Chapter 146: Crazy with Jealousy, But Still Protecting Her

Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Crazy with Jealousy, But Still Protecting Her

A storm of emotions raged in Bai Ye’s eyes, which had grown so dark they seemed to be pooling with ink.

The red mark was like a thorn, piercing his gaze and lodging deep in his heart.

He wanted to look away but found he couldn’t.

In that instant, a torrent of anger, pain, and indignation—along with something else threatening to spill over—nearly shattered the cage of his reason.

But he could only ruthlessly shove these emotions back down, not allowing anyone to notice that anything was amiss.

Bai Ye lowered his gaze, his arms tightening slightly. Pretending to adjust his grip on her, he discreetly pulled the collar of her shirt higher.

The pad of his finger brushed past the red mark, and he paused for a fraction of a second.

The brief contact was like a jolt of heat, and for a split second, he was reluctant to pull away.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he moved his finger and concealed the mark from view completely.

"Yun Sheng!"

Cheng Nian had already rushed over, her face fraught with anxiety. "What’s wrong with her? Is she hurt?"

Li Wen hurried up behind her, looking Yun Sheng up and down with a worried expression.

Bai Ye looked up, his gaze having already returned to its usual calm, impassive state.

"She’s fine, just passed out."

Cheng Nian breathed a sigh of relief, though she couldn’t help stealing a few more glances at Yun Sheng. "Is she injured anywhere?" she asked worriedly. "Shouldn’t we treat her wounds first?"

"Let’s wait until we’re in a safer place to check."

Bai Ye, holding Yun Sheng, exchanged a look with Guo Kai and Ma Yu, who stood a short distance away.

Even though he knew the vines were controlled by Si Jin and likely wouldn’t attack them again for the time being, the others didn’t.

The recent battle had left everyone’s nerves frayed. Lingering in this eerie forest would only heighten their anxiety.

The best course of action was to leave.

Guo Kai understood. "We can’t linger here," he said in a low voice. "I surveyed the terrain earlier. To the northwest, there’s a zone where the energy fluctuations are relatively stable. It should be one of the few safe spots in this forest. We’ll head there to regroup."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Zhao Qian, trailing at the back of the group, curled her lip and muttered, "We all risked life and limb just to save her, and every single one of us is banged up. But look at her, as if nothing happened, and she even gets carried around..."

Li Wen, who had sharp ears, turned to glare at her. "What do you mean, ’as if nothing happened’? Didn’t you see those vines were trying to use Yun Sheng for nourishment? If we hadn’t caught up in time, she might have been..."

She didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Cheng Nian couldn’t help but chime in. "Exactly! Yun Sheng was dragged away; it’s not like she went willingly. How can you say something like that? Have you no conscience?"

Zhao Qian choked on her words, then mumbled, "I was just making an offhand comment. Was all that really necessary...?"

"Enough!"

Guo Kai barked, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Qian with a cold, sharp edge.

"This is not the time for squabbling. If you want to complain, you can complain all you want after the mission is over. For now, all of you, shut up."

Zhao Qian sullenly shut her mouth, lowering her head and falling silent.

The team fell silent once more as everyone quickened their pace, heading northwest.

Bai Ye walked at the very back, holding Yun Sheng.

Her head rested in the crook of his arm. Her eyes were closed, her breathing steady, so quiet it was as if she were just asleep.

The moonlight fell on her face, bathing her fair features in a soft, silvery glow.

His gaze fell upon her sleeping face from time to time, but each time he forced himself to look away.

And every time he did, it took all the strength he had.

The sky grew darker. Faint, hoarse screeches of pollutants echoed from the depths of the dense forest—sometimes distant, sometimes near—like a lurking threat ready to pounce from the shadows at any moment.

Everyone’s heart was in their throat, and their pace quickened unconsciously.

"Keep up. Don’t fall behind," Guo Kai reminded them in a low voice.

