"Listen, little Wraith..." Lady Houtu glanced at the little boy. "Let Dong Qianqiu go first. This doesn't look good."
Wraith shook his head. "What if this Operator tries to snatch her away? What happens to the plan?"
"A mere mortal." Lady Houtu went back to gnawing on her chicken drumstick. "He'd need a little more seasoning before he could snatch anyone away from me."
Du Yu quickly weighed things up. For now, this wasn't too big a problem. Even if Lady Houtu didn't remember him, she was still herself, after all. He had managed to build a good relationship with her before; he could surely do it again.
At Lady Houtu's command, Wraith's right hand changed from a black blade back into a palm. He picked up the apple he had dropped on the floor and started eating it.
Dong Qianqiu hurriedly covered her neck. It felt icy cold and was already covered in blood.
Du Yu slowly walked over and sat down in front of Lady Houtu. The little ghost called Wraith kept his eyes fixed on him the whole time.
"Boss, I have something I'd like to tell you in private," Du Yu said. This matter was so serious that the fewer people involved, the better.
Lady Houtu raised her head, pondered for a moment, and nodded to Mei Ghost.
"Little Wraith." Mei Ghost beckoned to the child. "The grown-ups need to talk. Come play with me."
"I'm not leaving." Wraith bit hard into his apple. "If I leave, this man will ruin things."
Lady Houtu toyed with a chicken bone. "Don't worry, little Wraith. I know what I'm doing."
Since Lady Houtu herself had said so, Wraith stopped insisting. He grabbed two more apples from the table and took them with him.
Lady Houtu glanced at Dong