Further into the distance was the estuary of Lake Mälaren going into the Baltic Sea. Cargo s.h.i.+ps and fis.h.i.+ng boats, along with sailboats and cruises were riding on the waves. Colonies of seagulls were flying in the golden sky. Also a capital, Beidu, was like a person running with a baggage, perspiring profusely yet still continuing to speed up. Meanwhile, Stockholm was like a person strolling by the beach. It was very slow-paced and leisurely without troubles hovering on the mind.

Still, it was hard to say which place or lifestyle was better, because everyone had their own preferences in living and had a place they saw as their hometown.

“Doctor Ning,” Shalim Talman's voice came from behind.

Ning Tao withdrew his gaze and turned around. Shalim Talman was walking through the living room, coming to him. She was wearing a traditional Swedish attire, which was a white long-sleeved s.h.i.+rt with a broad collar, accompanied with a short blue skirt. A purple waistband was tied around her slender waist, accentuating her impressive bust size. Her head was adorned in a piece of blue headwrap sewn with floral edges, which looked rather exotic.

“I never dared to dress like this in the past. My chest was too flat,” Shalim Talman smiled as she said, “All thanks to you for helping me recover the joy of dressing up.”

Ning Tao said smilingly, “Your figure would be better if you made up for your lost fat.”

“How did you do it?”

“You're asking me this again. I've already said it, this is a secret. Since it's a secret, there must be a reason for me not being able to say it.”

Shalim Talman shrugged. “Alright, I won't ask anymore. I'm holding a banquet for you. My father and older brother, and a few aristocrats are attending. They would like to meet you.”

“Didn't you want me to treat some professor?” Ning Tao asked. He didn't wish to attend some banquet, especially one with the king, the prince and some aristocrats. It would surely be a very strict and rigid banquet.

Shalim Talman said, “Professor Jade is not in Stockholm. My father has already sent a helicopter to pick him up. I'm sure he will be arriving after the banquet.”

“Alright, I'm very honored to attend your banquet,” Ning Tao said. He had exhausted all excuses to not accept her invitation.

“You're going just like this?” Shalim Talman looked at Ning Tao gleefully.

Ning Tao seemed to have noticed something. He looked down and saw that his clothes were very dirty. There were even some blood stains. After experiencing such a battle in Florence, rolling around the rooftop, he was unhurt, but his clothes had definitely gotten dirty. Attending a banquet with n.o.bles and aristocrats like that was indeed inappropriate, and would make others think that he was being disrespectful.

Ning Tao smiled wryly. “I left Florence in a rush. I haven't had the time to buy a new outfit. Do you have anything suitable here?”

Shalim Talman clapped her hands.

A woman dressed in a royal livery walked in with a set of the Ruitian people's traditional male clothing in her hands.

Shalim Talman received the outfit from the servant, then said something in the Ruitian language before the servant left.

Ning Tao went over to receive the outfit.

Still, Shalim Talman said, “Go take a shower in your room first, then I'll help you put it on. This is our traditional attire, there are specific ways of wearing it. You wouldn't know how.”

“Alright, I'll go take a shower.” Ning Tao left the living room and headed to his room. He then took off his dirty clothes and entered the bathroom.

Right after he stepped into the bathroom, Shalim Talman had entered his room.

“What is she doing?” Ning Tao couldn't see through the frosted gla.s.s door to see Shalim Talman, but he could activate his state of looking to detect Shalim Talman's innate aura. In the end, he found that Shalim Talman was approaching the bedside; it occurred to him what she was intending to do. She wasn't waiting for him in bed, but had instead approached his small medicine chest. He smiled as he shook his head. That woman's sense of curiosity was very strong indeed.

In the room, Shalim Talman placed the clothes on the bed and glanced at the bathroom door which was shut tight. She then quickly approached the small medicine chest and tried to lift the lid.

The lid didn't move at all.

“Hm?” Shalim Talman was surprised, then continued to forcefully try to open it. The lid still did not move.

It was clear that it didn't have a lock. But why couldn't it be opened?

The third attempt failed.

The fourth attempt failed.

The fifth attempt failed.

Shalim Talman picked up Ning Tao's small medicine chest in disappointment and intended to throw it outside the window. However, once she had cooled down, she placed the small medicine chest back on the bed and grumbled in dissatisfaction, “This person is weird. Even the box is weird!”

The door to the bathroom opened. Ning Tao came out with a towel wrapped around him.

Salim Talman was slightly fl.u.s.tered from a guilty conscience, and hurriedly stood back up as she faced Ning Tao. Yet when she saw Ning Tao, her pair of blue eyes were fixated.

