Because he had caught a trace of worry in Li Mu Yang's eyes, Cui Xiaoxin ultimately decided to come by the Li residence and take a look.
After spending so much time together, she understood Li Mu Yang's temperament. Although he seemed to wear a smile all day long, he was actually sensitive and thoughtful, and willing to shoulder responsibility. He was always talking about how his little sister had cared for him when they were young, but the affection and indulgence he showed toward his sister were also things Cui Xiaoxin could see and feel for herself.
She had agreed to help Li Mu Yang with his studies, but by nature she would actually have preferred a quiet, private teahouse or somewhere else of the sort. She did not like dealing with other people.
The reason she did not mind the people of the Li family and was willing to report to their home every day was that she liked the warmth of their family atmosphere. She liked watching Li Sinian torment Li Mu Yang with all sorts of devilish tricks, and she also liked seeing the helpless look on Li Mu Yang's face as he was bullied by Li Sinian and turned toward her.
Li Mu Yang did not like troubling others. Even after he had saved her life, he remained deeply grateful for the small matter of her tutoring him.
Perhaps, in his life, this counted as one of the few faint stars of light.
It was precisely because of this that Cui Xiaoxin was even more worried that something had happened to Li Mu Yang's family, yet he was unwilling to speak of it.
The Literary Examination was not over yet. Tomorrow, two more important subjects would be tested. She did not want Li Mu Yang to be distracted by other worldly troubles at this critical moment.
If she could help, she was willing to lend both hands.
Li Mu Yang did not know who she was, but she understood herself very clearly.
What she was capable of doing might well be enough to shock the whole of Jiangnan City.
"Why have you come?"
Seeing Cui Xiaoxin standing crisply at the doorway, Li Mu Yang and Yan Xiangma asked in unison.
Cui Xiaoxin blinked again, pressed her lips together in a smile, and said, "You two are of one mind, aren't you?"
Yan Xiangma glared fiercely at Li Mu Yang, then hurried over to Cui Xiaoxin and said, "Cousin Xiao Xin, what brings you here? Aren't you going home for lunch?"
"If you can come, why can't I?" Cui Xiaoxin looked at Yan Xiangma doubtfully. Could Li Mu Yang's worry have been because Yan Xiangma came looking for trouble, deliberately coming to the Li residence to cause trouble while I was busy with the examinations?
She had seen the group of guards Yan Xiangma kept outside just now. If Yan Xiangma had come to make Li Mu Yang distance himself from her, then coming here today had truly been the right decision.
"How could that be?" Yan Xiangma said with a gentle smile. "If I can come, then Cousin can come even more. I know you and Mu Yang are very good classmates. Isn't it a good thing for classmates to visit one another? When I was studying, I also had several excellent classmates."
Cui Xiaoxin looked astonished. She studied Yan Xiangma thoughtfully and said, "Then what brings you here, Cousin?"
Cui Xiaoxin knew that her aunt's family had a complete grasp of her whereabouts. She also knew even better what their attitude was toward her coming to tutor Li Mu Yang.
The last time she had returned, Cousin Xiangma had made pointed mention of her tutoring Li Mu Yang. Her aunt had then explicitly suggested showing her gratitude for Li Mu Yang's life-saving favor with some gifts—and afterward, they would never associate again.
What wealthy family would be willing to become entangled with an ordinary person like that?
Of course, they were even more afraid that she had developed feelings for Li Mu Yang—truly, it was an absurd idea. Could they really conclude that she liked him just because she had spoken a few more words to a male student at school?
How was that possible?
But what was wrong with Yan Xiangma today? He had said that classmates should visit one another, and his expression did not look feigned.
"I came to see Li Mu Yang." Yan Xiangma chuckled. "When Cousin was attacked last time, it was all thanks to our classmate Mu Yang risking his life to save her. The Cui and Yan Families must both remember this favor forever. I happened to have some free time these past few days, so I came to see Li Mu Yang. Hahaha, I never expected us to hit it off at first sight. We get along wonderfully."
Cui Xiaoxin's worry deepened. Looking into Yan Xiangma's eyes, she asked, "Cousin—did you take the wrong medicine?"
Yan Xiangma's expression instantly became like this.
He widened his eyes at Cui Xiaoxin and said, "How did Cousin know I took the wrong medicine today? Did word of it spread so quickly?"
"Cousin—" Cui Xiaoxin frowned and said unhappily, "What exactly are you talking about?"
"About me taking the wrong medicine." Yan Xiangma looked flustered and furious. "Cousin, you still haven't told me how you knew I took the wrong medicine—Li Sinian hasn't gone out, and the two elders have been home the whole time. After Li Mu Yang came back, he never went out either. How did Cousin know I had taken the wrong medicine?"
After a pause, he asked cautiously, "No one else knows about this, right?"
"Cousin—" Cui Xiaoxin was almost angry. Although she had always thought her cousin lacked propriety, he was being particularly outrageous today.
Cui Xiaoxin could not understand a word of his nonsense. Was he deliberately changing the subject?
