Lanaia's defensive move was an unmistakable show of distrust in Fu Qian's character.
Fu Qian naturally noticed, but didn't mind in the slightest. Instead, he thought of something she'd just said.
"By the way, why were you just nearby in the middle of the night?"
"Uh..."
The sudden change of subject clearly caught Lanaia off guard.
Faced with Fu Qian's question, she froze for a moment, then seemed hesitant.
"Drinking?"
Before she could decide what to say, Fu Qian caught a faint scent on her and quickly reached a conclusion from that and her expression.
"It's after work. There's nothing wrong with an adult having a drink, is there?"
Realizing Fu Qian had figured it out, Lanaia didn't try to hide it. She readily admitted it.
"Of course not. I was just curious whether alcohol even works on a supernatural being whose metabolism is far beyond an ordinary person's."
"Looks like you haven't explored that area much. I could take you to try it sometime."
Lanaia smiled sweetly at Fu Qian's question, but the next moment, her expression suddenly turned cold.
"But I'm sorry, you're not going to talk your way out of this today. You're coming back to the academy with me right now!"
"To be perfectly honest, you've ruined my entire night out, and I'm in a pretty foul mood..."
By the end, she was practically grinding her teeth.
"I'm in a pretty good mood."
Unfortunately, Fu Qian showed no awareness that he'd caused trouble.
He delivered the infuriating line with an earnest expression, then climbed into Lanaia's car under her deadly glare.
"Let me make this clear. First, I'm definitely not driving under the influence. Second, once we get back, try not to bring up the drinking again."
After starting the car, Lanaia spoke with a serious