Condition

When she returned back to her room, ready to be done away with the gown, she saw the guy sitting there, his eyebrows furrowed. He was fiddling with the ointment Dr. Long had given her a few minutes ago.

"Sit, I will apply it myself," he ordered.

Su Xin Yu scoffed, "I appreciate your concern but I can do it myself. I am not very comfortable in being naked in front of a stranger."

"Oh? So if we know each other, you would? Let's start it right now," this guy was changing his colors like a chameleon! Right now he was being his flirty self again. What was his problem?

Su Xin Yu squinted her eyes which squeezed out a chuckle from him. He got up from his seat, grabbed her hand and made her sit on the chair. He then took a pair of scissors and cut the gown from behind skillfully, keeping the front intact.

"You have saved my life twice already. I think this much I could help you out with," he whispered in her ears.

Twice? Then… he knew?

Su Xin Yu turned her head and raised her eyebrow questioningly. Li Ming Hao laughed again.

"What? You thought I wouldn't recognize you? I could tell from your eyes but now that I have seen everything today…," he measured her from top to bottom once again. This pervert!

"Ahem, anyway, so I couldn't express my gratitude that day. So please do not deny this opportunity to me," he was applying perfect pressure on her wounds, they were not hurting with his touch. The cooling sensation almost made Su Xin Yu doze off. Guess she was too alert with him. He must have been good with girls, no wonder so many were throwing themselves off on him.

Seeing that she wasn't saying anything, the guy knew she had accepted his help.

"Why do you want to explore the dungeons? Is it just because your dad told you to?" she broke the awkward silence in the room. The guy had gotten to massaging her neck and shoulders now. If he was expecting anything in return, he should forget it.

"Well, as an archeology student at Harvard, I was interested in knowing the rich history of this place. So I thought…"

"Young master Li, let me warn you beforehand. This is not some tomb raiding drama, nor is it an archeological expedition happening here. If you are thinking it will help you with your thesis or something, you might be in for a disappointment, alright?"

"Oh. Umm… I'm also looking for clues about a person," there was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"A person?" she rotated around her chair to face the guy. This was the first. He had at least one goal same as her. Should she then consider him as her comrade?

"Yeah, he was my mentor when I was about seven to eight years old. He was no one significant in our household but my interest in archeology came about due to him. He left me so many books and diaries," Li Ming Hao started explaining his story.

"In his last diary, he had left me a note saying I would find him in the dungeons if I ever get interested in exploring them. I needed a legit reason to convince my dad to let me work on my own, so I looked into the programs where I could some back and…," he stared into the space reminiscing about his decision two years ago. Su Xin Yu was monitoring him from the mirror. It did not seem like he was telling a lie.

"At least now I know I'm not prepared," Li Ming Hao peered into her eyes through her reflection in the mirror. Su Xin Yu found an unusual comfort in what she was observing.

"Diaries? Are there any notes about the dungeons here?" her eyes immediately lit up when she heard about it. She had no clue who this person was. But if it were her dad, then he would have left everything to her. Did it mean there were more people who knew the secret of the place? Perhaps some friend of her dad's?

"I could show them to you tomorrow if you wish," Li Ming Hao grinned. It would be great if he could gain a friend like her. She was adept at decoding this kind of stuff anyway, it would be for the best.

"Really?" An expression of eager interest crossed her face. Despite her obvious excitement, she tried to stay calm but her face betrayed her.

Her dad had never left anything for her. It was all in her head because he made her learn a lot of things between four to six years of her age. It was all verbal education. It would be interesting to see this person's written notes.

But then she realized, wasn't she falling into the guy's trap? He would then ask her to take him with her on expeditions.

It was not like she had not taken people into the dungeons before. Because of her expertise, she had led quite a few groups of students into the 'safe' dungeons. Dean Li had made this a rule, if anyone had wanted to explore any dungeon beneath, they had to have her with them. He did not want anyone to lose their lives and get blamed for it.

Despite getting liability waivers signed by the poor lambs, he did not really want any bad press. So, anytime a group of interested peers got permission from him, she would be the leader and protector of the students. Again, she would only take them to the places she had already tested or had already triggered all traps beforehand.

But now, if she referred to his notes, then he would definitely become her tail. Again, it was not necessary that she had to take him with her all the time. She could still disappear for her own expeditions, which was something Dean Li did permit, not without a full report though. It was very easy for her to run away. But she had to come back for the sake of her remaining tribesmen.

"What is your condition?" she asked him frankly.

"Of course, I would like to accompany you on your expeditions," Li Ming Hao smiled as if he was just waiting for her to ask the question.