Chapter 48: This is Too Embarrassing
’The past two times...’
Chaotic yet vivid images surfaced almost uncontrollably in Yun Sheng’s mind.
The first time, in the research institute’s isolation and testing chamber, he had been choking her, and she had thrown caution to the wind and hugged him...
The second time, in that abandoned warehouse, he had completely lost control. He had dragged her fiercely into his embrace, his scalding lips sealing hers almost brutally, plundering viciously...
The memory of that scalding touch, that fierce kiss, and the strange sensation of power flowing into her came rushing back like a tidal wave.
Yun Sheng’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson, like ripe peaches, and even her fair ears and slender neck were stained with an alluring blush.
She tried to look away in a panic, her eyelashes trembling violently, but she was held captive by Si Jin’s gaze, which seemed capable of devouring everything.
To Si Jin, her embarrassed, flustered, and red-faced expression was as good as a confession.
Si Jin raised his hand and gripped her delicate chin, forcing her to lift her alluringly flushed face and meet his eyes.
"It seems you went even further the last two times than you did just now. Tell me, what exactly did you do to me?"
Both times, he had been in a berserk state, his mind lost to madness. His memories were a blurry, chaotic mess. But each time he woke up, some of the stubborn cracks deep within his spiritual landscape had been repaired.
The berserk spiritual power that tormented him day and night, threatening to tear him apart, had also been temporarily suppressed.
The effects far surpassed any drug or method he had ever tried.
To keep from completely succumbing to madness, he had to know how she did it!
Si Jin’s stare made Yun Sheng’s skin crawl, and a chill ran down her spine.
"I..." Her throat felt dry. "I don’t have a spiritual body, so I can only transfer my spiritual power through physical contact. Just like... just like what I did a moment ago..."
"Just like a moment ago?"
Si Jin repeated her words, his thumb gently brushing the edge of her lower lip, sending a shiver through her.
"Does that mean the greater the area of physical contact, the more intimate it is... the better the effect?"
Yun Sheng’s breath hitched, and her cheeks instantly burned even hotter.
’How am I supposed to answer that?’
’Am I supposed to admit that yes, theoretically, the closer and more intimate the contact, the better the effect?’
’This is too humiliating!’
Yun Sheng’s gaze flickered. Her lips moved, but she couldn’t utter a single word.
But her look of unbearable embarrassment was a silent admission, and it gave him his answer.
His suspicions confirmed, Si Jin’s gaze uncontrollably fell to Yun Sheng’s full, red lips.
Their color was alluring, as if silently inviting him to taste them.
The blurry, scorching fragments of his memory seemed to merge with the softness before his eyes, exuding a deadly allure.
Si Jin’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The hand gripping Yun Sheng’s chin loosened slightly, shifting into a gentler, yet more controlling hold.
He said nothing, simply lowered his head slowly.
His scorching breath drew nearer and nearer, threatening to envelop her completely.
Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs.
But this time, she didn’t instinctively shy away as she had before.
’Since I’ve already chosen to cooperate, to show him my ability as a bargaining chip... and we’ve already come this far...’
’Being coy and shrinking back now would be both hypocritical and pointless!’
Yun Sheng decisively closed her eyes. Her long lashes trembled with nervousness, betraying her inner turmoil, but her body remained still, not pulling away.
It was a silent acquiescence, a surrender that burned all her bridges behind her.
The darkness in Si Jin’s eyes deepened, becoming an impenetrable abyss.
A long-suppressed instinct, the predatory possessiveness inherent to a Dark Sentinel, roared to life like a beast breaking free from its cage, threatening to overwhelm his reason.
Just as his lips were about to cover hers and turn her silent permission into reality...
"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK."
A sudden knock echoed from the door.
Immediately after, Su Wan’s gentle, concerned voice drifted in from outside.
"Shengsheng, are you in your room? May I come in?"
The voice was like a clap of thunder. Yun Sheng’s eyes flew open, filled with panic.
Su Wan was right outside the door, and here she was, trapped in Si Jin’s arms, sitting on his lap in a compromising position!
Overwhelming shame and panic made her lose all composure. She shoved hard against Si Jin’s chest, trying to struggle free.
However, Si Jin was as immovable as a mountain.
Her push had no effect. In fact, the force of her movement knocked over a metal decoration on the small side table.
"CLANG!"
The clear, sharp sound echoed through the room.
"Shengsheng?" Su Wan, who had clearly heard the noise from outside, sounded instantly tense. "Are you alright? What was that sound? I’m coming in."
"Wait! Don’t come in!"
Yun Sheng blurted out, her voice rising in panic.
She was still sitting on Si Jin’s hot, firm thighs. One of her hands was held fast in his, the other was pressed against his chest, and her entire body was practically plastered against him.
’If Su Wan were to walk in on this...’
Just imagining the scene made all the blood rush to Yun Sheng’s head. She was so mortified she wished she could disappear on the spot.
And yet the culprit, Si Jin, was leaning back in his chair at ease. He tilted his head slightly, the darkness in his eyes replaced by a flicker of playful amusement.
It was as if he were enjoying an interesting play, silently prodding her. ’Let’s see you get out of this one.’
Yun Sheng shot him a venomous glare, her eyes screaming, ’Let me go, now!’
Si Jin merely quirked an eyebrow with no intention of letting go. Instead, the arm around her waist tightened, pinning her in place. He clearly wanted to see how she would handle this.
Yun Sheng was fuming, but there was nothing she could do.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and called out to the door, "I’m fine! I just knocked something over by accident. I’m changing clothes, so it’s a little inconvenient. Could... could you wait a moment?"
There were a few seconds of silence from outside the door.
"Alright, take your time. I just heard... that you were injured during training at the Tower today. I was a little worried..."
Su Wan had obviously found out what happened at the Tower, and her tone was heavy with complex emotions.
Seeing that Si Jin had no intention of letting her go, Yun Sheng could only try to get Su Wan to leave first.
"I’m fine, really. Can I come downstairs and talk to you about it in a little while?"
Another brief silence fell, followed by Su Wan’s soft sigh, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"Alright. Take your time, there’s no rush. I’ll be waiting for you downstairs."
Her voice faded, and her footsteps gradually receded.
Once she was sure Su Wan was gone, the tension drained from Yun Sheng in a rush.
She went limp, almost collapsing from exhaustion, but the arm around her waist instantly tightened, holding her fast.
She looked up, glaring at Si Jin, who still held her tightly. She was seething.
"You! Why didn’t you..."
Before she could finish, Si Jin pulled her hand to his mouth. He lowered his head, his thin lips ghosting over the delicate skin of her inner wrist.
A tremor shot through Yun Sheng, and the unfinished words caught in her throat.
Si Jin looked at her wide eyes and chuckled softly.
"What are you so flustered about? Were you afraid she’d come in, or... were you just disappointed that we were interrupted?"