Chapter 426: Secure and Fearless

The first thing Jiang Qingli smelled when she opened her eyes was the sweet scent of food.

The coffee table was laden with dozens of desserts of every imaginable style and shape.

Ye Linyuan sat on the sofa, looking over some documents. His long, jet-black hair was splayed across the sofa, giving him the distinct air of a cold, remote beauty.

Jiang Qingli had found his long hair quite attractive when they first reunited, and now she took her time admiring it.

Her gaze was so blatant that after a moment of ignoring it, Ye Linyuan could no longer stand it. "Since you’re awake, come here."

Jiang Qingli feigned displeasure. "So bossy. Are you ordering me around?"

Ye Linyuan: "..."

He realized that she was the very picture of someone acting with impunity.

She was absolutely certain he wouldn’t do anything to her.

His serpentine tail coiled around the obstacles, hooked around Jiang Qingli’s waist, and pulled her down to sit right beside him.

Sensing no resistance from her, Ye Linyuan’s voice softened slightly. "Eat."

Jiang Qingli picked up the most beautiful strawberry cake, speared a piece with her fork, and held it to Ye Linyuan’s lips.

The young man’s eyes settled on her face, a flicker in their depths.

’At least she has a conscience.’

’He hated human food, but since she was being proactive, he supposed he could make an exception.’

Ye Linyuan’s lips parted slightly, but then he heard her say, "You should try the mango one too."

Ye Linyuan stopped. "Try what?"

"Whenever we ate out, you’d always taste-test my food for poison." Jiang Qingli tried to jog his memory with the familiar scene. "Remember?"

Ye Linyuan turned his face away, refusing to repeat any action of the twenty-five-year-old Ye Linyuan. "There’s no poison. Eat it yourself."

His expression was firm, so Jiang Qingli didn’t press the issue and ate the piece herself.

She saw that Ye Linyuan was staring at a map and asked, "It seems you’ve dealt with all your contacts in the Twelve Districts. What’s next?"

Ye Linyuan didn’t hide it from her. "There are still a few who got away."

"So when are you planning to take care of them?" Jiang Qingli leaned against his shoulder. "How about you take me with you?"

’She wanted to spend more time with him.’

Ye Linyuan glanced at her abdomen and asked, "How much longer do you need?"

He took two boxes from the side and handed them to Jiang Qingli.

The two boxes contained a high-potency painkiller and an accelerated healing agent. This type of medication was reserved for high-ranking military personnel; it was extremely effective and typically used on severely wounded S Level Beastmen.

Jiang Qingli’s lips twitched. "I’m on my period, I don’t have a gaping hole in my stomach. I feel fine, it won’t affect my mobility..."

Ye Linyuan knew nothing about female physiology. He had simply searched the Star Network, read that some females experience pain, and went to swipe two boxes of medicine from the military.

Upon learning the truth, the young man seemed a little embarrassed. The tips of his ears turned red as he averted his gaze, only managing a soft "mhm" after a few seconds.

"It’s fine. You never had much common sense in the past, either." Jiang Qingli said, indicating she was used to it. "Once, you even asked me why I couldn’t just make it stop."

Ye Linyuan’s lips curled in a faint sneer. His tone was mocking. "That’s because *he* was an idiot."

Jiang Qingli: ?

’Is he insulting himself?’

Thinking Ye Linyuan was trying to lighten the mood, Jiang Qingli said, "Actually, you’re kind of cute when you’re like this."

The smile vanished from Ye Linyuan’s face. He casually picked up a cup of hot milk tea, set it beside Jiang Qingli, and said flatly, "Is that so."

He fell silent and went back to the data on the screen. The blue light illuminated his face, which held a faint trace of displeasure.

Jiang Qingli: ?

’Why isn’t he happy when I compliment him?!’

’How is the twenty-year-old Ye Linyuan even moodier and harder to read than the twenty-five-year-old version?!’

...

After finishing two pieces of cake, Jiang Qingli picked up the milk tea and took a sip. Sweetness always brought a simple sense of contentment. She offered the cup to Ye Linyuan beside her. "Want some?"

Leaning back against the sofa, Ye Linyuan remained unmoved. "I’m not interested in that stuff."

He held that pose for all of two seconds.

The moment Jiang Qingli pulled her hand back, Ye Linyuan abruptly shoved the screen aside and lunged toward her.

However, just before his lips could touch hers, Jiang Qingli anticipated his move and pulled back, neatly dodging him. He only managed to snatch the hair tie that had fallen from her hair.

Jiang Qingli turned her head to face his narrowed, displeased eyes and lifted her chin smugly. "I knew you were going to try something! Every time you give me that look, it means you want to ki—MMMPH!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Ye Linyuan covered her mouth.

