Chapter 211 - 210: Go to Sleep, Little Five

Sheng Yue exuded a powerful, aggressive aura. His ice-cold gaze, now tinged with drunkenness, was exceptionally alluring.

It was as if he were about to kiss her, yet also as if he were locking onto a piece of prey with no escape.

"I can do that too," Sheng Yue said, tilting his head to meet Jian Yu’s large, round, almond-shaped eyes. His tone held a hint of grievance.

A finger-sized puppet Yuge flew out from between both their brows.

A sacred, pure halo illuminated the two of them inside the Soul Beast Barrier, while also lighting up the blue and white barrier itself.

Jian Yu was shocked.

Jian Yu was amazed.

Jian Yu wanted to learn.

She subconsciously looked toward her other teammates, but all she could see was a layer of blue and white.

Everything outside was blurry and indistinct.

Jian Yu turned her head, her gaze drawn to Sheng Yue’s flushed face.

A blush spread across his features. It was obvious he had drunk too much high-proof liquor. His expression was now enchanting, sparking one’s imagination.

"You’ve been drinking?"

"Just one cup..." Sheng Yue released his grip on Jian Yu and pressed a hand to his forehead. His voice was unsteady.

He squinted, staring at the Yuge.

’It wasn’t a clone, just a puppet infused with a Soul Beast Skill.’

’A blessing? No, it’s the curse coming true.’

Sheng Yue’s expression darkened several shades from before.

His voice was low and raspy. "Yin Jiu."

Yin Jiu pounced, swatting the Yuge out of the air as if catching a butterfly.

Jian Yu sat up.

A few strands of her long, loose hair fell forward.

As the strands swayed, a serpentine shadow slithered past.

Red Snake’s tail wrapped around the Yuge and, SQUISH, crushed it.

The Yuge’s eyes closed, but the halo of light around its body didn’t dissipate immediately.

’A free, giant lightbulb.’

Bathed in its light, Jian Yu stared blankly at Red Snake.

’Its presence was so faint, I’d almost forgotten it was still with me.’

"Master has a message for Baby," Red Snake said, climbing back onto Jian Yu’s shoulder.

It erected a smaller Soul Beast Barrier.

"Baby needs to gain experience, and things are complicated on Master’s end. While I’m with you, I can only sleep lightly and can’t waste Soul Power. So, I can only appear when you encounter a danger you can’t resolve on your own."

Jian Yu paused, then stroked Red Snake’s head. "I know."

Red Snake nuzzled against her.

Jian Yu’s fingers tightened. "What did the memories you transmitted include?"

Red Snake flicked its tail, its tone puzzled. "Everything from when you all gathered until Sheng Yue kissed Baby, it was all transmitted. Master said there’s no need to stop you and Sheng Yue."

Its voice was young and innocent as it simply repeated Ling Yanzhi’s words. "’It’s more secure to hold the power of choice in your own hands than to have it forced upon you by others.’ What does that mean, Baby?"

Jian Yu’s breath hitched, and complex emotions swirled in her eyes.

There was surprise, and a hint of bitterness she hadn’t even noticed herself.

’The sense of security she wanted was accompanied by force, a loss of control, suffocation, and morbidity.’

’Ling Yanzhi’s meaning was that he wouldn’t forcibly correct her, but he also didn’t approve of this morbid mindset.’

’Wait, something isn’t right,’ Jian Yu thought.

’This isn’t in Ling Yanzhi’s character.’

"Red Snake, how are Ayan and the others? Have they reached the Imperial Capital Star?"

Red Snake squinted drowsily. "They’re fine, nothing major has happened. Baby, I’m sleepy."

Jian Yu suppressed her anxiety and stroked its belly. "Are you hungry?"

Red Snake shook its head. "Not hungry. My other main body is replenishing energy. Don’t worry, I don’t usually peek. I only wake up when I sense danger."

It leaned closer. "Goodnight, Baby."

Jian Yu gave it a little kiss. "Go to sleep."

The barrier vanished, and Red Snake reattached itself to a strand of Jian Yu’s hair.

Yin Jiu, following its instincts, immediately leaped onto Jian Yu’s lap and curled up.

The alcohol’s delayed effects hit it, and its head spun. It had become a truly drunken leopard.

