Stubborn, but soft-hearted. It seems she's come to seek refuge—no, I glanced at Xu Ran's eyes again and understood. It wasn't Xiao Yue who actively sought me out, but rather Xu Ran arranged for her to come. They must have had a good relationship before, so Xu Ran wanted me to help her out, at least to ensure that I wouldn't pursue the matters concerning the Shanhai demon race any further.
Xu Ran was a contributor, and it was only natural to grant her this favor.
"It's good to abandon darkness for light," I chuckled. "You're a student, focus on your studies from now on."
Xiao Yue narrowed her eyes, perhaps not understanding my stance. I had to make it clearer. "I'll give you four words."
"What?"
"Let bygones be bygones."
Xiao Yue's eyes finally opened. She pursed her lips, raised her glass, and clinked it against mine. She drained the drink in one go without a word of thanks. Then, she stood up and left. At the door, she turned back to Xu Ran, "Ah Ran, see you at school tomorrow."
*Clang.* Xiao Yue departed. I looked at Ah Ran, but her expression remained cold. Had I not done enough, or was it... I activated my Chi Observation technique and instantly understood. There were still quite a few demons "lining up" nearby!
I smiled, "Ran, why don't you call all your friends in?"
"Then I won't be polite," Xu Ran said, not holding back. She knew I could use Chi Observation.
One by one, a total of seven demons came in. However, apart from Xiao Yue, the others were not close subordinates of the Miao King. They hadn't participated in yesterday's battle in Furong Town but had been scattered during the civil war between Chiyou and Mohe.
To grant them all amnesty for their "crimes"—what crimes were they, really? Each served their master; it was simply a matter of the victor becoming king and the vanquished becoming a bandit.
However, I gave each of them a piece of advice. In essence, although the Shanhai demon race liked to eat humans, they should try not to cause trouble. If they were to consume humans, they could seek out those who were exceptionally wicked, as if to eliminate scourges for the people. This way, Sabia could turn a blind eye.
It wasn't until the last little demon left, after I had repeated the same words until my throat was dry, that I hoped it might have some effect.
By the time everything was done, it was already ten o'clock at night. The fox demon was getting sleepy, its bushy tail curled up as it rested on the table, feigning sleep.
Just then, Wang Xueqi, who was on the sofa, suddenly woke up and stretched. I had completely forgotten she was there. I quickly reminded the fox demon to retract its tail, but it seemed too late.
"Alright, I'm going back to sleep. You guys have fun," Wang Xueqi said. She then glanced back at us and left with a smile.
The fox demon's tail retracted, and it transformed into human form, wiping saliva from its mouth.
I felt that Wang Xueqi was pretending to be asleep just now!
I was speechless.
Xu Ran also remained silent.
It didn't matter, as long as the matter was resolved.
Earlier during dinner, I had received a call from my aunt. She said she had surgery in the evening and would come to Jinling later. After Wang Xueqi left, my aunt's call came in again. She said she was driving over and would arrive at my place around ten-thirty.
The fox demon and I got up and bid farewell to Xu Ran.
"After today's parting, who knows when we'll meet again," Xu Ran said with a smile.
"Anytime," I replied, given how developed transportation was now.
"I hope we meet again!"
"We shall meet again!"
Outside the villa, the fox demon and I took a taxi back to the city. Everything in my apartment was as it was, except that the food in the refrigerator had expired. The last time I had guests was when I brought Qian Xun and the others over.
Only then did I call Chen Lu and ask for a favor.
Not long after, my aunt returned, carrying a bag of fruit. She hadn't met the fox demon before (in fact, she had, but there were too many people then, and she probably didn't remember). Her eyes lit up, thinking I had brought a girlfriend home. But she immediately realized something was amiss. While going into the kitchen to cut fruit, she quietly asked me, "Did you break up with Xingyue?"
"No, we're playing well together, why?"
"Then who is this little beauty?" my aunt asked.
"She's a top streamer under me, not a girlfriend."
"Is your industry... this open? Why is she wearing your vest at home!"
"Is she?" I turned and looked at the fox demon playing games in the living room. I hadn't even noticed. She was indeed wearing my vest, and it seemed to be the only thing she was wearing. I was so used to seeing them transform that I knew their bodies very well, and I didn't find anything unusual.
I chuckled and shook my head. My aunt looked at the fox demon. "She's quite pretty. You really don't have any feelings for her?"