Chapter 27: Even an SSS-level Sentinel Can Be Bewitched
"Maybe... I was frightened." She lowered her eyelids, avoiding Bai Ye’s piercing gaze. "That was... truly terrifying. Then I ran for my life... I suppose that’s why..."
The explanation was plausible.
Strong emotional stimuli could indeed cause temporary fluctuations in guide hormones.
Bai Ye didn’t answer right away, merely watching her in silence.
The silence, lasting only a few seconds, stretched out in the enclosed vehicle until it was unnerving.
"When Si Jin lost control, how did you find an opportunity to escape him?"
A Dark Sentinel in a complete frenzy could crush a person with their leaked spiritual power alone.
An ordinary person wouldn’t just be unable to run; they would struggle to even lift a finger if they got close.
Yun Sheng had escaped from the research institute once. This time, she was closer and the situation was worse, yet she had somehow gotten away again.
Once could be luck. But twice?
Absolutely impossible!
A cold sweat instantly drenched Yun Sheng’s back.
She pinched her fingertip hard. The pain cleared her thoughts, and a sheen of moisture naturally formed in her eyes, making her look even more pitiful.
"I... I don’t really know how. Everything was so chaotic. My only thought was to get away, so I ran for my life... The next thing I knew, I was outside the warehouse."
"It’s true that people can unlock unexpected potential when under extreme fear."
Bai Ye leaned back slightly, shifting into a pose that was more relaxed, yet somehow more intimidating.
"But twice. Yun Sheng, this is the second time. The first could be chalked up to a coincidence amidst the chaos. But the second?"
Yun Sheng didn’t refute him immediately. Instead, she bit down hard on her already swollen lower lip.
She didn’t hold back, and the pain made her eyes instantly well up with tears.
She stared directly at Bai Ye, her tear-filled eyes a mixture of fear, hurt, and a trace of defiant accusation.
"General Bai, what... what are you trying to say?"
Without warning, large tears began to stream down Yun Sheng’s face. Her voice was full of helplessness and confusion.
"From the moment you brought me to the Capital Star until now... why does it seem like... you’re always targeting me? You said it yourself, this has happened twice. But both times, didn’t Si Jin drag me away right under your nose?"
Tears dripped from her chin, soaking her collar. She seemed oblivious, her voice growing more choked with emotion as she spoke, her sense of injustice mounting.
"You’re the Star Alliance War God, an SSS-level Sentinel... When I was being taken away by someone that dangerous, what did you do? And now... now that I’ve risked everything and barely managed to escape, instead of going after him, you’re here... questioning me? Suspecting me?"
She raised a hand to roughly wipe her face, but she couldn’t stop the flow of tears, which only made her small face look more wretched and pitiful.
"What... what have I done to offend you, General? For you to treat me like this, over and over..."
She seemed unable to go on. Her breathing was ragged, her chest heaving. She looked so fragile, as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.
"Maybe... maybe I shouldn’t have come back? Maybe I should have stayed in the Eighth Star Zone and let Yun Dafu... let those people from the casinos sell me off and destroy me, is that it? What did I do wrong... Why does everyone treat me this way?
I... I just want to live... to live a peaceful life, without being scared all the time... Is that too much to ask?"
With that, Yun Sheng lowered her head completely, curling into a ball as her shoulders shook uncontrollably.
Her stifled sobs echoed in the silent vehicle, her slender frame emanating a sense of despair and helplessness, as if she’d been abandoned by the entire world.
Bai Ye was taken aback by her tearful tirade.
He had seen her afraid. He had seen her feign composure. He had even seen the occasional flash of defiance in her eyes.
But he had never seen her cry like this, completely broken.
Her scalding tears, her hurt accusations... they caught him off guard, piercing through his calm, analytical facade. In some corner of his heart, a strange, unfamiliar feeling of unease began to stir.
It was a feeling... mixed with a hint of unexpected irritation, and even a trace of something close to remorse—an emotion he hadn’t anticipated feeling at all.
He was accustomed to dissecting everything with the logic of a soldier and the acuity of a Sentinel, but he seemed to have overlooked Yun Sheng’s feelings.
Her nerves were already stretched to the breaking point.
His relentless questioning, while perhaps logically necessary, was likely nothing more than another form of oppression to her.
The air inside the vehicle seemed to grow heavy and thick along with Yun Sheng’s sobs.
Bai Ye fell silent for a moment. A complex, dark emotion flickered in the depths of his usually calm, unreadable eyes.
The further questions he had prepared suddenly seemed difficult to ask.
Just then, the hovercar emitted a low, steady hum as it began to decelerate.
Outside the window, the familiar silhouette of the Lin Family residence and the warm, yellow light of its entryway grew distinct in the darkness.
The moment the car came to a stop, before Bai Ye could say or do anything, Yun Sheng pushed open the door, her head bowed, and stepped out without a word.
The night wind swept past her slender back and loose strands of hair, adding to her wretched and distant appearance.
Bai Ye’s brow furrowed when he saw the wet tear tracks on Yun Sheng’s profile and her swollen, red-rimmed eyes.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he followed her out of the car.
"Shengsheng!"
Su Wan, who had been waiting anxiously by the door, immediately rushed over and took Yun Sheng’s cold hand in hers.
"How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Lin Yueyao followed behind her mother, her eyes darting between Yun Sheng and Bai Ye, a flicker of suspicion in her gaze.
"I’m fine." Yun Sheng kept her gaze lowered, avoiding everyone’s eyes. Her voice was terribly hoarse. "Just a bit tired."
"As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters!" Su Wan sighed in relief and quickly turned to Bai Ye. "Ah Ye, thank you so much for this. Bringing Shengsheng back yourself so late at night... I’m just so..."
"It was my duty, Auntie. The important thing is she’s back safely. It’s late; you and Yun Sheng should both get some rest."
Bai Ye’s expression remained placid, but when his gaze landed on Yun Sheng, the fleeting look seemed to hold something more than it had in the car just moments before.
"Mom, why don’t you take Yun Sheng inside," Lin Yueyao suddenly said softly. "I have a few words I’d like to say to Brother Bai. I’ll be right in."
Not suspecting a thing, Su Wan nodded and carefully guided the still-silent, head-bowed Yun Sheng toward the house.
Only when their figures had disappeared through the doorway did Lin Yueyao turn to face Bai Ye.
"Brother Bai, can you tell me why you brought Yun Sheng back personally? Logically, Deputy Luo or any other soldier would have been a sufficient escort to ensure her safety."
She took a small step forward, closing the distance between them. Her gaze remained locked on his, trying to catch the slightest ripple in their profound calm.
"Brother Bai, ever since you brought Yun Sheng back from the Eighth Star Zone, you seem... unusually interested in her. You’ve never been like this before. What is so special about her?"