Chapter 168: Empathy, Being Teased

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Empathy, Being Teased

Dawn broke, the sky lightening to a pale white, and the outline of the temporary camp gradually emerged from the morning mist.

Everyone dragged their exhausted bodies into the camp, each person covered in dust and caked in blood.

The Sentinels on duty were horrified by their appearance.

’What in the world happened to them to end up in such a sorry state?’

"First, go back and get some rest." Qi Yao’s gaze slowly swept over the group. "By six o’clock this afternoon, each of you needs to submit a written report on the specific details of this mission. After the reports are submitted, someone will meet with you individually to verify the details."

He paused, then added, "Until the investigation is complete, your squad will remain in the camp. You will not be sent out on any more missions."

Hearing this, the members of the group exchanged glances.

’Individual verification? Confined to the camp?’

’They were clearly placing them under quarantine for an investigation.’

Guo Kai’s brow furrowed slightly. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Ma Yu tugged on his sleeve, pulling him back.

He pressed his lips together and, in the end, said nothing.

Cheng Nian stole a glance at Yun Sheng, her eyes filled with worry.

Li Wen’s expression was also grim. Zhou Ying remained expressionless, but a flicker of gravity crossed her eyes.

He Yi was silent as usual. Only Zhao Qian kept her head down, her expression hidden.

Qi Yao took in everyone’s reactions and waved a hand. "Dismissed. Go get some proper rest and recover your strength."

Everyone nodded and dispersed.

Yun Sheng followed Cheng Nian and the others toward their tent. She appeared unfazed by what Qi Yao had said, but her heart was heavy.

’Individual verification... It seems Qi Yao is dead set on getting to the bottom of this whole affair.’

’From his perspective, with the White Tiger’s identity unknown and its subsequent disappearance, plus Bai Ye’s inexplicable appearance here... connecting the dots, it’s true that there are a lot of suspicious circumstances.’

Soon, they reached their tent.

The other trainees were still fast asleep, their even breaths rising and falling. The group tiptoed around the bunks, trying their best not to make a sound.

By the time she finally lay down, the sun was fully up.

Sunlight streamed through a crack in the tent, falling on Yun Sheng’s face.

She lay with her eyes open, staring at the ceiling of the tent, not the least bit sleepy.

’How is Bai Ye doing now?’

’Where is Si Jin hiding?’

’When Qi Yao talks to me alone, what will he ask?’

All sorts of questions swirled in her mind, leaving her head in a jumble.

Just then, a corner of the tent flap was lifted by the wind, making a soft noise.

Yun Sheng subconsciously glanced toward the tent’s entrance. Suddenly, she felt something warm and soft lick the hand she had resting outside her blanket.

Her body went rigid.

The next second, a tiny figure nimbly climbed onto her bunk and snuggled up beside her pillow.

It was a palm-sized, fluffy ball of fur, pitch-black all over, with only its eyes glowing a faint blue.

It was a miniature version of the Abyssal Giant Wolf.

Surprise instantly flooded Yun Sheng’s eyes.

Seeing her look over, the little wolf let out a soft, delicate whimper from its throat. It desperately nudged its fluffy head into her palm, its small tail wagging like a pinwheel.

Yun Sheng’s heart instantly melted.

She reached out and gently ruffled the fur on its head.

The texture was soft and warm, like the finest velvet blanket.

The little wolf, content, squinted its eyes and made a purring sound deep in its throat. It rubbed its whole body against her palm, as if it wanted to meld right into her hand.

She rubbed its ears next, and they twitched before flopping down softly.

She stroked down its back, and the little wolf, overcome with pleasure, rolled right over, exposing its fluffy belly, its four little legs kicking wildly in the air.

Yun Sheng couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, then quickly covered her mouth, afraid of waking the others.

The little wolf gazed at her with its bright, sparkling eyes, then stuck out its tongue and licked her fingers again, as if to say: ’I’m here. Don’t be afraid.’

Yun Sheng gathered it into her arms, resting her chin on its fluffy head.

The storm of thoughts in her mind suddenly calmed.

’Si Jin knew she would be unsettled after everything that had happened, so he sent his spiritual body over.’

Yun Sheng closed her eyes, hugging the little wolf a bit tighter, a faint smile gracing her lips.

Soon, her breathing evened out, and she fell into a deep sleep.

...

「In a forest not far from the temporary camp’s perimeter」

Si Jin was leaning against a thick tree trunk, resting with his eyes closed, when his body suddenly tensed.

An intensely familiar, overwhelming sensation traveled in faint streams along the invisible link connecting his spiritual body to his physical one.

A pair of soft hands was ruffling the little wolf’s head. He could feel the warmth of her palm, the softness of her fingertips, and the light, adoring pressure.

Si Jin’s breathing suddenly deepened.

He tried to suppress the perception, only to find that not only did the sensation not diminish, it actually grew clearer, amplified by his spiritual body’s dependence and compliance.

It was as if he himself was being caressed, inch by inch, by those soft hands.

When her fingertips brushed along its back, a tingling current shot down his spine to his tailbone, making his back tense uncontrollably.

When that hand rubbed its ears, a ticklish, soft sensation spread from the shell of his ear to his neck, like the most intimate tease.

The sensation was too intimate, too soft, as if someone were caressing him in the gentlest way possible...

He abruptly opened his eyes and glanced down at a certain spot, his Adam’s apple bobbing violently.

"Yun Sheng, you’re trying to kill me..."

Si Jin’s voice was incredibly hoarse, yet it held a hint of a helpless smile.

In the past, this shared perception would have only made him feel alienated and out of control, but things were different now!

Now, Yun Sheng was his guide. They were together.

Those sensations buried deep in his memory—her warmth, her scent, the way she looked when she was aroused—all of it became incredibly vivid.

Thus, the perceptions transmitted from his spiritual body were no longer simple tactile sensations. Instead, they had become a doubly potent form of arousal, even more lethal than being with her face-to-face!

Just then, Yun Sheng seemed to pull the little wolf into her embrace.

A soft body pressed close, a warm palm resting on its back, pressing gently to hold it against her chest.

Si Jin’s entire body froze. His breathing grew heavier, a fine sheen of sweat broke out on his temples, and a certain part of him was already aching from the tension.

If he weren’t afraid of exposing his identity and whereabouts, afraid of implicating Yun Sheng, he would charge into the camp right now and carry her away.

’He didn’t want to feel her embrace through his spiritual body. He wanted to pull her directly into his arms, to kiss her, to caress every inch of her skin with his own hands, to hear her make those soft sounds in his embrace.’

He closed his eyes, allowing himself to sink into the feeling.

After an unknown amount of time, Yun Sheng seemed to have fallen asleep. Her breathing became steady and deep, and her hold on the little wolf loosened slightly.

But the shared sensations remained.

Soft and warm, like invisible silk threads coiling around Si Jin’s body, teasing at his heart.

He opened his eyes and gazed in the direction of the camp.

The sun was fully up now, its rays spilling through the gaps in the leaves and landing on his face.

His eyes held a languid satisfaction, but also an undercurrent of desire he couldn’t suppress.

"Yun Sheng, the next time we meet, I won’t let you off as easily as last time."

Si Jin spoke in a low, impossibly hoarse voice that carried a dangerous edge.

"You’ll have to pay back everything you’ve stirred up in me, with interest."