Chapter 102, Part 102: Jealousy Takes Root

Shen Mi's eyes were vacant, her expression dazed, and her steps seemed to be pulled by some heavy force as she mechanically walked out of the Scorching Hell. The two who had come with her were now three, with Judge Cold Crow joining them.

Perhaps because Shen Mi's appearance was too worrying, Han Ya couldn't help but ask, "Miss Shen, are you alright?"

Shen Mi raised his head and looked at Han Ya. He was stunned for a moment before saying, "It's nothing, it's nothing."

Xueyi, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up unexpectedly: "The people who come to the Prison of Darkness are basically vicious and wicked. It is already difficult to make evil people talk. If they can talk after just one meeting, I'm afraid my little sister will lose her job."

Shen Mi let out an "Ah," seemingly understanding Xueyi's words but not quite. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he slowly processed what she meant and suddenly realized that Xueyi was using this method to quietly comfort him.

"Thank you, Judge Xueyi. Actually, that's not what I'm really concerned about."

"What is that?" Xueyi pressed.

“It should be ‘emotions’,” Han Ya said, then explained to Chen Mi, “My sister is a puppet, and her emotional experiences depend on the body’s ‘Five Internal Organs,’ which sometimes malfunction.”

"I see," Shen Mi replied softly.

“Miss Shen, although I have long lost my emotions, I am not entirely ignorant. We heard everything you said to that sinner just now.” Xueyi’s expression was calm, and her tone was steady, as if she were stating a fact. “Perhaps I cannot understand it as deeply as you do, but it is probably somewhat similar to the relationship between me and my sister.”

Shen Mi had read accounts of Xueyi and Hanya and knew the hardships they had endured. Hearing Xueyi's metaphor, she knew the other was trying to comfort her. Her heart warmed slightly, her expression softened, and she nodded gently.

Led by the judge, Shen Mi walked out of the prison without hindrance. In the distance, a familiar figure could be seen before the gate of evil suppression. Jing Yuan was pacing back and forth, his steps slow yet anxious, his brow furrowed, as if he were silently counting down the time until her return.

Shen Mi paused, the tension that had been weighing on her heart suddenly returning. Looking at Jing Yuan's retreating figure, her throat tightened, and she simply couldn't bring herself to tell him that she had returned empty-handed.

Shen Mi sighed and walked over. Jing Yuan also turned around, and when he saw who it was, his eyes lit up. He quickly stepped forward, and the wind he created lifted his sleeves like fluttering white butterflies.

"Finally out." His voice was filled with suppressed worry; he must have been waiting here for a long time.

Shen Mi walked up to Jing Yuan with her head down, unsure how to tell him that she hadn't received the news: "Um... Jing Yuan, it seems I didn't succeed." When she said the last two words, Shen Mi's voice suddenly became softer.

"What?" Jing Yuan didn't hear clearly.

"I may have to disappoint you; I didn't manage to get the information." Shen Mi closed her eyes and finished speaking in one go. After she finished speaking, she held her breath, her heart feeling like it was being weighed down by a stone.

But after a long time, all she could hear was the sound of the wind and her own heartbeat; she still hadn't received a response from Jingyuan.

Shen Mi's heart tightened, and she looked up uneasily, only to see Jing Yuan staring blankly at her.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze unusually focused, as if comparing what she said with what he knew to see if it was the same thing.

After a moment, Jing Yuan seemed to finally realize what was happening, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly: "Are you... trying to scare me? It does sound quite frightening at first glance, and it even made my heart tighten." He paused, and his smile deepened, "However, this way of scaring people is quite novel."

Eh?

Now it was Shen Mi's turn to be shocked.

"I mean it, I didn't take..." Shen Mi's voice was urgent, but he stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

Jing Yuan casually turned the phone and handed it to her. On the screen, Bai Xuan's promised information about Luo Fu was clearly written, with the sending time exactly one minute ago.

"Hey!" Shen Mi looked around and, as if sensing something, looked back. She saw Han Ya standing in front of the Zhen E Gate, gently gesturing to her and Jing Yuan.

Jingyuan smiled back, the corners of his lips curving upwards.

Upon seeing this, Han Ya knew that they had received the message he had just sent. He then turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the giant gate with the "square face" cast on it.

Jing Yuan put his arm around Shen Mi's shoulder, put Yu Zhao back in the pocket on the side of his clothes, and said in a gentle and slow tone, "Let's go."

The sky outside was dyed orange-red by the setting sun, its afterglow like fire, slanting across the eaves and stone path. Returning to the old house, Chen Mi felt utterly exhausted. Before she could even properly take off her shoes, she went straight upstairs. At that moment, her only thought was to throw herself into bed and get a good night's sleep.

However, as soon as he pushed open the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The room wasn't quiet. The balcony window was half-closed, and the evening breeze stirred the sheer curtains, bringing a cool breeze. Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, Danheng stood bent over in that patch of light and shadow, holding a small bamboo stick in his hand, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles on her quilt, his movements calm and focused, not even noticing her arrival.

Shen Mi stared at him blankly, and seeing this scene, all the weariness in her heart was swept away.

She lowered her steps and approached cautiously, already planning a little prank for Danheng before he turned around.

The plan was simple: first, give him a quick tap on the shoulder, then go around to the other side and pounce on him when he turns his head, catching him off guard.

Shen Mi held his breath, suddenly reached out and slapped Dan Heng's shoulder, then quickly moved to his other side, already waiting to see his surprised reaction as he turned around.

However, the expected scene did not occur. Instead of turning around as usual, Danheng turned his head in the same direction as her at almost the same time.

The two were caught off guard and faced each other so close that their foreheads were about to collide.

Both of them will definitely get bumps from this collision.

Chen Mi's heart tightened suddenly, and he reflexively leaned back, trying to create distance.

However, Danheng was already standing in a slightly off-center position to dust off the blankets, and Shen Mi misjudged the distance when he stepped back, causing his heel to slip and almost fall over the railing.

Dan Heng looked surprised, but his reaction was incredibly fast. He stretched out his long arm, firmly grabbed her waist, and pulled her back from the brink of losing her balance into his arms.

In an instant, Shen Mi felt her heart leap into her throat. At this moment, she was firmly held in his arms and could clearly feel the heartbeat of Dan Heng's chest and the heat of his palm pressed against her waist.

She looked up and saw the afterglow of the setting sun streaming through the half-open window, gilding the ends of his hair with a pale gold, as if it were burning with a faint light. His eye, with its reddish tail, became even more vivid in the interplay of light and shadow, much like the last rays of the setting sun on the horizon, so dazzling that it made one's mind wander.

Chen Mi's breath hitched, his chest heaving uncontrollably, and time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Dan Heng slowly lowered his head, his face gradually magnifying in Shen Mi's eyes.

The two drew closer and closer, the air filled with the faint afterglow of the setting sun and the sun-dried scent of blankets, as if the whole world consisted only of their heartbeats.

"Where have you all been? Turns out you've been hiding here slacking off."

A voice suddenly rang out, and Shen Mi turned her head to look. Through the thin white veil, she saw Jing Yuan standing at the door, squinting, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the two of them. She saw that the corners of his lips were slightly raised as he looked at them with a smile.

Chen Mi jumped out of Dan Heng's arms in a panic. Looking at the way he was looking at her, she frantically combed her messy hair, her heart pounding like a drum.

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Author's Note: Jing Yuan: ^_^