Chapter 37: Soothed, and Even Teased
This condition was more specific than Yun Sheng had anticipated—and more... dangerous.
It was both a temptation and a shackle.
"Well?"
Si Jin tilted his head slightly, his low, husky voice laced with seduction.
"Will you choose to hide and struggle under Bai Ye’s constant surveillance, targeted by Lin Yueyao and despised by Lin Hao? Will you resign yourself to being humiliated and attacked at will, just like what happened moments ago...?
Or will you choose to work with me? Not only will you grow stronger, but you’ll also gain a powerful ally you can rely on."
’To grow stronger, to no longer be at the mercy of others...’ That was indeed her most pressing need.
But...
’Is Si Jin really any less dangerous than Bai Ye?’
Working with a Dark Sentinel was no different than asking a tiger for its skin.
Bai Ye at least followed the rules. Si Jin, on the other hand...
Yun Sheng pressed her lips together, lapsing into silence.
Si Jin gazed down at the shifting expressions on her face. He didn’t rush her, appearing perfectly patient.
After a long moment, Yun Sheng lifted her eyes to meet his profound gaze. "I need time to consider."
Si Jin arched an eyebrow. He seemed neither surprised nor displeased.
"How long?"
"...Three days."
Yun Sheng gave him a deadline.
’Three days. That would be enough for her to calm down and weigh the pros and cons.’
"Fine," Si Jin agreed readily. "I’ll come for you in three days. Don’t even think about running. You know I can find you no matter where you go!"
A chill went down Yun Sheng’s spine. She nodded. "Can you let me go now?"
Si Jin felt the slender waist beneath his palm. The warmth of her body and the softness of her form, even through the fabric, stirred a strange... ’reluctance to let go?’
The emotion was so abrupt it startled even him.
But he quickly suppressed the strange feeling and released his hand as if nothing had happened.
Yun Sheng had just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to step back when something gently took hold of her pant leg.
Then, a warm, furry presence pressed against her calf, nuzzling her coquettishly.
She instinctively looked down and met a pair of round, dewy eyes staring up at her innocently.
It was Si Jin’s spiritual body.
It had shrunk to the size of a medium dog. Its jet-black fur was fluffy and glossy, its ears drooped obediently, looking for all the world like a good boy waiting for a head pat.
Baffled, Yun Sheng looked at Si Jin.
Si Jin’s expression was nonchalant. "For the next three days, it’s going with you."
Yun Sheng: "...Is this for protection or surveillance?"
Si Jin’s lips quirked. "Think what you will. With it around, at least trash like what you dealt with earlier won’t be able to get near you. As for surveillance... if I wanted to know where you are and what you’re doing, I wouldn’t need its help."
It was an arrogant statement, but it was true.
Yun Sheng looked down at the little dog by her feet. It appeared utterly docile, but she knew its combat power was off the charts. She felt a wave of resignation.
She bent down and tentatively reached out a hand.
The little dog immediately nudged its head into her palm, a contented purr rumbling in its throat.
It even rolled over to expose its fluffy belly, a clear invitation to ’come rub my tummy’.
The adorable contrast made Yun Sheng’s taut nerves loosen ever so slightly.
"...Aren’t you afraid someone will find out about it?" Yun Sheng asked, scratching the little dog’s chin as she looked up at Si Jin. "You’re wanted by the Tower. Bai Ye is looking for you everywhere."
Si Jin just smiled nonchalantly, but his eyes held a cold, sharp confidence.
"Relax. To anyone else, it just looks like an ordinary... uh, dog. I’ve completely suppressed its spiritual power fluctuations. As long as you don’t go waving it under Bai Ye’s nose, no one will notice."
Yun Sheng fell silent.
She looked down at the docile dog nuzzling her hand without a shred of dignity, then back at Si Jin, and finally let out a soft "Mm."
It was a silent acceptance of the arrangement.
Before leaving, Yun Sheng glanced at Chen Hao on the ground, looking as if she wanted to say something but held back.
"Don’t worry about it," Si Jin said, understanding her concern. His tone was flat. "I’ll clean up."
