Chapter 68: Healing Ability
An indescribable heat burrowed into her pores. Unconsciously, her every breath felt scorching and granular.
Pei Yin moved more gently.
He hastily concluded the examination. "Alright, we’re done."
The movement of his hand stirred a breeze, accompanied by the crisp TINKLE TINKLE of bells.
Jian Yu turned and studied him for a couple of seconds.
The chains adorning his body were far more intricate than before.
Silver chains were wrapped diagonally from his shoulder to his forearm. Their links swayed, tapping lightly against the contours of his muscles.
Long tassels dangled to his wrist, ending in bells studded with fine, star-like diamonds.
With a flick of his wrist, the pendants swayed, and Jian Yu could practically feel the cool chains sliding across the nape of her neck.
’It tickles a little.’
A moment later, Jian Yu touched her neck. "Thank you."
More bells hung from the jade gourd at his waist, JINGLE JANGLE.
’I wonder if he can even hear me over all that noise.’
"Don’t mention it." Pei Yin paused for a beat before striding away.
He kept his distance, putting at least eight meters between them.
So sullen, it wasn’t like him.
Two tentacles wrapped around her wrist. The sensation was distinct, and Jian Yu instinctively lowered her head.
Dazed, she fell into Xi Yu’s lap, her skirt covering her dangling calves.
"Baby." Xi Yu pulled her back into his embrace, his hand locking around her waist, his gaze obsessive.
The mist climbing his shoulders had paled slightly in color.
The moment Pei Yin came out, Jian Yu had intentionally tried to disperse it, to keep it away from the two dangerous men, Xi Yu and Ling Yanzhi.
But Xi Yu still pursued the corner of her lips, unwilling to part.
"Mmph..." Jian Yu had no choice but to endure it.
She was rather bewildered.
’Isn’t my golden finger worth a little more of their attention?’
’Shouldn’t they be anxiously awaiting the test results right now? Shouldn’t they be grilling me, picking apart every word I said until the report comes out?’
’Did it not occur to them that I might be hiding something? Or that I could be lying, deliberately twisting the facts?’
’Did I say too little, or do they just lack imagination?’
Jian Yu felt a bit frustrated. Their reactions made her whole song and dance about hiding her golden finger seem incredibly foolish.
’I think this golden finger of mine is worth investigating. It must be incredibly powerful.’
’But to Xi Yu, it seems less important than making out with me.’
The silver ornaments went JINGLE JANGLE, ringing wildly with his steps in a great CLATTER.
"CREAK." Pei Yin dragged an antique-style chair over.
He had adjusted the hover-chair into a wooden-backed chair that sat on the floor, stripping it of its original high-tech appearance.
Pei Yin leaned forward, his arms resting on his legs.
As he raised his hand, the jade pendant swirled, casting an arc of cold light.
He didn’t say a word, just stared at them, his expression dark and sullen.
’He’s run out of tricks.’
’He’s cursing them with his glare!’
A familiar scene, one that had just played out in front of Sheng Yue not long ago.
Shame washed over Jian Yu. She squeezed her eyes shut and raised a hand to push him away.
It was futile. She was exhausted, yet he wouldn’t budge. Her breath only grew more ragged.
’The trouble with having two boyfriends is that no matter which one I’m being intimate with, I subconsciously want to avoid the other.’
’And when I’m in a bind, my first instinct is to ask the other one for help.’
Jian Yu’s peripheral vision slid toward Ling Yanzhi, her red-rimmed eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
She couldn’t see his expression clearly, only that he was leaning back against the lab bench with one hand, and seemed to have been staring for a long time.
’They really are in sync. A single look, a single gesture, and they’ve made a pact not to interfere with each other.’
’Leaving me to face Pei Yin’s glare all by myself. How awkward.’
"Baby, your long hair is the most beautiful." The thin chain of the earring on his ear cartilage slid down his shoulder and tangled with her hair ornament.
"Don’t break it."
His voice was syrupy.
He dipped his head, lips brushing against hers. His nervous little fidgets added a touch of docility to his demeanor.
