Eldritch Horror Theatre

Tan Ying arrived even faster than expected.

Although Fu Qian had insisted it was no big deal, she clearly disagreed.

"I let Qin Mingze know, but he couldn't get away."

Tan Ying spoke as she walked over, instantly drawing the eyes of everyone around them—including Xu Meng, who was standing in front of Fu Qian.

The moment he saw Tan Ying, Xu Meng's expression became a mix of shock and uncertainty.

His gaze darted between her and Fu Qian as he tried to guess their relationship.

"What's going on?"

Tan Ying only glanced at Xu Meng before turning back to Fu Qian.

"Nothing much. President Xu here asked me to help find his son's murderer."

Tan Ying gave him a strange look.

"I'm the murderer."

...

"I just had a few things to clarify with Mr. Fu."

Xu Meng's face was like thunder. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"It seems this was all just a misunderstanding. I have business to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

"Seriously, what's going on?"

Watching Xu Meng leave, Tan Ying tossed her bag onto the table and sat down right next to Fu Qian.

"Desperate over losing his son."

Fu Qian recounted what had just happened.

"So it's him. No wonder he looked familiar!"

Tan Ying said in sudden realization.

"You know him?"

"I know of him. The guy has some influence in Lincheng; I just couldn't put a name to the face."

Yeah.

Fu Qian nodded.

"He certainly looked like he recognized you."

"It can't be helped. Some people are just naturally the center of attention."

Tan Ying tossed her hair and flashed him a playful wink.

"His reputation has never been great. With his son dying out of nowhere a couple days ago, it's not surprising he'd take his anger out on someone else."

It was obvious she hadn't entertained the possibility that Fu Qian had actually done it.

"But you don't need to worry. With me watching your back, he won't dare do anything to you."

So confident? Just as Young Master Qin had said, Tan Ying's family background was anything but ordinary.

"Speaking of which, does this mean I saved a life today?"

Realizing something, Tan Ying rested her chin in her hand and looked at Fu Qian with a sly expression.

"You're not wrong."

Fu Qian nodded, counting on his fingers to do some quick math.

"Saving a life is better than building a seven-tier pagoda. You just built a..."

He recalled the number of men Xu Meng had brought with him.

"Forty-nine-tier pagoda."

What?

Tan Ying frowned, clearly not understanding Fu's special brand of math, though she didn't press the issue.

"In that case, can I ask you for a favor?"

Tan Ying gave him a meaningful look.

"Go ahead."

While he didn't owe Tan Ying any pagodas, Fu Qian had always kept his debts and favors straight.

He had previously asked her to take Pei Yanqing home, which meant he still owed Eldest Miss Tan a favor.

"Are you free in three days?"

"I am."

Fu Qian thought about it; that would be the last day of his vacation.

"It's my birthday. Care to do me the honor of attending?"

Hmm?

Fu Qian glanced at Tan Ying, who gave him a wink.

"Don't worry, it's just a cliché birthday banquet. So many people that it'll be boring."

She was worried Xu Meng wouldn't let the matter drop, wasn't she?

Fu Qian instantly understood her intentions.

Xu Meng obviously knew Tan Ying's background. Walking away just because he couldn't figure out their relationship didn't mean he had given up completely.

By inviting him to make an appearance at her birthday party, she was more or less offering him her protection.

He had to admit, she had thought it through quite well.

"Sure!"

Fu Qian nodded.

This kind of thing was just an effortless favor.

After all, he wasn't a demon.

He was a kind person who disliked conflict.

...

Three days later.

As the sun set, Fu Qian arrived at the party on time.

Out of respect for the host, he had even dressed up for the occasion.

Dressed in a sharp suit and leather shoes, his usual lazy expression actually gave him a wicked, imposing charm—making Young Master Qin, acting as his driver, burn with jealousy.

Just as he had guessed, Eldest Miss Tan's family was wealthy. The luxurious mansion hosting the banquet was top-tier, and the hall was packed with guests.

It was clear that Tan Ying's parents had turned her birthday into a networking event.

Naturally, as a man personally invited by Tan Ying, Fu Qian received quite a bit of attention.

However, at this kind of gathering, most people knew their boundaries. They only cast a few extra glances his way, leaving Fu Qian to eat and drink at his leisure.

He had planned to just coast until the end, but it turned out he had thought too highly of Tan Ying.

"Hello there, body artist!"

"Is your name really Fu Qian? What a funny name!"

"He really is handsome. Little Ying didn't lie to us..."

Before long, Fu Qian found himself surrounded by a group of Tan Ying's classmates.

These fresh, vibrant girls in their early twenties giggled as they looked at him, openly critiquing him right to his face without hesitation.

He didn't know how Tan Ying had introduced him, but based on their words, it seemed every single one of them knew about the Photoshopped picture incident.

Amidst the laughter, Tan Ying, the host of the party, stood off to the side, treating the whole thing like a spectator sport.

Seeing Fu Qian look her way, she even flashed him a provocative smile.

She really is still holding a grudge over the Black Dress Incident! Fu Qian thought to himself.

Having been played by him last time, she clearly couldn't swallow her anger.

Although she was helping him out this time, she was more than happy to use the opportunity to humiliate both him and Young Master Qin to get her revenge.

Poor Young Master Qin had been so excited on the way here, expecting to swim freely in a pond full of fish.

Not far away, Fu Qian even saw Pei Yanqing covering her mouth with a smile.

Tan Ying had actually invited her too!

Wearing an elegant, understated long dress, she held her own perfectly among the wealthy socialites without being overshadowed.

Under such intense scrutiny, even a future shyster like Young Master Qin couldn't handle it. After toughing it out for a bit, he made an excuse to use the restroom and fled.

Only Fu Qian, with skin as thick as a city wall, handled it effortlessly, casually grabbing various foods and chatting comfortably while he ate.

"Besides being an artist, what else do you do?"

Amidst the joking, one of the girls looked at Fu Qian and asked him.

"Far too many things."

"I subdue demons and eradicate evil, rob houses, offer consulting services... I do it all."

This sparked another roar of laughter.

"Do you have any hobbies?"

Hobbies...

Fu Qian thought back to everything he had been through lately.

"Exploring the flesh?"

"...Anything else?"

The girl clearly wasn't giving up.

"Exploring human nature?"

Exploring the flesh and human nature?

The pure-looking girl stared blankly for a long moment before lowering her head and whispering.

"SM?"

All in all, despite a fair share of misunderstandings, Fu Qian's time at the banquet was quite relaxing and enjoyable.

Tan Ying's classmates were generally older than him, but they were in the prime of their lives.

The natural confidence brought by their youthful beauty filled their every movement with vibrant energy, making them incredibly easy to talk to.

The only disappointed person was Tan Ying. Fu Qian's effortless composure undeniably left Eldest Miss Tan quite frustrated, her goals unfulfilled.

But that was fine. Life rarely goes exactly as planned, even on your birthday.

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