What’s it like to wake up to a crowd staring at you?

Definitely not pleasant.

Take old Bob for example.

He barely managed an “Uh…”, the veteran hunter nearly fainting on the spot. Only a quick-thinking guild officer pinched the spot between his nose and upper lip, jolting him back to consciousness.

“Uncle, a quick question—where did you bury him?”

“Hah…”

Mei Yige’s sweetly posed question made old Bob’s eyes roll back again.

“You can’t just ask like that.”

Shiren couldn’t help but chuckle. Mei Yige on duty was nothing like the gentle girl she knew.

*Quite the character.*

“Sir, our investigation shows you had minor conflicts with the missing Mr. Hans…”

“Skip the formalities. Townsfolk say you killed and buried him. Spit out his whereabouts. Given your age, we might let you linger a while longer. Otherwise—don’t blame us for being harsh.”

Frowning at the rookies’ clumsy interrogation, Mei Yige shoved the guild officers aside. She crouched beside Bob, her Magic Wand pressing against his chest.

“Oh, and if you’re uncooperative? Beyond punishment, I wouldn’t mind exposing certain… youthful mistakes of yours.”

A venomous threat.

Everyone present sucked in a sharp breath. No one wanted their twilight years tarnished—especially not by magic’s rumored ability to plunder memories.

*But if she can read minds… why bother threatening?*

“Y-you’re bluffing! I know nothing!”

Old Bob wasn’t naive. He’d lived long enough to see through hollow threats. Yet high-tier mages always had “logical” explanations for magic’s limits.

“Bluffing? Elder, I’m just saving time. Fine—let’s peek at what you did around sixteen…”

“No! Don’t! Ask anything—I’ll tell you everything!”

The 65-year-old gave up the fight. Magic was just that ruthless. The crowd swallowed hard under Mei Yige’s smiling gaze.

*Who hasn’t made mistakes in youth?*

Ordinary folks weren’t saints. The thought of a mage digging that deep into memories?

*Terrifying.*

“Enjoying the theatrics?”

“Doesn’t work on you, sister.”

Shiren’s whisper near Mei Yige’s ear earned a satisfied reply—but no smile, only a cold stare.

“So you never considered if it’d work on *me*?”

“Don’t treat me like a villain. We’re practically friends, aren’t we? Honestly…”

Mei Yige’s grumbled complaint, face twisted in mock frustration, made Shiren sigh.

“You this warm with everyone?”

“Asking twice is rude, sister. I’m warm only with those I choose. Though… compared to a certain sister I met recently? You fall short.”

A sudden idea sparked. Watching Shiren’s composure crack—no, *Miss Youqian’s*—Mei Yige’s inner laughter grew louder.

[*Sister… do you like this feeling? Painful yet sweet~*]

*How utterly fascinating, landlady sister. Even if you—a Demonic Being—are eventually hunted down, you’ll never forget me.*

But Mei Yige wouldn’t let that happen. Interesting people were rare. Generous souls, rarer still. Finding both in one? A treasure no one seeking joy should miss.

She didn’t mind dedicating herself to protecting this adorable Demonic Being in town.

After all, this was human territory. If Shiren’s true nature surfaced…

Mei Yige’s mind flashed to a threat:

*“Sister Shi, you wouldn’t want others knowing you’re a Demonic Being, would you?”*

Waiving even the one-silver-coin rent. Letting her stay free!

*That’d be perfect!*

Timid Mei Yige dared not imagine worse schemes. Shiren’s reaction mattered now.

“Seems you have many sisters.”

Shiren recovered instantly. A veteran Blood Demon wasn’t rattled by petty words.

“Oh, *that* sister delights me far more than you. Tsk—better stop talking.”

“Why?”

“I fear my landlady sister might get jealous.”

*…And raise the rent? Sister Shi wouldn’t do that!*

“?”

*There it is.* Earlier words hadn’t pierced her armor. *This* did.

Shiren couldn’t fathom Mei Yige’s tone—or the strange implication clinging to it.

[*I want to devour her… Could she… want to “devour” me?*]

A chilling suspicion took root.

For Eternal Beings like Demonic Beings, partners had no gender limits. Shiren didn’t mind being admired by women.

But…

*This feels wrong!*

Shiren’s face paled. Her neck prickled under Mei Yige’s heavy gaze.

“Landlady sister truly is better.”

Alarm bells blared in Shiren’s mind.

“You… aren’t plotting something awful, are you?”

“Huh? Awful?” Mei Yige blinked innocently. “Isn’t a landlady sister who lets me live nearly rent-free wonderful?”

“Oh… you value her generosity?”

*Just materialism. False alarm.*

Shiren relaxed slightly.

*Of course that suspicion was baseless. I’ve simply lived too long.*

“I just think she’d be lovely if she smiled. Like you—why keep such cold faces? My only wish is to see everyone happy.”

“Even me? Bringing peace and joy to residents… I never took you for an idealist.”

A beautiful girl’s sorrow tugged heartstrings. Watching a cute woman fall neatly into her trap made Mei Yige nearly smirk.

*Perfect.* The sunshine-and-innocence persona held. Mei Yige feigned weariness.

“No grand ideals here. Faking bravado for this? Exhausting… Hey, got answers yet?”

*Don’t overfish.* She pivoted sharply from Shiren, grumbling as she returned to “work.”

[*Ninety-nine percent rare find, Miss Mei. I almost don’t want to eat you.*]

Unaware she was completely under Mei Yige’s thumb, Shiren schooled her expression and followed her back to old Bob.