The earth was damp from the tide, and after the misty rain dispersed, a chill lingered in the air. Chu Zhishui unconsciously rubbed her arms to ward off the cold creeping up her sleeves, and asked, "What exactly is demon aura?"
"You can think of it as something demons need to transform into humans. It's becoming increasingly rare, and ordinary people can't see it," Xin Yunmao stared into her eyes for a moment. "You must have just awakened recently, so you're easily affected by demon aura."
"Awakened?"
"They have a register where they write down names. Once your name is in it, you can see untransformed demons and the demon aura flowing around," Xin Yunmao explained. "Some humans are born with this ability too."
The Huaijiang Observation Bureau's structure had two levels of meaning: one as a workplace in human society, and another as a law enforcement position in the demon world. The Bureau was staffed by demons who could take human form, with special departments to deal with troublemakers, help maintain stability, and handle the aftermath of incidents.
There were currently four major Observation Bureaus in the country: Huaijiang, Yinhai, Qi Wu, and Kong Sang, each playing a role in their respective regions. The mess in Old Li's field was due to the Bureau's capture of a demon there.
"I thought I was just added to the Bureau's personnel records, but now it seems I've been put into some strange register too," Chu Zhishui said numbly. "Is there any way I can choose not to see these things?"
According to Xin Yunmao, ordinary people would only feel cold in places with surging demon aura, but would never actually see or touch anything.
"Many cultivators would give anything for this ability," Xin Yunmao fell silent for a moment, then suddenly extended his index finger and tapped her forehead. "You're just not used to it, right?"
As soon as Xin Yunmao's fingertip touched and left her skin, a flowing warmth spread from that point, slowly permeating Chu Zhishui's internal organs, which had grown cold and uncomfortable from the demon aura. It felt as if she had been trudging through an endless snowfield for hours and had finally relaxed by a warm campfire.
"That should do it."
Chu Zhishui touched her forehead, feeling her whole body become comfortable. She finally had the strength to climb onto the ridge between the fields.
Xin Yunmao had already stepped up, tilting his chin arrogantly: "Let me say this in advance - I have no idea how to fill out any of their forms, and I don't know about all those troublesome procedures. You'll have to handle that yourself later."
"...Are you still going to be so smug?" Chu Zhishui sighed. "I wasn't counting on you to do it anyway."
Before long, Chu Zhishui was standing at the edge of the field with Old Li, checking the list and calculating the total compensation for the entire plot of land, making sure nothing was missed.
"Oh, this part wasn't your doing, it was already like this. No need to compensate for that," Old Li said, comparing with photos and reducing some of the areas for compensation.
Chu Zhishui nodded, "Alright, I'll leave you my phone number. Feel free to contact me if there are any issues."
"Very good, very good," Old Li signed the document.
As Chu Zhishui walked towards where they had parked, she organized the photos she had taken on her phone. Suddenly, she felt light on her feet and looked down, surprised to find her mud-caked shoes now clean, as if they had never stepped in wet soil. She found it a bit strange but didn't dwell on it, continuing with her work.
Xin Yunmao had already walked with her to the car, his feet equally clean.
As they prepared to head back, Chu Zhishui pulled an iPad from her bag in the backseat. She fiddled with it for a moment before handing it to Xin Yunmao: "Sign here."
Xin Yunmao took the unfamiliar electronic device: "Sign what?"
"The report, of course," Chu Zhishui glanced at him as she opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat.
Xin Yunmao frowned: "What about the photos?"
"I've uploaded them," Chu Zhishui said, puzzled. "I thought you didn't understand the procedures. How do you know about the photos?"
Xin Yunmao looked down at the iPad screen and indeed found the photos neatly arranged after the report. He wasn't sure when she had done it. He had seen other demons work at a snail's pace before, but she had managed to complete it in the time it took to walk from the field to the car.
"Just sign these two with the pen," Chu Zhishui noticed he wasn't moving, so she efficiently detached the Apple Pencil and placed it in his hand while quickly switching between files. "And the bottom right of this one too."
