"Sean, I'm here!"
"Little teacher Sean, look what I brought you!"
...
Sean slightly raised his head. He heard the voice before seeing the person.
Creak—the door was pushed open.
Zora entered, wearing a light green gauzy outfit that made her look especially delicate and beautiful. Her cheeks were slightly red, and her smile made her eyes curve like crescent moons. A small dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth, making her look very playful.
Her big eyes looked around, and when she saw Sean, they lit up with warmth that seemed ready to overflow.
Today, she looked even more beautiful than usual...
"You're here," Sean said with a slight smile.
"Here, I brought all this for you. Have you had breakfast yet?"
Zora shook the big cloth bag in her hands like she was showing off a treasure, then handed it to Sean.
Sean took it, feeling its weight. He smiled and teased, "What, bringing me gifts now? Is this to thank your teacher for the lessons?"
"Haha, just look inside! I think you're going to like it."
Zora looked very proud, clearly excited.
Sean took out the items one by one, not recognizing them. He looked up at Zora, puzzled.
"These are a toothbrush and toothpaste—for washing up in the morning."
"You squeeze the paste on the brush, like this..."
Zora demonstrated as she explained.
"This is shampoo, and this is conditioner. Your hair is so nice—use the shampoo first, then the conditioner. Wash it all out, and your hair will be super clean and smooth."
"And this bottle—this one's a gift just for you. Open it and see."
Zora brought out a delicate box with a bottle of men's cologne inside.
Sean curiously opened the package and held the glass bottle, admiring it. "What is this? The bottle is beautiful. How did you find such clear, dark blue glass? It's truly lovely."
Zora opened the bottle, pulled Sean's wrist closer, and gave a gentle spray.
A fresh scent immediately filled the air—mysterious and light.
"This is cologne. This one has a fresh, elegant scent with a bamboo-like middle note. It suits you perfectly."
"Now just rub your wrists together like this..."
Sean copied her movements, raising his wrist to his nose. The scent wrapped around him.
"I really like it. I've never seen such interesting things before. You're so thoughtful."
He felt genuinely touched. It was the first time a woman had given him a gift.
And one good turn deserves another.
Sean gently took off the jade pendant he always wore and handed it to Zora.
"This pendant has been with me since I was a child. Let it be my return gift."
Zora quickly waved her hands. "No, no! That's way too valuable. This white jade is clearly worth a lot. The things I gave you are just little daily items."
"And I didn't give them to get something back—I just thought they suited you."
Sean only smiled at her and didn't pull back his hand.
"If you think it's valuable, then keep it safe."
"This pendant has always been meant for my future wife. I'm just giving it to you early—take it."
Zora smiled foolishly, immediately grabbing the pendant and holding it tightly in her palm.
She was overjoyed.
(What did he say? For his wife? Hehe, is this a token of love? Looks like sweet-talking your husband really is the key to love… oh wait, winning your husband.)
Sean looked at her silly expression. She was truly adorable. He reached out and gently tapped her nose, leaning in close. His warm breath brushed her ear, making it visibly red.
(Ah! What's he doing? Is he going to kiss me? I'm so nervous… so shy…)
"Go sit down. Time for our lesson."
Sean turned around and sat down, still wearing that meaningful smile.
"Oh, right, I'm coming."
Literacy, meals, reading, learning antidotes…
Sean and Zora worked together smoothly.
In just two days, Zora had memorized the dictionary.
Then she started on the Four Books, Five Classics, poetry, and prose.
Sean was truly talented and shared everything he knew without holding back.
What surprised him was how gifted Zora was. She remembered everything he taught with perfect clarity.
…
Twenty-eight days passed in a flash.
The exam was in two days.
"That's enough for today. The exam is the day after tomorrow. Take a break tomorrow—you don't need to come. With the knowledge you have now, I'm sure you'll do great. Let me congratulate you in advance, Scholar Zora."
Sean looked at her with a teasing smile.
"Yes, that's it for today. Now take off your clothes. This is your last detox session. Congratulations—you're finally going to be healthy."
Zora's eyes were full of joy. She had worked incredibly hard these past few weeks, stuffing her brain full of knowledge.
As for Sean, once the poison was gone, his life would no longer be in danger. With some careful care afterward, he'd live a strong and healthy life.
Everything was getting better.
Sean calmly walked to the bed, removed his clothes, and sat cross-legged.
Zora followed him up and started using her powers to detox him again.
They had become very in-sync.
After half an hour, just as Zora was about to finish, the poison completely cleared—
"Pfft," Sean suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed.
Zora quickly caught him.
"Sean! What's wrong?"
"Why are you spitting blood..."
Her heart jumped to her throat. She had never felt so panicked before. Her eyes filled with tears. She didn't know medicine. The poison was gone—why was this happening?
No matter how she called his name, Sean didn't respond. He had lost consciousness.
Zora took a deep breath and focused her mind, using her power to scan Sean's body.
Nothing. There was nothing wrong…
This wasn't right!
Sean's breathing started to slow.
His heartbeat was fading.
Gritting her teeth, Zora pushed her wood-based powers into Sean's body.
She poured life energy into his heart without holding anything back.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
Her lips were pale. Her energy had been drained almost completely.
"Sean, wake up."
"You have to be okay."
"Please… don't leave me."
Zora also lost consciousness.
…
Sean felt like he had been pulled into a world of darkness.
Nothing but endless black.
No matter how loud he shouted, no one answered. Just an endless void.
He could feel his life slipping away.
"Hah… this isn't fair. I don't want to die like this."
Then suddenly—a green light shot through the chains.
Boom—
It shattered the black cage and wrapped tightly around him.
"Zora… it's you, isn't it?"