Nearby, the light from the Yuge dimmed at a visible rate.

Jian Yu tried to turn on her Star Brain, but there was still no response.

Sheng Yue was still sitting on the edge of the bed, his cheeks and neck flushed an unnatural red.

His features were cold and handsome, and he wore only a custom-made blue and white sleep robe.

His eyes were misty, all his usual cool restraint gone, leaving only a drowsy stupor from the alcohol.

At first glance, he looked like a drunken immortal who had accidentally descended to the mortal realm.

Jian Yu couldn’t resist. She took Sheng Yue’s warm hand. "Don’t just sit there like a fool."

When they were dividing up the bed, she had wanted the outer side, but her teammates, worried she would fall off, had deliberately left a lot of extra space.

She looked at the large, empty half of the bed beside her, then up at the drunkard in front of her.

Jian Yu pulled Sheng Yue down to lie on the bed and covered his upper body with the blanket. "Let’s sleep for now. We can talk tomorrow."

Sheng Yue obediently kicked off his shoes and lay down beside Jian Yu.

He dazedly clutched Jian Yu’s hand. "Tomorrow, I’ll be back to my old self again."

His voice carried a hint of impatience, yet also a touch of his usual coldness.

It was as if a crack had appeared in the boundary of his indifference.

His mumbles revealed a sliver of soft awkwardness.

Jian Yu’s heart tightened at his vulnerability. She hugged him and patted his back. "Sleep, sleep now."

Yin Jiu’s warm little body rolled to the head of the bed. It smacked its lips and mumbled in its sleep, "[Master, kiss, kiss Baby.]"

Sheng Yue’s eyes drifted open in a daze. That inexplicable itch in his throat crept up on him again.

His unfocused blue eyes seemed veiled in a thin, clear mist, and his long, thick black eyelashes trembled slightly at the Soul Beast’s sleepy murmurs.

The arms he had placed behind Jian Yu swiftly pulled her tight.

Sheng Yue tilted his head up and kissed her, the blush at the tips of his ears spreading all the way down his neck.

Jian Yu let out a muffled grunt, her body forced tightly against Sheng Yue’s chest.

Under the long, deep kiss, their hearts pounded wildly in their chests, their breaths tangling and intertwining.

The soft, suppressed sound of panting instantly sobered Sheng Yue up for the most part.

Tears gathered in the corners of Jian Yu’s eyes, tinging them a light red. Her breathing was chaotic, completely out of control and without rhythm.

Sheng Yue’s voice was a little softer, the end of his words carrying an unconscious tremor. "What... are we now?"

Jian Yu kept her eyes closed, silently rolling them at him in her mind. "Go to sleep, Little Five."

’We’ve already kissed, and he’s still dithering.’

Sheng Yue silently counted in his head: Ling Yanzhi, Xi Yu, Pei Yin, Si Xu.

He was exactly the fifth.

Little Five.

His taut nerves finally relaxed completely. A wave of drowsiness washed over him, and Sheng Yue’s arms tightened, holding Jian Yu as he fell into a deep sleep.

Yin Jiu rolled over, smacking its little mouth as it gently placed its tail on Jian Yu’s forehead.

Leaning in Sheng Yue’s embrace, Jian Yu repeatedly mulled over Xu Jianjuan’s words.

’The incident happens three years from now, so at least Ling Yanzhi and the others are safe for now.’

’But she still felt something was wrong.’

’Xu Jianjuan’s mental state wasn’t just affected by the Soul Ghost Body’s possession; she also had a pre-existing mental illness.’

’Jian Yu felt she couldn’t just follow Xu Jianjuan’s line of thinking.’

’It sounded right, but the logic of the details didn’t hold up to scrutiny.’

’It’s too early.’

’The Soul Ghost Body possessed Xu Jianjuan but didn’t choose to become a parasite. It was only when it finally tried to do so that Xi Yu killed it.’

’That was supposed to happen three years from now.’

’Resurrection... The Soul Ghost’s evolution is happening too early.’

’Ling Yanzhi already knows about the resurrection, so there shouldn’t be any problems.’

Jian Yu pulled the soft blanket up to her chin and snuggled her head into Sheng Yue’s chest.

Drowsiness washed over her, and she fell asleep in no time.