A Haunted Mansion and a Familiar Face

After deciding to share the rent, the four of them temporarily squeezed into Xiyin’s small yet cozy room. Despite the cramped space, an unexpected warmth permeated the air, like huddling together for comfort.

The preparations for moving were meticulous and demanding, only truly winding down as dinner hour approached.

Xiyin, naturally, reached for her phone and guitar, intending to order takeout and practice a little, yet she was stopped by Qi Yue’an.

“Xiyin, no takeout. Let me cook dinner tonight.”

As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing slender, fair arms, as if demonstrating her strength, a serious glint in her silver eyes.

“You can cook?”

Xiyin appeared genuinely surprised; she had never cooked before, and after leaving home, she’d always opted for pre-made meals to save money, never having the opportunity to prepare anything herself.

“Wow! An-san, LOVE! I could marry you right now!”

Bai Zhi immediately cheered, volunteering to run to a nearby supermarket for groceries, her face alight with an excited grin.

She returned swiftly, laden with ingredients from what seemed like an impossibly quick trip to some unknown market, her speed almost magical.

Qi Yue’an entered the kitchen, quietly bustling about, the clatter of spatulas against pots echoing crisply.

Soon, the aroma of cooking food began to permeate the air, filling the room—a space that had long held Xiyin’s dreams and solitude—with the warmth of domesticity and human connection.

As the modest meal of three dishes and one soup was placed on the table, which doubled as a desk, a familial warmth settled among the four figures gathered beneath the soft, yellow light.

Though Bai Jin’s words were laced with tsundere pride, her chopsticks moved with surprising speed, her mouth already full.

“Mmm… you’ve got some skills. This knight shall forgive the petty fox spirit’s impudence~”

Hearing this, Bai Zhi lovingly wiped her mouth, yet her own words were quick to follow.

“Xiao Jin, you shouldn’t say that. She should be my rightful spouse~”

Qi Yue’an had grown accustomed to their boisterous antics, but the peculiar new title still caused her eyebrows to twitch.

She glanced at Xiyin like a small animal, a faint, unconscious smile gracing her lips, her eyes seeming to seek praise.

Xiyin met her gaze for a stunned moment, then her cheeks flushed faintly, and she hastily averted her eyes.

“An’an… thank you…”

“Ah… and you two, no talking at the dinner table.”

Having spoken, she feigned eating under Qi Yue’an’s slightly puzzled gaze, her movements becoming more proper, her thoughts a mystery.

“Yes, our esteemed parent~”

Comfortable moments invariably passed too quickly.

After dinner, Xiyin, counting the money in her hand, couldn’t help but rub her brow.

While their living situation seemed temporarily resolved and their collective combat strength appeared sufficient for both safety and hunting demons, more pressing, realistic problems quickly surfaced, primarily concerning their finances.

Xiyin earned some income from online composing and as a small content creator, and Qi Yue’an had saved a bit from her previous part-time work.

However, these funds were originally barely enough for Qi Yue’an alone to scrape by.

Now, supporting the daily expenses of four people, it was undeniably a drop in the ocean.

As for the Bai sisters, they were practically penniless.

“It seems we need to find a way to earn money.”

Xiyin murmured, her gaze fixed on the meager balance after her calculations.

“W-we… we can fight too!”

Bai Jin attempted to assert her value.

“Xiao Jin, fighting doesn’t directly translate into money, you know.”

Bai Zhi said with a wry smile, gently stroking her sister’s head.

Qi Yue’an remained silent for a moment, then lifted her head, her gaze resolute.

“I’ll go look for a part-time job tomorrow.”

She could no longer rely on others, especially since she was now the eldest in the group and one of only two with proper identification.

Thus, the following day, Qi Yue’an once again ventured onto the streets.

Despite her usual aversion to social interaction, she managed to find a coffee shop that was hiring.

Thanks to her current delicate and ethereal appearance, coupled with her tranquil demeanor, she smoothly secured a position as a waitress.

