"An unfamiliar ceiling… achoo—"
Tingyun had just woken up.
She stared at the strange ceiling above her, and before she even had time to feel wary—
A feather tickled her nose and made her sneeze.
Su Ran, lying on his side by the bed, smiled in satisfaction as he watched her.
"You are…?"
The moment Tingyun saw an unfamiliar man lying beside her—
Fear surged through her heart.
Especially when she realized—
Though she was wrapped tightly in the blanket,
Underneath, she was completely naked.
That made her even more terrified.
"Call me benefactor and let me hear it~"
Su Ran lightly brushed the feather across her cheek.
"D-Don't… please…"
At this moment, Tingyun still had no idea what situation she was in.
Other than fear—
Only vigilance remained in her heart.
"Do you remember what happened to you?"
"The Antimatter Legion!"
After thinking for a moment,
Tingyun quickly recalled what had happened.
She immediately thought of the flames that had attached themselves to her body.
Instinctively—
She wanted to throw off the blanket and check whether her body was intact.
But the moment she remembered the unfamiliar man beside her—
She stopped herself.
"You are…?"
"Su Ran."
…A name she had never heard before.
Naturally, Tingyun had no idea what that name meant.
Long before Herta Space Station had been invaded—
She had already been attacked.
So she hadn't yet had the chance to learn of Su Ran's identity.
"So you are Benefactor Su Ran. It's just that this little woman has no recollection of what happened after I was attacked. Could Benefactor please help me remember?"
By the time Tingyun had been engulfed in those flames—
She had already lost consciousness.
But before fainting,
The merchant vessel had sent out an emergency distress signal about an Antimatter Legion attack.
Other than that—
She knew nothing.
She had no idea what had happened to the merchant convoy.
No idea whether her companions had survived.
But one thing she was sure of—
Su Ran had definitely not been on that ship.
"I wasn't there, so naturally I don't know the exact details. But I can tell you this—you encountered a Lord Ravager."
The one who saved Tingyun was Ruan Mei—
Not Su Ran.
And since Ruan Mei was a woman—
Being called "benefactor" didn't quite suit.
Su Ran casually twirled the feather against Tingyun's cheek again.
The sensation annoyed her deeply—
But she didn't dare swat it away.
So she could only endure the discomfort and listen.
The moment she heard Lord Ravager—
Tingyun's face turned pale.
"Then… did Benefactor save me from that Lord Ravager?"
If so—
Then "benefactor" truly was deserved.
The fear in Tingyun's heart lessened slightly.
And a bit of gratitude surfaced.
But she was still highly wary.
She had no way of knowing—
Whether she had escaped one abyss,
Only to fall into another.
"The one who saved you wasn't me. It was Ruan Mei—the Genius Society member. You should know of her, right?"
Su Ran tossed aside the feather—
And began gently playing with Tingyun's fox ears instead.
Brown foxes might not be as rare as pink-haired or white-haired ones—
But they were still worth petting.
Especially now that Tingyun had recovered—
Her fur was once again silky smooth.
Tingyun could barely focus on the strange tingling sensation in her ears.
Her mind was already flooded with confusion.
"I only took you from her and treated you. In a sense, taking you away from Ruan Mei was me saving your life."
After all—
Ruan Mei was emotionally detached.
If Tingyun had stayed with her—
She might very well have become some kind of "Destruction Tingyun" experiment.
"Benefactor's kindness… this little woman is deeply grateful. It's just that… would Benefactor perhaps allow me to send a message home, so my family may know I'm safe?"
Even though Su Ran hadn't shown any hostility—
Looks could deceive.
This gentleness could be real.
Or it could all be an act.
But anyone who could take her from Ruan Mei—
Clearly wasn't ordinary.
He was likely another Genius Society member.
No matter what—
Falling into the hands of people like this…
Her freedom was no longer hers to decide.
That was why she wanted to send a message to the Luofu.
To let them know she was safe.
So they wouldn't worry.
As for herself—
She would focus entirely on navigating this situation.
"I'm afraid that'll be difficult. This place isn't connected to the interstellar network. And since I brought you from Ruan Mei, naturally I had a purpose."
Though Su Ran's tone sounded apologetic—
His expression showed not a trace of politeness.
From Tingyun's perspective—
Even if he openly said he intended to keep her captive,
That would still be believable.
"Benefactor, please speak plainly. If there is anything this little woman can do, then for the grace of saving my life, Tingyun will naturally repay it with all she can."
Perhaps having accepted reality—
Tingyun gave up on any thoughts of escape.
In this unfamiliar place—
She truly had no idea what she could even do.
After all—
She really was just a weak woman with no power to fight.
"That's good. I have someone under me—a businesswoman with exceptional talent. But unfortunately, because of her limited knowledge and the world she comes from, she can't fully display her potential. I want Miss Tingyun to teach her how to become a true merchant in the wider universe."
Since Tingyun had already agreed—
There was naturally no need for coercion.
As expected of someone from the Xianzhou.
She really did understand the principle of—
The wise submit to circumstances.
"…"
Tingyun was stunned.
She had braced herself for something far more terrifying.
But Su Ran's goal—
Was only this?
A life-saving debt—
And all he wanted was for her to teach someone… how to do business?
Even if he had proposed something like asking for her body in return—
After weighing the pros and cons,
She might very well have accepted.
And yet—
He only wanted this?
"Benefactor's request… is only this?"
Perhaps because the price seemed too low—
Even Tingyun herself found it hard to accept.
If the cost had been higher—
She would've felt more at ease.
But asking her to teach business?
Wasn't he losing out too much?
After all—
A favor debt was far harder to repay than a money debt.
"Well, if the request is small, then I won't have to worry about a little fox like you harboring ulterior motives. But if I ask for too much, I'd be worried about being manipulated by you instead."
"Why?"
Tingyun didn't understand.
If the request were greater—
Then they could simply call it even.
She didn't want to owe outsiders a deep debt of gratitude.
Naturally—
She wanted to repay it as quickly as possible.
"Because you're a good person. If you owe your benefactor something, you probably wouldn't dare scheme against him, right?"
"…"
Tingyun blinked.
Why can't I be a bad woman?
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: patreon.com/YonkoSlayer