"Okay~ When will you be back then?"
Hayasaka Ai's somewhat resentful voice was also heard by Shizuka Hiratsuka. Even though she was still driving, the boisterous female teacher leaned over to Su Rui in the passenger seat and said to Hayasaka Ai on the phone:
"Don't worry, little girl, I'll definitely return Su Rui to you safe and sound! He'll be back tomorrow!"
Hayasaka Ai on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment: "I didn't expect that just as I had a deep conversation with Su Rui, you would go looking for other women. Do I, Hayasaka, have no charm at all?"
"It's just that something happened. I encountered an evil spirit, and there were some minor complications during the process of dealing with it, so I don't have time to go back today."
Su Rui spoke up before Shizuka Hiratsuka could make things worse, explaining what had happened.
"So that's how it is."
Hayasaka Ai on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then said worriedly: "Please be careful. I'll go arrange for a maid to drive Kaguya Shinomiya back."
"Okay, you rest well too."
"Goodbye, Su Rui, I wish you a pleasant evening."
Hayasaka Ai didn't forget to complain slightly with her words as she hung up, expressing her dissatisfaction.
Su Rui chuckled, not minding Hayasaka Ai's little tantrum, then noticed Shizuka Hiratsuka's gaze on him.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You're still driving, be serious."
"Someone beat me to it?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka showed a look of despair. If she weren't still driving, Su Rui felt she would even clasp her hands over her cheeks and scream.
"Can you stop overthinking? You and I were just ordinary friends at first, so I met Hayasaka and Kaguya Shinomiya earlier."
"You don't have to explain it so clearly to me, leave me some room for imagination."
Shizuka Hiratsuka muttered softly. Su Rui originally thought she would be sad for a long time, but she recovered quickly, in just a few minutes, humming a tune as she looked at Su Rui in the passenger seat:
"So, since you've already 'eaten' that girl named Hayasaka Ai, what about me? When will it be my turn?"
"When you're thirty. I like older women," Su Rui said expressionlessly.
"Then I already qualify, don't I? Shall we start when we get to my place?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka's eyes immediately lit up, and she pressed the accelerator, driving the car faster.
"No, you're currently twenty-nine and a few months, not yet thirty, so you don't meet my standards."
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Shizuka Hiratsuka's sports car was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere, and even Su Rui couldn't help but laugh out loud.
So much so that even Shizuka Hiratsuka, who should have been angry, couldn't help but laugh out loud under Su Rui's influence: "What's so funny, hahaha~ You scoundrel making fun of my age!"
"Alright, my bad. Shizuka, no matter how old you are, you're as beautiful as a flower, and I adore you. Let's go home first, then consider other things."
After a simple brush-off of Shizuka Hiratsuka, Su Rui sat in her car and arrived at Shizuka Hiratsuka's teacher's apartment.
Despite driving a luxurious sports car, this woman's home was not very tidy. While it wasn't overly messy, still...
Su Rui walked into Shizuka Hiratsuka's apartment and glanced around, seeing various cluttered items everywhere:
"Even if no one cleans it, my room wouldn't be this messy."
"You're so annoying."
Shizuka Hiratsuka casually closed the door, then sprawled on Su Rui's back, speaking lazily:
"I don't want to cook, but Yukinoshita Haruno got full marks in home economics in high school. Although she graduated from university a long time ago, her cooking skills should still be good. Let Haruno cook when she arrives."
"That works too."
Su Rui had no objection to this, nodding indifferently.
After a short wait, there was a knock at the door, and Shizuka Hiratsuka behind him sprang up from Su Rui's back as if she had been spring-loaded.
Whether on purpose or not, when she launched herself, she used her chest for momentum. Su Rui only felt a soft pressure before Shizuka Hiratsuka stood up and 'tap-tap-tapped' towards the door.
"Coming!"
Su Rui heard Shizuka Hiratsuka open the door, followed by a gasp, which immediately made him tense.
In less than a second, Su Rui had already activated his spiritual power, stood up, and arrived at the entrance, a longsword burning with golden flames in his hand, ready to eliminate any potential danger.
Then, he saw a somewhat comical scene: Yukinoshita Haruno was clutching Shizuka Hiratsuka's calf, sprawled on the floor, seemingly with tear stains on her face from pain, probably because she had just fallen.
"What happened?"
Su Rui casually put away his sword, but Yukinoshita Haruno, seeing him, seemed to see a lifeline. She let go of Shizuka Hiratsuka's calf and stumbled as she crawled closer to Su Rui.
"What do you want to do? Stand up and just say it."
Su Rui looked at the strange scene before him, noticed that Yukinoshita Haruno's spiritual power was somewhat depleted, and immediately retreated a few steps warily.
"That's right, Haruno, don't be nervous. Su Rui is very easy to talk to. If you have something, just say it directly."
Shizuka Hiratsuka reached out and helped Yukinoshita Haruno up, comforting her and encouraging her to speak.
"My, my sister, she's been possessed by an evil spirit! Su Rui, can you please save her? That treasure is on Yukinoshita, you can get the treasure as long as you eliminate the evil spirit, and the Yukinoshita family will also provide a reward that satisfies you."
Yukinoshita Haruno's tone was anxious, and she was almost about to cry again. It was clear that she truly cared about her sister.
"...Fine, you'd better not be playing any tricks."
Su Rui nodded, reached out and pressed Yukinoshita Haruno's shoulder, purifying the resentment in her body with spiritual power, while urging:
"Lead the way, we're going now."
"Mmm~ Okay."
The pure spiritual power brought a warm sensation, causing Yukinoshita Haruno, who had been eroded by resentment, to instinctively let out a strange sound. Then, her cheeks turned a little red as she nodded, her voice tinged with shyness: "Please follow me."
"I'll go too."
"You stay home and wait."
Shizuka Hiratsuka's and Su Rui's voices sounded simultaneously. The two looked at each other, and finally Shizuka Hiratsuka spoke first:
"Let me go too, otherwise, after saving them, will you be the one to negotiate with them?"
"Otherwise, what?"
Although Su Rui said that, he was indeed a bit impatient with the tear-streaked girl. If Shizuka Hiratsuka was willing to follow, he could just have her stay in a safe place.
Then, looking at Yukinoshita Haruno, Su Rui released his hand that was inputting spiritual power: "Let's go."
"Okay."
Feeling the cessation of spiritual power input, a hint of disappointment flashed in Yukinoshita Haruno's eyes.