Chapter 103 — Falling Asleep Beside You
At ten-thirty, moonlight filtered through the gauze curtains, scattering fragments of silver across the bathroom tiles.
Elena splashed cool water over her burning cheeks.
In the mirror, her eyes were damp. Her lips were vividly flushed. She pressed a hand against her racing heart, yet the corners of her mouth curved upward despite herself.
“Good thing…” A droplet slid from her fingertips. “Good thing I guessed right.”
The warmth of his embrace still lingered on her skin. His arms had held her so tightly it was as if he meant to press her into his bones. She could still feel the tremor beneath his chest. Even when she’d said she needed the bathroom, the way he released her had been reluctant—his gaze never once leaving her back.
“He was afraid…”
The realization pricked softly at her heart.
“Afraid I would leave.”
Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the towel.
“Then I’ll—”
“Never leave. Not even for a moment.”
?
When she returned to the room, YiChen was leaning against the headboard.
The bedside lamp cast a warm halo along his sharp features, softening the edges of his silhouette. But the instant he saw her, something in him subtly tightened—shoulders straightening, breath pausing.
“…Are you going back to your room to sleep?” His voice was low, roughened like sand over stone.
Elena stepped forward barefoot on the carpet, the fibers sinking softly beneath her toes.
“Can I… sleep in your room tonight?” Her lashes trembled as she lowered her gaze. “I’m afraid of the dark…”
The air stilled.
YiChen’s pupils widened almost imperceptibly. His throat moved once as he swallowed.
She… wants to stay?
When he didn’t answer immediately, Elena gathered what courage she had left and climbed onto the bed. Slowly. Carefully. Leaving him room to refuse.
“I’m a little cold…” she added softly, inching closer. “Can you… hold me for a bit?”
?
Consciousness Sea
Shadowfang slammed a claw into a floating slab of stone.
“Are you even a man?! She’s—”
Shixi’s nine tails puffed up like silver clouds.
“Just hold her!!!”
?
In reality, the silence lasted only three seconds.
Then—
The world tipped.
Elena was pulled into a sudden, burning embrace.
YiChen’s arms closed around her like iron bands—strong, unyielding, yet trembling at the edges. His chin rested against the crown of her head. His breath was heavy at first, uneven—then gradually steadied.
Thump.
Thump.
His heartbeat pressed firmly against her ear.
Powerful.
Steady.
Her own pulse, which had been racing wildly, began to slow—matching his rhythm beat by beat.
He didn’t move beyond that.
He simply held her.
As if afraid that loosening even slightly would let her slip away.
“YiChen…” she murmured against his chest, her voice already threaded with sleep. She shifted a little closer, cheek brushing against the fabric of his shirt. “I like you…”
His arms tightened—just a fraction.
Moonlight shifted beyond the curtains, wrapping their entwined forms in a muted silver glow.
Where no one could see—
YiChen lowered his head.
A kiss, light as falling ash, brushed against her hair.
Not urgent.
Not consuming.
Only gratitude.
Only relief.
And for the first time in a long while—
He allowed himself to close his eyes.
————
At the first pale hint of dawn, Elena woke in warmth.
Her lashes fluttered.
YiChen’s sleeping face was suddenly close enough to touch.
Early light skimmed over the sharp planes of his features—the clean line from brow to nose like a blade freshly drawn. A faint crease lingered between his brows, even in sleep.
…Is the black thorn hurting again?
She lifted her hand slowly.
The instant her fingertip brushed the space between his brows, his eyes snapped open.
“Don’t move,” she whispered.
Pink-gold Spiritflame flowed gently from her fingers into his Spirit Meridians.
YiChen went utterly still.
They were almost pressed together now.
Breath mingled in the narrow space between them.
The air turned warm—then hot.
A rough inhale caught in his throat.
—She had no idea what she was doing.
And then—
She kissed him.
Just a brief touch.
Light. Innocent.
But it fell like a spark into dry forest.
The next instant—
The world tilted.
YiChen was above her, braced on either side.
No calculation.
No distance.
Only something long restrained breaking its cage.
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He kissed her.
Not tentative.
Not careful.
But with the urgency of something nearly lost—and suddenly reclaimed.
Time stretched thin.
Breaths tangled.
Spiritflame surged bright through his meridians; the black thorns fractured and dissolved under the flood of light.
Heat spiraled.
Balance blurred.
Everything narrowed to contact—heartbeat—breath.
Until—
She let out a soft, breathless sound.
It sliced through him like cold steel.
YiChen stopped.
