124: Fog House

After the movers left, Ye Nianyao said she had something to do and went out. The moment the door gently closed, the invisible pressure in the living room seemed to be drained away, and the air began to flow again. The remaining people let out a sigh of relief in unison, and even their sitting postures became much more natural.

"Wuu..."

The first one to move was Tohru. She almost immediately released her frozen state and, carrying a lingering chill and a face full of grievance, plunged into the arms of the newly seated Lin Luo, her tail drooping listlessly.

"Lin Luo! She bullied me!" She buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled and nasal, her body still trembling slightly, making it hard to tell if it was from the cold or from fear. "I'm so cold..."

Lin Luo looked helplessly at the dragon girl seeking comfort in his arms, gently patting her back and sending a wisp of gentle spiritual energy to disperse the chill inside her. He looked up at the three girls opposite him and gave them a reassuring smile.

Kirisu Mafuyu finally moved out from behind Shiina Mahiru, her face still flushed with a lingering blush, her eyes darting around, not quite daring to meet Lin Luo's gaze. Shiina Mahiru gently patted her chest, a trace of lingering fear remaining in her pale eyes as she looked at Lin Luo and Tohru in his arms with concern. Yukino Mifuyu pursed her lips, her hands placed on her knees, her sitting posture still upright, but her slightly relaxed shoulders revealed the change in her heart.

Everyone looked at each other, and for a moment, no one spoke first. A silence mixed with awkwardness, lingering fear, and a hint of bewilderment flowed through the air.

"Um..." Lin Luo cleared his throat, breaking the silence. Everyone's gaze immediately focused on him.

He tried to keep his tone light: "She's just that kind of person. Her personality is a bit cold, but she's actually not bad at heart. Everyone... just try not to take the initiative to provoke her and make her angry. Besides, she's usually very busy and might not come often." He tried to give everyone, and himself, a little comfort.

Shiina Mahiru, however, added in a small voice: "But, Sister Nianyao said that she will be living here for a while..."

Lin Luo was stunned, a look of astonishment flashing across his face: "She said that personally? The Special Affairs Department... she's not going to manage it?" Immediately, he lowered his head and rubbed the top of Tohru's head, his tone gentle, "Tohru, it seems you'll have to endure some hardship for a while."

Turning his gaze to the unusually quiet Kirisu Mafuyu, Lin Luo couldn't help but tease her a bit: "I say, Xiao Mafuyu, why didn't you say a word just now? That's not like you."

Two patches of red clouds suddenly flew onto Kirisu Mafuyu's cheeks, her eyes wandering as she defended herself in a low voice: "I, I'm just not very good at dealing with that kind of... um... aura similar to a student's parent..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shiina Mahiru beside her spoke softly, with pure affirmation: "But Teacher Mafuyu's feelings are very firm. Even though she was very nervous, she never thought about leaving Luo-kun."

"Mahiru! What—what are you talking about!" Kirisu Mafuyu was so embarrassed she almost jumped up, her earlobes dyed crimson.

At this time, Yukino Mifuyu, who had been listening quietly, blinked gently and said something in a low voice that made everyone fall silent: "Lord Ye... although her attitude is cold, she didn't explicitly object to us staying. Does this mean... she actually, in a way, tacitly accepted our existence?"

As soon as Lin Luo finished speaking, Shiina Mahiru and Kirisu Mafuyu blurted out almost in unison:

"Womanizer!"

"Scumbag!"

Two voices, one gentle with a hint of reproach, and the other with annoyance, were strangely synchronized, as if they had found a common outlet in this subtle atmosphere.

After speaking, both of them were stunned for a moment and looked at each other. Shiina Mahiru pursed her lips and smiled somewhat sheepishly, while Kirisu Mafuyu deliberately put on a stern face to hide her embarrassment, though her reddened ears betrayed her.

Lin Luo was taken aback by their sudden coordinated counterattack, then he rubbed his nose. Instead of reflecting on himself, he righteously held Tohru in his arms a bit tighter, his chin slightly raised: "Hey, hey, this is called being honest, okay? Compared to those who hide things, I don't know how much better this is."

His "unrepentant" and even proud appearance immediately caused most of the tension from Ye Nianyao to dissipate, and the air was filled with a helpless yet somewhat warm atmosphere.

Tohru rubbed against him in his arms: "Exactly, exactly, too much of a womanizer."

Watching this scene, a very faint smile unconsciously formed at the corner of Yukino Mifuyu's mouth as she said softly: "Even so, I still can't help but want to get closer."

Just as she finished speaking, her gaze inadvertently glanced toward the entrance, and that smile instantly froze on her face as her body stiffened slightly.

Everyone noticed her abnormality and followed her gaze—

Only to see that Ye Nianyao had stood there at some point. The door was half-closed, and her expression was indifferent, making it impossible to tell if she had heard the conversation just now. Her gaze calmly swept across the living room, lingering for a moment on Lin Luo, who was righteously holding Tohru.

The atmosphere that had just lightened up instantly froze again.

Lin Luo felt a chill down his back, and the arm holding Tohru stiffened.

Ye Nianyao walked in slowly, her voice steady and emotionless: "It seems I didn't come back at the right time?"

Lin Luo coughed lightly and, almost out of survival instinct, quickly replied: "We were discussing preparing a welcome party to celebrate Sister Nianyao moving in." He tried to make his smile seem sincere and natural, even though he was completely unsure.

"No need for the trouble." Ye Nianyao's gaze paused on his face for half a second, seemingly seeing through his spur-of-the-moment idea, but she didn't point it out, only saying indifferently, "I've already booked a restaurant. Let's go."