A tentacle gently unwound the tangled strands, its tip curling to grasp and toy with her hair.
Jian Yu gazed in Ling Yanzhi’s direction, her vision blurred by a film of tears.
Ling Yanzhi chuckled teasingly. "Is Baby welcoming me over?"
His tone was gentle and his posture was lazy, but his gaze carried an attack that was impossible to refuse.
After his quip, he’d even raise an eyebrow at you with a smirk.
Jian Yu blinked, and teardrops fell like beads from a broken string.
’I must look so beautiful crying right now.’
’All that time spent in front of the mirror wasn’t for nothing, and those nicknames on the forum aren’t just for show.’
’Gentle Little Fairy, Aloof Beauty, Yan Beauty.’ Her thoughts drifted. ’I still don’t know where that last one came from.’
Xi Yu released her lips, only to catch the delicate peak of her upper lip between his teeth, nibbling gently. "Baby, you’re so soft."
"..." Jian Yu’s hand slid down to touch his narrow waist.
’You’re not so bad yourself. Such a slim waist.’
"Do you two want to see a human-seal hybrid? Maybe that’ll sober you up?" Pei Yin cut in coldly. "I could remove the legs, attach a seal’s tail, then add on a few..."
Jian Yu turned her head away, her lips pressed tight, a sob caught in her throat.
The corners of her eyes were a listless, feverish red, and the tip of her nose was flushed.
Pei Yin bit back the rest of his words and looked away, feeling the urge to splash his face with cold water.
’This is my territory!’
He stared resentfully at Jian Yu’s hazy eyes and damp eyelashes.
She looked so pitiful.
Pei Yin analyzed calmly, "Her scent... isn’t it different from before?"
Ting Ying opened the skylight to air the room out.
Ling Yanzhi tapped his fingers on the lab bench. "What’s your take?"
Pei Yin’s mouth ran ahead of his brain. "She’s very cute."
"Tsk." Ling Yanzhi casually tossed the instrument to him. "I’m asking what’s your take on *this*?"
The assessment was complete; the analysis report was ready.
He wasn’t familiar with operating the instrument, so he couldn’t retrieve it.
Pei Yin’s ears burned as he caught the instrument.
"I said my instrument is very cute."
He walked over, scrambling to cover his slip-up. "What are you doing, tossing it like that? So what if it’s disposable, don’t I deserve to have you hand it to me? I spent tens of billions on the research alone!"
"Tens of billions? Did you forget who invested twenty billion of that?"
Ling Yanzhi sneered, "You develop it, and then secretly use the first batch for yourself. Is that how you repay me?"
Pei Yin pretended not to hear.
He fiddled with the chains at his waist and walked to the main console to operate it.
Ling Yanzhi stared at his face. "Your injuries, how are they healing so much faster than before?"
He poked his cheek. There was no swelling or pain.
Pei Yin frowned, "It does seem faster."
He lifted the hem of his shirt. This was where he’d been hurt the worst; there should have been a massive bruise, but there was nothing.
He pressed on his ribs. Still no pain.
He hadn’t paid any mind to the superficial scrapes and minor bruises, but a cracked rib should have taken a long time to heal—at least several hours before it was fully recovered.
"If I’m not mistaken, it might be..." Pei Yin’s gaze fell to the corner of the room.
He remembered Sheng Yue saying that Yin Jiu had suffered a serious injury to his nose. The toxins ran too deep, and it had been slow to heal.
After smelling that fragrance on Jian Yu, Yin Jiu had suddenly recovered.
Following his gaze, Ling Yanzhi looked at Jian Yu.
Her arms were draped limply over Xi Yu’s shoulders, her cheeks flushed pink. Her eyes were filled with a mist that wouldn’t dissipate as she panted in small, teary gasps.
"You pull up the report," Ling Yanzhi said, tugging at the choker around his neck and rolling his head.
He walked over and scooped her into his arms, gently wiping her tears with the pad of his thumb. "I look away for one second, and look how pitifully my Baby’s been bullied."