Chapter 100. Taking Xiao Yu Back
Yasuo stood in the sunlight, the collar of his combat uniform slightly open to reveal the sharp lines of his collarbones. His face, which naturally carried a hint of a smile, was currently as red as if someone had intentionally applied layers of blush, with the crimson hue spreading all the way to the tips of his ears.
When he saw her look back, his eyes flickered with avoidance, and he instinctively lowered his head.
“Yasuo?”
Su Tang blinked in surprise, cradling the little black cat, Xiao Yu, who was currently as soft as a puddle of water in her arms.
“So you’re here…”
“I… I just finished handling things with the flight crew and was about to head back. I guess he sensed your aura; Xiao Yu suddenly ran over here.”
His voice was laced with an unnatural raspiness. His gaze fell upon Xiao Yu in her arms, watching her fair fingers as they continued to knead the black cat’s neck. He only felt his own nape tingle with an unbearable itch.
“Um… could you move your hand away from him for a moment?”
Yasuo coughed lightly, his eyes fixed on Su Tang’s hand as it stroked Xiao Yu. Su Tang only then realized belatedly that Sentinels and their spiritual entities shared synesthesia. The way she had been kneading Xiao Yu just now had likely been transmitted directly to Yasuo through that sensory connection.
No wonder his face was this red and he looked so ill at ease.
“Oh…”
Su Tang’s cheeks also began to heat up. She quickly lifted Xiao Yu higher. The softness that had been soothing his body suddenly vanished, making Xiao Yu tilt his head up in dissatisfaction to find Su Tang’s hand, rubbing against it with extreme obedience.
Su Tang couldn’t help but curl her fingers and lightly tap the forehead that Xiao Yu kept pressing forward. When she heard a muffled groan from behind her, her movements froze completely. She flipped her hand over, using her palm to block the black cat’s nuzzling head, and looked at Yasuo with a forced smile.
“Sorry, I was just so focused on playing with Xiao Yu that I didn’t notice…”
The little Guide apologized in such a sweet and soft manner that Yasuo’s face turned even redder. He couldn’t help but scratch his head.
“It’s fine. He likes you. Being touched and played with by you is his good fortune.”
A spiritual entity soothed by a Guide would have more stable emotions than an average one. Moreover… he didn’t hate this sensation of synesthesia. In fact, he even… liked it a little.
With that thought in mind, Yasuo couldn’t help but peek at Su Tang. The tips of his ears were red enough to drip blood, and even his standing posture became somewhat stiff.
Su Tang walked forward two steps, narrowing the distance between her and Yasuo, and looked at him earnestly.
“An Se told me before that we were able to get out of the Abyss smoothly thanks to you. He said you got into a very ugly confrontation with the flight crew to get the aircraft launched and were even punished by the White Tower. Yasuo, truly, thank you.”
Compared to the cold, heartless White Tower, Yasuo’s sincerity made her feel warm. Indeed, her initial choice had been correct; choosing to save Yasuo was the best decision she had made recently.
“I don’t know how to thank you. In the future, if you need help with anything, just say it. I will do my best to help you with whatever I can.”
A warmth flickered in Yasuo’s eyes, and a slow, gentle smile spread across his face.
“What’s there to thank? You saved me before, didn’t you? It’s enough that you all came back safely. Nothing else matters.”
He paused, looking at her slightly pale complexion, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Speaking of which, when we went to get you, An Se said your spiritual power was heavily depleted. It’s only been a few days; why have you left the Medical Department? Do you feel unwell anywhere? Do you want me to take you back for An Se to check you again?”
“No need, no need. I’m fine.”
Su Tang shook her head with a smile.
“My depletion has mostly been restored. I just feel a bit tired now. I’ll be fine after I go back and rest. But what about you? The White Tower didn’t make things difficult for you, did they? I heard they locked you in the interrogation room.”
Yasuo nodded.
“They thought my spiritual power had completely collapsed, so they took me directly to the interrogation room. I wore a collar for a few days.”
The “collar” Yasuo spoke of was something specifically used to deal with Sentinels. The high-intensity current inside was enough to cause even a physically powerful Sentinel to go into full shock.
The weapons the White Tower developed to suppress Sentinels were certainly varied. They wanted to use the Sentinels’ power but feared that same power would turn back and consume them. Truly, a bunch of hypocrites.
Su Tang couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.
“You weren’t injured, were you?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not that easy to hurt.”
Was she worrying about him?
Yasuo grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. The flush on his face hadn’t faded, making his expression look somewhat adorable and earnest.
“An Se came quickly, so I didn’t suffer much. But you… don’t be so reckless in the future. The pollution in the Abyss is not to be underestimated. I know you’re powerful, but as a Guide, the first thing you should learn is to protect yourself. Everything else comes second.”
“As for purifying Sentinels, that’s work for after the battle. During combat, protecting yourself is the top priority.”
Su Tang knew Yasuo was right, but at the mention of the word “purification,” scenes from the medical room uncontrollably flashed through her mind. Her cheeks grew hotter. Fearing Yasuo would notice something was wrong, she quickly lowered her head and rubbed Xiao Yu’s ears.
“Alright, you’re right. I’ll remember to protect myself first next time. Thank you for the reminder.”
Yasuo also saw that she didn’t want to talk much more. A tingling, itchy sensation came from the tips of his ears where she was rubbing. Following Su Tang’s gaze, Yasuo also looked at the little black cat stretching comfortably in the woman’s arms. The sunlight seemed to melt into his eyes, overflowing with gentle fragments of light.
“If you like him, take him back to rest with you. After spending that time with you, he’s been absent-minded since he came back to me these past few days. I suppose he misses you.”
Su Tang also missed the little guy. Habits were truly the most troublesome thing; she had only spent a few days with this creature, yet she had already grown accustomed to its presence in her environment. These past few days in the Medical Department, she had often instinctively reached out to grab something to hold in her arms.
“Is that okay?”
“There’s nothing ‘not okay’ about it.”
“I mean on your end… your synesthesia with him seems to have grown much stronger. Is it really okay to take him back now?”
Su Tang asked quite euphemistically. Once she took Xiao Yu back, she might not just stop at simple rubbing and hugging; she might do even more intimate things. With this synesthesia, could he really accept it?
To put it another way—could he actually endure it?
Su Tang’s gaze uncontrollably drifted toward Yasuo’s lower abdomen. Once she realized what she was doing, she immediately looked away.
She really must be “hungry.” Stimulated by those events with Zhan Ye earlier, why couldn’t she stop glancing at people’s… “that area”?
She was guilty. She repented.
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