"Mmm. Are you all alright?"
A gentle yet slightly heavy middle-aged voice came from behind.
Mammon restrained his emotions, calming the storm within his heart before slowly turning his head.
A well-tailored black suit. Slicked-back hair. A sharp, mature, and handsome face that looked only a little over thirty. His temperament was gentle—yet carried an indescribable authority.
This was the presence of someone long accustomed to power.
Li Shiqian.
A man who looked extraordinary at first glance.
Mammon gazed at the family of three with calm eyes. The moment Li Shiqian appeared, Li Yuxin and Li Yuqin seemed to find their pillar of support, both moving closer to him.
Li Yuqin even grabbed his hand, recounting her fear from earlier.
What a… harmonious scene.
Watching Li Shiqian gently comfort his daughters with warm eyes, the coldness in Mammon's crimson gaze deepened.
A violent emotion silently rose within his heart.
You… really are happy.
But soon, Mammon suppressed the impulse to tear the three of them apart on the spot and turned to leave.
There was plenty of time.
And besides—he wasn't completely confident he could defeat this seemingly gentle man.
After over a decade of living as a cripple, Mammon's emotional control had reached a level far beyond ordinary people.
"Who is that?"
At that moment, Li Shiqian's gentle yet puzzled voice sounded.
He raised his head, looking at Mammon's back, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Although Mammon had adjusted his emotions quickly, Li Shiqian had still faintly sensed a trace of chilling coldness just now.
He didn't know where it came from, but in the entire corridor, there were only the four of them.
Was it him?
But he looked like nothing more than a young boy… or was it just his imagination?
And…
"This sense of familiarity… this child…"
Li Shiqian stared at Mammon's back, deep in thought.
As an A-rank esper, his instincts were rarely wrong.
Even without seeing the boy's face, that sense of familiarity—and that strange feeling arising from deep within—was definitely real.
"He's a new transfer student in our class. He was also the one who stepped in at the cafeteria just now and saved Xuwei. Otherwise… Xuwei might really have been eaten by that monster."
Unaware of her father's thoughts, Li Yuxin spoke with lingering fear.
Actually—
It wasn't just Li Xuwei he had saved.
Li Yuxin looked at Mammon's back, her eyes flickering.
He had saved her too.
If that monster had truly eaten Li Xuwei… then the next one would undoubtedly have been her.
So to her—
Mammon was also her savior.
"Then we must properly thank him. Next time, invite him to our home for a meal."
Li Shiqian smiled gently, but a cold glint flickered deep within his eyes.
He had been handling affairs at home when he suddenly received a call—
His children had been attacked at school.
His son's arm was nearly crippled!
He had rushed over immediately.
He only had one son.
Whoever dared harm him—
Would not be spared.
"Of course! But that big brother feels a bit cold… though that actually makes him really handsome."
Li Yuqin blinked her large eyes, recalling Mammon's figure.
Maybe it was because of her strong first impression, but she found him incredibly handsome—even if he seemed hard to approach.
After all, when she tried to talk to him earlier—
He had completely ignored her.
As the little princess of the Li family, this was the first time she had been treated like that.
"Mammon is probably just like that by nature. But he's really a good person."
Li Yuxin shook her head slightly.
She believed he was simply naturally aloof. But in that kind of situation, he still chose to step forward—
That proved he wasn't as cold as he appeared.
"If there's a chance, Yuxin, invite that child over. Since he saved Xuwei, we should properly thank him."
"You two should rest well. I'll go speak with the principal."
After listening to his daughters, Li Shiqian gently patted their heads. He glanced through the window at the unconscious Li Xuwei and spoke softly.
As for Mammon—
That strange feeling could wait.
But the monster that nearly devoured his son—
That, he would not let go.
And he also needed an explanation from the school principal.
A monster appearing in the school without being detected?
What were they even doing?
The incident of a monster injuring students in the cafeteria spread rapidly throughout No. 1 High.
And since the injured person was the young master of the Li family, the impact was even greater.
The school administration quickly issued an announcement—
Classes were temporarily suspended.
After all, they still didn't understand how the monster had appeared, or whether there was only one.
Under such uncertainty, it was far too dangerous for students.
A full investigation of the school was the best option.
The sky remained gloomy, with a light rain falling steadily.
At the school gate, Chen Jun waited in the car. Nakime held an umbrella as Mammon opened the door, preparing to get in.
"Mammon~"
A soft voice called from behind.
Mammon calmly turned his head.
Li Yuxin and Li Yuqin stood there under a pink umbrella.
The two girls were already beautiful—standing together, they formed an even more stunning sight.
The light rain continued to fall, the crisp sound of droplets creating a gentle, melodic rhythm.
Mammon looked at them quietly, waiting.
"Um… are you free tomorrow? I'd like to invite you to my house for a meal."
Li Yuxin's fair cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her head, nervously brushing her hair by her ear.
For some reason, when she said those words, her heart began to race, and her face grew warm.
She had a favorable impression of Mammon—but it wasn't love.
It was more gratitude… perhaps mixed with that strange sense of closeness.
As for why she felt so shy—
No matter how you looked at it, what she had just said was far too easy to misunderstand.
After all—
She was only seventeen.