Chapter 42: Narrow, Scorching, Hearing Each Other Breathe
Amid the chaos, the man’s back slammed into the cold, hard wall of the car with a dull THUD.
The arm wrapped around Yun Sheng’s waist and shielding her back tightened abruptly. Between the surging crowd and the cold wall of the car, he used his own body and strength to forcibly create a brief yet stable pocket of safety for her.
Cramped. Scorching. So close they could hear each other breathe.
The chaotic, noisy background seemed to fade away in an instant.
Yun Sheng’s cheek was pressed flush against the skin of his neck. The heat was startling.
’Too close... So close she felt dizzy, her heart thumping in a wild, erratic rhythm.’
Time seemed to stretch to infinity, yet it also felt as if only a moment had passed.
Just as Yun Sheng felt she might suffocate from the scorching heat and the stifling intimacy of his hold, the hovercar finally let out a low hum.
The violently swaying car gradually stabilized, and the piercing shriek of the emergency brake alarm softened into a gentle chime.
As the inertia subsided, the crowd stopped pushing. The shaken passengers steadied themselves, and a murmur of complaints and questions rose once more.
The moment the car stabilized, the pressure on Yun Sheng’s waist and back vanished.
The hand that had been wrapped tightly around her waist moved to steady her arm.
"Steady yourself."
His deep voice, raspy and cold, sounded right beside her ear. But if one listened closely, a hint of strained dryness lay beneath the surface, as if he were forcefully suppressing something.
’That voice...’
Yun Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. She instinctively looked up, trying to get a clear look at the person who had protected her during the chaos.
The first thing she saw was a completely unfamiliar face.
His features were stark and hard, with a rough, weathered quality. His face was otherwise unremarkable—the kind you’d lose instantly in a crowd.
But... those eyes.
Hidden in the shadows of an equally plain hat brim, they stared at her intensely.
His gaze was sharp and profound, carrying with it an indescribable sense of familiarity.
’But on closer inspection, the color of his irises isn’t what I remember...’
’Wait, is it a disguise?’
Just as she was reeling with uncertainty, beginning to wonder if she’d been mistaken, the man spoke again.
"...It’s me."
As the words left his mouth, he let go of her waist and arm. He moved so quickly it was as if he’d been burned by something scorching hot.
Yun Sheng took a step back as well, putting an end to the overly intimate proximity between them.
She stared in disbelief at the completely unfamiliar face before her and asked tentatively in a low voice, "You... Are you... Si Jin?"
The man nodded, a low "mm" rumbling from his throat.
Even with his confirmation, Yun Sheng’s heart refused to calm down, and she couldn’t hide the shock in her eyes.
"You... What are you doing here?"
’This just didn’t fit Si Jin’s identity at all.’
The Dark Sentinel, the Star Alliance’s most wanted criminal, a living legend and a walking disaster... He had no business being on a crowded, mundane, early-morning public hovercar.
Si Jin’s gaze swept over her stunned face from under the brim of his hat. "What did you expect? You had flies on you the second you left your complex. If I didn’t come, was I supposed to wait for you to stir up more trouble and then waste my time cleaning up your mess?"
A chill went down Yun Sheng’s spine, and she instinctively moved to look around.
"Don’t move, and don’t look. You’ve had two tails on you since you left your complex. They’re probably spies from the Chen Family."
Yun Sheng’s body tensed instantly.
’The Chen Family?’
’Is this about Chen Hao’s disappearance?’
"What do they want?" she asked in a low voice.
"For now, they’re just watching. But it’s clear they still suspect you in Chen Hao’s disappearance. You’re going to the Tower today. After you leave, on your way, and even inside the Tower itself—there’s no guarantee they won’t try something else.
"The Chen Family doesn’t have deep roots on the Capital Star, but that just means they’re more reckless and won’t hesitate to use any means necessary."
Si Jin looked at Yun Sheng, his gaze so sharp it felt like it could strip away all pretense and see straight into the bewildered helplessness deep in her heart.
"Yun Sheng."
He said her name, his tone flat but carrying a heavy weight.
"I wasn’t joking when I offered to work together yesterday. With your current abilities, you can barely protect yourself. Work with me, and I can at least teach you how to use and improve your spiritual power."
Yun Sheng pressed her lips together, not offering a rebuttal.
She knew Si Jin was right.
She possessed power "stolen" from her dreams but couldn’t even sense the most basic danger. She was like a fool holding a priceless treasure, completely ignorant of its use.
"Si Jin, I’ll work with you." She looked up, her voice clear and resolute. "But you have to keep your promise. You have to teach me how to use and improve my spiritual power!"
Si Jin seemed a little surprised by her ready agreement. From under his hat, his gaze lingered on her face for a moment.
"Let’s deal with the immediate problem first. They’ll be somewhat wary of making a scene at the entrance to the Tower, so they won’t dare to be too blatant. Once you’re inside, be smart. Don’t wander off by yourself, and don’t go anywhere secluded."
"Okay."
Yun Sheng nodded, committing his words to memory.
"Bai Ye isn’t at the Tower today," Si Jin added suddenly. "I’ll send my spiritual body back to your side in a bit. Be careful and don’t give anything away."
Yun Sheng was secretly alarmed.
She had deliberately left the little dog in her bedroom this morning, worried she might run into Bai Ye at the Tower...
After all, she had gone too far in her dream last night... The chance that Bai Ye might show up to settle the score or test her was not low.
’To think that Si Jin knew even Bai Ye’s whereabouts so clearly.’
’He was, after all, the Former War God who once stood at the pinnacle of the Star Alliance. Even in his current predicament, the information and resources he commanded were still unfathomable.’
"I understand," Yun Sheng replied quietly, not asking any further questions.
Just then, the hovercar finally pulled into the Tower’s regional hub station. With a slight jolt, it came to a complete stop.
With a HISS, the doors slid open.
Si Jin said no more. He turned slightly, blending seamlessly into the first wave of passengers flooding out of the car, and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Yun Sheng collected herself and followed the crowd off the car.
The moment her feet touched the solid ground of the platform, she felt a familiar warmth against her ankle.
She looked down. Si Jin’s spiritual body, the little dog, had reappeared silently at her feet.
It was tilting its little head up, watching her quietly.
The corners of Yun Sheng’s mouth curved up, but she quickly schooled her expression. She didn’t bend down to hug the little dog, or even give it more than a passing glance, afraid of drawing unwanted attention.
She didn’t linger, moving with the crowd toward the massive, silver-gray alloy gates of the Tower headquarters.
"Yun Sheng."
A tall, imposing figure suddenly stepped out from the side, blocking her path.
She stopped in her tracks, forced to look up.
It was Zhou Lin.
He stood before her, looking down with narrowed, scrutinizing eyes.
"Can we talk for a moment? Alone?"
Yun Sheng’s brows furrowed slightly.
’Zhou Lin? Why would he seek me out?!’