Idiot, she ran away with my ID card.
Hearing Shu Yi and Shen Zhizhou's conversation, Luo Yingcao looked up at the two people standing there. The man was handsome, and the beauty mark under his left eye made him even more beautiful. However, the probing look in his eyes showed that he was of extraordinary status. The woman blocking the man's way had a pleasing smile, but the golden light surrounding her also indicated that she was no ordinary person.
Luo Yingcao had heard her grandfather say that in addition to being careful of humans, one should also be careful of those Oddity Eliminators. Many Oddity Eliminators wear a harmless exterior but actually do all sorts of petty, heinous things. It seemed that she was unlucky enough to encounter one today.
"I don't want your compensation, let's go." Luo Yingcao said coldly, got up from the ground, dusted herself off, and was about to leave with her bicycle. She secretly regretted that her grandfather's bicycle, which he had just bought not long ago, had been broken.
Seemingly sensing the girl's thoughts, Shen Zhizhou bypassed Shuyi, who had her arms outstretched to protect him, and walked up to Luo Yingcao, pointing to the bicycle chain and saying, "Want me to take a look? I happen to know how to fix bicycles."
Luo Yingcao knew that her grandfather worked hard to earn money. Even this second-hand bicycle was something he had saved up for a long time by getting up early and working late. If this person could fix it... Thinking of this, Luo Yingcao let go and let Shen Zhizhou give it a try.
Shen Zhizhou bent down to check, removed the chain cover, inserted the chain, and slowly turned it. He kicked it a few times to make sure it was repaired and rideable, then returned the bicycle to Luo Yingcao. Afterward, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his and Shuyi's hands clean, then held Shuyi's wrist and reached out to Luo Yingcao.
"My name is Shen Zhizhou, and this is Shuyi. Let's get to know each other."
Shu Yi elbowed Shen Zhizhou in protest and dissatisfaction. If you want to get to know her, just reach out yourself. What's the meaning of complaining that her hands are dirty when you use them? You bastard.
Shen Zhizhou clutched his lower abdomen, indicating that it was because he was an adult male, and Shuyi's human form was more approachable and had an advantage.
"My name is Luo Yingcao. Thank you all for today." Luo Yingcao thanked them softly and was about to leave with her cart when Shu Yi stopped her, pointing to her wound and saying no.
Luo Yingcao shook her head warily, indicating that she could handle it. She knew that she absolutely could not get involved with these two people and implicate her grandfather.
"The wound is already oozing tissue fluid. If it's not disinfected quickly, it can easily become infected. Don't worry, we're not bad people. I can leave my ID card with you as collateral. You can return it to me after the bandage is finished."
As he spoke, Shen Zhizhou actually took out his ID card from his pocket and handed it to Luo Yingcao. After hesitating for a few seconds, Luo Yingcao reached out, took it, glanced at it, and put it in her pocket before getting into Shen Zhizhou's car.
Shen Zhizhou found a nearby clinic to bandage Luo Yingcao's wounds. After the treatment, Shen Zhizhou insisted on taking Luo Yingcao home, but Luo Yingcao refused no matter what. Just as the two were arguing, a somewhat elderly voice came from the bushes.
"Don't you dare bully Yingcao, she's a good girl!"
A man wearing a military green nylon jacket with several small patches on the cuffs and faded white canvas shoes appeared to be old, but he moved with unusual speed. He rushed forward and shielded Luo Yingcao behind him.
"Don't even think about bullying our Yingcao! Let me tell you, she's been a model student since she was little. The principal said she's got the makings of Tsinghua or Peking University. None of you will get away with this!"
Looking at the old man in front of him, Shen Zhizhou understood where the faint demonic aura swirling around Luo Yingcao came from, but his gaze darkened as he saw the two of them acting so familiar and protective of each other.
There was a time when... he had people who would stand by his side unconditionally and protect him.
Shuyi, biting her nails, watched Shen Zhizhou deep in thought. Then, glancing at the two who were fiercely protective of each other, she felt she should step forward to ease the tension.
