Resilience

Xu Youling suddenly felt as if his throat was being grabbed and he couldn't breathe. He subconsciously took a few steps back, and his calf hit the chair, stopping him from retreating any further.

Fang Suiming had been staring at him closely. Seeing his panic, he turned his head and smiled: "It seems that you really have never thought about this matter."

"No, Pei Zhi is not that kind of person." Xu Youling's lips were trembling. "I've seen... his spiritual realm, I've seen it!"

That snowy field was definitely not the spiritual realm of extremely evil people. It clearly had roots of fragrant grass and green land. When the pale sunlight shone down, the snow would clearly reflect the soft light.

"What good would it do me to lie to you? Would it wake Commander Shen up?" Fang Suiming practically roared, "Pei Zhi's abilities are close to those of the Dark Sentinel. Do you think he doesn't have that ability?"

"He won't lie to me!" Xu Youling yelled back, a sour feeling rising into his nose.

"Idiot! I don't have time to argue with you about that bastard's disgusting things!" Fang Suiming pointed his finger at Xu Youling, "Get out! Get out right now!"

Fang Suiming's mental strength was not as strong as Pei Zhi's, but when he was furious, his strength was equally terrifying, piercing people's flesh and bones. The coldness and pain penetrated Xu Youling's mental realm uncontrollably like a sword. He raised his hands to cover his head and gasped for breath.

It hurts so much.

Fang Suiming's eyes burned red as he stared at her: "Get out! Get out!"

Xu Youling endured the severe pain and stood up with difficulty against the wall. He groped for the door handle and pressed it down with shaking wrist. The door opened smoothly and shut Fang Suiming's roar back into the dim ward.

Only after leaving the range of Fang Suiming's mental power did he feel like a fish returning to water, finally regaining consciousness and breathing.

His vision was a little blurry, and Xu Youling leaned against the wall and barely raised his head to look forward. The soldier who had brought him here was still waiting and gave him an indifferent glance.

But there was a guide standing next to the soldiers, whispering something to the doctor with a frown on his face.

"Mr. Xu, I believe Lieutenant Colonel Fang has already explained everything to you." The soldier took a few steps closer and stood before him. "Please follow us."

"I want to see Pei Zhi." Xu Youling's eyes were red and his voice was a little choked.

The soldier impatiently pulled his elbow and brought him forward. "Do you think it's possible?"

"I really want to see him." Xu Youling bit her lower lip, trying hard to keep her voice from trembling, but her eyes were shining, as if they were filled with tears that would fall if she blinked.

The soldier's face darkened. "Why can't you understand what others are saying? Don't forget that you are also Pei Zhi's accomplice. You are inextricably linked to his prison break! Hurry! There are still many procedures to go through in the trial. Follow me!"

He forcibly pulled Xu Youling forward. Xu Youling could only stretch out the hand that was not restrained to wipe her tears. While being pulled, she sobbed and begged, "I beg you..."

How could Pei Zhi lie to him?

It's impossible anyway.

But I really want to see him... I want to see it with my own eyes, I want him to hold my hand, and let my clumsy mental power float over the snowy field again.

I want to confirm whether there is true kindness there, even if it is just a little bit, and not just nothingness created by the mental power of the top sentinels.

"Please..." Xu Youling didn't know why she was crying, but tears quickly flowed down her face, and her voice became hoarse. "I beg you..."

"Go!" the soldier shouted gruffly.

Xu Youling was sobbing that her eyes were blurred. She didn't notice that the guide had finished talking to the doctor and was turning to look at him with a complicated expression. When the soldier tried to pull Xu Youling's elbow again, he said, "Please wait a moment."

"Colonel Fang." The soldier stopped reluctantly.

Xu Youling raised her head, tears extending to her small chin, dripping into the collar of her sweater.

Fang Linshui walked up to him and bent down slightly: "Don't cry."

"Fang Linshui," Xu Youling recognized him and said with a nasal tone, "Why are you here?"

The voice was soft with crying and pain, confused like a small animal, and so cautious that it sounded quite pitiful.

"I'm Sui Ming's brother. Commander Shen is in a coma, and we're all very worried." Fang Linshui's eyes dimmed. "Why are you reacting so strongly? Is Pei Zhi really..."

"You are Fang Suiming's brother." Xu Youling repeated a little blankly.

"Yes, I am." Fang Linshui was very patient. "So I can't sympathize with you. I'm really sorry."

"I'm sorry..." Xu Youling's tears started to flow again.

Although he knew that what happened was not Pei Zhi's fault, he could intuitively feel the pain of Fang Suiming and Fang Linshui. The empathy ability that was gradually being developed by Pei Zhi as a guide surged up and almost defeated him.

Should I really not be here? Even if Pei Zhi is the culprit they assumed, my presence must have made them sad. If Shen Jiayi really can't wake up again, if...

Does that mean Pei Zhi really has no way to turn things around?

Xu Youling slowly squatted down, holding his head and shaking it gently to drive away the painful feeling.

But I can't do it. It's like the tide, and I am a small boat on it, powerless to resist, drifting with the waves and capsizing at any time.

