Chapter 347: Attachment

Chapter 347: Yearning

Qi Yi paused slightly, momentarily frozen, unsure how to react.

He stood dumbly at the edge of the cliff, allowing the guide to step forward and stand beside him.

The guide’s plain White Tower robe, sleeves hanging loose, brushed Qi Yi’s arm; a slight reach would let him grab it.

Lu Liu leaned over to peer into the chasm below. It was a gaping rift splitting the Spirit Sea, its cliffs sheer and steep, the abyss beneath seemingly capable of swallowing everything. The only color visible was a suffocating pitch-black.

A system wouldn’t fear heights, but after becoming human, Lu Liu discovered that standing at the cliff's edge sent his pulse racing.

Lu Liu complained, "This is way too high."

Qi Yi was slightly taller than Lu Liu. Looking down, he saw the guide's silky white hair, faintly tousled.

At that moment, the guide pressed his lips together, his nose and brow furrowing as if afraid of falling.

Qi Yi's lips twitched as he thought, *Typical delicate guide.*

He was about to tell the guide to back off and step back when Lu Liu suddenly looked up, his blue eyes locked onto him, and asked earnestly, "Can I hold onto your sleeve?"

Qi Yi's fingers twitched, but he didn't answer.

Systems had no human pretenses—no thoughts like *maintaining a proud demeanor in front of a sentinel who rejected me.* If he felt afraid, he would grab onto something.

Lu Liu persisted, "Is it okay?"

As he asked, he tilted his face up, his blue eyes stealing glances at Qi Yi.

"......"

Qi Yi replied stiffly, "Suit yourself."

So, the guide's hand naturally reached out and grabbed a fistful of his sleeve.

"It's too high. I really am a little scared," Lu Liu said.

He spoke casually, as if making small talk—pointless drivel, reminding Qi Yi of those sentinels who sucked up to elite guides with similarly empty chatter.

But those sentinels sought mental relief from guides. What did *he* have that Lu Liu could possibly want?

Qi Yi felt frustrated beyond words, though he didn't know why. He wanted to pull his sleeve free, but when it came to actually doing so, he hesitated inexplicably. In the end, he only managed to coldly snap, "If you're scared, step back."

Just step back. Why bother sticking around?

Lu Liu: "I *am* scared, so of course I could step back. But—"

Lu Liu pointed at the phantom tumbling into the void. "He's scared too."

This cliff had no bottom. Qi Yi would never land—only keep falling, or die.

Lu Liu: "And he's reaching upward. He's begging for help."

Qi Yi lowered his gaze, his expression calm, but Lu Liu could clearly sense the subtle shake of the hand hidden in his sleeve.

Lu Liu continued, "Qi Yi, I get why you’re wary."

"I'm a guide. You're afraid I'll be like Bai Wen, slipping commands into your head, controlling your thoughts, and rob you of yourself—a fate worse than death."

"But Qi Yi, I won't do that—not just to you, but to any Sentinel. I would never impose a mental compulsion against their will."

The system lacked human communication skills, speaking purely on instinct, yet with a sincerity few could match.

Qi Yi lowered his lashes, no longer daring to meet the Guide's eyes.

Lu Liu: "I know words alone ring hollow. Do you remember the first Dark Sentinel?"

"He captured over a dozen Guides, forcing each to assess whether his Spirit Sea bore any mental suggestion. They had to write down their answers separately, and those whose answers differed from the majority were executed."

Lu Liu looked at him earnestly: "You have more than ten Guides on your ship. Let me conduct a mental cleansing for you, then you can ask them. If over half claim I've planted a suggestion in you, you can have me executed... Mmm!"

Before he could finish, the Sentinel grabbed his face, trembling thumbs and middle fingers pressing into the soft flesh of his cheeks, silencing all further words.

Lu Liu blinked once, then again.

Then, still in that position, he suddenly curved his eyes, his brows tinged with faint amusement, and mumbled, muffled by the grip, "So... does this mean you agree?"

Qi Yi froze for a moment, snatching his hand back as if burned. His Spirit Sea rippled silently. Before he could even ask what he'd agreed to, countless soft threads suddenly materialized in the abyss, intertwining and weaving into a vast, gossamer net. It caught the falling shadow, lifting it slowly upward.

The shadow rose higher and grew fainter. By the time it reached the cliff's edge, planted firmly on the ledge with a dazed expression, it had nearly vanished.

It merged with Qi Yi on the cliff.

Then, beside Lu Liu, Qi Yi lurched forward before collapsing against the Guide.

Lu Liu held him, patting the Sentinel's back, damp with sweat, and pressing his forehead to his.

He cooed softly, "It's alright now."

In that instant, a silent transformation unfolded deep within the Spirit Sea. The thick darkness dissolved, and the ceaselessly raging winds stilled. The Sentinel's lashes fluttered faintly. Clinging to the embrace before him, he wordlessly tightened his hold, then rested his chin on the Guide's shoulder, sinking into a deep slumber amid the warm comfort.

With the soothing complete, Lu Liu withdrew from Qi Yi's Spirit Sea.

He opened his eyes to the steel walls of the confinement chamber and the Sentinel's strikingly handsome face. They were huddled in a corner, still locked in an embrace.

Lu Liu released the unconscious Qi Yi and snuck a peek at his cheeks, thinking, "This face should be illegal."