Her tone was flat but carried an unquestionable tone. That "Let's go" was obviously not just for Lin Luo alone; her cold gaze swept across everyone present, and the meaning was clear—everyone was going together.

This sudden arrangement caught everyone off guard. Tohru subconsciously shrank into Lin Luo's arms, Kirisu Mafuyu and Shiina Mahiru exchanged an uneasy look, and Yukino Mifuyu silently straightened her sitting posture.

Lin Luo secretly lamented in his heart; this wasn't just a meal, it was clearly a "Hongmen Banquet." But facing Ye Nianyao, contradiction was futile. He had to let go of Tohru, stand up, and try to maintain a surface level of composure: "Since Sister Nianyao has already arranged it, then we won't be polite. Shall we go, everyone?"

The last sentence was addressed to the other girls, carrying a hint of reassurance and "resignation." Seeing this, the others had no choice but to stand up one after another.

The restaurant Ye Nianyao chose was "Kiri-ya," a well-known Kaiseki restaurant opened by Inui Hinako, a graduate of the 80th class of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy. The environment was quiet and elegant, and the independent washitsu private rooms isolated the noise of the outside world.

The group took their seats somewhat awkwardly. Beside the simple cypress table, the atmosphere was far less relaxed than the environment. Because of Ye Nianyao's presence, everyone was still a bit restrained, and when their gazes occasionally met, they were mostly filled with silent questions and caution.

Lin Luo's gaze swept over everyone and finally landed on the only newcomer sitting beside Ye Nianyao, who seemed a bit detached from the atmosphere. She was a girl with a voluptuous figure and striking red eyes, her temperament possessing a hint of lazy charm within her intellect.

"I didn't expect," Lin Luo spoke up, breaking the subtle silence at the table with a tone of just the right amount of surprise, "that Kasumigaoka Utaha actually joined the Special Affairs Department and even became Sister Nianyao's Disciple?"

As soon as he said this, Shiina Mahiru and the others subconsciously turned their gazes to the girl named Kasumigaoka Utaha. They then realized why she looked familiar; it turned out she was that senior at school known for her Genius reputation and also for being unconventional.

Ye Nianyao picked up the teacup in front of her, her fingertips gently rubbing the warm wall of the cup, her eyelids lifting slightly: "What, you also know the person I brought over?" Her tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

Lin Luo nodded, his manner natural: "We're from the same school, Senior Kasumigaoka's fame is quite large, it's hard not to know her." He paused and then added, "By the way, where are those two guys Peng Geng and Chen Yu? Why didn't they come?"

Ye Nianyao took a sip of tea, and when she put down the cup, it made a slight clinking sound. She answered concisely and even with a hint of disdain: "They are too annoying."

Just then, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been watching quietly, turned her head slightly. Those unique red eyes looked toward Lin Luo with an indescribably complex expression. The corners of her lips curled up as she took over the conversation, her voice carrying a hint of seriousness: "I was caught by an evil spirit before, and it was thanks to Luo-kun's timely intervention. I haven't found a suitable opportunity to thank you in person for that life-saving grace."

Lin Luo waved his hand, his tone casual and gentle: "It was just a small effort, Senior doesn't need to keep it on her mind." He paused slightly, his tone taking on a bit of sentiment, "However, I thought that after experiencing something like that, you would want to return to a peaceful daily life. I didn't expect you to choose to join the Special Affairs Department instead... that's not an easy place to be."

A trace of imperceptible gloom flashed in Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes. She slightly averted her gaze, her voice becoming a bit softer: "After experiencing those things... where can one hope for pure peace? Perhaps only by staying in the Special Affairs Department can one obtain true security."

Lin Luo keenly captured the gloom that flashed in her eyes. It seemed that after that incident, she had experienced something else. But he was not an insensitive person; seeing that the other party was unwilling to talk more, he considerately did not press further.

Just then, a waitress dressed in an elegant kimono timely brought out the appetizers. The exquisite lacquer bowls and plates landed gently on the table, breaking the somewhat heavy atmosphere. Everyone's attention was drawn to the dishes in front of them, which were full of color, aroma, and taste, and the topic naturally came to a temporary close.

"Nianyao, I'm here."

A gentle and beautiful voice came from the entrance of the washitsu. Following the voice was a woman wearing an elegant kimono, her temperament as gentle as water, with a kind smile on her face. She was the chef of this restaurant, "Kiri-ya," Inui Hinako.

Ye Nianyao didn't even lift her eyelids, only saying in her usual cold voice: "Hinako, what are you doing here as the chef? I don't need you to keep us company."

This blunt dismissal made the others sitting there feel a bit embarrassed. Even Lin Luo couldn't help but rub his nose, feeling that Sister Nianyao's attitude was a bit too direct.

However, Inui Hinako seemed to have long been used to it. Instead of getting angry, she covered her mouth and chuckled, elegantly taking the empty seat beside Ye Nianyao on her own: "Oh my, Nianyao, you're still so cold. But today is different."

Her gentle gaze swept over everyone at the table, lingering for a moment longer on Lin Luo's face, a hint of knowing smile flashing in her eyes: "I heard you brought very important 'family' over, so how could I not come out to say hello? This must be Luo-kun, right? I often hear Nianyao mention you."

Lin Luo was speechless and subconsciously looked at Ye Nianyao, only to see her still expressionless, though her fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly.

Inui Hinako seemed not to notice the suddenly strange atmosphere and smiled at the other somewhat restrained girls: "And these lovely young ladies, they are all Nianyao's... um, friends? Welcome to Kiri-ya. Today's cuisine was specially prepared for you by me."

Her appearance and gentle attitude were like a warm breeze blowing away the chill in the private room that had frozen due to Ye Nianyao.