Chapter 109: Breakfast and Lingering Fears

Su Mian awoke to find herself, at some unknown point, moved from the sofa to the bedroom’s bed, covered by a soft down comforter.

A faint aroma of food permeated the room.

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. Her fox ears, soft and droopy from sleep, unconsciously twitched, and her tail coiled gently behind her.

The bedroom door was ajar, the alluring scent wafting in from outside.

She stepped onto the floor barefoot and pushed the door open.

In the kitchen, Xiao Moyuan stood with his back to her, preparing breakfast.

The scene was so quiet it felt almost surreal.

‘When did this rival of mine… slowly become like an ordinary boyfriend, preparing breakfast for her?’

Su Mian leaned against the doorframe, a strange feeling settling over her.

“Awake?” Xiao Moyuan didn’t turn, yet his voice carried clearly.

“Go wash up. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

His gaze swept over Su Mian’s still sleepy face, finally resting on her unconsciously twitching fox ears. The corners of his lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

“Your ears aren’t put away.”

“Ah!” Su Mian exclaimed, fumbling to touch her head. Sure enough, she felt the familiar furry texture.

She quickly focused, attempting to retract her demonic aura. After several days of training, this action had become much more practiced.

Seconds later, her ears and tail quietly vanished.

After she had washed up, Xiao Moyuan brought two plates to the dining table.

Simple fried eggs, toasted bread, a vegetable salad, and a small bowl of steaming hot porridge awaited her.

The presentation was clean and precise, looking quite appetizing.

Su Mian sat down at the table and took a spoonful of porridge; the temperature was just right.

“It’s delicious,” she whispered, her words genuinely heartfelt.

She truly appreciated Xiao Moyuan’s culinary skills.

Xiao Moyuan sat opposite her, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “I’ll be out today, handling some matters. You go to school as usual.”

Su Mian looked up. “Are you… going to investigate my parents’ affairs?”

Xiao Moyuan did not deny it.

“And some other intelligence needs verifying.”

He paused, looking at her, and instructed, “Wear the necklace when I’m not here. Don’t take it off under any circumstances.”

Su Mian felt a warmth spread through her heart and nodded. “I understand.”

Xiao Moyuan’s gaze fell upon her cheeks, slightly flushed from the warm porridge. His voice softened a little.

“Don’t dwell on that lingering spirit from last night, but if you encounter similar entities in the future, try not to interact with them for too long—your aura is too ‘conspicuous’ to them.”

“Mhm,” Su Mian obediently agreed.

“As for your roommates, maintain your distance. Normal interaction is fine. They are ordinary people; getting too deeply involved won’t do them any good.”

Xiao Moyuan took a sip of coffee.

“I heard you say Qin Xuan seems very interested in these supernatural events.”

“His personality and intuition are both excellent.”

“If he continues to delve into this field, he will sooner or later encounter things he shouldn’t. If the opportunity arises, you can offer a gentle reminder, but don’t force it.”

Xiao Moyuan held a high opinion of Qin Xuan.

On the surface, he was a man of few words, but his observational skills were exceptionally keen.

Moreover, when they had played dice together, Qin Xuan had never had to drink a single drop of alcohol.

Su Mian nodded thoughtfully.

Qin Xuan’s almost obsessive desire to explore supernatural phenomena did indeed make her a little worried.

After all, this world truly had ‘demons’.

Breakfast concluded in a rare, peaceful atmosphere.

When Xiao Moyuan began clearing the dishes, Su Mian offered to help, but he dismissed her with a playful, “Don’t just make a mess.”

She stood by the kitchen doorway, watching his efficient movements as he rinsed the dishes. The complex emotions within her churned once more.

This man, when he was being unpleasant, could infuriate her to no end. Yet, when he was gentle, he was so meticulous it made her heart soften.

‘Which one was the real him? Or perhaps, were they both him?’

“What are you spacing out for?”

Xiao Moyuan cleared his throat, turning to see her lost in thought. “Go change. It’s time for school.”

Su Mian snapped back to reality, her face flushing, and she quickly scurried back to her room.

By the time she had changed into her male disguise and emerged with her backpack, Xiao Moyuan was already waiting for her by the entrance.

Today, he wore a simple black shirt and trousers, topped with a light trench coat, making him appear remarkably handsome and tall.

He reached out, quite naturally, to adjust the hood of her hoodie and a few stray wisps of hair.

His fingertips brushed her earlobe, a fleeting, cool touch.

“Let’s go. I’ll drop you off at the school gate.”

In the car, Su Mian couldn’t help but ask, “The matter you’re investigating today… is it dangerous?”

Xiao Moyuan kept his eyes on the road, his profile sharp. “Not dangerous, but it will take some time.”

Xiao Moyuan suddenly chuckled. “What, worried about your master?”

“Who, who’s worried…”

Su Mian immediately retorted, her ears quietly reddening. “I’m just, just afraid that if something happens to you, I won’t be able to stay in the human world normally, and then how would I investigate my parents’ affairs…”

The excuse she concocted made even herself feel guilty.

