Chapter 717

Valentina did not refuse; she took the vial and carefully applied the ointment to the cut on her arm, the cool sensation immediately easing the burning pain.

Then she looked at Li Chen’s arm, hesitated a moment, and softly said, “Let me help you apply the medicine.”

Li Chen did not refuse, watching as she drew near, her slender fingers trembling slightly as she gently cleaned his wound and dusted it with powder.

They were so close their breaths mingled; the cave was filled with an intimate, subtle atmosphere.

Valentina could smell his unique masculine scent—mingled with herbs and a trace of danger—and her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.

Li Chen, meanwhile, focused intently on her face, so near, marked by concern and seriousness, and her slightly parted red lips, tense with nervousness.

“This time, I owe it to you,” Valentina whispered, her tone no longer sharp as before, but softened.

Li Chen’s voice was low, his gaze fixed on her with intensity: “It was nothing. Besides, when a lady is in peril, how could I stand idly by?”

His words brushed against her heart like a feather.

She lifted her head, meeting his deep eyes, and within them, she seemed to see worry, care, and an emotion that unsettled her.

A lone man and a lone woman, sheltered together after danger, filtered through the trope of a hero saving a beauty, and Li Chen’s deliberate cultivation of this ambiguous atmosphere—all caused Valentina’s fondness for this mysterious sorcerer to surge uncontrollably in this moment.

She did not even notice that the seemingly severe poison wound on Li Chen’s arm was healing at a visible pace now that the black miasma had been expelled.

In truth, it was hard for Li Chen to be wounded—these low-tier beast attacks could not pierce his defenses; the earlier danger and injuries were merely a carefully staged performance to draw closer to Valentina.

Valentina’s cultivation was too shallow to see through this mysterious sorcerer’s true depth; she assumed he had exhausted himself to protect her.

The atmosphere inside the cave was delicate; Li Chen broke the silence at the right moment. He moved his arm slightly, smiling as if carefree, his tone laced with teasing:

“I came in haste; I barely used a tenth of my strength against those beasts. I’m afraid I’ve embarrassed myself before you, Lady.”

He looked at Valentina, his gaze gentle.

“Lady, you ventured deep into danger—surely you seek something? If you do not mind, I, Li Chen, would be honored to escort you safely and help you achieve your goal.”

Seeing his face still appeared “pale” and hearing his “reckless” words, Valentina’s tenderness, gratitude, and guilt deepened; she hurriedly urged:

“Your wounds are not yet healed—you must rest properly. It’s my fault that you’ve been dragged into this. Why don’t I return first to find help and come back?”

Her tone carried self-reproach; she felt herself a burden to him.

Li Chen would not give her this chance. He rose, his posture casual yet undeniably firm: “Minor injuries, nothing to worry about. Since you’re eager to proceed, let’s go now.”

True to form, after leaving the cave, Li Chen “coincidentally” encountered several waves of “powerful” beast attacks.

Each time, Li Chen “perfectly” displayed astonishing strength, appearing perilous yet effortlessly dispatching the beasts.

Throughout, he repeatedly “saved the damsel”—either wrapping his arm around Valentina’s slender waist to swiftly dodge sudden spikes and venomous vines;

or, at the instant a beast lunged, shielding her behind his broad back, his frame blocking every possible threat.

That powerful arm, that steady heartbeat, and his scent—herbs mingled with danger—constantly assaulted Valentina’s senses.

At first, Valentina stiffened and blushed at such intimate contact.