Chapter 278: With Him Like This, How Could She Bear to Guard Against Him Again, How Could She Bear to Doubt Him Again
Chapter 278: Chapter 278: With Him Like This, How Could She Bear to Guard Against Him Again, How Could She Bear to Doubt Him Again
Bai Ye silently protected her, not hesitating to use his power to manipulate an equipment failure just to keep her secret. Yet, she had always remained guarded, repeatedly pushing his approaches away and doubting his intentions. At this thought, guilt quietly blossomed within her, gradually softening the defenses around her heart.
However, this slight yielding was ultimately no match for the lingering doubts and unease in her heart. Yun Sheng’s arms wrapped around Bai Ye were exceptionally stiff, and her brows remained tightly knit, pinching into a shallow crease.
Bai Ye lowered his head, his gaze falling perfectly on her slightly furrowed brow. He slowly loosened his arms from around Yun Sheng’s waist but did not step back. He maintained his leaning posture, his warm breath still enveloping her. A moment later, he raised a hand. His fingertips gently pressed against her brow, slowly smoothing out the crease.
"You don’t need to worry about Xu Chengyuan," he said. "I will handle it; I won’t let him hurt a single hair on your head. Rest well and recover your energy. Once the retest is over, I’ll take you to the research institute to see Mo Chen. We’ll see if he can help you control your spiritual power more safely."
With that said, Bai Ye finally pulled back slightly and straightened his body, seemingly preparing to leave.
Watching him step away, Yun Sheng felt a sudden tug at her heart. Her body reacted faster than her mind. She suddenly reached out, grabbing swiftly in Bai Ye’s direction. But he was retreating a little faster than she expected. She only barely managed to catch his fingertips—and gripped them tight, refusing to let go.
Bai Ye froze. He stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly down at his fingertips held in Yun Sheng’s grasp. Her hand was small. She wasn’t gripping very hard, yet there was a clumsy stubbornness to it. It seemed to scorch his skin, the heat traveling from his fingertips straight into his heart.
His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. Shock and joy surged in his deep, dark eyes. After a few seconds of silence, he asked hoarsely, "Is there something else you need me to do?"
Hearing this, Yun Sheng’s heart abruptly softened. It felt as if it had been steeped in warm water—aching yet scalding hot. The man before her was the Star Alliance War God. He was the person standing at the very pinnacle of the Sentinel pyramid, a supreme existence revered by millions. Yet, facing her now, he revealed such a humble demeanor, asking even a simple question with utmost caution.
How could she bear to keep guarding against him? How could she bear to doubt him any longer?
However, meeting Bai Ye’s excessively fervent and gentle eyes, she swallowed the words that had reached the tip of her tongue. Yun Sheng opened her mouth, suddenly at a loss for words. She couldn’t bring herself to say "don’t go," nor could she utter anything more intimate. She could only maintain this posture, firmly holding onto his fingertips as a clear trace of panic flashed through her eyes.
Bai Ye didn’t show the slightest intention of rushing her. He remained entirely motionless, his gaze locked onto her face. The tenderness and patience in his eyes were enough to melt her away. He just waited quietly for her to speak. Even if it was something completely inconsequential, he was willing to wait!
Enveloped by the warmth in Bai Ye’s eyes, the defenses in Yun Sheng’s heart softened even further. She said softly, "There isn’t anything I need you to do. It’s just... Bai Ye, thank you."
The moment he heard her thanks, a trace of gloom and disappointment quietly slipped through Bai Ye’s eyes. Lowering his gaze to their joined fingers, a bitter sense of self-deprecation swept through his heart.
He thought she had reached out to grab him because she had something to say. He thought that after their embrace just now, they could finally draw a little closer to each other. But as it turned out, it was still just a polite gesture of gratitude. He knew that if it had been Si Jin who did these things, Yun Sheng definitely wouldn’t have just thanked him so formally. Ultimately, he figured she still felt distant from him, which was why she used a simple "thank you" to draw a clear line between them.
Bai Ye looked steadily at Yun Sheng for a few seconds. In the end, he forcefully swallowed the deep-seated affections and obsessions that had almost blurted out of his mouth. Raising his free hand, he gently covered the hand holding his fingers. His movements were tender and devoid of force as he merely patted the back of her hand.
"There’s no need to thank me. Protecting you is something I do willingly. Rest well. I’ll come pick you up once your retest is over."
"Okay."
Yun Sheng replied softly, loosening her grip and slowly releasing his hand.
Watching her let go, the disappointment and gloom in Bai Ye’s eyes deepened.
"I’ll be going now." He didn’t say anything more. He merely gave Yun Sheng a profound look, hid all his emotions away in his eyes, and turned to leave.
Leaning against the headboard, Yun Sheng watched Bai Ye’s figure disappear completely through the doorway. An inexplicable sense of suffocation filled her chest, as if something were blocking her heart. She couldn’t tell if it was guilt, reluctance to part, or a sliver of fluttering attraction that she didn’t even want to admit to herself. Whatever it was, it surged and spread within her, refusing to subside for a long time.
Bai Ye had clearly already left, but his scent seemed to linger in the infirmary, winding around her, impossible to dispel.
After resting for over an hour, Yun Sheng’s spiritual power had long since stabilized. Her exhaustion had completely dissipated, leaving her feeling much more refreshed.
Cheng Nian and Li Wen stayed by her side the entire time. It wasn’t until Shen Tang sent someone to notify them that the retest could begin that the three girls headed toward the spiritual power testing hall together.
Along the way, Cheng Nian remained extremely nervous. "It has to go smoothly this time. Please, no more mishaps."
Li Wen also chimed in, "Yun Sheng, don’t be nervous during the retest later. We’ll be waiting for you outside."
"Okay, I know."
Compared to her friends’ anxious fretting, Yun Sheng appeared exceptionally calm. Bai Ye’s promise still echoed in her ears. She knew he had already arranged everything in advance. The retest would pass without a hitch; there wouldn’t be any more accidents.
When they arrived at the testing hall, they noticed a difference: a brand-new testing machine had been set up in the testing area. Beside it stood two staff members from the equipment monitoring department, on standby for the entire duration to ensure the retest went flawlessly.
Seeing Yun Sheng and her friends approach, Shen Tang quickly walked over, her tone gentle. "Yun Sheng, how are you feeling? Has your spiritual power pretty much recovered?"
Yun Sheng nodded. "Thank you, Instructor Shen. I’m fine now. We can begin the test."
"Alright, go on ahead."
Yun Sheng stepped forward. Just as she was about to enter the testing capsule, she suddenly glanced at a nearby corner, as if guided by some telepathic connection. A tall, familiar figure stood there, watching her.
It was Bai Ye.
She had thought he wouldn’t come, wondering if he was still worried about her. The thought flashed through her mind, but Yun Sheng didn’t dwell on it and stepped into the testing capsule.
In the nearby corner, Bai Ye remained standing in the shadows, his unblinking gaze locked on Yun Sheng’s testing capsule. The muscles in his body were taut. Even though he knew everything had been arranged perfectly, he still couldn’t completely put his mind at ease. Only by coming here in person could he feel reassured.
Standing behind him, Luo Cheng saw this scene clearly, his eyes filled with astonishment and shock. Having followed Bai Ye for many years, he had never seen his general acting like this. He realized that this time, the General had truly fallen hard!