Chapter 11: Classic Dual Thread Operation
Mu Zhi’an kneaded Bai Ruoxi’s cool and smooth slender jade-like hand while holding a teacup, looking like he was pondering something.
Beside him, Bai Ruoxi lightly bit her lower lip, but unlike the haughtiness she displayed two days ago, she didn’t pull away from Mu Zhi’an’s hand. She only sneaked a glance at Mu Zhi’an, then her body slowly relaxed.
After a long silence, Bai Ruoxi slightly raised her eyelids and said in a gentle voice,
“Young Master Mu, how have you considered the matter of the Bai family?”
Enjoying the beauty’s jade-like slender hand, upon hearing this, Mu Zhi’an came back to his senses. He thought for a moment and smiled, “I need to think about it some more.”
Contrary to her usual self, Bai Ruoxi only softly “mm”ed and didn’t repeatedly request like before.
Mu Zhi’an also noticed the strangeness and couldn’t help but look at Bai Ruoxi a few more times.
The girl slightly pursed her lips. When sitting on the chair, her bosom lightly rested on the table. Her fingers toyed with a cup of tea, and two strands of hair fell on her flawless, delicate face, accentuating her pure and peerlessly beautiful features.
However, there seemed to be a trace of worry between her delicate brows that wasn’t there before.
Mu Zhi’an reached out to lightly brush aside the strands of hair on Bai Ruoxi’s forehead and smiled, “Does Miss Bai have any worries?”
Bai Ruoxi faintly glanced at Mu Zhi’an and didn’t say anything.
“Oh… Is it just because of the Bai family’s matter?” Mu Zhi’an chuckled wryly.
It seemed he had asked a rather meaningless question.
Bai Ruoxi’s biggest worry now seemed to only be the Bai family’s dangerous situation.
Bai Ruoxi lightly shook her head, gently put down the teacup, and said, “Although Ruoxi’s worry is related to the Bai family, it’s probably different from what Young Master Mu thinks.”
She recalled the scenes of her mother probing her these past two days. Every night, the beautiful woman would come to chat with her daughter, lamenting the decline of the Bai family and hinting for her to go ask Mu Zhi’an how he considered the matter sooner.
It was also because of her mother’s repeated urging these past two days that Bai Ruoxi had no choice but to visit the Bai residence again early this morning.
And this was also the reason for Bai Ruoxi’s current worry.
Mu Zhi’an looked deeply at Bai Ruoxi and smiled, “It seems Miss Bai doesn’t want to explain the reason for her worries for now, but that’s fine. Say it when you want to.”
Bai Ruoxi slightly raised her head to look at Mu Zhi’an and softly said, “Young Master Mu, is there really no way to help the Bai family?”
“I already mentioned the chip for helping the Bai family before.” Mu Zhi’an smiled.
“The Meridian Connecting Pill…?” Bai Ruoxi repeated and slightly lowered her eyelids, her beautiful eyes looking a bit dim.
She suddenly raised her head and softly said, “Isn’t I enough—”
Mu Zhi’an gently placed his finger on Bai Ruoxi’s lips. Under her slightly widened beautiful eyes, he smiled and shook his head, “Miss Ruoxi, you are a person and shouldn’t be used as a bargaining chip.”
If it was the maidservant Wei Mengrou who knew Mu Zhi’an very well, she would probably curl her lips disdainfully at this moment and think in her heart, “Aren’t you just wanting both the Meridian Connecting Pill and to sleep with Bai Ruoxi for free? Why are you saying it so righteously?”
But Bai Ruoxi was clearly stunned for a moment.
She recalled the words her mother had said to her these past few days, then thought of what Mu Zhi’an said now. For a moment, she actually choked up a bit, her beautiful eyes seemingly shrouded by a layer of mist.
One was a debaucherous young master who left an extremely poor impression in the past, and the other was her own biological mother. But the words the two said were worlds apart.
That’s right… Carefully thinking about it, Mu Zhi’an had already said before that she only moved him, not the Mu family.
In other words, Mu Zhi’an had always regarded her as a “person”, not a bargaining item. Instead, she had been arbitrarily misunderstanding.
Thinking of this, Bai Ruoxi sighed faintly in her heart and slightly lowered her head.
Half a month ago, she was very disgusted by Mu Zhi’an’s pursuit, especially seeing his ingratiating appearance every time he saw her, feeling inexplicably annoyed. But for some reason, she wasn’t so averse to Mu Zhi’an now.
When thinking of this, Bai Ruoxi looked at Mu Zhi’an with complex emotions.
She still wasn’t clear about what the reason was… Was it because she needed the Mu family’s help, or had her impression of him changed?
Mu Zhi’an naturally didn’t know what Bai Ruoxi was thinking. He inadvertently glanced at the curtain outside, then turned his head to look at the girl beside him and said, “Miss Bai, can you go find the waiter to come change the tea leaves? I want to change the tea.”
