Chapter 13: 013

Chapter 13Chu Zhishui made a wish to Xin Yunmao, asking him for two hours of silence, and indeed her wish was granted. However, the power of the wish was so strong that it left lingering effects; Xin Yunmao not only kept quiet for two hours but also didn't speak to her for the following days.

Chu Zhishui took the initiative to greet him, occasionally exchanging a few words, but he didn't respond, deliberately turning his head away with feigned indifference.

Over time, Jin Yu felt an unusual atmosphere in the office. She had always been hesitant to speak to Xin Yunmao, and now she noticed that the recent fallout between a human and a demon made staying in the room even more unsettling.

Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao used to get along well, which gave Jin Yu a sense of security in the Economic Development Department, but the recent low pressure in the department made her shiver with cold.

It wasn't until lunch break, when Xin Yunmao disappeared from the room, that Jin Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. She rubbed her arms frantically to dispel the chill seeping into her bones, whispering, "Why has it suddenly become like this? Weren't things fine before?"

"He's just being moody," Chu Zhishui replied indifferently, "using tricks even a kindergartener would despise."

"Do you have some unresolved issues? Can't you reconcile?"

Chu Zhishui, not wanting to discuss the root of their conflict, simply answered with another question: "Do I really need to coax him just because he comes to work?"

Jin Yu stuttered in her persuasion, "It might not be a bad idea, really. He is indeed a demon with strong demonic energy, not quite like Chief Wu. It's better not to offend him..."

Jin Yu seriously doubted Chu Zhishui's sensitivity to demonic energy. Could it be that she didn't feel the oppressive atmosphere in the room?

"He's quite tall, but petty, perhaps that's also related to the level of a demon?" Chu Zhishui glanced at the empty seat behind her, then looked forward at Jin Yu, teasingly saying, "The stronger the demonic energy, the more temperamental they usually are?"

"Don't say that out loud; it's easy to be overheard!" Jin Yu looked around in panic, fearing that the subject of their conversation might appear, whispering, "At his level, even if he's not here, he might still be able to see and hear everything."

Demons each have their unique talents, closely linked to their true forms. Jin Yu couldn't see Xin Yunmao's real body, so she was even more cautious.

"If he hears, so be it. He's not talking now anyway, and if he's upset, he'll just have to endure it."

Jin Yu was astounded, "...Although you don't have demonic energy, you're quite formidable in other ways."

Chu Zhishui knew that Xin Yunmao was intentionally showing off his power. If he really wanted to sever ties, he could simply not come to the office and drift around the bureau as before. Wu Changgong couldn't manage him in the past, and neither could Chu Zhishui now; everything would revert to the old ways.

But his daily presence in the department, coldly wandering around and emitting a chilly aura to assert his presence, clearly indicated he wanted her to give him an out.

In Chu Zhishui's view, one should be soft-spoken but firm-hearted in dealing with people and matters. It's fine to be agreeable and easy-going about small things—everyone's happy that way. But on major issues, one must not yield; it's crucial to be firm, strike decisively, then soften the stance afterwards. She usually didn't mind his nonsense and laxity, but when it came to work performance evaluations, it was absolutely unacceptable to distribute responsibilities based on complaints, otherwise, the department would be in chaos.

Chu Zhishui was remarkably composed, seemingly oblivious to Xin Yunmao's stern demeanor. She greeted the two demons warmly every day, maintaining a perfect balance without giving anything away. Of course, she didn't back down either, keeping silent and entering a tense standoff.

Jin Yu had been experiencing extremes at the Economic Development Department, with Xin Yunmao as harsh as ice and Chu Zhishui as gentle as a spring breeze. Fortunately, there were enough miscellaneous tasks at the tea garden to keep her busy, allowing her to avoid the limelight.

"Right, okay, see you there at ten, we'll meet at the entrance. Yes, yes, see you later."

Chu Zhishui ended the call, glanced at the overcast sky outside the window, and casually picked up her coat from the back of the chair, preparing to drive to the tea garden to meet someone. As she stood up and put on her coat, she caught sight of Xin Yunmao behind her.

Xin Yunmao had been watching her, and when their eyes met, he turned his head away without a word.

"Still upset?" Chu Zhishui couldn't help but smile wryly. "What are you even upset about?"

Xin Yunmao glanced at her sideways, then turned his head back, leaving only his cold profile visible.

