180: Tokyo day trip

Having her thoughts laid bare, Du Wenqing raised an eyebrow and asked back with a hint of surprise, "Team Leader, is it really that obvious?"

Tang Tang, who had been silently eating popcorn on the sidelines, couldn't help but interject teasingly, "How could it not be obvious? Look at your neck; it's covered in 'love bites.' Anyone who sees that would know!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Du Wenqing was instantly overcome with embarrassment, her face turning bright red.

She hurriedly channeled her spiritual power to erase those conspicuous hickeys, then frantically tidied her collar, attempting to cover up this little 'secret.'

The surrounding team members, witnessing her flustered performance, could no longer hold it in and began to snicker one after another.

Just then, the sweet voice of a flight attendant rang out in the cabin: "Distinguished passengers, our flight is about to arrive at its destination. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for disembarkation."

...Country R, Kanagawa Prefecture

"Today has been absolutely exhausting. First catching ghosts, then rushing for a plane—I feel like I've been hollowed out." Tang Tang complained listlessly, slumped on the bed like a puddle of mud.

"I really don't understand why the higher-ups insisted on sending us to this so-called 'Shinto Exchange Meeting.' With the pathetic state Country R is in now, they actually have the nerve to challenge us?"

On the side, Qiu Yanhui shook her head helplessly and couldn't help but explain, "The exchange meeting is just a front. In reality, the R Country government is far too incompetent; they can't suppress the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons at all, and even the Underworld Ghost Emissaries are unwilling to come help."

"Heh, so they set their sights on our Xia Country, thinking to have a major power lend a hand. That's why the higher-ups sent the three of us 'cobblers' over. Just treat it as a vacation on the public dime!"

Tang Tang breathed a small sigh of relief: "That's good then. I hope nothing goes wrong. Speaking of which, the frequency of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons should be very low, right? We won't be so unlucky as to run into it, will we?"

"Exactly!" Qiu Yanhui agreed. "And as far as I know, the probability of a Night Parade occurring is indeed extremely low. There's no need to scare ourselves."

At this time, while neatly arranging her suitcase, Du Wenqing chimed in, "By the way, I heard there's a very lively 'Spring Festival' tonight. Let's go check it out together."

Hearing this, Tang Tang tilted her head toward Du Wenqing and asked in confusion, "Weren't you crying about being so tired you were falling apart when we got off the plane? Why are you suddenly acting like you've been injected with chicken blood?"

Du Wenqing smiled faintly, turned her head, and said, "Paid travel—how could I feel tired? Let's go, let's go, sisters, let's head out quickly."

"I still need to bring back a birthday gift for my girlfriend!" After saying that, she put on her shoes, looking eager to head out.

Tang Tang tilted her head and pondered for a moment, whispering softly, "Hmm... it seems like that's really the case?"

Then, Du Wenqing slowly pushed open the door. In an instant, a cool breeze brushed against her face.

She couldn't help but shiver, her body curling up slightly.

Seeing this, Qiu Yanhui and Tang Tang hurried to follow her out of the room.

"Oh boy, this wind is blowing a bit strangely." Tang Tang muttered, subconsciously wrapping her clothes tighter around her.

"Is it cold? This temperature seems quite normal!" Qiu Yanhui glanced at her own short sleeves.

"Tch! You, who are kept by a rich lady, have no right to talk!" Tang Tang curled her lip and rolled her eyes.

"Why don't I have the right?"

"I catch ghosts every day, wishing I could use every shred of spiritual energy for it. Not like you, being so wasteful as to use it specifically to ward off the cold."

"I'm not being wasteful. I'm using the Cold-Warding Bead given to me by my wife, Mengmeng." Qiu Yanhui proudly pulled a bead from her pocket.

"My baby said the weather in Country R has been abnormal lately and was afraid I'd freeze."

"Get out of here!"

"Stop showing off your love."

"I haven't even eaten yet, but I'm already full from your PDA!"

...Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohana Street.

It happened to be the 'Spring Festival' these past few days. Whether day or night, the place was always bustling with voices and extraordinary excitement.

At night, brilliant lights intertwined, and a dazzling array of delicious foods was on display.

Looking out, the bustling crowds flowed through the streets, as if everything in sight was colored by the mundane atmosphere of the mortal world.

"Ugh... for some reason, I have a premonition that we shouldn't have come out today!"

Tang Tang gently rubbed her right eye, which had been twitching incessantly, while carefully holding an extra-large portion of Oden in her hands.

She turned to look at the cool and elegant Du Wenqing beside her.

She saw her wearing a simple overcoat, her face without a trace of makeup, and her slightly wavy black hair cascading over her shoulders.

Her straight legs were perfectly outlined by tight jeans, and a button was undone at the collar of her undershirt.

It perfectly revealed a patch of fair, delicate collarbone, exuding an irresistible charm of a Chinese woman.

[Oh my god, this damn woman!]

[How did she dress herself up so flamboyantly? Look at me, I just threw on a random tracksuit and came out.]

[A miscalculation, a total miscalculation!]

Qiu Yanhui was eating to her heart's content, clutching a skewer of Oden she had swiped from Tang Tang, and muttered indistinctly with her mouth full, "Is that so? My little Tang Tang!"

Today was indeed exceptionally lively, but for some reason, Tang Tang felt that everything around her seemed a bit strange.

Especially the gusts of breeze, the cold and clear moonlight, and the spiritual energy permeating the air—all seemed to have become different from usual.

Consequently, she couldn't help but frown and murmur to herself, "Today is really quite strange. Although the liveliness hasn't diminished, this wind, this moonlight, even this spiritual energy... they all give off a feeling that something isn't right."

Hearing Tang Tang's words, the previously silent Du Wenqing looked up, casting her gaze toward the bright moon hanging at the edge of the distant sky.

When they had just stepped out, that moon was clearly hanging high in the sky, shedding silver-white radiance. However, at this moment, a patch of dark, heavy clouds suddenly drifted over, covering the bright moon completely and squarely.

"'Following the wind, it steals into the night; moistening things, it is fine and silent'... It's quite normal for this kind of situation to occur in this season. Maybe it'll start raining later in the night."

Regarding everything happening before her eyes, Qiu Yanhui appeared completely unconcerned, still focused on feasting.

Tang Tang stared at the stars and moon completely obscured by the black clouds, her brows knitted tightly together. Then, she extended her right hand, pressing her index and middle fingers together to swipe across her eyes.