Chapter 124: Should I Stop?
Yun Sheng was startled by the thought that popped into her head.
’My heart aches for Bai Ye?’
’For the man who had relentlessly cornered her, who kept her constantly on guard, who left her feeling breathless?’
’This is ridiculous!’
But at this moment...
Bai Ye was buried in the crook of her neck, his scorching breath landing on her skin with each exhalation. He was like a wild beast, finally tamed, that had found a moment of peace in her arms.
His spiritual power was still entwined with hers, carefully nestling against every wisp of her own faint power.
’He... trusted her this much!’
’To open his spiritual landscape to her completely, to expose his vulnerability without any reservations.’
For a Sentinel, this was more dangerous than any form of physical intimacy, and also more... honest.
Suddenly, Yun Sheng didn’t know what to say.
She just tightened her arms around Bai Ye’s back, allowing her spiritual power to probe deeper into his scarred and battered spiritual landscape.
A rather large-looking fissure.
Her spiritual power brushed over it gently, like fingertips tracing the edge of a wound.
Bai Ye’s body trembled slightly, and a low, muffled groan escaped his throat. The sound was tinged with pain, but it wasn’t just pain.
"...Does it hurt?" she asked softly.
He didn’t answer, only buried his face deeper into the crook of her neck.
Yun Sheng paused, then slowed her pace.
Her spiritual power no longer rushed to close the fissure. Instead, like the finest silken threads, it seeped bit by bit into the depths of the crack, first soothing the violent turmoil at the edges, then slowly filling the desiccated hollows.
Bai Ye’s breathing grew heavier.
Every time her spiritual power delved a little deeper, his body would tremble.
The tremors were a mixture of pain and a certain indescribable satisfaction, as if he were being tormented and soothed all at once.
"Don’t... stop," his voice, muffled against her shoulder, was so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "Just like that..."
Yun Sheng’s face grew warm.
She could feel his heart pounding, but it gradually steadied with every pulse of her spiritual power. His breathing, too, shifted from ragged to deep and even.
But his hand on her waist...
The hand that had been clasped tightly around her waist was no longer content with simply holding her.
His fingertips tightened slightly, their scorching heat tracing the curve of her waist as they slowly traveled upward.
Every inch of skin he touched felt as if it had been seared by a brand, sending fine tremors rippling through her.
His palm pressed against the small of her back, its heat so intense she wanted to pull away. But his arm only tightened, trapping her firmly in his embrace with nowhere to run.
"Don’t..." she whispered, her voice trembling.
He didn’t stop.
He just buried his face deeper into the crook of her neck, his lips brushing lightly against her skin, as if to soothe her, yet also to test her limits.
His hands continued to roam her sides, the pads of his fingers leaving a trail of heat in their wake.
Bai Ye’s lips finally left the crook of her neck.
Before Yun Sheng could even sigh in relief, his scorching kiss landed on her chin, trailed down her jawline, and finally captured her earlobe.
"Bai Ye..."
Her voice was trembling uncontrollably.
He hummed in response, his voice as rough as sandpaper.
But he didn’t stop.
His kisses returned to the side of her neck, each one carrying a scorching heat tempered by careful restraint.
As if he wanted to devour her whole, yet was afraid of hurting her.
Yun Sheng’s breathing was a complete mess.
Her spiritual power was still entwined with his, and she could clearly feel every fluctuation in his spiritual landscape.
The newly healed fissures still held a sensitive lingering echo. Every time her spiritual power brushed over them, his body would tremble involuntarily.
The tremors passed into her, making her tremble as well.
It was impossible to tell who was influencing whom.
Or who was yearning for whom.
"Your injuries..." she managed to say, trying to regain a sliver of reason.
"They’ve recovered quite a bit," his voice was muffled against her neck. "Thanks to you."
He paused, then added, "But they still need... a little more soothing."
Yun Sheng froze for a second before she realized what he was implying.
Her face instantly flushed scarlet.
"...What are you talking about?"
He didn’t answer.
He just nipped the skin on the side of her neck, his lips pressing and rubbing against the faint mark as if claiming his territory.
The hands lingering on her lower back grew restless again, dipping lower.
Yun Sheng grabbed his wrist.
"Stop..."
Her voice was so soft and hoarse that even to her own ears, it didn’t sound like a rejection.
Bai Ye froze for a moment.
Then, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes.
The crimson in his eyes had mostly faded, leaving only a profound desire and a seriousness that made her heart race.
"Do you want me to stop?" he asked.
Yun Sheng opened her mouth, but hesitated.
’Should I stop him?’
’Reason said she should.’
’This was too dangerous. Not just physically, but for her heart.’
But her body was far more honest.
She could feel that as their spiritual powers intertwined, Bai Ye was feeding some of his back to her. Her own spiritual power, once pitifully weak, had actually grown much more substantial.
The thin needles that were normally so difficult to form now materialized with a simple flick of her consciousness. Her thin Spirit Barrier no longer felt like it was on the verge of collapse.
And that wasn’t all.
Yun Sheng felt as if her entire body was submerged in warm water. A warm current suffused every meridian, and every cell buzzed with a strength she had never felt before.
The power Bai Ye had fed back to her now lay dormant in the depths of her spiritual landscape, waiting for her call.
She tried to summon it with a thought, and the power responded instantly, with incredible smoothness.
It was more than twice as fast as before.
The temporary camp was rife with danger, and the next attack could come at any moment.
Yun Sheng wanted to protect herself, to protect Li Wen and Cheng Nian, to search for Si Jin at the abandoned mine...
She needed power.
Greater power.
And right now, that power was right in front of her.
All she had to do was...
She bit her lip and looked at Bai Ye.
He was watching her, his dark eyes heavy with a bottomless desire, yet he was also strangely patient.
He was waiting, waiting for her to decide.
"I..." she began, her voice as soft as if she were afraid of startling something. "I need power."
A flicker of movement in Bai Ye’s eyes.
"I need to protect myself," she continued, her voice slowly steadying. "And protect my friends, and..."
She trailed off, not finishing her thought.
Bai Ye didn’t press her.
He just watched her, his eyes swirling with understanding and indulgence.
"So?" he asked.
Yun Sheng took a deep breath.
"So," she raised her eyes to meet his gaze, her voice firmer than before, "I can continue to soothe you."
Bai Ye was taken aback for a moment.
Then, he smiled.
It was a faint smile, but it made Yun Sheng’s heart skip a beat.
"Alright," he said.
He didn’t ask any more questions.
He just lowered his head and placed a light kiss on the corner of her mouth. The hands at her waist began to wander restlessly once more.
But this time, Yun Sheng didn’t stop him.