Bai Ruoxi came back to her senses as if from a trance and reservedly “mm”ed. She got up and left the private room.
The private room became quiet again. Mu Zhi’an retracted his gaze and brewed tea by himself.
Then, he picked up a third cup, poured tea, placed it on the table, and smiled, “Won’t you come out and have a cup of tea?”
“You came to find me, so you should have something important you want to say, right? It’s better to say it quickly while there’s a chance now.”
After a moment of silence in the private room, the curtain outside was lifted by a black-robed man. His gaze swept across the private room and focused on Mu Zhi’an.
He quietly walked into the private room and sat opposite Mu Zhi’an at his gesture.
“Young Master Mu really has refined tastes. Going to the brothel to sleep with courtesans, then hooking up with Tianxuan City’s number one beauty not long after sleeping with courtesans. Such skill truly makes men envious.”
The black-robed man said indifferently with a few hints of admiration and a few hints of mockery.
This is called a dual thread operation… Mu Zhi’an put down the teacup without any expression and said, “If there’s something important, just say it directly. Bai Ruoxi will be back soon.”
The black-robed man lightly nodded and said, “Two days later, please find a way to lure Ye Yu to Longshou Forest. As for the matters afterwards, I can handle it myself. Miss Bai will also completely belong to you then.”
Longshou Forest was to the west of Tianxuan City. Traveling a few dozen miles out of the city, one could see a forest, which was Longshou Forest.
The reason it was called Longshou (Dragon Head) was because it was said that a cultivator once looked down from the sky and found that the overall shape of this forest looked like the head of a giant dragon, hence the name.
Because there were many demonic beasts in Longshou Forest and its area was extremely large, bringing Ye Yu to Longshou Forest before making a move was indeed the least likely to be noticed by others.
“Young Master Mu, what do you think?” The black-robed man asked again.
The girl I picked up myself, why does your tone make it sound like it’s your credit… Mu Zhi’an came back to his senses and nodded with a smile, “Alright, I will find a way to bring Ye Yu to Longshou Forest these two days.”
The black-robed man’s eyes revealed a satisfied look. He nodded and said, “Young Master Mu is a smart man. Then I won’t disturb your refined mood any longer.”
With that said, he turned into a plume of black mist and disappeared from the private room.
Mu Zhi’an leisurely picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, then curled his lips.
That fellow really took him for an idiot?
He said it so nicely, bringing Ye Yu to Longshou Forest, then he would handle the rest… It sounded quite worry-free, but what if the other party took Ye Yu away and then backstabbed him?
On the day Ye Yu was taken away, it wouldn’t be surprising if news spread in Tianxuan City that “Mu Zhi’an brought Ye Yu into Longshou Forest, then left by himself”.
At that time, if news of the genius Ye Yu disappearing because of Mu Zhi’an spread, it would inevitably cause dissatisfaction from the Ye family.
Even if the Ye family was far inferior to before, the pressure of public opinion would stand on the Ye family’s side at that time. Even the Mu family would inevitably suffer some losses.
Mu Zhi’an was thinking about these matters when Bai Ruoxi lifted the curtain outside the private room and walked in gracefully with a teapot. She sat beside Mu Zhi’an.
She swept her gaze around and seemed to sense something strange. She softly said, “Did someone come just now?”
No matter what, Bai Ruoxi was a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator and wouldn’t fail to notice even these subtle clues.
One of the reasons why she had allowed Mu Zhi’an to hold her hand just now was to cooperate with him.
Mu Zhi’an “mm”ed, then changed the topic and said, “I’m a bit thirsty. Can you brew me a cup of tea first?”
He wasn’t sure if the black-robed man had really left. It wasn’t suitable to discuss any serious matters now.
Bai Ruoxi’s beautiful eyes flashed as she glanced at Mu Zhi’an.
When their gazes met, Bai Ruoxi seemed to understand something. She inadvertently glanced outside the door, then softly “mm”ed.
It seemed that the person who had been peeking outside the private room just now might not have left yet…
Mu Zhi’an watched Bai Ruoxi’s elegant movements as she brewed tea and couldn’t help but reveal a gentle smile.
That black-robed man seemed to be a bit too good at taking credit.
The girl I picked up myself, what does it have to do with him?
Acting all high and mighty, as if all of this was bestowed upon me by him… Who is he?
When Mu Zhi’an thought of this, Bai Ruoxi had already finished brewing tea and was about to put down the teapot.
At this moment, Mu Zhi’an suddenly placed a hand lightly on Bai Ruoxi’s jade-like hand.
Bai Ruoxi subconsciously looked at Mu Zhi’an and saw him smile, “I’m a bit tired. Pour me a cup of tea.”
Bai Ruoxi was stunned for a moment. In the end, she softly “mm”ed, brushed aside a strand of hair that had slid down from the side of her ear, and gently said,
“…Alright.”
