Damn It, Chapter 5 Got to Enjoy Himself Again

"Holy shit! Why is this bear alive?!"

Xin Lan hadn't been this frightened in a long time.

For a moment, she couldn't even keep her expression under control. She shrieked and leaped three steps back, unleashing her mental power to kill the little thing that had sent her sanity plummeting.

"Wu Xi! You scared Lanlan! Put your Spirit Body away!"

Seeing that she was genuinely frightened, Chi Ming hurriedly called Wu Xi to order.

Wu Xi was baffled by Xin Lan's reaction, but he put the little bear back in his Mental Landscape first.

"I'm sorry, Miss Guide. I meant to surprise you, but I didn't expect to scare you. I'm truly sorry."

Without Chi Ming having to say anything else, he obediently knelt on one knee before the startled Xin Lan and lowered his head.

Even after apologizing, though, his head was still full of questions.

How strange.

How could a woman not like a fluffy little bear?

His Spirit Body was so cute when it was small...

"...That was your Spirit Body?"

Once Xin Lan had calmed down, her expression turned complicated.

She'd heard the little puppet say that sentinels and guides both had Spirit Bodies, but she'd never seen one herself and had no idea what they were like.

The toy bear suddenly coming to life had scared her into thinking she'd encountered something supernatural...

"Yes. My Spirit Body is a polar bear. When it shrinks, it looks like what you just saw."

Confused and dismayed, Wu Xi lowered his head even further.

"I'm sorry. Please punish me."

Xin Lan didn't take the incident to heart. She was only curious about something unfamiliar.

"There's no need for punishment. Let's eat first. Afterward, both of you can bring out your Spirit Bodies and show me."

Wu Xi snapped his head up, his face full of shock.

Miss Guide wasn't blaming him?!

Could she be a guide who seemed cold but was actually kindhearted?

Was he really not dreaming...?

In a daze, Wu Xi followed Xin Lan back to the dining room, watching her with an apologetic and inquisitive gaze all the way.

The dishes they had made looked beautiful, with an enticing color, aroma, and flavor, as well as delicate plating that made her appetite stir at a glance.

Xin Lan dug in without ceremony, remembering to remind them to bring out their Spirit Bodies partway through the meal.

Wu Xi and Chi Ming exchanged a glance, and Wu Xi brought out his Spirit Body first.

Sure enough, it was a white polar bear, even larger than an ordinary one. It looked fairly fierce, but its gaze was somewhat timid and pitiful.

Knowing she had hurt the little bear's feelings, Xin Lan silently lowered her head and took another mouthful of rice, looking away from it.

"Chi Ming, your turn."

She didn't know what Chi Ming's Spirit Body was yet and was especially curious.

Chi Ming rubbed his fingers together, looking somewhat embarrassed and uneasy.

"Lanlan, my Spirit Body is an anaconda. It's a little scary, so maybe we should forget it..."

Snake Spirit Bodies had always been unpopular with guides because they were too frightening and disgusting. Some guides even ordered their sentinel guards never to bring out their Spirit Bodies, and were even less willing to form deep links with them.

He had finally managed to grow a little closer to Xin Lan, and he didn't want it all to come to nothing because his Spirit Body was too ugly.

But Xin Lan's reaction was completely beyond his and Wu Xi's expectations.

She was delighted, her face full of anticipation.

"An anaconda? Really? Bring it out! I've never seen one before. Is it well-behaved?"

"..." Wu Xi was dumbfounded, almost driven mad.

How could this be?!

Why would a woman like snakes instead of fluffy little bears?

And of all people, she had to be his guide!

Argh!

That damn stinking snake was going to have his fun again!!!

Chi Ming was stunned too.

He was nervous, his mind even more tense than when he faced a Polluted Entity of the same level.

But Xin Lan's gaze was so curious that, after some thought, he gritted his teeth and brought out his Spirit Body, shrinking it a little first.

It was an enormous snake, over ten meters long, with dark gold circular markings on its belly, black scales covering its back, and golden eyes just like Chi Ming's.

It seemed to know that its massive body and markings looked especially frightening. As soon as it appeared, it slithered under the dining table and hid its head.

It looked rather silly, hiding its head but leaving its rear exposed.

Xin Lan looked down at it, and its vertical pupils immediately narrowed with excitement. Its forked tongue flicked out, greedily picking up her scent.

Though silly, it was well-behaved and quiet. It just lay motionless at her feet, not even daring to touch her.

"I like it."

Xin Lan's eyes curved as she made the shocking declaration.

