Chapter 63: Can Eyes Be Contagious?

The brief silence brought by Zhou Zhe's hasty exit was quickly drowned out by more melodious music and deliberately hushed conversations, but the atmosphere within the salon had already shifted subtly. The gazes that had once been curious, scrutinizing, or tinged with superiority now all retreated, replaced by a complex mix of awe, wariness, and inquiry.

Yet Qin Feng and Xia Yunge, at the center of attention, seemed unaffected by any of it.

Xia Yunge linked arms with Qin Feng, her fingers pressing slightly, as if drawing strength and calm from the contact. She looked up at his cold, angular profile, her heart still racing—not from fear, but from an indescribable thrill and the satisfying sense of being protected.

"Just now… thank you," she whispered, her voice tinged with dependence.

Qin Feng glanced at her, his gaze calm and unruffled: "It was nothing." To him, someone like Zhou Zhe wasn't even worth calling a nuisance—merely an unpleasant little detour.

The more indifferent his reaction, the more deeply Xia Yunge felt the strength and confidence rooted in his very bones. She said no more, burying the fluttering emotion deep within her heart, continuing to guide him through the remaining exhibits. But this time, her state of mind was utterly different—no trace of unease remained, only complete relaxation… and a faint, almost imperceptible pride.

The salon's host, a venerable old collector, now approached. He made no mention of the earlier conflict, instead greeting Qin Feng warmly, his words brimming with courtesy and respect—clearly aware of some of Qin Feng's affairs, or at least sensing the undeniable aura he carried.

Qin Feng responded with poise, speaking little, yet each word struck precisely at the right point, causing the old collector's eyes to gleam with renewed admiration and making him even more cautious not to offend.

After lingering a while longer, sampling some tea and pastries, Qin Feng signaled it was time to leave. Xia Yunge had no objection whatsoever.

Once seated inside the understated yet luxurious vehicle, shielded from outside gazes, Xia Yunge finally relaxed completely, exhaling softly.

"That Zhou Zhe… I always thought he was just annoying. I never imagined he'd act like that." She felt a pang of regret, blaming herself for dragging Qin Feng into such a nuisance.

"Someone unimportant. Don't give him a second thought." Qin Feng watched the neon lights blur past the window, his tone detached. His world was far vaster; people like Zhou Zhe didn't even merit an emotional response.

The car glided smoothly along the road back to the estate. Xia Yunge stole glances at Qin Feng; the dim interior light traced his perfect contours, and his deep eyes, framed by the night, appeared even more mysterious and inscrutable.

She suddenly recalled how, in the salon, people had all averted their eyes after meeting Qin Feng's gaze. And Zhou Zhe—how his face had instantly paled and his body frozen rigid after one cold look from Qin Feng.

A bizarre yet startlingly clear thought flashed into her mind: Could it be… that his gaze was contagious? Contagious with absolute calm—or perhaps, absolute pressure?

The idea made her chuckle inwardly, yet she couldn't help pondering it further. The longer she stayed with him, the more she sensed his extraordinary nature—not merely wealth or power, but something fundamentally different on a level of existence itself.

"What are you looking at?" Qin Feng suddenly spoke, without turning.

Startled like a child caught misbehaving, Xia Yunge's face warmed; she quickly looked away, stammering: "N-nothing."

She paused, then couldn't resist voicing her curiosity: "I just feel… like many people are afraid to look into your eyes."

Qin Feng's lips seemed to twitch almost imperceptibly. He turned his head, his gaze settling on her face—curious, yet tinged with a hint of timidity.

"Not afraid," he said, his voice clear in the enclosed cabin. "Unable to bear it."

"Mm." Qin Feng did not elaborate, only said softly, "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back. The weak instinctively avoid what might consume them."

"Mm." Qin Feng offered no further explanation, merely murmuring, "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back. The weak instinctively avoid what might consume them."

His words carried a philosophical depth she barely grasped, yet she understood one thing: his gaze was never deliberately cruel—it was a natural manifestation of his inner essence, a pressure born of absolute power and will, like a towering mountain that made the feeble-hearted tremble.

Yet she—perhaps due to pure admiration and trust, or perhaps for some other reason—could meet his gaze without fear, even sink into it.

Was this… a special kind of recognition?

Thinking of this, a sweet warmth bloomed in Xia Yunge's chest. Emboldened, she asked softly: "Then… can I bear it?"

Qin Feng looked into her bright, expectant, slightly anxious eyes—eyes reflecting the shifting lights outside, pure and untainted. He fell silent for a moment, then reached out and gently brushed aside a strand of hair from her forehead.

The gesture wasn't intimate—but carried an unprecedented… gentleness.

"What do you think?" he asked in return, a faint ripple seeming to stir in his deep eyes.

Xia Yunge's heart leapt; her cheeks flushed, yet she didn't look away. Instead, she met his gaze with a bright, serene smile.

Perhaps she could not fully understand the "abyss" he inhabited, but at least, she had the right to gaze into those eyes.

Perhaps she could never fully comprehend the "abyss" he inhabited—but at least, she possessed the right to gaze into those eyes.

The car entered the estate; the buildings under the night sky lay like slumbering beasts. But to Xia Yunge, this place was no longer a fearsome forbidden land—it was a home filled with safety and belonging.

The car entered the estate; the buildings under the night sky loomed like slumbering beasts. But to Xia Yunge, this place was no longer a place of awe and dread—it was a sanctuary, a home.

A home—with him in it.

【37】 And those eyes, once terrifying to outsiders, now seemed to her the most comforting stars in the night.