Chapter 1261

Mu Xiaoyao took the knitted sweater and put it on without saying a word.

Baili Xia couldn’t hold back and asked, “You really can’t tell?”

Mu Xiaoyao glanced at her lightly, casually replying, “There’s a ten percent chance that maybe you’re actually cold.”

“…” Baili Xia bit her lip, a swirl of indescribable emotions in her heart.

Oh, that awful Brother, why does he have to show kindness to her when she’s feeling so miserable?

If he’s too kind, she might end up relying on him.

“Actually, why do you listen to Uncle so much? Are you really willing to do everything he asks you to do?”

The two of them strolled slowly through the woods, and Baili Xia couldn’t help but mutter again.

She could hardly be considered a quiet person, especially in front of these men.

They were already sparing with their words, and if even she didn’t talk, the atmosphere would become unbearably awkward.

Mu Xiaoyao glanced down at her again, confirming there wasn’t any unusual emotion in her gaze before he withdrew his sight, looking ahead with a neutral expression.

Mentioning Uncle no longer made her eyes red.

That was good.

He replied casually, “Basically, I follow his instructions.”

“Is there anything you wouldn’t listen to him about?”

“…Not sure.”

“If he asked you to get married and have children, would you agree?” Baili Xia said with a slight pout.

“Why not? After all, marriage is inevitable.” Born into the Mu family, it was impossible to go a lifetime without getting married.

Whether it’s for the family’s benefit or for Uncle, someday he would have to get married anyway.

Since there wasn’t anyone he genuinely wanted to marry, who he married didn’t really matter.

Given that it made no difference, he might as well follow Uncle’s arrangements.

Baili Xia really wanted to raise her hand and give his head a good knock.

Uncle might be ruthless, but Brother was so stubbornly obedient that he only knew how to do whatever Uncle asked.

Marriage—a sacred act, a lifetime of happiness—and yet he treated it with such indifference.

However, if Brother genuinely liked men…

None of the elders in the Mu family, or the elders from the Eight Big Families for that matter, would ever allow him to marry a man.

If that were the case, in the end, for him to be with the man he loved, he would still need to put on a façade and marry a woman.

Thinking about it this way, Brother actually seemed quite pitiful.

Even if he truly loved a man, he wouldn’t be able to give that person a legitimate status in this lifetime.

It felt somewhat like they were in the same boat…

“Why don’t we get married?” she suddenly smiled faintly, her voice weak as she spoke.

Mu Xiaoyao’s heart trembled slightly, but he neither looked down at her nor stopped walking.

“You’ve thought it through?” If she could obediently follow Uncle’s arrangements, that would be best, sparing everyone from needless trouble.

“He used my family’s lives to threaten me—how could I not think it through?”

Her words were tinged with bittersweet sorrow.

But she was born this way, unable to let sadness linger too long in her heart.

No matter how sad she might feel, at the very least, she could still strive to live well for herself.

“Honestly, marrying Brother wouldn’t be so bad. I bet there are plenty of girls who’d envy me.”

She smiled, though it was unclear if her smile was genuine or not.

“After the wedding, I wouldn’t interfere if you wanted to make friends with… people of any gender. I’d spend your money, use your resources—it’s pretty great, isn’t it?”

Thinking about it, it really did seem quite good.

Brother liked men anyway, so he wouldn’t be interested in her.

As for Brother, he would eventually have to marry a woman to conceal certain preferences.

Rather than letting some other woman marry him—and one day expose him—it would be better for her to take the role of his bride.

At least she wouldn’t betray him.