"Pei Zhi really shouldn't have done this." Fang Linshui gently rubbed his head and said tiredly, "He can barely protect himself, how can he do this to a guide at this time..."

What on earth was Fang Linshui talking about? What did Pei Zhi do wrong? Was it about his own affairs... If someone had to be blamed, it should be that he had gotten involved in this matter beyond his capacity, making everything more complicated.

Xu Youling wanted to refute, but couldn't make a sound. He only heard Fang Linshui's suddenly serious voice, directed at the soldier who was waiting impatiently.

"Give him twenty minutes." Fang Linshui said sternly, "Let him see his sentry."

-

Xu Youling had no idea what was going on. Before he could even thank Fang Linshui, he was led by the soldiers through a long corridor.

He couldn't remember the way, but just kept walking forward. He felt that the road was extremely, extremely long. Perhaps it was because Pei Zhi's current cell was a few steps deeper than before, so the road leading to him became particularly difficult.

But for Xu Youling, who was close to collapse, his brain could no longer carry out logical thinking. He could only feel the mental stimulation brought by the tow line laid by Pei Zhi himself becoming more and more intense, and he could only feel an almost hysterical urgency.

Therefore, when he stood in front of the door that was obviously specially made and tightly sealed, he was already weak from crying.

"Only twenty minutes," the soldier said.

Someone pushed him gently from behind, and then the door closed, leaving Xu Youling standing by the door with tears on her face.

The traction sign was so violent that he fell to his knees almost instantly, and was picked up by Pei Zhi who gasped in surprise before hitting the ground.

I didn't fall this time.

Thinking of this, Xu Youling looked up at Pei Zhi's face. Not surprisingly, he saw that he was frowning and his face was cold, so his heart sank again.

"What are you doing here?" Pei Zhi wiped his face roughly, with his fingertips touching his eye bags.

"I don't know... I don't know at all, I don't understand..." Xu Youling cried and shook her head. She was obviously hurt in her heart, but her body moved forward without any resistance, rubbing her face against Pei Zhi's neck, and her whole body fell into his arms, a hug.

Pei Zhi paused, then slowly placed his hands on his shoulders and back, and gently pulled him inside: "Don't cry."

The tone was very cold, as if there was no possibility of being soft-hearted.

"I can't, I really... I can't help it..." Xu Youling babbled incoherently, tears wetting Pei Zhi's neck, "I'm in so much pain... Why, I've been... It's so uncomfortable, so uncomfortable..."

What on earth was it that suddenly burst open his mind, which had been closed and dull since he arrived here, and brought him endless and boundless sorrow? Why did the sorrow from others fall on him?

Short of breath.

"It's okay, it's okay..." Pei Zhi lowered his head, rubbing his chin against the top of his head, hugging him as tightly as he could, his voice hoarse, "Let me take a look, okay? This time it will be really gentle, I promise."

"No... I don't want to..." Xu Youling sobbed and raised her head, her whole body trembling. "Fang Suiming said that you used the spiritual realm to deceive me. Shen Jiayi is still in a coma. Fang Linshui is also very sad... What on earth are you, what on earth are you..."

He couldn't go on. He hated Pei Zhi for keeping silent and blamed himself for being wavering. He had tried his best to defend Pei Zhi there, but here he had to ask such embarrassing and hurtful questions.

But in the final analysis, I just want to get a positive answer, that's all.

Just doubt him this time, in exchange for permanent trust from now on.

Pei Zhi's rare gentle patting paused on Xu Youling's lower back. He lowered his eyes, then raised them again. When he looked at Xu Youling again, his gaze became very cold.

"Say it again," he said.

"Did you lie to me or not..." Xu Youling pursed her lips and looked at his cold expression with her eyes wide open. Her heart seemed to be thrown into the snowy field. "Did you lie to me or not? Tell me, tell me..."

“Please…”

"Beg me?" Pei Zhi tightened his grip around his waist, his teeth gnashing as he twisted his chin upward with his other hand, leaving a crimson mark. "Why are you so promiscuous? As soon as you regained your guiding abilities, you believe everything and feel sorry for everyone. You believe everything anyone says, but why don't you feel sorry for me?"

Xu Youling's eyes suddenly widened. The wet, red corners of her eyes, which had just been wiped by Pei Zhi, were trembling slightly from crying, and her eyelashes were stuck together in clumps. "What did you say?"

"I say, why don't you come and feel sorry for me?" Pei Zhi let go of his hand and wiped his tears. He was so heavy-handed that the soft flesh on Xu Youling's face bulged, but he showed no mercy and did not listen to Xu Youling's sobs until all the tears were wiped away.

The tears of an ordinary person who was overwhelmed by the sudden power of guidance.

"I don't feel sorry for you, I don't..."

Xu Youling shook her head vigorously, trying to smile, but tears were still falling. Pei Zhi pulled her up, his eyes fixed on the red mark on Xu Youling's chin from being pinched, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I really, really love you, and you know very well that I really, really love you..." Xu Youling's voice became muffled as Pei Zhi pressed the back of his head down to the side of his neck. "You clearly know everything. You can enter my spiritual realm at will. You clearly know everything..."