Every Sentinel I Dreamed of Came Looking for Me

Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Another Jealous One

Si Jin suddenly tightened his arms, holding Yun Sheng so tightly she could barely breathe.

He didn’t speak, just held her like that for a very long time.

Yun Sheng buried her face in his chest, remaining perfectly still as he held her.

"Yun Sheng, do you have any idea..." His voice was muffled, drifting down from above her head, raspy with emotion he’d suppressed for too long. "When I saw you leaning in his arms, I wanted to tear him to shreds."

Yun Sheng’s heart skipped a beat.

"But I held back." His voice was very low, as if he were talking to himself. "Because I knew you wouldn’t have agreed to him without a good reason. I was fighting that Soul-devouring Beast, and you were worried about me, and about your companions... In the end, it’s because I’m not strong enough, and I can’t stand by your side openly to protect you... This is all my fault..."

The rims of Yun Sheng’s eyes immediately reddened.

She jerked her head up from his chest and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"It’s not your fault! I won’t let you say that!"

’Was it Si Jin’s fault that he couldn’t stand by her side openly?’

’From Star Alliance War God to a wanted fugitive, forced to hide in the shadows and unable to walk in the light—was that his fault?’

’Of course it wasn’t!’

’It was because he was protecting the people of the Star Alliance, constantly fighting those pollutants, that more and more cracks appeared in his spiritual landscape.’

’That last time, he was fighting pollutants to protect his comrades. He over-exhausted his spiritual power, his spiritual landscape shattered, and he fell, becoming a Dark Sentinel—a wanted man.’

’Si Jin fell from the light into darkness not because he did anything wrong, but because he was always fighting, always sacrificing himself to protect others!’

The rims of Yun Sheng’s eyes grew redder, but her voice was exceptionally firm. "You are not a wanted fugitive. You are a hero!"

Si Jin’s gaze trembled violently.

He gazed at her reddened eyes and the tears threatening to spill over. His throat tightened, and an even heavier, suffocating feeling settled in his heart.

He reached out, gently taking the hand she had pressed against his mouth, and caressed the back of it with the pad of his thumb.

"That’s all I needed to hear."

Si Jin’s voice was terribly hoarse, yet it carried a sense of relief and a tenderness so profound it made one want to cry.

Yun Sheng’s tears finally fell, no longer held in check.

She buried her face against his chest, tears soaking the front of his shirt. He simply raised a hand and gently stroked her back, the motion unhurried, as if he were soothing a small, injured animal.

Neither of them spoke again. Only their mingled breathing and heartbeats echoed in the night.

A long time passed—so long that Yun Sheng thought he might remain silent forever—when he suddenly spoke in a low voice.

"Yun Sheng."

"Hm?"

"No matter what happens, I’m not letting go. Even if you try to chase me away, I won’t leave!"

Yun Sheng burrowed her face deeper into his chest, giving a muffled "mhm" in response.

The night wind blew past, carrying a chill, but his arms were warm—so warm that she didn’t want to leave their embrace.

Her fingers loosened their grip on his shirt, and she wrapped her arms gently around his waist, burying herself even deeper into his embrace.

Si Jin responded by tightening his arms, holding her even closer.

The dim yellow lights of the camp in the distance stretched their two shadows long, overlapping them like an inseparable painting.

Deep in the woods, Xing Che leaned against a tree trunk, hands stuffed in his pockets. He suddenly glanced back over his shoulder.

The eyesight of an SSS-level Sentinel is extraordinary. Even across a considerable distance, he could see the image of Yun Sheng and Si Jin embracing with perfect clarity.

She leaned against him, and he lowered his head to kiss the crown of her hair. Their two shadows were intertwined, inseparable.

His chest tightened as if he’d been sucker-punched. It wasn’t painful, but it was suffocating, stealing his breath.

A sour feeling welled up inside him, like bile rising from his heart to his throat. He couldn’t swallow it down, nor could he spit it out.

’He’d never felt like this before!’

’If at first he was merely curious about Yun Sheng—curious why she could make two War Gods fight over her, curious what secrets she was hiding.’

’Then, the blissful feeling of their spiritual powers intertwining had been like an addictive drug. Once he’d had a taste, he craved more, which was why he’d latched onto her.’

Xing Che had thought he was just greedy for that sensation, but at this moment, watching her locked in a tight embrace with another Sentinel, he realized he had genuinely fallen for Yun Sheng.

’He liked her enough to want to possess her completely. Liked her enough that seeing her in someone else’s arms made him burn with jealousy. Liked her enough that at this very moment, he desperately wanted to rush over and snatch her back!’

Just as these unfamiliar emotions were surging through Xing Che’s heart, he suddenly felt a soft touch at his feet.

The Mili crouched by his feet and gently flicked his calf with its large, fluffy tail. Then, it tilted its small head up, a soft "cheep" escaping its throat, as if to say, ’Look at you, so pathetic.’

Xing Che looked down at it, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Are you looking down on me?"

The Mili tilted its head and let out another "cheep."

Its expression clearly said: ’What else? You’ve been chasing her for so long and still haven’t caught her. You can only stand here stewing in jealousy while watching her with someone else. Pathetic!’

Xing Che squatted down and flicked it on the forehead.

"What do you know?"

The flick knocked the Mili’s head to the side. It whipped its tail in displeasure, swatted the back of his hand with a small paw, and then turned away, ignoring him.

Xing Che watched its proud, petulant display and suddenly gave a soft chuckle.

The smile was faint, tinged with a bit of bitterness and self-mockery.

He stood up and glanced toward the camp one more time.

The two shadows were still tangled together, as if they couldn’t be pulled apart.

He retracted his gaze and turned to walk deeper into the woods.

The Mili trotted to keep up at his heels, its tail swishing back and forth.

After walking a few steps, Xing Che suddenly stopped and said in a low voice, "I won’t give up."

It was unclear whether he was speaking to the Mili or to himself.

The Mili looked at him again but didn’t "cheep." It just flicked its tail lightly and followed at his heels, the figures of the man and his companion gradually vanishing into the depths of the woods.

...

At the edge of the camp, the night wind blew gently.

Si Jin held Yun Sheng, his gaze suddenly shifting toward the command tent in the distance. "The S-class Guide who came from the Capital Star as reinforcement," he said in a low voice, "is Lin Yueyao."

Yun Sheng froze, looking up in surprise.

"Not long after Bai Ye returned to the Capital Star, the Bai Family elders went to the Lin Family. I don’t know what was said, but it seems things didn’t go very pleasantly."

Si Jin’s tone was nonchalant, but his gaze remained fixed on her face, as if watching for her reaction.

’Bai Ye was in love with Yun Sheng, that was undeniable. His sudden departure for the capital had been strange enough.’

’For the Bai Family elders to go to the Lin Family immediately after his return... if I’m not mistaken, Bai Ye likely sent them to break off the engagement.’

’Knowing Yun Sheng, as long as Bai Ye was still Lin Yueyao’s fiancé in name, she would never accept him!’

When Yun Sheng heard this, the words Bai Ye had said to her before immediately flashed through her mind.

’Did he really go and break off the engagement?!’

Her fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on Si Jin’s shirt, her knuckles turning slightly white.

Si Jin’s eyes flickered, taking in her reaction, but he didn’t press the matter. He simply continued, "It’s said that Lin Yueyao became a recluse after that. For her to suddenly come here... she’s very likely... here for you."