"How many guests are there?"

The waiter at the restaurant greeted them warmly.

"Four people."

Please follow me here.

The waiter led them to a window seat, and after Qianshan Muxue inquired about the dietary restrictions of the Hair-Eating Demon and the Snow Woman, they ordered their food.

"The miso soup here is very delicious. Drinking some hot soup at night can not only warm the stomach but also improve the appetite. The soup contains tofu, green onions, radish and a little seafood."

He scooped a bowl and placed it in front of Qiu Shuiyiren, then continued, "I arrived in Heian-kyo around nine o'clock this morning. If I don't eat for a day, my stomach will feel uncomfortable."

Across from him, the hair-eating demon removed his white silk, revealing a pair of dark eyes. His lips were constantly downturned, as if he were in a melancholy mood.

Why gamble?

Suddenly, Qiu Shuiyiren's voice rang out, and Xue Nu paused in her movements. Shi Fa Gui looked into his eyes and said, "Because there are too few gold coins in the guild, I've been... slacking off these past few days."

Qiu Shui Yi Ren was taken aback, not expecting his reason.

What does "slacking off" mean?

"I spent my days idly smoking my pipe in the courtyard, neither fighting the Qilin nor helping the judges gain experience. It was all my fault for gambling."

The snow woman looked up at him.

"Father, please don't be angry. Punish me instead..."

The hair-eating demon lowered his head, his usually bright red lips turned slightly pale, and his eyes were dejected, as if he might cry at any moment.

Seeing his self-reproachful expression for the first time, Qiu Shui Yi Ren was stunned. When she came to her senses, she had already changed seats and sat next to him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Slacking off...slacking off is fine, we're not exactly broke, but...have I been putting too much pressure on you guys lately, Gui Gui?"

Qiu Shuiyiren began to examine herself.

"It's freezing cold in the hut in winter. Living up in the mountains is no good at all. There's no charcoal to burn or hot water. I'm an incompetent Onmyoji, making you all suffer because of me..."

His voice grew increasingly hoarse. Qianshan Muxue stopped him from continuing to examine himself and looked up at the hair-eating ghost.

“You look terrible with that long face. You hair-eating ghosts are all a race that loves beauty. Look how ugly you are now. You’re a disgrace to the ghost race.”

Upon hearing this, the hair-eating demon quickly took out a mirror and looked at his face from left to right. Tears were glistening in the corners of his eyes.

Autumn Water Beauty: "..."

He completely ruined the warm atmosphere.

"The dishes are all served, let's start eating."

The delivery guy has already brought the food up.

The atmosphere eased, and Qianshan Muxue picked up his chopsticks first. After taking a couple of bites, he noticed that Qiushui Yiren still looked a little lonely, so he picked up a piece of food and put it in the small dish in front of her.

"This restaurant is very expensive; you probably can't afford to come here normally. Today, I'm treating you, so why aren't you enjoying your meal?"

"Uh-huh."

Qiu Shui Yi Ren snapped out of her daze, picked up her chopsticks to eat, and only after she started eating did the Hair-Eating Demon and the Snow Woman pick up their chopsticks.

The meal was enjoyable, the misunderstanding was cleared up, and my mood quickly brightened.

"Don't worry about the money problem, I'll find a way to borrow it."

The beautiful woman in the autumn waters made a solemn vow.

She borrowed some money to improve her life, and then gradually paid it back.

Qianshan Muxue gracefully put down her chopsticks and glanced at him.

"I still have some savings here. I'll go to my quarters later. I didn't bring them with me when I left. Snow Maiden, come with me."

"I can't accept this..."

Qiu Shui Yi Ren was somewhat surprised.

Haven't you caused me enough trouble already?

A thousand mountains covered in snow at dusk posed a counter-question.

"Thank you, Muxue."

Qiu Shui Yi Ren chuckled twice, completely relieved. She knew Mu Xue was reliable, and that Heian-kyo was quite wealthy.

"Don't be shy. It's time to log off and eat. I'll take them back. You can go ahead."

The beautiful woman nodded, put the fan into her sleeve, pressed the "exit" button, and everything in front of her began to blur.

“Guigui, your father doesn’t blame you. Go back and get some rest for a day. I bought you some new tobacco and snacks. Don’t forget to eat them while you’re in the hut…”

The gentle voice gradually faded away, and the tender smile slowly disappeared. As soon as the words were spoken, the person sitting at the table vanished without a trace.

"Let's go."

Qianshan Muxue put down the money and led them toward Fuxi Mountain.

"You have exited the holographic world—"

Blinking to adjust to the sudden bright light shining on me, I noticed a woman in a purple dress standing nearby, looking gentle and elegant.

"Miss, it's time for you to log off."

At the same time, another undeniable voice came from outside the holographic projection room.

"Rouya, please don't interfere with my work. Let me get involved. The electronic butler is working..."

"The steward is angry."

A gentle and refined voice rang out after this one. Qiu Shui blinked, ignoring the faint hint of helplessness in the voice.