Shen Minyao decided to return to her dorm before the curfew. Even if she had decided to keep close to her human contractor, it would be inappropriate for a young woman like her to spend the night with Zhao Yichen. Her two cat guardians were left to make sure that Zhao Yichen and Gu Luxian would be fine for the night.

As she stepped out of the cab she hailed earlier, Mu Qing appeared in her hindsight.

"What is it now?" The fox woman asked in boredom. Her fight with Yulan earlier was too easy for her liking. She preferred to have a fight with strong demons who would prove to be challenging enough for her to waste her time.

"The news Zhao Yichen was telling you earlier.. was it really a demon?"

"What do you think?" She arched a slender brow at him. "You didn't think that a normal human would be able to suck another person's blood until he was a dry husk, right?"

"I have never encountered such a demon before," Mu Qing admitted.

"It isn't like you've met another fox demon before meeting me," the fox woman countered before she started walking towards the dormitory.

When she felt Mu Qing was still following her, she shot him a glare. She didn't think that he was really serious when he said he would keep an eye on her. Shen Minyao wasn't certain that she would enjoy the company of a grim reaper. Since their meeting, they were only in each other's company for a few hours.

"Do you really have to be here?" She asked under her breath. Humans wouldn't be able to hear her say anything; only Mu Qing would.

"You think I want to be here? I am merely following my superiors' orders." The grim reaper scowled at her.

Shen Minyao scoffed, but she didn't say anything. She went upstairs and unlocked her room, letting Mu Qing inside. Had any other human spotted her allowing a man inside her room, it would have caused an uproar. The fox woman was certain of that.

At least, she wouldn't be alone for tonight. Moreover, she could slack down a little, knowing Mu Qing would look after their safety.

"About that demon.." Mu Qing started, indicating he wanted to discuss the recent demon terrorizing the citizens of Jiang City.

"It's a woman. A very beautiful one," Shen Minyao as she took a seat on her bed while Mu Qing moved next to the windowsill, watching the crescent moon above the darkened sky.

"A vampire?" She heard Mu Qing ask curiously.

Did he really have to ask?!

The fox woman let out a low laugh and shook her head. What was this fascination about vampires that these humans had? Did they find it romantic to be bitten by a dangerous creature of the night?

Humans indeed had such a weird taste that she would never understand. Anyway, the demon she was talking about was far from the vampires the humans had been romanticizing for decades.

"Then, what kind of demon is it?" Mu Qing continued to probe. He found it odd that demons could easily trick humans like this.

"Hn. There isn't an actual name for them. They are known by several names, I believe," She explained. "They are just demons who prey on vulnerable men. Some trick married men to spend a fortune on them, leaving them broke; while the others seduce younger males to feed on their virility and life essence through sexual interactions."

"Are they strong?"

"Depends on the kind of demoness you will encounter. If you are a man, it will be hard for you to resist their enchantment. Once you fall under their spell, you will become obsessed with them; always wanting to be with them regardless of what others say. It will be too late for a man to notice what he has done once the spell fades off."

They were such annoying demons that the fox woman would rather not meet again. They proved to be a handful at times and irritating at the same time.

"I see.." Mu Qing didn't dare to ask more, noticing how the fox demon decided to shut her eyes and dozed off.

The next morning, when Shen Minyao opened her eyes, Mu Qing was nowhere to be found. Not that she was worried about him, anyway. Though she was a demon that didn't need to sleep, she decided to use the night before to hibernate and give her host's body a chance to heal from physical stress.

The sun wasn't up yet, so she washed her face and picked up the book she had yet to finish; while waiting for something to come up. It was Saturday, and she won't have to attend classes for the day.

The fox woman didn't grow disappointed when Fu Xiyan came knocking on her door, asking her to come home to the Shen Residence.

"Why are you in a rush? Something happened?" She asked the human.

It was clear to Shen Minyao that Fu Xiyan wanted to say something, and her scent was reeking with worry and fear at the same time.

Fu Xiyan bit her lower lip and glanced at her miss's face with hesitation.

"You are being summoned back by your grandfather. I heard that Shen Qing had come yesterday and complained to him," the poor human explained. "I think it is about the bet she made with you."

The fox woman scoffed and patted Fu Xiyan's head.

"You are worrying too much, Xiyan," she told the human.

"But Miss! I think Miss Qing's parents won't let this problem go away so easily. They are also waiting for your return." Fu Xiyan shot her a worried look.

Ah, no wonder she was worried about Shen Minyao. Shen Qing's parents used to bully her, making her feel useless and worthless at the same time.

However, how could they think that the niece that was about to face them today was far from the Shen Minyao they were acquainted with in the past?

"Give me a minute. Let me take a shower and dress up," Shen Minyao replied, leaving her personal attendant in her room. She couldn't possibly miss this chance to know more about her host's atrocious relatives. She hadn't met people who were shameless enough to bully her in this era. Not to mention capable.

Fu Xiyan was a few months older than Shen Minyao was. Since their ages were close to each other, the Shen family thought that it was the best way for their Little Yaoyao to have a friend and a companion at the same time.

However, since Shen Minyao's return from Qingqiu Mountain and her confinement in the hospital, the poor girl thought that Shen Minyao was drifting away from everyone. Her eyes had such coldness on them that Fu Xiyan had never seen on Shen Minyao before.

She also started to speak differently with such confidence and arrogance. It made Fu Xiyan wonder if her miss's sudden change was triggered by Shen Qing's attempt on her life at the mountain.

It was just too bad that neither Fu Xiyan nor the Shen family would ever find out that the Shen Minyao they knew and cared about was gone already. No matter how hard they wished to see her or talk to her, it would never happen. historical

Half an hour later, the fox woman emerged from the ensuite bathroom, dressed casually in a halter white shirt, a dark-gray coat, a pair of black denim pants, and white sneakers. Her arms were inside the coat's sleeves, but the collar was hanging loosely behind her, as Shen Minyao didn't bother to wear it properly on her shoulders.

She then called out Fu Xiyan to lead the way out of her dorm.

Fu Xiyan noticed that her miss's hair was still slightly damp. She was about to ask if Shen Minyao needed help with drying her long hair, but she already opened the door, not giving Fu Xiyan a chance to speak at all.

Outside the gate of the dormitory, Shen Minyao spotted the same car owned by the Shen family that usually retrieved and dropped her off for the past weeks. A man in a black suit opened the door of the backseat for her and let her inside, along with Fu Xiyan.

They drove towards the Shen Residence, where the old man and Shen Qing's parents were waiting. Inside the car, Shen Minyao's nose twitched as Fu Xiyan's scent assaulted her senses.

"Stop it, Xiyan. It isn't you whom Uncle and Aunt would blame later. It was me that they wanted to bully," she told the young woman seated next to her.

"B-but.." Fu Xiyan wanted to argue. Regardless of whether the bet was only between her and Shen Qing or not, the elder would still blame her for not stopping the two.

"No buts, Xiyan. Let me deal with this.. You don't have to protect me."