Chapter 169

After confirming there were no other dangers, the three returned to the lounge.

Leonard went to the window and pushed it open.

Rain was still falling, but the water had already flooded half the floor they had stayed on the previous day.

But—

"The acid rain seems to have stopped," Leonard noted.

The sharp, acrid smell in the air had vanished. After watching for a while, he was finally certain—the tormenting rain was over.

"We can go back," Suzy said, letting out a breath of relief. She was more than ready to leave.

The three of them packed quickly.

They didn’t have much to begin with—just one backpack each. The heavier items had already been quietly stored away in Suzy’s space.

As they stepped out, Suzy ran into Liam at the end of the corridor. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder as well, clearly ready to leave.

When he saw her, he paused slightly, his gaze settling on her.

Their eyes met. It looked like he wanted to say something.

Suzy looked away. She was still a little bothered by what had happened the night before.

At that moment, Wendy suddenly walked over to Suzy and spoke first.

"Suzy, where are you staying now?"

Suzy looked at her warily.

Wendy seemed not to notice. Her gaze drifted lightly over Leonard and Thomas before she continued, "If you don’t have a place, you can come stay with me."

"No need. I have somewhere to stay," Suzy replied flatly.

Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed downstairs.

Leonard and Thomas followed immediately.

Wendy watched their retreating backs, biting her lip in frustration.

Damn it... Suzy.

Acting like she was so eager to invite her—if it weren’t for Leonard and Thomas, she wouldn’t have bothered at all.

"Let’s go," Liam said.

Wendy snapped out of it, her expression shifting instantly as she softened her voice. "Mm, let’s go."

She hurried after him, trying to walk beside him.

But Liam subtly quickened his pace, always keeping half a step ahead.

Wendy pressed her lips together, though her smile didn’t falter. "Liam, how’s your injury from yesterday?"

"Mm." His reply was brief, but his thoughts drifted.

That morning, when he checked his wound, the inflammation had already subsided. The swelling was gone, the discoloration fading, and it was healing at an astonishing rate.

All because of Suzy’s medicine.

Without it, there was no way it would have recovered this quickly. It really was worth a fortune—just like she had said.

The thought left his mood complicated. He hadn’t expected her to use something so valuable on him. They barely knew each other, after all.

And then he thought about how she had reacted that morning—clearly seeing him, yet pretending not to.

For some reason, that unsettled him. Being ignored... didn’t feel good.

They walked downstairs in silence.

After a while, Wendy spoke again, "That’s good. Injuries are really dangerous in times like this."

As she spoke, she glanced downward. Suzy and the others had already disappeared around the stairwell corner.

"You know, Suzy’s been strange lately. I asked where she’s staying, and she wouldn’t even tell me. I’m just worried about her," she complained softly.

Liam didn’t respond.

Wendy didn’t give up. "We used to be really close when we were kids. I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately. I’ve been trying to find her ever since everything happened... but she doesn’t seem to like me anymore..."

She sighed, looking both aggrieved and helpless.

Liam said nothing, but his pace quickened.

Wendy felt a flash of resentment, though she didn’t dare show it. Grinding her teeth, she hurried to keep up.

Her inflatable boat was docked in the opposite direction from where Suzy had gone. When she parked it, she had deliberately chosen a spot shielded by a building, so it hadn’t been damaged by the acid rain.

The two groups split off, heading in completely different directions.

At the same time, Suzy and the others reached an exit on the opposite side.

None of them intended to travel with Wendy.

Thomas scanned the area and frowned. "Our boat’s ruined. How are we getting back?"

Only then did Leonard remember—their boat had been corroded by the acid rain and was probably still floating somewhere out there.

He hesitated. He

did

have a spare boat in his space... But taking it out in front of Thomas would expose that secret.

No boat meant no way home. But revealing it meant exposing the truth.

He was stuck.

Suzy, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate at all. This felt like the perfect moment.

"It’s fine," she said casually. "I have a boat in my space."

The word

space

made both men pause.

Thomas’ expression barely changed. He didn’t fully grasp what she meant.

Lonard, however, froze completely. Then his eyes widened in disbelief, as if he’d just seen a ghost.

Wait—

Did she even realize what she was saying?

Was she just going to reveal it like that?

He had known about her ability, sure—but Thomas was standing right there!

Did she trust him that much? What exactly had happened between them these past few days?

His thoughts spiraled.

"Suzy! Hey—hey! It’s not a big deal, we’ll figure something else out!" he blurted out, raising his voice in an attempt to drown out what she’d said.

He shot Thomas a quick glance. Seeing no obvious reaction, he let out a small breath of relief.

Good. Maybe he hadn’t caught on.

This girl was going to give him a heart attack.

Suzy gave Leonard a reassuring look. He didn’t notice.

Before he could even finish exhaling, Suzy lifted her hand.

Out of thin air, a speedboat appeared on the water before them, perfectly sized for three people.

Thomas’ expression shifted for the first time. From calm... to great shock.

His pupils contracted slightly.

Leonard had it worse. He had just barely calmed down, and now this? He nearly choked, breaking into a fit of violent coughing as he stared at Suzy in disbelief.

"Uncle, it’s fine," Suzy said softly. "You can trust Thomas."

Leonard was still coughing uncontrollably. She pulled a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to him.

Thomas, meanwhile, had already steadied himself. He glanced from the boat to Suzy, curiosity flickering in his eyes, but he didn’t ask a single question.

"Let’s get on first. We’ll talk after we’re back," Suzy said.

"...Alright."

Finally regaining his composure, Leonard climbed aboard and began checking the boat.

At that moment, Suzy suddenly felt something.

A strange gaze.

She turned her head and met a pair of tiny, red, bead-like eyes.

The little white snake had appeared again. It was coiled near the stairwell corner, flicking its tongue as it stared straight at her.

The moment she noticed it, it quickly withdrew its head—only to peek out again a few seconds later, cautiously.

Suzy didn’t have any particular feelings about snakes.

But this little one... was oddly endearing.

The two of them stared at each other as if locked in a silent standoff.