Chapter Fifty-Four: Plenty of Time to Deal with You

Gazing at the man before her, whose face was full of concern for her, Shen Qingli found herself recalling the scene from her dream.

"Xie Jinchuan, I dreamed that you died saving me."

For reasons she couldn't quite explain, Shen Qingli felt a sharp, inexplicable pain in her heart, as if she had forgotten something important. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. Clutching tightly at the man's sleeve, she found the ache in her heart intensified whenever she thought of that moment.

"I won't die. Never. As long as you are here, I will never die," Xie Jinchuan declared, his voice steady and resolute.

Seeing Shen Qingli in such distress, Xie Jinchuan couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, truly I am," he soothed her gently, sighing softly.

Soul-devouring powder had the ability to conjure dreams; perhaps Shen Qingli had witnessed something within them.

"I dreamed of flower petals all around me, spiritual energy swirling, and I was shielding someone behind me. But you died saving me..." Her trembling voice emerged from his embrace, her hand sweating as she gripped his.

She had doubted the visions she saw in the illusion that day, but even in a dream, watching Xie Jinchuan leave tore at her heart.

"I... I think I'm falling for you," she blurted out, the words spilling out without warning.

Xie Jinchuan froze for a moment, then tightened his embrace.

"I fell for you long ago, for many lifetimes," he replied.

Shen Qingli didn't quite grasp his meaning, but she hugged him back all the same.

"Wait, my chest..." she murmured, surprised by a warm sensation spreading from her heart to her limbs.

"It's the Warm Jade," Xie Jinchuan explained, smiling softly as he ruffled her hair.

"The Warm Jade!" she exclaimed. Since she had opened the box left by her mother, Shen Qingli had learned much, especially about the Warm Jade.

"Whose Warm Jade is this?" she asked. Wasn't it said the Warm Jade held the soul of an immortal—a second life, so to speak?

"It's mine," Xie Jinchuan answered lightly, as though he were discussing buying cabbage at the market. He smiled at her astonished expression.

"Strange things have been drawn to you recently. With my Warm Jade, you'll have fewer of them around you. And your spiritual energy has been leaking lately, which could attract demons."

Seeing his genuine concern for her, Shen Qingli felt warmth blossom in her heart.

Yet she didn't know the Warm Jade had another purpose: it could deflect part of any harm, and precisely sense the other's location. It could even transfer injury to its rightful owner. Thus, if Shen Qingli suffered a mortal wound, they would share the pain, ensuring their survival.

"Why are you so good to me? I don't even know how to repay you..." Shen Qingli recalled her earlier doubts about Xie Jinchuan and was immediately filled with guilt, unable to meet his gaze.

Xie Jinchuan frowned slightly, then lifted her chin so their eyes met.

"Because you are worth it," he said.

Those five words struck Shen Qingli's heart. She stared at him, unable to express her emotions, yet she was happy—happy to find herself worthy of such devotion.

"Xie Jinchuan, I like you most!" she declared, throwing herself into his arms and pressing her lips to his. The kiss deepened, and Xie Jinchuan's hand slipped beneath her clothes.

But remembering her period hadn't ended, he reluctantly pulled away.

"No, not yet," he said.

Seeing his frustrated yet serious expression, Shen Qingli couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, not yet," he conceded.

As she giggled, Xie Jinchuan frowned and leaned in to bite her earlobe.

"Ah!" Shen Qingli cried out, startled by the sudden bite.

"You! You did that on purpose!" she protested, feigning indignation.

Xie Jinchuan's lips curled into a smile. "How many days left?"

The unexpected question made Shen Qingli pause. She glanced at the man lying beside her and blinked. "What do you mean, how many days?"

He raised his brows with a slight smile. "What do you think?"

Seeing the look in his eyes, Shen Qingli immediately understood. Her cheeks flushed. "Three days left," she whispered.

Three days?

Hearing this, Xie Jinchuan frowned and sighed in resignation.

"Once the time is up, you won't get off so easily," he warned.

His words echoed in her ears, and Shen Qingli's mind filled with suggestive images. Her cheeks reddened further, making her even more alluring.

Unable to resist, Xie Jinchuan kissed her again, releasing her only when she complained she couldn't breathe.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said. The heat in his body tempted him to devour her completely, but health mattered more, so he strode briskly toward the bathroom.

As the sound of water filled the room, the blush on Shen Qingli's cheeks gradually faded. She turned to her side, fingers touching her chest, comforted by the warmth emanating from within.

She glanced at Xie Jinchuan's silhouette reflected from the bathroom and, before she knew it, drifted off to sleep.

Half-awake, she felt him pull her into his arms and instinctively nestled closer.

Seeing her come to him on her own, Xie Jinchuan's eyes filled with satisfaction. His fingers glowed faintly as he channeled spiritual energy. Once certain Shen Qingli was fast asleep, he summoned Green Parsley.

"Tell me everything that happened today, from start to finish."

With the nourishment of spiritual energy, Green Parsley was noticeably more lively and recounted all the day's events.

"So, the reason you could resist the soul-devouring powder was because of the sudden burst of spiritual energy from Qingli?" Xie Jinchuan asked.

"Yes, Chief Xie, that spiritual energy was extremely pure, very similar to yours," Green Parsley replied.

Similar to his own spiritual energy...

"And what about that Rong Qiao Yi? Did you sense anything unusual?"

Rong Qiao Yi?

Green Parsley pondered for a moment but couldn't recall anything out of the ordinary.

"Chief Xie, lately my connection with the host has been intermittent, especially when that Qiao Yi is around—the feeling becomes much more pronounced."

Hearing this, Xie Jinchuan's frown deepened.

"Keep a close eye on Shen Qingli. I've transferred plenty of spiritual energy to you; try not to lose contact."