Jin Yu wasn't in the office today; he had to run around for some remaining unprocessed documents. Chu Zhishui had to rush to the tea garden, debating whether to leave Xin Yunmao behind. It seemed improper to leave him alone with the water cooler, but there wasn't much for him to do at the tea garden, and he might not appreciate making the trip for no reason.

After much deliberation, Chu Zhishui felt it might rain today and decided to let him enjoy some downtime at the office.

"I'm heading out, just make sure you leave on time today."

Xin Yunmao watched her leave without turning back, his eyes dark as obsidian, as if freshly lifted from a cold pond, shimmering with a cool light. He silently pursed his lips, ultimately choosing not to call out to her.

He wondered who had insisted on involving him in the past, yet now she was the one running away the fastest.

At the entrance of the tea garden, the sky was overcast, with clouds slowly drifting with the cool breeze.

Chu Zhishui met with the tea farmers, initially planning to harvest only a small amount of tea today. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating, with a light rain threatening to start. These quick showers were unpredictable, not even appearing on the weather forecast, and were always hard to guard against.

There was no rain yet, but the chill was setting in. Chu Zhishui looked worried, "Can we still pick tea in the rain?"

"It won't start for a while, and since you're not picking much, try to get some done before the rain," one of the farmers suggested, looking up at the sky and then at the tea bushes. "If it starts raining, by tomorrow when it clears, today's young leaves will have aged—it changes every day. But I think your tea garden can wait a bit longer; the leaves will be just right in a while."

Chu Zhishui nodded, taking the advice, "No worries, today is just a trial harvest, just these one or two acres, we weren't planning to pick them all."

"Ha ha ha, just trying it out, huh?"

"Pretty much, making samples."

Chu Zhishui didn't bring many people today, planning to produce a batch of green tea samples to test the market.

If we were to start large-scale tea picking and processing now, the department would need to invest a significant amount of manpower and financial resources, which is unlikely to be approved by the finance department. Chu Zhishui would need to raise deposits from outside to cover the initial manpower costs, then hire people to pick and process the tea, and deliver the finished product to the clients.

For ordinary new merchants, pulling off such a feat without initial capital is difficult, but after all, the Economic Development Department is a division of the Huaijiang Observation Bureau, not merely a profit-oriented company.

Previously, Chu Zhishui had started to contact brother units through Niu Shi, communicating with the purchasing personnel of the Yinhai Bureau, Qiwu Bureau, and Kongsang Bureau, hinting that now was a good time to buy green tea. Tea is something that units purchase annually, and rather than buying inconsistent quality from outside, it's better to purchase from brother units that produce and sell their own.

Others might worry about paying a deposit only to have the seller abscond with the money, but this concern doesn't apply to brother units, where the foundation of trust is different.

Of course, even aggressive sales tactics need to be tempered with the right attitude; at the very least, a sample of the green tea should be sent to demonstrate sincerity.

If the other observation bureaus were unwilling to respond, Chu Zhishui planned to have Director Hu make an appearance. Since the director couldn't provide funds, he should at least offer some networking help. If the situation worsened and even Director Hu's influence was ineffective, then they would have to completely shelve the project for the year, accept the tea merchants' lowball offer, and renegotiate next tea season.

This was her preliminary plan; she was sure to make money, the only question was how much.

The mist was dense, and the clouds were heavy.

A group hurried along, managing to secure a batch of tea just before the continuous light rain began, and moved indoors to clean and process it.

Freshly picked tender leaves were spread out on bamboo trays, sorting out substandard products and debris. After careful cleaning and spreading, the leaves were thrown into a heated large pot. Moments later, the fire was controlled as the leaves were turned and kneaded by clean hands, allowing the Longjing leaves to curl up, marking the process of hand-roasting the tea.

Outside was a cool curtain of rain, but inside it was blazing hot, the firelight reflecting off the faces of those roasting the tea, a process that took several hours, requiring constant attention by the pot.

Chu Zhishui stood by, chatting and laughing with the tea farmers, always feeling as if there were strange noises outside.

Click, click.

"Do you hear that?" Chu Zhishui leaned out to look, "It sounds very crisp."

The tea roaster continued to flip the leaves, replying, "No, what sound?"

"It seems to be coming from the tea fields."

"It's probably just some small animal; it's not like the city here, all sorts of things are around."

