Chapter 225 - 224: She Remembered

A trace of mischief flickered in Jian Yu’s innocent eyes.

Her eyes were on Sheng Yue, but her fingers were idly kneading Yin Jiu’s belly. She listened to the little Soul Beast’s happy whimpers as it wagged its tail.

A blush crept across Sheng Yue’s face, and he pressed his thin lips together tightly.

He lowered his eyelashes, somewhat abashed, his body tensed up.

The blush was startlingly bright against his pale skin.

Zhang Qin couldn’t help but move the fire a little to the side. "Are you too hot, President?"

Sheng Yue didn’t look up, only replying in a cool tone, "I’m fine."

Jian Yu smiled, a very sweet and innocent smile.

Zhang Qin’s heart melted at the sight. In a tone one would use to coax a child, he said, "Just a little longer, junior. It’ll be ready to eat soon."

He sped up the process of flipping and roasting the doll meat.

Jian Yu nodded obediently. "Thank you, senior."

No one suspected that Jian Yu had gotten bolder.

A wisp of pink mist seeped from her fingertips, casually brushing over Yin Jiu’s waist and continuing down its flank.

Sheng Yue visibly shuddered.

Like a mother hen, Zhang Qin moved the fire back a little. "President, are you cold?"

"I’m fine." Sheng Yue shifted his position, sitting up very straight.

Another subtle tremor ran through his waist, and he bit the inside of his lip in alarm.

He still didn’t look up, his eyes slightly downcast. His long, dense eyelashes hid the bashfulness in his eyes, but shame and indignation still colored his already flushed cheeks.

His porcelain-white neck was dazzlingly pale, looking exceptionally fragile as he struggled to maintain his composure.

His tall frame appeared especially upright in the flickering firelight.

Jian Yu’s gaze was profound, but her face still wore a sweet smile.

Her smile was reserved and subtle, the very picture of a well-behaved girl.

Lu Yi and the others didn’t think much of it.

Normally, when people let others touch their Soul Beast, they block the empathic link.

Seeing Yin Jiu clinging to Jian Yu, everyone just assumed she had a high affinity for Soul Beasts, able to soothe Contracted Beasts and make them like her.

"It’s ready." Zhang Qin handed over the most tender piece of meat, skewered on a bamboo stick.

He gestured with a flick of his hand. "Junior."

"Thank you, senior." Jian Yu still looked very obedient and easygoing.

She took out a plate and slid half the skewer onto it.

With a grin, she offered the other half to Sheng Yue. "You worked hard today, President."

"Thanks." Sheng Yue glanced up, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears.

This broken, wretched appearance... was somehow pitiable.

Jian Yu raised an eyebrow. "President, are you okay?"

Sheng Yue tightened his grip on the skewer, his movements freezing for a moment.

He pressed his lips together, his voice hoarse. "I’m fine."

His speech was unhurried, but his eyes held a shy, timid hesitation, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.

Jian Yu stopped her teasing and focused on eating.

Sheng Yue felt dizzy and his legs were weak. His eyes were vacant.

He stared blankly outside.

Jian Yu took a bite of meat and followed his gaze.

Outside, towering trees shot up into the clouds, their thick branches crisscrossing.

In fact, they were also living in a tree right now.

Night had fallen too quickly just as they entered a region of giant forests, so everyone had chosen a massive tree that seemed relatively suitable for making camp.

It was Jian Yu’s first time seeing a tree so large; its trunk was so thick that ten people linking hands couldn’t encircle it.

After setting up camp in the tree, those who needed to bathe bathed, and those who needed to hunt hunted.

And opposite them, in the shadow of another giant tree, were Yan Ying and her group of five.

Like a pack of sewer rats, they used the light from the opposing fire to stare intently at every move Jian Yu’s group made.

"What a useless piece of trash," Yan Ying hissed, her eyes full of contempt.

She glared daggers at Jian Yu, who was next to Sheng Yue.

Yan Ying turned to the person beside her and complained, "He must be blind, bringing along a good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun. Look at her. She can’t do anything. When there’s danger, she hides in the back. For food and hunting, she still relies on Sheng Yue and the others."

The stomachs of the five people behind her let out two traitorous growls.

Smelling the aroma of roasted meat drifting over from the other side, their mouths began to water with craving.

Zhao Jiangyou distributed some nutritional solution, drank a bottle himself, and finally felt full.

"This is all your fault!" Yan Ying’s temper flared.

She whipped her head around, slapped one of them, and glared fiercely. "What are you, morons? You didn’t even prepare food and drink! Look at them!"

The five teammates looked at each other in dismay.

Zhao Jiangyou looked aggrieved.

One of the braver ones whispered, "But, Miss, you were the one who told us to stick close and protect you, and not to go hunt beasts for dinner."

