Chapter 81: Captured

Nina's room was situated near those of several dark arts female teachers, though there was some distance between them. Han Shuo’s keen senses allowed him to clearly hear low voices of conversation drifting from within the teachers’ dormitory—clearly, they had not yet gone to sleep.

Every teacher at Babylon Academy was an extraordinary expert. As Han Shuo approached, he deliberately concealed his presence, slowing even his heartbeat.

Just as Han Shuo stood at Fanny’s door, about to knock, the door suddenly swung open. Fanny appeared in a silk nightdress, her exposed chest glowing pale in the lamplight. She wore the ruby necklace Han Shuo had gifted her, which made her look even more radiant.

“Bryan, what are you sneaking around here for?” Fanny gazed at Han Shuo with some irritation.

Glancing quickly left and right, Han Shuo asked in surprise, “Wait, how did you notice me?”

“These days, I’ve felt like someone was following me, so I’ve been more cautious. I cast a Life Detection spell at the door. I knew the moment you arrived,” Fanny replied, rolling her eyes at Han Shuo, who was peeking around like a thief.

“Um, Professor Fanny, may I come inside?” Han Shuo asked, for talking at the door wasn’t convenient—especially since the adjacent teachers weren’t yet asleep. If anyone saw him, it could be troublesome.

To his surprise, Fanny’s lovely face flushed at his words. She hesitated, then quickly scanned the hallway herself, and with cheeks still burning, she tugged Han Shuo inside and hurriedly closed the door.

Once inside, Han Shuo noticed the room was filled with a feminine atmosphere: pink bed curtains, spotless furniture and carpet, and elegant decorations—all indicating the owner’s gender.

Suddenly, Han Shuo recalled that in his previous world, young women rarely allowed unfamiliar men into their rooms. Each woman’s room was a window to her soul; without her approval, no man could enter. This realization stirred a ripple of emotion within Han Shuo, and his gaze toward Fanny grew heated.

“What are you staring at? Where have you been these days? There’s an assessment in half a month—you must attend. Otherwise, the academy has the right to expel you directly.” Fanny glared at him, then remembered something, turned her back to Han Shuo, and removed the ruby necklace from her neck.

“I know. I came to see you tonight to ask about some magical knowledge. Hey, why did you take off the necklace? You look beautiful with it on.”

“That’s none of your business. It’s late, and I’m getting ready to rest. If you want to ask about magic, come see me in the lab tomorrow. It’s already night—if anyone finds you here, it’ll be bad.” Fanny answered impatiently.

At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside. Soon, they stopped at Fanny’s door. There were two knocks, then a woman’s voice: “Professor Fanny, you’re still awake? May I come in?”

Just what she’d feared. Fanny and Han Shuo exchanged a glance, both momentarily stunned. Fanny shot Han Shuo a furious look, signaled him to be quiet, and called out, “Professor Camilla, just a minute—I’ll open the door right away!”

After speaking, Fanny began pacing the room, searching for a hiding spot for Han Shuo. But the room was small, and there seemed to be nowhere to conceal him entirely. In her anxiety, she spotted her bed, and her face lit up as she pointed at it for Han Shuo.

Seeing her anxiety, Han Shuo shrugged, rose from his seat beside the desk, and walked straight to her pink-canopied bed, climbing onto it with a look of satisfaction.

Just as Fanny reached the door to let Camilla in, she glanced back and was shocked to see Han Shuo atop her bed—a place she’d never allowed a strange man to touch. She mouthed a silent reprimand and frantically pointed to the space beneath the bed, clearly intending for Han Shuo to hide there, but he had misunderstood.

“Professor Fanny, hurry and open up!” Camilla urged from outside, having glimpsed Fanny in the light.

Han Shuo, now lying on the bed, ignored Fanny’s frantic gestures, laughing as he drew the curtains and covered himself with her fragrant quilt.

Fanny was furious, but Camilla’s persistent urging left her no choice. She opened the door, forcing herself to appear calm. “Professor Camilla, what brings you over so late?”

Camilla, a senior dark arts mage of plain appearance and middle age, entered and seated herself at the desk. “In the recent Dark Forest trial, your necromancy students outperformed the light magic division. That did our department proud! We’ll be heading out for a trial soon, and I came to seek your advice.”

“There’s no secret. Our success was pure luck. You’ve been in the dark arts department for years and have led many expeditions—you’re the expert here, not me.” Fanny replied, feeling uneasy as long as Camilla remained, afraid she’d discover Han Shuo.

