, and you just want to get rid of the eyes of everyone who sees you.

“Since I met you, I think I’ve come to this realization.” Mu Feinan actually laughed, quite smugly. Mo Xibei thought that his laughter meant the topic was over, but unexpectedly, he continued to ask, “Don’t expect to get away with this with me. You still haven’t answered me why you trust that Chu guy so much.”

"Young Master Mu, Uncle Mu, can you please have some limits to your curiosity? Why I believe him is my business. Human feelings are strange and illogical, like... You say you got into this mess because of me, then tell me, why? We weren't even friends back then." Mo Xibei was a little annoyed; the feeling of being stepped on made her want to retaliate.

“Because back then, I knew I liked you.” Mu Feinan’s answer made Mo Xibei almost bite her tongue off, and she became seriously suspicious. Mu Feinan had been dragging Chu Junfeng into this conversation, waiting for her to fall into this trap. “Ha…” Feeling relieved at the same thought, Mo Xibei laughed a few times. Seeing that Mu Feinan was still serious, she couldn’t help but tease him, so she said, “What do you like about me? I’m average-looking, Honglu is prettier than me, and Lianyun is even more beautiful; I do have a lot of money. But don’t say I’ll give you a single penny, even if I did, you might not care; also, you can tell from my business that the traditional virtues of obedience and submission are bullshit to me; um… let me think. I’m only half-baked in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. And I guess you’ve never even seen this half-baked skill; as for martial arts, I think I’m passable. But you’re much better than me, so basically I have more flaws than strengths, and you’re lying without even blushing.”

“I like you, what does it have to do with how many flaws or strengths you have?” Mu Feinan shook his head. “Liking someone is just a feeling, just like how you instinctively choose to believe or disbelieve certain people. Whether I like or dislike someone, one glance is enough.”

"Alright, since you put it that way, I'll consider myself very honored to be liked by you at first sight." Mo Xibei yawned, deciding not to argue about these meaningless topics with this person whose thinking was so unpredictable. "But let's make this clear first, if you like me, just like me secretly. Don't affect my life. Also, liking someone doesn't mean you can expect anything in return. Don't expect me to like you back."

"What a heartless woman." Upon hearing this, Mu Feinan immediately rolled over and lay down on the kang, occupying most of the space. He turned his back to Mo Xibei and said, "Since you are so heartless, I am not worried about you catching a cold. If you like to sleep on the roof, then go ahead and sleep there. This spacious place is all mine, and I can stretch out a bit. I have been sleeping in the same position for the past few days. I am afraid that if I move even slightly, you will think I am a lecherous man and chop me up in your sleep. It is really not worth it."

Mo Xibei knew he was joking. Thinking that the damp straw was indeed unsuitable, he reached out and pushed Mu Feinan's quilt to the side, then lay down on the other side of the kang.

She didn't sleep well that night. She couldn't tell if it was because of Mu Feinan's words before she went to sleep or the knife she was carrying. She felt a heavy weight on her chest, as if something heavy was pressing down on it.

The next morning, after saying goodbye to Hu Zi's family, the two of them followed the mountain path that Hu Zi's father had pointed out and slowly made their way out of the forest.

"Murong Songtao might not be dead. Be careful when you go back." As they crossed a hillside and Henan Prefecture came into view, Mu Feinan, who had been silent the whole way, finally spoke.

“I know,” Mo Xibei nodded.

“If Murong Lianyun is with you later, you should still advise her to hand over the map. Only by handing it over can you feel at ease. Otherwise, you may not be able to leave Henan Prefecture,” Mu Feinan added.

“I understand the principle that a common man is innocent. That thing should not belong to us.” Mo Xibei nodded again, his fingers accidentally touching something hard in his arms. He couldn’t help but think that if this knife was really the key to the treasure, then how should he deal with it to stay away from trouble?

“Once we leave this mountain, we’ll probably be back to square one. To be honest, I’ve treated you as a friend these past few days, but it’s hard to say what will happen in the future. If one day you become my enemy, I won’t hold back.” Mu Feinan had been rambling on and on for the past few days, and Mo Xibei couldn’t help but miss the first time they met, when he was silent and wore that cold, aloof person with a metal mask.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Mu Feinan slowed his pace even further when he saw that she didn't speak.