Abruptly.
Reason returned all at once.
He hovered above her, chest rising unevenly.
Her face was flushed deep crimson, lashes damp and luminous in the dawn light.
“…Morning,” she whispered, still catching her breath.
The tips of his ears burned scarlet.
His gaze flickered to her lips—still warm, still tinged with lingering heat—and a wave of restraint crashed back over him.
“I…” His voice was hoarse, barely steady.
Before he could finish—
Elena suddenly sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck.
She smiled—bright as the sun cresting the horizon.
“It’s okay,” she said softly. “I like sleeping with you.”
The words struck him like gasoline on open flame.
YiChen caught her wrist instinctively, something dangerous flashing across his eyes.
“Do you even realize what you just—”
Soft lips pressed suddenly against his cheek.
A light kiss. Quick. Deliberate.
“I’m going to wash up~ See you at breakfast!”
And she slipped away, light-footed and radiant.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Alone amid the rumpled sheets, YiChen slowly dragged a hand over his burning face.
“…There’s no saving me.”
Outside, the sun finally rose above the horizon, pouring honeyed gold across the entire room—
as if nothing at all had happened.
—————
The dining room in the morning light was filled with the scent of sizzling bacon.
At the black ebony table, YiChen sat motionless with a coffee cup in hand. His thumb traced the rim unconsciously, as if trying to anchor himself.
“Sir? Sir?”
It wasn’t until Bernard called his name for the third time that YiChen looked up, as though surfacing from deep water.
“Your fried eggs,” the old butler said, setting down the silver platter. A faint, knowing smile hid in the corners of his eyes.
“Fully cooked,” YiChen replied automatically. Then, after a beat, “…Thank you.”
The scrape of knife against porcelain rang far too loud.
When Elena’s voice floated across the table—
His hand jerked.
Dark coffee spilled in a blooming stain across the pristine white tablecloth.
“YiChen~”
“You look tired,” she said lightly, chin resting in her palm, fingertip tapping her cheek. “Didn’t sleep well?”
The silver fork screeched sharply against porcelain.
YiChen’s back muscles locked. His shirt pulled taut across his shoulders. His posture went ramrod straight—almost military—completely at odds with the warmth of the sun pouring through the windows.
He fixed his gaze on the rose motif etched into the center of the table.
“…I’m going to inspect the South District construction site,” he said, each word clipped and measured.
Bernard stepped forward smoothly with a napkin. The back of his aged hand discreetly concealed the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
?
Morning light curved across the black obsidian water feature, laying a cold silver edge along YiChen’s profile.
His black shirt wrapped tightly around his shoulders. His jawline was honed and sharp.
A sword sheathed—
Edge hidden.
Tension unmistakable.
The car was already waiting at the entrance. The driver looked up hastily at the sound of approaching footsteps.
Elena followed close behind, her steps light as a lark greeting the day.
YiChen turned, prepared to offer a composed goodbye—
Her fingers hooked gently around his.
—!
He stopped mid-step.
As if an invisible force had gripped his heart.
He looked down.
She was looking up at him.
Sunlight flooded her amber eyes, bright enough to burn through armor.
“Don’t work too hard today,” she said softly.
His throat moved once.
No sound came out.
He nodded instead—firm, almost rigid.
Then—
She rose onto her toes.
And pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
“Do your best. I’ll be waiting for you.”
He froze.
When awareness returned, he was already seated inside the car.
Through the window, Elena stood on the steps, waving.
Her smile was bright enough to scatter every shadow in the morning.
Stiffly, mechanically, he lifted his hand and waved back.
The door shut.
The engine turned over.
The car pulled away.
YiChen stared straight ahead.
His mind was still completely offline.
…I need strong coffee.
A pause.
No.
Two.
————
YiChen’s condition today was worse than yesterday.
Two sleepless nights had dulled his reactions, as if molten lead had been poured into his limbs.
While overseeing rubble clearance, he almost released a Starburst at a Spirit Cat chasing a mutated rat.
If Ryan hadn’t reacted instantly—grabbing his arm and dragging it off target—the poor creature would have been reduced to ash.
Silence followed.
Logan stared at YiChen’s pale face and bloodshot eyes.
When YiChen rubbed his temples for the fifth time in ten minutes, Logan finally snapped.
“Go the hell home and sleep.”
?
Consciousness Sea
Shadowfang’s roar cracked across the dome like thunder.
“Is there room left in that head of yours for anything else right now?!”
A pause.
“Besides her lips.”
“Her voice.”
