At that moment, Xie Zhili looked up at the full moon hanging in the sky, then walked over to Song Yingyue and said, “Yingyue, take Miss Tong back first. It’s not safe here.”
Seeing the lingering fear on Tong Huanyou’s face, Song Yingyue gently replied, “Alright.”
But what they didn’t know was that Tong Huanyou’s nervousness had nothing to do with the monsters at all—it was entirely because she was still wearing Yu Qingci’s outer robe.
To her, it felt like carrying around a ticking time bomb that could explode at any second. How could she not tremble in fear?
She swallowed hard twice before forcing out a stiff smile. “Thank you, everyone.”
The group slowly made their way toward the end of the forest path.
Tong Huanyou instinctively glanced at Yu Qingci beside her, and her heart skipped violently.
Panicked, she hurried forward until she was walking shoulder to shoulder with Song Yingyue, clutching onto her arm.
As long as Song Yingyue was nearby, that black-hearted villain would definitely keep up his act as a gentle young man.
Only then did she finally let out a relieved sigh.
The beautiful heroine really was the safest person to stay near!
After returning safely to the estate—
The moment they stepped through the gates, Tong Huanyou’s anxious father, Master Tong, rushed over frantically.
Even the servants behind him wore worried expressions, their eyes fixed tightly on her.
The original host’s father was the wealthiest merchant in Liangzhou.
And this city also happened to be the setting of the male and female leads’ first demon-hunting mission.
Recently, several young girls in the city had mysteriously vanished.
What made it especially eerie was that for five days before each disappearance, willow leaves would appear beside the girls’ pillows, one more leaf appearing each day.
Just two days ago, the original Tong Huanyou had woken up to find willow leaves by her own pillow as well.
Heartbroken for his precious daughter, Master Tong had spent a fortune hiring the protagonists’ group to eliminate the demon.
Who could have guessed that the original Tong Huanyou would fall for the handsome Xie Zhili at first sight and constantly shower him with attention afterward—
Which eventually led to the incident where she drugged someone with an aphrodisiac and got chased down by Yu Qingci…
When Master Tong noticed the scraped and bleeding wounds on Tong Huanyou, his expression instantly filled with anguish.
“My precious daughter! How much suffering have you gone through?!”
Beside him stood another girl who looked around sixteen or seventeen, equally full of worry.
“Miss! You scared Ling’er half to death!”
Faced with their warm and deeply concerned gazes, Tong Huanyou felt awkward and overwhelmed, but she could only brace herself and respond, “Father, Ling’er, I’m really fine. Don’t worry.”
“How could you possibly be fine?! Look at all these injuries! Hurry and fetch Physician Li!” Master Tong ordered anxiously, turning toward the servants behind him.
“I’ll go right away, Master!” Ling’er immediately ran off in panic.
At that moment, Xie Zhili suddenly interrupted the father and daughter.
“Master Tong, I’m afraid the manor may not remain peaceful over the next few days.”
Master Tong looked confused. “Why? Didn’t my daughter already return safely? Don’t tell me that demon still isn’t dead?”
Song Yingyue quickly stepped forward to explain, “The creature that abducted Miss Tong today was not the same demon responsible for the disappearances.”
“But please rest assured, Master Tong. We’ve already set up a magical formation in Miss Tong’s room. Once that demon appears, we’ll capture it in one stroke and eliminate the threat for good.”
The moment Master Tong heard the demon was still alive, the heart he had just settled lifted anxiously once more.
“As long as the three of you can keep my daughter safe through this ordeal, I’m willing to double the reward!”
Tong Huanyou’s eyes lit up.
Wow… I’m actually this valuable?
“This is our duty. There’s no need to increase the payment,” Song Yingyue replied with a smile.
Master Tong shook his head firmly. “No! It must be increased! I only have this one precious daughter. All I want is for her to live safely and peacefully.”
Hearing those words, Tong Huanyou suddenly felt her nose sting.
The original host’s mother had died young. Having such a loving father made her situation strangely similar to Tong Huanyou’s own.
In reality, she had also grown up in a single-parent household, cared for only by her mother.
“You’re too kind, Master Tong.”
After the necessary instructions had all been given, everyone dispersed.
Master Tong held Tong Huanyou’s hand and led her toward the main hall.
First, he made sure she took a comfortable hot bath. Then he summoned a physician to treat her wounds before finally allowing her to return to her own courtyard.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the estate—
Yu Qingci brushed away bits of grass caught on Song Yingyue’s skirt hem from the forest and gently said, “Senior Sister exhausted too much energy setting up the formation with Senior Brother Xie. Why don’t I stand guard outside Miss Tong’s room tonight while the two of you get some rest?”
“Alright. It’s colder tonight than the past few days, and your health is already weak. I’ll fetch you a thicker robe.”
After saying that, Song Yingyue turned and entered the room.
“If anything happens, Senior Brother definitely won’t let you face it alone.”
Xie Zhili patted Yu Qingci on the shoulder.
However, the instant his hand touched Yu Qingci’s shoulder, a trace of darkness flashed through Yu Qingci’s eyes before disappearing just as quickly.
“Alright. Thank you, Senior Brother.”
The pebble path in the courtyard glimmered faintly beneath the moonlight.
[System: Congratulations, Host! You’ve successfully survived the opening death scenario. The first inventory slot has now been unlocked.]
Tong Huanyou frowned suspiciously.
What does that mean?
[System: The first inventory contains the Pain-Transfer Jade Hairpin, a One-Minute Immobilization Talisman for Evil Creatures, and the Swift Sprint Shoes.]
Tong Huanyou: …The shoes actually sound pretty useful.
She could already imagine herself wearing them while fleeing for her life.
Slip on the straw sandals and run like the wind~
Still, she was curious about the function of the other item.
Tong Huanyou: What does the pain-transfer thing do?
[System: The Pain-Transfer Jade Hairpins come as a pair. If Host gets injured, placing one hairpin on another person will transfer the pain of the injury to them instead. Conversely, you may also bear someone else’s pain.]
Tong Huanyou fell silent.
For her, this item was neither especially good nor especially bad.
[System: Every time you successfully advance a story arc, another item slot will unlock. Please keep working hard to complete your mission, Host~]
Tong Huanyou: Why does it only unlock one item later on?
[System: Because Host managed to survive the opening dead-end route. The difficulty level was extremely high, so the rewards are naturally more generous~]
Tong Huanyou: Got it.
[System: Villain Yu Qingci is directly ahead. Please work hard on capturing his heart, Host~]
Tong Huanyou: What the hell?! That black-hearted demon is still here at this hour?!