Chapter 73: Nebula’s temptations and deep night conversation with Zhi Yan

“Umm… master, these clothes you made me wear are too uncomfortable. Can I take them off?”

“Eh?” Lin Fang blinked, turning his head to look at her. She was constantly rubbing her thighs together, trapped by the pants. While she wore the largest size possible t-shirt, which hid her body curves and her bosom quite well, her hand was still trying to loosen the t-shirt even more.

Letting out a sigh, he gave a nod. “Fine, but don’t step outside without the clothes, I mean, both the top and the bottom.”

“Yes, yes…” As she nodded, Lin Fang added as he got up. “Also, unlike my other monster companions, you aren’t born with self-cleansing ability. The bath you took from the river isn’t enough to remove the smell from you. I’ll take a shower first. After that, your turn.”

“Smell?” Nebula blinked, sniffed at her arms, and then looked back at Lin Fang, “I don’t understand. Every creature has a smell.”

“You can see my memories. For humans, there is something called good smell and bad smell.” As Lin Fang replied, Nebula’s eyes lit up as a certain video appeared in her head. “Oh, I understood. Humans, while mating, men often say You smell good to their female counterparts.”

“You don’t have to say it aloud…” Lin Fang almost shouted in embarrassment, but controlled his tone in the end, and rose to his feet to go to the shower.

In moments, a warm shower hit his naked body, and he closed his eyes. The battles and events that had occurred in the Beast world during the past week started replaying in his head. Lin Fang couldn’t help but clench his fists with his head hung down, “I’m too weak at the moment. If I don’t become strong, even my companions won’t listen to me. I had Tempest with me all along. It’s not like I treated it badly, or it is some spirit King, and yet, in the face of hunger, it chose to ignore my order. Why? All because I depended on it too much for hunting down the monster, and it looked down on me as a result. Even an Epic grade like Tempest would go out of my control; what will happen when a mythic grade like Nebula becomes a Commander Tier? She is even a demon. I can’t let it happen. I have to become stronger at all costs to the point that I could suppress them with force if I had to. I…”

*Creak*

The door’s opening sound interrupted his thoughts, and when he turned his head, he saw the cow demon enter, her clothes long gone, displaying her bare body for him to see.

“Wha… What the hell are you doing…” As he almost shouted aloud, Nebula replied, blinking her eyes innocently. “Didn’t Master say that he would go first and then tell me to come later?”

“Uhh… I don’t mean that way…”

“Don’t worry, Master. I know what to do. In your memories, the hero often says these words, and the heroine goes ahead nevertheless and washes his back…” She replied, walking to him. However, before she reached him, Lin Fang murmured, turning a bit serious. “Lord of the Summons, activate.” Nebula paused in her steps and looked at him. As she blinked twice in silence, he said. “Get out.”

Nebula nodded and turned around to leave the room. Lin Fang, meanwhile, let out a deep breath and stood against the wall. “Man, I should be careful with this demon. She looked like a succubus without a tail rather than a cow demon.”

A few hours later, Lin Fang stirred awake, only to find darkness and being pressed into something soft.

As he forced himself to get off the grip, Nebula stirred a bit, but she continued to sleep, strangely smiling. His eyes couldn’t help but stare at her naked body for quite a bit, feeling the rise of heat in his body, and the temptation of lust just tried to overwhelm him. Based on her actions, all he had to do was take a step, and she would let him do whatever he wanted with her body, and she wouldn’t be displeased about it either. But Lin Fang shut his eyes, took deep breaths to fight against that dark temptation, and pulled over a blanket on her before slipping out of the room.

The apartment was dark and quiet. In the kitchen, he set a pot on the stove, tearing open a packet of instant noodles. Instead of water, he cracked open a can of beer, pouring it into the pot with a low fizz.

Just as the liquid began to boil, a faint click came from the front door.

Lin Fang turned. Standing there, rubbing her eyes lazily, was Zhi Yan. “Classmate Lin?” Her voice was soft, almost sleepy.

Lin Fang smiled faintly in response. “Didn’t eat dinner, so…”

Zhi Yan stepped closer, stretching her arms. “Add another packet for me. I’ll keep you company.”

Lin Fang raised an eyebrow. “I was cooking it in beer, though.”

“That’s fine,” she said, sitting at the table with a yawn. “I do that sometimes, too. Gives it a zing.”

Lin Fang chuckled, reached for another can, and dropped in an extra packet.

Soon enough, the two of them sat on the sofa with steaming bowls in hand. As the night deepened, they were seen laughing slightly as they drifted into memories of high school.

At one point, Zhi Yan couldn’t help but tease, “You even went out with the second-most popular girl in our school.”

Lin Fang snorted. “What’s the use? She dumped me in two weeks.”

Zhi Yan leaned back, sipping the broth. “You know… even I wanted to go out with you once.”

He froze at that comment, glancing at her. “Oh, stop kidding. Even if we did, it wouldn’t have lasted.”

“Why?” She tilted her head, watching him closely. “Is it because you thought I was boring? A nerd back then?”

Lin Fang shook his head, smiling wryly. “Well, to be honest, you were a top scorer who had no interest in beauty, barely wore makeup. And when you talked with boys… it was always about homework or exam prep.”

Zhi Yan propped her arm on the back of the couch; her eyes seemed half-lidded. “What about now then? Be honest.”

Lin Fang chuckled, but this time his smile faltered. He looked at her seriously as he answered.

“Honestly? If it’s just about you, then definitely yes. But if we consider your background… we don’t belong in the same world. Li Liu told me a bit. You’re not just rich—you’re basically a billionaire. This unit alone belongs to your aunt, but your family? They own forty percent of Evergreen Apartments. That’s what, over ten billion credits’ worth?”

Zhi Yan blinked, quiet.

Lin Fang continued, his voice calm but heavy. “It makes sense why you charge so little rent. You don’t care about money. You just want people around, to live with cotenants.”

He paused, swirling the broth in his bowl, continuing, “A casual relationship would be fine, but serious dating would mean thinking about marriage. And marriage between two people of such different statuses? Impossible in Zhongguo. Maybe in the West they don’t care as much, but here…” He shook his head. “Parents would never approve.”

The room fell silent for a moment, save for the faint hum of the fridge.

However, Zhi Yan then leaned forward slightly with shimmering expectant eyes in the dim light. “What if I say… my parents don’t care about my boyfriend’s background at all?”

Lin Fang’s heart skipped a beat at that question. For a brief moment, he almost believed her. But then, he let out a quiet breath and shook his head.

“Maybe not your parents,” he said. “But society will, like your friends, relatives, or even allies. People will keep reminding me I’m not suitable for someone like you.”

His gaze turned serious, staring into her eyes. “And besides, I’m at a stage where I can’t afford distractions. I want to build a business empire and become a higher-class monster tamer. I don’t have time for dating, not unless…” He paused, giving a small smile. “You were in the same field, working alongside me. Then maybe I’d consider it. But I know my place, and I know my current circumstances, Classmate Zhi.”

Zhi Yan’s lips pressed together. She tilted her head. “Then let me ask you this. What if the scenario were reversed? If you were the one from a powerful family, with wealth and influence… and the girl you liked was just a commoner. Would you use the same excuse to reject her?”

Lin Fang’s answer came quickly, without any hesitation. “No.”

“Why? Isn’t that a contrast with your earlier answer?”

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