28: Chapter 28 You...can you stay?

In the darkness, their eyes met.

Lin Qingxue's gaze shifted from the confusion of just waking up, to vigilance the moment she saw the figure by the bed, and finally to astonishment upon recognizing Ye Chen's silhouette.

It finally settled into an indescribable complexity, as if a pebble had been dropped into the depths of an ice lake, sending ripples spreading outward.

She seemed to want to push herself up, but her body felt weak and limp. She only moved slightly, causing the brocade quilt to slide down a little, revealing a thin shoulder beneath her simple undergarment.

"You..."

She spoke, her voice hoarse and dry, like sandpaper scraping against her throat, barely audible.

"Don't move."

Ye Chen said in a low voice, subconsciously reaching out to press down in the air, then immediately withdrawing his hand; his fingertips still retained the sensation of her ice-like skin and jade-like bones on her wrist.

He was also at the end of his rope at this moment, his breath unstable. The consumption from forcibly stimulating the Profound Ice Origin was far beyond what he had imagined, and his Dantian ached faintly.

Lin Qingxue complied and did not move again, just watching him quietly.

Moonlight filtered through the window lattice, casting mottled light and shadows on her pale face, with her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes.

The cold qi in the room had not yet dispersed; it was bone-chillingly cold, but that suffocating, deathly silence that felt as if it could freeze the Soul had already vanished.

In its place was a breath that, while still cold, was tending toward stability.

"How did you get in?"

Her voice was weak, yet it carried a trace of imperceptible... concern, or perhaps, worry.

"Outside... the guards are strict."

"Climbed the wall."

Ye Chen was concise. He paused, then added, his tone carrying a sense of matter-of-factness that even he hadn't realized.

"I sensed that your Qi was not right."

Lin Qingxue's eyes moved slightly, and her long eyelashes trembled.

She did not ask how he had crossed the many guards or how he had so accurately sensed the disorder in her Qi; she simply gave a soft 'en'.

It was as if this was an unspoken understanding.

Silence spread between them, but it was not awkward.

Instead, there was a tranquility of having survived a disaster, and an indescribable, subtle current quietly surging.

The air was filled with a faint medicinal scent and her unique, cold fragrance, mixed with the night dew and cold qi that Ye Chen had brought in, which had not yet dissipated.

After a while, she spoke again, her voice still very light but clearer, carrying a trace of inquiry.

"This time... it is different. Did you use another method?"

The Cold Poison that had entangled her for many years, like a disease attached to the bone, had been suppressed unexpectedly thoroughly this time.

Although the Origin had not been removed, that strange power which corroded the Meridians and devoured her life force seemed to have been temporarily neutralized by something more overbearing and purer.

Ye Chen nodded. He did not hide it, but he did not tell the whole truth either.

"I tried using a bit of something more Origin-based to neutralize the Impurities in the Cold Poison."

He did not specifically mention the ten thousand year profound ice; this involved too much and concerned his greatest secret.

But his willingness to reveal this much was in itself a form of trust.

A flash of understanding crossed Lin Qingxue's eyes, followed by deep exhaustion, as if she had laid down a heavy burden.

"The bone-eroding poison, this disease attached to the bone, is indeed difficult to solve with ordinary means."

She closed her eyes, seemingly sensing her internal condition in detail. Her brows furrowed slightly, and after a moment, she opened them again, her gaze toward Ye Chen carrying a trace of surprise and deeper inquiry.

"Your cold qi seems to have changed; it carries a sense of extinction."

It was a Concept she had never felt in anyone else: cold, empty, as if it could end all things.

Yet, within that ending, it contained a strange balance that happened to restrain the insidious nature of the Cold Poison in her body.

Ye Chen felt a slight shiver; her perception was indeed sharp to the extreme.

"I gained it by chance."

He spoke vaguely, not wanting to delve deeper into this topic to avoid saying too much, so he changed the subject, his tone carrying genuine concern.

"How do you feel? Do your Meridians still hurt?"

"Much better."

Lin Qingxue tried to mobilize a trace of true yuan, condensing a faint white light at her fingertips. Although it was still sluggish and far from recovered.

But the excruciating pain in her Meridians, as if being repeatedly pierced by fine ice needles and scorched by yin fire, was gone; there was only pure cold and weakness.

"This time... thank you. You saved me again."

Her voice was very light, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand jun.

"Mutually beneficial." Ye Chen shook his head, his tone calm but firm.

"You have helped me more. Without your Medicinal Pill and notes, I wouldn't have lasted until now."

He was referring to the tangible kindness, as well as the intangible, small harbor she had provided for him amidst the undercurrents of Qingyun City.

Lin Qingxue did not speak again, just looking at him.

Under the moonlight, his face was also somewhat pale, his forehead hair soaked with sweat, and a few strands of black hair stuck to the side of his sharp-angled cheek.

His jawline was somewhat tense; obviously, he had exhausted a great deal of mental energy and strength to save her just now.

Lin Qingxue suddenly remembered the cold qi of extinction she had felt when her consciousness was blurred and she was sinking into an ice prison—it carried a sense of determination, yet it guided her as carefully as walking on thin ice.

That power was incredibly overbearing, yet when it touched her Meridians, it restrained all its sharpness, only precisely annihilating the Cold Poison and protecting her fragile life force.

