Mu Anxiao said, "I don't know this spell, and if I did, I'd only be half-baked."
"I've seen it, she's not that proficient with invisibility spells," the wolf demon offered, raising his hand.
"Will you die if you don't speak?" Mu Anxiao glared at the wolf demon.
The wolf demon chuckled, "I won't die, but it's uncomfortable to keep it bottled up."
Mu Anxiao was speechless.
Feng Qishi glanced at Mu Anxiao, then looked at Zhang Yan and smiled, "My master has entrusted me to you."
"Then I won't teach you either," Zhang Yan said firmly.
"Fine if you won't teach me," Feng Qishi mumbled.
Mu Anxiao looked at Feng Qishi and said, "When we get back, I'll try teaching you."
"You said it," Feng Qishi pointed at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao nodded.
Zhang Yan watched Mu Anxiao lie without blushing, his eyes darkening.
The wolf demon stood up and looked at Feng Qishi and Mu Anxiao, saying, "We're going back, and we're enemies again."
"Are you human?" Mu Anxiao retorted.
The wolf demon's face stiffened. "It's no fun picking fault like this."
Mu Anxiao glared at the wolf demon and turned to walk back into the room.
Zhang Yan looked at Mu Anxiao's retreating back, then at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi smiled at Zhang Yan and asked, "What are you planning to treat her to?"
"I've bought the ingredients. We're having hot pot tonight," Zhang Yan replied.
Feng Qishi sighed, "What a sumptuous dinner, too bad I can't have any."
"It's okay, just smelling and looking from the side is good too," the wolf demon said with schadenfreude.
"Can you eat it too?" Feng Qishi pointed at the wolf demon.
The wolf demon rubbed his belly. "Of course, I can eat. I'm just invisible!"
"What an attitude," Feng Qishi glared fiercely at the wolf demon.
The wolf demon snorted and remained silent.
Zhang Yan smiled.
An hour later, Zhang Yan set up the hot pot in the courtyard. Liu Xian walked out of the room with a dejected look. "Boss, we're having hot pot?"
"Are you alright now?" Zhang Yan asked, looking at Liu Xian from the side.
Liu Xian shook his head and walked over, sitting himself at the table. "This news was too sudden."
"Yes, too sudden," Zhang Yan agreed.
Mu Anxiao emerged from the room and looked at Liu Xian. "The dead cannot be brought back to life. Don't be too sad."
"Are you going to his funeral?" Liu Xian asked, looking up at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao hesitated. "His family didn't call. I guess they don't want to invite anyone. Hu Yuan liked quiet and probably wouldn't want people to go."
"So low-key," Liu Xian mumbled.
"Where's Fan Yan?" Mu Anxiao asked.
Feng Qishi scanned the surroundings. "He's probably not off work yet."
Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi and said nothing.
The wolf demon stood beside Feng Qishi and looked at Liu Xian. "It seems I won't be able to eat."
"You're like me, only good for smelling and looking," Feng Qishi said, glancing at the wolf demon.
The wolf demon slanted his eyes at Feng Qishi and looked at Mu Anxiao. "Save some for me."
Mu Anxiao completely ignored him, stood up, and looked at Fan Yan, who was walking in from outside the courtyard. "You're off work."
Fan Yan nodded wearily. "Yes, I'm off work. We're having hot pot tonight?"
"Mm," Mu Anxiao nodded.
Zhang Yan came out of the kitchen with lettuce. "Fan Yan, call everyone over. Let's have a lively meal."
"Okay," Fan Yan agreed and turned to leave the courtyard.
Feng Qishi looked at the wolf demon, who was standing by with a darkened expression, with schadenfreude. "Well, you're definitely out of luck this time."
"If I'm out, I'm out. I won't eat," the wolf demon said, looking up at the darkening sky.
Feng Qishi chuckled.
On their last night here, Mu Anxiao felt the human warmth she had always yearned for. Looking at the young people laughing and talking, and the bubbling hot pot, she smiled unconsciously.
Zhang Yan sat to the side, watching Mu Anxiao's genuine smile. "Have you never felt like this before?"
Mu Anxiao nodded. "No, never. Thank you."
"You're going back tomorrow," Liu Xian said.
"Yes, I'm going back tomorrow. Take care of yourselves," Mu Anxiao said with a smile.
"Counting the scattered times, we've spent a whole month together," Fan Yan said.
"Yes, although we haven't experienced much during this time, I've come to understand," Mu Anxiao shifted her gaze to Liu Xian's face. "Your past. I hope you can continue to live optimistically in the future."
"Yes, I will," Liu Xian raised his glass.
Mu Anxiao picked up her glass, filled with a beverage, and clinked it with Liu Xian's.
"Alright, let's sing next," one of the young people said.
"Okay," Liu Xian agreed.
After agreeing, Mu Anxiao spent an unforgettable night, a night free from worries, filled only with laughter and conversation.
In the early morning, in Zhang Yan's room, Mu Anxiao put on the ancient costume she had worn upon arrival. Her hair was much shorter than before, so she had to tie it up casually.
"Your clothes are really quite unfashionable," Feng Qishi said, walking up to Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao glared at Feng Qishi. "My clothes are unfashionable, but when we get back, yours will be even more so."
"What should I do about my hair?" Feng Qishi tugged at his short hair. "Will I be considered an anomaly when I go back like this?"
The wolf demon looked at Feng Qishi's unnecessary worry. "When you go back, find a body first. You won't be using this face then, so stop worrying."
"Master, you must find me a handsome appearance," Feng Qishi said.
Mu Anxiao pursed her lips. "You're not exactly handsome to begin with."
"You... I can have peach blossom eyes," Feng Qishi blinked his eyes.
Mu Anxiao's mouth twitched. Intending to change the subject, she asked, "When you go back, where are you planning to go?"
"First, I need to find a way to recover my demonic energy," the wolf demon replied truthfully.
"Mm," Mu Anxiao nodded distractedly.
The wolf demon smiled, looking at Mu Anxiao's expression. "Don't worry, I won't bother you until you cultivate spiritual energy."
"You'd better mean it," Mu Anxiao muttered softly.
The wolf demon's ears twitched slightly, and he smiled. "I mean it."
"Alright, can we go now?" Feng Qishi asked impatiently.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi, then turned to look at Zhang Yan, who was coming out of the bedroom. "Has Shen Yan's master arrived?"
"Yes," Zhang Yan said, looking at Mu Anxiao with reluctance. "Why don't you stay?"
"Why?" Mu Anxiao asked unhappily.
"If you'd like, I can be your master," Zhang Yan offered presumptuously.
Mu Anxiao shook her head. "No, thank you for your kindness. I don't like it here." Fearing Zhang Yan would say something unnecessary, she grew anxious.