"You've said both good and bad things, what do you want me to say? Okay, if we meet again and you cause me trouble, I won't be polite. I might just kill you!" Mo Xibei asked, slightly annoyed.

"Northwest, why don't you say that I won't be your enemy, so we will always be friends?" Mu Feinan laughed, reaching out to block the way, lowering his head slightly, his eyes looking at Mo Xibei, his gaze as dark as a deep pool, calm yet full of allure.

"I almost fell for it." Mo Xibei's gaze was involuntarily drawn to him when he looked at her, but it only lasted a moment before she broke free from his seductive gaze, turned her head away forcefully, and said jokingly, "The same trick didn't work the first time, but you dare to use it again."

"You caught me." Mu Feinan smiled, withdrew his hand from Mo Xibei's shoulder, but his steps were no longer slow. He walked straight ahead and led the way down the hillside. "If you ever have any trouble in the future, you can come to me." He said, his voice not particularly loud.

"Oh?" Mo Xibei nodded as usual, but then, remembering that this was a wish of his, he quickly took two steps forward and said, "What if you don't leave me a token and then deny it later?"

“You really are a businessman. A gentleman’s word is his bond. Why would I need a token? Besides, I can’t just give you my token. What if you take advantage of my feelings for you and do whatever you want? Then I’ll lose out.” Mu Feinan turned around and said with a smile, “I won’t fall for your tricks.”

"But you didn't say how I should contact you if I encounter any difficulties." Seeing that Mu Feinan was about to leave, Mo Xibei quickly grabbed his clothes.

"Just call my name in the yard, but don't call it too many times, three times is enough," Mu Feinan hurriedly tugged at his clothes, but muttered under his breath, "I thought you were a girl, after all, and you rejected his confession, how could you ask him for help in the future? I didn't expect you to actually take it seriously."

“Not taking advantage of a bargain isn’t my style,” Mo Xibei’s heart stirred slightly, but he smiled and said, “Your mask is really good. Now that you don’t need it anymore, why don’t you…”

Before she could utter the words "send me away," Mu Feinan had already pulled off the hem of her clothes that was being held, and without stopping, she leaped more than ten feet away in a flash, disappearing from sight in a few leaps.

Mo Xibei didn't chase after them. She simply stopped and leaned against a large tree, deep in thought. Henan Prefecture was right in front of her, but her emotions had been turbulent these past few days. She had seen too many things and couldn't distinguish between truth and falsehood. She had finally managed to drive Mu Feinan away, and she really needed to think things through.

As they lingered, walking and thinking, by the time they entered the city, it was already dusk. The inn where he had taken Honglu to stay was still deserted. Thinking back to when they entered the city, the streets didn't seem as lively as usual. Mo Xibei knew that the people from the Eastern Depot probably hadn't left yet.

The waiter saw Mo Xibei approaching from afar and hurriedly came out to greet him. Mo Xibei, whose clothes hadn't been changed for several days, asked the waiter to prepare some hot water. The waiter nodded in agreement, but then said, "Young master, since you left, another young master has moved into the shop. He stays in your room every day, saying he knows you and has been waiting for you. I saw that he was very familiar with your maid, so I didn't dare to stop him."

Chapter 51 The Truth (Part 2)

As they lingered, walking and thinking, by the time they entered the city, it was already dusk. The inn where he had taken Honglu to stay was still deserted. Thinking back to when they entered the city, the streets didn't seem as lively as usual. Mo Xibei knew that the people from the Eastern Depot probably hadn't left yet.

The waiter, who had been idle due to the lack of customers, saw Mo Xibei approaching from afar and hurriedly came out to greet him. Of course, he hesitated for a moment as he got closer, as if he couldn't believe that the person in front of him was the dashing young nobleman who had been so dashing and spirited just a few days ago.

"What, you don't recognize me after a few days?" Mo Xibei teased. "You're not refusing me entry just because my clothes are disheveled, are you?"