Showing My True Colors!

Because of a hint of worry in Li Mu Yang's eyes, Cui Xiaoxin ultimately decided to visit the Li family.

Having spent a lot of time together, she understood Li Mu Yang's personality. Although he seemed to be smiling all day, he was actually considerate and brave enough to take responsibility. He always talked about how his sister took care of him when she was little, but his affection and tolerance for his sister were also things Cui Xiaoxin could genuinely see and feel.

She had agreed to help Li Mu Yang with his studies, but her nature would have preferred a quiet, private tea house or some other place. She didn't like interacting with other people.

The reason she didn't reject the Li family and was willing to report to the Li family every day was because she liked the family's affectionate atmosphere, enjoyed seeing Li Sinian playfully bully Li Mu Yang, and also liked seeing Li Mu Yang look at her with a helpless expression after being bullied by Li Sinian.

Li Mu Yang didn't like to trouble others. Even after Li Mu Yang had saved her life, she was still very grateful for the help with her studies.

Perhaps, in his life, this was one of the few moments of warmth.

It was precisely because of this that Cui Xiaoxin worried even more that something had happened in Li Mu Yang's family, but he was unwilling to talk about it.

The Literary Examination had not yet ended, and there would be two important subjects to test tomorrow. She did not want Li Mu Yang to be disturbed by other trivial matters at this crucial juncture.

If she could help, she was willing to lend a hand.

Li Mu Yang didn't know who he was, but she knew herself very clearly.

What she could do might shock the entire Jiangnan City.

"Why are you here?"

Seeing Cui Xiaoxin standing crisply at the door, Li Mu Yang and Yan Xiangma asked in unison.

Cui Xiaoxin blinked her eyes again, pursed her lips, and chuckled, saying, "Are you two telepathic?"

Yan Xiangma glared fiercely at Li Mu Yang and walked up to Cui Xiaoxin, saying, "Cousin, why are you here? Aren't you going back for lunch?"

"If cousin can come, can't I?" Cui Xiaoxin looked at Yan Xiangma with a confused expression, thinking, Could Li Mu Yang's worry be because Yan Xiangma is causing trouble and deliberately came to the Li family to cause problems while I'm busy with exams?

She had seen the guards Yan Xiangma kept outside earlier. If Yan Xiangma had come to make Li Mu Yang distance himself from her, then she had indeed come at the right time today.

"How could that be?" Yan Xiangma said with a gentle smile, "If I can come, cousin can come even more. I know cousin and Mu Yang are very good classmates. Isn't it a good thing for classmates to visit each other? I also had some very good classmates when I was studying."

Cui Xiaoxin's expression was astonished. She looked at Yan Xiangma thoughtfully and said, "Then, cousin, why are you here?"

Cui Xiaoxin knew that her aunt's family knew her whereabouts like the back of their hand, and she was even clearer about their attitude towards her tutoring Li Mu Yang.

When she had returned last time, cousin Xiangma had insinuated that she was tutoring Li Mu Yang, and her aunt had explicitly proposed to thank Li Mu Yang for saving her life with some gifts—and then everyone would go their separate ways.

Wealthy families, how could they be willing to associate with such ordinary people?

Of course, they were even more afraid that she would develop feelings for Li Mu Yang—this was truly a ridiculous matter. Just because she had spoken a few words with boys at school, could they conclude that she liked him?

How was that possible?

But what was wrong with Yan Xiangma today? He said classmates should visit each other—his expression didn't seem fake.

"I came to see Li Mu Yang," Yan Xiangma said with a chuckle. "Cousin was attacked last time, and it was thanks to classmate Mu Yang's life-saving efforts—your Cui family and our Yan family must keep this kindness firmly in mind. It just so happens that I have some free time these days, so I came to see Li Mu Yang—hahaha, I didn't expect us to hit it off immediately and get along so well."

Cui Xiaoxin's worry deepened. She looked into Yan Xiangma's eyes and asked, "Cousin—did you take the wrong medicine?"

Yan Xiangma's expression instantly changed.

He stared at Cui Xiaoxin with wide eyes and said, "How did cousin know I took the wrong medicine today? Did that matter spread so quickly?"

"Cousin—" Cui Xiaoxin frowned, displeased, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"About me taking the wrong medicine," Yan Xiangma said, looking flustered and extremely indignant. "Cousin, you still haven't told me how you knew I took the wrong medicine—Li Sinian didn't go out, and the two elders have been at home. Li Mu Yang hasn't gone out since he returned—how did cousin know I drank the wrong medicine?"

He paused and asked cautiously, "No one else knows about this, right?"

"Cousin—" Cui Xiaoxin was about to get angry. Although she felt her cousin had always been a bit frivolous, he was exceptionally excessive today.

Cui Xiaoxin couldn't understand what nonsense he was spouting. Was he deliberately changing the subject?

