"Do you want to come or not?"
Mu Anxiao certainly didn't want to. If Shen Xian wasn't problematic, she wouldn't want to see him at all.
But for the sake of the mission, she had to appease him. "I really do. Look, you're injured. If they bully you, I can help you out."
"Why would they bully me?"
"I..." Mu Anxiao knew she'd misspoke and chuckled sheepishly. "I was just worried."
"They won't bully me."
"That's good. Where are we going?"
"....."
"Why aren't you talking?" Mu Anxiao subtly observed Shen Xian's hesitant expression and couldn't help but feel a premonition of being stood up.
"....."
At this moment, Shen Xian recalled the plan he'd changed at the last minute with the Vine Spirit yesterday, and her firm refusal from yesterday.
He was unsure whether to agree or refuse her now.
However, Mu Anxiao was unaware of Shen Xian's itinerary for the day. She only remembered that Shen Xian was going out today, a fact she had just recalled while sitting at the table.
One could say this was a spur-of-the-moment idea.
But looking at Shen Xian's hesitant expression now, she knew he definitely didn't want her to tag along.
So, she asked, "Just tell me, where are you going?"
Shen Xian: "Just to meet some friends."
"Friends?" Mu Anxiao thought Shen Xian was someone without friends, so hearing the word "friends" from him surprised her. "You have friends?"
"Mm."
"Then you don't want me to go?"
"....."
"Just tell me if you don't want me to go?"
"Our friends are all men. You, a woman, going might be a bit strange."
"But you wanted me to go yesterday?"
Yesterday, Shen Xian had intended to take Mu Anxiao out to see the scenic mountains and rivers, to lift her spirits while also avoiding her meeting Feng Qishi. But Mu Anxiao had refused, so he and the Vine Spirit had reconsidered and decided to take Feng Qishi out.
As for where they were going? He wasn't sure himself; it was all the Vine Spirit's arrangement.
"Originally, there was no one else, and I wanted to take you sightseeing, but... since you wouldn't go, I changed the plan and invited some friends, all men," Shen Xian explained.
Mu Anxiao: "....." She sighed softly, thinking that following him wouldn't reveal any clues, but if she followed stealthily, everything might become clear.
With that thought, she compromised. "Alright then, I won't go."
"Really?"
"You're happy I'm not going, aren't you?" Mu Anxiao pointed at Shen Xian.
Shen Xian: "No, I just think you're very kind."
"I know I'm very kind and considerate. Alright, when do you leave?"
"In a moment."
"Okay." Mu Anxiao nodded and sat down again.
***
Garden Thatched Cottage
The Vine Spirit politely poured Feng Qishi a cup of tea. "Please," he said, offering the cup to Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi nodded slightly, picked up the teacup, and looked at the furnishings and familiar furniture in the room. "I was here yesterday, and I didn't see this thatched cottage."
"I built it temporarily."
"These decorations are all conjured by sorcery," Feng Qishi said. He took a sip of tea, swished it in his mouth, and then spat it out. "Good tea." He put down the cup.
The Vine Spirit glanced at the wet spot at Feng Qishi's feet and, thinking about Feng Qishi's words, he chuckled. "Brother Feng..."
"Wait, don't call me that."
"Feng..." The Vine Spirit uttered the word and smiled. "In that case, I'll call you Brother Shen, just like in the previous life. How about that?"
"Fine." Feng Qishi glanced at the bamboo bed, which had no bedding, and asked, "Do you sleep directly on it?"
The Vine Spirit followed Feng Qishi's gaze, turned his head towards the bamboo bed, and smiled. "It's good for the waist."
In reality, the Vine Spirit reverted to his original form every night. The square table was his actual bed.
The bamboo bed was merely a decoration in the room.
"You really are peculiar," Feng Qishi said, standing up and walking to the bamboo bed. He bent down and patted the extremely hard bamboo. "Strange, this bamboo bed looks very familiar."
When he was in Lu Yan's room, there was a bamboo bed just like this. Feng Qishi had always been deeply impressed by it. Seeing this bamboo bed again made him even more certain that his guess was correct!
However, the Vine Spirit did not remember that Lu Yan's home had a similar bamboo bed. Hearing Feng Qishi say this now, he felt nothing.
On the contrary, he calmly said, "This kind of bamboo bed was very popular before."
Popular?
This word evidently made Feng Qishi even more convinced of the correctness of his idea.
At this moment, he thought, "Alright then, if the Vine Spirit likes to act, I'll play along."
"So that's how it is," Feng Qishi said, and immediately sat down on the bamboo bed.
The Vine Spirit smiled. "Comfortable?"
"Not bad."
"....." The Vine Spirit, seeing Feng Qishi's greatly changed attitude compared to yesterday, breathed a sigh of relief and then suddenly remembered his plan with Shen Xian. "That..."
He didn't know how to start.
Feng Qishi asked, "What's wrong? What is 'that'?"
The Vine Spirit put on a feigned look of difficulty. "Could you accompany me out for a bit later?"
"Where to?"
"A new Demon Tower has recently opened nearby. There are many impressive performances there. Would you be willing to come with me to see?"
Demon Tower? Feng Qishi had clearly never heard of this place.
So, he thought for a moment and asked, "What kind of place is that?"
"It's similar to a brothel in the mortal world. The demonesses there perform dances of the demon realm, mixed with some sorcery. I can learn from it."
"Why do you need to learn that?"
"I want to learn."
"....." Feng Qishi deliberately said, "What's so good about those women's dances?"
"No, I want to learn..." The Vine Spirit chuckled sheepishly. "Learn sorcery."
"You're already quite powerful, why do you still need to learn sorcery?"
"Everyone knows the importance of continuous learning. Naturally, I'm no exception."
Feng Qishi found the Vine Spirit's words quite reasonable, so he paused. "Then you go ahead."
"You're not going?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I have no interest in that kind of place, watching women dance," Feng Qishi shook his head slightly. "I don't like it."
"Then what do you like?"
"There's nothing in particular. I came here," Feng Qishi stood up, "to give you the task of sweeping the floor. But if you're going out, then forget it."
"Sweeping the floor?"
"Yes. Yesterday, I saw you seemed eager to sweep the floor, so I thought I'd just assign this task to you. As for me," Feng Qishi deliberately yawned, "I can get some proper rest."