Chapter 96 — Return

  YiChen was distracted the entire day.

  When his mother reached for the salt, he handed her the sugar instead.

  (Has she already… completely given up on me?)

  His father was speaking, but the words slid past his ears without meaning—until Shixi suddenly shrieked inside the Consciousness Sea, yanking him back to reality.

  “Sorry, Dad—what did you say?”

  His younger brother ChengYu leaned in close, eyes gleaming.

  “Bro, take me with you on the next mission, okay?”

  “Mm.”

  The answer slipped out before YiChen could stop it.

  “That’s a promise!” ChengYu beamed. “You said it!”

  Only then did YiChen realize what he’d agreed to. He hurried to correct himself, but the words tangled, dissolving into a vague compromise instead—promising to take ChengYu to Blackpine Forest someday.

  The joy on his brother’s face struck him like a blade.

  He couldn’t even force a smile.

  That afternoon, a representative from City Hall came by. YiChen declined politely—without hesitation.

  Because his thoughts were occupied by only one person.

  (She understands now, doesn’t she?

  That leaving is the right choice.)

  Being hurt once was enough.

  She shouldn’t be dragged down by him any further.

  By evening, he excused himself early, claiming exhaustion. Sliding into the black sedan, he pressed his fingers to his temples. The reflection in the window showed tightly drawn brows, eyes dulled by restraint.

  “Her home is warm,” he thought.

  “What could someone like me ever give her?”

  Shadowfang finally snapped.

  “Look at you!”

  “You pushed her away with your own hands, and now you’re acting like you’ve lost everything? Playing the tragic martyr—do you really think you’re worthy of her?”

  YiChen’s jaw tightened, pale and rigid.

  Shixi asked softly, almost afraid.

  “Will she… not come back? Then what about purification? YiChen… shouldn’t you go get her?”

  He didn’t answer.

  Streetlights flared past the window, breaking into fragments of light in his eyes.

  If she doesn’t return,

  then it means she finally chose the light.

  And he would never allow her to remain in the dark—for his sake.

  ?

  Elena barely tasted her dinner.

  Under Catherine’s reluctant gaze and Arthur’s gentle insistence, she was finally allowed to leave. Before stepping out, she promised—again and again—that she would return tomorrow. Only then did her mother let her go.

  The driver was sweating visibly. It was already past seven—the hour when malevolent spirits began to stir.

  Inside the car, Elena quietly recited a protective incantation. Rose-gold Spiritflame unfurled like gauze around the vehicle, and only then did the driver’s shoulders ease.

  By the time the sedan stopped at No. 112 Canghui Street, the clock had just struck eight.

  Elena hurried through the courtyard. The moment she pushed open the front door—

  she froze.

  In the dim hall, YiChen sat alone on the sofa, utterly motionless.

  Since returning, he had refused the butler’s assistance, stubbornly remaining there—his gaze fixed on the front door, unmoving. Every breath felt like it was being drawn from an abyss, thinning with each second that passed.

  The instant he saw her, he stood—without realizing he had moved.

  She was framed in the doorway, light and shadow trembling beneath her lashes.

  YiChen’s heart clenched violently.

  Elena hesitated for no more than a heartbeat—then rushed forward.

  He didn’t even have time to react before she wrapped her arms around him.

  Arthur’s words echoed in her mind:

  Treat him like a wounded wild beast.

  That child’s heart must be suffering deeply.

  She had never understood it so clearly as she did now.

  When her soft body pressed against his chest, YiChen froze completely. Heat rushed to the tips of his ears, flushing them red in an instant.

  Inside the Consciousness Sea, Shadowfang roared:

  “Hold her! Are you even a man?!”

  Shixi spun in delighted circles.

  “I knew it! I knew she’d come back!”

  If he held her—

  he knew he would never be able to let go.

  So he stood rigid as stone, not daring to move even his fingertips.

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  Only after a moment did Elena realize what she’d done. She loosened her arms quickly.

  The sudden emptiness that followed struck YiChen’s chest like a hollow blow.

  “I’m sorry…” she said softly.

  “Mom insisted I stay for dinner. Did you… wait long?”

  “No.”

  He turned his face aside, voice dry.

