Chương 198: Xingxian's Bold Move

I don't know how much time passed, but the sound of rain outside the window gradually subsided from its initial clamor.

On the fifth floor of the dilapidated, unfinished building, Jiying and Xingxian still lay quietly together.

In the distance, a faint ray of golden sunlight finally pierced through the thick, leaden-gray clouds, bringing a long-awaited warmth to the city that had been shrouded in rain for so long.

At this moment, Xingxian's consciousness was still mired in the cold and desperate darkness, with nightmares like an endless vortex, dragging her into the abyss of pain again and again.

She dreamt that she was utterly defeated by Jingjue, controlled like a soulless puppet, and stood expressionless beside that demon alongside Yuexi.

She dreamt that she watched helplessly as Mirror Lord used her appearance, her proud magic spells and time-manipulation armor, to attack the companions she had sworn to protect with her life.

She dreamt that Liuli and Yinxue were covered in wounds from "her" attacks, their faces filled with unbelievable despair. She desperately tried to scream, but could not make a sound or move a finger, and could only sink into endless regret.

Then, the scene changes.

Xingxian returned to that place she knew so well, and standing before her was Xingshuang, the senior who was as radiant, powerful, and perfect as a god in her heart.

However, the senior's deep purple eyes did not hold the tenderness and encouragement she had hoped for. Instead, they were staring at her with a cold and unfamiliar gaze she had never seen before, as if examining a worthless defective product.

"You've disappointed me, Hoshizora."

"Why—why were we defeated by an enemy of that caliber?"

"Why—why would you put your comrades in danger?"

"Why—as an inspector of the magic kingdom, are you so utterly vulnerable?"

Each question, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, was like the sharpest blade, piercing deep into Xingxian's soul and shattering all her pride and self-esteem.

She wanted to explain, to tell her senior that she had tried her best, to defend herself against her failure, but in the end, all her words turned into uncontrollable sobs and tears under that cold gaze.

"No—no—senpai—" The final scene of the dream froze on Mirror Lord's smiling face, radiating endless mockery, and his hand hovering in front of him, about to touch his forehead. The devil's malicious whisper echoed clearly in his ears: "However, I can't guarantee—you'll have another chance to wake up~"

"No----"

"----don't want!"

With a scream filled with fear and despair, Xingxian was jolted awake from her nightmare.

She instinctively pressed her right hand tightly against her chest, gasping for breath, her forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, and her silver-gray eyes filled with confusion and terror.

Looking around, what comes into view is the familiar unfinished building, the dusty ground, and the warm light shining through the broken window frames.

There was no mirror labyrinth, no demon with a smiling mask, and no—the heartbreaking look of disappointment in the senior's eyes.

"So... it was all a dream?"

Xingxian's eyes were somewhat confused as she looked at the real scene around her that shouldn't be there. For a moment, she couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion, and even had a sense of relief that "everything before was just a nightmare."

However, when her gaze fell on her lower abdomen and she saw the clear signs of damage on her combat suit, and recalled the excruciating pain of being corroded by ethereal energy, as if her soul was being torn apart, she immediately came to her senses.

—No, that wasn't a dream.

Everything that happened before is real.

Thinking of the terrifying and cunning enemy, Mirror Lord, Xingxian's heart clenched. She instinctively sat up, looking around warily, ready to deal with any potential danger.

However, everything around her was unusually quiet, and there were no enemies she had anticipated.

Compared to when I entered that maze, the rain had almost completely stopped, and in the distance, sunlight was even breaking through the thick clouds and shining on the ground.

Has the crisis been resolved?

Only then did her gaze finally fall on the petite figure lying quietly beside her.

The sunlight gently fell on her face, casting a warm golden halo over her smooth, long black hair and delicate features.

In Xingxian's view, the scene was dazzlingly bright.

It's Xiaoying!

Xingxian's pupils suddenly contracted. She carefully reached out and checked the other person's breath, examining their physical condition.

After confirming the steady and faint breathing, she immediately sensed the energy fluctuations within the other person's body.

—The reserves of virtual energy—are almost completely depleted, but the body has not suffered any serious injuries. However—the body has fallen into a coma due to exhaustion.

After confirming this, Xingxian finally breathed a long sigh of relief, putting her mind at ease.

Gazing quietly at Ji Ying's unguarded, delicate, and lovely face, all the clues and fragments about what had happened before were quickly pieced together in her mind at this moment.

He was ambushed and severely injured by Jing Jue, and fell into a coma.

Upon waking, I found myself in the safe real world.

Although he felt extremely weak, the deadly, violent ethereal energy within him had vanished without a trace.

Xiao Ying—who should have been waiting outside for news—was now also exhausted and had collapsed here with him.

The answer is self-evident.

It was her—it was Xiaoying. After she was defeated and fell into a coma, she recklessly rushed into that dangerous trap and defeated the powerful and almost invincible Jingjue in a way she could not even imagine.

Then, he freed himself from that cage of despair unscathed.

Even when she herself was on the verge of her limit, she cleared the potentially fatal ethereal energy from her body, ultimately collapsing from exhaustion.

Thinking of this, Xingxian's eyes involuntarily welled up with tears, and a thin layer of moisture quickly spread across them.

With a thick nasal tone, she murmured softly, "Idiot—what a—hopeless, hopeless idiot—" All the previous resentment, all the frustration, and that childish competitive spirit caused by the "choose one of two" were completely washed away at this moment in the face of the immense emotion of being saved at the cost of one's life.

