Chapter 192: The Human Heart

After the members of the personal guard left, Mu Xi told Little An everything about He Yi.

As for the reason, it was simple: since Ye Lan already knew of this person’s existence, there was no need to keep it secret any longer.

Little An’s heart sank suddenly.

“Little Mistress, that’s too dangerous! You’re likely being watched right now, this could expose her.”

To her, anyone willing to help Mu Xi was a good person, and shouldn’t just die like that.

Mu Xi reached out with her slender fingers, gently running them through the silver hair cascading over her shoulder.

“I have no other choice, Little An. Time waits for no one. He Yi might be my only hope.”

Mu Xi turned around, facing the darkness outside the window.

“You think I’m a monster, but you don’t know—everyone in this Manor is a monster. Especially Ye Lan, and those Guards who were just killed, even you, Little An.”

Her voice suddenly became ethereal, “We’ve all been twisted by this hell.”

Little An felt a sharp pain in her chest, both from Mu Xi’s words and her own wavering heart.

She wanted to retort, but couldn’t find the right words.

Mu Xi suddenly stretched out her legs, turning toward Little An.

“Massage my feet.” Her expression suddenly softened, as if trying to ease the heavy mood.

The moment Little An had always looked forward to now made her feel an unprecedented sense of distance.

She numbly walked over to Mu Xi, knelt at the bedside, and cupped those small, delicate feet in her hands.

The instant she touched them, Little An felt a jolt run through her entire body.

Her usual longing was replaced by a complex emotion. 

She mechanically pressed Mu Xi’s soles, unable to devote herself or enjoy it as she once did.

Mu Xi, ever perceptive, noticed Little An’s abnormality. 

She gently pulled back one foot and used her toes to lift Little An’s chin.

“Look at me, Little An,” she commanded, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Little An raised her head, meeting those soul-seizing eyes, her throat tightening.

“I was just thinking… who are you really, Little Mistress? The you before today, and the you now, feel like two completely different people.”

A complex light flashed in Mu Xi’s eyes. 

She put her feet down and leaned back against the headboard.

“Maybe they’re both me, maybe neither is.” There was a hint of fatigue in her voice, one Mu Xi herself didn’t notice. 

“In this Manor, everyone wears a mask, myself included.”

Little An’s heart trembled. 

She suddenly realized that perhaps she had never truly understood the person before her.

Even more terrifying, this realization didn’t lessen her obsession—it made her even more addicted, as if gambling her life away.

“Keep massaging.” Mu Xi closed her eyes. 

“Tomorrow will be a difficult day.”

Little An lowered her head, once again cupping those delicate feet in her hands.

Her movements were even more cautious than before, as if touching a fragile and dangerous treasure.

Until deep into the night, the two of them lay back to back on the same bed, eventually falling asleep.

***

The first rays of dawn pierced the curtains, falling between Mu Xi’s furrowed brows.

She opened her eyes, the weight of last night’s conversation heavy on her chest like a stone.

Turning her head, she looked outside. 

In the Garden, Butlers were already busying themselves, everything seemingly normal, as if Ye Lan had never “died” and “come back to life.”

“Little Mistress, you’re awake.” Little An entered, pushing open the door, carrying a breakfast tray. 

The dark circles under her eyes betrayed a sleepless night.

Mu Xi sat up, her silver hair pouring over her shoulders like a waterfall.

“You didn’t sleep well.” It was not a question, but a statement.

“I kept thinking about last night.” Little An set the tray down, avoiding her gaze.

“Will He Yi come? If she does, what are you going to do?”

Mu Xi picked up the cup of milk, sipping lightly.

The sound of the cup being set down was especially crisp in the silence.

“We’ll see. Maybe she won’t come. Maybe she’s already gone.”

The two finished breakfast in quiet.

Suddenly, Mu Xi suggested, “Let’s go to the Garden. The best way to wait for someone is to pretend you’re not waiting.”

In the Garden, sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering spots of light on the ground.

Mu Xi crouched by a cluster of flowers, her slender fingers picking several small blooms of different colors.

“Little An, do you know how to make a flower crown?” Mu Xi’s voice was gentle, yet her eyes flashed with vigilance, constantly scanning the surroundings.

Little An shook her head, crouching beside her and said, “Let me see how you do it.”

Mu Xi clumsily threaded the flowers together. 

Her technique was unskilled, but she persisted.

Little An watched in silence, countless questions churning in her heart, yet she asked none of them.

“It’s beautiful!” Little An exclaimed at the crooked flower crown Mu Xi made, though her eyes were filled with worry.

Mu Xi looked up, her lips curling into a bitter smile.

“Liar. Only you would like such an ugly flower crown.” Her fingers tightened around the flower stems, knuckles white, a drop of blood oozing from a pricked fingertip.

Little An quickly seized her hand, taking out a handkerchief to wrap the wound.

“Careful, there are thorns.”

“Life is full of thorns, Little An.” Mu Xi let her bandage the wound, gaze drifting toward the distant walls.

“I used to think I was the only golden canary trapped here. Now I realize, everyone in this Manor is caged—only the size of the cage is different.”

Time ticked by, morning passed into noon, people came and went in the Garden, yet He Yi never appeared.

Mu Xi’s hope slowly turned to disappointment, then to vigilance.

“She must have noticed something.” Mu Xi tossed the failed flower crown onto the grass, standing up and dusting off her skirt.

“Or Ye Lan has already made a move on her.”

Little An rose as well, her stomach rumbling at the worst possible moment.

Mu Xi raised an eyebrow and said, “Time for lunch.”

***

Inside the Manor, the Butlers and Guards treated Mu Xi very differently.

The faces that had regarded her coldly yesterday were now all smiles, courteous to the extreme.

Each bow was lower than the last, each “Miss” sweeter than before.

“So disgusting.” Mu Xi spat out the words under her breath at the corner, a flash of disgust in her eyes.

“Do you see this, Little An? This is the human heart.”

Little An swallowed, but didn’t respond.

She knew all too well the cruel reality behind this change.

In this Manor, power was everything. 

Now that Mu Xi was seen as Ye Lan’s favorite, she naturally enjoyed special privileges.

At the restaurant entrance, two Guards stood at attention, opening the door for them.

Mu Xi entered, the table already laid with a feast, far more lavish than usual—clearly a deliberate gesture.

“Sit.” Mu Xi pointed to the seat opposite her, then took her own seat with elegant grace.

She picked up her knife and fork, but didn’t touch the food, instead tapping the rim of her glass lightly with the fork, the sound crisp and clear.

“Little Mistress, aren’t you eating?” Little An asked cautiously, not picking up her own utensils.

At last, Mu Xi speared a piece of steak, chewing it slowly.

“I’m eating. Why wouldn’t I?” Her eyes swept the room, her tone suddenly drifting.

“I’m just wondering—if He Yi really has left, what will I do?”

Little An tore a piece of bread into small bits, but didn’t eat—just stacked them at the edge of her plate.

“Maybe… maybe it’s for the best? If she left, that means she sensed the danger, right?”

“Or she betrayed me.” Mu Xi’s knife scraped across the steak, making a harsh sound.

“Maybe she was Ye Lan’s person from the start, just testing my limits.”

Little An’s head shot up, terror flashing in her eyes.

“You mean…”

“I didn’t say anything.” Mu Xi cut her off, her voice suddenly light.

“Just a guess, that’s all. Eat, the steak is very tender.”

The two fell into silence, only the sounds of cutlery clinking against plates echoing in the spacious dining hall.