Chu Zhishui was skeptical, thinking that even in the rain, some animals were out searching for food, enduring hardships greater than office workers. She decided to grab an umbrella nearby, greeted the others, and set out to take a walk in the tea fields.

The small hut for roasting tea was located at the entrance, some distance from the tea fields. Looking out, the lush green tea mountains were in full view, no different from usual except for the damp mist.

Holding her umbrella, Chu Zhishui intended to stroll along the edge for a while before returning to the tea roasting scene, but then she heard the strange noise again.

Click.

The sound was closer this time, yet there was clearly no one in sight.

Dragon Well tea bushes aren't particularly tall, but they are thick enough to hide a crouching person. Chu Zhishui's mind raced as she followed a narrow path, tracing the strange noises, and soon she heard three men whispering in hushed tones.

The familiar snapping sound rang out again.

"Ah, can you even do it? What's going on? Why does it break every few steps?"

"...I can't help it."

"Are they still stealing our tea leaves?"

"No, they've gone inside now."

"These people are really courting disaster, daring to steal from our fields. We need to teach them a lesson!"

Chu Zhishui was baffled. The tea garden was clearly property of the Huaijiang Observation Bureau, so how had it become the possession of these three strangers?

"Boss, boss, there's someone standing over there!" one of them noticed Chu Zhishui not far away.

"Don't shout! We'll be discovered again!"

"I've already seen her."

After a rustling of movement, the three men rose from the tea field, revealing their faces in the drizzling rain. Two young men, one with dark, sun-tanned skin and not very tall, the other pale and slightly overweight. Leading them was an elderly man with a white beard, his body thin yet spry, his eyes almost blazing with intensity.

Chu Zhishui was three rows of tea bushes away from them, as if a waist-high railing blocked her path, preventing direct conversation. Facing their unfriendly gazes, she frowned and said, "May I ask who you are? If there's no good reason, please leave quickly, or I will have to call for help."

The White Beard Elder repeated sinisterly, "Who are we?"

"Yes, this is the property of the Huaijiang Observation Bureau. If you cannot identify yourselves, I hope you leave immediately."

"Still trying to bluff us, as if we can't see through it?" The White Beard Elder, realizing Chu Zhishui was an ordinary person, spoke harshly, "Who are we? We are not human—"

In the next moment, a tremendous surge of demonic energy swept through like a stampede of horses, enveloping everything in its path. The sinister energy did not harm the tea bushes but flowed like ocean waves, directly targeting Chu Zhishui on the roadside, as if to crush her completely!

"Catch her!"

At the White Beard Elder's command, the two burly men charged towards her.

Chu Zhishui turned and fled towards the tea roasting house in a desperate sprint.

The eerie hissing of the wind drowned out her cries for help.

Confusion reigned in her heart; she had thought they were human, not demons. Jin Yu had once said that demons could not attack humans, so what was happening now?

The demonic energy missed its initial strike, exploding into waves of force at her feet, then twisting into thorny, vine-like chains of energy, attempting to ensnare her ankles and block her path.

Her umbrella tumbled to the ground in the chaos, its light-colored canopy already splattered with mud.

Chu Zhishui's hair was soaked by the rain, clinging wetly to her face. Her eyes shimmered with broken, moist light, ignited by a will to survive, like tiny sparks not yet extinguished. Her outer garment too became damp and could no longer fend off the cold rain, as the chilly air spread up her limbs, seeming to penetrate her very marrow.

Her left ankle suddenly felt icy and bone-chilling!

The moment the demonic chains bound Chu Zhishui, she couldn't help but scream in terror, and then she crashed into someone's embrace.

In the drizzle, she smelled a refreshing scent that soothed her heart, like raindrops gently tapping on leaves, and through the thin fabric, she felt a touch of warmth. His body temperature wasn't high, even a bit cool, perhaps because of the rain.

"Why do you always get yourself so dirty?"

A familiar male voice sounded, acting like a calming pill, letting her high-strung heart settle.

Chu Zhishui didn't know when Xin Yunmao had arrived, but at that moment, he was undoubtedly her lifeline.

Xin Yunmao held a dark blue paper umbrella in one hand and steadied the person in his arms with the other. Looking down, he saw her face smeared, her trouser legs muddy, pitifully shivering all over, and thought she really was a mess every time she went into the fields. He was about to use a cleaning spell when he suddenly saw a burst of demonic energy not far away. He casually tossed the paper umbrella into the air.

