Chapter 48: The Sleeping Maiden

Xiao Xia pushed his hands into his coat pockets and lowered his eyes slightly, gazing at the Eshu that squatted three steps away from him, looking exceptionally well-behaved.

"Heh." A demon acting well-behaved? Did he not get enough sleep last night?

Besides, even if you are going to pretend to be obedient, at least rein in that terrifying pair of eyes of yours, Xiao Xia muttered inwardly, though the lines on his face grew even tighter.

Clearly, the Eshu's docile posture did not make Xiao Xia feel at ease; instead, it made him all the more vigilant.

To force a demon—one that had been too arrogant to deign to look at anyone since their very first meeting—to humble itself to this extent meant that whatever troubled it was bound to be a massive headache. Xiao Xia had always been self-aware and truly believed he wouldn't be of much help.

Yet, since he was already here, it wouldn't do to just turn around and leave, would he?

Besides, if this Eshu kept following him relentlessly, he would be greatly troubled.

Therefore, realizing he had no other choice and after a moment of silence, Xiao Xia quickly gathered his wits and decided to settle the matter swiftly.

"Is there something you need my help with?"

Hearing this, the Eshu's eyes lit up, and it nodded with a trace of reserved coyness.

What a tsundere creature, Xiao Xia could not help but twitch the corner of his mouth. Asking for a favor yet daring to be this arrogant.

"What is it?" The moment the words left his mouth, Xiao Xia felt he was being foolish. The Eshu was not a Lingniao; it could not speak human words. The problem was, he didn't speak demon either.

Just as Xiao Xia was hesitating to himself, the Eshu got up, came to his side, wrapped its fluffy, soft tail around his lower leg, and gave a gentle tug, signaling him to follow.

Fine. Xiao Xia hesitated for a moment and decided to go take a look.

Actually, he was somewhat—no, extremely—curious about what kind of matter could possibly drive this demon to ask a human for help.

Even though there was still so much he didn't know about demons, he knew just how difficult it was for a demon to bow its head to a human and resort to such a submissive, even ingratiating gesture.

That matter must be of utmost importance to the Eshu, right?

Wildly guessing to himself, Xiao Xia followed the Eshu as they wove through the campus.

The Eshu was clearly accommodating his pace, occasionally turning back to make sure he was keeping up properly.

Only then did the Eshu reveal a trace of undisguised impatience.

Since Xiao Xia had decided to go and see, he had no intention of putting on airs and dragging his feet. Seeing this, he quickened his pace, breaking into a light jog.

...

Huh? Xiao Xia was astonished to find that he had somehow lost track of the Eshu.

Yet he wasn't particularly bothered; the Eshu would come looking for him anyway.

Of course, it would be even better if it didn't; then he could just pretend nothing happened.

Where is this? Xiao Xia raised his eyes to survey the surroundings, lifting his eyebrows in mild surprise. What a familiar place.

At the beginning of the semester, when Xiao Xia and the others were wandering around the campus, they had accidentally stumbled upon this spot.

Back then, because the door was locked, they could only admire the blooming flowers and peerless beauty within through the glass.

Afterward, they never came back. After all, they weren't teenage girls with a fondness for flowers and grass.

...

That's right, this was a glass greenhouse.

It was still as exquisite as when he first saw it, and the riot of vibrant colors within appeared all the more precious amidst the freezing snow and ice, resembling a utopian paradise isolated from the wind, frost, rain, and snow of the outside world.

"Clack~" In the profound silence, that single sound felt almost deafening. Xiao Xia snapped his head around, startled to discover that the glass door of the greenhouse had opened by itself?!

It wasn't until the Eshu trotted to his feet and nudged against him a few times that he realized the Eshu had opened the door.

...

Xiao Xia followed behind the Eshu and stepped through the entrance of the greenhouse.

An inexplicable, ungrounded sense of tension washed over him. Noticing his accelerating heartbeat, Xiao Xia lamented that he was truly still too green, easily thrown off balance by such a minor event.

He pressed his lips together and surveyed the interior of the greenhouse.

