In the cave, the atmosphere became a bit heavy.
Chen Yin and Shen Shuanglian sat facing the campfire, both with their heads lowered, not saying a word.
The firelight flickered, and Shen Shuanglian's cheeks were lit up by the flames, turning the same color. Her lips were tightly pressed together, and one could almost hear the sound of her heartbeat pounding.
"Ahem... um, Senior Sister..."
Chen Yin could no longer stand the awkwardness and was the first to break the silence, speaking with a serious tone:
"Well, the thing is, it's like this—whether I get killed or tortured depends entirely on your mood, Senior Sister. I won't say a word."
"But, I still think it's better if we deal with the matter in front of us first. I can wait for later to be punished."
Shen Shuanglian didn't say anything. She simply kept her head lowered deeply, almost burying her face in her knees.
Chen Yin cautiously watched her, then tentatively asked, "Uh, is there any other way to resolve the toxin from the monster core?"
"...Normally, if I were in good condition, I could force the mixed spiritual energy from the monster core out, and it would be fine."
Shen Shuanglian finally dared to slowly lift her head just slightly, her eyes trembling, and her voice soft and weak: "But now, my meridians are damaged, and I can't use any spiritual energy..."
"I... I don't know if there's any other way..."
Seeing the hint of a sob in Shen Shuanglian's voice, Chen Yin immediately panicked. He stammered and explained: "Senior Sister, please don't cry, I... I really didn't mean to."
"How was I supposed to know that the Violet-Mane Thunder Tiger's monster core was special? I thought all monster cores could be used to heal injuries."
He even slapped himself twice: "It's my fault, my fault! I slacked off when reading the books. I didn't remember a single one of the spirit beast illustrations Master gave me! I'm so sorry, Senior Sister—"
Before he could slap himself again, a soft little hand gently grabbed his wrist.
Shen Shuanglian's face flushed with embarrassment as her voice became even softer: "Okay... stop being so fake. You've got the advantage and are acting coy."
Chen Yin grinned, stopping his actions: "So, does that mean you're not angry with me anymore?"
"I... I actually never got angry with you from the beginning."
Shen Shuanglian hugged her knees, no longer resembling her previous cold and aloof self, but rather like a bashful girl with a fluttering heart: "I was just... a little scared."
"Scared? Scared that the toxin might harm me?"
Shen Shuanglian tightly bit her lips, not saying a word.
Chen Yin coughed deliberately, then sat up straight: "Although I, Chen Yin, am timid and lecherous, I am also someone who owns up to my actions."
"Since I caused Senior Sister to be poisoned, I naturally have to take responsibility until the end. I won't let Senior Sister's purity be ruined by me."
"Senior Sister, just tell me if there's any way to cure the toxin. I'll go through fire and water if necessary."
Shen Shuanglian didn't respond, merely lifting her head slightly to glance at him.
"What if... there's no other way?"
"..."
Chen Yin scratched his head, looking at Shen Shuanglian with a pitiful expression: "Then... what do we do? We can't..."
It seemed like his gaze had burned her, and Shen Shuanglian quickly turned her head away again, burying her face.
Chen Yin could only awkwardly lock eyes with her.
The firelight flickered, and the cave suddenly became extremely quiet. The sound of a falling needle could be heard.
Time passed slowly, and neither of them dared to speak. They could only steal glances at each other in the firelight.
In the dim glow, Shen Shuanglian's skin appeared to have a faint pink hue, making her look especially shy.
Shen Shuanglian kept silent, and Chen Yin sighed.
—To be honest, he hadn't expected things to develop this way.
Although he felt a strong affection for this beautiful, delicate, and somewhat cold yet warm-hearted Senior Sister, he never intended to create such a situation.
He genuinely only wanted to help her find something to heal her injury. He didn't expect things to turn out like this.
For the first time, Chen Yin regretted not reading the books more carefully. If only he had re-read the spirit beast manuals Master had given him, perhaps this wouldn't be so awkward now.
What Chen Yin was most worried about was whether Senior Sister could accept the treatment plan.
After all, it might not matter that much to him, but for someone as reserved and conservative as Shen Shuanglian, what if she would rather die than lose her purity? Would he helplessly watch her condition worsen, or would he force himself to save her life?
Just thinking about it made Chen Yin feel overwhelming guilt.
While he was lost in his thoughts, a barely audible voice suddenly came from beside him:
"You... will you keep your word?"
"What?"
