In the following week, Yong Shanling locked herself in a room. Except for Hou Hua who brought her food, no one saw her.
On Sunday night, it was so quiet outside the window. Butterflies and birds flitted among the flowers, and the chirping of cicadas was the only nocturne of the night. But all this was shattered by a loud explosion.
Everyone was awakened from their beds, and Mu Yijie was the first to rush into the villa.
In the moonlight, she stood in front of the door. Her face was as pale as snow. She slightly raised the corners of her mouth. There was no longer the shy and cheerful smile as usual. Instead, she looked morbidly beautiful, which made people feel extremely heart - wrenching.
Looking closely, one could see more or less bruises and countless needle holes on her originally fair and slender arms. But the girl didn't shed a tear. There was still a smile on her face.
Mu Yijie rushed forward and hugged her tightly in his arms, as if he was afraid of losing her.
She smiled weakly and patted his back feebly. She closed her eyes and kept muttering words.
"Shushu, cough..."
"I succeeded. I can protect you now. You believe... I'm a bit sleepy."
He just listened to her quietly. It was not until her last words faded away that he slowly stroked her head and began to look at her.
"Go to sleep, Ling'er..."
"You've worked hard."
After saying that, he kissed her lips gently, just like a dragonfly skimming the water. There was no wildness at all, just like a gentle breeze brushing over her lips.
Ye Sen and Ye Lin, who were standing behind them, had different expressions on their faces.
Ye Sen was surprised that Yong Shanling could use such a mysterious technique so easily, and he also admired her self - sacrifice.
Although Ye Lin had no expression on his face, his pupils were filled with regret and a hint of pain. His hand beside him hung limply. Finally, he withdrew his gaze, but met Ye Sen's eyes.
Ye Sen was about to ask his younger brother what was wrong when he saw the emotions in Ye Lin's eyes. In the end, he didn't say a word.
Looking at the departing back, he felt a bit melancholy: "Not showing up and not disturbing is the last way to love her..."
The evening sun kissed the rosy clouds on the edge of the sky. The pale yellow and orange glow filled the room where the two of them were.
A gentle breeze suddenly rose and slowly drifted in from the window. The curtain that had been hanging low suddenly swelled like a sail. The rustling sound of the leaves outside the window was like scattered rain.
A man was caressing the girl on the bed affectionately. Her fair skin, slightly parted red lips, and long eyelashes made her look like a porcelain doll that one couldn't bear to break.
"Um..." The girl on the bed opened her eyes slightly. The setting orange light outside the window shone into her eyes.
Yong Shanling opened her eyes and saw the beautiful sunset. Her originally tense body gradually relaxed. She stretched and turned her head, a bit startled.
Mu Yijie was just looking at her. His eyes seemed not to move or blink, which made her burst into laughter.
"What's wrong, Shushu? Have you missed me because you haven't seen me for a long time? Hehe."
She suddenly threw herself into the man in front of her. The faint fragrance of gardenia on her body made him realize that this was real.
Seeing the man who still didn't say a word, she pouted unhappily, pushed Mu Yijie away, and turned her head aggrievedly.
"Mu Yijie, what's wrong with you? Don't you want me to wake up?"
Realizing his gaffe, Mu Yijie immediately stepped forward to comfort the girl in front of him.
"Because Ye Sen said it would take at least a week for you to wake up... Do you know how I got through this week? When I opened my eyes, I hoped you were by my side.
When I went to sleep, I hoped you were beside me. When I ate, I wondered if you were hungry. There was your favorite fish soup on the table. Did you drink it...
And there are so many other things."
Mu Yijie hugged her in his arms. Since she was on the bed, his head reached her chest. The hot air from his mouth hit her chest, making her blush.
But hearing the man's words, she felt even more heart - ache for him who was holding her.
"Mu Yijie, I miss you so much, so much. The thought that supported me every day was you.
I was thinking about how you would praise me, how you would compliment me, and if you would be nicer to me...
My mind was full of you this week, Yijie."
The two hugged each other in the setting sun until an inharmonious sound broke the beauty.
"Cough, I just wanted to see if you were awake. It turns out you're already up. Well, I won't bother you for now."
Mu Yijie was a bit unhappy. He looked at Cruz with a gloomy face.
"You've already bothered us. Just say what you want quickly."
Cruz was a bit embarrassed. Under the sharp gaze, he gritted his teeth and walked into the room.
Yong Shanling was drinking water. Seeing Cruz's worried expression, she was a bit confused.
"What's wrong? Have those people come?"
"I'm sorry, no."
"So?"
"So we've been wanted. There's a huge reward. Mu Yijie's head is worth 2,000 top - grade stones, and ours is 1,000 top - grade stones."
These words made her choke on the water: "Cough, is it true or false? Shushu is worth 2,000 top - grade stones. Logically, I should be worth about the same. Why am I only worth 1,000 like you?"
Her words made Cruz's face darken. Mu Yijie tapped her head and shook his head helplessly: "You've got the point wrong."
She touched her head and said aggrievedly: "I just wanted to liven up the atmosphere. Why did you tap my head? Humph."
"Silly girl."
After the banter, they got back to the topic. Yong Shanling straightened her expression and closed her eyes: "The puppets are okay for now. We just have to wait and see when they come."
Cruz asked curiously: "Shanling, how do you control these puppet people? Can you perform a show?"
"Okay..."
"No!"
Yong Shanling was just about to agree when Mu Yijie interrupted her.
"Ling'er just woke up. Her physical strength and spiritual power are still recovering. Consuming more energy will be too much for her."
"It's okay. I also want to see how well they've been refined."
She waved her hand and completely ignored Mu Yijie whose face was already extremely gloomy. Finally, under the persistence of the two, he had to agree.
The three of them entered the room and were all shocked. The one hundred puppets that were originally lying in the room stood up one by one when they saw Yong Shanling coming, and then knelt on one knee.
Mu Yijie's first reaction was to shield her behind him. Cruz's eyes sparkled as he looked at the kneeling puppets. He was just about to reach out when he was interrupted.
"You'd better not touch them casually. If they suddenly go out of control, I won't care."
Hearing her warning, although he was a bit disappointed, he still kept away from these puppets.
"But they don't have fixed faces. How can we distinguish them on the field?"
Cruz also asked the question that had been bothering him.
The girl smiled confidently: "I'll add a mirror technique to them. By then, the people who fight against them will associate them with the people they're most afraid of."
"Once a person hesitates, there will be an opportunity. Haven't you heard? Hesitation leads to defeat, and being rash leads to failure."
Cruz couldn't help swallowing his saliva. Looking at the faceless puppets, his original curiosity completely disappeared.