In the courtyard, two portions of mutton were placed before Madam Lin—one from Meng Ruji, one from Mu Sui.

And Mu Sui was absent again.

Meng Ruji’s gaze swept around the courtyard, carrying some anger.

Madam Lin marked a point each for Mu Sui and Meng Ruji on her wooden board, then asked Meng Ruji: “Miss Meng, can you make braised mutton? If you can, I’ll give you another point.”

Of course, Meng Ruji could.

She took the two portions of mutton to the kitchen. While processing them, she felt somewhat irritated, wondering how long Mu Sui planned to keep avoiding her.

Suddenly, two “click-clack” sounds came from the stove. Meng Ruji looked toward the sound and saw a familiar stone bounce twice in place, then transform into human form—red lips, pale skin, fox eyes. It was Mo Li.

“You’re here.” Meng Ruji glanced at Mo Li, seeing him sitting cross-legged on the stove counter. She took a cloth and swatted at him. “Get down, don’t dirty my pots.”

Mo Li jumped down and moved beside Meng Ruji to study her: “Little Meng, you’re sulking?”

“If you have business, speak.”

“It’s because you can’t see Mu Sui, right?” Mo Li said with a smile. “I saw him.”

Meng Ruji finally turned her head, glaring at him irritably: “Are you here to show off?”

“Not really.” Mo Li poked at the mutton beside the stove. “Just came to check on your progress. See if you need your father’s help.”

“There’s nothing you need to help…” Meng Ruji paused mid-sentence, then glanced toward the kitchen entrance. Seeing no one in the courtyard, she beckoned him closer and whispered in Mo Li’s ear: “Mu Sui and I don’t need your help, but that Ye Big River is strangely suspicious.”

“Second son-in-law?” Mo Li was curious, also lowering his voice. “What’s strange about him?”

“Does this No-Return Land have some kind of soul-possession technique? Observing his words and actions, the more I look, the less he seems like Ye Big River. Though Ye Big River was taciturn before, he was rigid and stubborn. Now I can’t see where he’s rigid or stubborn. Also, did Ye Big River like small animals this much before? He does nothing all day but feeds sheep with us.” Finally, Meng Ruji added: “…and chickens.”

Hearing this, Mo Li also stroked his chin: “It seems since Zhan Ye died, when he came back, he has been somewhat strange.”

“Perfect timing for you to investigate. Don’t let us be the mantis stalking the cicada while he’s the oriole behind us.”

Mo Li nodded: “Leave this to me. I’ll give you an answer shortly. Where is Ye Big River?”

Meng Ruji pouted: “Probably still feeding chickens.”

Mo Li was silent for a moment: “He is indeed strange.”

Leaving Meng Ruji to continue cooking, Mo Li transformed into a stone and jumped across the rooftops, landing on the thatched roof of the chicken coop in the backyard. He landed silently, without disturbing Ye Chuan, who was feeding chickens.

Ye Chuan, at this moment, rather than feeding chickens, was more like watching them eat. He squatted with his arms around his knees, expression serene.

Mo Li watched for a moment, then suddenly transformed back into human form, squatting beside Ye Chuan next to the eating chickens. His movements were so light they didn’t even startle the chickens on the ground.

“Is it that interesting to watch?” he asked Ye Chuan. The chickens on the ground were startled by his sudden voice and stepped back slightly, but seeing no threatening movements, continued pecking at the grain.

But Ye Chuan showed no reaction whatsoever. To Mo Li’s sudden appearance, he didn’t turn his head, show surprise, or even move his body, simply replying calmly: “Yes.”

“Yes?” Mo Li propped up his face, tilting his head to look at Ye Chuan. “Aren’t you curious why I’m here?”

“We’ve been inside for a long time without going out. You’d come check the situation.”

As Ye Chuan spoke, his body still didn’t move. His gaze remained on the pecking chickens. At this moment, the sunlight filtering through the mist at Rui Wei Cao Yin fell on Ye Chuan’s face in distinct rays, slanting into his pupils. In that dazed moment, Mo Li seemed to see a strange glimmer in his eyes—a glimmer he had seen before…

The radiance that surrounded the Human God, Mo Yi.

Mo Li froze in place, the lazy smile that usually hung on his face falling away.

At this moment, Ye Chuan turned to look at Mo Li.

Their eyes met, and Mo Li shifted back an inch.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Chuan asked. “Why aren’t you looking for Meng Ruji and Mu Sui instead of coming to find me?” As he spoke, he stood up to leave, but with a light “tap,” Ye Chuan looked down at his wrist.

At his right wrist, Mo Li’s overly pale hand was tightly gripping him. His grip was so forceful that the tendons on the back of his hand were visible.

Mo Li was still squatting, looking up at him from below: “I heard that there’s a hidden vital point on a person’s wrist. Striking it heavily can glimpse into their soul.”

Ye Chuan raised an eyebrow slightly, seeming surprised: “Such nonsense—who told you this?”

“The Human God.”

As these two words fell, Mo Li pressed hard on the vital point on Ye Chuan’s wrist until blood flowed. At the same moment, a phantom flickered across Ye Chuan’s face.

Mo Li reached out to grab the flickering phantom on Ye Chuan’s face: “Who are you?”

Mo Li shouted, but the phantom slipped directly through his fingers like smoke, flying to a distant place. Mo Li wanted to give chase, but Ye Chuan’s body collapsed like a mountain, blocking Mo Li. In this delay, when he looked up again, the phantom was nowhere to be seen.

Mo Li glanced at where the phantom had disappeared, then at the fallen Ye Big River: “Don’t know if that left or was a deliberately deceptive illusion…”

Mo Li pondered for a moment, looked around, and found some rope in the chicken coop to tie Ye Chuan up completely.

