Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Estrangement
Finally back at the cabin, Wen Shu found a room and leaned tiredly against the bed for a nap.
Tomorrow she would go on the bounty mission, she needed to be well-rested, but she was still waiting for Nan.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, the door creaked open. She sat up straight, opening her eyes to meet Nan’s deep and mysterious gaze.
He somehow had sat down beside her, his fair and slender fingers hovering by her face, seemingly wanting to touch, but upon seeing her awake, they froze mid-air.
"Ashu, so you weren’t asleep."
Nan’s gaze clung to her face, his cool finger joints slowly dropped, brushing past her hair, lightly resting at the corner of her eye, as he sighed, "Believe me, I can explain everything."
Wen Shu’s heart skipped a beat, feeling something was off about him, she tried to leave from under him but found she couldn’t control her body.
She became wary, looking into his eyes, only to realize that the male before her no longer seemed like the timid, pitiful figure he used to be!
He still wore the plain gray mask, but the light-colored eyes hidden beneath his brow ridge seemed to have shed the foggy mist, revealing their original depth and sharpness.
For a moment, Wen Shu felt as if she had returned to the day she first met him.
Just unexpectedly meeting his gaze, she felt that all her secrets were laid bare with nowhere to hide...
And more terrifying was, she couldn’t move at all at this moment.
Nan was controlling her.
His spiritual ability was far stronger than she had imagined.
If such a Beastman wanted to harm her, she wouldn’t even have a chance to resist...
Instinctively sensing danger, she tried to use her spiritual power to fight back, but as Nan merely arched his eyebrows and eyes, she felt her mind go limp, unable to muster any willpower.
Within her frozen gaze, Nan’s eyes softened.
He leaned in slightly, cradling her face, resting his forehead against hers, and said softly, "Ashu, you’re so clever, you can probably guess a lot of things."
As if thinking of something painful, he furrowed his brows, guilt filling his eyes, "I’m sorry, back then I didn’t know, you weren’t her, but from now on..."
He gazed deeply into her eyes, a beast mark igniting on his forehead, "I will never hurt you again."
As his words fell, his lips paled, and he weakly leaned against Wen Shu’s shoulder, softly pleading, "You don’t like deception, I can reveal everything about myself, just please, don’t leave me..."
The moment he let go, the constraints suddenly vanished, sensing the cool breath by her ear, Wen Shu’s heart pounded like a drum, and she immediately pushed him away!
The male groaned, his deep eyes filled with a layer of clear and misty tears, he wanted to prop himself up, but from overuse of his superpower, he was too exhausted to move.
"Ashu, don’t leave me..."
His lips parted, wanting to explain a few more words, but his long lashes, like rain-soaked butterfly wings, were too heavy to bear and slowly closed.
As the male fell into a deep sleep, the room descended into silence. Wen Shu stood in place for a long time, her face still unpleasant.
Staring intently at Nan, she felt a lingering fear, this male was too dangerous!
Knowing he could easily control her, how could she trust him again?
Though he indeed hadn’t hurt her further...
But what if? Didn’t she once trust those companions who lived and died with her wholeheartedly? And what was the result?
Wen Shu looked at Nan with a grave expression, biting her lip, she turned to leave but her gaze fell on his pale lips.
Damn it.
If she left him like this, how was it any different from letting him die?
She couldn’t bring herself to be ruthless...
Wen Shu furrowed her brows tightly, sat down beside Nan, examined his injuries, and sighed with relief.
Nan’s level was unknown, but his self-healing ability was multiple times stronger than Mious’, he would fully recover with just two or three more treatments.
She looked at his tightly closed eyes, slowly channeling her superpower into him.
He had saved her too, hadn’t he?
Using the last few days to heal him, consider it repayment...
As the power flowed in, Nan’s furrowed brows relaxed a bit, as if in some mystical way aware that Wen Shu was treating him, his tear-damp lashes fluttered, and he had a long-awaited and warm dream.
He returned to when he was merely a cub...
Loving parents, a happy family, without those insidious and cunning Uncles and brothers, nor abruptly incoming dangers and betrayals...
Every day, he awakened from the warm sunshine, his biggest worry was how to pass the etiquette evaluation.
Soon, he grew up happily, his mother began to arrange for him to find a female, he was unwilling, yet had no choice...
Boring parties, hypocritical nobles.
He sneaked away from the banquet, but as he passed through the backyard, he saw a beautiful female under the night, smelling flowers.
The world fell silent at this moment.
He quietly gazed at her, as if bewitched, step by step approaching.
He heard himself speaking in a deliberately deep voice, "Hello, can you tell me your name?"
The female’s slender, fair fingers paused, she looked at him slowly, her clear eyes laced with a smile, gently said, "Wen Shu."
Wen Shu?
Heat rushed to his heart, he opened his mouth, and unbidden came a hint of tenderness and affection, "Ashu..."
A smile tugged at his lips, he wanted to approach again, but the dream quietly shattered into pieces.
The warmth in his chest hadn’t yet faded, Nan opened his eyes.
His vision blurred, he reached out to touch, realizing his cheeks were covered in wetness.
Recalling what happened last night, his breath caught, he got up to find Wen Shu, but searched the entire cabin and didn’t find that familiar figure anywhere.
Nan staggered, suddenly as if plunged into an icy abyss.
She left?
A dry sensation rose in his throat, his heart seemingly hollowed out in an instant, it hurt so much he couldn’t breathe.
How could she leave him?
No...
He couldn’t allow it! She couldn’t shake him off!
He gritted his sore jaw, the darkness in his eyes threatening to overflow, and followed the scent to catch Wen Shu.
But just as he rushed downstairs, he collided into a warm, soft body.
The familiar fragrance filled his nostrils, Nan’s tense figure froze, he held her tightly, wanting to protest, but his body trembled uncontrollably, not a word could make its way out.
Held tightly by him, Wen Shu only felt her waist about to be snapped, she pushed hard to free herself, yet the male didn’t budge, adamant about squeezing the life out of her.
She pressed her lips tightly, suddenly raising her voice, "It hurts! Nan, let me go!"
Hearing her cry of pain, Nan paused, feeling her solid presence in his arms, the heart that had been suspended so high seemed to slam to the ground, filled with a sense of reality.
As his rationality gradually returned, he loosened his arms slightly, but nestled against her shoulder, unwilling to let go, "I thought, you left..."
His voice was somewhat hoarse, affectionate yet no longer pretending to be pitiful.
Aware of his change, Wen Shu lowered her eyes, feeling a bit conflicted.
She did not respond to his murmurs, silently pushing him away, "Let go, I need to go out for a while."
Nan reluctantly pulled back, hearing what she said, he grabbed her wrist again, "I’ll go with you."
Wen Shu glanced at his hand, shook her head, "No, I have something else to ask of you."