chapter10 Asher leave

Asher was a bit miffed, feeling his dinner vibes were being disrupted. Stirring the soup with one hand, he cocked his head slightly and said, "Nero, why don't you go grab dinner outside? I can't enjoy my meal with you hovering here."

Nero smirked, "I'll hang here for you. I'd just feel more restless stepping out."

Asher's eyelids flickered, "Just go grab your grub. We'll bounce once I'm done."

Nero seemed to get the hint he wanted and nodded casually, "Cool, I'll jet for now and swing by to scoop you up in an hour."

With a smooth stride, he dipped out the front door, executing a graceful exit.

Asher took his sweet time eating, polishing off the entire pot of chicken soup. He leisurely set down his chopsticks, slid onto the couch, leaned back, rested his hand on his forehead, still relishing the hearty soup flavor.

When Nero swung back around, his face still sporting a polished smile.

Asher lazily glanced at him, then begrudgingly got up and headed upstairs.

Scarlett brought tea cups, poured green tea for Zhuang Ling, and stood behind him with her eyes downcast, fingers fidgeting nervously, looking utterly unnatural.

Nero settled into the single sofa, lightly tapping the delicate porcelain tea cup with his fingers, occasionally giving Scarlett a nonchalant glance.

Scarlett didn't dare to skedaddle, shifting her gaze to the delicate porcelain vase nearby, the blue edge tracing translucent patterns, emitting a radiant gleam.

Thirty minutes later, a figure sauntered down the stairs, leaving Scarlett thunderstruck.

In a white shirt, light blue striped tie, and a sharp black and navy suit tailored to the nines, he exuded refinement and elegance, showcasing his tall, masculine figure. His facial features were chiseled and three-dimensional, with a hint of indifference in his dark golden eyes, exuding both nobility and grace.

The kicker? Where was his tail?

With long legs and a towering two-meter frame, clad in impeccably pressed black and navy trousers, his hands naturally hanging by his sides, he exuded an air of nobility with his confident stride and commanding presence.

Scarlett was floored, her lips slightly parted, eyes fixed on him, struggling to wrap her head around the reality before her. Was this really Asher?

If seeing a snake with a tail tens of meters long was jaw-dropping, then seeing that snake transform into a human was mind-blowing on a cosmic scale. Scarlett's mind was reeling.

Asher's gaze swept casually, his thin lips quirking slightly, still wearing that indifferent expression.

Nero had already risen, making a gesture of invitation.

Asher lazily headed towards the front door.

It wasn't until they reached the door that Scarlett realized Asher was leaving the island, but she didn't know when he'd be back. She hurried a few steps to catch up, looking at Asher hesitantly.

Asher paused, his eyes like bright moons, giving her a questioning look.

Scarlett lifted her head slightly, "Asher."

"Hmm?" His tone remained casual.

"How long you gonna be gone? You comin' back?" Scarlett asked cautiously, hoping he'd return soon, lest something sketchy happen in his absence.

Asher raised his chin slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Probably three or four days."

"Oh." Scarlett didn't know what else to say. She looked up, her mouth twitched slightly, and she whispered, "Just... watch your back."

Her reluctance brought a hint of pleasure to Asher. He smiled gently, "You stay here and keep an eye on things."

He turned around, striding confidently out of the villa's front hall, followed by Zhuang Ling.

She followed them to the front yard, watching as they walked out of the gate.

The white metal gate closed with a heavy echo under the vast sky. The figures of the two had disappeared, leaving only the dazzling light of the metal gate shining in the sunlight. Scarlett's mind was still spinning. A snake had turned into a human—was this island in another world?

She didn't understand Asher's identity. He was peculiar; how could such a long tail turn into two legs?

She returned to the sofa, still digesting the fact. Sunlight streamed through the French windows, casting changing shadows. She sat there quietly, lost in thought.

As the room grew darker, she turned on the lights. The magnificent chandelier cast colorful lights on the sculpted ceiling, giving the entire hall a warm and soft glow. She made a simple dinner, ate alone, and the sound of water flowing while she washed the dishes echoed in the emptiness.

She locked both the front and back doors, turned off the living room lights, went upstairs, and returned to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Scarlett lay on the velvet bedspread, gazing at the faint yellow relief on the ceiling for a while before turning to look at the wall clock. It was already late.

She got up again, went downstairs, turned on all the lights, including the corridor and the uninhabited rooms upstairs. The entire villa was brightly lit, but all the curtains were drawn, ensuring that nothing could be seen from the outside. Then, she entered Asher's room.

Soft, plush carpet, elegant cabinets, intricately carved bed boards—no matter how luxurious, Scarlett's gaze was fixed on the black computer. The black keyboard and LCD monitor seemed to have a fatal attraction to her. Her hand gently touched the raised keyboard keys, her heart beating rapidly. She hesitated, touching and moving away several times, feeling both afraid and eager, as if facing a raging storm in her fragile heart. Finally, she couldn't resist the temptation and pressed the power button on the computer.

The blue fluorescent light came on, and her palms sweated slightly. She felt a burning sensation in her head, and the wait for the computer to start up seemed endless. Only when all the desktop icons appeared did she breathe a sigh of relief, sitting on the chair and immediately opening a webpage. The progress bar moved slowly, finally displaying "network connection failed." Her fingers trembled, and she felt anxious, as if she were a thief committing a crime. She found the network connection and clicked multiple times, a window popped up, prompting for a password.

She became flustered, unable to grasp the hope that was right in front of her. Her knowledge of computers was limited to the basics, and she had no idea how to crack a password. The keyboard clattered, and Scarlett cursed herself for not learning more about computers. She desperately tried to recall the password, but her mind was blank.

Calm down, how could they allow her to contact the outside world freely? Scarlett was unwilling but helpless. She turned around and looked at the room. Although she had been in here a few times before, she had only cleaned it casually, always afraid that Asher might come to check and worried that there might be cameras in the room.

But upon careful consideration, Asher, as an anomaly, had not disconnected from society; he knew the rules of survival. How could he expose his snake body to surveillance cameras?