Chi Ming's tense body instantly went rigid. Wild joy spread rapidly across his face, and his already dark complexion grew a shade darker as he flushed fiercely.

"Really? Then, then I'll let it out to keep you company often from now on?"

"Mm."

Xin Lan nodded and lifted a foot to rub it against the big creature's head.

It felt icy cold and slightly slick. Perhaps sensing her mood, it moved a little closer beneath her feet and obediently coiled there to serve as her footrest.

A pet that was well-behaved and didn't bark like a dog was just to Xin Lan's liking.

She put both feet on the anaconda's head. Far from being frightened, the cool sensation beneath her soles whetted her appetite, and she drank another bowl of soup.

"Have it shrink a little more next time. I want to sleep with it in my arms at night."

"Okay."

Chi Ming didn't hesitate at all. The pleasure even made his scalp tingle.

Sentinels shared their five senses with their Spirit Bodies, so Xin Lan stepping on the anaconda's head was like stepping on his face...

Wu Xi was utterly stunned by the bizarre scene.

No way!

Why was his Miss Guide so different?

Of all the things she could like, why did she have to like such a creepy cold-blooded animal?!

Just look at how much Chi Ming was enjoying it!

He must be fantasizing about Miss Guide stepping on his face and trampling him at will, just like his Spirit Body, right?

Maybe the pervert even wanted to hold Miss Guide's toes and lick them.

Argh!

That damned stinking snake! All he knew how to do was play dumb and act well-behaved!

Wu Xi was indignant, but the advantage he had been proud of was gone. If he wanted to win Miss Guide's favor now, he would have to find another way.

"Oh, right, where am I going to work again?"

Xin Lan had eaten and drunk her fill and wiped her mouth. She was just about to discuss something serious when she looked up and caught sight of Wu Xi's pale, gleaming abs and pecs.

Wow...

Was this what it meant to look slim in clothes but muscular without them?

Nice. Take another look.

Wu Xi stepped forward and came to stand before Xin Lan, bracing both hands on the dining table. The long silver star earring on his left ear dangled down to his collarbone, setting off his full pecs and making them look even fairer and more eye-catching.

"Miss Guide, if you don't like my Spirit Body, you can look at me instead."

Wu Xi's features naturally had a somewhat arrogant look, but now his bright, unrestrained gray-white hair hung above his eyes, looking a little tousled and fragile. He looked aggrieved and pitiful.

Like a poor little dog begging for a pat after being neglected.

Xin Lan stroked his hair and didn't hold back her praise.

"Mm, you have a nice body."

Delighted, Wu Xi immediately bent down and leaned much closer to her.

Perhaps because he was so close, he was instantly surrounded by the scent of lily of the valley that lingered around Xin Lan.

The delicate, sweet scent truly enchanted him. Looking at her expressionless yet incomparably beautiful face up close, he felt his heart pound.

If he could, he would gladly drown in her captivating Guide Pheromones.

"Miss Guide, your Guide Pheromones smell wonderful. I love them."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've never smelled anything so fresh and captivating. It intoxicates me."

Wu Xi made no effort to hide his fascination with her Guide Pheromones.

Or perhaps he couldn't have hidden it anyway.

After all, their compatibility was 99.99%, the highest so far. Even that SSS-grade guide and her exclusive sentinel had a compatibility of only 85%.

He thought his fascination with Miss Guide was written into his genes.

He couldn't resist it, and there was no need to.

"Miss Guide, if possible, would you be willing to touch me? It would be my honor."

Perhaps it was the intoxicating Guide Pheromones that had gone to his head. In a daze, Wu Xi recalled that Miss Guide's gaze had lingered longest on his pecs, and, as if possessed, he took her hand and placed it on his chest.

The next second, a crisp slap rang out.

The slap instantly cleared Wu Xi's muddled, hazy mind.

He covered his face and hurriedly backed away.

"I'm sorry, Miss Guide, I..."

He stumbled over the word "I" for a long time, unable to explain his overly offensive behavior just now.

He could only kneel on one knee with his head lowered, filled with remorse.

Damn it, what had he just been doing? How could he have been so impulsive?!

Somewhat satisfied with how quickly he admitted his mistake, Xin Lan bent down, lifted his chin with her index finger, and lightly rubbed it a few times with the pad of her finger, as if bestowing a favor.

Her tone was even, yet held a captivating allure.

"Good. You know you were wrong."

"Remember, unless I make the first move, I don't like anyone touching me without permission. Don't do it again."