The dark blue paper umbrella rose on its own, its open canopy swirling like a vortex, sucking in the thick demonic energy. Raindrops hitting the umbrella instantly turned into steam. With a spin of the umbrella, what splashed out from the rim was not clear raindrops but blazing black flames!

The three demons did not expect that the handsome young man in black would repel the surging demonic energy with just a paper umbrella.

"The Dragon Bone Umbrella! It's the Dragon Bone Umbrella!" exclaimed the White Beard Elder, a man of wide knowledge. At that moment, his hair stood on end, and he gasped, "He is..."

Black flames tore through the air, splashing onto the men, and with a pitiful scream, the Black Thin Man and Yellow Fat Man fell to the ground in agony.

Xin Yunmao had no time to worry about the panicked trio. He scanned Chu Zhishui from head to toe, snapped his fingers lightly, and her muddy clothes were instantly clean. Only then did he have time to deal with the troublemaker.

Chu Zhishui's face was pale, her soul still in shock. She felt the fabric on her body dry and warm, snugly fitting her cold arms, even her mud-spattered trouser legs were clean, and her anxious heart finally settled into soft cotton. However, she had not fully recovered when the next scene shocked her again.

The demonic energy of the three demons was dispersed with a single move, replaced by black demonic energy.

The black demonic chains directly dragged the nearest Yellow Fat Man over. He struggled desperately all the way, leaving several mud streaks on the ground, lying prostrate before Xin Yunmao without any dignity.

"Divine Lord, spare my life, spare my life!" the Yellow Fat Man begged pitifully, his arms supporting the ground, trying to twist and crawl up.

The Black Thin Man chimed in from the side: "Divine Lord, this is a misunderstanding..." Sёarch* The NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“A misunderstanding?” Xin Yunmao remained unmoved upon hearing this. His face stern as frost, he abruptly lifted one leg and stepped on the right arm of Yellow Fat Man, then brutally ground it down, scoffing, “Does bullying humans without demon energy give you a sense of achievement?”

A heart-wrenching scream erupted, accompanied by a crisp crack!

The force of his foot showed no mercy, completely breaking the big man’s arm. The arm limply slid out of the sleeve, with a visibly shriveled section forming a grotesque and terrifying angle, as if Yellow Fat Man’s torso and right arm were completely disjointed.

“His arm… his arm…” Chu Zhishui was almost unable to speak, terrified out of her wits, “It… it fell off.”

Hearing her uneasy tone, Xin Yunmao turned around to check, “Yes, what about it?”

Chu Zhishui exclaimed, “It just fell off!”

Her scalp tingled, not understanding his indifference. A broken arm was still attached by skin and flesh, but the horrific scene of an arm being severed by a foot was beyond comprehension!

Seeing her legs trembling in fear, Xin Yunmao pondered for a few seconds, then cracked a slight smile, “I almost forgot your age. Technically, you’re still a child, should be in kindergarten.”

After all, Chu Zhishui was only twenty-five years old, a child in front of any demon.

Chu Zhishui was stunned, incredulous, “You heard that day…”

That day, she casually mentioned to Jin Yu that his cold war tactics were kindergarten tricks, not expecting the actual demon to overhear.

With the Dragon Bone Umbrella out, the demon energy was completely retracted, and even the light rain stopped. Xin Yunmao, one hand in his pocket, the other holding the umbrella, casually kicked Yellow Fat Man, his voice cold, “Put your arm back, can’t stand the sight of blood, it’s frightful.”

Yellow Fat Man scrambled to pick up his arm, “Okay, okay!”

Black Thin Man obsequiously yet awkwardly flattered, “Lord, don’t joke, how could you be scared?”

“I meant it scares others, not me,” Xin Yunmao raised an eyebrow, “Don’t let children see bloody and violent scenes.”

Black Thin Man thoughtfully looked at Chu Zhishui, undoubtedly the only human present.

Yellow Fat Man picked up his severed arm, clicked it back into place like fitting together a toy puppet. His first attempt wasn’t quite right, awkwardly adjusting the position, finally impatiently taking it off to reattach.

Chu Zhishui, terrified, covered her mouth, unable to speak, feeling like she was in a horror movie. She was especially afraid of ghosts, because ghosts defy common understanding, and the scene before her was clearly also beyond normal.

Xin Yunmao looked at her face, now completely drained of color, and muttered in confusion, “Why do you seem even more frightened?”