Yun Sheng said no more. She picked up the little dog and turned, heading in the direction of the Lin Family estate.
Si Jin stood rooted to the spot, watching her retreating figure.
The softness and warmth from where he’d held her waist seemed to linger on his palm. That strange impulse, the desire to bind her to his side, resurfaced faintly in his heart.
He frowned, forcing his attention back to the present.
He bent down and hauled up the unconscious Chen Hao as if he were a sack of trash. Then, his figure melted silently into the deeper darkness, as if he had never been there at all.
...
By the time Yun Sheng returned to the Lin Family home with the little dog in her arms, the night was late. Only a single, dim yellow wall sconce was lit in the foyer.
She had just stepped into the entryway when she nearly collided with someone.
Lin Hao appeared to be on his way out. The moment he saw Yun Sheng, his brow furrowed.
"Tch. Look at you, running wild. It’s late."
As he spoke, his eyes swept over the furry black bundle in her arms, and a look of disgust instantly surfaced.
"What is that thing? It’s filthy! And you brought it into the house? Get rid of it, now!"
The little dog in her arms seemed to take offense at being called ’filthy’ and a ’thing.’ The head buried in Yun Sheng’s arm twitched, and its tail gave an impatient flick.
Yun Sheng didn’t want to argue with Lin Hao. Her tone was placid. "A friend had an emergency and asked me to watch it temporarily. It’s very clean."
"A friend? What kind of decent friends could you possibly have? I bet this is just another bad habit you picked up on that trash planet—always picking up junk! I’m warning you, don’t let it run around and make a mess or scare Sister Yue Yao. If you do, you’ll be sorry!"
Lin Hao seemed to be in a hurry. He spat out the words and then strode out the door.
Yun Sheng carried the little dog back to her room, locking the door behind her. Only then did she finally relax.
She set the little dog down on the soft carpet, and it immediately rolled over, exposing its soft, warm belly.
Its four paws splayed out in relaxation, and its deep blue eyes gazed up at her with anticipation.
Seeing this, Yun Sheng couldn’t help but smile.
The tension and exhaustion that had built up throughout the day seemed to melt away, soothed by the creature’s pure dependence and its plea for affection.
She sat down beside it, reached out, and lightly placed her fingertips on its fluffy belly.
The fur there was exceptionally soft and warm.
She gave it a tentative rub, and the little dog immediately let out a contented purr, its body relaxing and stretching out even further.
Reassured, Yun Sheng began to scratch in earnest. The pads of her fingers gently combed through the soft fur, and she occasionally used her fingertips to draw circles on the fluffiest spots on its flanks and chest.
When her fingers unintentionally brushed across the very center of its belly—the softest, most sensitive patch of fur—the little dog’s body suddenly went rigid, and the purring in its throat ceased.
Puzzled, Yun Sheng stopped.
The little dog suddenly looked up at her, its gaze exceptionally dark.
Then it buried its head against her again, nuzzling her with the same dependence. Its tail, however, had curled up, no longer wagging happily. It seemed almost... ’reserved?’
Yun Sheng didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just a reaction to being scratched in a ticklish spot, or perhaps a sign of extreme comfort.
She smiled and continued to patiently and gently stroke the little dog nestled against her.
Her fingertips moving through the thick, warm fur brought a reassuring touch and warmth, as if they could smooth away all her fears and anxieties.
Meanwhile, not far away, in the top-floor room of an Advanced residence on the other side of Xinglan Garden.
The lights were off. Si Jin stood alone before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his silhouette nearly one with the thick darkness of the night.
Suddenly, his body went taut.
An intensely strange and subtle sensation was traveling, thread by delicate thread, along the invisible, intimate link between his spiritual body and himself.
Si Jin’s breathing grew heavy.
He tried to suppress the absurdly intimate sensation, but found that it didn’t weaken. Instead, thanks to his spiritual body’s dependence and receptiveness, it only grew clearer.
It was as if he himself were being... soothed, and even... aroused, inch by inch, by those soft hands.