Xin Yunmao stiffly held the white pen, observing the inkless tip.
Chu Zhishui tried to take the pen back to demonstrate: "It's fine, you use it just like a normal pen. You write on the screen like this..."
But her thoughtfulness seemed to ruffle Xin Yunmao's feathers. He quickly signed the documents and muttered, "No need to teach me hand-in-hand. It's not that I don't know how to use it, I just prefer the original method."
"The original method?"
"That's right. Your human inventions feel cheap. Nothing beats the feel of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone," Xin Yunmao said stubbornly.
"Original?" Chu Zhishui rolled her eyes. "Then maybe I should make you get out and walk back. Riding in a car isn't original enough."
Xin Yunmao leaned casually against the car window, mocking her: "If I got out and walked back, wouldn't all your scheming be for nothing?"
"Huh?"
"If you wanted to spend time alone with me, you could have just said so," Xin Yunmao had a sudden realization. "I can't believe I came out here with you. I just realized this must be reverse psychology. It seems like you're constantly creating opportunities for us to interact."
"..."
Chu Zhishui massaged her temples in frustration: "I know it's asking too much of a demon, but could you possibly try to act human occasionally and say a few normal things? Don't you realize how ridiculous you sound?"
"Am I wrong?" Xin Yunmao shook the candy box in his hand, as if he had caught her out, and sneered, "You say you're not caring for me, but look at everything you've done on this trip."
He was quite smug, one sentence after another.
Chu Zhishui was irritated by his needling. She deliberately mocked him with malice: "Have you never been liked by anyone? Is that why you misinterpret people's actions when they show you a little care? Have you never experienced kindness from others?"
She finished speaking and waited for his conceited retort, but unexpectedly, the car fell eerily silent.
The damp, cool wind from outside seemed to invade, and the previously noisy atmosphere suddenly turned cold and quiet.
Neither spoke, and time seemed to stand still.
Chu Zhishui turned her head to see Xin Yunmao leaning silently against the car window. His raven-black bangs fell across his forehead, and his eyes looked as if they had been moistened with ink, with only a hint of translucent light flickering in the corners. His arms were crossed over his chest, subconsciously defensive.
Confused by his wordless attitude, Chu Zhishui decided to break the stalemate first: "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"What should I say?"
"How would I know what you'd say, but it doesn't feel right for you to be quiet..." Chu Zhishui shook off the uneasiness in her heart. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and said irritably, "According to your delusional logic, shouldn't you be saying something like 'Who are you kidding? You were the one chasing me down the stairs back then' or some nonsense like that?"
Anything but this lonely, desolate silence as if she had struck a nerve.
"Oh—" Xin Yunmao's expression immediately relaxed. He shook off his previous silence and nodded, "You're right. You've had ulterior motives towards me since the moment we met."
The atmosphere livened up again.
"Is your delusion acting up again?" Chu Zhishui's expression remained calm. "Whatever, say what you want. I'm only here for a couple more days anyway. Who knows if the next person will be able to tolerate you."
Xin Yunmao froze: "What do you mean? What next person?"
"If I resign, the position will be vacant. They'll probably bring someone new in," Chu Zhishui didn't dare mention this topic to Jin Yu, but she had no such reservations with Xin Yunmao.
Xin Yunmao pondered for a few seconds, then raised an eyebrow: "Why are you resigning? Isn't that fish always hanging around you? And you seem to get along well with everyone else."
"You actually pay attention to what goes on in the office?" Chu Zhishui was surprised. "So you've been pretending not to know people all this time?"
Xin Yunmao didn't answer directly, instead looking at her thoughtfully: "Are you choosing to resign because I rejected you?"
"No!" Chu Zhishui immediately denied it, afraid he would further tarnish her reputation. Both annoyed and amused, she said, "Do you think I could continue working here after experiencing what I did today?"
