Whenever the book mysteriously vanished from its hiding place and reappeared like this, it always ant one thing—new information had been added. Sotis it was a technique. Other tis, a special skill.
This ti was no different.
After flipping through a few pages, Yohan stopped.
"ridian Tell," he read aloud. "By visually scanning a person’s posture, muscle tension, breathing rhythm, and micro-tremors along key ridian points, I can instantly tell if their body is reacting to deception."
The mont he finished reading, a strange sensation surged behind his eyes. It felt as though the aning of the words didn’t just settle in his mind, but into his body itself.
"As long as I focus on their ridian points... I’ll be able to tell if they’re lying," he murmured.
"That’s insane," he said with a quiet laugh. "I’ll beco a living lie detector."
It wasn’t perfect, but it was more than reliable enough.
Just then, a loud knock echoed through his room.
"Yohan!" Anthony’s voice called from the other side as the knocking continued.
Yohan let out a slow sigh. He wasn’t in the mood for visitors—especially not right now.
’Even if my body’s healed... it still aches all over’
"I need to sleep, I’m so tired,"
He got up and opened the door.
"Yohan, are you okay?" Anthony blurted out imdiately. "The doorman said you ca in with your clothes all torn up like you got into a fight—"
His words trailed off as his gaze swept over Yohan’s shirtless body. His torso was so chiseled that Anthony was impressed even as a man. It looked like it was a sculpted figure, without any blemish.
"I’m fine," Yohan replied casually,
"Oh, thank goodness because I was actually going to invite you for a party," Anthony said with a bright smile.
On the other hand Yohan wore a face that didn’t share his excitent. Right now he couldn’t bring himself to go to a party and jump around with a bunch of college students.
’I sound just like an old man’ he shook his head,
"I don’t think I can co," he said.
"Why not?" Anthony wondered, "It’s not like you have anything doing, co on we’ll have a lot of fun this ti,"
Yohan sighed, "Doing what exactly?"
"I an... there would be lots of alcohol and then the girls..."
"I don’t like alcohol and we both know you wouldn’t even talk to any girl,"
"Who said so?!" Anthony’s voice raised sharply, "Last ti you weren’t there to see . After you stepped out, I had all the girls there begging for my attention,"
A slight hitch in Anthony’s breathing. A micro-stiffening of the jaw. The ridian flow along his collarbone wavered, just for a fraction of a second.
Yohan could imdiately tell that Anthony was lying—not that he even needed his new special skill for sothing that obvious.
"Oh really?" Yohan asked, a crooked grin forming on one side of his face.
"Of course!" Anthony said confidently. "Why do you think I ca here? I want us to team up and work together. If we do that, we can seriously increase our chances of getting girls."
Yohan let out a short laugh. "From the way you’re talking, it sounds like you don’t really need my help."
"I–I don’t," Anthony stamred. "But, uh... having a wingman would make it easier."
’Another lie...’ he shook his head.
"Sorry to disappoint," Yohan said flatly, "but I’m not interested in being your wingman today."
Then he shut the door.
"You bastard!" Anthony yelled from the hallway. "You think I need you? I’ll show you just how much of a player I am! I’ll get a girlfriend way hotter than that weird, scary lady that always cos to see you!"
Suddenly—
A cold presence settled behind him.
Anthony froze.
Very slowly, he turned his head.
Jenna was standing there. Her eyes were calmly staring deep into his soul, at least that’s what it felt like.
"H–Hello..." Anthony croaked. "N–Nice to see—"
"Move," Jenna said coldly.
"Yes ma’am!!!" Anthony yelled as he bolted into his room and slamd the door shut.
He collapsed against it, heart pounding like it was trying to escape his chest.
’Just what the hell is wrong with that woman...?’ he thought, sweat soaked through his shirt like he had just survived a near-death experience.
____
Jenna stepped into the room, only to freeze when she saw Yohan sitting shirtless on the edge of the bed.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Your injuries... they’re all gone..." she murmured.
"Yeah," Yohan said simply.
"H–How?" she breathed.
"I’d rather not say," he replied, scratching the back of his head.
Jenna hesitated, curiosity flickering in her eyes. But by now, she had accepted one thing about Yohan—he was a man wrapped in secrets. Pressing him would only lead to dead ends.
"Well... it’s good that you’re fine," she said instead. "I’m actually here because I need your help."
"What is it?"
"There’s a party later tonight," she said. "I need you to attend it."
His brows knit together. "Why?"
"Lady Izumi will be there," she answered quietly. "And she doesn’t want around for now so I need you to protect her."
Sothing flickered across her face—quick, restrained.
Yohan noticed it.
He focused—not on her expression, but on the subtle tension beneath it. The slight tightening of her shoulders. The faint disruption along the ridian near her collarbone.
A small distortion.
’A lie... or at least, not the full truth’
"Did you two argue?" he asked calmly.
Jenna stiffened for a fraction of a second before sighing. "I just told her she couldn’t trust Freddie... and she blew up at . She never listens when it cos to that boy."
That ti—her ridian flow stayed steady.
’So that’s what happened...’
"She’s at that rebellious phase," Jenna muttered. "Either way, I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone after Kai Lu saw my face. I don’t want to end up putting her in danger."
Yohan exhaled slowly. "I was actually planning to sleep early tonight."
He lifted his head and t her intense gaze.
"What’s in it for ?" he asked with a faint smirk.
Jenna blinked. "What do you an? Aren’t we partners?"
"We’re partners in taking Freddie down," Yohan replied lazily. "I never agreed to be anyone’s bodyguard."
She narrowed her eyes. "So what do you want?"
Yohan tapped his chin in thought. "Why don’t you do sothing for in return?"
Her guard imdiately went up. "Sothing like what?"
"I don’t know yet," he said with a teasing grin. "But when the ti cos, you’ll have to do it. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s sothing you’ll enjoy."
Jenna’s face flushed instantly as her imagination betrayed her.
"Y–You’re impossible..." she muttered.
Yohan chuckled.
’And now I can even tell when you’re nervous on top of that...’
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