Qi Yi had the kind of striking, sculpted features that only grew more mesmerizing the closer one got. With their noses nearly touching, the impact when he opened his eyes felt almost like cheating.

After carefully arranging the "sleeping prince" against the wall, Lu Liu thought cheerfully, "This is how it should be! No way would I let scum mistreat a beauty like this!"

He'd been through ten hosts, and not a single one would tolerate such a beauty being mistreated by scum.

This was tradition between him and his hosts!

Satisfied, Lu Liu moved to stand, but a sudden, white-hot pain shot through his head. His body went limp, arms and legs weakening uncontrollably. He stumbled, nearly collapsing, and only managed to steady himself by bracing against the wall.

"..."

"What's wrong with me?" Lu Liu wondered. "I feel awful."

His mind foggy, his steps unsteady, he teetered as if walking on cotton. A loud crash echoed faintly in his ears—someone had kicked the door open.

Ji Xiuyun's panicked expression came into focus amid the commotion.

"Move! Get a doctor!"

"Two stretchers—bring two stretchers now!"

"Is the emergency room ready?! Two! Both of them need emergency treatment!"

The voices sounded distant and ethereal, as if muffled by a layer of frosted glass. Lu Liu felt dizzy and disoriented, thinking blankly, "What happened?"

He had never been sick before. Though there were records in the database, he couldn't comprehend the sensation of illness. Everything went black before he collapsed.

*

Two days later, Qi Yi's condition stabilized.

The dull ache in his Spirit Sea had vanished, and his body felt lighter than ever before. Half of the chronic ailments left by the White Tower had been cured. Apart from the intermittent connection with his Spirit, Qi Yi could now freely enter and exit his Spirit Sea.

Before fully waking, he let his consciousness drift into the shallower layers of his Spirit Sea—only to stop short in surprise.

When had his Spirit Sea turned into... this?

A bright lamp illuminated the center of the pitch-black space. Beneath his feet was a soft carpet, and beside him stood an enormous sofa adorned with cushions. On the mirrored coffee table in front of him lay assorted snacks and drinks, all arranged in a warm, inviting color scheme.

Meanwhile, his Spirit, the cheetah, sprawled lazily on an oversized cat tree, idly flicking its tail.

Spotting its master, the cheetah bounded down with a thump and affectionately rubbed against Qi Yi's leg.

Qi Yi glanced at the cheetah's substantial size, then at the cat tree, his lips twitching.

This climbing structure was a custom-made replica by Lu Liu—specifically chosen by President Liang. Wound with sisal rope, it was designed for big cats to sharpen their claws.

Qi Yi reached out, tracing the edge of the rope, then looked at the cheetah with sudden understanding. "He made this for you?"

He didn't mention a name, but both he and the cheetah knew exactly who he meant.

The cheetah bobbed its head eagerly.

At that, the Sentinel's stern expression curved upward by a single pixel.

"Alright, no wonder you like him so much," Qi Yi murmured. "Now I get it."

He and his Spirit were one. No matter how much he tried to hide it or deny it, what his Spirit liked, Qi Yi would inevitably like too. Whoever his Spirit favored, Qi Yi would also favor.

A sudden ache swelled in his chest, filling it with an indescribable emotion—electric and burning, something he had never experienced in his over twenty years as a Sentinel.

The cheetah flicked its tail, giving its master a disdainful look. Its golden-brown eyes seemed to say, "Finally, you figured it out." Then, with feline grace, it sauntered over to the sofa and tapped a paw against the cushion.

Qi Yi: "What do you want to show me?"

He sat down beside the sofa.

The cheetah then pushed a cola and popcorn toward him, its gaze seemed to say, "Try it? It's amazing—I saved some just for you!"

In the Spirit Sea, there was no such thing as expiration dates. Conjured food stayed fresh—the cola was still perfectly chilled, and the sugar glaze on the popcorn remained glistening and fresh. Qi Yi picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth.

An overwhelmingly sweet flavor exploded on his tongue. Qi Yi thought, "His taste is as bizarre as ever."

Though he grumbled to himself, the cheetah clearly saw the corner of Qi Yi's lips twitch up another fraction.

After spending two fully aware hours in his Spirit Sea, Qi Yi's body finally relaxed completely.

He opened his eyes, raising a hand to shield against the blinding sunlight. Medical staff crowded around him—some drawing blood, others checking his vitals, attaching electrodes to his muscles to display complex readouts on the monitors.

A moment later, the rhino doctor let out a long breath of relief.

"Your condition has stabilized, boss," the doctor said. "Man, you should've seen how scary you were that day. We were all afraid to approach."

Qi Yi hummed in acknowledgment. He changed the subject, casually chatting with the doctor about trivial matters before letting his gaze settle on the fruit tray by the bedside. Casually, he asked, "Where is Lu Liu?"

As he spoke, his fingers curled slightly, unconsciously recalling the sensation of that embrace.

The Sentinel wondered if he had touch starvation.

Many Sentinels developed dependency on their Guides after mental alignment. Qi Yi had never been close to anyone in the first half of his life, but now, he was completely hung up on that embrace—and the warmth of the Guide’s fingertips.

"..."

The doctor hesitated.

After a long pause, he finally averted his eyes under Qi Yi’s gradually intensifying gaze and spoke. "...Mr. Lu Liu has a fever. He’s still out cold."