Mushroom Drunk 2/2
After arriving at the agency, He Zhouyan, who had recently become the cub’s guardian demon, fully immersed himself in his new role.
He naturally followed Xing Cub inside.
Waiting at the agency’s entrance were two people—one was a pregnant woman anxiously looking around, her large belly making her discomfort evident. The other, seemingly her partner, was carefully supporting her.
Not wanting to keep the pregnant woman waiting, Lu Congxing jogged ahead to unlock the door and invited them inside.
This was the first time he and He Zhouyan appeared together in front of a client, and also He Zhouyan’s first visit to his small agency.
Yet, He Zhouyan carried himself so naturally, as if he had been here a thousand times before.
“Master, hello!” The male client stepped forward excitedly, then hesitated, nervously rubbing his hands together.
He felt that the impeccably dressed He Zhouyan seemed like someone from a completely different world—his presence was so overwhelming that he didn’t dare strike up a conversation.
It never even crossed his mind that the real exorcist was someone else.
Lu Congxing blinked in confusion, watching as his client respectfully addressed He Zhouyan.
Explaining would be too much trouble, so Lu Congxing got straight to the point: “Can you tell me about your situation?”
The pregnant woman glanced over curiously. After two seconds, realization dawned on her face.
Lu Congxing’s lips twitched—his gut told him the client had mistaken him for He Zhouyan’s assistant.
He glanced helplessly at the man lounging naturally on the sofa.
Noticing his gaze, He Zhouyan tilted his head slightly, his eyes silently asking, What’s wrong?
Lu Congxing shook his head, secretly envying the man’s effortless charisma—and his long legs.
In reality, his own legs weren’t short, and his body proportions were great, but at 1.75 meters, he always felt small standing next to He Zhouyan, who was 1.89 meters tall.
Meanwhile, the pregnant woman had already begun explaining her troubles.
“I suspect that one of my tenants is possessed!” Huang Xin clutched the man beside her, her face pale.
Her husband, who had accompanied her, endured the pain of her nails digging into his skin without a word.
Lu Congxing’s interest was piqued. “Possessed?”
Huang Xin covered her face, her voice muffled. “Yes. We live in an old apartment building, and strange things have been happening lately. I suspect one of my tenants is behind it, but no one will admit to anything.”
At some point, He Zhouyan had pulled out a bag of beef jerky and handed it to the cub.
Catching the scent of spiritual energy infused in the snack, Lu Congxing—who happened to be a little hungry—instinctively took a piece, tore it off, and stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed as he asked, “What kind of strange things?”
Huang Xin hesitated before replying, “Sometimes, I find signs that someone has been in our home, and small items frequently go missing for no reason. One time, I was washing my hair and got soap in my eyes, so I couldn’t see. Suddenly, someone handed me a towel from behind. At the time, I assumed it was my husband and didn’t think much of it. But when I stepped out of the bathroom, I remembered—it was broad daylight, and my husband was at work!”
Recalling the chilling experience, she turned even paler.
“Then why not install a security camera to check?”
Huang Xin’s husband, Li Guodong, finally spoke. He seemed a little too honest and slow-witted. “We actually did install one after the towel incident… but it broke mysteriously.”
Meanwhile, He Zhouyan was still busy feeding the cub. He was fully committed to his guardian role, and at some point—who knows when—he had even pulled out a bottle of milk from his bell—Qiankun space—and poured it for the cub.
Just like the beef jerky, this wasn’t ordinary milk—it contained spiritual energy beneficial for the growth of the cub.
Having gotten used to being fed by the small Bai Ze back in the village, Lu Congxing skillfully took the milk and held it in his hand. At the same time, he asked the most critical question: “Why do you suspect it’s a case of possession?”
Huang Xin hesitated for a moment before slowly taking out a darkened jade pendant and handing it over for them to see.
He Zhouyan, without needing to be asked, took the pendant for the cub, who was now holding milk in one hand and dried beef in the other. He toyed with it in his palm for a moment.
The yin energy attached to the pendant immediately stirred restlessly, seemingly frightened and trying to disperse.
Huang Xin explained, “This is a family heirloom from my grandmother. It’s said to ward off evil. A couple of days ago, something went missing from my house again. I was furious and went door to door, questioning the tenants about who had entered my home. Of course, no one admitted to anything. But later, when I returned to my room, I realized that the jade pendant I had been wearing had turned black. Today, I’ve only been around these people.”