Xiao Moyuan let out a low laugh, not exposing her. “Don’t worry. There might not be anything in this world capable of taking my life.”

The certainty and arrogance in his tone slightly reassured Su Mian.

The car pulled up to the school gate.

Su Mian unbuckled her seatbelt, about to alight, when her wrist was gently held.

Xiao Moyuan had, at some point, turned to face her. With his other hand, he lifted her chin, pressing a brief yet distinct kiss to her lips.

“Remember to miss me,” he said, releasing her, his tone perfectly natural.

Su Mian froze in her seat, her cheeks blazing crimson at a visible pace, even her neck tinged pink.

She opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Finally, she glared at him, fumbled to open the car door, and dashed into the school gate without a backward glance.

She only stopped after running a considerable distance, clutching her still-burning face, her heart still pounding wildly.

‘That scoundrel, always with the sudden attacks!’

Yet, the surge of joyful sweetness was something she couldn’t deny herself.

She shook her head, trying to compose herself, and walked towards the teaching building.

The morning classes were uneventful.

Shen Zhixia still hadn’t appeared, and Xia remained ‘on leave.’

Her classmates seemed to have grown accustomed to this state, with only occasional whispers mentioning the absence of these popular figures.

Su Mian tried her best to focus on the lectures, but her thoughts uncontrollably drifted towards Xiao Moyuan.

‘What was he doing now? Was the investigation going smoothly? Had he encountered any danger?’

During the break, she went to the activity room.

Pushing open the door, she found only Qin Xuan and Xue Li inside. Hua Liang was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Hua Liang?” Su Mian asked casually.

“He said he had some personal matters and would come in the afternoon.”

Qin Xuan pushed up his glasses. Several thick folders and his old-fashioned laptop were spread out before him.

“I’ve done a preliminary organization of last night’s records. There are some details I’d like to confirm with you again.”

Xue Li sat by the window, holding a copy of *Ecology of Low-Temperature Environments*. She appeared to be reading, but Su Mian could sense that part of her attention was directed towards her.

That feeling of being quietly observed returned.

Su Mian sat opposite Qin Xuan and began to help him verify some of the timestamps and detailed descriptions from last night.

Qin Xuan asked very meticulously, even including the changes in ambient temperature and differences in light intensity when the blurred female silhouette appeared.

“At the time… it did feel a little colder,” Su Mian recalled with effort.

“But it wasn’t very obvious. I thought it was due to nervousness.”

Qin Xuan noted in his notebook, “Temperature perception change, consistent with Xue Li’s somatic report.”

He looked up at Xue Li. “You said at the time that when the spirit materialized, the surrounding water vapor showed a slight tendency to condense?”

Xue Li closed her book, her icy-blue eyes turning towards them. She nodded. “Mhm. Very faint, but present.”

Her voice was clear and calm, and the breath she exhaled formed a faint white mist in the air. Although it was late autumn, the activity room wasn’t particularly cold.

Su Mian noticed this detail, a slight stir in her heart.

Qin Xuan seemed accustomed to it and continued, “Su Mian, you said that the ID holder became hot at the end, and then the spirit dissipated. The degree of heat? Was it a physical temperature rise, or some kind of… perceptual ‘heat’?”

“It should be perceptual,” Su Mian recalled carefully.

“It was like… holding a small hand warmer, but it didn’t feel hot to the touch, and it cooled down very quickly.”

“Signs of energy transfer or resonance.”

Qin Xuan wrote down his inference in his notebook, then opened a photo on his computer and pushed it towards Su Mian.

“This is that girl’s enrollment photo from back then. Take a look. Is there any similarity to the silhouette you saw last night?”

The photo was yellowed and blurry, but one could vaguely make out a girl with delicate features and a shy smile, her hair styled in the common braids of that era.

Su Mian gazed at the photo, trying to compare it with the blurred silhouette in her memory. “The facial features are certainly unclear, but that slender figure and the feeling of long hair falling over the shoulders…”

She said uncertainly, “But I can’t be certain.”

“However, how did you get this photo?”

Qin Xuan said blandly, “I hacked into the school system and found it.”

Su Mian was speechless.

Qin Xuan put away the photo.

“I will continue to organize these materials. Additionally, regarding other abnormal rumors about the teaching building—for example, the eyewitness reports of the sixth-floor staircase—the club will also follow up on the investigation.”

“Su Mian, if you’re interested, you can continue to participate.”

“I am.” Su Mian also wanted to see what lay behind this other campus supernatural legend.

“Good.” Qin Xuan turned to Xue Li. “Xue Li, you had close contact with the spirit yesterday. Did you have any other special feelings?”

Xue Li was silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking, “I felt it was very sad. And… fear. But not directed at us.”

“It might be afraid of something.”

Qin Xuan pressed, “Specifically what? A person? Or something else?”

Xue Li shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Listening to their conversation, Su Mian increasingly felt that both Xue Li and Qin Xuan were not simple individuals.

But what was that girl, who died thirty-four years ago, afraid of? Was it related to the demonic creatures now gathering in the city?

Just then, the activity room door was pushed open, and Hua Liang strolled in, carrying a convenience store bag.