As she carried a tray, somewhat unpracticed, weaving between the tables, a voice called out to her.

“Miss, excuse me.”

Qi Yue’an turned to see a dapper young man, dressed in expensive casual wear, seated by the window.

He was handsome, appearing to be of university age, yet a distinct air of worry and weariness clung to his brow, clashing subtly with his polished exterior.

“May I take your order?”

Qi Yue’an asked, reciting the trained phrase in a flat tone.

“Hmm, before that…”

The man offered a polite smile.

“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before. Have we met?”

He attempted to strike up a conversation.

Realizing she was being approached, Qi Yue’an blinked her silver eyes, studied him carefully, then honestly shook her head.

“No, I don’t know you.”

Her nature simply wouldn’t allow her to engage in such social pleasantries.

The man, his conversation cut short, paused.

However, seeing no annoyance on her face, he quickly rallied.

“Haha, I must have been mistaken.”

“Ah, speaking of which, I’ve been so troubled by family matters lately that I can’t sleep, and I’ve completely lost interest in school.”

Qi Yue’an did not respond, merely watching him silently, waiting for him to order or conclude the conversation, like an automaton.

Seeing her unmoved, the man had no choice but to push on, lowering his voice, an air of perfectly calibrated yet strangely forced distress clinging to his words.

“Actually… it’s about my family’s old mansion. The basement… it’s haunted.”

He observed Qi Yue’an’s reaction; her face showed no urgency, nor did she appear particularly interested.

“At night, there are always strange noises, things move on their own, and it’s terrifyingly cold. Someone even went missing there recently, so now no one dares to live in it.”

Upon hearing ‘haunted’ and ‘strange noises,’ Qi Yue’an’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

This description… it certainly sounded like signs of low-level demons or their familiars at work.

Her subtle change in expression did not escape the man’s notice; indeed, it was precisely what he had been waiting for.

His previously somewhat strained words suddenly flowed smoothly, his tone inexplicably tinged with a hint of triumph.

“Oh, miss, it seems you’re… not very surprised by these strange occurrences? Could it be that you… believe in such things? Or perhaps… you know someone capable of handling such matters?”

“My name is Li Yan. If you can help resolve this matter, my family will surely reward you handsomely!”

As he spoke, he seemingly inadvertently revealed a costly designer watch on his wrist, hinting at a generous reward, a look of confident triumph on his face.

Qi Yue’an’s guard immediately shot up.

It was too much of a coincidence: a wealthy young master, approaching her, a mere coffee shop waitress, about his haunted mansion precisely when she desperately needed money, then pointedly hinting at needing an ‘expert’ and flaunting his wealth?

While the man didn’t appear particularly cunning, regardless of whether his words were intentional, such a person was likely a scammer or involved in some sort of scheme.

“Sir, you have the wrong person.”

Qi Yue’an’s voice grew colder as she prepared to leave with her tray.

The triumphant look on the man’s face vanished instantly, replaced by what seemed to be a touch of panic.

“Wait!”

Seeing her reaction, the man grew anxious, seemingly unprepared for the sudden refusal from someone who had shown so little expression.

He quickly stood up, his words tumbling out faster.

“Don’t leave yet!”

“If I don’t get your help, I—”

His previously feigned urgency suddenly felt genuinely real in that moment.

He leaned in, a little overly dramatic, almost incoherent.

“Ahem… what kind of reward would it take for you to accept? Any commission, as long as I can manage it.”

Noticing his lapse in composure, he immediately adjusted his tone and meticulously detailed the situation there.

Hearing no flaws in his account, and judging by his demeanor that he wasn’t someone who would harm young girls or a truly vicious demon, Qi Yue’an concluded that it wouldn’t be difficult to handle with her current strength.

Ultimately, she nodded, agreeing to ‘assess the situation first,’ and exchanged contact information.

Watching Qi Yue’an finally depart to resume her work, the man let out a long sigh, pressing a hand to his forehead in exasperation, and muttered under his breath.

