"Hey, hey, hey, how much longer are you going to let this young lady starve?"
"Where's my breakfast?"
"Hurry up and bring it to me!"
A rude voice, full of vigor, came from inside the room.
From his perch on the courtyard wall, Li Xuan knew who it was just by the sound.
"So, those two are guarding Liang Chuchu's door today."
"It seems Liang Chuchu is getting enough to eat again; she's speaking with much more energy."
After Liang Chuchu was confined, Li Xuan stopped stealing her meals.
It wasn't that he had a sudden burst of kindness, but rather that Liang Chuchu's meals were now served individually, and it would be too conspicuous for him to promote the 'Clean Plate Campaign' to her again.
It's just that Liang Chuchu truly was carefree, remembering food but not punishment.
Thinking back, she had probably only had one full meal since her confinement: last night's.
"Eating one full meal and acting so arrogant, Liang Chuchu still needs to be taught a lesson."
Deng Weixian and Xiao Zhuozi stood guard at the door, and when they heard Liang Chuchu demanding food from inside, they simply pretended not to hear her.
Xiao Zhuozi was a bit restless from the noise, but Deng Weixian remained calm, staring serenely at the tip of his shoe, seemingly lost in thought.
"Little Deng, I heard that Concubine Liang inside is possessed. Should we try our best to fulfill her requests?"
"Otherwise, if she holds a grudge, what if the evil spirit comes for us?"
Xiao Zhuozi said with some worry.
Deng Weixian glanced at him, then indifferently withdrew his gaze.
In the past, Deng Weixian wouldn't even bother to glance at him.
However, after last night, Xiao Zhuozi's image had undoubtedly changed quite a bit in Deng Weixian's mind.
Just then, the door was thrown open with a "bang," and Liang Chuchu appeared behind it.
"Hey, did you hear me? Hurry up and get me something to eat."
Liang Chuchu saw that the two guarding the door today were young eunuchs, and her attitude became even more overbearing; she even tried to walk out and argue with them.
Deng Weixian was not afraid in the slightest, standing coldly in front of Liang Chuchu and blocking her path.
Xiao Zhuozi, on the other hand, quickly hid behind a doorpost, not daring to approach Liang Chuchu.
The rumors about Liang Chuchu being possessed had spread among the eunuchs yesterday.
Xiao Zhuozi was already afraid of talk about demons and ghosts, and he was even more wary of Liang Chuchu.
Liang Chuchu discovered that Deng Weixian dared to block her and was about to flare up, but as soon as her eyes met his indifferent gaze, she immediately cowered.
"This kid looks like trouble."
Liang Chuchu secretly swallowed her saliva, thinking instinctively.
But then she spotted the hiding Xiao Zhuozi and immediately changed her target, becoming overbearing again.
"You, the little fatty, I'm talking to you."
"Hurry up and get this young lady something to eat, or I'll make you regret it!"
Liang Chuchu had also noticed that ever since she was confined yesterday, as long as her requests weren't too excessive, these eunuchs were practically at her beck and call, much easier to order around than usual.
"It seems these guys finally know how formidable this granny is."
Especially seeing the little fat eunuch in front of her showing such reverence, Liang Chuchu felt even more smug.
Startled by this, Xiao Zhuozi became even more terrified and immediately looked to Deng Weixian for help.
Deng Weixian couldn't help but sigh and said, "Concubine Liang, your breakfast was delivered to your room an hour ago. Even if it's not enough for you, we can't deliver any more food."
"Rules are rules, and we are only following orders. Please don't make things difficult for us."
It was rare for Deng Weixian to say so much to a stranger, but his tone remained cold and unsparing.
"You…"
Liang Chuchu knew Deng Weixian was a tough nut to crack, so she ignored him directly and stared intently at Xiao Zhuozi in the distance.
"Little fatty, I'm telling you now, whether you bring me food or not is up to you."
After Liang Chuchu finished speaking, she turned and entered the room.