“Is this reasonable?” Chu Zhishui pointed at Yellow Fat Man’s arm, her pale fingers trembling, questioning, “This is not reasonable—”

Xin Yunmao frowned at Yellow Fat Man, almost visibly expressing his dissatisfaction.

"There's no blood! Really, no blood!" Yellow Fat Man, fearful of provoking the great demon, held up his hands in surrender and quickly turned to Chu Zhishui, his voice a mix of panic and assurance, "This is what you humans call 'teen mode', I assure you there's no bloodshed, and even if there is, it's not red. There are no gory or violent scenes!"

Black Thin Man added, "It really can't be changed anymore! Give us adult demons some freedom!"

"..."

What kind of freedom is this?

You freely detach arms, yet completely shatter human medical knowledge!

Xin Yunmao explained, "His true form is ginger, root and stem demons are all like this, losing arms and legs is quite normal, nothing serious."

Reminded by him, Chu Zhishui took a closer look at Yellow Fat Man and indeed noticed similar traits, even faintly smelling the spicy ginger scent that had been masked by the rain earlier.

"The god truly is wise and knowledgeable," praised Black Thin Man, buttering him up.

"Just when you distracted them, one got away," Xin Yunmao noticed a hole in the muddy ground not far away, casually remarking, "Let Hu Chenrui and his team chase after it, it's their job anyway."

The White Beard Elder was nowhere to be seen; where he had stood, there was only a hole as if dug by a gopher.

"The god is right, it's not your concern anyway, so we'll be leaving now..."

Black Thin Man and Yellow Fat Man tiptoed away, but they hadn't gone far when they were ensnared by two demon chains, stumbling and falling back to where they started.

Xin Yunmao abruptly pulled, dragging the two demons back, his voice indifferent, "Who said you could leave?"

Yellow Fat Man and Black Thin Man were gagged and shackled by the chains, then tossed aside to await interrogation by the authorities.

Chu Zhishui didn't have Director Hu's phone number; unsure who else to contact, she reached out to Hong Ximing and Jin Yu. Hong Ximing was shocked to hear about the demon attack at the tea garden, soothing Chu Zhishui while promising to quickly contact the Observation Department and Director Hu, urging her not to be afraid and that the department would handle everything.

Jin Yu was quite self-reproachful, hurriedly saying, "I should have gone with you today, I'm on my way now..."

"It's okay, it's all over now, you coming all this way would be too tiring," Chu Zhishui thought of Jin Yu's busy day and worried about him overworking.

"Not tiring at all, wait for me in the tea garden, I'll be there soon!"

Xin Yunmao clicked his tongue in displeasure, wanting to say Jin Yu's presence wouldn't help, not believing that one could fight three, but he held his tongue.

After the warm concerns from Hong and Jin Yu, Chu Zhishui felt somewhat more settled, yet her mind was still a blur, not fully recovered from the earlier peril, standing listlessly beside the tea garden.

Seeing her dispirited, like a flower beaten down by rain, Xin Yunmao muttered, "You're only quiet now; usually, your words could drive me to death."

Chu Zhishui blinked, "Can demons die too?"

"If it weren't for being beaten to a pulp, ordinary people wouldn't die easily. If you become a deity like me, you wouldn't even have the chance to be beaten up," Xin Yunmao explained leisurely. Suddenly remembering something, he added with dissatisfaction, "But that's no reason for you to be mad at me!"

Although Xin Yunmao teleported to the tea garden, he hadn't forgotten that they were in a cold war.

"When did I get mad at you?" Chu Zhishui muttered under her breath, noticing his lingering upset, she quickly changed the subject, "How did you get here?"

Xin Yunmao's expression softened slightly at her question. He pointed at the pocket of her coat, "You keep things well, even carrying it with you."

Chu Zhishui instinctively touched the pocket near her heart, feeling something through the fabric. She suddenly remembered and pulled out a pendant. It was the teal-colored pendant he had given her as a return gift for the milk tea, which she had placed in her coat pocket.

She had hung this coat in her office and wore it out when it was cold.

"Is it this?" Chu Zhishui caressed the pendant with her fingertip.

"Mhm."

A wild guess popped into Chu Zhishui's mind, and she asked, "Did you teleport from the office?"

He had also appeared suddenly in the vegetable patch last time, and with his magical cleaning spell, teleportation wasn't out of the question.