"Will you take full responsibility?" Shen Shuanglian slowly peeked out her timid eyes.
Chen Yin fell silent, then solemnly cupped his hands toward her:
"If Senior Sister doesn't mind, then in this life, I will never leave or abandon you, and I will be faithful until death."
He spoke seriously, every word crystal clear.
Shen Shuanglian's eyes widened slightly before she lowered them again, hiding the sweetness in her gaze.
"…Mm."
"Then, does that mean..." Chen Yin cautiously stole a glance at her.
Shen Shuanglian did not directly answer. Instead, she softly said, "Can you talk to me for a while?"
Her gaze unconsciously glanced toward him, seemingly hinting for him to sit beside her.
Chen Yin immediately rushed over and sat down beside Shen Shuanglian.
"Senior Sister, what do you want to talk about?"
"You..." Her delicate face flushed, and after hesitating for a long while, she mustered the courage to softly ask, "Do you have experience?"
Chen Yin froze for a moment, then couldn't help but blush, awkwardly chuckling.
—Experience? What experience?
He had been single his entire life, and in his previous life, the closest interaction he had with a girl was playing house with a neighbor's little sister when he was young.
Although in this life, he could barely say he had some ambiguous interactions with two women, even just kissing was enough to make his heart race, let alone anything further. He didn't have the courage to go beyond that.
"I heard... it will be very painful..."
"Uh, probably. Should I go gentle?"
Shen Shuanglian shot him an embarrassed glare.
Chen Yin looked innocent, not understanding where he went wrong.
—Could it be that Senior Sister prefers something rougher?
Suddenly, Chen Yin noticed that Shen Shuanglian seemed to be slightly flushed, and she was unconsciously breathing a little heavier, her collar loosened slightly.
Wait, did that toxin start acting up?
Chen Yin didn't dare to ask. As long as Shen Shuanglian didn't say anything, he could only watch helplessly.
Shen Shuanglian seemed to have realized something was wrong. She gently bit her lip, her eyes gleaming with an unreadable expression, and softly spoke:
"I have one more question for you."
"What is it?"
"Do you... like me?"
Chen Yin took a deep breath: "Do you want to hear the truth, Senior Sister?"
Shen Shuanglian nodded.
"Then, before I answer, can you answer a question for me first?"
"In your heart, how do you see me?" Chen Yin asked seriously.
Shen Shuanglian thought for a moment and softly replied, "An unreliable and lecherous junior brother."
"...Is that all?"
"That's it."
Chen Yin raised his hand to his forehead, speechless, and then said: "Since that's the case, are you really willing to entrust yourself to me?"
"Entrust myself to you, an unreliable and lecherous junior brother?"
Shen Shuanglian was momentarily speechless. She opened her mouth to say something but slowly stopped herself.
Her eyelashes lowered, and her eyes were filled with a hint of sorrow.
"If you truly don't want to, then there's no need to force yourself. The trouble I caused, even if I have to risk my life, I will make sure you are safe."
Chen Yin stared at her face, speaking seriously: "I hope, Senior Sister, that you will never regret your choice."
Shen Shuanglian gently pressed her lips together.
She remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking:
"Put out the fire."
Chen Yin complied, gently sweeping his sleeve. The campfire suddenly went out.
The cave was once again plunged into darkness, but through the faint light from outside the cave, Chen Yin saw Shen Shuanglian's bright eyes, faintly shimmering in the blackness.
After a rustling sound, Chen Yin suddenly heard a soft voice:
"...You still haven't said whether you like me."
"I'm afraid if I say it, Senior Sister will think I'm a frivolous man and then regret it."
"Isn't that true?"
"At least I keep my promises," Chen Yin shrugged.
Then, he suddenly felt a soft and warm body gently wrap around him from behind, pressing closely against his back.
"Actually, whether you like me or not doesn't matter."
"Maybe I just wanted to hear you say it once. Even if it's a lie to comfort me." She whispered in his ear.
"Even if it's a lie, I'm willing to wait for you."
"...Even if in the end, I never hear it from you."
"Brother Chen Yin."
Chen Yin's pupils suddenly contracted.
That name. He hadn't heard anyone mention it in a long time.
—That was his name before he was reborn.
Just as he was about to speak, his lips were gently sealed by something soft.
It was like the soft and clear flow of moonlight, mingling with his lips and tongue, melting everything like an ice mountain.
Everything melted.
All that remained were low murmurs, softly echoing in the cave.
"...You said you would be gentle..."
"...Sorry."
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