Ou Xiaoxue happily patted her chest, her face beaming as she said to Ye Tiancheng and the little fox, "Brother Ye, Brother Ye Li, feel free to ask me any questions you have."
"As long as I know something, I will definitely tell you everything I know, without holding anything back. You've always asked me questions, and I've always told you the truth. I can guarantee that I will never lie."
"Thank you so much for this matter. I must thank you properly. When we get out, I'll treat you to a big meal!"
After hearing Ou Xiaoxue's words, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox were quite satisfied with her earlier attitude. However, they both smiled subtly at her final promise.
They had already planned to pretend that the formation would only be open for about an hour before the transfer. Moreover, during this "open hour," they intended to do some other important things. For instance, they would definitely meet Hou Mingzhu and Fatty, and they also planned to bring Ye Tiancheng's daughter, Ye Qingcheng, to live in the illusion.
Under these circumstances, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox would have absolutely no opportunity to have that big meal with Ou Xiaoxue.
However, at the current moment, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox would not tell Ou Xiaoxue about this, as there was no need for her to know so much.
Ultimately, Ou Xiaoxue was merely a passerby they encountered in their lives. After this parting, they likely wouldn't have any further interactions for the rest of their lives, barring any unexpected circumstances. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox would not say anything unnecessary to Ou Xiaoxue.
Thus, the little fox directly asked Ou Xiaoxue, "Ou Xiaoxue, in your living room on the first floor of your villa, there's a painting. The painting isn't hung very high, about my height. If I stand under the painting, I would accidentally bump into it."
"There's something unusual about that painting. It seems to contain an evil spirit, and that evil spirit is even stronger than all the ones my elder brother and I dealt with before combined."
"Moreover, the evil spirit in that painting is better at hiding than the previous ones. It didn't leak any aura at all until today when my elder brother and I discovered it. It was hidden very discreetly. To ensure everything was foolproof, my elder brother and I came back specifically to ask you for clarification before dealing with that entity."
Ou Xiaoxue was instantly astonished. Ye Tiancheng and the little fox both keenly sensed that her expression had suddenly dimmed. Because her previous expression was so joyful, any change in her emotions became very noticeable and impossible to hide, allowing people to see through it at a glance.
Seeing Ou Xiaoxue like this, it was likely that she already knew something and had some vague suspicions. With Ou Xiaoxue's current reaction, even Ye Tiancheng and the little fox, who were observing her from the side, could roughly guess something. They felt that they probably knew the origin of that painting, as they likely knew more than Ou Xiaoxue did now.
No, it might be more accurate to say that Ye Tiancheng and the little fox possessed much more information than Ou Xiaoxue. After all, they had kept many things hidden from Ou Xiaoxue.
Perhaps it was precisely because the clues from that painting were too obvious and had a very clear direction that Ou Xiaoxue's complexion changed so drastically. As for what that direction was, and why it would strike Ou Xiaoxue so hard, there was probably no need to guess.
Ou Xiaoxue forced a smile. After a long pause, she slowly said, "Before I answer this question, can I ask you if you think the evil spirit in the painting moved in later, or if it was there from the beginning?"
Judging by Ou Xiaoxue's expression, there was still a glimmer of hope. She seemed to not want things to be as bad as she imagined. Unfortunately, it was highly likely that things were destined to disappoint her. Both Ye Tiancheng and the little fox were well aware of this.
The little fox answered Ou Xiaoxue's question, "I can only tell you that the evil spirit hidden within the painting must be one with the painting itself. That's why it could hide so perfectly, allowing my elder brother and me to detect no trace of it until it voluntarily revealed itself. Therefore..."
The little fox did not finish his sentence, but even though his words were incomplete, to Ou Xiaoxue, the matter was already quite clear. She could no longer deceive herself. Things were truly as bad as she had imagined, even though she desperately wished they weren't.
Ou Xiaoxue remained silent for a long time, but Ye Tiancheng and the little fox did not disturb her, waiting quietly beside her without urging her to answer.
It was understandable that Ou Xiaoxue's mood would not be good. Anyone facing such a situation would not be in a good mood.
After thinking for a while, Ou Xiaoxue vigorously rubbed her face and then put on a smile to answer the little fox's question.
"That painting... was a gift from Chu Yue. And not long ago, the day before I encountered the evil spirit, Chu Yue had just given me that painting. I had just hung it up, and the next day, I was temporarily trapped in the villa."