"I need a specific medium each time, and I can't go just anywhere," Xin Yunmao frowned, pressing her, "Why don't you call me by my name?"

"Huh?"

"You talk back so much when you're annoyed, but you don't call my name when you're in trouble," his dark eyes flickered with a hint of light, "If you had called me from the start, I could have gotten here faster."

Chu Zhishui was stunned by his remark, her face showing her dilemma, she dryly said, "Can I call you?"

"Why not? Haven't I already agreed to it?"

His attitude was matter-of-fact, a shift from the awkwardness of their cold war, which somewhat threw her off.

Chu Zhishui touched her nose, softly responding, "Okay, thank you, next time..."

She hesitated, feeling something was off. She wasn't used to asking for help, always preferring to handle things on her own, especially when she couldn't deal with the demon energy herself.

Xin Yunmao, oblivious to her discomfort, cheerfully continued, "Next time be smarter, just call my name."

"..."

Chu Zhishui realized she still had lingering effects; her heart began to race, her chest burning as if she was under a demon's attack. If it were any other demon speaking, she might have politely agreed, but Xin Yunmao always managed to stir her into a mess. He would get upset over trivial things, yet when she was truly in danger, he would come running from miles away.

Thinking about it, every interaction they had was a tangled mess, like a ball of yarn that couldn't be unraveled. If he wasn't leaving her speechless, she was leaving him speechless.

Chu Zhishui lowered her eyelashes, covering up with a light cough, "Although I'm very grateful, I still need to correct you."

"Correct what?" Xin Yunmao asked, casually pocketing his hands as he watched her.

Chu Zhishui looked up and said, "It's only insubordination when a subordinate talks back to a superior. When a superior does it, it's called guidance. I'm just guiding your work attitude, that's all."

Xin Yunmao couldn't help but laugh, "Are you finding new ways to defy authority?"

Chu Zhishui replied calmly, "Let's be reasonable. We agreed on the working hours, and you acknowledge that I'm your direct supervisor, right?"

Xin Yunmao, feeling stifled, asked, "...So when does the workday end?"

"It hasn't ended today yet," Chu Zhishui said, glancing at her phone and then perking up as she remembered her duties. "I'll go check on the tea leaves!"

Their casual conversation made her feel relaxed and energized to think about departmental work.

Inside the tea roasting hut, all was serene. The tea farmers were indoors avoiding the rain, oblivious to the oddities in the tea fields. It was said that demonic energy could bewitch the senses, and if Chu Zhishui hadn't been listed in the register to have her eyes opened, she wouldn't have sensed the anomalies either.

Jin Yu would arrive later and could use memory-erasing bubbles to ensure no traces were left behind.

Chu Zhishui went out alone but returned with a young stranger, naturally drawing attention. Xin Yunmao, upon seeing an outsider, fell silent and followed her quietly, his striking demeanor impossible to ignore.

A curious onlooker asked, "Hey, who is this?"

Chu Zhishui hurriedly introduced him, "He's also from our bureau, a colleague from the same department."

"Oh, the people in your bureau are all so good-looking, a bunch of handsome men and beautiful women!"

Chu Zhishui quickly exchanged pleasantries with a smile.

Xin Yunmao surveyed the room and hesitantly leaned in to ask, "And who are these people?"

"They're here to help with picking and roasting the tea. If we're going to harvest on a large scale later, we'll probably need to hire more people. But the bureau's startup funds are limited, so we're just making samples with a few for now," Chu Zhishui explained softly, then wondered, "Why are you hiding behind me?"

Xin Yunmao, like a shadow, trailed behind her, clearly reluctant to interact with others. It seemed he wasn't just averse to the bureau's demons but was generally unwilling to warm up to anyone.

He dodged the question and countered, "Hire more people?"

"Yes, the tea garden isn't officially in season yet. The amount of tea picked will increase daily," she explained.

"Why not let those two at the door do the picking? They're plant-type demons, quite skilled at this sort of thing," Xin Yunmao suggested casually. "After you're done picking the tea, let Hu Chenrui throw them into the demon fire, roast them for a couple of hundred years, then consider whether to crush their bones and scatter their ashes."

"You can't roast ginger, can you?" Chu Zhishui was stunned by his brutal idea. "And to roast them after using them, isn't that a bit..."