  Even in the dim light, it was unmistakable—his ears were still red.

  And earlier…

  he hadn’t pushed her away.

  Dad was right.

  Elena took a breath, gathered her courage, and stepped forward again. She reached out and took his hand.

  “Come on,” she said gently.

  “It’s time for purification.”

  YiChen let that small, warm hand lead him onward.

  And in his chest, something tight and aching finally loosened—

  sweet and painful all at once.

  ————

  Back in the room, the two of them sat facing each other.

  The space was unnaturally quiet—

  only the soft rustle of wind moving through the leaves outside the window, sometimes near, sometimes distant.

  YiChen kept his eyes lowered, his gaze subtly evasive, never daring to meet hers.

  A faint, aching tightness spread through Elena’s chest.

  In this moment, she wanted badly to reach out—to pull him into her arms, to give him warmth and steadiness, to whisper by his ear: Don’t be afraid. I’ll stay. I truly like you.

  But she was afraid that approaching too suddenly would startle this wounded, wary beast.

  Her father’s words echoed in her mind: Take it slow.

  She had to be patient.

  Elena lifted her hand gently, her fingertips resting lightly against his chest.

  “Then… I’ll begin.”

  YiChen gave an almost imperceptible nod.

  The instant her fingers touched him, a subtle tremor passed through his body—so slight it was nearly unnoticeable, yet impossible to deny.

  Spiritflame flowed from her fingertips, warm and mild like spring sunlight.

  The blush-pink glow was no longer sharp or intense; instead, it had softened into something clear and steady. Flecks of gold drifted within it, like dew trembling in early morning light.

  The gentle flame seeped soundlessly into his Spirit Meridians, dissolving and smoothing away the stubborn black thorns bit by bit.

  Within the Consciousness Sea, Shixi sighed in contentment.

  “Mmm… this is it. This feeling… the Spiritflame smells nice.”

  Even Shadowfang offered rare approval.

  “This girl has more sense than you do.”

  A soft, yielding sensation spread through YiChen’s body like a warm tide, layer upon layer. Every pathway within him felt as though it were being carefully brushed and restored, patient and precise.

  The sheer gentleness unsettled him more than pain ever could.

  He kept his eyes tightly shut—

  afraid that if he opened them, the fragile restraint he was holding onto would collapse.

  Within the Consciousness Sea, Shixi drifted lazily, basking in the warmth. Shadowfang, too, fell uncharacteristically silent.

  YiChen suddenly bit down on his tongue.

  The sharp taste of iron pulled his thoughts back into focus.

  Pain grounded him.

  At the instant the final black thorn turned to ash, YiChen let out a low, muffled breath. Heat rushed to the tips of his ears, and he clenched his teeth, still refusing to open his eyes.

  “All done. Get some good rest,” Elena said softly, her voice light as the breeze.

  A faint trace of orange-blossom scent passed by as the door closed gently behind her.

  When YiChen finally opened his eyes, only the lingering warmth of Spiritflame remained—

  like the quiet emptiness left behind after someone important has gone.

  “This purification even nourished your divine meridians,” Shixi murmured lazily.

  “Wouldn’t it be nice if Elena purified you a few more times every day?”

  Even Shadowfang added, uncharacteristically mild:

  “Listen to the little fox. This sovereign found it quite comfortable.”

  YiChen gave a small, bitter smile as he looked toward the moonlight beyond the window.

  A dull ache spread through his chest.

  “With things like this…”

  he murmured quietly,

  “…how am I supposed to let go?”

  —————

  The next morning, sunlight had only just climbed the window lattice when Elena knocked gently on the door.

  “Come in.”

  “Do you need purification?”

  Her voice was clear and fresh, like dew at dawn.

  “No need.”

  The moment the words left YiChen’s mouth, the Consciousness Sea erupted.

  Shadowfang’s furious dragon roar tore through his Spirit Meridians.

  “You wretched fool! You dare refuse?!”

  Dark-gold scales flared, divine pressure surging violently. Shixi shrank into a small silver-white sphere, all nine tails wrapped tightly around himself.

  “I’m going home today,” Elena continued. Her fingers twisted unconsciously at the hem of her clothes.