Ning Tao's proportions were close to perfection. His skin was radiant and smooth, and the contours of his muscles were firm but didn't make him appear brutish. With such a body, along with his refres.h.i.+ngly handsome face, he was solidly attractive to the opposite s.e.x.

After being stunned for a moment, Shalim Talman exclaimed, “Woah, I couldn't tell at all. You don't look strong at all when fully clothed, but that's not the case when you take your clothes off. Do you know what I'm thinking?”

“What is it?” Ning Tao asked casually before walking towards the place where his clothes were.

Shalim Talman said, “Michelangelo. You're like a work of art sculpted by him.”

Ning Tao said smilingly, “Isn't that exaggerating?”

“I'm speaking my true feelings.” She then added, “May I ask you a question?”

“Of course, what is it?” Ning Tao looked at her, while thinking about how to send her away.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

Ning Tao said, “Yeah I do, I have two.”

“Two?” Shalim Talman was shocked.

Ning Tao smiled. “What's so strange about it?”

“Do they get along?”

“Of course. Very well,” Ning Tao said.

Shalim Talman revealed a look of disappointment. “At first, I intended to introduce you to my younger sister, but I didn't expect that you already had two girlfriends. Anyway, it's not surprising that such an exceptional person like you would already have two of them.”

“Princess Shalim, um…” Ning Tao said awkwardly, “Is it okay for you to excuse yourself? I'm going to get dressed.”

Instead of leaving, Shalim Talman ended up picking up the s.h.i.+rt from the pile of clothing. “Your memory is so poor. Didn't I say it just now? This is our traditional costume. You wouldn't know how to wear it. I have to help you.”

Even before she had finished speaking, she approached him with the s.h.i.+rt in her hands.

He couldn't possibly reject the Ruitian princess' offer to personally dress him, right? Ning Tao wouldn't do such an impolite thing. Even though it was very embarra.s.sing, he still cooperated, and was able to wear the s.h.i.+rt with her a.s.sistance.

Just when he had just put the s.h.i.+rt on, the towel around his waist was suddenly tugged off by Shalim Talman…

“Ah!” Shalim Talman gasped, but her eyes didn't blink at all. That gaze behaved as if she had witnessed a unicorn, which symbolized good luck in Norse mythology.

Ning Tao grabbed some clothes and covered his front in a fl.u.s.ter. “Princess Shalim, I'll do it myself. You can wait for me outside.”

“I'm so sorry, I thought you were wearing… Um, I'll wait for you outside.” Shalim Talman was too embarra.s.sed to continue staying around. She walked past Ning Tao, and her pair of blue eyes suddenly darted and stared fixedly at Ning Tao's back.

Ning Tao turned around hurriedly, but unfortunately, he had still been seen.

Shalim Talman had exited the room in a proper manner, properly closing the door.

Ning Tao let out a sigh of relief and forced a smile. He wouldn't even know in which country's court he could file a suit for being taken advantage by a princess like that.

The Ruitian traditional costume was actually not that complex, and Ning Tao was dressed in no time. It was very fitting. He took out his possessions from his dirty clothing, such as pa.s.sport, wallet, and other things. Lastly, he fished out that ridiculously acquired condom. He had intended to throw it away, but he didn't know why he ended up stuffing it in his pocket again.

“What was I thinking? Could I have been expecting something?” Ning Tao found his own behavior strange.

Once the room door was open, Shalim Talman was already waiting outside with a smile on her lips. “I didn't expect you to look so great in this set of outfit. You look like an actual citizen from Ruitian.”

Ning Tao smiled. “Thank you. Let's go.”

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Shalim Talman led Ning Tao out of the room, through the wide and tall corridor, and finally down a flight of stairs.

Two armed soldiers were guarding the exit of the staircase. They had even bowed respectfully when Shalim Talman and Ning Tao walked past them.

“They're the royal guards, and are only called in for duty during the reception of guests. My father sees you as an important guest,” Shalim Talman said.

“I'm greatly honored,” Ning Tao responded politely while thinking inside, “They're being overly hospitable for no reason. Could the king of Ruitian have any other unspeakable illness, apart from wanting to make me treat that professor named Jade?”

That was the typical mentality of a doctor.

After going downstairs, Shalim Talman led Ning Tao through another corridor. There were many guards dressed in ancient armor and holding long spears, lined up on both sides. That painted an imagery resembling the attendance of a banquet during the Middle Ages.

Halfway through the corridor, Ning Tao suddenly captured a waft of a peculiar smell; he instinctively paused in his tracks.