Every Sentinel I Dreamed of Came Looking for Me

Yun Sheng’s eyes flew open.

She stared blankly at Si Jin, at his sapphire blue eyes that were so earnest they were almost stubborn, at the careful restraint and tentative hope hidden in their depths.

Her cheeks visibly burned, and her heart hammered at an absurd pace.

The spiritual power that had just calmed down began to stir again. It wasn’t out of control; it was agitated, flustered by Si Jin’s words with nowhere to go.

Yun Sheng opened her mouth but found she couldn’t say a single word.

Being looked at like that by Si Jin, being asked so carefully, a corner of her heart melted completely. The thought of refusing him couldn’t even begin to form.

Si Jin looked at her blushing face, at the way she seemed to want to speak but held back, at her eyes filled with all sorts of emotions but not a single hint of rejection.

The corner of his mouth curved up slightly. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her crimson lips.

With the abandon of someone who had finally received permission, he deepened the kiss, tangling with her, claiming every inch of her sweetness.

At the same time, his scorching palm slid slowly down her slender waist.

His fingertips brushed across the sensitive skin of her side. Yun Sheng couldn’t help but let out a muffled gasp, her body tensing involuntarily, only to be pulled more forcefully into Si Jin’s embrace.

His hands roamed over her body, their searing heat igniting all her senses, inch by inch.

From her side to her spine, from her spine to her shoulder blades, every place he touched felt as if it had been branded, leaving a searing trail in its wake.

His kisses moved from her lips, trailing down to the pale skin of her neck, where he nuzzled gently, leaving a string of suggestive red marks.

Yun Sheng’s breathing became completely ragged.

She could feel Si Jin’s desire—so clear, so scorching, so desperate for more.

Stirred until her entire body went weak, she couldn’t help but squirm slightly.

Si Jin’s body suddenly went rigid.

"...Don’t move." His Adam’s apple bobbed violently. "If you move again, I’ll..."

He didn’t finish, but the hand gripping her waist tightened its hold.

Yun Sheng could clearly feel the change in his body. Her face flushed so red it felt like it could bleed.

But she didn’t pull away.

Meanwhile, as their entanglement deepened, the larger cracks in Si Jin’s spiritual landscape began to slowly close.

His breathing grew heavier and heavier, each exhale a suppressed gasp.

He kissed Yun Sheng’s collarbone, her shoulder, every inch of her exposed skin, like the most devout believer worshipping his goddess.

Kissed until her mind grew hazy, Yun Sheng could only cling to him, letting him take what he wanted.

Her clothes were stripped away, their bodies pressing together, growing even hotter as everything slid in that inevitable direction.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the moment to arrive.

However, Si Jin stopped.

The hand that had been roaming over her body stilled.

The kisses falling upon her skin also ceased.

Yun Sheng dazedly opened her eyes, gazing at the man before her through a hazy blur.

The black markings on his face, neck, and body had almost completely faded. His breathing was ragged, his Adam’s apple still bobbing, and the desire churning in his eyes looked as if it would consume him.

But he had stopped.

Just like that, he stopped, holding her, not taking things any further.

Yun Sheng was stunned.

She looked at him, a trace of confusion and bewilderment in her eyes, along with a hint of something she hadn’t even noticed herself... ’disappointment?’

"You..." she began, her voice soft and hoarse. "Why..."

Si Jin looked at her, his Adam’s apple bobbing again.

He lowered his head, burying his face in the crook of her neck and taking a deep breath.

"If we continue," his voice was muffled and so hoarse it was almost inaudible, "I really won’t be able to control myself."

Yun Sheng froze again.

"But your spiritual landscape hasn’t fully recovered..." she said instinctively.

Si Jin let out a low chuckle. The vibration rumbled through her chest, making her tingle.

"That’s all the more reason not to continue," he said. "I’m afraid I’ll hurt you."

Yun Sheng’s eyes suddenly grew warm.

’This man...’

’He’s so full of desire, on the very verge of losing control, yet he stopped for my sake.’

She raised her hands and gently wrapped them around his back.

"Dummy," Yun Sheng mumbled into his shoulder. "You would never hurt me."

Si Jin rested his chin on the top of her head. His voice was muffled but incredibly earnest.

"Yun Sheng, I want to continue. Badly."

Yun Sheng could feel the vibration in his chest as he spoke, feel his suppressed breaths, feel every inch of his body screaming its desire for her.

"But..."

He paused, holding her even tighter.

"Our first time... I don’t want it to be in an ethereal dream like this." His voice was low, as if speaking to her, but also to himself. "And I especially don’t want it to be at a moment when I can’t even see your face clearly."

Yun Sheng froze.

She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

In those sapphire blue eyes, desire still churned, but deep within, there was a seriousness and reverence she had never seen before.

He looked at her, stubbornly looking even though he couldn’t see her clearly.

"At first, I wanted to continue because I couldn’t hold back. But when I saw that you not only didn’t refuse but were willing to accept all of me... I started wanting more. I want to give you the best. I want you to belong to me completely, at the best time, in the best place. Not in a dream, hazy and unclear."

Yun Sheng’s eyes grew hot.

"Si Jin..."

"You deserve the best of everything," he interrupted, leaning down to press a soft kiss on her forehead. "Our coming together shouldn’t be like this. Even if you didn’t refuse."

Yun Sheng opened her mouth, but she didn’t know what to say.

He had completely aroused her. A residual heat still lingered in her body, and her heart truly yearned for him.

’But, being with Si Jin in a dream like this... it really doesn’t feel right.’

’What Yun Sheng wanted was the real Si Jin, to have him really standing before her, really holding her, really...’

She bit her lip. "I..."

Just as she began to speak, a distant call echoed from the depths of her consciousness.

"Yun Sheng... Yun Sheng! Reinforcements are here, wake up!"

It was Cheng Nian’s voice.

Growing closer, clearer.

Yun Sheng’s heart tightened. She knew the dream was about to end.

She looked at Si Jin.

He seemed to have sensed something too. His eyes remained fixed on her, a gentle smile in them.

"Go," he said. "Wait for me."

Yun Sheng nodded forcefully. "I’ll wait for you."

As the words fell, the edges of the dream began to blur.

Si Jin’s figure grew fainter and fainter, but his eyes never left hers until he disappeared completely.

Yun Sheng’s eyes snapped open.

Cheng Nian’s face was right in front of hers. "Yun Sheng, you’re finally awake! Quick, quick, reinforcements are here! We need to pull out!"

Yun Sheng blinked, shaking off the daze from the switch between dream and reality.

Her heart was still pounding, her cheeks still burning.

But before she could think any more about it, Cheng Nian pulled her to her feet.

Not far away, a military transport vehicle had come to a stop, and fully armed Sentinels were disembarking quickly.

The leader of the group was a tall, upright figure. It was Qi Yao. He had actually come to lead the team himself.

The Sentinel Captain walked over to Guo Kai to ask about the situation.

But Qi Yao didn’t head in that direction.

He walked straight through the crowd, heading for Yun Sheng.