She reached out, her movements as gentle as if she were handling a rare treasure, and slowly stroked Ji Ying's smooth, long black hair. The touch from her fingertips sent a shiver through her heart.

Then, Xingxian leaned against the wall behind her and carefully picked up Jiying's petite body, letting her lie comfortably in her arms and rest her small head against her chest.

A faint fragrance lingered around his nose. Xingxian looked down at the sleeping Jiying in his arms, his silver-gray eyes filled with indescribable pity and tenderness.

In this quiet environment where only their breathing could be heard, she unconsciously recalled the night they first met, when she lost control of her emotions due to pressure and held Ji Ying tightly in her arms to draw warmth and strength.

That time, I was only seeking comfort, but Xiaoying gently accepted all my lapses in composure and willfulness.

This time, Xiaoying risked her life again to save herself, even exhausting her last bit of strength— Thinking of this, Xingxian couldn't help but hug Jiying even tighter.

—Unfortunately, I was too cowardly that night— An idea suddenly popped into her mind, startling Xingxian herself. But once the idea took hold, it was like a wildly growing vine that could never be eradicated.

She thought with some annoyance, why—why hadn't she been nicer to Xiaoying the night she first met her? Why—why hadn't she been able to do anything more intimate with her while she was asleep?

And now— As Xingxian gazed at the peaceful and serene sleeping face of the girl in his arms, feeling her steady breathing and warm body, a bold idea quietly surfaced once again.

Anyway—it's just the two of us here now—it should be okay for us to get a little closer, right?

If we do something slightly bolder, no one should know, right?

This thought, like the devil's whisper, constantly tempted her already wavering heart. In the end, even the determined patrolman could not resist this fatal temptation.

She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and then carefully reached out and gently pinched Ji Ying's soft cheek with her fingertips.

"Ugh————" The girl in his arms didn't react at all, only letting out a soft, cute murmur with a slight nasal tone.

Xingxian's heart skipped a beat. After confirming that the other person was still asleep, she became bolder and reached out to gently touch Jiying's small head.

Feeling the smooth touch from her fingertips, Xingxian's face broke into a bright, satisfied smile.

However, just as she was enjoying this intimate moment that was all hers, Ji Ying's eyebrows suddenly twitched slightly, as if he was about to wake up.

"!"

Xingxian was startled, her body instantly stiffened, and her heart almost jumped out of her throat. She had no idea how to explain her behavior at that moment.

Fortunately, Jiying did not actually wake up.

She subconsciously shifted to a more comfortable position, nuzzled her face against Xingxian's chest, let out a satisfied hum, and drifted back into a deep sleep.

Seeing Jiying's adorable, kitten-like dependence on him, Xingxian felt his defenses completely crumble.

Unable to suppress the impulse within her any longer, she slowly lowered her head and gently placed a kiss, as soft as a feather, on Ji Ying's smooth and delicate cheek, a kiss filled with endless tenderness.

The soft touch on her lips made Xingxian's cheeks turn completely red. She suddenly raised her head and looked around guiltily, her heart pounding wildly as if she had done something terribly wrong.

After doing this, she suddenly realized how outrageous her behavior was. Her face was so ashamed that it was almost steaming, and she dared not look at the sleeping girl in her arms anymore.

"What—what have I done?!" she cried out in her heart, filled with shame and indignation.

But when Xingxian saw that Jiying was still sleeping peacefully, completely undisturbed by her, after a brief period of self-reflection and struggle, Xingxian blushed and mustered her courage again, placing an equally gentle kiss on Jiying's other cheek.

If you're going to do something, go all the way.

After doing all this, her gaze involuntarily fell on Ji Ying's slightly parted, soft lips, which were tinged with a natural pink.

Its alluring color seemed to be silently inviting Xingxian to taste it.

Ji Ying's unguarded and adorable appearance made her breath catch in her throat again, her heart filled with struggle and longing.

But this time, she managed to restrain herself and simply extended her slightly trembling index finger, gently touching Ji Ying's lower lip with the tip of her finger.

Feeling that soft touch, Xingxian's cheeks flushed again, and her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. She quickly withdrew her hand, as if she had been burned.

Immediately, she pressed the hand that had touched Ji Ying's lips tightly against her wildly beating heart, feeling the unprecedented, almost suffocating throbbing. With a mix of panic, shyness, and sweetness, she silently thought, "My heart is beating so fast. I've never felt like this before—I've never felt this way before—"

"Xiaoying, it's all your fault."

After mentally completing this unreasonable attempt to shift the blame, Xingxian looked at the peaceful sleeping face of the girl in his arms, his eyes becoming even more determined and ardent.

She knew she shouldn't "steal" that most precious treasure while the other person was completely unaware. What she hoped for was that one day in the future, she could openly and legitimately possess that "right" when the other person was conscious and willing.

—Someday sooner or later— I will make you willingly make this place—also—belong exclusively to me.

After making this vow, which was full of possessiveness, Xingxian hugged Jiying in her arms even tighter.

Feeling that warm atmosphere that she cherished so much, an irresistible drowsiness gradually washed over her. Leaning against the wall, she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep again.

This time, there were no nightmares, no resentment, no regrets or remorse.

What I felt was an unparalleled sense of security and a feeling of being embraced by the whole world—a sense of fulfillment.

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