“Anyway, taking you away from here can’t be wrong.” With that, Mo Li hoisted Ye Chuan up and left directly from the backyard.

On the other side, Meng Ruji was braising mutton at the stove, the pot making a chaotic sizzling sound. She didn’t hear the commotion in the backyard at all.

By the time she finished cooking, the sky had darkened.

In the courtyard, Madam Lin was already seated at the stone table, waiting for the evening’s braised mutton.

Mu Sui still hadn’t appeared.

Meng Ruji brought two large plates of braised mutton to the table, swept her gaze around the courtyard, then sat down irritably.

Madam Lin glanced at her: “There were mice in the back yard today.”

“Really?”

Meng Ruji glanced toward the backyard, not seeing Ye Chuan. She thought Mo Li must have done something that Madam Lin heard. She calmly set out bowls and chopsticks for Madam Lin, then said: “Then tomorrow let Mu Sui and me catch mice together.”

Madam Lin nodded: “That’s right. You two haven’t seen each other for quite some time. My fault for keeping you too busy.” Madam Lin tasted a piece of Meng Ruji’s mutton and nodded repeatedly. “Very good, very good. I see Miss Meng has been missing Qianshan Jun for several days. Why wait until tomorrow…”

Madam Lin looked up toward the outside of the courtyard, addressing the empty darkness: “Miss Meng worked hard today and made such delicious food. Won’t Qianshan Jun come taste it?”

No movement from the darkness.

Madam Lin continued: “Come and taste it.” She said casually, “This is my request.”

What a fine request! Madam Lin!

What a fine lady you are!

Meng Ruji praised Madam Lin thoroughly in her heart, then raised an eyebrow and looked toward the darkness.

This time, not long after, the “rustling” sound of footsteps on grass appeared. Mu Sui emerged from the darkness step by step, expression gloomy, carrying some awkwardness. He walked to the stone table, then, following Madam Lin’s gesture, sat across from Meng Ruji.

Hmph.

Meng Ruji crossed her arms, almost ready to laugh coldly.

Somewhat satisfying, yet somewhat infuriating: “Never thought I’d get to see Qianshan Jun.” She spoke with sarcasm.

But Mu Sui only turned his face away, not looking at her.

Madam Lin ate her mutton in silence.

Meng Ruji was also hungry. She took a bowl, picked up a piece of meat, thinking about putting it in her mouth while also thinking about throwing it at Mu Sui’s face to wake him up. Who kisses someone and then hides away?

Even if she wanted to strip his clothes off?

If he was unwilling, just be unwilling—why hide?

Not even giving her a chance to force him?

Meng Ruji cursed inwardly. Just as the fragrant meat was about to enter her mouth, Madam Lin set down her chopsticks: “Enough.”

She said this abruptly.

Meng Ruji looked at Madam Lin curiously.

Madam Lin only looked at Mu Sui, speaking in a steady tone: “Since you dislike her so much, stab her once.”

Meng Ruji: “Huh?”

Her confusion flowed directly from her mind to her expression.

Mu Sui, hearing this, was caught off guard. He looked at Madam Lin in shock.

But Madam Lin remained very calm, very composed as she looked at Mu Sui, adding: “This is my request.”

You damn…

Meng Ruji took back all her previous praise of Madam Lin and restrained the countless curses in her heart at this moment.

Meng Ruji immediately looked at Mu Sui.

She could see that with each passing moment, Mu Sui’s brow furrowed tightly.

He didn’t act immediately, so the cursed poison was taking effect in his body.

At this moment, Meng Ruji’s mind couldn’t think of anything else. She immediately stood up and ran…

But she didn’t run elsewhere—instead, she rushed into the kitchen, quickly grabbed the thick-backed cleaver used for cutting vegetables today, then immediately ran back out of the kitchen.

The moment she left the kitchen, she saw Mu Sui had stood up.

Mu Sui wasn’t facing Meng Ruji, but facing Madam Lin.

Meng Ruji guessed what Mu Sui wanted to do, so she sprinted to Mu Sui’s front, grabbed his hand, and almost hand-over-hand made Mu Sui grip the cleaver. Then she grasped Mu Sui’s hand, pulling his hand to stab toward herself…

…toward her hair.

The cleaver fell to the ground with a “clang.”

The knife was dull—Meng Ruji didn’t even break a single strand of hair.

Mu Sui was very shocked. He looked at Meng Ruji before him, and for a moment, all expressions froze on his face.

Meng Ruji was breathing heavily, responding to his shock with silence. But she was still observing, and seeing Mu Sui’s expression return to normal, she knew the curse poison had stopped.

Meng Ruji breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Madam Lin’s applause and laughter came from the side: “Wonderful, wonderful.” Madam Lin was praised greatly. “Such a stab—truly wonderful.”

Only then did Meng Ruji look at Madam Lin.

Madam Lin laughed so heartily that she even coughed twice before stopping her laughter. She nodded at Meng Ruji with great satisfaction: “Miss Meng, if I had a son, I’d want you as my daughter-in-law.”

Thank heavens she doesn’t.

Meng Ruji said nothing. Madam Lin smiled as she stood up and returned to her room: “Let’s stop here for today. I’m going to rest.”

Having survived the ordeal, Meng Ruji exhaled, then sat down and put the now-cold meat from her bowl into her mouth.

Mu Sui still stood in place, seeming not to have caught up with Meng Ruji’s thinking.

“Sit down.” Meng Ruji told him. “We need to finish these two plates of meat today. Don’t waste them, or we’ll be sorry for those two sheep.”

After a long silence, Mu Sui sat down. He and Meng Ruji together ate these two plates of sheep they had raised for three days. Both ate very silently, as if they weren’t eating sheep, but eating their future selves.