Chapter 147: An Uncontrollable Confession (1)

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: An Uncontrollable Confession (1)

"Yun Sheng!"

Cheng Nian, who had just come over to sit next to her, suddenly gasped.

"Your wrist... What happened?"

Yun Sheng’s heart tightened.

Cheng Nian’s sharp eyes spotted it, and she grabbed Yun Sheng’s wrist to get a closer look in the moonlight.

The cuff had slid down slightly from her earlier movements, revealing a sliver of her fair wrist. The faint, circular red mark was all the more conspicuous against her skin.

"Why is it so red?" Cheng Nian frowned. "Was it from those vines? Does it hurt?"

Yun Sheng looked down, and a series of images flashed through her mind.

In the dim cave, Si Jin had seized her wrist, pinning her against the stone wall.

Back then, they had both lost some control. He had kissed her deeply and forcefully, and his prolonged grip on her wrist had left a mark...

At the thought, Yun Sheng’s face flushed hotly.

She quickly pulled her hand back and, trying to act casual, tugged her sleeve down to cover the red mark.

"It’s nothing." She looked up, her expression already calm again. "It must be from when the vines grabbed me earlier. It doesn’t hurt or itch, so don’t worry."

Cheng Nian was still worried and was about to ask more, but Li Wen, who was next to her, gently tugged on her sleeve.

"That’s enough. Let Yun Sheng rest for a bit; she must be exhausted. We can talk tomorrow."

Cheng Nian looked at Yun Sheng’s slightly weary expression and swallowed her words.

"Alright, then." She nodded, but couldn’t help adding, "Yun Sheng, if you feel unwell anywhere, you have to tell us. Don’t just push through it."

A warmth spread through Yun Sheng’s chest, and she gave a soft "mhm."

Only then did Cheng Nian relax, settling down next to Yun Sheng.

Li Wen also circled around to the other side and found a spot to sit by Yun Sheng.

The two of them flanked her, shielding her between them.

Yun Sheng breathed a small sigh of relief, but she subconsciously glanced over at White Tiger.

He was sitting not far away, his back against a tree trunk, his eyes slightly lowered as if he were resting.

The moonlight outlined his cold, hard silhouette. His mask covered most of his face, revealing nothing.

But Yun Sheng couldn’t shake the feeling that his gaze, faint but present, would land on her from time to time.

She lowered her eyes, pulled the jacket she was wearing tighter around herself, and stopped looking.

As night deepened, a bonfire was lit, chasing away the forest’s chill.

Guo Kai stood up and glanced at the group. "Ma Yu, White Tiger, and I will take turns on watch. The rest of you, get some sleep."

Ma Yu nodded and was the first to take his post, sitting with his back against a nearby tree to keep watch.

The others each found a spot to lie down. Soon, the area grew quiet, leaving only the crackling of firewood and the occasional chirp of insects in the distance.

Yun Sheng nestled between Cheng Nian and Li Wen, wrapped in the still-warm jacket, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier...

She woke up groggily, unsure how much time had passed.

The bonfire had burned down to little more than dark red embers, and her surroundings were silent.

She blinked and subconsciously looked toward the person on watch.

A tall, slender figure stood there with his back to her. The moonlight stretched his shadow long across the ground, silent and lonely.

Yun Sheng stared blankly at his back, and for some reason, an indescribable feeling welled up inside her.

She thought about earlier that day, when the vines had dragged her away and White Tiger had desperately tried to save her. She also remembered how he had contacted her on his own initiative, saying he was her accompanying Sentinel. He had shared information with her, rushed to save her and her squad when they were in danger, and even taught her how to deal with the pollutants...

They hadn’t known each other long, but it seemed White Tiger had been helping and saving her without reservation.

Especially his selfless desperation during the day...

’His feelings for me... could it be...’

Yun Sheng didn’t dare let her thoughts go any further.

Especially since she and Si Jin had just gotten together. Si Jin had even said he wouldn’t go far, that he’d be following her nearby...

’If he found out about White Tiger’s feelings for me, he’d probably get jealous all over again!’

As her thoughts ran wild, the figure suddenly stirred.

Bai Ye seemed to sense something. He turned sideways, his gaze directed straight at her.

Yun Sheng’s heart clenched. She instinctively lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze.

She didn’t know why she hid from it.

In that instant, she had simply, instinctively, looked away.

After a few seconds, she stealthily raised her eyes, only to find his gaze was still on her.

White Tiger just kept staring at her, straight across the short distance, through the pale moonlight, through all the things that remained unspoken and unclear.

A wave of anxiety washed over Yun Sheng, and she lowered her eyes again.

She could feel his gaze resting on her for a long time—so long she could barely breathe. Then, she heard footsteps.

Neither heavy nor light, step by step, they came toward her.

Yun Sheng’s heart suddenly began to race.

She clutched the jacket covering her, pretending to be asleep as she closed her eyes.

The footsteps stopped beside her.

Silence.

A long silence.

So long she thought he was just standing guard nearby—so long she was on the verge of truly falling asleep.

"Yun Sheng."

White Tiger’s voice was low and hushed, as if afraid of waking the others.

Yun Sheng’s eyelashes fluttered, but she didn’t open her eyes.

Another stretch of silence.

Then she heard him sigh softly.

"I know you’re awake," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of helplessness and bitterness. "Can you... talk with me for a minute?"

Yun Sheng’s fingers tightened slightly.

She knew she couldn’t keep up the pretense. Besides, she owed him a proper "thank you."

She gently pushed the jacket aside, sat up, and tilted her chin toward a more secluded spot not far away.

Bai Ye froze for a moment, then understood and followed her.

The two of them stopped under a large tree a short distance away, dozens of paces from where the other team members were resting, far enough that their voices wouldn’t wake anyone.

Moonlight spilled through the gaps in the leaves, dappling the ground with fragmented spots of light.

Yun Sheng stopped, turned, and met Bai Ye’s gaze.

The moonlight landed on her face, and her eyes were clear and sincere.

"White Tiger Officer," she began, her voice soft but earnest. "About what happened today... I want to properly thank you."

A flicker of emotion crossed Bai Ye’s eyes.

"You were injured trying to save me, but you didn’t say a word about it. When the vines dragged me away, I saw you charging forward covered in blood, and it broke my heart. Thank you. Really."

Yun Sheng looked at him, her every word sincere as she earnestly expressed her gratitude.

"...It’s my duty," Bai Ye’s voice was a little hoarse.

Yun Sheng nodded lightly, not arguing the point. She simply asked, "You said you wanted to talk to me. What did you want to say?"

Bai Ye opened his mouth.

The words he wanted to say, the ones he had hidden in his heart for so long, were right on the tip of his tongue.

But when he met her open, guileless eyes—eyes that held only gratitude and nothing more—the words suddenly caught in his throat.

’What good would it do to say it?’

’Make things difficult for her? Make her feel awkward? Make it so she can’t even be comfortable around me in the future?’

Bai Ye lowered his eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing violently as he forced the words back down.

But in that instant, his gaze inadvertently swept over the side of Yun Sheng’s neck.

Her collar was slightly open, revealing the red mark she had tried to hide.

In the moonlight, the mark was still clear—and piercing to the eye.

Bai Ye’s expression changed abruptly.

"Yun Sheng."

His voice deepened, as if it took a great deal of determination to speak.

"When I saw the vines drag you away, I couldn’t think about anything else. That barrier, those attacks... I didn’t care about any of it. I just wanted to save you. I just wanted you to be safe. Do you... understand what I mean?"