’It was always about the past.’

"Shut up." Ye Linyuan’s expression darkened. "I don’t want to know."

’How many more times is she going to talk about "him"?’

’Does she need to replace every single one of our memories with a new one before she’ll stop thinking about the Ye Linyuan who no longer exists?’

The intimate atmosphere evaporated in the face of his almost vicious words, and Jiang Qingli’s eyes widened in shock.

Ye Linyuan froze.

The girl blinked, a flicker of realization in her eyes. "Ye Linyuan... do you feel pressured because I keep bringing up the past?"

’She was far too perceptive.’

’Or rather, she knew him too well—no matter which version he was.’

Ye Linyuan released his hand. "No."

He said the word, but a dull, stinging sourness struggled within his chest, threatening to break free.

Jiang Qingli felt a pang of guilt for her thoughtlessness. She took his hand and explained, "I’m sorry. I’m not trying to pressure you. I just hope you’ll remember. But it’s okay if you can’t. Just come back with me, and we can take our time..."

’Lies.’

’No matter what she said, she still wanted him to remember.’

’It wasn’t the present him she cared about.’

Ye Linyuan’s lips parted, but he said nothing.

He stood up and was about to turn and leave, but the screen in front of him began flashing red.

W-103 on the surface was requesting contact.

Ye Linyuan hit the accept button, and W-103’s panicked shout filled the room. "Bo-Boss! Three Mutant Beasts are heading your way! Qui—"

Before he could finish, a tremendous force slammed into the door, splintering it in two.

A three-meter-tall behemoth burst through the door, letting out a heaven-shaking roar.

The foul stench of decay flooded the room, carrying with it a powerful surge of Superpower. The force of the gust overturned the coffee table and the bed, leaving the room in shambles.

The moment the Mutant Beast burst in, Ye Linyuan pulled Jiang Qingli into his arms, shielding her.

The powerful aura radiating from him was so intense that a single glance was enough to freeze the Mutant Beast in place.

Immediately after, the sound of footsteps came from behind the first Mutant Beast, and two more savage ones forced their way inside.

The three Mutant Beasts were enormous, all around S Level in power.

But their appearances didn’t match any known type, instead combining the physical traits of several different Mutant Beasts.

Jiang Qingli drew her weapon and asked Ye Linyuan in a hushed voice, "Is this more of the lab’s work?"

"Yes," Ye Linyuan said calmly. "They’re here for me. This has nothing to do with you."

Before his voice had faded, black mist enveloped Jiang Qingli and sent her to the surface.

On the surface, W-103 and Q-29 were guarding the entrance, anxiously arguing about whether to go help.

Jiang Qingli’s sudden appearance made them jump. "Sister-in-law, why are you alone? Where’s the Boss?"

"He’s still down there."

Even from dozens of meters away, powerful fluctuations could still be felt on the surface. Jiang Qingli wanted to go back, but the entrance to the underground lab was still sealed.

W-103 pointed into the distance. "There’s a huge hole over a hundred meters away! They got in through there, bypassing our sentries! After being injected with the Boss’s genes, these things got smarter!"

"Injected with Ye Linyuan’s genes?" Jiang Qingli was stunned, a strong sense of deja vu washing over her.

W-103’s words confirmed her suspicion. "That’s right. These Mutant Beasts need the Boss’s blood to maintain their vital signs, that’s why they’re going crazy trying to find him!"

Without a second thought, Jiang Qingli turned and ran in the direction W-103 was pointing.

But just as she was halfway there, a Low Level Mutant Beast suddenly appeared and blocked her path.

W-103 and Q-29 joined the fight. It took over ten minutes of struggle before Jiang Qingli could break away and rush to the underground lab.

The tunnel the Mutant Beasts had dug was crude and rough. Loose clods of dirt crumbled from the ceiling, but Jiang Qingli paid them no mind.

The heavy scent of blood made Jiang Qingli’s heart leap into her throat. She quickened her pace, entering the bedroom she had just left.

Ye Linyuan stood with his back to her amidst the remains of the Mutant Beasts strewn across the room. Hearing her footsteps, he slowly raised his eyes to look at her.

"Don’t come any closer." His face was still devoid of expression, and his voice was raspy. "It’s filthy."

Tears welled in Jiang Qingli’s eyes as she rushed over to him.

Ye Linyuan took a step back, creating distance.

His gaze flickered as he looked at her slightly disheveled hair, and he held out his hand to her.

In the palm of his hand lay the hair tie that had come loose while they were teasing each other earlier.

He was covered in blood from head to toe.

But the hair tie remained pristine, without a single speck of dust on it.