The more she worried, the more her gaze drifted toward the edge of the bed, constantly checking for any commotion.

“Professor Fanny, your bed canopy is lovely! Where did you buy it?” Camilla suddenly rose, heading straight for the bed, eyes fixed on the curtains with keen interest.

Fanny’s heart skipped a beat. She rushed to the bed before Camilla, sitting down to block her line of sight. “It’s from Mill’s Boutique. If you like it, you should buy one too—it only costs a gold coin. Um…”

The bed was small, with Han Shuo already pressed against the wall. Fanny’s sudden, anxious descent placed her firmly atop Han Shuo’s left hand. Her explanation trailed off as she realized the mistake.

“No wonder it’s so pretty—Mill’s Boutique. But I’m too old for such things. Unlike you, Professor Fanny, I’d be ridiculed if I bought one,” Camilla replied.

Fanny’s full hips pressed against Han Shuo’s hand, giving him an exquisite sensation. He was at a loss, torn between pleasure and anxiety. Soon he felt Fanny’s hips rise slightly, no longer pressing down, as she strained to keep herself from moving and exposing Han Shuo, yet unwilling to let him take advantage.

From behind, Han Shuo had a clear view of the flush on Fanny’s neck, her delicate shoulders and back, and the shapely curves of her tense figure. He was too absorbed to hear a word of Fanny and Camilla’s conversation, his gaze fixed hungrily upon her.

Maintaining this awkward stance—like a martial arts horse stance—Fanny soon began to tremble, unable to bear it. Perhaps she thought Han Shuo had withdrawn his hand, for she relaxed and sat back down.

A soft gasp escaped her lips as Han Shuo’s palm, now turned upwards, brushed a sensitive spot. His fingers curled slightly, tickling along the curve where her hips met, making her unable to suppress another cry.

“Professor Fanny, what’s wrong? Your face is so red and you feel hot—are you ill? Let me take a look!”

“No, it’s nothing. Professor Camilla, if there’s nothing else, could you please leave? I… I’m tired and wish to rest.” Fanny’s voice trembled as she tried to rise from the bed.

Han Shuo, enjoying the luscious sensation, instinctively reached out when he felt her move away, his hand coming to rest on her now-lifted hip.

Fanny, nearly standing, shuddered violently at the sudden stimulation and collapsed back down, trapping Han Shuo’s hand beneath her.

“What’s wrong, Professor Fanny? You really don’t seem well!” Camilla exclaimed, pulling aside the bed curtain to help Fanny lie down—

—and there she saw Han Shuo, staring intently up, and let out a startled cry.

The sound snapped Fanny out of her daze. She leapt to her feet, babbling in panic, “Professor Camilla, he’s my student! He came to ask me questions. I just didn’t want you to misunderstand, so I hid him!”

“There’s no need to explain, Professor Fanny—it’s your private matter! No wonder you’ve ignored so many suitors, even Gene. So that’s how it is! To think you’ve already advanced to sharing a bed—how astonishing. Sorry, I’ve interrupted you two; I’ll take my leave!” Camilla apologized with a strange inflection, then made for the door.

Fanny, in a panic, tried to stop her, but no matter how she protested, Camilla just gave her a knowing, amused smile and slipped out.

As soon as Camilla left, Fanny hurried around the table and suddenly remembered Han Shuo—she flew at him, still lying on the bed, shouting, “Damn you, Bryan! I’ll never forgive you for this!”

With that, she pounced, raining ineffectual blows on Han Shuo’s chest.

As a mage, Fanny’s fists were harmless, but as she struggled in agitation, her trembling curves and the flash of pale thigh beneath her shifted nightdress were utterly intoxicating to Han Shuo.

He made a show of fending her off, but soon, overcome with excitement, he pressed her down, his own strong body pinning her beneath him as he murmured, “Professor Fanny, calm down, calm down.”

Though he urged her to calm herself, his actions belied his words—his chest pressed against her firm breasts, his abdomen against her body, all friction and heat. Han Shuo’s face flushed, his eyes burning with such intensity that Fanny found them alarming. Pinned beneath his weight, unable to move, she heard him repeat, “Calm down, calm down,” though he was clearly the more agitated.

Fanny was furious—he was the one losing control, yet he told her to compose herself. Her hands ached, her struggles were futile. As Han Shuo drew closer, her anxiety mounted and she kept calling out, “Damn it, stop right now, or I won’t be polite!”