“Isn’t… isn’t this proof that a ghost is trying to harm me?”
He Zhouyan flicked the pendant with his finger, and in an instant, the yin energy vanished, leaving behind only a jade pendant restored to its original color.
Huang Xin and Li Guodong stared in shock.
Lu Congxing shot a helpless glare at He Zhouyan—like a kitten swiping at someone with its paw.
Suppressing the urge to smirk, He Zhouyan returned the pendant to Huang Xin and said nonchalantly, “It’s clean now.”
Huang Xin took the jade and froze for a few seconds. Then, suddenly, she shot up in excitement. “Master! You’re a real exorcist! You have to save me!”
Truthfully, she had only come here to try her luck. The agency looked small and didn’t seem expensive, but she had been afraid of being scammed. However, after witnessing He Zhouyan’s ability, all her doubts vanished.
Li Guodong quickly stood up as well, supporting Huang Xin nervously. “Honey, be careful! Don’t stress yourself—it’s bad for the baby.”
Huang Xin pushed his hand away and continued pleading with He Zhouyan, “Please, you have to help me. I want to give my child a safe and peaceful environment.”
Lu Congxing subtly nodded at He Zhouyan, signaling him to take on the case.
A vague sense of unease had been gnawing at him ever since that fortune teller had appeared twice inexplicably. Taking on a new case would help suppress the unsettling feeling of being manipulated from behind the scenes.
Huang Xin repeatedly expressed her gratitude, while Li Guodong cautiously inquired about the price.
Lu Congxing thought for a moment before replying, “We haven’t handled a possession case before, so the price will depend on the specifics of the situation.”
Huang Xin’s face showed an awkward expression. “Actually, we don’t need to deal with the possession itself. We just want to know who’s affected so we can reclaim their house and stop renting it out. That way, the price should be lower, right?”
What happened to that person afterward had nothing to do with her.
Faced with her blunt pragmatism, Lu Congxing hesitated but said nothing.
If the possessed individual really bore a grudge against her, forcibly reclaiming the house might provoke revenge instead.
A ghost capable of possession must have reached a certain level of cultivation. There were two possible scenarios: one where the original soul was still present but forcibly pushed aside, and another where the original soul had already been devoured.
If it was the first case, the presence of two souls in one body would be relatively easy to detect. But the latter… that would be a real problem.
In the end, he chose to say nothing and simply sent them on their way.
When he returned, He Zhouyan spoke up on his own. “I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to work?”
Lu Congxing still remembered that this man was the CEO in the human society.
He Zhouyan lowered his gaze. “It’s just an identity. I’ll have to switch it again before long anyway. Besides, I have a Pi Xiu watching over the company for me—it’ll be fine.”
For demons, time passed quickly.
Lu Congxing still wasn’t used to this. “No need. I can go by myself.”
He wasn’t quite ready to accept the idea of having a guardian demon. Even if he did, he still saw himself as independent.
He didn’t like being treated like a child who needed special protection.
It was as if He Zhouyan had anticipated the rejection. He responded smoothly, “I already cleansed the yin energy from their jade pendant. If it weren’t for me, you would’ve been able to handle it much more easily. Let me come with you.”
He lowered his eyes just at the right moment, looking as if he felt guilty.
The words of refusal got stuck in Lu Congxing’s throat. After all, the man was just trying to help.
Lu Congxing hesitated for a moment. “Fine.”
Then, he caught sight of the subtle curve of He Zhouyan’s lips.
There wasn’t a trace of remorse on his face.
Lu Congxing blinked, feeling like something was off. His gaze drifted back to the desk in the office, where he suddenly realized that, at some point, he had unknowingly eaten all the snacks He Zhouyan had given him.
He Zhouyan always had snacks from who-knows-where. They perfectly suited a cub’s taste and even contained spiritual energy—completely different from ordinary food.
Noticing where Lu Congxing was looking, He Zhouyan spoke first, “I’ll take you out for dinner.”
“But I just ate…”
He Zhouyan frowned. “That doesn’t count as dinner.”
