Chapter 39: A Strange Sensation

Chapter 39: A Strange Feeling

The morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the bedroom.

"So fragrant..."

Richard was still bleary-eyed with sleep. He felt as though he were embracing a warm person, his hands resting naturally on the other's chest, his nose catching the faint, pleasant scent of hair. He struggled to open his eyes, only to be met with a cascade of long, dark, beautiful hair.

"Why is there a woman in my bed?"

Although Charles—Richard—didn't understand why, his body reacted instinctively; he hugged the figure tighter, burying his face deeper into the hair. If this were a dream, he hoped never to wake up.

"Don't move... so annoying..."

The owner of the long hair suddenly muttered in their sleep. Richard froze, instantly wide awake. That voice wasn't the soft, delicate tone he had expected; it was distinctly masculine and carried a chilling sense of familiarity.

"Henry!"

The realization struck him. Richard scrambled backward in a panic, tumbling off the bed. He climbed up, wincing in pain, and saw that the long-haired figure in the bed was none other than his classmate, Henry. He tremblingly raised his hands, his face twisted in disgust. "Henry, you damn bastard, what did you do to me?"

"What do you mean, what did I do?"

Henry woke up, rubbing his eyes groggily. He immediately felt a sense of discomfort. Looking down, he discovered his shirt had been pulled up to his armpits, and his chest muscles felt as engorged as if he’d spent an hour at the gym. His expression stiffened. After a long pause, he looked up at Richard, his voice filled with disbelief: "Richard, don't tell me this is your handiwork?"

Before Richard could respond, a knock echoed at the door.

"The two of you, breakfast is ready. Do you want me to bring it in?"

Jiang Ren’s voice drifted in. Its flat, emotionless tone sounded less like an inquiry and more like a threat.

"No need, we're coming out right now," Richard shouted back in a hurry.

Despite the initial panic, his rationality had returned. However, he was already planning to head straight to the bathroom to scrub his hands thoroughly.

Henry pulled his shirt back down. Hearing the footsteps outside move away, he couldn't help but grumble, "Richard, I'm certain you've been without a girlfriend for way too long. Otherwise, you wouldn't be desperate to this extent."

Richard rolled his eyes. "Who told you to keep such flowing, long hair? Is that my fault?" To ensure his friend couldn't mock him about this later, he had to maintain a strong front.

"You're just jealous that my hair is longer than yours." Henry rolled out of bed and gave him the middle finger.

***

He seemed to recall something then, clutching his hair and asking, "Richard, do you remember what happened in the early hours?"

Richard shook his head. "No. I heard a hideous scream, and then I blacked out."

Even a brief recollection of the scene before he lost consciousness made his heart race. Under those circumstances, it seemed impossible that he and Henry had walked away completely unscathed.

Henry glanced at the closed bedroom door and whispered, "I guarantee, your brother is definitely not human!"

Richard didn't answer, simply staring at him blankly.

"I mean, he’s definitely not an ordinary person." Realizing he hadn't been clear, Henry hurriedly added, his expression growing excited. "Although I don't know what happened after we passed out, I'm sure your brother resolved the trouble for us. I'm certain he must be a superhero hiding in the ordinary world."

"..."

Richard remained silent. He didn't know if his brother, several years his senior, was a superhero, but he had concluded by the age of six that he was certainly not an ordinary person.

Though his parents had favored him since childhood, he always longed to surpass his sensible, mature, and accomplished brother in some way—just once. But whenever Richard learned something new and challenged his brother with confidence, he would inevitably suffer a crushing defeat. A defeat without the slightest glimmer of hope. Although his brother never mocked him for it, that nonchalant, almost indifferent attitude toward victory only deepened Richard's sense of loss.

To Richard, his brother was like a mountain pressing down on his heart, one he could never shake off. For years, his deliberate distancing wasn't just a phase of rebellion; it was an attempt to cast off that mountain and wash away the shadow with time.

But since that phone call yesterday, Richard realized he had been too naive. When his parents ignored him and those around him doubted him, only his brother had rushed to his side at the fastest speed, risking danger to solve his problems. Not to mention that most of his living and tuition expenses for the past decade had come from his brother. Even his parents, who had been living apart for two years and leading their own extravagant lives, relied solely on his brother's money to maintain their lifestyle.

His brother had never failed him; it was Richard who had chosen a dead-end path.

"Richard? Richard?"

After Henry had been talking for a while, seeing his friend unresponsive, he waved a hand in front of him.

Richard snapped back to reality. "What is it?"

"What's wrong with you?" Henry eyed him suspiciously.

"If you don't want my brother to come in and invite you personally, I suggest you go eat breakfast first." Richard shook his head, opened the bedroom door, and walked out.

***

"Wait for me."

Henry hurried to catch up. Although Richard's brother had appeared gentle since they met, he didn't believe that was his true nature.

The two sat at the dining table, which was laden with a hearty breakfast. Jiang Ren, who was eating heartily, looked at the two boys’ confused yet fearful expressions and gave a brief, heavily edited account of yesterday’s events.

In summary, the materials used to make the spirit board contained hallucinogenic substances, causing those who came into contact with it to experience supernatural hallucinations. Richard and Henry were half-convinced, but seeing that Jiang Ren didn't want to elaborate, they dared not ask further.

"Although the amount of hallucinogens in your systems has decreased significantly, to avoid any lasting side effects, it is best if you take a leave of absence and go abroad..."

Jiang Ren finished his breakfast and looked at the two teenagers sitting primly before him. Halfway through his sentence, his brow suddenly furrowed.

He had a very strange feeling. It felt as if something had gone wrong, yet he couldn't quite remember what that something was. Jiang Ren paused, letting the doubt go for the moment, and continued, "Take a leave of absence and travel abroad to clear your minds. Don't worry, I know you don't have money; I'll cover all the expenses."

This city was no longer safe. Or rather, the entire federation was no longer safe. To prevent others from using Richard to threaten him, sending him abroad was undoubtedly the best choice. As for why Henry was included, it was simply to give Richard a companion so he wouldn't be too resistant.

Richard had no objections. Since he had come to terms with his relationship with his brother, he wouldn't resist now. Henry desperately wanted to say that since they were neither related nor close, taking such a huge favor felt wrong, but seeing Jiang Ren’s "fierce" gaze, he swallowed the words back down.

"I happen to have time today, so I'll take you to the port first."

Without waiting for them to refuse, Jiang Ren led them to the elevator and down to the underground parking garage. Last night, he had sensed someone monitoring them. To avoid any accidents on the way, he didn't intend for them to leave the country through official channels, but had used his connections to find a private ship.

They boarded a modified, large commercial van. Jiang Ren waited for another half hour, confirming that those monitoring the area had left, before ordering the driver to pull out of the garage.

Several hours later, the van arrived near a remote stretch of coastline.

"The scenery isn't bad."

Jiang Ren opened the window, intending to see if the private ship had arrived. But the sight before him caused his expression to change drastically. He finally knew what had gone wrong!

I apologize, a chapter was swallowed today, so there is only one update. The missed content will be made up before the book is officially published. Additionally, starting tomorrow, I will try to write more to build up a buffer of chapters and move the update time earlier.