Chapter 30: This is your service fee
“Hmph hmph hmph~”
Humming a little tune, I arrived at the Golden Skull Auction Exchange with the potion case and my two egg babies.
I handed over the two other completed potions, and after the supervisor’s verification, I received a total of ten gold coins.
One was a deadly poison, the other… a sensitive potion. Each worth a hundred gold coins—combined, they barely matched the value of Gu Xuanyun’s [Holy High-Tier Revival Potion]. The clients wanted anonymity, so they delegated verification to Golden Skull.
That suited me fine. I didn’t want too much contact with these clearly troublesome clients—I don’t care what they do with the potions, just pay me and I’m good.
After waiting an hour in the VIP room, Gu Xuanyun arrived right on time, as promised.
“You really showed up right on the dot, huh?”
Swinging my legs, I teased him.
“I’ve got a lot on my plate.”
Despite a month apart, Gu Xuanyun still had that menacing aura.
“Let’s verify.”
He glanced at me, waved the supervisor out, and spoke, already unbuttoning his shirt.
Knowing he needed me to apply the potion, my mouth still twitched as he stripped in front of me.
But when he removed his shirt, I frowned.
“What happened? You’ve got more wounds than last time?”
“…Hunting dangerous beasts, how could I not get hurt? Stop talking and focus on my abdomen this time.”
He snapped impatiently, circling his six-pack abs with a gesture.
My mouth twitched again.
…Applying potion to a guy’s abs… this is way too awkward!
“Here’s your service fee. Get to it.”
Seeing me frozen, he seemed to catch my discomfort as a girl—last time was just his back, but this was his front, a whole different deal.
He tossed me a magic crystal.
…Fine, I’ll do it, big-spender daddy!!!
“…Alright, lie down, I’ll handle it.”
Caving to the money, I sighed, motioning him to lie flat for easier application.
“Same as last time—half applied, half saved. Cover more area this time, not just a tiny patch like before.”
“Got it.”
I exhaled, pulling a bundle of cotton swabs from my backpack… heh, I came prepared.
“Use your fingers, not swabs.”
“…”
This cold-looking guy… is he some kind of pervert?
I stared at him, stunned.
“That crystal’s worth three gold coins. Swabs absorb some of the potion’s effect—I don’t like waste. Su Mengmeng, how are you a Level 10 Alchemist and not know this?”
“…Fine, I forgot, okay!”
I gritted my teeth, begrudgingly preparing to use my fingers.
Guess I overthought it… ugh, I’m so dumb. Of course swabs waste potion.
“Money makes the world go round… money makes the world go round… fine, for the babies’ milk money, I’ll do it…”
Muttering to myself, I started as he lay down beside me.
Dipping my soft fingers into the sticky potion, I began applying it to his abdomen.
Over a dozen new and old wounds covered his abs. I carefully assessed which were most severe, guiding the potion’s effects to heal them.
He gave me an extra crystal worth three gold coins—I couldn’t half-ass this. Some extra effort was the least I could do.
It’s not like my small gestures were worth a three-gold-coin crystal.
I thought quietly, and as I applied the potion, I couldn’t help but wonder what Gu Xuanyun had gone through to be so scarred.
A long-imprisoned warrior? A freed slave?
Who knows? He won’t say, so no one knows his story.
Just like me.
I mused, and soon, half the bottle was used up.
“Done. Drink the rest… eek!!!”
I exhaled, about to hand him the remaining half, when my peripheral vision caught my backpack wiggling.
It was about to fall off the chair!!!
…These brats sensed the new high-tier crystal and wanted to eat!
Panicking at the sight of the falling bag, I shoved the potion bottle at Gu Xuanyun and bolted to grab it.
“Hey!”
In a few steps, I snatched the bag, placing it safely back, blocking Gu Xuanyun’s view. Without hesitation, I smacked the egg babies inside.
“Stop it! Keep squirming, and Mommy won’t feed you!”
I hissed angrily, and the eggs, eager for a meal, instantly stilled, acting all innocent.
…They scared the life out of me.