Mu Xingzhi looked at the girl opposite him with interest, her expression was completely different from usual.
Even in the dim candlelight, her eyes now showed a completely different brilliance than before. Even her cheeks, which were originally pale due to worry about her sister's illness, became faintly flushed because of the idea of "going to sea".
At this moment, Su Qingluan's eyes were looking towards the invisible distance in the void, as if she was already standing on a big ship with sails set to set sail, ambitiously embarking on a voyage with an unknown future.
Her expression was so yearning and determined, as if even before she set out, she was sure that she would succeed, and that the unknown land would surely bring her surprises.
"That is an area that has not been explored yet. There must be food that interests me... no, living creatures." Su Qingluan realized that she had accidentally revealed the true and most desired voice in her heart in her excitement. She hurriedly and carefully described it and glanced at Mu Xingyi opposite her.
...He probably didn't hear it, right? Su Qingluan thought hopefully.
Sadly, as the saying goes, according to Morpheus's Law, what you fear will come true. Mu Xingzhi not only "heard" the truth that Su Qingluan was trying so hard to cover up, but also chuckled and asked, "Could it be that Qingluan, your cooking skills have been so advanced just to satisfy your appetite?"
Su Qingluan:...I'm not saying this, but if you hear something and just laugh at it in your heart, what's the point of saying it out loud?
She rolled her eyes and admitted frankly, "Yes, yes, I just crave food—isn't it said that 'food is the most important thing for the people'? In this world, fame, fortune, and status are external things. You can't bring them with you when you're born, and you can't take them with you when you die. You only eat what you eat, and I enjoy it. Food also nourishes my body, so why not?"
Mu Xingzhi thought for a moment and nodded: "Qingluan is an open-minded person, but I am the one who has fallen into the rut."
After hearing what Mu Xingzhi said, Su Qingluan scratched her head in embarrassment: "Well... you can't say that... You are a person with a broad mind and the ambition to stabilize the country. Unlike me, I just want to eat and wait for death..."
Mu Xingzhi narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this, the dim candlelight obscuring the expression in his eyes: "How do you know I'm doing this to stabilize the country?"
Su Qingluan gave him a look that said, "Are you stupid?" "Do I even need to tell you? You don't seem to come from an ordinary background, and yet you've been stuck in this desolate village for seven or eight years. How many seven or eight years does a person have? You've put so much thought and time into this, you can't possibly be here to enjoy the scenery or live in seclusion in the countryside, right?"
Mu Xingzhi smiled playfully: "Why not?"
"But if you really want to 'travel and enjoy the mountains and rivers' or retire to the countryside," Su Qingluan looked at Mu Xingzhi, "Why isn't Song Bo here? Don't tell me Song Bo went out to catch game for you tonight."
Without waiting for Mu Xingzhi to react—in fact, from Su Qingluan's point of view, Mu Xingzhi had no reaction at all, he didn't even pause in holding the teacup—Su Qingluan waved her hand again:
"Alright, alright. I'm not really interested in Song Bo's whereabouts. I'm just saying that you have your own lofty ambitions, and I'm just doing my own humble work. I'm just offering some insignificant services in exchange for your protection. We both get what we need without any conflict of interest. Isn't it nice to be friends who can put aside their calculations and chat casually?"
As she spoke, she took a leisurely sip of tea, frowned, and complained, "This tea isn't as good as the last time. That was the one that smelled really good, called Phoenix..."
People like Su Qingluan, whose research on tea only exists in the subjective "delicious" or "undrinkable" aspects, will never remember the name of the tea.
Her knowledge of tea names is limited to things like "black tea", "green tea", "oolong tea", "white tea", etc. Even if you ask her what kind of tea "Bi Luo Chun" is, she doesn't know.
So a tea drinker of this level is not a complete novice, but at least knows nothing about tea. Asking her to remember the name of a tea she has never heard of is too difficult for her.
Mu Xingzhi laughed: "Phoenix single cone?"
Su Qingluan nodded: "That's it."
Mu Xingzhi smiled and said, "It's a pity that there isn't much tea left, and it's all broken tea leaves. Otherwise, I would have let you take a bag back."
Su Qingluan nodded and didn't bother to be polite with him: "Just give it to me when you have extra. I'll also think about tea snacks with different flavors and make a set for you to try and see how they taste together." In less than three sentences, she talked about food again.
But anyway, her foodie nature was exposed, and Su Qingluan thought that it was not the first or second time that she had embarrassed herself in front of Mu Xingzhi, so she simply shrugged and said: I am just this kind of person, I can't change and I don't want to change.
Mu Xingzhi looked at the girl across from him, lazily leaning on the armchair sipping tea, and was a little surprised: "Since you know that I... well, my status is different, why aren't you afraid of me?"
"Because you're someone who 'never lets rationality replace emotion,'" Su Qingluan paused while sipping her tea. "Because you won't act impulsively, and I haven't really offended you by asking for trouble, so you definitely won't do anything to me. So, why should I be afraid of you doing anything?"
"Qingluan is really... different from ordinary people." Mu Xingzhi smiled helplessly.
"Let's just say I'm a weird person..." Su Qingluan curled her lips. "Anyway, it's said that I had a high fever because I fell into the water and almost drowned. So, I've walked the fine line between life and death, so I'm more open-minded than the average person—commonly known as thick-skinned."
When talking about "thick-skinned", Su Qingluan was not embarrassed at all, but seemed very proud.
"You really are..." Mu Xingzhi wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a moan from the side.
It turned out that it was not known whether it was due to the change of environment or something else, but Su Xueyan, who had been in a coma, woke up and mumbled for her father and mother.
Upon hearing this, Su Qingluan rushed to her sister's side almost like a conditioned reflex: "Xueyan, how do you feel? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" As she spoke, she had already put her hand on the little sister's forehead.
It was impossible for the little girl's fever to subside so quickly, but her breathing had become much steadier, and most importantly, she was no longer twitching or having convulsions, and the coma from which she could not be awakened was gone.
At this moment, Su Xueyan looked at Su Qingluan. Although she still looked weak, she was finally conscious. Su Qingluan knew that her sister had finally gotten through the most dangerous time without any danger.
The little girl was a little confused: "Sister...? Where is my mother? I'm so thirsty, I want to drink some water..."
Hearing that her sister was finally able to speak clearly, Su Qingluan's heart was finally relieved. She subconsciously wanted to get up and pour water for the little girl, but then she realized that she was not in her own home!
I was so excited just now that I happily forgot about my time at Mu Xingzhi's house.
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