Every Sentinel I Dreamed of Came Looking for Me

Si Jin’s fingers slowly covered the back of Yun Sheng’s hand, scorching hot and trembling slightly.

The pressure was light, as if afraid of breaking something precious, yet heavy, like a drowning man clinging to his only piece of driftwood.

Yun Sheng’s heart trembled violently.

She didn’t move, simply letting him hold her hand, letting his thumb gently caress her knuckles.

The touch carried a scorching heat that seared its way into her heart.

"Si Jin."

She called his name again, her voice impossibly soft.

Si Jin’s pupils contracted slightly.

The next second, that scorching hand clasped her waist again, this time holding nothing back.

He pulled her fiercely against him, so tight that not a sliver of space remained between them.

His other hand slid into her hair, securing the back of her head.

His kiss descended, vast and overwhelming.

It was no longer the out-of-control ferocity from before, but a devouring passion—a mixture of desire and restraint that threatened to consume her whole.

He kissed Yun Sheng until she was breathless, but she didn’t pull away.

Meanwhile, the intertwining of their spiritual power was more intense than ever before.

Deep within Si Jin’s spiritual landscape, the rampaging Dark Power, soothed by her spiritual power, actually began to recede and calm, little by little.

The edges of the fine cracks glowed faintly and began to slowly close, like parched earth finally welcoming a gentle rain.

But the clarity in his eyes was fleeting.

At times, he would look at Yun Sheng, his eyes filled with light and something she recognized; at other times, that light would dim, swallowed once more by crimson madness.

But whether he was lucid or lost in chaos, his desire for her never diminished for an instant.

If anything, it grew even deeper!

The hand on Yun Sheng’s waist tightened, while his other hand slid from her hair and down her spine, its scorching heat tracing her curves through the thin fabric of her clothes.

His kisses traveled from her lips, down to her jaw, her neck, and her collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

Yun Sheng’s breathing grew increasingly ragged.

She felt his hand pause at her chest as his fingertips deftly undid the first button.

"Si Jin..."

She whispered his name, her voice soft and trembling, uncertain whether it was a rejection or an invitation.

Si Jin paused for only a second before his actions became his answer.

The second button came undone.

Then the third...

The thin fabric slid apart, revealing her fair shoulders and delicate collarbone.

His kisses followed...

Yun Sheng let out a muffled groan, her hands instinctively pressing against Si Jin’s chest.

His heart hammered wildly beneath her palm, frighteningly fast, yet it possessed a strange, reassuring rhythm.

She could feel every inch of his body tensed, his muscles hard as stone, yet they trembled slightly beneath her palm.

’At this moment, I can’t bring myself to push him away!’

And he showed no signs of stopping.

Her top finally slid off completely, pooling around her waist.

Si Jin’s gaze landed on Yun Sheng, his eyes—by turns lucid and chaotic—churning with a searing heat.

His palm pressed against her bare back, caressing her slowly.

Yun Sheng was trembling all over.

It wasn’t because she was cold.

It was because his touch was too real, too scorching, making her feel as if she had been set ablaze.

She closed her eyes, letting herself sink into Si Jin’s embrace.

Their chests pressed tightly together, nothing but searing skin against searing skin.

Yun Sheng was on the verge of losing herself completely.

In this void that held only the two of them, lost in their tender intimacy, her entire world seemed to narrow to the man before her.

She didn’t know how much time had passed...

Perhaps it was an eternity; perhaps it was only a few seconds.

The Dark Power coiled around her suddenly grew gentler, like a weary traveler finally finding home after a long journey.

Yun Sheng groggily opened her eyes.

She met a pair of eyes.

The crimson had completely faded from them, replaced by a clear, azure blue.

At that moment, Si Jin was also staring intently at the person before him.

Even though he still couldn’t see her face clearly, even though in his dreams she was always just a blurry shadow, he knew who was before him.

"Yun Sheng."

His voice was hoarse, yet exceptionally clear.

Yun Sheng’s eyes flew wide. She was instantly awake, not a trace of haze remaining in her gaze.

"Si Jin, you... you’ve finally recovered?"

She was so emotional her voice was choked with a sob.

Si Jin reached out to cup her face, lowering his head to gently brush his lips against the corner of hers.

The kiss was light, as if seeking confirmation, or perhaps offering comfort.

"Yes, I’ve recovered. Yun Sheng, it’s all thanks to you..."

Yun Sheng didn’t let him finish.

She eagerly looked at his spiritual landscape. The Dark Power that had been churning madly before had now completely subsided, like the sea finally calm after a storm.

The fine cracks had healed one by one under the soothing of her spiritual power, leaving only faint traces behind.

Even the larger cracks had closed by more than half, their edges no longer looking so menacing.

But when her gaze fell on the depths of the landscape, her heart sank.

That bottomless fissure, the one that ran through the very core, was still there.

It was too large, too deep, still unable to heal.

But at least the edges, which had been constantly widening, had finally stopped crumbling and now lay quietly dormant.

Yun Sheng looked up at Si Jin.

"That fissure..." she said softly.

"I know," he interrupted, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. "That’s the source of my becoming a Dark Sentinel. It won’t be so easy to heal."

He paused, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.

"But the fact that it’s not crumbling further is already the best possible outcome."

A pang of sorrow struck Yun Sheng.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he gently pressed a finger to her lips.

"Don’t rush," he said. "We still have time."

He looked at her, his azure eyes swirling with a myriad of emotions.

There was gratitude, heartache, and something else—something suppressed for far too long, now finally able to be released.

"Now, let me get a good look at you."

’Even if I can’t see clearly.’

’Even if she’s just a blurry shadow.’

Si Jin still wanted to look a while longer.

Yun Sheng stared at him in a daze, letting his gaze linger on her face.

Even though she knew he couldn’t see her clearly in his dream, his focused gaze still made her heart race uncontrollably.

"You can’t see me clearly," she said softly.

"I know." Si Jin’s thumb gently traced her brow bone, down the bridge of her nose, finally stopping at the edge of her lips. "But I want to remember everything I possibly can."

Yun Sheng felt her eyes grow hot again.

She slowly raised her hand and placed it over his, gently nuzzling his palm.

"Then commit it to memory. But it’s okay if you can’t. I’ll keep coming back."

A tremor ran through Si Jin’s gaze.

He lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers, his nose brushing against her own.

The intimate touch caused their breaths to tangle, hot and intertwined.

His Adam’s apple bobbed.

"Yun Sheng..." His voice was terribly hoarse, thick with a long-suppressed desire that he was carefully restraining. "I..."

He paused, as if he didn’t know how to begin.

Yun Sheng had never seen this side of Si Jin.

The man who was always so effortlessly poised, so languid and casual when lucid, was now like an awkward teenager, unable to even finish a sentence.

"You what?"

she prompted softly, her voice lilting at the end as if waiting for him to continue.

Si Jin’s breathing grew heavier still.

He looked at Yun Sheng, the desire in his eyes practically overflowing, yet he kept it tightly leashed.

"I... can I continue?" he finally asked, his voice so low it was almost inaudible, yet every word hammered its way into Yun Sheng’s heart. "I... want to continue."