A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Mu Nanzhao looked at Gu Xixi and said, "Speak."

Gu Xixi cupped her hands and bowed solemnly, "Thank you for finding those seeds; they are indeed exactly what I wanted."

"To be honest, I have been asking many people for help, but even Anqing from the Western Regions has never seen winter melons and persimmons in his hometown."

Mu Nanzhao had been listening calmly, but when he heard An Qinghe's name, a faint shadow gathered in his eyes.

"Why is it him again?"

The volume was almost a whisper, and slightly muffled, so Gu Xixi didn't hear clearly, "What about him?"

Mu Nanzhao said coldly, "It's nothing, please continue."

Gu Xixi said, "So I am very clear that these seeds are hard-won and cannot be simply measured in money."

She looked directly into Mu Nanzhao's eyes and said solemnly, "I cannot accept rewards without merit. Whatever Lord Mu desires, as long as I possess it or can accomplish it, I will do my utmost."

As she spoke, she bowed again.

Mu Nanzhao's eyes were dark and deep. After a moment, he spoke indifferently, "Lord Mu? It's quite a novel way to address you."

"You've been so polite to me. Let's keep things separate and settle every single thing clearly."

"And you can call that Hu man by his name and entrust him with any task."

"You're not afraid of owing him, but you're terrified of owing me. Why?"

Gu Xixi was taken aback.

Seeing this situation, He Jinglan knew it wasn't good for her to stay nearby, so she made up an excuse and slipped away.

Gu Xixi opened her mouth, "I..."

Her mind was in a daze, and she didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Mu Nanzhao said, "Because you're afraid that if you owe me something, I'll cling to you."

"You don't want to get entangled with me, so as long as we settle things clearly every time, we'll be even."

"Ideally, I, and the old Chen Fang, would completely disappear from your sight and never appear again."

Gu Xixi felt a sudden panic, and didn't even dare to look Mu Nanzhao in the eye, so she couldn't help but back away.

She had never felt this way before when facing Mu Nanzhao.

How did he know what she was going to say next?

Gu Xixi originally wanted to finally reveal that he had publicly delivered the gift in Chen Fang's name today, and although she didn't know his true purpose, she hoped he wouldn't do it again in the future.

From this point on, there's no need to bother sending anything, much less make such a high-profile gesture; Gu Xixi simply can't bear it.

Unfortunately, facing Mu Nanzhao like this, Gu Xixi found it difficult to utter the words she had prepared.

It felt as if she had taken Mu Nanzhao's kindness for granted and let him down.

Mu Nanzhao looked at Gu Xixi and slowly took a step forward.

He took a step forward, and she took a step back, until her back pressed against the bathroom door, leaving her with no way to retreat.

"Gu Xixi, what are you going to offer me in exchange? Money? Food? Like An Qinghe, help me make money?"

Mu Nanzhao raised his hand and slammed it on the door. "What if I wanted you to repay me with your body?"

Gu Xixi shuddered in shock, her mind went blank, and she forgot her fear, staring intently at Mu Nanzhao.

Mu Nanzhao curled his lips into a smile that was both cold and bitter. "You really want Chen Fang to disappear?"

Gu Xixi's thoughts returned to normal, and she thought in shock, "Was his marriage proposal last night for real?"

How to do?

How should we respond?

No, no, why does hearing him say that make my heart flutter, and even feel reluctant to do it?

Gu Xixi was never one to deceive herself; she nervously tried to clear her thoughts.

I need to figure out exactly what my feelings for him are.

Having gone through hardships together several times before, she did indeed develop some affection for Mu Nanzhao.

But that was just a feeling of liking.

Imagine a tall, handsome man who is skilled in both literature and martial arts. He not only helps and protects her on numerous occasions, but they also have a history of saving each other's lives. It would be hard not to develop feelings for him.

But all that goodwill she had accumulated couldn't outweigh the survival crisis of being a supporting female character.

what about now?

Gu Xixi was still racking her brains, but couldn't come up with an answer.

Mu Nanzhao, however, thought she was deliberately avoiding him, so he let go of her hand and said coldly, "Gu Xixi, you like farming, but for those worthless seeds, you're willing to bow down to people you don't want to be involved with."

“You value loyalty and righteousness, and you were willing to take the risk of keeping He Jinglan here. You were willing to forgive past grievances and teach those people how to grow millet. You were willing to support that Hu man and help his seedling merchant association gain a foothold.”

"Gu Xixi, where is your affection for me now?"

“Even if you left me behind because I coerced you, what happened later? When I passed out in the mountain trap, you could have easily ignored me, but you did. On the snowy night at the border, you returned, determined to drag me along with you. To find an antidote for me, you spared no expense in searching for medicine, even encountering a pack of wolves and facing imminent death.”

"Were these things things you had no choice but to do?"

Gu Xixi's eyes flickered, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts, becoming even more chaotic.

There seemed to be an answer she could reach out and grasp, but she hesitated to do so.

"I..." she tried to remain calm and returned to the previous topic, "I just didn't want you to suffer because I took your things. I treat other friends the same way, and I'm not deliberately targeting you."

A soft laugh came from above.

He laughed in exasperation, "Do you have to nitpick about this? If we're talking about owing someone, how am I supposed to calculate it? The medical expenses over the past year, the firefly flower used as a medicinal ingredient, your help in clearing wasteland for the Northwest Army which also benefited me, the life-saving grace, the kindness of taking me in during my time of need, even the steamed buns you baked for me late at night..."

"Why don't you teach me how to appraise these?"

Gu Xixi said in a muffled voice, "I know that not everything in this world can be calculated clearly."

“But that’s sophistry! I never said I had to pay you back with money for the seeds you gave me!” She looked up at him in frustration, like a trapped little animal.

"I just don't understand what's wrong! You said you weren't forcing me! But aren't you forcing me right now!"

Mu Nanzhao had never seen her so aggrieved yet charming, and his heart softened, his tone becoming more relaxed.

He took two steps back to create some distance, looking away.

"Alright, I need to take a bath. You can leave now."

The next day, just as dawn broke, Laifu had already pulled his cart to the village entrance.

Hearing He Jinglan sighing behind her, Gu Xixi said helplessly, "I've been sighing since last night, but I've never been this worried. What are you worried about?"

He Jinglan sighed again, "I just don't understand, if you're sure you have feelings for him, why are you avoiding him?"

Gu Xixi said with annoyance, "You don't understand, it's just that I can't bring myself to do it to him!"

He Jinglan tried to persuade her last night to no avail, and knew there was nothing she could do.

She muttered, "You clearly said you wouldn't leave the village recently, but you're risking your life to avoid someone."

Gu Xixi said, "Everything has been stable these past few days. I need to get those two plots of land as soon as possible. Tea trees are perfect for cuttings in July, so we can't wait any longer."