Chapter 456: with translation of chapter title

However, Xixi tried her hardest for a long time, but still couldn't remember anything; she shook her head: "Still no……"

Mu Yuanzhi said regretfully: "It's fine, take your time, there will always be a way."

"I must have learned some crucial secret! What a pity!" Xixi really wanted to beat her chest and stomp her feet.

"He will surely slip up." Mu Yuanzhi said, "It's so late, let me send you back? Your father has been worried about you for days."

"Hmm, tomorrow we'll go find Lord Si Ma again!"

"You must remember: from now on, you absolutely cannot be alone; although Mu Chengcheng hasn't done anything to you because he doesn't want big trouble in Jingcheng that would be unfavorable to him, it's hard to guarantee he won't be driven to desperate measures."

"I know, I wouldn't dare run around alone anymore, Elder Sister Mu, you can rest assured!" Xixi promised.

The next day, Mu Yuanzhi got up very early; she wanted to accompany Xixi to find the witch doctor.

Just as she stepped out of the courtyard, she saw Mu Chengcheng; he was still smiling as usual, but his expression was clearly different from his usual demeanor.

Because they found Xixi, he had to release the person; his mood couldn't help but be bad, right?

"Little sister, where are you going so early?" Mu Chengcheng asked.

Going with Xixi to see Lord Si Ma; Xixi has a bit of a headache, and Lord Si Ma specializes in treating ailments with no apparent cause." Mu Yuanzhi rarely spoke such a long sentence to Mu Chengcheng.

Upon hearing that, Mu Chengcheng's smile froze for a moment: "Even you have an illness you can't cure?"

"There are plenty of things: corrupted human hearts, disgusting mental states—these are what I'm not good at." Mu Yuanzhi spoke with implied meaning.

Mu Chengcheng's face darkened again; the smile he struggled to maintain looked utterly ridiculous to Mu Yuanzhi.

Now Xixi is fine, she no longer fears startling the snake; besides, she hasn't said anything at all—it's his own bad mindset that makes him prone to reading too much into things.

After saying that, Mu Yuanzhi walked around Mu Chengcheng and left straight away.

As she left the Grand General's mansion, she saw Xixi standing outside the carriage; upon seeing Mu Yuanzhi, Xixi waved vigorously.

The two of them rode in a carriage to the Bureau of Astronomy to find the witch doctor.

Today is a day off every five days when there's no early court; barring any surprises, the witch doctor will be at the Bureau of Astronomy.

This time they came, Mu Yuanzhi saw Tibetan incense burning in the room and found it odd, asking the witch doctor: "Didn't Lord Si Ma say the Tibetan incense was almost gone?"

"I've found some more lately," the witch doctor laughed, "Just had a little matter to attend to, so I lit it."

Mu Yuanzhi didn't ask what it was, and explained again the reason for coming to see the witch doctor, which she had already briefly mentioned earlier.

"Let me have a look," the witch doctor said, having Xixi sit on a concubine's chair, "Don't be nervous, I'm just a doctor."

"I'm not nervous," Xixi argued.

Is she obviously nervous?

The witch doctor smiled without speaking.

"Lord Si Ma, what is that you're holding?" Xixi, lying on the noble consort's chair, asked nervously, half her body rising.

The witch doctor gently pressed her shoulders down and smiled: "Miss Xixi, just lie still."

Xixi swallowed, lay back down, her eyes darting around, constantly watching the witch doctor's every move.

Mu Yuanzhi also fixed her gaze on the witch doctor.

All I saw was him holding a bowl of some unknown powder; he blew lightly, and the powder flew up, swirling toward Xixi's face; in an instant, the whole room seemed to be filled with a thin mist.

She seemed to hear the sound of a bell, ethereal and distant, as if also hearing flute and string music, making one feel dazed.

Xixi's spirit faltered for a moment, then she focused again, and the surroundings became bright as before.

"How is it?"

Seeing the witch doctor set down that tray of powder, Mu Yuanzhi spoke up to ask.

"It's not a hypnotic-type mental issue," the witch doctor said.

"But it's also not due to external force—Xixi's head shows no impact injuries, either external or internal." Mu Yuanzhi said, puzzled.

The witch doctor stroked his chin, pondered a while, and said: "Perhaps it's the effect of a drug."

"Drug effect?" Well, another medicine I've never seen or heard of?

Xixi furrowed her brows: "So for now there's nothing we can do."

"Actually there is a method, but its effectiveness is low and the risk is high…"

"I object!" Before the witch doctor could finish, Mu Yuanzhi interrupted, "Even if I can't remember, it doesn't matter; I'll surely find leverage over Mu Chengcheng, and this drug seems to have no other effect on Xixi, so let's just take it."

Xixi had wanted to say she'd try it, after all she felt something was off with her missing memories, but Mu Yuanzhi's strong opposition made her back down.

The witch doctor looked regretful, stroking the Tibetan incense burner, and said: "What a pity, I've already lit this Tibetan incense."

"Nothing else, we'll take our leave now, not to disturb Lord Si Ma," Mu Yuanzhi said as she rose.

Xixi also rose to her feet.

"Alright, take your time," the witch doctor said without pressure, reminding Mu Yuanzhi: "There's not much time left until the eighth of next month; Princess, you need to hurry."

Indeed, time is short; though it seems long, it passes in the blink of an eye, especially since both the Ministry of Rites and the Bureau of Astronomy are busy preparing for this matter, giving a constant sense that the date is fast approaching.

Mu Yuanzhi returned to the Grand General's mansion and just saw Yelu Kebao Ge turning around and walking onto the carriage.

The Grand Princess often comes to the Grand General's mansion to see Mu Chengcheng every few days; the two are inseparable, and it seems her previous stunt actually helped advance their relationship.

"Little sister's back," Mu Chengcheng said after seeing off Yelu Kebao Ge, then stood at the doorway, reluctant to part.

Seeing Mu Yuanzhi return, he hurried over to greet her.

Mu Yuanzhi really had to put up with him; he's always acting, even when it's obvious, and in this regard he's exactly like Pei Yunxi.

He's basically the male version of Pei Yunxi.

Mu Yuanzhi gave him a perfunctory smile and left it at that; with a few servants nearby, she didn't say anything else, so as not to give Mu Chengcheng a chance to play the victim.

"Are you tired, little sister? You don't look very comfortable," Mu Chengcheng said, following her step for step.

I don't know if it's because there are servants around, but Mu Chengcheng is especially attentive, to the point of being annoying.

Mu Chengcheng kept chattering behind her, "little sister this, little sister that"; Mu Yuanzhi occasionally responded with a few words, and he looked pleased, until Gu Rongjin came out and squeezed in between them.

"Uncle-in-law, you don't have to act all eager every time you see my little sister, right? Oh wait, that word is poorly used; it's my fault, because those fake older brothers with the surname Pei also constantly pester little Mu Yuanzhi every day, so my thoughts got mixed up."

Gu Rongjin deliberately stressed the words "fake older brother", and also lumped Mu Mengcheng together with those princes surnamed Pei; Mu Mengcheng's face darkened again.

The servants behind, upon hearing this, seemed to shift their gaze toward Mu Mengcheng.