"You want to understand."
Ever since entering here, Mu Anxiao had a sense of unspoken crisis. Shen Xian's constant references to her past life made her uneasy and resistant.
"Yes, you aren't," Mu Anxiao forced a smile. "What you went through was Gu An, not me, right? So I've been thinking, there are many things I haven't experienced with you, but... I can understand them. Once I understand, I think I'll be qualified."
Shen Xian: "....." He chuckled.
Seeing Shen Xian laugh, Mu Anxiao thought, perhaps this was the end?
However, she hadn't expected Shen Xian to have another surprise.
"Follow me." He turned around.
Reluctantly, Mu Anxiao followed Shen Xian.
At the same time, Piao ran to the kitchen and quickly caught up with Feng Qishi, who had finished tidying the dishes. "You're here."
Feng Qishi: "I am. What are you doing here?" He turned to look at Piao.
Piao glanced around. "I have something to tell you."
Outside the door, the vine spirit transformed back into a chain and fell onto the ground.
Feng Qishi, unaware of the vine spirit's presence, asked, "What is it?"
Piao: "Shen Xian took Mu Anxiao to his garden."
"I know. And then?"
"....." Piao stared at Feng Qishi's face for a few seconds. "Can you not be so calm?"
"Everything you're saying, I already know. How can I not be calm?"
"...."
Seeing Piao's solemn expression, Feng Qishi put on an exaggerated look. "And then?"
Piao was quite pleased with Feng Qishi's reaction and said, "Just now, I was tending to the Bian Hua."
"The Bian Hua needs you to tend to it?"
"...." Piao was seen through by Feng Qishi. After a moment's hesitation, "Alright, I was snatching some leisure time..."
Before coming here, Piao had always been serious, never so informal. Seeing him like this, Feng Qishi felt a little unaccustomed.
However, considering the environment and Shen Xian's even more volatile temper, he understood.
Feng Qishi: "....."
Piao asked, "Why aren't you talking to me?"
Feng Qishi: "That you were snatching leisure time without Shen Xian noticing, that's impressive."
"There are many flowers there, and with the white mist, it's naturally hard to be noticed."
"Then, in that case," Feng Qishi shook his head slightly, "I shouldn't have chosen sweeping. I should have chosen weeding from the start."
"But you can't do it."
"You can do it, but I can't?"
"I've taken care of flowers before. You haven't."
"I don't like what you're saying."
Outside on the ground, the vine spirit listened to the domestic conversation between Piao and Feng Qishi and yawned.
Inside, Piao, who was about to say something else, suddenly frowned and looked towards the door. "Feng Qishi, did you hear anything?"
"What sound?" Feng Qishi didn't even glance that way.
"Someone yawned."
Feng Qishi asked, "Someone's here?"
"It seems so."
"Seems so?" Feng Qishi repeated, then seemed to realize. "Oh, it must be the sachet."
"The sachet?"
"You forgot again."
"Oh, that girl."
"Yes." Feng Qishi nodded. "If you have something to say, just say it directly."
The moment Feng Qishi said this, the vine spirit breathed a sigh of relief.
Piao: "Just now Mu Anxiao asked about the rock garden. Shen Xian built it for her. She... not she, but Gu An. Afterwards..." He lowered his voice. "After Mu Anxiao left, Shen Xian said, 'Soon, you will be Gu An.'"
"....." Feng Qishi blinked. "What does he mean by that?"
"I didn't understand either, that's why I came to find you," Piao pointed at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi sighed. "There might be something going on."
"I think so too."
Then, Feng Qishi thought for a moment and said, "You go and supervise."
"Okay." Piao readily agreed and turned to walk to the door. Just as he was about to step over the threshold, he inadvertently saw the chain by the threshold. "Huh? What's this?"
Seeing Piao pause, Feng Qishi asked, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing." Piao bent down, picked up the chain, and threw it away.
Night fell. Shen Xian sat cross-legged on the bed. As he closed his eyes, the vine spirit appeared by his bedside, looking disheveled. "You have wounds. Won't sitting like this tear them open?"
Hearing this, Shen Xian opened his eyes and looked up at the vine spirit. "What happened to you?"
The vine spirit reached up and brushed away branches and leaves from its head. "It's Piao."
"What did Piao do to you?"
"Never mind what he did to me. Let me tell you, you need to be more careful with your words from now on."
"What happened?"
"What happened? Today you were admiring flowers with that Mu Anxiao. Did you notice anything?"
"Notice anything?"
"Didn't you notice Piao was there too?"
"Piao?" Shen Xian repeated, thinking back to the quiet environment. "No. What are you thinking!"
"Your words were heard by him."
"Which words did he hear?"
"You..." Just as the vine spirit uttered one word, its head suddenly started to ache. "Wait, my head hurts. Let me think."
"Who did you fight with?"
"I was eavesdropping outside the kitchen when Piao discovered me before I could escape. Piao immediately picked me up and threw me out. I fell into a tree and struggled for a long time before I could get down. My clothes were all torn," the vine spirit said, looking down at its extensively tattered attire.
Shen Xian: "....."
The vine spirit gave a silly laugh, then pondered for a while before continuing, "He said, after Mu Anxiao left, you said, 'Soon, you will be Gu An.'"
"He told the junior brother?"
"Yes."
"......" Shen Xian lowered his head.
Then, the vine spirit asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"That statement," Shen Xian thought for a moment, "is just a statement. There's nothing to suspect."
"Feng Qishi said he asked Piao to supervise you."
"Supervise me?" Shen Xian pointed at himself and chuckled. "As long as I don't do anything, what can he do even if he supervises? Look how scared you are."
"This is something I planned. If..."
"You prepare yourself now. If Gu An doesn't come back, then," Shen Xian's gaze turned cold, "I won't let you go either."
The vine spirit: "....." It turned and vanished.
After the vine spirit had completely left, Shen Xian thought, "I can't let my junior brother ruin my plans. It seems I need to think of a way." With that, he glanced at Mu Anxiao, who entered the room carrying a foot basin, and said softly, "You're here."
"Mm," Mu Anxiao responded. She kicked the door shut with her foot and walked to Shen Xian's bed. Bending down, she placed the foot basin, "Here, wash your feet!"