He helped me pick out seasoning spices for my friends, as I had no idea which might be poison swapped out by the spirits.

[ He doesn't owe Zhou Zishu the history of his friendship with Wen Kexing but there is something about the other man that invites Xichen's sympathy: Wen Kexing is not his zhiji, after all. ]

I set up a sanctuary in the upstairs of the manor with food and beds, sometimes he would come by. Then, when we were in the jungle, he revealed he had no shelter so I shared my small stone house with him, [ a fond smile returns, ] where he gave me a reason to be useful and taught me how to cook.