Suixuan, Feng Qishi looked at the rattan spirit and said, "I get it now."
The rattan spirit took a step back. "Get what?"
"From noon until now, you've been following me. It's obvious you had this planned."
"I did have a plan."
Feng Qishi frowned.
The rattan spirit spread his arms. "My plan is to be brothers with you again."
Feng Qishi was speechless. He picked up a broom and ran.
The rattan spirit hurried after him.
Piao sighed.
Chen, while working, said, "When will this end? Why do I feel like," she looked up at Piao, "Feng Qishi is enjoying being chased by that guy?"
Piao smiled. "I think so too. He's probably gone mad from working here."
As dusk fell, the rattan spirit, having urgent matters, left under the guise of going to the latrine.
Feng Qishi, panting, returned to the kitchen after confirming the rattan spirit was gone.
Xiang Nang stood at the kitchen door and handed the wok spatula she was holding to Feng Qishi. "Cook."
All this time, Feng Qishi had been bothered by the rattan spirit's persistence. However, what puzzled him was why that guy always disappeared around meal times.
It was the case at noon, and it was the case now.
"He didn't come back, did he?" he asked.
Xiang Nang replied, "He just ran out in a hurry."
"Where did he go?"
"I don't know. I just saw him acting suspiciously near the latrines and then he vanished."
"Then he's probably busy with his own affairs." Feng Qishi looked down at the wok spatula in his hand and then at the clean cutting board. "Why are you giving me the spatula? Where are the ingredients?"
"None were prepared."
"None prepared?" Feng Qishi frowned. "How can I cook without ingredients?" He handed the spatula back to Xiang Nang.
Xiang Nang took the spatula and asked, "Why are you giving this to me?"
"I need to process the vegetables. What can I do with just a spatula?" He walked to the bamboo basket, bent down, and picked up a head of cabbage. "How about stir-fried cabbage?"
Xiang Nang blinked. "Shen Xian said whatever you cook, he'll eat."
"Good, he's not picky." Feng Qishi, holding the cabbage, walked to the cutting board and asked, "By the way, where's Mu Shazi?"
From the morning, Feng Qishi had only seen Mu An Xiao once. During lunch, they ate in a hurry, and he hadn't had a chance to ask this question. Now that he remembered, he asked.
Xiang Nang replied, "She's gone to Shen Xian's."
"Shen Xian's room?"
"Yes, Shen Xian is letting her stay in his room, and from now on, she cannot leave his side."
"What?"
"What's wrong?"
Feng Qishi thought about Shen Xian's attitude towards Mu An Xiao and about Gu An, whom Mu An Xiao mentioned Shen Xian always talked about yesterday. He shook his head. "No, they can't be together."
"Why not?"
"Don't you know that his room only has one bed? Where will Mu An Xiao sleep!" Feng Qishi placed the cabbage on the cutting board and took a step back, but Xiang Nang blocked his way.
He asked, "What are you doing? Blocking me?"
Xiang Nang looked up. "What are you thinking!"
"What I'm thinking," Feng Qishi tilted his head and looked at Xiang Nang again. "You don't understand at all."
"What don't I understand? Shen Xian gave Mu An Xiao a separate bed. What is it you're always thinking about?"
Hearing this, Feng Qishi narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling the truth?"
"Why would I lie to you?"
Feng Qishi narrowed his eyes.
Xiang Nang smiled. "I'm going in. I saw them setting up the bed with my own eyes. If you don't believe me..." She stopped mid-sentence, remembering Shen Xian's intention, and sighed. "You can't see it anyway."
"Why not?"
Xiang Nang shook her head, indicating she couldn't say.
Initially, Feng Qishi wasn't curious, but seeing Xiang Nang like this, he became intrigued. It also made him pay more attention to what Piao had told him yesterday.
All along, Feng Qishi hadn't thought deeply about Shen Xian's sleepwalking incident last night. He even thought Shen Xian was just missing Gu An too much, which caused him to sleepwalk to Mu An Xiao's room.
But with the current situation, he harbored suspicions about Shen Xian and Xu Lan, who had been pestering him all day.
"You mean, Shen Xian doesn't want me to see Mu Shazi?"
Xiang Nang replied, "You can think of it that way."
Feng Qishi turned and continued his work.
Seeing Feng Qishi calm down, Xiang Nang breathed a sigh of relief. "Shen Xian won't do anything to Mu An Xiao, don't worry."
Feng Qishi picked up a cleaver and split the cabbage in half with one stroke. "What am I not worried about? She... what does she have to do with me?"
Xiang Nang shrugged.
Then, Feng Qishi, while chopping vegetables, thought about how persistent Xu Lan had been today, finding it indeed strange.
In front of the Ghost Cave.
The rattan spirit transformed into a chain and floated to the monster leader. "What do you want me for?"
"We don't want to be idle tonight."
"Not tonight."
"Why?"
Fearing the monster leader would grab him, the rattan spirit floated back. "Because things are not ready yet. You guys... just wait and don't rush."
The monster leader glared at the rattan spirit.
Seeing the monster leader's angry gaze and the monsters behind him, the rattan spirit's heart stirred. "If you really want to, I can give you one from outside."
"What status?"
The rattan spirit thought about Feng Qishi's uncooperative attitude and the monster leader's eager red eyes. He thought it would be best to push Feng Qishi towards them. This way, not only would Mu An Xiao be dealt with, but Feng Qishi, the stumbling block, would also be eliminated. It would be killing two birds with one stone.
With that thought, he said, "Tonight, you'll lurk outside the courtyard, and I'll lure him out. However, don't send too many people. Everyone needs to conserve their strength."
The monster leader glared at the rattan spirit and left with his subordinates.
The rattan spirit breathed a sigh of relief.
In the courtyard.
Feng Qishi sat at the stone table, watching Xiang Nang carry the food into Shen Xian's room. Then he looked at the figures projected on the paper window. He thought Mu An Xiao was truly persistent, staying in that room all day. Wasn't it boring?
With that thought, he shook his head, picked up the teacup beside him, and took a sip.
Suixuan, Piao walked up to Feng Qishi with scissors. "You've eaten."
Feng Qishi put down his cup and turned to look at the scissors in Piao's hand. "What are you holding scissors for?"
"What else? Trimming branches, of course." Piao looked around and asked, "Huh? Where did that guy go?"
"Who?"
"Who else? The guy who chased you all afternoon." Piao's face showed a mischievous smile.