“Ugh… this is more exhausting than fighting a full-blown battle. I’d never choose this type of mission myself. The boss really makes me do everything, huh? Can’t he just take care of his own woman? Does he have to use such excuses…”

With a shake of his head, he spun around, a surge of magic, restrained to its absolute limit, flashed.

His form instantly dissolved into a fiery mist, dissipating into nothing.

****

After work, Qi Yue’an returned to Xiyin’s residence and recounted the strange encounter she had experienced that day.

“Xiyin, what do you make of this?”

“It looks suspicious no matter how you view it.”

Xiyin pointed out incisively after hearing the story.

“It’s probably a trap to lure young girls… but the method is so clumsy. You actually agreed to it?”

“Yes.”

Qi Yue’an, however, nodded.

“That person didn’t have any demonic aura, and he didn’t seem very intelligent. However, one thing is very suspicious: he seemed to be on someone’s mission.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Jin seemed to see through everything, striking a confident pose with her hands on her hips as she declared:

“It’s definitely a malicious scheme, and he’s an idiot! A stupid, perverted loli-con small fry, and any fox spirit who falls for it is also a small fry~”

Bai Zhi, on the other hand, deliberately assumed a scheming posture, rubbing her hands together like a fly.

“Hehe… Yue’an… didn’t you realize he was so easy to trick?”

Qi Yue’an remained silent, understanding her companions’ concern.

Yet, she believed taking a chance was always worthwhile.

More importantly, she wanted to uncover who had sent him; she had a persistent feeling he was connected to someone of greater significance.

“I need to go see for myself.”

She stated with conviction, startling everyone.

“Huh? Why? Didn’t you say he was definitely sent by someone else?”

Qi Yue’an finally confessed her true thoughts.

“Huh? Are you saying you think he might be connected to your old flame?”

Bai Zhi blurted out a bombshell, earning a glare from Xiyin, who quickly took over the conversation.

“An’an, can you be sure? If that’s the case, things could get dangerous.

Don’t forget the last two times we encountered him; while we don’t know his intentions, he’s a demon whose power seems unfathomable.

If this person truly is his subordinate, then you’d be walking straight into a tiger’s den.”

“I… I believe he wouldn’t harm me…”

Her voice was firm, yet halfway through, she recalled previous events and his enigmatic demeanor, causing her to hesitate.

She lowered her head, looking like a child who had done something wrong.

Xiyin watched Qi Yue’an’s bowed head and fidgeting fingers.

Though she still wanted to speak, she ultimately just sighed.

She extended her hand, hesitated for a moment, then gently placed it over Qi Yue’an’s.

“This matter… it’s important to you, isn’t it?”

She nodded.

“Yes, there are many things I need to clarify, so let me go alone…”

She was interrupted mid-sentence as Xiyin, uncharacteristically, adopted a firmer stance before her.

“Since you’ve told me, I can’t let you go alone. So…”

Bai Zhi immediately raised her hand.

“It’s not ‘I,’ it’s ‘we,’ you know! How could I be left out of something like this? What if it really is Yue’an’s old flame sending a money-dispensing child? We can help you carry the money chests!”

“That… that shouldn’t… count as an old flame, right?”

Though Qi Yue’an wished to argue, recalling their past interactions, she had to admit there was indeed a hint of that sentiment.

At this point, the fact that she was a man who had become a woman… was entirely unspeakable.

“Hmph, a trap set by a petty demon! This knight shall shatter it!”While Qi Yue’an was deep in thought, Bai Jin also puffed out her chest, and though she seemed to dismiss the matter, her stance was unequivocally clear.

“However, you, petty fox spirit, are likely the main target, so you must walk behind us.”

Qi Yue’an lifted her head, her silver eyes shimmering.

For the first time, she truly felt the sensation of being protected by everyone.

She nodded, no longer contemplating going alone.

“Thank you.”

A myriad of unspoken words ultimately condensed into this simple expression.