Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Really? What’s the issue?”

At Fu Qian’s certain tone, Wen Li’s eyes immediately lit up.

”Anxiety disorder.”

”...Mister Fang, stop joking!”

Wen Li’s expression instantly froze.

”Who’s joking?”

Fu Qian gave her an odd look.

”At your age, it’s normal for elders to rush you into marriage during the holidays. Aren’t you being a bit too sensitive?”

”Impossible.”

Wen Li shook her head vehemently, adamant in her judgment.”I know my father and my aunt. They would absolutely never act like this normally.”

”They’ve always respected my opinions, but this time it’s almost impossible to communicate with them. They’re unimaginably stubborn.”

”Only the first day of my visit was relatively peaceful. Right after that, we got into a terrible argument because I refused to follow my father’s arrangements. I really feel like something is very wrong.”

A terrible argument... that was certainly easy to imagine.

Fu Qian mused to himself as he looked at Wen Li’s troubled expression.

For a character as mindful of boundaries as Brother Butler to boldly bring up the marriage arrangement before Fu Qian had even met Wen Xiuxian, it meant that, in his judgment, too many people already knew. There was absolutely no need for secrecy.

”So you used me as a shield?”

”...I’m truly very sorry about that.”

Seeing Fu Qian start to assign blame, Wen Li offered another bitter smile.

”My father was pushing too hard. Without an excuse like this, I wouldn’t have been able to handle him at all. Plus, I wanted to bring them to Shangjing, so...”

”Uh-huh.”

Faced with Wen Li’s anxious explanation, Fu Qian merely grunted, deciding not to hold it against her.

”Could it be that your aunt is planning to have another kid, and, worried you might threaten the inheritance, she egged your dad on to marry you off quickly?”

After another moment of thought, Fu Qian offered an alternative explanation.

”You’ve been watching too many soap operas...”

Wen Li looked on the verge of a breakdown.

”Just kidding. Speaking of which, you’re a Tier 5 Transcendent now. Shouldn’t dealing with two mortals be a piece of cake?”

”It’s really not. In fact, that’s why I’m so tense.”

Wen Li furrowed her brows, looking quite troubled.

”I don’t know why, but they have a strong resistance to my abilities.”

”Resistance?”

”Yes. As soon as I stop influencing them, they quickly revert to how they were.”

Interesting!

Wen Xiuxian and Zhuang Xinyu were definitively ordinary people. There was no doubt about that.

For Wen Li, using her powers on them should have been an overwhelmingly one-sided affair.

Fu Qian thought for a moment, then pointed at Wen Li’s ear.

”Why are you only wearing one Ear Stud?”

”Huh?”

The abrupt leap in topic left Wen Li staring at him in shock.

Did this guy actually pay attention to women’s jewelry? He even noticed she was missing an earring?

”This... there was only one to begin with.”

She subconsciously touched her left ear.

There rested an Emerald Stud Earring inlaid with diamond chips, sparkling brightly against her pale, round earlobe.

”This was a little gift my father gave me after I returned home.”

Is that so?

Fu Qian stared at it for a few seconds.

”The aura of a transcendent item... Old Man Wen must have spent quite a bit of money, right?”

”You could tell?”

Wen Li had been a bit embarrassed by Fu Qian’s staring, but her spirit lifted at this.

”My father came across it by chance. Even though its grade isn’t high, it has a calming effect on the mind. Considering some of the troubles my abilities bring me, he bought it. I really like the design.”

”Do you think there’s a problem with this thing?”

Wen Li asked, belatedly startled by the implication.

”Haven’t noticed anything yet.”

Fu Qian shook his head honestly. He truly hadn’t felt anything uncomfortable about the item so far.

But as a professional, making good use of the process of elimination was a basic requirement.

”Actually, I considered this possibility before. But my father bought it long before I came home. Logically, even if it really had some side effects, they wouldn’t have waited until now to act up.”

”Besides, after wearing it these past two days, I’ve found that its effects are consistent with the description.”

As Wen Li spoke, she took the Ear Stud off and held it in her palm.

”My mood has indeed become much more peaceful.”

...

”Li, do you and Mister Fang have time to have lunch together?”

At this moment, a knock sounded on the door, and Zhuang Xinyu’s voice drifted in.

Anxious, just as expected!

Fu Qian and Wen Li exchanged a glance, the latter looking utterly helpless.

Wen Li’s aunt had impeccable speech and tone, but barely any time had passed before she hurriedly came to fetch them. One could genuinely sniff out a hint of anxiety.

”Yes, we’ll be right there.”

Looking at Fu Qian with inquiring eyes, Wen Li didn’t respond aloud until he gave a silent nod.

”Mister Fang.”

After confirming that Zhuang Xinyu had left satisfied, Wen Li looked at Fu Qian and offered a soft plea.

”In a bit, I hope you can play along a little and help stabilize their emotional state.”

”Also, I was worried about scaring them, so I didn’t tell them your real Rank.”

”Understood.”

At Eldest Miss Wen’s request, Fu Qian snapped his fingers, brimming with confidence.

”Relax, I’m a professional.”

...

When the two arrived at the dining room, Wen Xiuxian and his wife were already seated and waiting.

The unrelated staff had long been sent away, and the atmosphere around the two silent parents was undeniably oppressive.

”Please take a seat, Mister Fang.”

After their earlier interaction, Wen Xiuxian didn’t seem to have much desire to speak. Zhuang Xinyu placed a hand over his and greeted Fu Qian with a smile.

”How was your chat with Li? We aren’t old fogeys, really. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

Is that so...

Fu Qian glanced at Wen Li, finding her eyes full of pleading. He gave a slight nod and cleared his throat.

”I wonder, how is the monthly allowance for a matrilocal husband calculated here?”

What I’m best at is helping people stabilize their high blood pressure.

...

After Fu Qian’s question, the entire space seemed to freeze.

That was until a loud Clang! rang out. Wen Xiuxian slammed his palm onto the table, overturning a bowl of premium stew.

The emotional shift was indeed exaggerated, like accidentally setting the wrong multiplier in a game.

Looking at Old Man Wen’s ashen face, Fu Qian silently evaluated.

Wen Li wasn’t lying.

”Mister Fang, please don’t joke around. We are serious...”

Zhuang Xinyu was the last to recover her senses. The smile on her face had disintegrated, looking entirely pasted on.

”Hmph! Dodging the crucial issue, I knew you were just all talk!”

Unfortunately for her, Fu Qian was completely unappreciative. He stood up abruptly.

”This Wen Family isn’t worth staying for!”

Under three pairs of horrified gazes, Fu Qian flicked his nonexistent sleeves and stormed out in indignation.

...

Even after Fu Qian walked out the door, the three people in the living room were left speechless.

Meanwhile, having walked outside completely unhindered, Fu Qian found a hidden spot and took off his mask.

The Warehouse quickly materialized before his eyes. Without hesitation, Fu Qian picked up a black-leather-bound notebook from the table.

He had basically figured out the sequence of events, but it was obvious that even the person involved, Eldest Miss Wen, couldn’t figure out where the problem lay.

In other words, from her perspective, all the facts she firmly believed in formed an unsolvable dilemma.

This kind of situation was undoubtedly the perfect time to write a diary entry for some self-reflection.