No one spoke. Only the sound of hurried footsteps and suppressed breathing echoed in the night.

As they neared the northwest, whether from the jostling of their pace or some other reason, Yun Sheng’s eyelashes fluttered and she slowly opened her eyes.

She was awake, but she didn’t seem to be fully conscious yet. Her gaze was vacant as she stared blankly ahead.

The moonlight was too dim. The surrounding scenery was shrouded in a hazy fog, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

Yun Sheng blinked, tilted her head slightly, and met a masked face.

It was White Tiger, and she was currently cradled in his arms.

Her body stiffened for a moment as she became fully awake.

At the thought of everything that had happened, her face instantly flushed hot.

Awkwardness and unease washed over her, and she found she didn’t dare meet White Tiger’s eyes.

Yun Sheng shifted slightly and realized he was holding her very tightly.

She reached out and gently tugged on White Tiger’s sleeve, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"Um... you can put me down. I can walk on my own."

Bai Ye paused, looking down at her.

In the moonlight, her face was faintly flushed. Her eyes were downcast, her lashes trembling, and her fingers were still clutching his sleeve, as if afraid he wouldn’t let go, yet ready to release her grip at any moment.

He said nothing, merely stopping in his tracks.

Yun Sheng felt him stop and, assuming he was about to put her down, moved instinctively to climb out of his arms.

The next second, instead of loosening, Bai Ye’s arms tightened, holding her so firmly she couldn’t move.

"Don’t move." His voice was deep, devoid of emotion. "A little further. The ground up ahead is uneven."

With that, he resumed walking as if nothing had happened.

Yun Sheng stared, stunned. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found she didn’t know what to say.

She remained in his arms, as stiff as a board.

Finally, the team came to a stop before a hollow on the northwest side of the mountain.

Guo Kai scanned the area and nodded. "This is the place. We’ll regroup here for the night."

Cheng Nian and Li Wen immediately rushed over to where Bai Ye was.

Seeing Yun Sheng’s open eyes, Cheng Nian was stunned at first, then a joyful smile bloomed on her face. "Yun Sheng! You’re awake!"

Li Wen also leaned in, looking her over with a worried expression. "How are you? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Did those vines hurt you?"

"Yeah, exactly!" Cheng Nian chimed in, looking her up and down. "Tell us, are you hurt?"

Yun Sheng was a bit overwhelmed by their rapid-fire questions.

She had thought that once they arrived, White Tiger would take the opportunity to put her down, but she waited, and the arms holding her remained perfectly still.

Yun Sheng tensed, forcing herself to answer their questions first.

"I’m fine... really, I’m fine." Her voice was a little hoarse. "Just a little dizzy. I’ll be fine after some rest."

"Really?" Cheng Nian was still unconvinced. "Do you want me to check you over?"

"No, really," Yun Sheng said, quickly shaking her head. "I’m sure of it. I’m really fine."

As she spoke, she reached out again and gently tugged on White Tiger’s sleeve.

This time, Bai Ye’s arms finally loosened.

Just as Yun Sheng was about to climb down, he surprised her by not putting her down directly. Instead, he bent over and gently set her down at the base of a thick tree.

He cradled her back with his palm, slowly helping her lean against the tree trunk. The way he handled her was so careful, as if she were a fragile treasure.

Yun Sheng stared, dumbfounded. Before she could speak, her vision suddenly darkened.

A jacket, still carrying his body heat, landed gently on her shoulders, enveloping her.

"It gets cold at night."

Bai Ye’s voice, still in that same impassive tone, came from above her.

Yun Sheng raised her head and met his eyes.

In the moonlight, his eyes were as still and deep as a pool of water, revealing no emotion.

"...Thank you," she said softly.

Bai Ye didn’t respond. He simply glanced down at her before turning and sitting down a short distance away.

Wrapped in the jacket that still carried his warmth, Yun Sheng felt a strange heaviness settle in her heart for reasons she couldn’t explain.