“The look on her face when she said ‘I like sleeping with you’?”
YiChen: “…”
He had no rebuttal.
?
At noon, he made a brief stop at his parents’ house.
ChengYu was still at school. Without his chatter, the house felt unusually hollow.
Zhang Han noticed the web of red veining her eldest son’s eyes, the fatigue carved into his expression.
“Do you want to rest here for a bit?” she asked softly.
YiChen declined. There was still the City Hall meeting in the afternoon.
Mark frowned.
“Don’t push yourself too hard,” he said firmly. “As long as the overall direction holds steady, let the lower levels manage the details.”
A beat.
“Go home early tonight. Rest.”
YiChen nodded at everything.
He heard every word.
He absorbed none of it.
?
At the afternoon meeting, Leo stood at the projection screen.
“Unauthorized entries into Black Pine Forest are still increasing,” he reported. “Despite being formally designated a restricted zone by City Hall, people continue sneaking in.”
A list of names appeared on the screen.
Seven confirmed missing.
“We cannot stop it.”
Low murmurs rippled through the room.
“If this trend continues… a full-scale outbreak is only a matter of time.”
YiChen sat at the end of the long conference table, knuckles pressed against his temple.
The report in front of him blurred.
Letters swam.
Shifted.
Dissolved into white haze.
He blinked once.
Twice.
…Need to go home.
Sleep.
The meeting had barely adjourned before he stood.
No closing remarks.
No lingering.
To the waiting driver, he spoke only two words.
“Home.”
————
The black sedan rolled into No. 112 Azure Radiance Street a little past three in the afternoon.
The sunlight was mild and golden. Roses swayed in the early summer breeze, their fragrance drifting lazily through the courtyard.
Elena was in the training room, wholly absorbed in her practice. Pink-gold Spirit Force flowed between her fingers like living dawnlight, pulsing gently, obedient and bright.
A maid knocked softly.
“Miss, Commander Caelestis has returned.”
Her eyes lit instantly.
The next second, the training room door swung open. She rushed down the corridor like a burst of wind, faint sparks of Spiritflame trailing from the ends of her hair.
Tap. Tap.
Bare feet against cool marble.
Closer—
YiChen had just stepped out of the car when a warm weight collided with him.
“YiChen~!”
Elena wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, pressing her cheek against his chest. “You’re back!”
Sunlight spilled across her upturned face. Tiny flecks of Spiritflame shimmered along her lashes. Her amber eyes were bright—unguarded, joyful.
YiChen paused for half a breath.
Then slowly, deliberately, he lifted his arms and held her.
“Mm.”
His voice was low.
And impossibly gentle.
Behind them, the maids quietly drew the curtains in the sitting room, exchanging small, knowing smiles.
?
Elena tugged lightly at his wrist and guided him inside to the living room sofa.
Up close, he looked worse than she had imagined.
Shadows pooled faintly beneath his eyes. The whites were threaded red. His skin was so pale it seemed almost translucent, even his lips drained of color.
…How long has he gone without real sleep?
She pressed her lips together and gave his sleeve another gentle pull.
“Come.” She patted her thigh, firm and decisive. “Lie down.”
YiChen stiffened instinctively. His throat moved as if to protest.
But she was already guiding him down, one hand supporting the back of his neck with quiet authority.
His head settled onto her lap.
For a moment, his body remained taut, as though he had forgotten how to yield.
“I’ll massage you,” she murmured, her fingertips resting lightly at his temples, moving in slow, patient circles.
“Re-lax.”
He meant to say, I’m fine.
What came out instead was a quiet exhale.
Her touch was gentle, but precise—working from his temples to the space between his brows, loosening the tight coil of fatigue strand by strand.
No Spirit Force this time.
No flames.
Just warmth.
Just contact.
Gradually, his breathing deepened.
His eyelids grew heavy.
Within minutes, his lashes stilled completely.
He was asleep.
Elena’s lips curved softly.
She glanced toward Bernard and made a small, discreet gesture. The old butler understood at once and stepped forward soundlessly with a light blanket.
She draped it carefully over YiChen, adjusted the temperature slightly warmer, ensuring he would not feel the chill of air conditioning.
Sunlight filtered through the gauze curtains, scattering pale gold across his sleeping profile.
For the first time all day, the tension in his jaw had eased.
Elena lowered her head slightly. Her fingers brushed through his hair, light as breath.
“Sleep well…”
“I’m here.”
“I love you, YiChen.”
And this time—
In sleep—
A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched the corner of his lips.
