Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Did you forget something?”

Looking into Su Gao’s expressive eyes, Fu Qian spoke up.

”Yes, I’m so sorry.”

She replied smoothly, though her tone held little actual apology.

”That’s fine. I’ll go back with you to get it.”

Waving a hand with gentlemanly flair, Fu Qian turned to the three people catching up.

”You guys head back first. Don’t wait up.”

Seeing Kisaragi Kana’s reluctance, he pointed at Takagi’s neck.

”He’s hurt. He shouldn’t stay out too long.”

...Faced with this irrefutable logic, Kisaragi Kana was momentarily speechless.

”You’re hurt?”

Only then did Takagi’s friend seem to notice his condition. He cried out in surprise, eyeing Kisaragi Kana awkwardly as if suspecting she had beaten him.

He couldn’t be blamed for overthinking it; Takagi’s demeanor just now had been genuinely abnormal!

”Some rocks fell from The Mountain! We just went to the Clinic.”

Though the friend’s suspicion was subtle, Takagi reacted as if sharply provoked and immediately shouted his defense.

It was as if Kisaragi Kana being wronged was a fate worse than death.

”So that’s what happened. How unlucky.”

The excuse was far-fetched, but still plausible.

However, Takagi’s frantic defense only made his friend more skeptical. His gaze turned even stranger as he offered a perfunctory agreement.

”We aren’t heading the same way, so let’s catch up another time!”

That response clearly failed to satisfy Takagi. The next moment, he grabbed both of Kisaragi Kana’s hands and bluntly told his friend to leave.

...

Takagi’s friend looked at him like he was insane. Seeing the two standing together like a couple drained any lingering interest, and he walked away shaking his head.

”Mister Dancy, we’ll head into the station first.”

It took Kisaragi Kana no small effort to suppress the urge to shake Takagi off.

Glancing at Su Gao beside Fu Qian, however, her expression softened in a matter of seconds, and she actively linked arms with Takagi.

”Alright. Thank you for the gift.”

Fu Qian flashed the Badge in his hand.

”The best thanks is keeping it on you.”

Kisaragi Kana smiled in acknowledgment. Arm in arm with Takagi, she turned and walked away with the same elegant, unhurried stride she had arrived with.

Actively held by her, Takagi looked overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, losing all control of his facial expressions.

Brother Takagi looked like a goner.

Witnessing the scene, Fu Qian shook his head inwardly.

True, as a peeping neighbor, he had fallen under Kisaragi Kana’s spell long ago.

But right before this, he had undeniably tried to sustain the relationship by attempting to become a better version of himself.

Whether it was an act or self-deception, his performance along the way proved he was giving it his all.

However, trying to use a fragile will to resist highly probable supernatural power was destined for tragedy from the start.

The contrasting results of a simple test back at Wushe Temple had nearly shattered his resolve.

Afterward, it was actually the intervention of supernatural power—specifically, the person secretly monitoring them—that allowed him to pull himself together.

Yet, what awaited him next was a betrayal from his goddess.

Finally, in his dazed state, his luck took a sharp nosedive. Confronted with a soul-searching question from an acquaintance, he couldn’t even manage self-deception anymore.

The only thing still propping up his sanity was the fear of losing Kisaragi Kana.

Of course, this outcome had been predetermined the moment he first hid behind his curtains to peek at Kisaragi Kana.

...

”Where did you forget it?”

Paying no more attention to the profound romance over there, Fu Qian asked Su Gao as they walked.

”It should be at the Clinic.”

Su Gao replied casually, taking the lead.

However, upon reaching the Clinic, she didn’t spare it a single glance and just kept walking.

She hadn’t actually forgotten anything, of course.

When Takagi was on the verge of breaking down earlier, her glance toward Fu Qian had actually been a silent question.

She had wanted to confirm how to react to this obviously manipulated trouble.

Right now, in the eyes of Anjing, her identity was a mastermind from the Siren Group who likely held leverage over them and was plotting to gain more.

Given this persona, the people from Anjing Company were hesitating to strike the rat for fear of breaking the vase. Rather than attacking directly, they chose to interfere with their movements by influencing those around them.

Fundamentally, this had little practical effect; it was just a minor annoyance.

For Su Gao, however, how to respond was the issue.

If they simply headed back without doing anything, they would inevitably show weakness—hardly the best choice in their current situation.

Su Gao had acutely sensed this, prompting their brief exchange.

Instantly grasping her meaning, Fu Qian’s reaction had been incredibly decisive: he directly asked if she had forgotten something.

The implication was clear: they weren’t leaving, and they were going to deal with their watcher. He had handed her an excuse on a silver platter.

...

Their prior actions had already been intended to draw out Anjing’s higher-ups.

And over the course of the day, this notoriety law project had successfully piqued Fu Qian’s curiosity.

Furthermore, since Anjing had actively provoked them and presented such a perfect opening, wouldn’t it be a waste not to squeeze out some valuable information?

”I think I remembered the wrong place.”

Walking right past the Clinic, Su Gao finally stopped outside a pocket park. She scanned the people resting on the benches and frowned slightly.

’Understood. I sensed it too,’

Fu Qian thought to himself.

There was a reason the other party dared to come out and show off.

Fu Qian had been trying to capture information on the hidden observer for a while. Even though their aura hadn’t reached the Demigod Tier, their presence felt incredibly obscure and difficult to lock onto.

It felt as if their survival talents were maxed out, involuntarily reminding him of Brother Ill Omen of the Heavenly Kingdom.

To avoid alarming pedestrians, the two had strolled over, so they naturally couldn’t hide their approach.

Faced with this threat, the observer remained quite composed. They didn’t flee despite the attempt to strike the grass to startle the snake, choosing instead to wander into the crowd.

The spot Su Gao had tracked down was already the third location along their route, yet among the people resting on the benches, there wasn’t a single transcendent.

”It’s fine. Everyone has their limits. Just do your best.”

The next moment, Fu Qian smiled, stepping forward to stand beside Su Gao and comforting her in an amiable tone.

Hmm?

As soon as these words came out, even Su Gao’s eyes flickered slightly.

She didn’t think Fu Qian’s words were just superficial comfort; the key phrase was doing her best.

Her earlier remark was meant to show that if they kept searching like this, they wouldn’t catch the person anytime soon, thereby feeling out Fu Qian’s thoughts.

And Fu Qian’s meaning was simple: she could go all out and didn’t need to hold back. Of course, she shouldn’t forget her current limit was that of a Half-Step Demigod.

”Don’t have any reservations.”

Seeing that Su Gao understood his meaning, Fu Qian blinked.