"I was just kidding."
Mu Qi made a remedial statement, his expression exceptionally unnatural.
Yun Shulian had been entangled with Mu Qi for two lifetimes. She could tell whether Mu Qi had been joking just now or not.
Mu Qi's expression had genuinely conveyed his desire to have Ling Xue killed.
But why?
Weren't Mu Qi and Ling Xue deeply in love?
"Have their feelings faded so quickly?"
No, Mu Qi didn't seem like the type to change his mind easily.
Wait, if he wasn't the type to change his mind easily, did that mean there was nothing between Mu Qi and Ling Xue?
A look of surprise instantly appeared on Yun Shulian's face.
"Mu Qi, you don't like Ling Xue, do you?" Yun Shulian quickly walked up to Mu Qi and grabbed his hand.
Mu Qi looked at Yun Shulian inexplicably, then down at his wrist, which was being held by Yun Shulian. "Of course not."
"Then why didn't you bring me along when you went out with Ling Xue before?" As she said this, Yun Shulian's face showed a deep sense of grievance.
Mu Qi opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
Mu Qi couldn't stand to see Yun Shulian upset. He had originally wanted to explain immediately, but upon remembering the man Yun Shulian was hiding there, Mu Qi tightened his lips.
What could he say? Should he admit to his clumsy and ridiculous delusions of becoming what Yun Shulian liked?
Mu Qi withdrew his wrist from Yun Shulian's grip, avoiding her gaze.
"Mu Qi, say something!" Yun Shulian anxiously called out his name.
"Just discussing some matters," Mu Qi replied cryptically.
Yun Shulian pursed her lips and could only tentatively guess, "Is it about me?"
Mu Qi lowered his gaze, his throat bobbing, and he implicitly agreed.
Yun Shulian furrowed her delicate brows and asked again, "Were you speaking ill of me?"
This time, Mu Qi responded quickly, "No."
He was merely discussing what kind of person Yun Shulian liked and how he could imitate it to perfection.
How could Mu Qi allow Ling Xue to speak ill of Yun Shulian?
Yun Shulian's gaze drifted, lost in deep thought, unable to come to any conclusion.
"It's good that you weren't speaking ill of me." Yun Shulian cupped Mu Qi's cheeks with both hands.
Mu Qi's long eyelashes trembled slightly, then, carried by the wind, a gentle kiss landed on the corner of his eye.
Yun Shulian's lips and the corners of her eyes curved upward in unison. Her steps back to her seat became considerably lighter.
From her past life to the present, Mu Qi had never lied to Yun Shulian.
Even in their first life, when Yun Shulian was in love with Zuo Nan and constantly plotting to elope with him, Mu Qi had never deceived Yun Shulian. He had always sincerely refused Yun Shulian's requests to leave him.
However, Mu Qi had still lied to Yun Shulian.
He clearly couldn't eat fish, but when Yun Shulian asked, he said he was fine.
He clearly had a lot of work, but when Yun Shulian suggested a date, he claimed he had no work.
Yun Shulian believed that everything Mu Qi said was true. If Mu Qi said he didn't like Ling Xue, then he didn't like Ling Xue.
Wait...
Mu Qi not liking Ling Xue now didn't necessarily mean he liked her.
Yun Shulian suddenly realized this, put down her fork, and looked up at Mu Qi, who was staring blankly at a table full of food, not eating.
Had another woman entered Mu Qi's heart while she wasn't paying attention?
Besides the ferry captain, there were only the two of them here.
To find out if there were other women in Mu Qi's heart, Yun Shulian could only try to probe.
With this thought, Yun Shulian abruptly stood up and walked towards the upper floor.
With a metallic clang, the chain tautened, restricting Yun Shulian's movement.
Yun Shulian frowned, gripping her wrist and gasping.
Instantly, a pair of blue slippers appeared before Yun Shulian.
"Where are you going?" Mu Qi's voice came from above her.
Yun Shulian didn't speak. After recovering, she directly pulled Mu Qi's wrist and headed upstairs.
Because he hadn't eaten much, Mu Qi was experiencing some hypoglycemia. He stumbled slightly but then managed to steady himself and followed Yun Shulian.
Upon reaching the bedroom, Yun Shulian quickly took out her phone from her bag and then stared intently at the screen, tapping away at something.
Watching Yun Shulian's actions, Mu Qi rubbed his forehead and then went to sit beside her, his face looking somewhat pale.
After about an hour, Yun Shulian had gathered a pile of photos of women and was showing them to Mu Qi one by one.
Mu Qi's vision began to blur. He shook his head, forcing himself to look through the photos Yun Shulian had found.
"What do you want to say?" Mu Qi asked after finishing, turning to look at Yun Shulian.
"Mhm, among these people, who do you think is the prettiest?"
Yun Shulian shifted her gaze from Mu Qi to the many beautiful women on the phone screen, feeling as though she had just swallowed a handful of lemons.
Was Nian Nian trying to "select concubines" for him so she could have an opportunity to be with that yoga instructor here?
Mu Qi frowned, raised a hand to wrap around Yun Shulian's shoulders from behind, and leaned into her ear as if to say something.
Yun Shulian noticed Mu Qi's movement and turned to look at him, only to find his head resting on her shoulder as he lost consciousness.
"Mu Qi?"
He didn't respond.
Yun Shulian nudged him again, but Mu Qi remained unresponsive.
Frightened by Mu Qi, Yun Shulian quickly got up, gently laid him down on the bed, and then placed her fingers on his wrist.
Deficiency of qi and blood, leading to accumulated illness.
Having reached this conclusion, Yun Shulian paced anxiously around the bedroom.
Outside the window, a small animal rustled through the grass, making a few faint sounds.
Looking at the dense green foliage, Yun Shulian had an idea. She took out a key from a hidden compartment in her bag, unlocked the handcuffs, and casually set them aside. She then went out to search for herbs that could nourish qi and blood.
Fortunately, Grand Island had a pleasant climate, and various medicinal herbs grew exceptionally well.
Soon, Yun Shulian found a good number of herbs that could nourish qi and blood.
The morning dew outside the villa was heavy, and Yun Shulian didn't stay outside for long before her entire lower legs were soaked.
Returning to the villa, Yun Shulian ground the herbs into a medicinal juice. She then pulled Mu Qi up, had him lean against her, and fed him the juice spoonful by spoonful.
However, as this continued, Yun Shulian became increasingly restless and uneasy.