Chapter 882: I Who Exist for You 18

But he just won't speak, and he won't do anything likable.

So even if he has the intention, he simply cannot do it.

But… the time they can spend together seems to be running out.

The old monk's words still somewhat affect Yishen; even if he doesn't want to believe them, he still ends up thinking about the worst outcome.

"What's going on with this?"

His furrowed brow was gently stroked by warm fingers; Yishen glanced at him, somewhat puzzled, "Huh?"

His soft, questioning tone was rather cute.

"My dear Shenshen, when you're talking to me, are you actually still zoning out?"

His tone was displeased, and the question was serious.

Yishen pressed his lips together, really not knowing how to bring this up; if he directly told Jin Chen, perhaps Jin Chen would disappear in three months, which would be too cruel.

He had just wanted to shake his head in denial, but Jin Chen cupped his face with both hands, fixing it in place, forcing him to lift his chin, his gaze flickering as he tried to avoid it.

"Yishen, you're hiding something from me."

His tone grew more aggrieved, as if he had done something wrong toward him.

Jin Chen looked fierce but his aura was low, amber eyes holding dissatisfaction: "What exactly is going on? You've been awkward since yesterday up to today; if it were something else, it would be fine."

"But this matter clearly concerns me, and you still won't tell me."

Yishen lowered his brows and eyes, having been scolded, feeling somewhat at a loss.

"No…"

He softly denied it, not wanting to argue with Jin Chen, nor wanting Jin Chen to think he was deliberately hiding something.

But the more nervous he became, the less he knew how to speak or explain.

"Really not?" Jin Chen sighed softly.

Yishen turned his head away, jaw clenched, his tone also tense: "Just no."

At that moment, his face was expressionless, the hand hanging on the chair turned white from excessive force, his eyes downcast, not letting Jin Chen see his inner panic.

The study fell silent for a few seconds.

Jin Chen thought, "This wife's state is not right."

Not only is there a problem, the problem is serious.

This approach won't work; try another way.

Jin Chen released the hand holding his face, rose from the chair, and let out a low, slightly annoyed oh.

"Then I won't ask, Shenshen—don't stay up too late writing, go to sleep early."

Having said that, he didn't intend to stay longer, turned and left, still trying to cover up with an explanation.

"I'll go to sleep very early tonight, so I won't wait for you."

Yishen's brows and eyes twitched slightly; he lifted his head to call out to Jin Chen, but all that answered him was the sound of the study door shutting tightly.

The hand gripping the chair tensed further; Yishen clearly felt a tightness in his chest, his throat as if being tightly choked by something.

He felt miserable, anxious, uneasy, his whole body tense.

Sure enough, it's the same again.

He seemed unable to handle any interpersonal relationships well.

Even Jin Chen, whom he himself created, would be provoked into anger.

After a long while, Yishen closed his eyes, his lashes drooping, his indifferent eyes filling with pain.

There's no time left.

Why, at this critical moment, do we keep ending up in a stalemate with Jin Chen?

Yishen looked at the old draft file in the notebook, which was the true first edition in the full sense.

It was not a spontaneous product from the diary, nor a refined publication after editing.

It was the first edition of the adventure world he had poured all his passion and imagination into.

Yishen opened the file, starting from chapter one where Jin Chen appears, reading from beginning to end, not as the creator but as a spectator.

He sat in the study for a long time, experiencing all the adventures, joys, and hardships bestowed upon Jin Chen.

Without realizing it, a glance showed three hours had passed.

Only upon seeing Jin Chen's final ending did Yishen suddenly realize.

He seemed never to have asked Jin Chen what time or plot he came from.

If he were still inside Luofu City, having not yet experienced the adventures beyond the city, then wanting him to stay—in a sense—would that be depriving him of his life?

Yishen opened his mouth, held the already cold tea cup, went out, and upon entering the bedroom, discovered that Jin Chen was already asleep.

Thus the words he wanted to say were swallowed again.

Yishen didn't know whether, upon waking tomorrow morning, he would end up asking that question out loud.

He stood at the bedroom doorway for a while, but in the end still didn't wake Jin Chen, merely going alone to the bathroom to wash up, then carefully returning to bed.

Just as he lay down, the person who had turned over wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him into a rather dominant embrace.

The embrace made them inseparable, their breaths mingling.

It was really close to an ambiguous distance, yet Jin Chen never pointed it out; Yishen found it strange, but couldn't say exactly what was strange about it.

Tonight, however, Yishen felt somewhat relieved that he had not previously rejected such an embrace for sleep.

He rested his head in Jin Chen's embrace, breath near at hand, yet what welled up in his heart was a profound sense of security.

Yishen closed his eyes and raised his hand to turn off the light.

In the darkness, Jin Chen quietly held him tighter, clearly hearing the 0731 broadcast.

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value +10, total 52!】

——

When Yixi came to look for Yishen, it was just after noon, and the winter rain began again, continuous and unending.

Jin Chen, who was in a 'cold war' with Yishen, wore a cotton-padded jacket and leisurely walked out of the residential area.

Besides having to go to work, he 'by the way' wanted to investigate how his relationship with Xuyuchuan stood.

Last time, Yixi hadn't gotten a clear look at this person's face, only knowing he'd been tricked, but today he got a good look.

He couldn't hide his shock, covering his mouth as he hid behind a tree, his heart pounding like a drum.

It wasn't just because of how similar this strange person was to Yishen; there was another very important matter.

He had seen this person before, in the midsummer of when he was fourteen.

That day, his parents had to go out suddenly; he disliked the heat and refused to go, so he secretly hid in his room with the air conditioner on. Hearing a noise, he thought there was a thief, but instead saw a very handsome man wearing obviously winter clothes running up to the attic.

Because that person was going to look for Yishen, he at that time wished the jinx would disappear forever, so he pretended not to have seen anything, and later he didn't tell his parents.

But why…… ten years have passed, and this person hasn't changed at all!

Moreover, his relationship with Yishen had become this good.

Yixi could hardly answer the doubts filling his heart.

Perhaps if he wanted to know the answer, he could only ask Yishen, who was equally a strange person.

Watching the strange person leave the residential area's Main Gate, Yixi ran to Yishen's building at his top speed, then quickly pressed the elevator to go up.

Jin Chen's departure time today was again half an hour earlier.

Yishen put the bowls and chopsticks into the dishwasher, dazed and somewhat absent-minded, his feelings of helplessness and panic growing heavier.

His communication with Jin Chen this morning amounted to no more than ten sentences total.

Only then did he realize that usually it was Jin Chen who found topics to talk about.

While he was in a daze, he heard the doorbell ring.

Yishen was momentarily excited, then quickly calmed down.

It couldn't be Jin Chen's, since he already had the house key.