Li Mu Yang couldn't stop laughing. He walked up to Cui Xiaoxin and explained the matter of Yan Xiangma drinking the wrong medicinal soup.

Cui Xiaoxin also couldn't stop laughing and said, "Cousin, your body—are you okay?"

Yan Xiangma wished he could find a crack in the ground to hide in. He was very displeased with Li Mu Yang's act of snitching and said, "Li Mu Yang, you've gone too far. I promised to help you take care of your family, and I made that medicinal soup to remove the Smoke Barrier Poison to help detoxify your family—if it weren't for gaining their trust and letting them know I was giving them an antidote, not poison, would I have had to taste it so forcefully myself?"

Li Mu Yang laughed even more heartily. He cupped his hands towards Yan Xiangma and said, "Yes, thank you, Young Master Yan. Your great kindness is unforgettable."

"Smoke Barrier Poison?" Cui Xiaoxin's expression turned slightly cold, and she asked, "Did Crow come?"

Yan Xiangma was greatly alarmed and scanned the courtyard. The small courtyard had been tidied up spotlessly, and the bloodstains on the walls and ground had all been wiped away—except for the indentations and cracks on the bluestone wall, there was no trace of anyone else having been there.

Could cousin Xiaoxin know that Crow had been here just from a single sentence?

Yan Xiangma winked at Li Mu Yang, signaling that he should handle this question, and said with a smile, "Crow? Why would Crow come here?"

"You smiled," Cui Xiaoxin said.

"Yes. I smiled. Haha, am I not allowed to smile?"

"If you weren't trying to hide something, when I asked you if Crow had come, you should have had a solemn expression and been on guard, because your main focus recently has been on searching for Crow's whereabouts—and you said the detoxifying medicinal soup was to eliminate the Smoke Barrier Poison. After I was attacked by Crow last time, I specifically asked Uncle Ning to collect information about Crow for me. I know his specialties are summoning Blood Crows and creating the Darkness Veil."

Cui Xiaoxin's gaze swept across the courtyard, and she said to Li Mu Yang, "Crow came, and he changed his target to you—because you saved me, he wants revenge. Is that right?"

Yan Xiangma stared blankly for a long time and then asked Li Mu Yang, "Are you really—going to marry such a smart woman?"

"I—" Li Mu Yang's face turned bright red at this question. He pretended to be angry and said, "Yan Xiangma, what are you talking about? When did I ever say—"

"You mean you're unwilling?" Yan Xiangma glanced at Li Mu Yang and said with great disdain.

"I—you—" Li Mu Yang's feelings were just beginning to blossom, and his affection for Cui Xiaoxin was also his first love.

He kept this matter to himself, much like a hen brooding in her nest, waiting for the day she could hatch a chick.

Hearing Yan Xiangma publicly reveal his innermost thoughts made him blush furiously, not knowing where to put his bare hands.

"Cousin—" Cui Xiaoxin also seemed a bit shy, a blush appearing on her fair neck. However, she hid it well, her expression not betraying much. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll go tell Auntie."

"Alright, alright, I was wrong. I surrender." Yan Xiangma was quite afraid of his mother, saying, "I just wanted to help."

Cui Xiaoxin glanced at Yan Xiangma in confusion, then looked at Li Mu Yang and asked, "How are Mom and Dad? How is Sinian? Is anyone injured? And you? Where is Crow now?"

"Mom and Dad are fine, Sinian is fine, and I'm fine—" Li Mu Yang said, looking at Cui Xiaoxin. "But they took the detox soup, so they probably can't come down to see guests right now."

"Where is Crow?" Cui Xiaoxin asked Li Mu Yang.

"Him—" Li Mu Yang looked to Yan Xiangma for help.

"I killed him," Yan Xiangma interjected.

"Hm?" Cui Xiaoxin's dark eyes swirled on Yan Xiangma's face.

"I killed him," Yan Xiangma said. "As you know, I've been sending people to search for Crow's whereabouts recently. After finally getting some information, I didn't dare to alert him. Later, he walked right into Li Mu Yang's house, so I brought guards and set up this trap—Heh heh, how dare he bully my little cousin Xiao Xin, I naturally wouldn't let him get away with it. You also know my martial arts have improved by leaps and bounds recently. After fighting that Crow for three hundred rounds, I poked out his eyes with a Dragon Eye strike, then struck his heart with a palm—"

Cui Xiaoxin was silent for a long time. She bowed deeply to Li Mu Yang and said, "I'm sorry, I've caused you trouble."

"Please don't say that," Li Mu Yang quickly reached out to help her up.

Cui Xiaoxin straightened her back and said to Yan Xiangma, "Cousin, since you killed Crow, you should report it to the City Lord's mansion to claim the reward—"

Her eyes became sharp, and her voice, though soft, carried an undeniable authority: "If anyone dares to question your ability, feel free to silence them forever."