Dazed and confused, Shawn Young had no idea how much time had passed before he finally opened his bleary eyes. His head felt as if he’d just woken up from a hangover—splitting pain, dizzy spells, and a bone-deep exhaustion like his energy had been drained dry. Instinctively, he braced himself with both hands, trying to get up.
But he quickly realized his limbs were sore and weak, barely able to muster any strength. The fatigue wrapped around him like a heavy blanket, and his vision darkened for a moment. Shawn shook his head hard, fighting to clear his mind and figure out where he was.
"Oh—you’re awake!? Don’t move around just yet!" came Rainie Cheng’s concerned voice by his ear.
Rainie Cheng leaned in, her soft, voluptuous body hugging Shawn’s back, letting him rest in her arms. The sweet scent of a woman immediately filled Shawn’s nose, and with Rainie’s warm, silky embrace, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly comfortable. Out of nowhere, a primal urge stirred within him—his lower abdomen grew warm, and even the dormant energies in his mind reacted. The fog in his head cleared up quite a bit, and finally, he could see where he was.
He saw Rainie Cheng wearing a black, backless home dress that showed off her smooth, snowy-white back and her long, shapely legs. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders as she looked at him with concern, a picture of fresh, captivating beauty. The surroundings felt oddly familiar—especially the glaring steel pole in the middle of the room.
"Huh? Isn’t this the Leopard House? Rainie, how did we end up back here?" Shawn asked in surprise. It turned out this place was Gavin Grant’s old ‘entertainment spot’—the Leopard House!
"Yep, that’s right. We’re here now, but this place is considered a special asset! So I can use it for the time being," Rainie Cheng said.
"Oh? Special asset? What’s so special about it?" Shawn asked curiously.
"This villa technically belongs to Gavin Grant, but the owner’s name isn’t his—it’s listed as Yara Zen! It’s got proper paperwork and was bought through legal channels, so there’s no fraud or shady dealings. The special part is, we—Interpol—have temporarily requisitioned it. If we find evidence that Yara Zen committed a crime, we can deal with it by law. But until then, we’re in control. Of course, if Yara Zen hasn’t done anything illegal, she’s still the rightful owner," Rainie Cheng explained.
"So, we can stay here for now?" Shawn asked.
"Yeah, that’s right. For now, we’re good. Anyway, Jade Swann said you burned through too much true energy and mental strength, which is why you feel so rough. To recover, you’ll need to train or just get some solid rest," Rainie Cheng explained.
"Oh, I get it. By the way, where’s that girl?" Shawn suddenly remembered Jade Swann, the fiery-tempered one.
"Oh, her? She headed out for now—maybe to see her master. But I bet she’ll be back to find you!" Rainie Cheng said with a smile.
"Find me? For what? Sure, she’s gorgeous, but her temper is way too spicy for me! Besides, I’ve already got you, Rainie. If she comes looking for me, I think I’ll have to turn her down—" Shawn declared, putting on a heroic front.
"Oh, knock it off! You think I don’t know? What man wouldn’t love a beautiful girl making the first move? Sure, Jade Swann’s got a fiery temper, but she’s a good kid. Don’t go thinking crazy things about her! She probably wants to ask about your cultivation method, but I brushed her off for now. Still, she’s the stubborn type, so you’d better be ready—think about what you should and shouldn’t tell her, okay?" Rainie Cheng said, sounding a bit worried.
"Alright, I get it. I knew that girl wouldn’t be looking for me for anything good!" Shawn said, actually feeling a bit disappointed.
"Enough about Jade Swann! Here, I made you some bird’s nest porridge—it’ll help you recover your energy. Come on, drink it while it’s hot!" Rainie Cheng said, bringing over a steaming bowl and personally blowing on it before feeding it to Shawn.
After a bowl of bird’s nest porridge, Shawn finally felt much better—though his back and waist still ached, he was way more comfortable than when he’d just woken up. He casually asked, "Rainie, what time is it now?"
"Oh, it’s the middle of the night. You’ve slept for a whole day and night! Tomorrow your break is over, so you’ll have to head back to school before the afternoon. And I’ve got to return to Hong Kong for work," Rainie Cheng said.
"Ah! Our three-day break is already up! Rainie, you—you’re leaving too? I—" Shawn’s mood dropped again when he realized Rainie Cheng was about to go.
"Yeah, what’s wrong? Why do you look so pitiful?" Rainie Cheng teased, seeing Shawn’s hangdog expression. Truth was, she felt pretty happy—he was clearly thinking about her.
"I—I just don’t want you to leave…" Shawn said, grabbing Rainie’s slender hand.
"Silly, you know I’ve got important work to finish. And it’s not like I won’t come back! Once I wrap things up, I’ll apply for a long vacation and come spend it with you," Rainie Cheng said with a smile.
Her words finally put Shawn at ease. Then, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Rainie, where’s Lilian? That Soul Parasite on her needs to be removed ASAP—if it lasts more than three days, it could really damage her soul, maybe even leave her brain dead!"
"Whoa, it’s that serious? Lilian’s upstairs, and with the Soul Parasite still active, she keeps mumbling about you being her master. She’s just hanging out up there. I’ll go get her now." With that, Rainie Cheng hurried upstairs and brought down Lilian Grace, who was wrapped in a white robe, looking dazed and empty-eyed.