“Yo, everyone’s here?”

He greeted them with a grin, placing the bag on the table. Inside were several bottles of drinks and snacks.

“I brought some supplies. Our President Qin gets so engrossed in work he forgets to eat, so we can’t let our club beauty and new member starve.”

He naturally took out a bottle of hot milk tea and handed it to Su Mian. “Here, it’s getting cold, have something warm.”

Su Mian thanked him and took it. “But I haven’t agreed to join the club yet.”

Hua Liang: “It’s fine. You’re already participating in club activities, so it’s no different from having joined.”

Su Mian was speechless.

Hua Liang then gave Xue Li a bottle of mineral water, opened a can of cola for himself, and sat down beside Xue Li, his long legs casually propped up.

“Where were we? Continue, continue. I’ll just listen in.”

Qin Xuan glanced at him and resumed the previous topic. “If that ‘entity’ is a physical object, or was once a real person, thirty-four years later, it might have long left the city, or even be out of this world.”

“But if it’s some kind of ‘concept,’ a phenomenon, or… something non-human, it might still be here.”

“President, do you think the rumor of the ‘sixth-floor staircase’ might be related to this?” Hua Liang interjected, his tone still casual, but his eyes held a glimmer of depth.

“I don’t rule out a connection.”

Qin Xuan adjusted his glasses. “But we still know too little about both incidents.”

“Well, that’s simple then. Let’s go again tonight,” Hua Liang said with a smile, his gaze subtly sweeping over Su Mian. “Su Mian, are you free tonight? Shall we team up again?”

Su Mian held the warm milk tea bottle, feeling Hua Liang’s gaze, and that peculiar sensation rose within her again.

This person seemed outwardly carefree and overly familiar.

But unlike Xia, he didn’t make her feel annoyed.

“I… might have something on tonight.” She found an excuse. She still wanted to first learn about her parents’ affairs from Xiao Moyuan tonight.

Moreover, she was also a little worried about Xiao Moyuan.

“What a pity.” Hua Liang shrugged, not insisting, and turned to Xue Li. “Xue Li, how about you? Are you free to be my partner tonight?”

Xue Li quietly took a sip of water, her icy-blue eyes glancing at him. “I can.”

“Alright!”

Hua Liang’s smile brightened. He leaned closer to Xue Li and whispered something.

Xue Li showed no expression on her face, only giving a very slight nod.

Su Mian watched the natural closeness and unspoken understanding between them, and the feeling that ‘these two are not simple’ grew stronger in her heart.

‘Were they really just a transfer student and clubmate who had only known each other for a week?’

After classes ended in the afternoon, Su Mian politely declined Lu Yang’s invitation to dinner and went straight back to the apartment.

When she unlocked the door, the house was silent; Xiao Moyuan hadn’t returned yet.

She naturally changed into her loungewear and sat on the sofa, spacing out for a while.

Images flickered through her mind: Xiao Moyuan kissing her this morning, Qin Xuan’s investigative demeanor, Xue Li’s cool profile, and Hua Liang’s smiling yet profound eyes.

And Shen Zhixia… ‘How was she doing now?’

Just as she was thinking, her phone vibrated.

It was a document from Qin Xuan, titled, “[Preliminary Analysis Report (Draft) on Abnormal Incidents at N University, Third Teaching Building, East Side, Third Floor].”

Su Mian opened it. It meticulously documented last night’s events, her oral account, Xue Li’s perceptions, and Qin Xuan’s collected archival data and initial deductions.

At the end of the document, Qin Xuan had also attached a sentence:

[Based on existing information, the “entity” that the lingering spirit fears may not be a physical one.]

[In-depth investigation may be dangerous.]

Su Mian stared at these words, a strange heaviness settling in her heart.

Just then, the apartment door lock turned.

Xiao Moyuan pushed the door open and walked in, a file bag in his hand.

He took off his trench coat and hung it up, then walked over and sat beside her. He took her phone and quickly scanned the report’s contents.

“Pretty convincing analysis,” he commented. “This roommate of yours certainly has something going for him.”

He put down the phone and looked at Su Mian. “His deduction is correct.”

“What do you mean?” Su Mian asked, bewildered.

“Thirty-four years ago, an evil spirit with immense resentment appeared at N University. It couldn’t be eradicated and was sealed in a certain location within N University by a Grade A demon master from the Demon Exorcism Institute.”

“When you awakened your demonic form a while ago, it caused many demons to gather in N City. Influenced by the demonic aura, that seal loosened. I suspect that lingering spirit was afraid of that evil spirit.”

Xiao Moyuan’s tone was calm, yet it sent a chill down Su Mian’s spine.

“Evil spirit… why would there be an evil spirit?”

“Mhm. I’m investigating this matter. After all, so much time has passed, and organizing the relevant information will take a while.”

“Although that seal has loosened, it’s still intact. As long as you wear the necklace I gave you, you’ll be fine.”

Xiao Moyuan suddenly curved his lips. “You unconsciously leaked demonic aura again this morning. Our training still needs to continue.”

Su Mian: “…”

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