"Anyway, attacking humans and getting caught means they're doomed to the fire punishment. Plus, you're a registered human, so it's pretty much a closed case," Xin Yunmao said lazily. "What else did you think Hu Chenrui and his gang of demons were for?"

Chu Zhishui seemed to have an epiphany. The main function of the Huaijiang Observation Bureau was to handle disputes between humans and demons, and punishing or arresting dangerous demons was their undeniable duty. Both Yellow Fat Man and Black Thin Man were not merely attacking humans; they might even be attacking public officials of the demon world, so harsh treatment was quite normal.

If the two demons were considered death row inmates, then tea picking could be seen as labor reform, which actually sounded quite reasonable.

Chu Zhishui remarked, "I've finally found a way to reduce labor costs without blatantly violating labor laws."

Xin Yunmao: "?"

Her expression was subtle: "That is, not using humans for labor."

Humans might seek labor arbitration, but demons would not, especially not the law-breaking ones.

Soon after, Jin Yu and Hong Ximing arrived, dusty and concerned, and surrounded Chu Zhishui with questions.

Jin Yu hugged Chu Zhishui tightly, causing her to panic and bubble with regret, "You're not hurt, are you? I should have come with you!"

"It's okay..." Chu Zhishui gasped for air from her powerful bear hug, "Jin Yu, I'm having a bit of trouble breathing."

Jin Yu worriedly asked, "Was it the demon that attacked you that scared you!?"

"...No, it's just your hug that's too tight."

Jin Yu quickly let go of Chu Zhishui, who spun around like a puppy, carefully checking if she was injured.

Hong Ximing softly comforted, "Little Chu, don't be afraid, I've already notified Director Hu and Miao Li. The bureau will handle everything properly."

Chu Zhishui felt embarrassed, "Sister Hong, I'm sorry to have troubled you to come here..."

Hong Ximing held a higher position than Chu Zhishui and her duties were unrelated to these matters. She could have just informed Director Hu and left it at that. Sister Hong had previously said warmly to come to her if there was anything, and Chu Zhishui had taken it as just polite talk, but now she realized she was serious.

"It's no trouble. I was worried the Observation Department might be slow, so I came over with Jin Yu," Hong Ximing said, "Jin Yu, help me clear the scene, then you and your department can head back first. I'll stay here."

"That's not quite right..." Chu Zhishui knew staying meant overtime, and it wasn't right to leave the leader to stand guard alone.

"It's perfectly fine!" Hong Ximing firmly grasped Chu Zhishui's hand, earnestly saying, "Little Chu, please don't speak out of frustration. Just don't think about resigning, that's all."

"..."

The personnel manager was indeed going to great lengths to retain staff.

Chu Zhishui hurriedly said, "I still have something I want to discuss with Director Hu."

"What is it? I'm not sure if it's Director Hu or Miao Li coming, so why don't you find Director Hu at the bureau tomorrow, or I can pass on the message for you."

Chu Zhishui explained to Hong Ximing about the tea garden, hoping to have Yellow Fat Man and Black Thin Man pick tea to save on the bureau's labor costs for selling tea.

After listening, Hong Ximing glanced at Xin Yunmao, who had been cold throughout, and immediately guessed that this was not Chu Zhishui's idea. A human girl unfamiliar with the workings of the demon world, who hadn't even seen demon energy when she first arrived, couldn't possibly know how the bureau handled demons that attacked humans.

Hong Ximing was initially surprised to see Xin Yunmao, and upon further thought, found it even more incredible.

“Hong Sister, Hong Sister, can this work?” Chu Zhishui noticed the other party was lost in thought and called out softly.

Hong Ximing laughed, “It’s possible, these are all minor issues, no need to bother Director Hu. I’ll just mention it to Miao Li tomorrow!”

Miao Li is the head of the Observation Department, mainly responsible for capturing demons.

Chu Zhishui breathed a sigh of relief, things were simpler than she thought.

After Hong Ximing and Jin Yu cleaned up the scene, Hong Ximing stayed behind to watch over Yellow Fat Man and Black Thin Man, while urging the Economic Development Department to head back to the office, hoping to get off work early. Chu Zhishui, unable to refuse and continuously thanking Hong Sister, finally left with the two demons.

Unexpectedly, the return trip posed a problem.

Chu Zhishui only knew that Xin Yunmao could teleport through a pendant, but had no idea how Jin Yu had arrived.