The mighty, awe-inspiring divine beast Bai Ze was now fussing over a cub’s eating habits like a real parent. If word got out, the first to react would be the countless demons who revered him—they’d tear apart anyone who dared to spread such “rumors.”
. . . . .
Somehow, things ended up like this.
Lu Congxing sat properly on the soft sofa. If he turned his head, he could see the tall figure flashing past in the kitchen.
He had thought that when He Zhouyan mentioned having dinner together, they would be going to a restaurant. He never expected to be brought to He Zhouyan’s home, where the man was personally cooking for him.
This wasn’t his first time visiting He Zhouyan’s house, but it was the first time he had come here in his human form, as his true self—Lu Congxing. Even though their homes were next to each other, their interior styles were vastly different.
In the kitchen, He Zhouyan moved with practiced ease, finishing the porridge and dishes before bringing them to the table.
Even though it was just the two of them, the table was filled with food.
Unlike Lu Congxing, who was completely hopeless in the kitchen, He Zhouyan had, over the years, honed his cooking skills to the level of a five-star chef.
This was also the first time he had ever cooked specifically for someone else.
After sitting down, Lu Congxing noticed that He Zhouyan was looking around for something, which gave him a bad feeling.
Trying to sound casual, he asked, “Are you looking for something?”
He Zhouyan withdrew his gaze and replied indifferently, “A little thing wandered into my house today. It might have left on its own.”
He sent out a trace of spiritual energy to check every corner of the house, confirming that the little hedgehog who had been “touching porcelain” earlier was no longer there.
He had no idea how such a tiny creature, barely the size of a palm, had managed to leave.
There were still some mysteries about it that remained unsolved.
For once, He Zhouyan showed a rare expression of disappointment.
Lu Congxing: …
To avoid suspicion—especially since his guilty expression might give him away as the so-called “little hedgehog”—he quickly lowered his head and focused on drinking his porridge.
The porridge seemed to have been simmered with a lot of seafood, as it was rich with a fresh, oceanic aroma. Since he was eating quickly, he didn’t have time to notice exactly what ingredients had been added.
Watching a cub eat was an oddly satisfying thing.
He Zhouyan, who had been smiling as he watched Lu Congxing drink his porridge, suddenly received a message. He was about to turn off his phone in irritation when he caught a glimpse of the sender—it was from the Deputy Director, detailing important care instructions for the cub.
This was the only kind of message that could pique his interest.
Opening the long list of instructions, his eyes immediately landed on the first bolded and glaringly obvious rule:
Do not feed young cubs mushrooms!
Wait.
When he was making the porridge earlier… hadn’t he added some diced mushrooms?
He Zhouyan’s gaze snapped up. “You—”
But before he could finish his sentence, he was met with the sight of a flushed-faced, dazed-looking cub, his eyes misty and unfocused. In front of him was an empty bowl.
Lu Congxing tilted his head slightly, his expression unnaturally excited. “What’s wrong?”
At the bottom of the instructions, a small note explained:
“Xing cub are mildly allergic to mushrooms. After consuming them, he may experience a state similar to intoxication.”
Scanning the information in an instant, He Zhouyan’s expression darkened as he got up to steady the cub, who was swaying so much he was about to fall over.
Lu Congxing instinctively grabbed onto the buttons of He Zhouyan’s shirt, his lips curving into a mischievous smile as he leaned in close to whisper by his ear, “Can I tell you a secret?”
A warm breath brushed against He Zhouyan’s ear, sending a tingling sensation down his spine. His movements froze for a split second, unsure of how to respond.
Unfortunately, the cub had no awareness of the danger in his actions. He only felt as if everything around him had turned soft and unsteady. To avoid falling, he had to hold onto the tall man in front of him as tightly as possible.
He probably felt uncomfortable being held like that, so he burrowed deeper into the man’s embrace. With a nervous expression, he lowered his voice to a whisper:
“I’ll only tell you secretly… actually, I am that…”
Unknowingly, their posture became as intimate as a hushed, ambiguous secret shared between lovers.
The last two words nearly vanished between his lips, making them barely audible.
He Zhouyan took the opportunity to pull the cub fully into his arms. The deep black of his disguised eyes was slowly devoured by their original pale hue, revealing cold, icy-blue slit pupils. His voice carried a hint of coaxing temptation:
“What are you?”