Ou Xiaoxue was smiling, but the emotion in her eyes was heavy. Despite her smile, anyone who saw her could feel that she was on the verge of tears. Ou Xiaoxue was truly heartbroken, which was why she wore such an expression.
Seeing Ou Xiaoxue like this, Ye Tiancheng felt a pang of sympathy and couldn't help but advise her, "If you don't feel like smiling, then don't force yourself."
As soon as Ye Tiancheng said this, Ou Xiaoxue couldn't hold back any longer. She buried her head and burst into tears.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had very limited closeness to her. Even their attempts at comfort were distant and offered only platitudes, which were of no real help. Therefore, at this moment, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox were helpless.
However, having experienced such an event, Ye Tiancheng felt that Ou Xiaoxue crying like this might not be a bad thing.
It was good for her emotions to be released. Suppressing them all within her heart would only lead to her being overwhelmed.
In comparison, the little fox was much more indifferent than Ye Tiancheng. Apart from Ye Tiancheng and Fatty, and those related to them, very few others could stir the little fox's emotions.
However, although the little fox wouldn't be moved by Ou Xiaoxue's plight, out of consideration for Ye Tiancheng, he wouldn't add insult to injury, nor would he display his indifference too obviously.
Therefore, the little fox could still manage to put on a pretense and not appear overly indifferent. However, he would absolutely not offer comfort to Ou Xiaoxue unless it was necessary. He was more rationally analyzing the situation and thinking about what needed to be done next.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox patiently let Ou Xiaoxue cry for a while. After Ou Xiaoxue's emotions calmed down, they resumed their conversation.
Ye Tiancheng felt that at this point, it was necessary to let Ou Xiaoxue know some truths. After all, Song Chu Yue's true identity had already been revealed to Ou Xiaoxue, and there were already leads regarding the whereabouts of the Fuxi Qin fragments. Some things no longer needed to be hidden from Ou Xiaoxue.
"Since things are this way, I think it's necessary to explain some things to you. Before my wife and I returned today, my wife obtained some additional intelligence while investigating outside. I believe you have the right to know, so I intend to tell you everything."
"After you read the newly obtained intelligence, I will tell you some things about your 'good friend' Song Chu Yue. My wife and I didn't notice it before, but combining the current situation, we have finally caught some subtle hints. I believe these things are also very necessary for you to know."
"After hearing everything, I believe you will form your own judgment. As for what you will do in the end, please give me and the little fox an answer after we resolve the matters here."
Ou Xiaoxue had just finished crying, her eyes were red and tear-streaked, her face was pale and almost bloodless, and her voice was a little choked. However, her attitude and expression were clearly much firmer, as if she had made up her mind.
She said to Ye Tiancheng, "I can bear anything, Brother Ye. Please tell me. I need to know the truth. I've been a poor judge of character all these years, and I don't want to be a fool anymore. I need to see the true faces of some people."
Although Song Chu Yue was the person she least wanted to suspect, Ou Xiaoxue had many friends, and Song Chu Yue had always been Ou Xiaoxue's best friend, the best and only one.
They did everything together, and Ou Xiaoxue did everything with Song Chu Yue. They were inseparable for years. Ou Xiaoxue couldn't understand why Song Chu Yue would do such a thing, but she also wanted to know the truth and not deceive herself or remain foolish.
Although she hadn't received all the information yet, after Ye Tiancheng and the little fox specifically mentioned the painting, she already had a premonition.
Ou Xiaoxue knew that Ye Tiancheng and the little fox wouldn't have asked her about this matter unless they were very confident. Therefore, even though she hadn't seen much evidence, some things were almost a foregone conclusion.
However, Ou Xiaoxue still wanted to see the evidence with her own eyes. She wanted to wake herself up.
Ye Tiancheng looked at Ou Xiaoxue's expression and knew she was serious. He then retrieved the intelligence he had obtained earlier from his phone and showed it all to Ou Xiaoxue.
Of course, he didn't directly show her the intelligence that Hou Mingzhu sent him every time. To avoid any potential issues and to prevent revealing their true intentions, Ye Tiancheng had organized the information that had been deliberately concealed for a period of time into a single document, creating an intelligence compilation for Ou Xiaoxue.
Ye Tiancheng had done this on the way back. The reason he did it at that time was because the matter was essentially settled, and he could do it with confidence. It was not advisable to prepare this in advance, as it could easily reveal a flaw, and Ye Tiancheng was quite cautious.
Ye Tiancheng found the document he had prepared and handed his phone to Ou Xiaoxue, saying, "Take a look for yourself. It's all in there."