A certain frozen corner of her heart seemed to be quietly touched by this silent protection, cracking open a tiny, imperceptible fissure.

"The guards outside didn't discover you?"

She changed the topic, her tone recovering some of its usual coldness, but upon closer listening, it lacked a bit of the usual aloofness.

"Probably not." Ye Chen listened to the movements outside; except for the wind and the sound of bamboo, everything was silent.

"I should go; I must leave the city before dawn."

He had to go back to pick up Xiaoyu.

Lin Qingxue was silent for a moment, her slender fingers unconsciously clutching a corner of the brocade quilt, then immediately relaxing.

She raised her eyes, looking at him with a calm gaze, but her tone carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

"The Grand Competition is in five days. Outside the city... it may not be safe. The Wang family and the people from the 'Shadow Fiend', as well as the remnants of the Black Wind Stockade, may all be tracking you."

She was well-informed and clearly already knew that the changes at the Black Wind Stockade were related to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's eyes turned cold, a flash of killing intent passing by.

"I know."

He had never been afraid, only worried about Xiaoyu.

"You... may stay."

Lin Qingxue's voice was very light, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, exceptionally clear in the silent room.

She avoided his suddenly sharp gaze, turning toward the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window, as if she were merely stating a fact.

"My place... is still considered safe. There is an unused guest courtyard behind the bamboo forest; no one goes there usually, and it is very secluded. You can live there temporarily; it is more convenient and safer."

The last few words were almost inaudible, yet they clearly reached Ye Chen's ears.

This proposal was unexpected.

Staying in the Lin residence was undoubtedly the safest choice; there would be no need to hide here and there, and he could attend to Lin Qingxue's Cold Poison at any time, fulfilling their "transaction".

But this also meant that he would be completely tied to the Lin family, exposed to the eyes of more forces, with no room for maneuver.

Ye Chen pondered in silence, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the jade pendant at his waist.

He could feel that Lin Qingxue's proposal was not entirely based on considerations of interest or simple repayment.

The subtle change in tone, the averted gaze—all revealed a sentiment that transcended the transaction.

Seeing that he did not speak, Lin Qingxue lowered her eyelashes, her dense lashes hiding the flash of sadness in her eyes.

Her tone recovered its usual coldness that kept people at a distance, even carrying a trace of deliberate indifference.

"Of course, if you feel it is inconvenient, or have other plans, just pretend I didn't say anything. Scarface will send you out of the city."

"No."

Ye Chen raised his head, looking straight at her, as if wanting to see the emotions hidden deep in her eyes.

He saw her slightly curled fingers resting on the brocade quilt, and the trace of imperceptible tension beneath her seemingly calm face.

A place in his heart suddenly softened.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Lin."

His tone was solemn.

"It's just... my younger sister is still outside the city."

He mentioned Xiaoyu, which was both a fact and a probing, wanting to see her attitude.

Lin Qingxue seemed to have just remembered Xiaoyu's existence. She was stunned for a moment, and a trace of extremely faint, almost invisible annoyance flashed across her ice-sealed face, then she quickly said.

"You can bring her along. That small courtyard is quite spacious; having one more child doesn't matter."

Her speaking speed was a little faster than usual, as if she were afraid he would change his mind.

"I will arrange reliable people to take care of her daily life; I will never let her suffer any grievances."

Ye Chen looked at the trace of imperceptible eagerness and promise in her clear eyes, and the last bit of hesitation in his heart dissipated.

Bringing Xiaoyu into the city was indeed much safer than leaving her outside, where danger lurked everywhere.

Moreover, with the Grand Competition imminent, he needed an absolutely quiet environment to make final preparations and digest the insights from the Profound Ice Origin.

The Lin residence was the best choice at the moment.

More importantly, he was willing to trust this woman before him who had a cold face but a warm heart.

"Okay."

Ye Chen no longer hesitated and nodded in agreement, a faint, genuine curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Then I will trouble you, Miss Lin."

Lin Qingxue let out a breath almost imperceptibly, and her brows, which had been slightly furrowed, smoothed out.

The corners of her mouth seemed to curve slightly, but she quickly returned to calm; however, in the flow of her eyes, the icy frost had melted quite a bit.

"I will have Scarface go to meet you. Tomorrow... if you are free, come over again; I have some specific matters regarding the Grand Competition to tell you."

This was already a clear invitation.

"Okay."

Ye Chen stood up, his movement affecting his over-exhausted Meridians, causing him to sway slightly, but he immediately steadied himself.

"Rest well, and do not forcibly circulate your Qi again."

His tone carried an unquestionable admonition.

Lin Qingxue gave a soft 'en'.

He walked to the window, just about to leave, when Lin Qingxue's voice came from behind, carrying a trace of imperceptible hesitation that did not fit her usual cold image.

"Ye Chen..."

Ye Chen's footsteps paused, and he turned back.

The moonlight outlined his tall, straight back and the cold, hard lines of his profile.

"...Be careful."

She said softly, her voice melting into the night wind, barely audible, yet knocking heavily on Ye Chen's heart.

Ye Chen looked at her deeply, his gaze complex, containing gratitude, promises, and some emotions that had not yet been clarified.

In the end, he said nothing, just gave a heavy nod.