Having learned about the main work of the Observation Bureau, Chu Zhishui immediately understood that she couldn't possibly be qualified for the job. Working in the logistics department, she had less contact with demons outside, but she still realized that humans were not suited for this place.
"What you experienced today?" Xin Yunmao was confused. "The demon aura in the field has already been dispersed."
Chu Zhishui sighed: "That's not what I meant..."
"Didn't I take care of everything? What are you still worried about?"
He had indeed taken care of things today, but she might encounter similar situations in the future!
Chu Zhishui let out a long sigh. She looked at the frowning Xin Yunmao and patiently explained, "Let me give you an example. Some people take exams for government jobs. Some choose to work in their hometowns, while others opt for unfamiliar places. The latter often face a situation where they're in a strange environment, don't know anyone, have no connections, and find it difficult to start working. They end up feeling frustrated and lonely..."
"Although the Huaijiang Observation Bureau is in my hometown, my current situation is like someone who took a job in an unfamiliar place. The main issue is that I'm the only human in the office, and none of you are human, understand?" Chu Zhishui said calmly. "I'm different from you all, we're not from the same world."
"I've never seen monsters before, not even monster aura. I don't have the skills for this kind of work."
Chu Zhishui spoke sincerely, her words flowing smoothly as if she had rehearsed them countless times in her mind.
Xin Yunmao pondered for a moment before saying softly, "So what if we're not from the same world?"
"You still don't understand..."
"Just because they're all monsters doesn't mean they're from the same world. It's the same with humans, as you just said. Even slight differences in environment can lead to huge disparities," Xin Yunmao leaned his head against the car window, gazing at the distant mountains. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before turning back, speaking calmly, "I'm different from them, but I still stayed. By the same logic, you can too."
His eyes were clouded with a misty darkness, enigmatic yet piercing, revealing a hint of lofty ambition.
"They have their abilities, and you have yours. Even if you've never seen monsters before, you can use these strange devices, which is a work skill in itself," Xin Yunmao shrugged. "So not having monster aura is fine."
Chu Zhishui was used to his outlandish remarks, but she didn't expect him to suddenly abandon his usual arrogance and speak so seriously. It felt almost unfamiliar.
Her eyebrows twitched slightly as she said softly, "You make it sound so easy. But I'm not a monster. If we encounter a situation like before, you all can disperse monster aura, but I..."
"Is that such a big deal?" He pursed his lips. "I'll just come with you next time."
"Huh?"
Faced with her surprised expression, Xin Yunmao seemed to realize he had agreed too quickly. He added, trying to cover up, "But you'll have to do the reports."
Chu Zhishui was confused by his accommodating attitude. She asked uncertainly, "You're not afraid of me pestering you anymore?"
He had been cold and indifferent before, but now he was suddenly encouraging her to stay.
Xin Yunmao was momentarily at a loss for words. His expression changed several times before he finally conceded reluctantly, "Well, you can't help your infatuation. I'll just have to put up with it a bit."
"..."
Great, her feeling of being touched vanished.
This monster couldn't speak like a normal person for more than two minutes, even shorter than a trial period.
Chu Zhishui retorted dryly, "Your choice of words is truly extraordinary."
"But I still hope you can control yourself. You're human, you know?" Xin Yunmao tapped his fingers on the car door, admonishing her seriously, "A gentleman may be fond of beauty but not lustful. Emotions should be expressed, but within the bounds of propriety. I shouldn't have to teach you how to be human."
His tone was solemn, even quoting Confucius, as if she were truly a beast driven by hunger, capable of forcing herself upon his pure and innocent self.
"..."
After a long pause, Chu Zhishui finally spoke, changing the subject, "Do you know how it would be perceived in the human world if someone casually sat in the passenger seat of the opposite sex, said a bunch of ambiguous things, and even indirectly arranged the next outing?"
Xin Yunmao: "How would it be perceived?"
"As not upholding male virtue," she said with a mocking smile, looking at him sideways. "Just like you."
"???"
