“Oh no, oh no! I said I’d go wait for Wu Cai. I have to go now, Mother!” Mu Xueshi called hurriedly as he turned back to bid the Madam farewell.
A trace of displeasure flickered in the Madam’s eyes, though she said nothing more. She merely reminded him gently to be careful in all things.
Mu Xueshi felt puzzled. When he glanced back at her again, she had already reclined once more upon the bed.
After stepping out and walking only a few paces, Mu Xueshi suddenly noticed Wu Cai standing in the middle of the courtyard.
He looked perfectly composed, as if nothing at all had happened. Upon seeing Mu Xueshi, he greeted him casually and began walking over.
Mu Xueshi, however, felt terribly uncomfortable.
“We… are we still going out?” he asked awkwardly.
Wu Cai lifted one phoenix-shaped eyebrow. A languid smile curved at the corner of his lips as he replied, “Why wouldn’t we go? You arrived too early—I had only just woken up.”
He punctuated the remark with a lazy yawn.
The moment Mu Xueshi thought about what Wu Cai had been doing earlier—and how he was now pretending nothing had happened—his mood immediately soured. The excitement he had felt before was already half gone.
The Third Prince had been right.
He should not trust others so easily.
After all, he had only known Wu Cai for three days. What kind of person Wu Cai truly was, he didn’t understand at all.
What if Wu Cai really was the murderer? If Mu Xueshi went with him now, might he end up losing his life halfway along the road?
“What’s wrong with you?” Wu Cai asked coldly when he saw Mu Xueshi hesitating. A hint of mockery crept into his voice. “Don’t tell me you’re too scared to go?”
Mu Xueshi waved his hands quickly.
“No, no… I’m not. I just… Is that pleasure house far from here?”
Wu Cai replied absentmindedly, “Not far. If the two of us walk, it will only take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”
“That close…” Mu Xueshi scratched his head. The danger seemed a little smaller now, though it still didn’t feel entirely safe.
He found another excuse.
“Then wouldn’t the Third Prince be able to find us easily?”
Wu Cai chuckled softly, his smile inexplicably seductive. He walked forward a few steps and said over his shoulder,
“If you’re not going, I’m leaving. Today is the day they choose the Flower Queen. If you miss it, you won’t see it again until two months from now. You claimed you weren’t afraid of the Third Prince, but in the end you’re still shrinking back.”
“I’ll go!!!”
Mu Xueshi immediately raised his hand in surrender.
Besides, Wu Cai was unarmed. If they truly fought, it wasn’t certain that Wu Cai would gain the advantage. And if Wu Cai really was the murderer and killed him halfway along the road, then the case would solve itself—saving the Third Prince a great deal of effort.
With this rather reckless logic, Mu Xueshi followed Wu Cai as they sneaked quietly toward the back gate. Their plan was to slip out while the Third Prince and Yuwen Tao were discussing the case, then sneak back before anyone noticed.
The moment they slipped out the back gate, Mu Xueshi’s vigilance completely vanished.
The gate opened directly onto the marketplace.
Usually when he accompanied the Third Prince, they went out very early and returned very late, so he rarely saw the streets this lively. Now the market bustled with people wearing all sorts of clothing, hawking goods and food.
Mu Xueshi’s excitement surged instantly.
“This place is just like the food streets where I come from—an entire road full of delicious things!”
As he spoke, he darted everywhere, paying for food after food.
He lifted the hem of his robe to form a makeshift pouch, stuffing it full of little pastries. In his hands he carried several skewers of dried fish tofu—a local specialty. His mouth was smeared with crumbs as he ate enthusiastically, looking utterly ridiculous.
Wu Cai watched with thinly veiled distaste.
“I never imagined that someone who loses his memory could also lose all sense of decorum,” he remarked, edging a little farther away as though embarrassed by Mu Xueshi’s eating habits.
Mu Xueshi noticed the look of disgust on Wu Cai’s face and snorted.
Still, the reaction reassured him. Wu Cai showed absolutely no sign of trying to assassinate him, so Mu Xueshi relaxed and continued eating happily.
After finishing his snacks, he began browsing small handicrafts along the street. Whenever he saw something attractive, he stuffed it into his sleeve—then paid the vendors several times the proper price without realizing he was buying cheap trinkets.
Wu Cai, however, had no such interest.
His thoughts were entirely fixed on Changxin Courtyard, the pleasure house. Today was the day of the Flower Queen competition; the spectacle would surely be magnificent. Watching Mu Xueshi waste time in such dull places slowly drained his patience.
“Let’s stop wasting time here,” Wu Cai said impatiently. “There’s nothing interesting. We should hurry to Changxin Courtyard—the selection will begin soon.”
Hearing this, Mu Xueshi quickly put down a palm-sized bronze bell he had been examining and hurried after him.
“Changxin Courtyard—is that the pleasure house you mentioned? You said the proprietress there is very beautiful, and that she could help solve my father’s case. Is that true? If we don’t give her any benefits, will she still help? And—”
Wu Cai finally lost his patience.
Throwing aside his cultivated elegance, he snapped loudly, “Why do you talk so much?!”
Mu Xueshi pouted and muttered under his breath.
“Why is your temper so bad? I’m just curious. Even the Third Prince doesn’t complain about me talking too much. I’ve only said a few words to you…”
The moment Wu Cai heard the words Third Prince, that peerless face appeared in his mind once again.
His heart stirred involuntarily.
How could someone as wise and proud as the Third Prince possibly take interest in someone who had now become so foolish and naive?
The thought sparked an unexpected pang of jealousy within him. Since arriving at the manor, he had never imagined he would one day feel jealous of Mu Xueshi.
Meanwhile, Mu Xueshi noticed something strange as they walked.
Along the road, quite a few people stared openly at Wu Cai. Whenever Wu Cai noticed someone with decent looks—whether man or woman—he would respond with a charming, seductive smile.
Watching this made goosebumps rise along Mu Xueshi’s arms. In quiet retaliation, he also widened the distance between them slightly.
Then suddenly, Mu Xueshi realized something.
This street looked familiar.
A steamed-bun shop stood beside a fabric store. The fabric merchant stood at the doorway wearing a dark green robe. The entire scene looked almost identical to a street they had already passed.
“Hey! Haven’t we walked down this street already?” Mu Xueshi hurried after Wu Cai and demanded.
At the question, Wu Cai’s cheeks flushed faintly. His relaxed demeanor vanished.
Mu Xueshi stared at him suspiciously, wondering what scheme he was hiding. If Wu Cai intended to harm him, there was no reason to wander around the same street in circles.
“Do you even know the way or not?”
Wu Cai glanced awkwardly to the side before lowering his voice.
“I… can’t tell east from west, north from south.”
“What?!” Mu Xueshi shouted.
His cry was so loud that the surrounding pedestrians all turned to stare.
Futile Devices Scans 
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