At the entrance of the tea garden, a familiar car was parked on the flat ground, the rainwater on the outer layer had already dried. Chu Zhishui opened the car door, just about to call the two demons to get in, when she noticed Jin Yu and Xin Yunmao confronting each other on the other side.

Jin Yu instinctively went to open the passenger door, but Xin Yunmao stood with his arms crossed beside it. He watched the scene with a cold gaze, startling her into immobility, then sheepishly retracting her hand.

Chu Zhishui had previously driven Xin Yunmao and Jin Yu separately for official duties, always arranging for them to sit in the passenger seat. Now, having them both in the car at the same time was indeed a first. Considering the pettiness of a certain demon, she intervened to smooth things over, “Jin Yu, you take the passenger seat.”

Jin Yu hadn’t responded yet, but Xin Yunmao scoffed, “Why should she?”

Chu Zhishui was puzzled, “Why what?”

Xin Yunmao, “Why does she get to sit in front, and I have to sit in the back?”

“It’s because you love being particular, right? The back is for VIPs,” Chu Zhishui replied good-naturedly, “Or else, you both sit in the back?”

Chu Zhishui initially worried about the awkwardness of both demons sitting in the back row. She actually didn’t care much about the seating arrangement in the car, nor did it matter to her if she was treated like a driver.

Hearing this, Jin Yu was so frightened she dared not breathe, shaking her head like a bobblehead, frantically waving her hands in refusal, “No, no, no…”

Xin Yunmao was equally displeased, mocking with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “You realize you can’t fool us and change your story?”

“What have I fooled?” Chu Zhishui, annoyed by his needless provocation, retorted, “I never lie, you can check for yourself.”

He was skeptical, his tone cool, “You never lie, but I’m not human, who knows?”

“Come on, see for yourself, isn’t the back seat a VIP spot?” Chu Zhishui, determined to prove her innocence, searched her phone for evidence, thrusting the screen in front of him, countering with, “It also says the passenger seat is more dangerous, are you satisfied now, young master?”

Xin Yunmao was clearly still unsatisfied, he slowly raised an eyebrow, his tone sarcastic, “If it’s more dangerous, shouldn’t she sit in the back, do you think she can handle danger better than me?”

“How did we get here?” Chu Zhishui, both amused and annoyed, began to massage her temples, suggesting he might as well go work on a construction site, as it would be more promising than staying in the Economic Development Department.

"Well, after all, you have a history."

"..."

Jin Yu was silenced by the tense atmosphere, not understanding how the conflict had arisen recently, but today she witnessed it live. She found it hard to describe her feelings; the tone of both parties sounded like they were arguing, yet somehow different?

Jin Yu decided to play dead like a fish on the riverbank, hoping the crossfire wouldn't reach an innocent like her.

Chu Zhishui took a deep breath, numbly building up her mental defenses, thinking that today, at least, she should be grateful for the life-saving demon, and tolerate some annoying habits. She believed in being tolerant and grateful, not holding grudges against childish spirits.

He was still better off muted, too bad she couldn't make that wish again.

"Alright, I shouldn't have entangled with you, let's just start over," Chu Zhishui conceded, "Jin Yu, you sit in the back."

"Okay!" Jin Yu agreed without any objection, quickly opening the rear car door, as if she had been waiting for these words for a long time.

Xin Yunmao then showed a satisfied expression, leisurely opening the passenger door.

The two spirits usually never interacted in the office; Xin Yunmao always ignored her, and Jin Yu had gotten used to it. However, as Jin Yu got into the car, she caught a disdainful and arrogant glance from the great demon, clearly adopting the posture of a victor.

Jin Yu: "?"

Once the car door closed and she was seated, the Economic Development Department prepared to head back to the office.

"You can adjust the seat," Chu Zhishui noted as he got in, his long legs nowhere to fit, wondering what he was really after, insisting on squeezing into the front passenger seat.

Xin Yunmao did as told, turning to find her staring intently at him, not looking away for a long time.

Her clear eyes filled with his reflection, silently observing something.

So unabashed, just staring at him, not even pretending otherwise.

He couldn't help but smile slightly, his fingers tapping lightly as a reminder, "What are you looking at? It's not like you haven't seen me before."

"I used to think you were very aloof, but it turns out you're quite troublesome... eloquent," Chu Zhishui amended calmly, then withdrew her gaze, sincerely adding, "You spoke well today, try not to say it again."

"..."