Late at night... Lu Ren returned home, carrying his shoes.
He walked very lightly, and as he passed through the living room,
He saw Hiratsuka Shizuka sitting on the sofa, looking worried.
She held her phone but hadn't pressed the dial button.
On the coffee table nearby, there was an untouched pot of braised beef.
Hiratsuka Shizuka, who had been looking forward to this delicious meal, had lost her appetite.
Perhaps it was the bloodline fusion... or the awakening of psychic abilities... Lu Ren's eyesight had evolved into: clairvoyance!
Seriously, he could even clearly see things several kilometers away!
And the contact displayed on Hiratsuka Shizuka's phone screen was Lu Ren!
...Brilliant golden light transformed into Tamamo-no-Mae's figure.
"Ehehe..."
"Master, you're back!"
Tamamo-no-Mae was like a virtuous wife, taking the shoes from her Master's hand.
Then... she used witchcraft to instantly wipe away the bloodstains on the shoes.
"Sister Shizuka, what's wrong with her...?"
Lu Ren looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka, quietly asking Tamamo-no-Mae.
"Ehehehe..."
"I told her that you went alone to eliminate that Yokai to protect her."
Tamamo-no-Mae covered her mouth, letting out a mischievous laugh.
Even her charming, beautiful eyes narrowed into cute crescents.
"What did you...?"
Lu Ren asked in annoyance.
He hadn't expected Tamamo-no-Mae to actually tell the truth!
"Because the excuse you made was so perfunctory."
"She kept asking me where you went."
"I couldn't stand her pestering, so I just told her the truth."
"She wanted to call to stop you, to make you come home quickly."
"But I told her that the battle had already begun."
"If she called at such a time..."
"You might get hurt due to distraction, you know."
"So she just sat there, like an idiot!"
Tamamo-no-Mae neatly placed the shoes back in the shoe cabinet, recounting what had happened earlier.
Her gloating expression made one so angry, wanting to teach her a good lesson!
"Cough cough!"
Lu Ren glared at Tamamo-no-Mae, then coughed.
The sudden sound made Hiratsuka Shizuka sharply look up.
When she saw Lu Ren return unharmed,
She angrily stood up and quickly walked towards Lu Ren.
Then... she hugged Lu Ren tightly... Her strength was great, squeezing Lu Ren so hard that his bones creaked!
"Are you crazy!"
"Before acting impulsively, did you ever think that someone would worry about you!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka said tremblingly.
She wanted to scold Lu Ren, but then she remembered that all of this was to protect her.
The words on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back, and her embrace only tightened.
"Sister Shizuka..."
"You're going to strangle me..."
Lu Ren said with difficulty; Hiratsuka Shizuka's embrace made his ribs ache.
This was the only injury he had sustained tonight.
The cause, however, was: concern from an important person!
"It's good that you're okay..."
Hiratsuka Shizuka sobbed, gradually loosening her hands.
She turned her head to the side, trying to hide her uncontrollable tears.
"Actually..."
"I just went out for a walk around the area, that's all."
"Didn't that Yokai get eliminated right in front of you?"
"Oh... by this amulet."
Lu Ren said with a smile, using his finger to wipe away Sister Shizuka's tears.
"But..."
"But your Servant said..."
Hiratsuka Shizuka choked up, like a delicate girl, recounting what had just happened.
"Sister Shizuka~! Tamamo, she's a fox!"
"Foxes are best at deceiving people."
"Look, she's still laughing at you."
Lu Ren pointed to Tamamo-no-Mae, shifting the blame to her.
"Exactly!"
"You've been tricked by me!"
Tamamo-no-Mae made a fox head shape with her fingers and gently pecked Hiratsuka Shizuka's forehead.
Then she transformed into particles of light and quickly made her escape.
"You wretched fox..."
Hiratsuka Shizuka was so angry she laughed, even she couldn't help it.
Although both of them knew the true answer,
neither of them continued to dwell on it, as the matter was already in the past.
"I'll go warm up your meal."
Hiratsuka Shizuka wiped away her tears, took Lu Ren's hand, and pressed him onto the sofa.
"Sister Shizuka, let me do it instead."
Lu Ren tried to get up, but Hiratsuka Shizuka pushed him back onto the sofa again!
"Don't you trust me?"
"No matter what, I'm an adult!"
"Someone who can't cook doesn't deserve to be called an adult!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka sniffed, confidently patted her chest, and assured Lu Ren.
"Alright... alright..."
Lu Ren gave an awkward smile, but his eyes were full of worry.
The beef stew made by Tamamo-no-Mae had a very thick sauce.
When reheating it, no water should be added.
It needed to be heated slowly over low heat.
During this time, a spatula should be used to gently stir it to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
Lu Ren wanted to give a few words of caution, but Hiratsuka Shizuka was already humming a song and heading to the kitchen.
That night... Lu Ren's dinner was a beef stew with a burnt bottom and stuck to the pot.
Perhaps... besides Lu Ren and the person involved... no one knew what the beef stew tasted like.
But one thing... from that day on... Lu Ren's address for Hiratsuka Shizuka was downgraded to: Shizuka... [You chose to stand by and watch, gaining: Superpower - Healing!]
[You inadvertently helped Hiratsuka Shizuka resolve a crisis!]
[Gained: The Back Mountain Adventure Event!]
[Please go camping on the back mountain tomorrow night!]
[The adventure will happen naturally!]