Li Mu Yang laughed until he could barely stand upright. He walked over to Cui Xiaoxin and explained how Yan Xiangma had drunk the wrong medicinal soup.
Cui Xiaoxin also laughed without stopping and said, "Cousin, are you feeling all right?"
Yan Xiangma wished he could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. Deeply dissatisfied with Li Mu Yang's betrayal, he said, "Li Mu Yang, you've gone too far. I'm looking after your family at your request, and I had that medicinal soup prepared to purge the Smoke Barrier Poison from them. If I hadn't needed to gain their trust and let them know that what I gave them was an antidote rather than poison, would I have needed to sample it myself with such force?"
Li Mu Yang laughed even more happily and cupped his hands toward Yan Xiangma. "Yes, thank you, Young Master Yan. I'll never forget your great kindness."
"Smoke Barrier Poison?" Cui Xiaoxin's expression turned slightly cold. She asked, "Has Crow come?"
Yan Xiangma was startled. He surveyed the courtyard. The small yard had been cleaned spotless, and the bloodstains on the walls and ground had all been wiped away. Apart from the dents and cracks left by impacts in the bluestone wall, there was no sign that anyone else had ever come here.
Could Cousin Xiao Xin have realized that Crow came here from nothing more than one sentence?
Yan Xiangma blinked at Li Mu Yang, signaling that he would handle the question. With a smile, he said, "Crow? How could Crow have come here?"
"You smiled," Cui Xiaoxin said.
"Of course I smiled. Hahaha, am I not allowed to smile?"
"If you weren't trying to hide something, then when I asked whether Crow had come, your expression should have turned grave and guarded. After all, most of your efforts lately have been focused on searching for Crow's whereabouts. Besides, you said the detoxifying soup was meant to purge Smoke Barrier Poison. After I was ambushed by Crow last time, I specifically asked Uncle Ning to gather information about him. I know that his greatest specialties are summoning blood crows and the Darkness Veil."
Cui Xiaoxin's gaze swept across the courtyard. Looking at Li Mu Yang, she said, "Crow came. He changed his target to you because you saved me, so he wanted revenge. Is that right?"
Yan Xiangma stood dazed for a long while before looking at Li Mu Yang and asking, "Do you really intend to marry such an intelligent woman?"
"I—" Li Mu Yang's face turned bright red from the question. Pretending to be angry, he said, "Yan Xiangma, what are you talking about? When did I ever say—"
"So you're saying you're unwilling?" Yan Xiangma glanced at Li Mu Yang and said with great disdain.
"I—you—" Li Mu Yang had only just begun to awaken to love, and his feelings for Cui Xiaoxin were his first love.
He had hidden those feelings in his heart, like a hen crouched in her nest, waiting for the day she could hatch a chick.
Hearing Yan Xiangma expose his feelings in public left him blushing scarlet and so embarrassed that he did not know where to put his bare hands.
"Cousin—" Cui Xiaoxin was also somewhat shy, and a flush of red appeared on her tender white neck. She hid it well, however, and showed little expression on her face. "If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll go home and tell Aunt."
"All right, all right, I was wrong. I surrender." Yan Xiangma was terribly afraid of his mother. "I was only trying to help."
Cui Xiaoxin gave Yan Xiangma a doubtful look, then turned to Li Mu Yang and asked, "How are Uncle and Aunt? How is Sinian? Is anyone hurt? What about you? Where is Crow now?"
"Dad and Mom are fine, Sinian is fine, and I'm fine too." Li Mu Yang looked at Cui Xiaoxin. "But they drank the detoxifying soup, so I'm afraid they can't come down to receive guests right now."
"What about Crow?" Cui Xiaoxin asked Li Mu Yang.
"He..." Li Mu Yang looked toward Yan Xiangma for help.
"I killed him," Yan Xiangma answered.
"Hm?" Cui Xiaoxin's dark eyes turned toward Yan Xiangma's face.
"I killed him," Yan Xiangma said. "You know that I've been sending people to search for Crow's whereabouts all this time. After finally getting a lead, I still didn't dare alert him. Later, he walked right into the trap and came to Li Mu Yang's home, so I brought my guards and set up this Heavenly Net. Heh, anyone who dares bully my little Cousin Xiao Xin won't get off easily. You also know that my martial arts have improved by leaps and bounds recently. After fighting Crow for three hundred rounds, I used a Dragon-Eye Strike to poke his eye blind, then struck him squarely in the heart with a palm—"
Cui Xiaoxin fell silent for a long while, then bowed deeply to Li Mu Yang and said, "I'm sorry. I've caused trouble for you."
"Please don't do that." Li Mu Yang hurriedly reached out to support her.
Cui Xiaoxin straightened her back and looked at Yan Xiangma. "Cousin, since you were the one who killed Crow, you should report it to the City Lord's Mansion and claim the bounty—"
Her gaze sharpened. Her voice remained gentle, yet carried unquestionable authority. "If anyone dares question your ability, then by all means, seal his mouth forever."
Before you continue