"Um... Senior, we just wanted to be kind and brought Yingcao here to get her bandaged up when we saw she was injured. We didn't mean to bully her."
He Yong carefully examined Luo Yingcao, and felt a pang of heartache when he saw the wound on her leg: "Is it because the second-hand bicycle I bought is not good to ride... It's all Grandpa's fault for being incompetent. If only I had the money to buy you a new one."
As he spoke, tears welled up in He Yong's eyes. Yingcao was good in every way since she was little—good at studying, good-looking, and with a good personality. The only problem was that he himself was not capable enough to provide Yingcao with a good environment to grow up in.
"Shall we chat?" Shen Zhizhou extended the invitation first.
"Huh?" He Yong was stunned. What did they have to talk about? Was it about collecting medical expenses?
He Yong started rummaging through his pockets, pulling out all the coins from his body, including the soles of his socks and shoes. He Yong spat on his fingertips to moisten them and began counting them one by one.
Luo Yingcao, limping like a brave and fearless warrior, blocked He Yong's path, her voice firm and resolute: "If you dare to hurt Grandpa, you'll have to step over my dead body!"
He Yong stopped counting money and came back to his senses, carefully examining Shen Zhizhou. Suddenly, he realized something.
"You...you are..." He Yong didn't finish his sentence. He swallowed nervously and glanced at Luo Yingcao beside him.
He had never told Yingcao that he was a demon. He originally planned to leave once the child found its biological parents, but as he raised the child, it became all of He Yong's hope, and he could no longer let go of the child.
He Yong gently patted Luo Yingcao's shoulder, his tone full of concern, "The money is all in the cracks in the bricks of the TV cabinet at home, a total of 26,800 yuan. I specially saved it for you to use when you go to college. Don't stop eating when you're studying. Food is the foundation of life... You will always be Grandpa's pride!"
The next second, He Yong pushed Luo Yingcao away, using his demonic power to move her while simultaneously unleashing all his demonic power to attack Shu Yi and Shen Zhizhou, all to buy Luo Yingcao time to escape.
Shu Yi used the jade ring on her right ear to shield her head from the attack, but she didn't want to attack He Yong. Somewhat helplessly, she turned to look at Shen Zhizhou.
Shen Zhizhou rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache, and said in a low voice, "Did I say I was going to capture and eliminate you? Can you please stop comparing me to those trashy things?"
He had heard of some of the brutal practices of the Oddity Clearancers, but he always went on missions alone and disdained to use such underhanded methods to clear Oddity Clearances.
"You always talk a good game, but what happened... My friend was tricked and refined into a pill by you! With me around, you won't get close to the Firefly Grass!"
He Yong's human form began to crumble, gradually revealing his webbed feet, feathers, and head.
“It’s a goose…” Shen Zhizhou spontaneously combusted and threw a talisman to freeze He Yong.
He Yong, frozen in place, knew he was no match for the two, but thinking of how he had already sent Luo Yingcao away, tears still streamed down his face.
Shen Zhizhou held He Yong in his arms and gently stroked He Yong's head. He Yong thought that he must not let the enemy have an easy time before he died, so he stretched his neck and wanted to peck Shen Zhizhou hard, but Shu Yi pinched his beak.
"You can't bite people, that's impolite, senior!"
He Yong, do you think you're being polite by pinching my beak right now?
"Now can we have a proper talk? What is your relationship with that little girl? If you tell me, I can help you support her, and I mean it." Shen Zhizhou took out something that looked like leather but wasn't paper and placed it in front of He Yong. He Yong recognized it at a glance as the skin of a snake. As long as a promise was written on it, it had to be kept, otherwise, one would be engulfed in flames and never be reincarnated.
"You really give money to raise fireflies?" He Yong looked at Shen Zhizhou with some surprise. In the past, those monster exorcists would directly kill and exorcise demons, they would not speak so kindly to demons.