  “I promised my parents. But I’ll come back as early as I can—no need to wait for me for dinner.”

  YiChen nodded. His Adam’s apple rolled once.

  She smiled at him—gentle, bright, just like always.

  “Then I’ll head out first. See you tonight.”

  The door closed softly.

  The click was barely audible.

  The room, however, fell into a frightening stillness.

  YiChen stood there, unmoving.

  She hadn’t changed at all—

  yet everything felt different.

  That careful distance—neither close nor far—left a hollow ache in his chest.

  Her smile was still warm,

  but it felt as though it reached him through a thin veil of mist.

  Only one step away—

  yet distant enough to occupy his thoughts for the rest of the day.

  Had she… begun to need him less?

  ?

  YiChen returned to his parents’ home, restless throughout the entire day—though marginally calmer than before. Zhang Han assumed it was post-mission fatigue and brewed him a cup of calming tea, placing it quietly beside him.

  At the afternoon municipal meeting, reports of animal attacks stacked up like a small mountain.

  YiChen flipped through images of mutated cats and dogs.

  Vivi surfaced in his thoughts without warning.

  She was intelligent—too intelligent to simply disappear.

  In the chaos, someone must have taken her.

  In his previous life, she had already mutated by this point.

  If she were still alive now, she would return.

  The newly formed Animal Safety Bureau outlined response measures. YiChen tapped the table, his voice heavy.

  “We need to be especially vigilant about rodent swarms.”

  Images followed—things worse than Fiends.

  “They can gnaw through wooden boards. They deliberately target the elderly, the weak, and children. I’ve seen individuals the size of hunting dogs.”

  Without sufficient outbreak data, precise early warnings were impossible.

  After the meeting, he stayed behind to discuss energy-tower defense designs with engineering. By the time he returned home, dusk had already settled.

  Unexpectedly—

  Elena was back even earlier today.

  The door had barely opened when she ran toward him, light and quick as a young deer.

  “YiChen, you’re back!”

  Her sun-bright smile filled the entryway.

  Without yesterday’s embrace, a strange tightness seized his chest.

  Inside the Consciousness Sea, Shadowfang roared in fury.

  “You blockhead! Can’t you take the initiative and hug her?!”

  Shixi spun anxiously.

  “Just hug her~ just once~”

  YiChen’s fingers trembled—

  then fell stiffly at his side.

  “…Mm,” he asked softly, voice tight.

  “How was your day?”

  Elena nodded, eyes curving happily.

  “Really good. How about you?”

  YiChen lowered his gaze.

  “It was fine.”

  She reached out naturally and took his hand.

  The warmth sent a sharp tremor straight through his heart.

  “Come on,” she said gently.

  “Purification first.”

  YiChen curled his fingers around hers, reluctant to release that warmth.

  Rose-gold Spiritflame bloomed once more—full, steady, soothing—flowing through his Spirit Meridians like spring sunlight.

  Shixi sighed in bliss.

  “Even the divine meridians are trembling… it’s so comfortable… I’m melting…”

  Shadowfang bared his teeth.

  “Refuse again tomorrow morning and this sovereign will bite through your meridians.”

  YiChen kept his eyes tightly shut until it ended.

  “All done. See you at dinner~” Elena said lightly.

  The door closed with a soft sound.

  YiChen sat alone at the edge of the bed, steadying his breath as an inexplicable emptiness spread through his chest.

  At dinner, Elena deliberately told amusing stories about her younger brother.

  “That kid tried copying you,” she laughed, mimicking exaggerated gestures.

  “Used Spirit Force to show off—ended up scorching a chunk of his classmate’s hair!”

  She even traced the shape of the burnt ends.

  “The principal lectured him all afternoon.”

  Under the candlelight, bitterness rose in YiChen’s throat.

  She smiled like spring itself—

  and he suddenly remembered her trembling lashes from the night before.

  So it turned out that without him,

  she could still be happy.

  Then what, exactly, was he to her?

  After saying good night, Elena returned to her room.

  YiChen watched her retreat until the Consciousness Sea fell completely silent.

  At last, he spoke—so softly it barely existed.

  “If… one day you truly stop coming back,

  I won’t blame you.”