"He is using our master's soul essence as sorcery," said a voice.
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao calmly turned to face the fat demon and the small demon who had stopped behind her and Zhang Yan. "How do you know?" she asked.
The fat demon continued, "I wanted to tell you in the hospital, but I never got the chance."
"Are you sure?" Zhang Yan turned and asked.
The small demon glanced at the fat demon. "We weren't sure at first, but we discussed it for a long time, and finally concluded that he must be using our master's soul essence as sorcery."
"How come I don't know about this method?" Zhang Yan asked.
"This is a technique from the demon realm, not yours," the small demon replied.
Zhang Yan pouted. "That's true, I'm not a demon."
"Is there any way to stop him?" Mu Anxiao believed their words and asked.
The small demon lowered his head.
The fat demon looked at Mu Anxiao with a troubled expression. "Actually, we're not entirely sure if he's really using our master's soul essence. We came to you hoping you could help us investigate."
"Didn't you just say you were sure?" Zhang Yan asked, looking at the small demon.
"I think so, but..." The small demon cautiously glanced at the fat demon beside him. "The boss wants to investigate."
"This matter is difficult to investigate, unless..." Zhang Yan trailed off, lowering his head.
"What's wrong?" Mu Anxiao asked.
Zhang Yan, like the fat demon, showed a troubled side. "If you want to know if he's using Hu Yuan's soul essence as sorcery, there's only one way. That way is..." He sighed. "...to risk your own body."
"What do you mean?" Mu Anxiao was confused.
Zhang Yan said seriously, "Fight him, let him injure you, then we can see."
"Can we?" the fat demon asked, not wanting Mu Anxiao to get hurt.
Zhang Yan gave an awkward smile.
"What are you laughing at?" the small demon asked.
Zhang Yan rubbed under his nose and said, "I'm laughing at how foolish you are."
"How are we foolish?" the small demon retorted.
"You are demons, and wolf demons use demonic arts. Even if you are injured, the demonic arts will merge with your own, and then nothing can be discovered," Zhang Yan explained.
Mu Anxiao, also cautious about her own life, looked at Zhang Yan's face. "I was injured by Feng Qi Shi today. Can we..."
"Once the time limit passes, it can't be detected," Zhang Yan interrupted.
"What is the time limit?" Mu Anxiao asked.
Zhang Yan said without hesitation, "Half an hour."
"An hour," Mu Anxiao stated.
Zhang Yan nodded.
Mu Anxiao's expression became flustered, but considering her inseparable antagonistic relationship with the wolf demon and her mission, she took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I agree."
"Your Yuan Qi is depleted. If you do this, you will..."
The small demon started to speak, but Mu Anxiao interrupted, "Don't worry, as long as it's not a fatal wound, it's not a severe injury."
"I'm sorry," the small demon said softly.
"I'm sorry," the fat demon followed suit.
Mu Anxiao looked at the two of them and said, "Don't say sorry. No matter what, you are the ones paying me. This is what I should do."
"Thank you," they said in unison.
"Alright, you two go away for a bit. I have something to say to him," Mu Anxiao indicated Zhang Yan.
"Mhm," they agreed cooperatively and left.
Immediately, Zhang Yan asked excitedly, "How much money did they give you?"
"Why are you asking that?" Mu Anxiao turned to meet Zhang Yan's eyes and asked.
"No, it's just..." Zhang Yan grinned foolishly. "Look, aren't I concerned about you? You..."
"Stop it. They gave me banknotes, which you can't use," Mu Anxiao said, patting Zhang Yan's shoulder. "But don't worry, I'll give you a gift before I leave."
"A gift?" Zhang Yan repeated, narrowing his eyes. "Is it money?"
"It's more valuable than money," Mu Anxiao said, turning to look at the workers still busy nearby. "They are truly working hard."
"No profession is easy," Zhang Yan commented.
Mu Anxiao nodded and said, "Speaking of which, I learned a lesson from Feng Qi Shi."
"What lesson?" Zhang Yan asked.
Mu Anxiao looked at Zhang Yan. "Not only is every profession difficult, but being a student is also not easy. In short, nothing is easy." She sighed and walked towards the room with her hands behind her back.
Zhang Yan watched Mu Anxiao's retreating figure and said, "Yes, nothing is easy." He smiled faintly.
Meanwhile, Liu Xian, keeping his promise, brought Fan Yan to a restaurant. However, Fan Yan wasn't exactly happy.
"Liu Xian, what do you mean by this?" Fan Yan sat at the table, looking helplessly at the candles and roses laid out. "I asked you to treat me to a meal, not to confess to me. This is too much."
Liu Xian looked awkwardly at the stares from people nearby. He put down his cutlery and leaned forward to whisper, "This is a rather high-class steakhouse. Could you please keep your voice down? Let's leave after we eat."
"Okay," Fan Yan said, picking up his wine glass. "Come, let's toast."
"You can drink it yourself. There's no need to toast," Liu Xian felt embarrassed.
Fan Yan didn't feel embarrassed; instead, he calmly said, "The color is almost the same as red wine anyway. Come on, let's clink." As he spoke, he deliberately gently bumped his glass against Liu Xian's.
"As long as you're happy," Liu Xian said, picking up his cup and taking a sip of cola.
Fan Yan drank his drink in one gulp. "You know, this is actually the first time I've had a candlelight dinner with a man." He smirked. "It feels quite strange."
"Have you had candlelight dinners with girls before?" Liu Xian asked.
"No, with you..." Fan Yan started to say, but a male waiter suddenly arrived at the table with a bouquet of flowers. He then looked awkwardly between Liu Xian and Fan Yan, who were dressed in simple suits, and asked, "Excuse me, who is this for?"
"For me," Fan Yan extended his hand.
The waiter handed the flowers to Fan Yan. Fan Yan said, "Thank you."
The waiter replied, "You're welcome," and walked away.
Liu Xian lowered his head in embarrassment.
The moment Fan Yan took the bouquet, everyone in the restaurant started to clap.
Fan Yan politely smiled at them and turned back to say, "Boyfriend, let's eat."
Liu Xian's face turned bright red, and he mumbled softly, "This is so embarrassing."
Fan Yan placed the flowers on a chair beside him and said, "This restaurant looks quite luxurious. Did you book a couple's package to save money?"
"Yes," Liu Xian admitted honestly.
Fan Yan laughed. "I just checked. This meal has already exceeded your budget. It's probably less than half of your salary."