Her eyes held a hint of grievance at being deceived. Lu Wei averted his gaze and said softly, "Qiqi, I'm sorry."
Rong Yi snorted coldly. "Forget it. Wear it if you must. It's just a broken ring—it can't hurt me." He took Qiqi's hand. "We'll take a cab back."
Lu Wei blocked the door. "Rong Yi, aren't you afraid Qiqi will catch a chill again?"
"You—"
Rong Yi's demonic energy surged once more, his long hair whipping wildly in the wind. Lu Wei stood his ground, his demeanor resolute, like a guardian deity barring the way.
Fearing another clash between the two, Qiqi quickly interjected, "It's fine, it's fine. I'm not afraid. I'm in good health, Senior Brother. I'll just take a cab back with Rong Yi."
"No, you must stay," Lu Wei refused to let her go.
"I'm taking her with me."
"She has to stay and recover."
"We don't need your care."
The two men were locked in a standoff, on the verge of coming to blows. In a panic, Qiqi pressed her forehead. "Ouch, my head hurts so much..." Then she slumped to the side.
Both men immediately reached out to catch her, shooting each other a resentful glare. So, Qiqi was settled back into bed, wrapped up like a silkworm cocoon.
Weakly, Qiqi said to Lu Wei, "Senior Brother, could you get me some medicine? I feel a bit dizzy."
Lu Wei glanced at Rong Yi, then at Qiqi, and finally nodded before leaving. After all, Rong Yi couldn't use his demonic powers. If he wanted to take Qiqi, he'd have to go through the main door—there was no escape.
As soon as her senior brother left, Qiqi scrambled up in one swift motion. "Rong Yi, are you okay? Did those cops give you trouble?"
Rong Yi shook his head, looking at Qiqi, then suddenly pulled her into an emotional embrace. "I'm fine. They didn't catch me... Qiqi, I'm sorry for putting you through this again."
Qiqi ruffled her hair, squirming out of his arms. "I'm okay. Senior Brother already gave me an IV. A few more days of rest and I'll be fine. Plus, he promised to clear our records at the police station. From now on, we can stay home without worrying about being caught."
A glint of green flashed in Rong Yi's eyes. "Who needs his help?"
Qiqi quickly nodded to soothe him. "I know, I know. Rong Yi is a great demon, the most powerful being in the world. But, Rong Yi, you should head back for now. Find a safe place to stay—don't forget what day it is today."
Rong Yi paused, then sighed. "I know. Today is the fifteenth of May."
"That's right. May fifteenth, the night of the full moon. Rong Yi, you're going to transform tonight. Don't take me back. Leave now, find a secluded spot, and make sure no one sees you or gets hurt. Come get me tomorrow when you've recovered."
Rong Yi looked up at the setting sun and reluctantly nodded.
He had originally planned to use teleportation to take Qiqi home, then teleport to a remote place to transform. But now that he couldn't use his powers, he'd have to take a cab with her, which would take too long—he might not make it in time for his transformation. So, for now, he had to leave Qiqi here.
He warned her uneasily, "Be careful on your own. Don't get too close to Lu Wei. Hmph, that man has ulterior motives."
Qiqi scratched her head—what ulterior motives did her senior brother have? Sure, making her wear the demon-repelling ring was annoying, but it was for her own good... Ah, forget it. She'd better comfort Rong Yi again. It was pretty demoralizing that the demon king's powers were useless against this ring. But what exactly was the story behind it?