His head felt as heavy as a rock, making it difficult to lift, and even his thoughts seemed sluggish. Propping himself up with his elbow, Lin Tao shook his head to clear his mind and found that the sun was already high in the sky. Above him, a makeshift sunshade had been set up. The corpses of the zombie dogs had been cleared away, and the girls were sitting together, quietly eating their compressed rations. Not far away, a rge dog wrapped in bandages like a mummy blinked its big eyes, gazing at him in an adorably innocent manner.

  "Master, you're awake!" Michael wagged his tail excitedly, awkwardly scratching at the brown knitted cap forcefully pced on his head by Axue, who insisted he wear it to keep warm.

  "What time is it? Morning?" Lin Tao patted his forehead, trying to wake himself up.

  "Almost noon, I think. The girls didn’t dare to leave while you were still unconscious." Michael, wrapped in bandages and walking awkwardly, moved in front of Lin Tao, his face showing a hint of concern. "Master, did you use that lunatic Lashuel’s power again st night?"

  Lin Tao silently nodded in acknowledgment. He habitually took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and spoke in a low voice, "But this time, he forced me into an agreement. Every time I borrow his power, I must let him control my body for at least an hour. And I... can no longer suppress him deliberately."

  "That bastard..." Michael, frustrated, pulled the ridiculous woolen hat off his head and stomped it into the sand. He anxiously said, "Master, you know you can’t keep using his power! If this continues, it’s only a matter of time before he completely corrupts you and takes over your body!"

  "I know... but do I really have a choice? Besides..." Lin Tao looked at Michael with a calm expression. Seeing this, Michael could only sigh helplessly. Lin Tao took a deep drag from his cigarette, his eyes flickering with an indescribable emotion. "My soul was originally a part of him, split from his being."

  Revealing such a deep secret, both master and servant fell into silence. Lin Tao continued smoking, staring at the ground in contemption, while Michael absentmindedly pyed with the hat, burying and unearthing it in the sand repeatedly. After a long while, Lin Tao suddenly asked, "By the way, he didn’t do anything inappropriate with my body, did he?"

  "Oh, he did. Last night, he used your hand to grope Cao Mei. If I hadn’t woken up in time, he would have already pulled out your ‘weapon’ and gotten serious!" Michael closely watched Lin Tao’s expression, and when he saw a look of frustration appear, he covered his mouth and snickered. "Not that it really matters, right? She’s already yours."

  "That’s not the point!" Lin Tao shot Michael a gre and sighed. "I’ve always felt that Cao Mei is too calcuting, too purposeful. Even if she were a goddess, I wouldn’t want to get too deeply involved with her. A woman like that makes me feel like I’m engaging in a purely transactional retionship."

  "Then just use her and be done with it. It’s not like she’ll demand you take responsibility. Besides, they all know that wasn’t you st night." Michael grinned mischievously.

  "What? Lashuel actually revealed his identity to them?" Lin Tao was surprised.

  "Of course! You should’ve seen that arrogant bastard st night—boasting about being the greatest demon god, telling them to worship him, and generally being insufferable. Compared to that lunatic, I suddenly realized how humble I actually am!"

  "That does sound like something he’d say." Lin Tao shook his head with a wry smile. "You weren’t hurt too badly st night, were you?"

  "Ugh, don’t mention it. That damn zombie bitch snapped six of my bones in one hit. I was too careless!" Michael groaned, visibly frustrated.

  "As long as you’re alive." Lin Tao ruffled Michael’s head affectionately. The two had gone through too many life-and-death situations together, and moments like these always followed close calls with death.

  "Can’t you at least smoke a little less when you’re injured?"

  Bai Ru walked over, snatching the cigarette from Lin Tao’s mouth before he could react. She shot him a disapproving gnce before handing him a steaming bowl of broth. "Drink it while it’s hot."

  "You made this?" Lin Tao accepted the bowl with a grin.

  "Yeah, there wasn’t much meat left, so I made a small portion." Bai Ru nodded, generously watching him take a sip.

  "What about me? I got hurt too! Don’t I get some?" Michael perked up at the scent of the broth, practically drooling as he stared at Lin Tao’s bowl.

  "How could I forget about our esteemed Lord Michael? Your portion is with your dear Sister Axue!" Bai Ru pyfully twisted Michael’s rge ears, making him wince, but as soon as she let go, he happily trotted off to find Axue for his share.

  Lin Tao finished his soup and set the stainless steel bowl down with satisfaction. He took the napkin Bai Ru offered, wiping his mouth, and instinctively reached for another cigarette. But under her stern gaze, he reluctantly put it back, awkwardly asking, "Don’t you want to know what happened st night?"

  To his surprise, Bai Ru shook her head. Taking his empty bowl, she replied calmly, "What’s the point of asking? As women, we should just focus on our role. Knowing too much would only make us worry more. If even you couldn’t handle it, how could we possibly help?"

  "Haha, I like that answer. You’re so sensible!" Lin Tao ughed, scratching his head.

  "You still have the mood to ugh? If anything had happened to you st night, we would’ve been the ones left crying. I don’t know exactly what you went through, but I can guess you took a huge risk." Seeing Lin Tao nod slightly, Bai Ru bit her lip and added, "For our sake and for yours, please stop taking such risks."

  Stop taking risks? Lin Tao smiled bitterly. As if that were even an option in this world. But looking at Bai Ru’s sincere eyes, his heart skipped a beat, and he found himself nodding. "I’ll try."

  "I know it’s unrealistic, but... let’s just call it my wishful thinking." Bai Ru forced a smile, then suddenly looked past Lin Tao and chuckled. "Your debt collector is here. You handle it."

  Lin Tao sighed. As soon as Bai Ru walked away, Cao Mei swayed over, her slim waist moving enticingly. Seeing Lin Tao looking at her, she blushed slightly before sitting beside him. "Lin Ye, are you feeling better?"

  "Yeah, I’m fine now." Lin Tao hesitated before adding, "About st night..."

  "What about st night?" Cao Mei smiled faintly, biting her lip. "Even if something happened, it wasn’t you, so it has nothing to do with you."

  "I didn’t mean—" Lin Tao trailed off, at a loss for words.

  "Enough, Lin Ye. Just let it be. Give me at least a little dignity, alright?" Cao Mei's smile remained, but her eyes held a touch of sorrow. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, "If you had been my man, I would have given you everything—even my life."