Deng Weixian watched her obediently return to her room, then casually closed the door again and continued to stand guard quietly in front of it.
Xiao Zhuozi emerged from behind the pillar, asking with a mournful face, "Why does she only threaten me?"
Deng Weixian was too lazy to bother, remaining silent.
Xiao Zhuozi shuffled back to his original spot, but no matter how much he thought about it, something felt off.
"Little Deng, help me watch for a bit, I'll be right back."
Without waiting for Deng Weixian's reply, he saw that no one was around and scurried away, no one knew where he went.
Deng Weixian watched his retreating figure, a complex expression gradually appearing in his eyes.
Li Xuan, hidden on the wall, watched it all.
He also understood that at this moment, Deng Weixian's mind was probably filled with many chaotic thoughts.
…
After about a quarter of an hour, Xiao Zhuozi returned, holding something wrapped in cloth; he didn't know what it was.
But if he wasn't mistaken, it should be an offering for Liang Chuchu.
Xiao Zhuozi scurried back, first giving a grateful smile to Deng Weixian, who was guarding the door, and then gently knocked on the door.
"Concubine Liang, Concubine Liang…"
"I brought you something to eat."
Upon hearing there was food, the door was flung open with a whoosh, and Liang Chuchu's head poked out from inside, extending her hand unceremoniously to Xiao Zhuozi.
Xiao Zhuozi hastily and respectfully handed over the item in his hand, then quickly withdrew his hand, fearing any contact with her.
Liang Chuchu weighed it, frowning in dissatisfaction.
"How is there so little? It's not even enough to fill a tooth gap!"
She said, opening the wrapped cloth, wanting to see what was inside.
As soon as she opened it, she smelled a fishy odor, and immediately extended her arm in disgust, pushing the item away from herself.
"I told you to bring food, what is this thing you brought?"
Liang Chuchu's face hardened, and Xiao Zhuozi's legs began to tremble.
"Concubine Liang, don't be angry. This item is a specialty from my hometown. It's dried fish made from squid. Although it smells fishy, the more you chew it, the more fragrant it becomes, and it's very satisfying to eat."
When Li Xuan heard this, he couldn't help but lean forward curiously to look, and found that what was wrapped in the cloth were long, strip-shaped objects.
"Isn't this dried squid tentacles?"
He hadn't expected that Great Xing Dynasty would actually have this.
Liang Chuchu listened, and couldn't help but confirm with suspicion, "The more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes, and it's very satisfying to eat?"
Xiao Zhuozi quickly nodded, "That's right, Xiao Zhuozi wouldn't dare to lie to a noble person."
Seeing him speak with certainty, Liang Chuchu took a piece and chewed it in her mouth. At first, she found it a bit stinky, but gradually, she tasted the flavor.
"I'll let you off for now."
Liang Chuchu pointed at Xiao Zhuozi, then closed the door, intending to savor it.
Although this thing didn't smell good, it actually had a unique taste when eaten.
Having appeased Liang Chuchu, Xiao Zhuozi also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relieved.
"If I serve this granny well, she surely won't let evil spirits bully me again," Xiao Zhuozi thought simply.
…
Thus, Li Xuan didn't go anywhere else this day, just watching the two of them guard the door.
Liang Chuchu, on the other hand, was fortunate; her food, drink, and everything else were delivered to her room, so she didn't have to leave the house.
It wasn't until dark, when someone came to relieve them, that Li Xuan followed them back.
Even when they returned to their respective rooms, Deng Weixian had no interaction with Xiao Zhuozi.
Only at this moment did Li Xuan finally relax.
He had spent the entire day watching the two of them, just afraid that the boy would be soft-hearted.
Deng Weixian was not very old after all, and Li Xuan was genuinely worried that he might have naive thoughts.
Grrr—
"I've been watching all day, and I haven't had time to eat anything."
Li Xuan lay on the tree branch, hearing his stomach protest, and couldn't help but smack his lips twice:
"Those squid tentacles earlier looked pretty good