"What, do you think I would go back on my word for five pearls?" Kazel could not help but retort when he heard her.
Granted, it was not wrong to deliver the goods first, but with their relationship, was it really necessary to give the pearls in advance?
"What if something happens? It feels more secure having it in hand." She spoke seriously. In her past life, numerous strategists and endless schemes had taught her this lesson.
Truly, one should never place trust solely on human nature—because not everyone possesses it.
"Alright, I will go get it for you." With a helpless sigh, Kazel stood up. "I won't be coming back tonight. I need to say goodbye to them."
"Alright." Mu Qingyun nodded, showing no objection.
"Mu-ge, Su, Fan Xuanye and I are going to catch something to eat," Xiong Ruoyou said, leaning over the railing and peering in at her.
"Mm." She responded briefly. With her approval, Xiong Ruoyou immediately turned and left with Fan Xuanye.
Food was still necessary, but due to Kazel's relationship with the others, the two tried to avoid fishing unless absolutely necessary.
Now, only she, Su, and Bai Feifei remained in the room.
As she was thinking, Bai Feifei suddenly appeared before her.
"What's wrong with you?" Bai Feifei asked, scrutinizing her carefully. Her gaze finally settled on Mu Qingyun's exposed arm.
Though she had been inside the house earlier, she still overheard some of the conversation outside.
While she did not know what "insect poison-clearing serum" was, she had clearly heard that Mu Qingyun would be weakened for three days.
"Nothing serious." Su gave Bai Feifei a cold glance. "She just needs some rest. If you are idle, you could fetch some water."
"Hmph, I already fetched water today. If you do not want to talk to me, fine. I will go for a walk." Bai Feifei glared at them in frustration, then turned and walked out.
Mu Qingyun stared at her retreating back, a flicker of coldness flashing in her eyes. "Su, go check the pot she washed. Look closely to see if there's anything suspicious."
"Alright." Su nodded and immediately walked over to where the pots were stored.
In truth, even if Mu Qingyun had not said anything, he would have checked anyway. Still, he believed Bai Feifei could not be that foolish. If he really found something in the pot, then it would only prove that Bai Feifei was truly… naïve.
…
On the other side, after leaving the house, Bai Feifei immediately shut off her livestream device and quickly made her way to where Mu Xueyao was.
Ahem ahem.
Seeing Mu Xueyao and Deng Yijie resting with their eyes closed, she softly cleared her throat to get their attention.
Mu Xueyao was the first to look up. Upon seeing Bai Feifei, she instantly reached out and turned off the livestream device on Deng Yijie's wrist.
"Mm, what is it, Your Highness?" Deng Yijie, startled by her movement, opened his eyes in confusion. However, when he noticed her hand on his wrist, he could not help but feel a little elated.
The princess had finally made physical contact with him!
"Feifei is here. I will go check on her." Mu Xueyao gave him a gentle smile. Deng Yijie had no idea that Mu Xueyao had sent Bai Feifei earlier—he assumed his actions had driven her away.
"Hmph, who cares about her. As long as she is not eliminated or dead, she can go wherever she wants. I hope she never comes back." Deng Yijie snorted, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain.
Hearing that, a trace of mocking amusement flashed in Mu Xueyao's eyes, though she frowned disapprovingly. "You should not say that. If Feifei needs me, I must do my best to help."
"Your Highness, you are far too kind." Deng Yijie sighed. He wished the woman he liked would be a little more ruthless—someone like the princess was bound to be taken advantage of.
Sigh, he thought. It seemed he would have to stay by her side and eliminate all those scheming villains for her.
Without replying, Mu Xueyao quickly walked toward Bai Feifei. As soon as she left Deng Yijie's side, her gentle expression shifted to one of impatience.
"What is it?"
Watching her changing expressions, Bai Feifei pursed her lips. She felt like she had truly been blind before.
How could she have ever believed someone like this—a master of changing faces—was kind and noble, a shining honor of the planet?
"Mu Qingyun was bitten by an insectoid…"
"Really? Did she die or get eliminated?" Mu Xueyao cut her off before she could finish, eyes brimming with excitement.
"No," Bai Feifei shook her head. "She was injected with some kind of insect poison-clearing serum. She will just be weak for three days. The toxins seem to have already been purged."
Mu Xueyao instantly looked disappointed. Tsk, why could she not have just been poisoned to death? That would have solved everything.
Still, a glint of coldness flashed in her eyes. Three days of weakness—perhaps a perfect opportunity.
"Alright, I understand. In a bit, just go somewhere else. Do not go near Mu Qingyun for now."
"Okay."
…
"You should sleep for a while," Su said as he looked at Mu Qingyun, who showed no signs of resting and kept staring at a fixed spot, lost in thought. He sighed helplessly. "I checked the pot. There is nothing wrong with it."
Mu Qingyun lowered her gaze slightly, somewhat surprised. But upon thinking it through, it made sense. No one would be foolish enough to make such an obvious move. She had underestimated Bai Feifei.
"I cannot sleep," she replied, turning her head to look at Su. "I just came out of a battle. How could I possibly sleep right now?"
Hearing this, Su hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. "Let me give you a head massage. Usually you take care of me. Let me take care of you today."
With that, he walked behind her, gently held her head, and helped her adjust to a position that felt incredibly comfortable.
His warm hands pressed against her temples, kneading with just the right amount of pressure. Before long, she felt heat spread across her forehead, followed by a wave of comfort.
Drowsiness quickly set in. She blinked a few times, but could not resist the weight of her eyelids and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Once he was sure she was sound asleep, Su let out a sigh of relief.
He deactivated both her and his livestream feeds, then placed his hands on her shoulders and activated both of his abilities at once. Waves of energy surged from his hands into her body.
Although he could not completely neutralize the side effects of the insect poison-clearing serum, he could at least help strengthen her abilities a bit.
Yet as more and more energy flowed into her, he felt like he was pouring it into a bottomless pit—there was no feedback whatsoever.
Something was wrong. Why was there no response?
Only two possibilities could explain this. Either Mu Qingyun did not possess any powers in her body—or she had more than one.