Chapter 176: And You Said You Wouldn’t Force Me

Chapter 176: Chapter 176: And You Said You Wouldn’t Force Me

Yun Sheng’s mind went blank.

’What is this person talking about?’

’They’ve only met twice!’

"You..." She found her voice, trying to sound calm. "You could find a guide you like, or one who likes you."

Xing Che blinked.

"Can’t I choose you?"

Yun Sheng took a deep breath and met his gaze.

"I’m sorry, I already have a Sentinel, and I’m not looking for another one."

’To reject two SSS-level Sentinels in one day... I’m really something else.’

But it was clear that Xing Che was much harder to deal with than Bai Ye.

Hearing her rejection, the smile on his face didn’t disappear. Instead, it deepened.

"You have a Sentinel?" he repeated, his tone unreadable. "Is it that Dark Sentinel, or that War God?"

Yun Sheng pressed her lips together and didn’t answer.

Xing Che looked at her, a flash of understanding in his eyes.

"Let me guess," he said slowly. "It’s the Dark Sentinel, right?"

Yun Sheng still said nothing.

Xing Che chuckled softly.

"But he doesn’t seem to be your only Sentinel. That War God likes you too, doesn’t he?" He leaned in, closing the distance to Yun Sheng bit by bit. "If you can have two, why not a third? In the Star Alliance, isn’t it normal for a guide to have several Sentinels?"

Yun Sheng’s eyes widened in shock at his words.

"You..."

"What about me?" Xing Che looked innocent. "I’m just stating the facts."

Yun Sheng took two steps back, trying to suppress the annoyance welling up inside her.

"That’s other people. I only plan on having one Sentinel, and my Sentinel must be someone I love. I don’t know you well, and I don’t have those kinds of feelings for you. Please have some self-respect."

"We don’t know each other well now, but if we spend more time together, we’ll get to know each other, won’t we?"

The moment he finished speaking, the spiritual power around Xing Che began to stir restlessly.

It silently reached out, cautiously brushing against Yun Sheng.

First, a single tendril wrapped around her wrist, soft and gentle, as if testing her reaction.

When it saw she didn’t immediately pull away, more of the spiritual power surged forward.

It brushed against the back of her hand and twirled around her fingertips, trying to entwine with her own spiritual power.

The touch was light and soft, with a faint coolness, but it made Yun Sheng’s entire body tense up.

Her brow furrowed deeply.

’Even after I gave him a clear rejection, his spiritual power is still pressing forward to test me. He’s probably not going to be easy to get rid of.’

But his power was undeniable.

’If I piss him off and he decides to use force, there’s really nothing I can do!’

The only way out right now was to wake up, to escape from this dream.

’As long as I wake up, I’ll be back at the temporary camp with Si Jin nearby. I won’t have to worry about this Xing Che coming after me, at least for a little while.’

Yun Sheng desperately chanted in her mind: ’Wake up, wake up, wake up...’

Suddenly, the gray fog around them began to tremble.

The hazy mist churned as if stirred by something, and a transparent light faintly shone through at the edges.

It was a sign that she was about to escape the dream!

Joy bloomed in Yun Sheng’s heart, and her thoughts raced faster, but in the next second, her wrist was suddenly seized.

Xing Che reached out, his hand gripping her wrist in a death lock.

He was staring at her intently, the amber-gold light in his eyes flaring with astonishing sharpness.

"What do you think you’re doing? Trying to escape the dream?"

Yun Sheng’s heart skipped a beat.

’This man... He’s too perceptive!’

She gritted her teeth, trying to pull her hand free, but found his grip was too tight. She couldn’t budge.

The surrounding gray fog was still trembling, but it was as if something was forcibly holding it down, preventing it from dissipating.

Xing Che stared at her, the sharpness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a complex, unreadable emotion.

"I finally get to see you, and you’re trying to leave so soon?"

Yun Sheng met his gaze, and a bad feeling suddenly welled up inside her.

"What exactly do you want?" Her voice was tight.

Xing Che: "You know, after your spiritual power entangled with mine last time, I went back and couldn’t stop thinking."

Yun Sheng reflexively asked, "Thinking about what?"

Xing Che looked at her, raising an eyebrow with a smile. "About that feeling."

He reached out, his fingertips tracing a line down from the center of her forehead, gently brushing past her brow bone, the tip of her nose, and finally stopping by her lips.

"Soft, warm, like being gently held by something. I’ve never been soothed by a guide before. I never knew the taste of spiritual powers intertwining could be so good."

As soon as Yun Sheng heard this, her sense of danger flared. She instinctively wanted to dodge, to retreat, to break free from his grasp.

But she couldn’t move.

She wasn’t restrained by his grip, but transfixed by his eyes.

The amber-gold light in his eyes was unbelievably soft now, carrying a distinct... longing.

"Xing Che, I told you, I have a Sentinel..."

"I know," Xing Che cut her off. "So what?"

He looked at her, the softness in his eyes vanishing, replaced by a dangerous seriousness.

"You have Sentinels. That’s their business. I’m interested in you. That’s my business."

Yun Sheng was rendered speechless, not knowing how to respond.

"Don’t be nervous." Xing Che’s thumb gently caressed the back of her hand, as if soothing a frightened little animal. "I’m not going to force you."

He paused, his eyes flickering slightly.

"However..."

He lowered his head, leaning close to her ear.

His warm breath spilled across her ear, carrying a faint, elusive coolness.

"That Dark Sentinel is guarding you every moment, and there are a lot of people at your camp. It’s not easy for me to get a chance to see you."

His voice was low, full of temptation.

"You want to leave? Fine. Give me a little something, and I’ll let you go."

A vein throbbed on Yun Sheng’s temple.

’A little something?’

’What kind of "something"?!’

She gritted her teeth in silence, desperately chanting in her mind: ’Wake up, wake up, wake up...’

The gray fog around them began to surge once more.

Xing Che sensed her intention, and his gaze darkened abruptly.

The next second, the pad of his finger pressed heavily against her lips.

With a dangerous amount of force, it slowly ground against them.

"Disobedient. Trying to leave before I’m finished talking?"

Yun Sheng’s lips were numb from the pressure, and panic began to rise in her heart.

Xing Che stared at her, at the lips he had just pressed against, the darkness in his eyes growing deeper.

"Since you don’t want to give me my ’little something,’ I’ll just have to take it myself."

Yun Sheng’s pupils constricted slightly. Before she could do anything, Xing Che’s other hand had already clasped her lower back, pulling her entire body against his.

She saw him lower his head.

Saw that absurdly handsome face getting closer and closer.

Just as those beautifully curved lips were about to touch hers, Yun Sheng finally reacted.

She shot her hand up, slamming her palm against his face and forcefully shoving it to the side.

"Xing Che!"

Her voice was urgent and furious, tinged with exasperation.

"Is this what you meant by not forcing me? You’re clearly just being a pervert!"