Yan Ying had insisted they travel light, saying that drinking nutritional solution would be enough.

They hadn’t brought much. Only Yan Ying had a Space Ring, but she had given that one and only Space Ring to her cousin, Yan Yu, not long ago.

When Yan Yu got into trouble later and didn’t return it, Yan Ying, like some kind of brother-worshipping fanatic, just told him not to bother.

Zhao Jiangyou explained, "Our backpacks are all filled with weapons and medicine... we couldn’t carry much else."

"Shut up!" Yan Ying flew into a rage out of humiliation.

She shrieked, "Useless is useless! Stop making excuses!"

Yan Ying wrapped her clothes tighter around herself. Although it was a specially made, insulated combat suit, her face still trembled from the biting cold wind.

Seeing Jian Yu eating meat, she immediately started cursing, "These are special circumstances, so we should act accordingly! You can get full from nutritional solution, so why be so pretentious and insist on eating meat? As if it’s not heavy to carry. Everyone has to cater to her."

Yan Ying continued relentlessly, "They’re stupid, too. How dare they start a fire? Aren’t they afraid of attracting Mutant Beasts? The weather’s getting colder and colder. Look, they didn’t bring anything. They’ll probably be even colder than us tonight."

But when she looked over again, she saw Jian Yu take out beautifully packaged meal boxes from her Space Ring.

After finishing her meal, she took out one thick quilt after another, and even several soft couches.

Sheng Yue even thoughtfully helped Jian Yu spread out her bedding.

"Pretentious! So damn pretentious!" Yan Ying ground her teeth, her eyes red with jealousy.

"Coming out on a mission and bringing so many useless quilts... Watching her teammates fawn all over her, she must be so smug."

Jian Yu stood up. The hem of her simple, elegant green dress fluttered lightly in the wind.

"So coy and flirtatious. Not proper at all," Yan Ying snorted.

She said sourly, "I think she’s doing it on purpose. Dressing like that, she’s probably just here to seduce men and climb the ladder."

Zhao Jiangyou felt a little ashamed.

He knew Yan Ying had been spoiled since she was a child.

Because of the way she’d always talked, people would dismiss it, thinking she was just a young girl and not worth arguing with.

But Yan Ying’s grandfather had been held in such high esteem that she’d heard too much praise and came to believe everyone should be afraid of him.

Zhao Jiangyou’s voice was as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz. "I heard Jian has a boyfriend."

The person next to him chimed in, "Yeah, several of the chiefs like her."

There’s no one-husband-one-wife rule in the interstellar age. If you’re powerful enough, you can have as many husbands as you want.

Yan Ying was dismissive. "My cousin said he got tired of her long ago. She was probably just dumped by Ling Yanzhi and his group, which is why she’s so desperate to latch onto Sheng Yue now."

As she spoke, Yan Ying started a new round of complaints.

Though her words were harsh, her heart was sour with jealousy, as if she’d drunk vinegar.

"She’s so picky, thinking her standards are so high. What’s so bad about my cousin? If she looks down on someone like him, what kind of person is she even looking for? If it weren’t for the fact that she’s Awakened and seems to be able to help ordinary people form Contracts, she wouldn’t even be worthy of tying my cousin’s shoes!"

The moment her voice fell, Jian Yu, on the other side, seemed to sense something. She tilted her head slightly and shot a cold glare in their direction.

Yan Ying was so scared she shrank back and buried her head.

The next second, Zhang Qin came flying over from the other side.

His face was a mask of fury as he strode over. "You keep running your mouth, you really think I won’t hit a girl, you little shit!"

"Wh-what... what are you going to do?" Yan Ying took a frightened step back.

She blustered, trying to hide her fear, "Do you know who my grandfather is? My grandfather is Yan Tianba!"

Zhang Qin sneered. "I’ve been listening to your sour grapes for a while now, and my ears are about to fall off. What we do is none of your damn business. You have no ability yourself, so all you can do is be jealous of others?"

Zhang Qin stepped forward.

The five people blocked his way.

A blue-white halo of light flickered, and the pressure from Sheng Yue’s Soul Beast instantly halted their steps.

Zhang Qin grabbed Yan Ying by the collar and mercilessly beat her with his fists and feet.

Yan Ying screamed and tried to fight back.

One was a 2S Semi-awakened, the other a B-level Awakener.

Yan Ying summoned her Soul Beast, a Red Wolf.

Zhang Qin sent it flying with a single punch.

"Follow us if you want, but cut the sour talk. If I hear one more word, I’ll throw you into a snake pit!" After cursing her out, Zhang Qin snorted and turned to leave.

Yan Ying was beaten black and blue, slumping to the ground in a wretched state.

Her face was filled with suppressed anger. She didn’t dare speak loudly anymore, only glaring fixedly with venomous eyes.

She would remember today’s humiliation!