Chapter 78: Shared Sensation, Teased to Madness Again
Si Jin’s gaze lingered for a moment on the faint blush rising on Yun Sheng’s cheeks.
He could, of course, tell that she was trying to change the subject, possibly even playing clever tricks to stall for time.
However, her claim of a "special soothing effect" did pique his curiosity.
The Abyssal Giant Wolf was his spiritual manifestation. Its essence was one of absolute protection and annihilation, especially after he fell and became a Dark Sentinel. Its power leaned even more toward berserk rage and destruction.
To most living beings, its aura was oppressive and dangerous. How could it possibly have the soothing effect Yun Sheng described?
It was illogical.
’Unless... there’s something about her spiritual landscape, something even she doesn’t know, that can create a strange resonance or harmony with my spiritual body?’
’Could that be why my rampaging spiritual power was soothed after I came into physical contact with Yun Sheng before?!’
Si Jin fell silent for a long moment—so long that Yun Sheng almost thought he was going to refuse. Then, the corner of his lip curled into a smirk, and he let out a short, derisive laugh.
"Soothing? Are you sure that’s the effect it has on you? And not... something else?"
The question made Yun Sheng’s heart tighten, but she forced herself to remain calm on the surface and nodded emphatically.
"Yes! I can feel it. When it’s near me, my spiritual landscape becomes very peaceful, as if... as if it’s enveloped by a gentle force."
Si Jin didn’t press further. He just casually lifted a hand.
Immediately, a fluffy, jet-black little creature the size of a puppy shot out from his body with a SWOOSH, landing steadily on the soft carpet.
It tilted its head, its damp, mystical blue eyes gazing at Yun Sheng. A soft whimper, like a young cub seeking affection, rumbled in its throat, and its tail wagged gently behind it.
Looking at the little puppy at her feet, Yun Sheng felt some of her tension inexplicably melt away.
She bent down and slowly extended her hand, palm up.
The puppy immediately trotted over, eagerly nuzzling its fluffy, warm head into her palm. It even stuck out its little pink tongue and gave her fingertips an ingratiating lick.
Its whole body seemed to radiate a plea: ’Come pet me, hold me.’
Si Jin stood to the side with his arms crossed, silently observing the scene.
He seemed completely accustomed to his spiritual body’s shameless displays of cuteness, showing not the slightest hint of surprise.
Amused by the little one’s enthusiasm and soft touch, Yun Sheng couldn’t help but smile. The heavy pressure in her heart, born from lies and secrets, seemed to dissipate a little in the face of this fluffy warmth.
Following her heart, she gently ruffled its head and ears. A warm, fluffy sensation filled her palm, along with a faint fluctuation of Si Jin’s spiritual power.
It was like a gentle stream, slowly seeping in, bringing a sliver of relief to her overwrought spiritual landscape.
She picked up the puppy, letting it curl up docilely in the crook of her arm. Then, she straightened up and looked at Si Jin, her eyes now holding a genuine touch of ease.
"See? It really works. I feel... much calmer. Much better."
Si Jin’s gaze slowly shifted from the black ball of fur in her arms—a being intimately connected to his own consciousness—to her face.
He watched the relaxed lines of her brow, the look of natural reliance and contentment on her face as she held his spiritual body...
A strange, subtle feeling of blockage crept silently into Si Jin’s heart.
His spiritual body was feeling immense comfort and contentment from Yun Sheng’s closeness, as if every smoothed-down strand of fur was trembling with pleasure.
However, this brought him no joy whatsoever.
On the contrary, an extremely faint irritation and displeasure—so subtle he could hardly grasp it himself—began to grow like a silent shadow.
And Yun Sheng, of course, was completely oblivious to it all.
Her original goal had been to change the subject and stall for time. Now, holding the fluffy creature, she decided to go all in and started petting it with abandon.
Her slender fingers sank into the puppy’s thick, soft fur, combing through it intermittently, her fingertips occasionally grazing its sensitive spine.
Then she lowered her head and affectionately nuzzled her nose against the puppy’s wet one, earning an even more enthusiastic tail wag.
As she petted it, Yun Sheng grew bolder. She lifted the puppy a little higher, supporting it with one hand while her other hand gently rubbed its soft little belly.
The puppy was so comfortable it started to purr. It even went belly-up, sprawling even more completely in her arms, offering itself up entirely.
However, for Si Jin, who shared a deep sensory connection with his spiritual body, this was nothing short of a silent yet excruciating torture.
The last time she had held and petted his spiritual body, there had been distance and a mental buffer. He had mainly felt the tactile stimulation.
But this time, he was standing right in front of her, watching with his own eyes as her beautiful hands moved inch by inch over his spiritual body’s form, even... touching its softest, most defenseless belly.
The dual assault of sight and touch was like two intersecting electrical currents, mercilessly battering Si Jin’s mind.
Every inch of his own skin that corresponded to the puppy’s fur felt as if it were being touched, the sensation magnified a thousandfold, clearly transmitting the temperature, pressure, and even the delicate texture of her fingertips.
Si Jin’s face remained expressionless. He was even using his disguise to cleverly mask the original color of his signature mystical blue eyes, making them appear as deep as ink.
But a closer look would reveal that his jaw was clenched slightly tighter than before, and the knuckles of the hand shoved in his pocket were slowly curling into a fist.
The aura around him grew heavier, more withdrawn, as if he were desperately trying to restrain something.
As Yun Sheng continued her petting, she felt the puppy in her arms tremble, and the purring in its throat hitched for a moment.
She didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just the natural reaction of a small animal enjoying being petted.
She even gave its soft belly a mischievous little scratch with her fingertip.
Just as her fingertip unintentionally grazed a certain extremely sensitive, subtly-placed spot covered in soft fur...
"Ngh!"
An extremely deep, suppressed grunt, as if forcibly ground out from the depths of a throat, suddenly broke the silence in the room.
The sound came from Si Jin.
Yun Sheng froze, startled. She instinctively stopped all movement and shot her head up to look at him.
Si Jin stood rooted to the spot, his posture ramrod straight, but his expression seemed even colder and harder than before. A faint, fine sheen of sweat was even visible on his temple.
His eyes were downcast, his thick lashes hiding any emotion, but the oppressive aura emanating from him—a mixture of strained self-control and a certain dangerousness—seemed to make the temperature in the room drop by several degrees.
Clutching the now slightly stiff puppy, Yun Sheng looked at Si Jin’s obviously troubled state. Bewildered and genuinely concerned, she asked cautiously, "Si Jin? Are you... what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?"
Her voice was filled with genuine confusion, completely unaware that she was the culprit who was making him "not feel well."