Compared to viewing it from the outside, entering it in person naturally allowed for a much greater appreciation of the flowers' beauty.

Clusters upon clusters of brilliantly colored blossoms, with full petals and dripping with dew, were clearly being meticulously cared for.

Xiao Xia took a deep breath, filling his chest with a rich floral fragrance. It wasn't cloyingly heavy; instead, it was elegant and refreshing to the soul.

This truly was a wonderful place to relax the mind.

The expression on Xiao Xia's face softened slightly.

At the far end of the greenhouse, the Eshu stopped.

Xiao Xia withdrew his gaze from the surrounding flora, looked ahead, and found himself frozen in place.

...

A young girl was sleeping on a lounge chair ahead, her hands clasped over her abdomen, a floral blanket draped from her waist downward.

Fluffy, natural wavy hair tumbled over her shoulders, tinged with a faint chestnut hue.

Her slender cheeks made her features appear all the more delicate, exuding a cold yet captivating aura.

The girl's slender eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her long, feathered eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, casting a shallow, drifting shadow.

Her nose was straight and refined, and her lips were pale, seeming to suggest her health was less than robust.

Regardless, she was truly an elf-like girl.

...

Xiao Xia quietly admired the lovely sight before him for a moment—after all, love for beauty is universal. Without the slightest self-awareness of a peeping Tom, he couldn't help but voice his appreciation: truly a feast for the eyes.

However, an elf-like girl inside a greenhouse? What kind of scenario was this?

Reluctantly tearing his gaze away, Xiao Xia finally remembered his purpose.

Shifting his focus, he spotted the Eshu squatting beside the lounge chair and instantly understood that this girl was the very person the Eshu had sought help for.

Yet, this young lady was sleeping so soundly; a stranger had been in here for quite a while, and she showed no sign of waking up.

Perhaps it was because she knew the greenhouse door was locked? After all, not everyone could be like Xiao Xia and have a demon help them open the door.

...

Since this girl was the key to the whole matter, Xiao Xia's diverted gaze drifted back to her, but this time, it was no longer pure appreciation; it was tinged with scrutiny and appraisal.

Xiao Xia stepped forward quietly and bent down. Even at such close range, the girl's face remained flawless, glowing with the warm, translucent texture of top-quality mutton-fat jade. The only minor imperfection was a slight lack of color.

Hmm? Xiao Xia twitched his nose and leaned in even closer.

The scent emanating from the girl was cool and elegant, resembling a lotus or perhaps an orchid—clean and ethereal.

However, it seemed to be blended with another scent.

This scent... Xiao Xia understood in an instant. It was demonic aura. He was slightly startled, then immediately felt it made complete sense. Of course it was demonic aura; it was obvious that the Eshu had asked for his help regarding something related to demons. He had harbored a vague guess about this beforehand, and now, it was indeed confirmed.

Yet, why did the scent of this demonic aura make him feel... somewhat familiar? Xiao Xia's brows knit tightly together.

Could it be a demon he had seen before?

...

As things stood, everything was beginning to come to light. The discordant scent on the girl was demonic aura.

And it was the demonic aura of a demon Xiao Xia knew.

Of course, it wasn't the Eshu. Xiao Xia wasn't about to make a mistake that elementary.

Then, which demon could it be?

Xiao Xia carefully recalled the demons he had encountered and their respective demonic auras.

Huanhuan fish? No.

Qin yuan? Incorrect.

Banzheng? Gui Xiao? Clearly not.

Lingniao? Even less likely.

Gudiao? Impossible, right? Wasn't it eaten by the Lingniao? Could there be another one?

That possibility wasn't entirely nonexistent, but it was very slim. Demons were born of nature; they possessed no tribal consciousness and had extremely strong territorial instincts. Logically speaking, it was unlikely for two demons of the same kind to exist in the exact same place.

Then, what other demons had he seen?

Xiao Xia racked his brain, his inner self scratching frantically at walls, while externally he maintained a picture of poised contemplation.

Only a deep crease between his brows revealed a trace of lingering confusion.

...

Wait, there was one more!