"Shen Zhizhou always keeps his word, I can guarantee that," Shu Yi said, vouching for Shen Zhizhou. Although Shen Zhizhou was a scoundrel, he would always keep his promises.
"I'll tell you everything!" He Yong broke free from Shen Zhizhou's embrace and began to tell the story of him and Luo Yingcao.
It was a snowy winter. He had only recently taken human form when he heard faint crying sounds coming from the side of the street. When he went over, he saw a newborn baby in swaddling clothes. Heaven has a benevolent heart and he couldn't bear to see such a little life perish. So he raised the baby in the form of an old man, and has been raising it ever since, until now, in his second year of high school.
Shu Yi listened with tears streaming down her face, finding it incredibly moving. But Shen Zhizhou felt a tightness in his chest after hearing it, as it seemed completely different from the demons he had encountered and imagined.
Why would a demon raise a human child? Why would it risk its own life to protect the child?
Perhaps because he remembered Ji Yao, who had been with him since childhood, Shen Zhizhou was quite tolerant of He Yong.
"Take us to your home. As a sponsor, I should at least see what kind of character my beneficiaries are."
He Yong hesitated after hearing this, and asked Shen Zhizhou several times if he would sponsor Luo Yingcao's studies. After receiving an affirmative answer, He Yong hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to take Shen Zhizhou and Shuyi home.
Shuyi followed behind Shen Zhizhou, praising him softly, "Boss Shen, you're such a nice person, I really admire you..."
Shen Zhizhou's lips curled into a smirk as he turned to look at the starry-eyed Shuyi, who was filled with adoration, and mercilessly retorted, "Idiot, she took my ID card, and I have to get it back."
Shu Yi was deeply moved, but after hearing this, she stood there stunned for a while before she reacted. She glanced at the snake skin in Shen Zhizhou's hand. The item was indeed real, but it was enchanted and could not be written on, so it was essentially a piece of waste paper.
That bastard is fooling people again. Why does he always deceive demons?
He Yong led Shen Zhizhou and Shu Yi to a simple mud house built with red bricks and cement. He Yong carefully tied a plastic sheet on one side to ensure that rainwater would not leak into Luo Yingcao's room when it rained, so as not to affect Luo Yingcao's study and rest. He Yong built a chicken coop in the yard and specially saved eggs for Luo Yingcao to nourish her body.
Meanwhile, Luo Yingcao was inside the house, crying her heart out while holding a photo of him and He Yong. When she saw the person who came in, the hatred in Luo Yingcao's eyes was about to overflow. She grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed at Shen Zhizhou.
"Go to hell!" The voice was shrill and desperate.
He Yong was so frightened that he flapped his wings and tried to shield the victim with his body, but fortunately Shu Yi grabbed him and took the scissors away.
He Yong was so scared his heart almost jumped out of his chest. Shen Zhizhou's death was no pity, but his Yingcao couldn't be allowed to have a criminal record.
Upon hearing He Yong's thoughts, Shen Zhizhou gave him a cold glance, making He Yong's heart leap into his throat. He couldn't bear to hear him cursing him...
Seeing that the scissors had been taken away by the enemy, Luo Yingcao realized that she could not avenge her grandfather. With a death wish, she was about to bang her head against the wall, which frightened He Yong so much that he shouted out, disregarding his true form, "Yingcao, don't!"
"Grandpa?" Upon hearing the voice, Luo Yingcao wiped away her tears and looked at He Yong, who was flapping his wings and jumping around to block her way.
But He Yong didn't dare to speak, afraid of scaring his Yingcao, so he could only scream shortly, prompting Shen Zhizhou and Shuyi to smooth things over for him.
Luo Yingcao rushed over and hugged He Yong, who was in goose form, turning him over and over to check if he was injured.
Looking at the scene, Shen Zhizhou roughly guessed some of the problems, but still asked Luo Yingcao to confirm his guess: "Did you always know that your grandfather was a demon?"
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