Lu Zizhen led the timid Huaiyin toward a supermarket near their apartment.
None of them ever shopped at convenience stores—everything there was overpriced, and
since they often traveled to the outskirts of Tokyo for work, every yen mattered.
"Huaiyin," Zizhen asked casually while picking through vegetables, "what was your brother like
when he was little?"
Huaiyin froze, clutching the shopping basket like a shield.
She didn't want to answer that.
Her brother had told her not to reveal too much about his past — it might expose the truth
behind his identity.
"N-not much different… from how he is now," she said softly, forcing a nervous smile.
"Turning into that kind of monster counts as 'not much different'?" Zizhen teased, bumping her
shoulder playfully. "Come on, don't fool me. So when did he first realize he could transform like
that?"
Huaiyin's expression darkened. "About… a year ago. After that incident."
Zizhen's lips curved faintly. She didn't apologize for digging into old wounds; instead, her tone
turned thoughtful.
"I see. And do you think your brother's changed a lot since then?"
Of course he had. But how could she say that aloud?
If she admitted it—and someone connected the dots—Touta might be in danger.
She couldn't risk that.
"N-no," she said quickly. "Brother is still Brother. That's all."
Zizhen tapped a bottle of seasoning against her forehead.
"If you don't want to talk, I won't pry," she said lightly. "But you should know… the way things
are right now, this isn't sustainable."
Huaiyin blinked. Not sustainable?
What did that even mean? Did Zizhen… know something?
The woman had only met Dòu Táng half a year ago, but somehow she'd already slipped into
Huaiyin's place — the one always beside him, chasing spirits, sharing danger.
Even Huaiyin didn't know when that trust had formed between them.
And their relationship… clearly wasn't ordinary.
Not just professional partners. Something deeper.
So what did she mean by saying that just now?
Huaiyin remembered a phrase her brother once used — "riddle talker."
A person who speaks in mysterious half-answers just to sound cool and make you want to
punch them.
No, no, hitting people is bad…
Zizhen dropped the bottle into the basket and sighed.
"I can tell there's something twisted about your relationship with him," she said calmly. "I used
to think it wasn't my business—it was family. But lately… I've been thinking that if I don't step in,
you two are going to spiral so far you won't even remember what normal feels like."
Huaiyin frowned, defensive.
What's wrong with how I act? I just want to rely on him. That's not weird… right?
She didn't realize how unnatural it really was.
Seeing her reaction, Zizhen exhaled. "Forget it, forget it. Let's change the subject. How about I
tell you a little secret instead?"
Huaiyin looked up, startled. "A secret?"
"I'm actually a Taoist priestess from Huaxia," Zizhen said proudly, puffing out her chest. "You
know what that is, right? Like a Japanese onmyōji—but cooler. We exorcise demons and slay
monsters!"
She raised two fingers in a sword-hand gesture, slicing through the air.
The air around her rippled faintly with spiritual force.
Huaiyin jumped, eyes wide.
Zizhen laughed, clearly pleased with herself.
"So if I ever go out with your brother, don't get jealous, okay? Big sis can take care of herself."
Huaiyin squinted suspiciously. That tone…
Was she bragging?
It definitely smelled like bragging.
She wrinkled her nose but said nothing, quietly sulking.
Soon, they finished shopping and started the walk home, plastic bags swinging in hand.
Tokyo at night pulsed with its usual life.
In Toshima—right beside Shinjuku—the streets glowed with neon warmth, and from the south,
the faint silhouette of Tokyo Tower shimmered in the distance.
The city was alive.
But neither of them noticed the damp, deathly aura slowly bleeding into the street ahead.
After turning a few corners, they realized—
the road had gone completely silent.
No people. No cars.
The air itself felt heavy, muffled—like they'd stepped underwater.
Every house on either side stood dark and hollow,
and the streetlights flickered weakly, casting sickly yellow light.
Zizhen stopped.
Her instincts flared.
"Huaiyin-chan. Wait. Something's wrong. We're being watched."
It was rare for evil spirits to taint an entire street like this—especially in the middle of Tokyo.
The air was damp, the kind of cold that didn't belong to summer.
It felt like walking straight into late autumn.
Splash… squelch…
From the corner came a sound—like soaked cloth slapping pavement.
Or… flesh.
Zizhen's mind flashed back to an old case—
a bloated corpse that had walked two hundred kilometers to Tokyo, skin pale and waterlogged,
feet worn to the bone, its blood drained through its soles.
The flesh clung to its bones like wet rags.
Was that what was coming now?
She stepped in front of Huaiyin, shielding her, hand raised to stop her from summoning Tang
Dou.
Her lips curved into a confident smirk.
"Well, speak of the devil. I was just thinking I could use a little warm-up. Otherwise, who'd
believe me when I say I'm a Taoist priestess?"
The wet, dragging steps drew closer.
Huaiyin's heart hammered. "B-but, Big Sister Lu—where's your Daoist robe? I saw in
Cardcaptor Sakura that the little exorcist wore a green one!"
Zizhen clicked her tongue. "You Japanese really think every Taoist walks around in a robe? And
every Chinese person wears a bun and a cheongsam? Only a lunatic would dress like that
every day!"
"And besides," she added dryly, "can you imagine how ugly that'd look in real life? A green robe
and hat? Please. I don't even have a boyfriend yet—why would I wear a green hat!?"
Huaiyin blinked. "Eh? Big Sister Lu, you don't have a boyfriend? Then what's my brother?"
"Oh please," Zizhen huffed, smirking. "Just because two adults like each other doesn't mean
they need to define it. I'm a bad woman, you see. Your brother? He's just my Tom."
The dragging sound grew louder, but somehow the tension had evaporated under their
ridiculous bickering.
"Oh… Tom Cat," Huaiyin said seriously, tilting her head. "But isn't that an old cartoon from the
last century? You told me to stop watching those, yet you still watch them yourself, don't you?"
"That's my childhood!" Zizhen snapped.
Huaiyin nodded sagely. "Big Sister Lu sure doesn't care about her age when it's convenient,
huh?"
…Could you two at least give the ghost a little face!?
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