Shen Tang gave a light cough, glanced at him, and said in a low voice, "Um... Iâve already treated you twice today. After another three times, your wounds should be mostly healed... If you feel... uncomfortable at any point during the treatment, you can tell me anytime, and I can stop."
"...Mm."
The air fell into an awkward silence for a moment.
Shen Tang hurriedly patted her own cheeks. Once the heat on her face subsided a little, she turned and walked toward the bathroom. "Iâve paid the water bill here with my points, you can use as much as you want. Iâll set the water temperature for you. You sweated a lot, so go take a shower."
Earlier, while treating him, Shen Tang had also used her Healing Ability to conveniently clear out the residual pollutants in his body.
Over these years, Jin had eaten too many Mutant Species and drunk too much polluted water, so his internal pollution level was very high. If he hadnât run into her, he would probably have died from his own toxins or mutated himself before the Hunting Leopard Clan caught him.
So aside from the thin layer of sweat on Jinâs solid body, some grime mixed with oil had also been expelledâexactly the pollutants from his body.
Shen Tang took out a set of menâs clothes from her Space and hurriedly handed them to him.
Xiao Jin took the clothes and obediently went to shower.
However, he turned the water to cold, letting himself calm down properly.
Especially his body...
After rinsing under the icy water for a while,
he finally returned to normal.
Then Xiao Jin put on the clothes. A simple T-shirt and long pants, the fabric was comfortable and they fit him very well.
What surprised him was that every set of clothes she gave him fit perfectly, as if they were tailored to his measurements.
Shen Tang sat at the edge of the bed. Hearing the water in the bathroom stop, she looked over in that direction.
A few minutes later, the rustle of dressing came from inside, and then Xiao Jin walked out.
The man was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his muscle lines smooth and solid. Even covered by clothes, one could still tell he had the kind of sexy body that made people blush.
His black hair was still a bit damp, slightly longer than in her memory. The wet strands clung to his forehead and partially veiled his brows and eyes, yet they couldnât hide the handsomeness of his features.
Sword-like brows and starry eyes, a high straight nose, sharply defined contours, and lips with elegant lines. The curve of his upper lip tilted up slightly, carrying a hint of unruly charmâsimply a masterpiece of the creator.
Looking at the familiar face before her, Shen Tangâs gaze turned a little dazed.
Xiao Jinâs eyes fell on her face, his brows drawing together slightly.
...It was that look again.
It was as if she were gazing through him, at someone else.
Suppressing that trace of oddness in his heart, Xiao Jin pressed his lips together. His voice was low and hoarse. "I have something to ask you."
Shen Tang snapped back to herself and nodded. "What do you want to ask?"
Xiao Jin looked at her for quite a while before slowly speaking. "This time, what is it for again?"
Shen Tang froze for a moment, as if she didnât understand.
Xiao Jin lowered his dark-gold eyes, staring at the little femaleâs bewildered face as he drawled, "Last time you fell off a cliff and ran into me by accident. This time is also an accident?"
How could there be so many coincidental "accidents" in this world.
In just a few days, she had "run into" him twice across tens of thousands of miles. If she said it was still a coincidence, even an idiot wouldnât believe it.
It wasnât an accident.
Then it could only be premeditated.
For once, Xiao Jinâs head was clear enough to think normally. He had thought about many things regarding the true identity of this little female in front of him.
Her looks, her superpower, all destined that she could not be ordinary.
She clearly knew his name, yet claimed she didnât know himâwhy? This little female he had first taken for a fool was definitely not as simple and harmless as she appeared.
Why was she going to such lengths to get close to him?
A plant sent by his clan?
Impossible. The Hunting Leopard Clan had no need to do that. They had already sealed him in the Abyss and could easily join forces with other factions to hunt him down.
Or sent by some other clan?
But who would bother spending effort on a madman like him?
Or maybe...
A place flashed through Xiao Jinâs mind.
His dark-gold eyes instantly turned deep and dangerous, and the calm aura around him began to churn again.
He walked closer step by step, looking down from above at the little female before him.
He was waiting for her answerâor rather, her explanation?
The tall manâs shadow fell over her, completely enclosing Shen Tang. A strong sense of oppression poured off him, wrapping around her like a tide. Her heart felt gripped tight, and she almost couldnât breathe.
Clearly, the man before her looked exactly the same as in her memory, even his aura had not changed, just with an added layer of manic killing intent. Yet the feeling he gave Shen Tang was completely different.
Other than that period right after she first transmigrated, Shen Tang had never felt this kind of pressure in front of Xiao Jin. She subconsciously went rigid and bit her lip lightly. "I..."
"Look at me."
Xiao Jin pinched her chin, lowered his head to look into her eyes, his Adamâs apple bobbing. "I want the truth."
Shen Tangâs shoulders relaxed slightly, and she admitted, "...This time, I got some information, found out you had gone to City 17, and rushed there on purpose."
As expected, just as heâd thought.
"Why?" Xiao Jin pressed.
"Because I donât want you to get hurt."
Xiao Jinâs heart jolted, but his gaze only grew more ferocious, almost through gritted teeth. "...What a clumsy excuse!"
"Whether you believe it or not, Iâm telling the truth!"
Shen Tang lifted her eyes to meet his directly, her throat working, a sheen of moisture rising in her gaze. "I want to protect you, I want you to be okay. I donât want them to hurt you."
If she wanted to harm him, there was no need for all this.
Staring at the sorrowful yet sincere eyes in front of him, Xiao Jinâs Adamâs apple moved violently. He suddenly reached out to cover her eyes, his voice complex. "...Donât look at me like that."
He couldnât bring himself to do it, and he couldnât resist a gaze like that either.
In his heart, he silently repeated,
This is the first time he has chosen to trust someone, to trust a female. If she dared to deceive him...
He would kill her with his own hands!
After a long while, the hand before her eyes finally moved away. From above came his cool voice,
"Itâs late. Rest."
Shen Tangâs vision returned. When she turned her head, she realized it was already dark outside.
Time to rest.
Shen Tang looked over at the only bed in the room, her cheeks flushing slightly. The room was small, with the living room and bedroom connected, not even a sofa. The only place to rest was this bed.
The bed wasnât exactly small; two people could lie on it.
These past few days while Xiao Jin had been unconscious, Shen Tang had been directly sleeping with him. Anyway, heâd been out cold, no different from a breathing body pillow, so she hadnât felt much psychological pressure.
But now it was different.
There was only one bed.
She couldnât possibly make the patient sleep on the floor.
Shen Tang glanced left and right, just about to make a bed on the floor when
Xiao Jin had already lain down on the bed. Seeing her still standing there, he frowned and asked in confusion, "Are you an ostrich? Planning to sleep standing up?"
"Of course not!"
Xiao Jin looked at the empty space beside him. "Then come sleep?"
His voice suddenly carried a hint of teasing. "Werenât you hugging me to sleep before?"