Upon returning to the house, Mu Qingyun hadn't even had a chance to step inside before Bai Feifei rushed past her and entered first.
Looking around at the spacious interior, Bai Feifei couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, this is amazing! I'm going to live in this room!"
Mu Qingyun followed the direction of her finger—it was pointing to Xiong Ruoyou's room. Coincidentally, Xiong Ruoyou had just walked out at that very moment.
The instant their gazes met, both of them looked visibly annoyed.
"I didn't say you could move in," Xiong Ruoyou snapped.
Before either of them could start arguing, Mu Qingyun's cold voice floated over.
"You can take your sleeping bag and lie down at the doorway."
What?!
Bai Feifei's face went pale the moment she heard those words.
Sleep at the door? Wouldn't that make her just like a guard dog?
"You're insulting me!" she growled, glaring at Mu Qingyun. If looks could kill, Mu Qingyun would've been torn to pieces by now.
"If you consider that an insult, then sure—I'm insulting you," Mu Qingyun shrugged nonchalantly. Without sparing her another glance, she carried her woven items and walked toward her room.
"Mu-ge, what are these?" Xiong Ruoyou asked, her mood evidently improved as she walked up to Mu Qingyun and eyed the assortment of handmade items.
To describe her mood in one word: satisfied. Hearing Mu-ge's sharp comeback earlier had been immensely gratifying.
"These are things I wove using seaweed. Pick what you want. Kazel has more too." Mu Qingyun laid everything on the floor and gestured toward Kazel.
"Okay, thanks, Mu-ge!" Xiong Ruoyou beamed and squatted down to examine the goods.
Just as Bai Feifei was about to speak, Kazel gently nudged her shoulder from the side.
"Why did you really come here?" he asked coldly, his amethyst eyes gleaming with suspicion.
"I—I told you, didn't I? I had a fight with Deng Yijie. Why do you keep asking me this?" Bai Feifei avoided his eyes, her guilty demeanor making it obvious she was hiding something.
So stupid.
Kazel frowned. Mu Xueyao wasn't very bright to begin with, and now she had sent someone even dumber? Was she just giving up?
"Forget it. Since Mu Qingyun's letting you stay, I won't ask anymore." A dangerous glint flashed in his violet pupils. "But don't even think of plotting anything against her—or I won't let you off."
[Live chat barrage:]
[Whoa, did I hear that right??]
[OMG he's so protective. "Don't even think about hurting Mu-ge"—who else is squealing?!]
[Pfft, of course you're squealing. You "Choose the Best Tree" fans are living the dream. But let's not forget, Kazel's love is one-sided. Black Bear Jie and Mu-ge are mutual, okay?]
[Ahem, ahem, I'm stepping in for Team Solemn. Su's the weakest in the group, and Mu-ge never looked down on him—she's always helping him.]
[Exactly! Don't forget how Su and Mu-ge snuggled for warmth in the beginning!]
[That was ages ago! You guys are still hanging on to crumbs from the stone age? I'm amazed your ship's still afloat.]
"Oh," Bai Feifei muttered, lowering her head, not daring to meet Kazel's eyes. She had the unsettling feeling that those eyes could see straight through her.
"And don't even think about claiming a room. I'm sleeping in the living room myself," Kazel added coolly. He picked up one of the grass mats Mu Qingyun had made and placed it on the floor.
He found a spot near the window, adjusted the mat, then lay down with a contented smile.
With this kind of weather, a mat might be too chilly for others—but for him, it was perfect.
As a merman used to the cold sea, he found the cool mat extremely comfortable.
"These are…?" Su stepped outside and spotted the pile of woven goods. Beside him, Yi Beixuan wore a frown—clearly annoyed about something that had just happened in the room.
"Mu Qingyun wove these using seaweed. For decorating the house," Kazel replied, raising his eyes to look at Su. His gaze swept over him from head to toe.
There was something piercing about it—as if Kazel could see straight through to his soul.
"Why are you staring at me?" Su narrowed his eyes warily and took an instinctive step back, meeting Kazel's gaze head-on.
As soon as their eyes met, a faint chill flickered across Su's eyes. Kazel caught it instantly.
Hmm? So this guy's hiding something, huh?
Kazel's lips curled into a knowing smile, his violet eyes narrowing slightly. Looks like he wasn't wrong—thanks to the intel Mu Xueyao had provided, he was now more certain than ever.
"You're pretty good-looking," he said, tilting his head and lounging on the mat, "But compared to me, you're still far behind."
"The merfolk are naturally blessed with good looks," Su replied with a mocking smile. "If I still didn't measure up to you, that would be truly tragic."
[Live chat barrage:]
[Mu-ge, your backyard's on fire! Quick, come see!!]
[Ooooh, the drama! I LIVE for this. Fight! Fight! Fight!]
[Wait, don't start yet—I need to grab my chips!]
[Pfft, am I the only one shipping these two? Their tension is chef's kiss. Enemies to lovers maybe?]
[Ew, just you. I don't see any chemistry. Feels like a forced pairing.]
[LMAO, you guys are freaks. These theories are wild. Meanwhile, I just want Su to say, "I'm not here to break you up… I'm here to…"]
[Stop, stop—I want Kazel and Su to just get together already. That tension? Spicy.]
[Bruh, do any of y'all still care about plot? You're all insane.]
"Ahem, can I talk to you outside?" Yi Beixuan interrupted the tension, exchanging a glance with Su before pulling him out of the house.
Su didn't say anything else to Kazel and followed Yi Beixuan outside.
Glancing back to make sure no one had followed them, Yi Beixuan shut off both of their livestream devices and tapped something on his wrist communicator.
A message popped up on the screen.