Chapter 253: Who Exactly Are You?

Gu Yang and Lu Feng both looked toward Kong Nian at the same time.

They wondered if their previous question might offend her again.

After all, an unpleasant incident had already occurred last night.

"Do you really want to know?" After listening, Kong Nian didn't show much displeasure; instead, she sought confirmation from them.

Lu Feng nodded like a pounding garlic press.

Gu Yang similarly used his eyes to substitute for an answer.

To their surprise, Kong Nian cooperated, saying, "Alright, I'll tell you, but don't be frightened when I do."

Gu Yang and Lu Feng exchanged another glance, both seeing a trace of anticipation on each other's faces.

Kong Nian's voice rang out again, "In this world, besides humans, animals, and plants, there are many things that people cannot see. These things possess both good and evil. The evil ones linger in the human world, causing havoc and harming the living."

The lines of Gu Yang's cheeks tightened significantly.

In truth, he had already guessed it, but hearing it directly from Kong Nian's mouth still left him profoundly shocked.

As for Lu Feng, he was already speechless.

"Since there are calamities, there are naturally people who deal with them, and I am one of those people." As she spoke, Kong Nian seemed to become incredibly profound and mysterious.

"There isn't just one person like me; rather, there is a group. Outsiders call us Exorcists."

"Exorcists?! That's so cool!"

Lu Feng let out a heartfelt exclamation; this was a realm they knew nothing about.

"Then Miss Kong must be very powerful."

In the life-or-death moment last night, he had been too preoccupied with being nervous to actually see how she had made her move, but the fact that she had saved them so easily was proof enough.

Kong Nian did not deny it; she even gave him an affirming look.

Lu Feng became even more excited. "Then where did Miss Kong learn her skills? To be honest with you, I used to know some fortune tellers and mediums, but I truly thought they were all just practicing feudal superstition to deceive the ignorant masses. It seems I was far too superficial before."

"It's not that you were superficial. There are indeed many swindlers out there; they are a completely different concept from us Exorcists. As for our skills, some are learned from our masters, but others are innate—some are born as Exorcists." As she spoke the last sentence, a strong sense of superiority permeated her words.

Gu Yang, who had remained silent throughout, caught her underlying meaning. "So, Miss Kong is the latter type?"

Kong Nian smiled.

"No wonder Miss Kong is so amazing; it turns out it's innate talent. This time, Gu Yang and I have truly opened our eyes; we've met a benefactor." Lu Feng's liking and admiration for her were almost overflowing from his eyes.

Gu Yang was lost in thought. Logically speaking, they weren't familiar with Kong Nian at all; she had no reason to tell them so much.

Were all so-called Exorcists this unreserved?

However, his thoughts were quickly pulled back to reality by Lu Feng.

Not only did Lu Feng pour a drink for himself, but he also made a move to pour some for them as well.

Gu Yang directly took the glass away and reminded him, "We have work this afternoon. Have you forgotten?"

Although the company had no explicit rule forbidding drinking during working hours, he never drank.

"I'm just happy! Besides, just one glass shouldn't be a problem, right?" Lu Feng persisted.

He had dealt with all kinds of social occasions; there was nothing more direct and rapid for building rapport and establishing friendly relationships than drinking.

Gu Yang still shook his head.

Kong Nian also refused, "I don't drink."

Now, even if Lu Feng wanted to use alcohol to liven the atmosphere, he couldn't.

"Alright, I'll drink, and you two can use tea instead."

The three of them clinked glasses, and Lu Feng invited Kong Nian to eat.

When he placed a dish of Mapo Tofu in front of Kong Nian, she refused directly.

"Does Miss Kong not eat spicy food?"

This Mapo Tofu was made very authentically; the tofu was soft and delicate, the flavor was perfectly savory, and it wasn't excessively spicy, which was why he had thought to recommend she try it.

"It's not that. I'm allergic to tofu," Kong Nian replied casually.

Lu Feng froze for a moment and immediately moved the Mapo Tofu further away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

It was true that some people were allergic to specific things; it seemed he would have to strike this dish from his menu in the future.

Gu Yang was also somewhat surprised, but fortunately, she hadn't eaten it.

At that moment, Kong Nian gave him an imperceptible glance and continued, "Actually, it's not that I'm allergic to tofu. When I was little, I had an older brother who was very close to me. I was quite mischievous as a child. Once, I ran into a tofu workshop and accidentally knocked over hundreds of pounds of freshly made tofu."

Gu Yang, who was drinking tea, had been listening casually, but when Kong Nian reached this point, all his movements froze. He looked at her in disbelief.

Although Kong Nian immediately noticed his abnormality, she did not stop but continued telling the story on her own.

"The owner of the tofu workshop was driven mad with rage, demanding to know who had knocked over the tofu. I was so young and terrified back then that I didn't dare admit it. It was my brother who stepped forward and took the blame for everything. Not only did his family compensate for the cost of the tofu, but he was also given a severe beating by his father. From then on, I never ate tofu again."

Her explanation made Lu Feng realize something.

Never mind a decade or so ago; even now, food was precious, let alone hundreds of pounds of prepared tofu—that was definitely a precious thing.

"Miss Kong is truly loyal and righteous, to completely stop eating tofu because of something that happened in childhood. Gu Yang, do you think what I said is..."

The words "right" and "correct" were already on the tip of Lu Feng's tongue, but he saw Gu Yang staring "intently" at Kong Nian, his expression one of extreme shock.

Having known Gu Yang for so many years, whether in professional or personal settings, this was the first time he had seen him lose his composure like this.

"Gu Yang, are you okay?"

Gu Yang didn't even look at Lu Feng; he remained fixed on Kong Nian.

"Who exactly are you?"

The incident she just described was clearly exactly what he and Su Yan had experienced as children, without a single detail out of place.

But even Su Yan herself didn't remember this experience, yet it was coming from the mouth of another girl. At this moment, he could no longer control his emotions.

Kong Nian met his gaze calmly, and those eyes only served to increase Gu Yang's inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"Why do you ask? Did I say something wrong?"

"Yeah, Gu Yang, what's wrong with you?" Lu Feng grabbed his arm, applying a bit of force in an attempt to help him calm down and regain clarity.

They were having a meal with Miss Kong, yet he was inexplicably asking her who she was—wasn't that too impolite?

The usually warm-on-the-outside but cold-on-the-inside, calm and indifferent Gu Yang spoke in a low voice, repeating once more, "Who exactly are you?"

(End of Chapter)