Jin Ke broke in while Shen Jianxi was still unconscious, woken by the sounds from outside the window downstairs.
Groggily, she opened her eyes and tried to sit up, only to fall back weakly.
"Host, you really are a great actor."
77's voice made her expression freeze, nearly breaking character. "Shut up, you're ruining my performance!"
"Oh~"
Ignoring 77's wronged tone, Shen Jianxi heard the sound of a lock falling off outside. She stiffly turned her head to look, her heart pounding, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
The door was kicked open, and Jin Ke's figure with a large saber appeared.
Seeing him like this, Shen Jianxi was surprised, but her face showed only delight. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jin Ke suddenly hugged her, his voice filled with the joy of finding her again: "I finally found you, sister."
She had intended to push him away, but the dampness in her neck and his trembling body made Shen Jianxi change her mind and hug him back. However...
"Sister?! 77, how old is Jin Ke?"
"He's 27, Host."
This scoundrel! She was only 22, taking advantage of her, utterly shameless!
"How did you find me?" Shen Jianxi asked weakly, leaning into Jin Ke's embrace.
"I hadn't seen you come home for a few days, and I was very worried." He answered evasively, thinking it was better not to let his sister know some things.
As he prepared to lift her, the quilt slipped, revealing her skin.
Kiss marks covered her body. His gaze fell upon these mottled traces and the chains on her hands and feet, and the joy he had felt upon seeing her turned into a dark fury.
How dare Ye Chuan Ci!
Seeing her like this, Jin Ke felt murderous. He picked up the saber placed beside him and prepared to rush downstairs.
His hand was suddenly grabbed. The grip was weak, but Jin Ke couldn't ignore it.
Seeing him turn his head, Shen Jianxi weakly shook her head, her eyes pleading, "Don't go."
Jin Ke, already soft-hearted towards her, couldn't bear to refuse her plea. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her, severed the chains, picked her up, and strode away.
Shen Jianxi had thought Jin Ke had knocked out Ye Chuan Ci or rescued her while he was away. So, when she saw the man standing at the top of the stairs, she flinched in fear.
Her movement did not escape the notice of the two men. Jin Ke tightened his grip and looked deeply at Ye Chuan Ci.
Ye Chuan Ci didn't notice Jin Ke; his gaze was fixed on the young girl, hoping she would look at him.
But he was disappointed.
He reluctantly shifted his gaze to Jin Ke and said with a blank expression, "Let's go."
After speaking, he turned away, no longer looking at them, afraid that another glance would make him unable to let her go.
At the same time, 77's broadcast sounded, "Beep! Favorability +8, Ye Chuan Ci's current favorability is 100."
"Congratulations, Host! 100 favorability achievement unlocked!"
Jin Ke ignored him further and walked out with her.
Although this was something Shen Jianxi had expected, hearing it still made her feel a moment of daze.
She glanced up at Ye Chuan Ci, her eyes holding emotions she couldn't quite explain. In that instant, all those feelings vanished. Sudan Novel Network.
As she turned her head away, Ye Chuan Ci looked at them again, his hopeful gaze unseen in the end.
The two of them thus missed each other.
Stepping out of the door, the dazzling sunlight made Shen Jianxi squint, feeling a sense of having passed through lifetimes.
Jin Ke gently placed her in the car, covered her with a blanket, and said, "Have a sleep."
Shen Jianxi obediently closed her eyes, and soon, her steady breathing could be heard.
Looking at her docile appearance, Jin Ke's heart softened. He lightly kissed her forehead and started the car, leaving the place.
Shen Jianxi was not sleeping soundly. Her dreams were filled with the sweet affection of her first meeting and relationship with Ye Chuan Ci, ultimately culminating in his loving gaze and the choked, reluctant words, "Let's go."
Ye Chuan Ci's love was letting go.
She woke up from her dream, only to realize they were already downstairs. Under Jin Ke's complex gaze, she touched her face, which was now wet with tears.
She smiled up at him, "I'm fine."
But her hoarse voice and uncontrollable tears betrayed her.
"Yes, I know." Jin Ke didn't expose her. He simply took out a tissue to wipe away her tears, then hesitated before gently patting her head. "Let's go, I'll take you home."
The house was clean, as if it were tidied daily. Shen Jianxi's exhaustion left her with no energy to ponder these matters. After sending Jin Ke off, she went to the bathroom to shower.
The warm water cascaded over her, and Shen Jianxi felt as if she had come back to life. It had taken her great effort to make herself look this way over the past few days.
"Host, are you alright? If you're very sad, I can help you with emotional cleansing."
Shen Jianxi was silent for a moment before slowly replying, "The sadness is fake, the tears are also fake. This was all just for Jin Ke to see. I'm just... just feeling a bit melancholic. What's the point of all this?"
77 didn't know how to respond. Since its creation, all it knew was binding to a host for conquest and completing tasks. No one had ever told it whether these things needed meaning.
Sensing 77's confusion, Shen Jianxi sighed, "Forget it. You're just a rookie system, why am I asking you these things?"
"Alright, don't dwell on it. I will continue with the conquest mission."
"Host, I didn't mean that, I..."
What did it mean? 77 couldn't articulate it. The complex feeling was beyond its current comprehension.
Later, 77 would understand that such a feeling was called heartache.