Chapter 204: Aching and Fierce

Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Aching and Fierce

Yun Sheng gazed into Bai Ye’s crimson eyes, which were overflowing with tension and lingering fear, and her heart ached with a soft tenderness.

She subconsciously reached out a hand, but paused just as she extended it.

Her fingertips curled, then relaxed, before finally coming to rest gently on Bai Ye’s face.

His skin was scalding hot, his jaw clenched tight. The moment her fingertips touched him, his entire body stiffened, as if he hadn’t expected her to initiate contact.

"It doesn’t hurt anymore."

Yun Sheng finally spoke, her voice light and incredibly hoarse.

Bai Ye’s gaze suddenly darkened, and his breath hitched.

The next second, Yun Sheng’s eyes flew wide open.

The hand that had been gently caressing his face nearly dug into his skin.

Her nails scraped across Bai Ye’s jaw, leaving a faint red mark.

Yun Sheng glared at Bai Ye, inwardly stunned. ’What the hell set this bastard off? I just touched his face. Did he have to go for the kill?!’

Bai Ye’s movements stopped abruptly. He looked down at Yun Sheng’s slightly reddened eyes and her lips, bitten white. Even though he had to hold himself so still his body was as tense as a rock, he stopped.

Seeing the state he was in, Yun Sheng hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and met him halfway.

’We’ve come this far. There’s no point in backing out now.’

Bai Ye’s gaze trembled fiercely.

He lowered his head and placed an incredibly light kiss on her trembling eyelids, then grabbed her by the waist and lifted her slightly.

Furious, she raised her hand and hammered on Bai Ye’s chest twice before he caught her by the wrist.

The corner of Bai Ye’s mouth curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. He took her by the wrist and guided her hand to slap his own face. It didn’t hurt, but the action left Yun Sheng stunned.

"What are you doing?" she gritted out, her voice both hoarse and soft.

"Letting you vent," Bai Ye’s voice was low, full of doting affection and indulgence.

Yun Sheng glared at him and muttered, "Shameless."

That just made Bai Ye smile more happily.

The smile spread from the depths of his eyes, as if he hadn’t smiled like this in a very, very long time.

Yun Sheng looked at his face and her heart skipped a beat. Before she could say anything, his lips were on hers again.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Yun Sheng felt so exhausted she couldn’t even lift a finger. Her consciousness was hazy, as if submerged in warm water, and she couldn’t remember a thing.

She groggily closed her eyes. The last thing she felt was Bai Ye pulling her into a tight embrace, his chin resting on the crown of her head, nuzzling her gently.

"Yun Sheng." His voice was hoarse yet gentle, filled with an unconcealable longing and reluctance to part. "I’ll be waiting for you on the Capital Star."

Yun Sheng’s eyelashes fluttered. She wanted to say something, but she no longer had the strength to speak.

Her consciousness gradually sank into darkness, the only sound left in her ears being Bai Ye’s heartbeat—thump by thump, steady and strong, filling her with a sense of security.

...

When Yun Sheng woke up, she blinked and stared at the ceiling of the tent for a long while, her mind a complete blank.

Perhaps because she had expended too much energy in the dream, she felt languid from head to toe, sore and weak, as if something had sucked all the strength from the marrow of her bones. She didn’t want to move at all.

She stared at the tent ceiling, dazed for some time, before her consciousness slowly returned.

"Yun Sheng! You’re finally awake!"

Cheng Nian’s exclamation exploded next to her ear, her tone a mixture of shock and delight.

Yun Sheng turned her head and saw Cheng Nian rushing over.

Li Wen stood behind her, also wearing an expression of immense relief.

Zhou Ying was leaning against the tent entrance. She let out a small sigh of relief, then turned and left, presumably to inform the others.

"You’ve been unconscious for a whole day!" Cheng Nian grabbed her hand, her voice urgent and hoarse. "You scared us to death! Do you have any idea how pale you were while you were out...?"

She couldn’t continue, tears streaming down her face.

Yun Sheng opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her throat was as dry as if it had been scraped with sandpaper. She couldn’t force out a single word.

Li Wen quickly poured a cup of warm water and helped her sit up to take a few sips.

As the warm water slid down her throat, she felt a little more alive.

"I’m fine," Yun Sheng’s voice was so hoarse it sounded like it didn’t belong to her. "Just exhausted."

She hadn’t expected the dream to last so long this time, to the point that she’d been unconscious for a whole day.

Then, another thought struck her, and she asked, "Where’s Xing Che? And how did we get back to camp?"

It was Li Wen who answered this time, calmer than Cheng Nian.

"When Xing Che saw you collapse, he unleashed a tremendous amount of power. He killed the Spiritual Pollutant you had already severely wounded and wiped out all the low-level pollutants in the open ground in one go. After that, we crossed the open ground as quickly as possible and returned to camp.

But Major General Qi was badly injured. His spiritual power is in severe disarray, so he was sent for guidance from a guide as soon as we got back to camp. The session isn’t over yet."

Yun Sheng was taken aback. ’I’ve been unconscious for a day, and Qi Yao’s guidance session still isn’t over?’

Perhaps sensing her confusion, Li Wen added, "There are only A-level guides at the camp, and Major General Qi is S-Class, so... But I heard Zhao Heng has already requested aid from the Tower. An S-class Guide is on the way."

The words had barely left her lips when the tent flap was pushed aside and Zhou Ying walked in.

She walked up to Yun Sheng, her expression as placid as ever, but her tone was direct.

"Yun Sheng, I told Xing Che you’re awake. He wants to see you. He’s a Sentinel, so he can’t enter our tent. Do you have the strength to get up and go see him, or should you wait a bit longer?"