Chapter 368: The 5-Person Cohabitation Life Officially Begins

Chapter 368: Chapter 368: The 5-Person Cohabitation Life Officially Begins

"I’m going to call Bai Ye."

With that, Si Jin turned and walked toward the balcony. In an instant, only Xing Che and Yun Sheng remained in the living room.

Xing Che’s spiritual power had stabilized and was no longer in a state of chaotic rampage. However, having just experienced a backlash that nearly led to a complete collapse, his body remained weak and drained. Exuding exhaustion, he sat quietly on the sofa, lacking the strength to even raise his hand.

Seeing his frail state, Yun Sheng stood up, walked over to the water dispenser, and poured him a cup of warm water, gently offering it to him. As Xing Che reached out to take the cup, his slightly cool fingertips accidentally brushed against hers. Yun Sheng’s movements paused imperceptibly, but she quickly withdrew her hand and sat quietly on the adjacent sofa without a word.

The atmosphere in the living room was quiet and gentle, leaving only the sound of their shallow breathing. Xing Che lowered his head and finished the warm water, soothing the dry, stinging pain in his throat, before casually setting the cup down on the coffee table. He turned his head, his gaze falling upon Yun Sheng, who sat quietly with lowered eyes. A subtle ripple flickered in his eyes, concealing a long-suppressed gloom.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke. His voice was low and soft, carrying a trace of relief but also hiding a touch of melancholy.

"Actually, my specific trip to Zone 10 wasn’t just me passing by. I noticed that my adoptive father’s background wasn’t simple. Suspecting he was involved with Dark Nest, I deliberately went there to investigate."

Hearing this, Yun Sheng looked up at his somewhat lonely profile. She pursed her lips and asked softly, "Before this, you lived with him on the Garbage Star the entire time?"

"Yes." Xing Che nodded slowly, his voice deep and hoarse as he recounted the past. "I grew up with him on the Garbage Star. It was just that he would vanish into thin air a few times every year. When I was younger, I didn’t understand the strangeness of it all and just thought he was going out to make a living. Once I became an adult, he went out more frequently and spent less and less time at home."

He paused, the corners of his mouth twitching in self-mockery as heavy disappointment and coldness filled his eyes.

"On the day I awakened my SSS-level talent, he specifically sought me out to draw my blood. After drawing my blood, he disappeared for a very long time. Looking back now, his blood draw back then was not for a health checkup to ensure my body was fine, like he claimed. From beginning to end, he was doing it for Dark Nest’s High-level Inducer research."

The upbringing since childhood and the seemingly affectionate companionship might have been a meticulously planned exploitation from the very beginning. He was an experimental specimen raised by the man’s own hands, a mere tool that could be sacrificed at any time to break through their pharmaceutical bottlenecks.

Having figured all this out, Xing Che’s heart felt cold and hollow. His self-deprecating smile deepened, and his eyes were filled with an unresolvable gloom and weariness.

Yun Sheng watched his forlorn appearance quietly, a stifling feeling rising in her chest. For a moment, she had no idea how to comfort him. All words seemed pale and powerless, completely unable to soothe the disillusionment and grievances he had suffered over the years.

After a long while, she finally spoke softly, "But you didn’t follow his arrangements. You have always been yourself; you were never anyone’s tool."

Hearing this, the gloom in Xing Che’s eyes dissipated slightly, and he managed a faint, curving smile.

"That’s the only thing worth rejoicing over. If I had truly been manipulated by him and sent to Dark Nest for experimentation back then, I’m afraid I would have long since become an irrational monster—just like those Sentinels controlled by Dark Nest’s induction agents."

Out on the balcony, Si Jin’s call had ended. He stood quietly by the door, not entering immediately. Having heard every word of their conversation, the look in his eyes grew increasingly profound and cold. After a while, he slid open the balcony door and stepped back into the living room. Si Jin’s expression was composed, and with a firm tone, he directly announced the finalized plan.

"I just finished speaking with Bai Ye. For safety reasons moving forward, Yun Sheng and Xing Che will immediately move into Bai Ye’s apartment with me for a temporary stay."

Xing Che casually shrugged upon hearing this, his face devoid of any visible reaction. He was free of ties and didn’t care where he lived. As long as he could fully stabilize his condition and cooperate in fighting against Dark Nest, the living arrangements were of no concern.

Yun Sheng, on the other hand, was slightly taken aback. But in an instant, she realized that Si Jin’s sudden change to their living arrangements was by no means a whim. Dark Nest had already listed her as a primary target, and hidden dangers lurked everywhere. He made this arrangement entirely to protect her safety to the greatest extent. It was the most secure method of defense after weighing the pros and cons.

Coming back to her senses, she asked softly, "Okay, I understand. Do we need to go back and pack our luggage now?"

"No need." Si Jin shook his head, his tone strict and cautious. "The apartment we lived in previously has most likely been exposed and is no longer safe. Bai Ye will arrange for personnel to go over, help pack the luggage, and thoroughly inspect the premises to clear out any potential hidden dangers."

Skipping a back-and-forth trip would not only avoid the risk of encountering an ambush on the road but also completely eliminate future troubles. Yun Sheng nodded, agreeing with the arrangement.

Perhaps because Dark Nest had just failed their ambush and didn’t have time to quickly set up a second wave of interception, the rest of the journey to Bai Ye’s residence was entirely peaceful. The hovercar steadily accelerated, smoothly entering the Star Alliance’s core control zone.

Bai Ye’s residence was not in an ordinary high-end neighborhood, but an exclusive residential estate specifically allocated by the Star Alliance for High-level Sentinels. The entire area was heavily guarded. The perimeter was layered with invisible protective barriers, smart monitoring systems, and round-the-clock patrol posts. Ordinary hovercars couldn’t even get close to the outer cordon.

The deeper they drove, the stricter the controls became. Uniform guard mechas and smart patrol equipment could be seen everywhere along the route. Everyone who lived here was an elite combatant holding a high position in the Star Alliance with illustrious military merits.

The vehicle slowly arrived at the main gate of the estate. Before they even approached the turnpike, they were accurately locked onto by the smart security system and forced to stop. A transparent holographic barrier instantly rose, cutting off all traffic routes. The security personnel on duty at the gate immediately stepped forward with a strict and solemn attitude, raising a hand to signal the vehicle to power down for inspection.

A guard approached the window and routinely spoke up for verification. "Please present your identity authorization credentials and residential reporting records. No entry is permitted without prior filing."

Right at that moment, a tall, straight figure quickly walked out of the guardhouse. It was none other than Luo Cheng. Spotting Si Jin’s hovercar from afar, he immediately stepped forward and raised his hand to signal the guards to let them pass. His tone was crisp and decisive.

"The filing has been approved. You can check the registration records now."

The guard at the gate froze for a moment, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Who was Luo Cheng? The exclusive adjutant to the White War God. Anyone who could make him wait personally at the gate must possess an absolutely extraordinary identity.

The guards exchanged a secret glance. After verifying that the records were in order, they immediately deactivated the protective barrier and waved them through. Having received permission, the hovercar slowly passed through the gate, entering the heavily guarded exclusive residential estate and driving all the way toward Bai Ye’s detached residence.