A Friend in Need

West of Fifth University lies a small forest, within which are hundreds of villas, each with its own private courtyard. This area is home to the university's senior administrative staff and distinguished professors, and it is the quietest and most scenic part of the entire campus. At the heart of the forest, there's even a small lake.

Heavy clouds obscured the sky, yet they couldn't block the encroaching dawn. As the eastern sky gradually brightened, Fifth University Dean of Academic Affairs, Grong, sat fully dressed at the dining table, enjoying a delicious breakfast.

Applewood logs crackled merrily in the fireplace, their faint scent filling the air with a sense of peace. The room was warm and cozy. Through the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see heavy snow still falling outside. It was undoubtedly cold out there, but inside, it was as warm as spring. The stark contrast made Mr. Grong sigh contentedly, taking a hearty gulp of fresh milk.

The room was lavishly furnished, with vibrantly colored wallpaper adorning the walls, and furniture and trinkets inlaid with gold and silver everywhere. The entire east wall was covered with precious porcelain from Eastern, and all seating and bedding were upholstered in silk. All of this proclaimed the family's immense wealth.

Dean of Academic Affairs at Fifth University, an Imperial Viscount, and married to a lady from a Count's family, Mr. Grong let out a satisfied burp, patted his slightly thinning head, and a pleased smile spread across his round, ruddy face.

A pretty young maidservant carefully carried a silver tray, presenting a slice of white bread with nuts, Mr. Grong's favorite. Mr. Grong chuckled softly, his right hand naturally sliding under the maidservant's skirt, gripping her young, tender thigh. He recalled the soft, delicate moans the maidservant had made beneath him the previous night, and a warmth spread through his chest.

Last night, he had finally paid a few shining gold coins to have this lovely young woman in his bed. His wife had been away for the past couple of days, which conveniently opened up all sorts of opportunities for Mr. Grong.

He knew his wife had recently connected with some influential figure from Berely, and he also knew what those so-called literary salons were all about. But he could accept all of that. She didn't care who he broke a sweat over, so he wouldn't complain about who she cried out in pleasure beneath. It was a fair arrangement; everyone found their own fun!

The young maidservant let out a coquettish hum and cast a charming, sidelong glance at Mr. Grong.

Mr. Grong let out a lewd chuckle, his chest warming again. But what worried him was that despite his mind being full of lustful thoughts, his body, or rather, a certain part of his body, showed no reaction at all. It was cold and limp, like a hibernating grass snake, utterly unresponsive.

His enthusiasm waning, Mr. Grong withdrew his hand, picked up the white bread with a hint of worry, and slowly picked out the hazelnuts, chewing them with a crunch. This was not a good sign, a very bad sign. He knew his body well; it meant he wouldn't be able to perform for the next few days.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but he had just made that delicate request to Father Balin, and Father Balin should have passed the task on to those resourceful student "thugs" within University City as requested.

Undoubtedly, in Mr. Grong's mind, students like Lin Qi were outright "thugs." He didn't have a good impression of these individuals who ran rampant in University City. But he had to admit, even a big shot like himself couldn't do without the help of these bad students.

He thought of Gina, the lead dancer of the Gissian traveling troupe. Based on Mr. Grong's years of experience in the "flower trade," she should still be a pure girl. Unlike his wife, who came from a noble family, and the obedient little maids, she was different. His wife and these well-behaved maids were like delicate pet dogs.

He glanced at the little golden dachshund snoring by the fireplace and shrugged.

Gina was different from them. She was a wild little cat, a lithe and powerful little leopard. Her body brimming with youthful energy, her agile movements – everything deeply captivated Mr. Grong. He was willing to pay any price for a night with this beautiful girl. Thinking of her youthful body writhing and struggling beneath him, Mr. Grong's heart began to pound violently.

But damn it, that important part of his body still showed no reaction whatsoever.

"Damn it!" Thinking of the fiery, wild Gina, Mr. Grong began to regret his indulgence last night.

He could always have his own maidservant, anytime, even if his wife was home. But a girl from the Gissian traveling troupe, that kind of top-tier quality was extremely rare. Whether it was her looks, her figure, her skin, or her wild temperament, so different from ordinary women, Gina's allure to Mr. Grong was simply too powerful.

To give up Gina for a mere maidservant? It was a disaster.

But he knew his body best. He wouldn't be able to regain his vigor for three to five days, and the Gissian traveling troupe never stayed in one place for more than three days! Mr. Grong stood up with a gloomy expression. The delicious breakfast could no longer hold his attention. He sighed, picked up the gold-rimmed tricorne hat from the table, placed it on his head, grabbed a small cane made of an old rattan vine, and walked out of the house with his head hanging low.

The cold wind hit him, and Mr. Grong shivered. Unable to vent his inner rage, he roared angrily. These damned lazy servants! Noble Viscount Grong was going out, and they hadn't even prepared the carriage yet?

Lin Qi, yawning continuously, ambled into Mr. Grong's courtyard and waved at him with a smile.

It was like eating a fly first thing in the morning. Mr. Grong looked at Lin Qi with immense disgust. He admitted that scoundrel students like Lin Qi were useful, but that didn't mean he could tolerate such a scoundrel freely entering and exiting his courtyard. His face darkened, and he swung his small cane, creating a whistling sound in the air, and roared with intimidating authority, "Lin Qi, you damn fellow, is this a place you should be coming to?"

After all, this was the residence of a Viscount and a Count's daughter. How could a scoundrel like Lin Qi barge into a noble's home?

Lin Qi held a crystal potion bottle, no bigger than his thumb, in his hand. He grinned happily at Mr. Grong and said, "Dear Mr. Grong, I've brought you something good! I believe you could use this precious, miraculous potion refined from mysterious herbs from Eastern!"

He cast a subtle glance at Mr. Grong's lower body. Lin Qi had many eyes and ears in University City; Mr. Grong's coachman was an outer member of the Iron Fist Brotherhood. He knew well Mr. Grong's unsavory habits.

He was determined to extort a large sum of money from Mr. Grong for this potent potion.