CHAPTER 68: CHAPTER 27: THIS IS A WIN-WIN! (PART 2)

The three walked in silently one after another, then listened to the sound of the door closing behind them.

The room’s lighting once again became dim.

Of course, it could also be an illusion brought about by habit... Gu Mo glanced around the room’s candle holders, the candlelight burning quietly, emitting a steady and gentle glow, illuminating this enclosed space to some extent. Perhaps in the eyes of people from this era, this was already considered very bright lighting conditions.

But after experiencing the baptism of light pollution from the future, where he couldn’t see the stars indoors or outdoors, this level of lighting...

emmmm, quite atmospheric, very suitable for telling ghost stories.

Time passed by silently, second by second, Gu Mo looked around for a while and found nothing particularly interesting to see.

There wasn’t much in the room, except for the softly glowing copper candle holders on either side, only a deity image positioned at the top, and a few calligraphy paintings on the wall behind, but the lighting was too dim to see what they were.

He remained polite by not rising to examine closely at such a moment. Instead, he turned his head slightly and glanced at Hidechika who was sitting with dignified poise beside him, admiring the young lady’s proper sitting posture. After spending these past two days together, he didn’t feel overly awkward facing Ah Xiu anymore, nor did he want to avoid her—

Because the girl seemed genuinely indifferent afterwards and did not intend to pursue it further, he naturally felt relieved.

At most, it still felt a bit awkward, but that wasn’t a major issue anymore.

He watched for a while, and then Hidechika finally seemed to sense something and raised an eyebrow with some confusion, turning her head to look at him. Gu Mo flashed a smiling expression and pointed gently at her face with a finger, as if implying something.

"..."

"..."

Even though her face was still covered, making her expression unreadable, it seemed evident that Hidechika’s body suddenly stiffened for a moment.

Should she remove the veil?

She still felt a bit at a loss, as she had long been accustomed to living alone without interacting with anyone. She would only deal with people occasionally when accepting demon-exorcising missions and even then, she would be veiled... If someone occasionally caught a glimpse of her true face by accident, she didn’t really mind.

However, deliberately removing the veil to interact with others normally was something unfamiliar and slightly uncomfortable for the girl.

But after hesitating for a moment, she silently sighed, reached out, and gently removed the veil covering her face, revealing a face exquisite like a doll’s, though her expression was very calm, even somewhat cold...

It’s not that she was inherently cold or aloof; she just didn’t know what expression to show at that time, so she instinctively tensed her face and pressed her lips together, making it easy for others to misunderstand her as cold and distant.

Gu Mo, however, was not overly surprised, as he had long known what Hidechika looked like. So at this moment, he merely blinked, looking at the very familiar girl in front of him, and completed the final confirmation—it indeed almost perfectly matched the impression he had crafted in his mind.

Black hair, tear mole, crimson eyes...

All features were identical.

However, the first-time encounter with Fujikichiro did not remain so composed. He was completely stunned, almost unable to regain his senses, because he had never seen such a beautiful girl before. He even thought that the daughters of dukes and princesses might not compare.

After a long moment, he finally turned his head blankly, staring straight at Gu Mo as if wanting to say something. However, he opened his mouth several times without uttering a word.

Is this what they call a winner in life? Truly enviable!

But at that moment—

"Hahaha, Monkey, you’re here again! I thought you’d died somewhere over these months..." A hearty laugh accompanied by footsteps sounded in the hallway outside. In the next instant, the room’s door was opened, and a stout bald figure strode in.

With a start, Fujikichiro immediately snapped out of his prior emotions, and his face reflexively displayed a fawning, ingratiating expression typical of little people.

"How could I, Lord Dao San? I’ve been attending to your instructions, traveling everywhere. I wouldn’t dare to leave this world without completing the tasks you’ve assigned. It’s not about me dying; I’m just worried about delaying your matters..."

Hidechika beside him was briefly taken aback, her expression turning slightly peculiar. How could this man spout such a long spiel so naturally and full of emotion, even though it was clearly flattery and boot-licking? Yet, it somehow sounded sincere and genuine.

Gu Mo’s eyes flickered, but he felt it was only natural. After all, Monkey, who rose from humble beginnings and climbed step by step to become a person of the world, was simply well aware of what he wanted and always had the cheek to seize opportunities without worrying about the opinions of others.

In comparison, here he was feeling incredibly embarrassed when caught lying by someone involved...