The core of Teng Tiao Jing's strategy was to get Shen Xian to ask questions like this, ensuring that when the time came, he could dispel Shen Xian's doubts about him.
"I slept in the forest last night, then I couldn't sleep well and fell. Those monsters tore me apart. Fortunately, I was smart, or you wouldn't be seeing me today."
"Be careful next time. If anything were to happen to you, who would help me then?"
"Got it," Teng Tiao Jing replied with a silly grin.
Immediately, Teng Tiao Jing hobbled out of the room with Shen Xian and glanced at Feng Qi Shi, who was sweeping the ground in the center of the courtyard. He raised his hand and called out cheerfully, "Feng Qi Shi, we meet again." He walked down the steps and approached Feng Qi Shi.
Feng Qi Shi calmly glanced at the wounds on Teng Tiao Jing's face and his disheveled attire. "..." He continued sweeping.
Seeing that Feng Qi Shi ignored him, Teng Tiao Jing became anxious. "Why aren't you talking to me?"
Feng Qi Shi said, "I don't know you. Why should I talk to you?"
Teng Tiao Jing said, "We used to be good friends. If possible, we..."
"Why do you keep bothering me?" Feng Qi Shi straightened up and turned to look at Teng Tiao Jing.
Teng Tiao Jing chuckled, "I just want to make amends."
"I don't know you." Feng Qi Shi glared at Teng Tiao Jing and then looked at Shen Xian. "Senior brother, the meal is ready. Shall I bring it to your room, or... will you eat in the kitchen?"
"I'll go to the kitchen," Shen Xian said, giving Teng Tiao Jing a meaningful look.
Teng Tiao Jing's eyes flickered. He reached out and grabbed the broom from Feng Qi Shi's hand. "Come on, let's do it together."
As they walked, Feng Qi Shi let go of the broom and said, "Since you want to sweep so much, I'll indulge you. Sweep away."
"Where are you going?"
Feng Qi Shi glanced at Teng Tiao Jing and walked towards the outhouse behind the courtyard.
"..."
Teng Tiao Jing curled his lips, dropped the broom, and walked away.
At that moment, Xiang Nang entered the courtyard and looked at Teng Tiao Jing's retreating back. "I heard you went to our room last night?"
Upon hearing this, Teng Tiao Jing's eyes shifted. He deliberately said, "Why isn't this broom listening to me!" As he spoke, he bent down, picked up the broom, and turned to face Xiang Nang.
Xiang Nang asked, "Did you hear me?"
Teng Tiao Jing said, "I heard you. You don't recognize me anymore."
"You?"
Decades ago, after Gu An and Shen Xian got together, Xiang Nang only appeared when they were in danger. Naturally, she hadn't interacted much with Xu Lan.
However, she had seen Xu Lan before. But because Xu Lan was too unremarkable, she had forgotten him.
"I don't know him," she shook her head.
Teng Tiao Jing said, "I am Xu Lan. You don't remember."
"Xu Lan?" Xiang Nang repeated, then chuckled, "I don't... know you. How can I remember you?"
"You really don't know me?" Teng Tiao Jing feigned a look of disappointment.
Xiang Nang sneered and walked around him towards the kitchen.
Then, Teng Tiao Jing threw the broom away again.
Unexpectedly, this scene was witnessed by Gu Xiao, who walked up. "It's you?"
Teng Tiao Jing did not have a good expression towards Gu Xiao. "It's none of your business." He then kicked the broom and turned to walk away.
Gu Xiao asked, "Where are you going?"
"..." Teng Tiao Jing completely ignored him and walked towards the outhouse.
In the kitchen, Mu An Xiao stood beside Shen Xian. "After you finish eating, I'll wash them for you."
"No need."
"You can't wash them with your injuries."
Shen Xian said, "It's fine, Xiang Nang will wash them later. From today on, you'll be staying in my room."
"..." Mu An Xiao couldn't accept Shen Xian's arrangement for a moment. She glanced at Xiang Nang and said, "Are you serious? What would it mean for me to live with you?"
"Don't worry, I'll arrange a bed for you by the desk. That way," Shen Xian said, "you can take care of me."
Mu An Xiao felt overwhelmed by the prospect of taking care of him for so long. If she had to take care of him for twelve hours, she would go crazy.
"No..." she had just uttered the first syllable when Xiang Nang gave her a look.
So, she reluctantly agreed, "Alright."
Shen Xian exclaimed, "You agreed."
"What's the big deal? It's just taking care of you!"
Shen Xian: "..." He lowered his eyes and smiled.
Mu An Xiao: "....."
At the outhouse.
As Feng Qi Shi opened the door, he was startled by Teng Tiao Jing, who was standing outside. "Why are you here?"
Teng Tiao Jing smiled. "You really came to use the outhouse." He pinched his nose.
Feng Qi Shi looked at Teng Tiao Jing's strange expression with confusion. He glanced around and asked, "Are you crazy?"
Teng Tiao Jing pinched his nose and said, "I used to like finding you like this."
Feng Qi Shi had no memory of what Teng Tiao Jing was saying. He just felt that this person in front of him had a mental illness, and it was a serious one.
So, without a second word, he walked around Teng Tiao Jing and left.
Teng Tiao Jing clenched his fist and turned to follow Feng Qi Shi. "Hey, wait for me."
Back in the front yard, Feng Qi Shi looked down at the damaged broom, closed his eyes in exasperation, and then looked at Teng Tiao Jing, who was smiling at him. "Did you do this?" he asked, pointing at the broom.
Teng Tiao Jing said, "I was just in a hurry to find you."
"And then you caused damage. I really don't know what to say to you." Feng Qi Shi pointed at Teng Tiao Jing and began to cast a spell to repair the broom.
Teng Tiao Jing: "..."
Everything proceeded as usual. Shen Xian's situation was smooth, and under Shen Xian's constant orders, Mu An Xiao didn't get to meet Feng Qi Shi from morning to afternoon. Shen Xian's meals were all delivered by Xiang Nang.
Feng Qi Shi, on the other hand, was chased into the garden by Teng Tiao Jing.
Piao and Chen were trimming branches and acting as spectators.
"If you keep chasing him like this, you'll definitely succeed," Piao nudged Chen's arm with her elbow.
Chen glanced at Piao, then at Teng Tiao Jing, who was persistently trying to snatch the broom from Feng Qi Shi's hand. "That's strange. Why does he want Feng Qi Shi's broom? Isn't he tired?"
"I heard that he broke Feng Qi Shi's broom this morning and felt guilty."
"Didn't Feng Qi Shi already fix it?"
"Because this is the demon realm, Feng Qi Shi's use of magic was naturally more difficult. Therefore, it took Feng Qi Shi nearly fifteen minutes to repair the broom. Xu Lan felt that he had made Feng Qi Shi work hard and felt guilty, so he wanted to help."
Chen calmly watched Teng Tiao Jing, who was constantly running and jumping behind Feng Qi Shi. "But it shouldn't be like this, right?"
"There's nothing we can do to intervene, unless," Piao shook her head slightly, "Feng Qi Shi puts down the broom."
Hearing Piao's words, Chen loudly shouted, "Feng Qi Shi, just hand the broom over to him, and it'll be done!"
Immediately, Feng Qi Shi and Teng Tiao Jing stopped their actions. Feng Qi Shi said, "You don't understand, so say less."
Upon hearing this, Chen snorted and continued working.