Counseling is over
Xu Youling lowered his head and shook it gently, trying to shake off the confusion in his brain.
His hand was still held by Pei Zhi, and it rested on the spot slightly above Pei Zhi's chest, as if he was the one who was more eager for contact.
"..." Xu Youling pulled his hand back in confusion. The cell was very quiet and the temperature was low. Only Pei Zhi was breathing heavily. His palm was empty, which was the place where Xu Youling had just withdrawn.
"Are you feeling very uncomfortable?"
Pei Zhi's gaze was still barely focused, vaguely fixed on his brows. Xu Youling pulled away a little and asked anxiously.
Pei Zhi didn't answer, so Xu Youling didn't dare to move. He lowered his head in frustration, rubbed his face with both hands, covered his lips with his palms, and hummed vaguely: "I really can't..."
"Then why do you come to provoke me?" Pei Zhi became speechless again.
"If it's not provoking, how could it be provoking?" Xu Youling raised his face from his palm and carefully confirmed it. His tone was a bit like popular science. "You feel uncomfortable because of injury and emotional fluctuations. You can't blame me."
Pei Zhi fell silent again, took a deep breath, and leaned back against the headboard. Xu Youling could see his slightly raised chin and the well-defined Adam's apple. Pei Zhi swallowed and looked at him with downcast eyes.
"I really am here to help you." Xu Youling softened his voice, "There is another...way."
"A normal guide would provide guidance." Pei Zhi pursed his lips. "Who are you?"
Xu Youling took off his coat before entering the cell. He had been feeling a bit cold, but now his palms were suddenly sweating and his heartbeat was quickening. He said, "I'm not very smart."
"Not smart." Pei Zhi repeated, frowning again, as if still in pain, "A little bit."
"It's very uncomfortable, right?" Xu Youling escaped a disaster, his heartbeat was chaotic, he bit his lower lip and reworded, "I can really help you... just like last time."
"Do you remember? Last time." Xu Youling encouraged Pei Zhi to recall, "I washed your German Shepherd..."
"No." Pei Zhi quickly turned his head away.
Xu Youling's organized words were choked back, and subconsciously he muttered with a sense of grievance, questioning without any confidence: "Why? Obviously, the conditions of you and your spirit body have improved... I can feel it."
Pei Zhi closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, almost gritting his teeth: "Do you really not understand or are you pretending not to understand?"
"I've tried it. Just kneading and pressing it can also be effective, just like other guides doing counseling..." Xu Youling shrank back when Pei Zhi stared at her.
"The spirit body is an extension of the Sentinel's senses and spirit, and one of its most private parts." Pei Zhi's voice was very low, and each word was squeezed out from between his teeth. "What's the difference between you... fiddling with it like this and fiddling with me directly?"
"Could you please not use that word..." Xu Youling's face flushed a little, but he didn't notice it. He seemed to be arguing, "Are you worried that I'll see into your spiritual realm? No, I can't see too much. I'm not very good at it."
Pei Zhi seemed to be unable to find a reason to refuse: "I don't like others touching my spirit body."
"But didn't we do it last time?" Xu Youling felt that he was getting bolder and bolder. "It really feels much more comfortable. I've done it for other customers, and everyone said..."
Pei Zhi sat up straight at once: "Guest?"
"Yes, is there any problem?" Xu Youling was startled.
"I remember you told me last time that you had never touched another spirit." Pei Zhi's voice suddenly turned cold. "You also promised me that you would never bathe another spirit in the future."
"How come you still remember..." Xu Youling stepped back guiltily.
The narrow window cast the shadow of the iron railing on the ground, which was cut into pieces by the uneven ground.
"How could I still remember?" Pei Zhi actually smiled, but it wasn't a smile of joy at all. He stood up suddenly and grabbed Xu Youling's hand, "Come here!"
Xu Youling was dragged to the corner of the cell, where there was a lone faucet. Pei Zhi forcefully pulled his hand directly under the spout and turned it on, pouring icy water all over the back of Xu Youling's hand and knuckles.
"Hiss!" Xu Youling took a breath because of the cold and pulled his hand back.
Pei Zhi ignored how thinly he was dressed and yanked his hand back under the water. He gripped his hand tightly in his palm and scrubbed it vigorously, cursing without restraint: "Is it dirty? Are you dirty?"
The ice water flowed down between their tightly clasped fingers. Xu Youling felt that his tears or snot were about to flow like that. He wanted to hide, but Pei Zhi was surprisingly strong and held his wrist tightly to prevent him from escaping.
So he could only cry out in a tearful voice: "Leng... Pei Zhi!"
Pei Zhi took a deep breath, loosened his grip and closed the drain. The remaining water dripped onto the ground, soaking Xu Youling's trouser legs. He reached for Xu Youling's hand again. It was smaller than his, so he could easily wrap it around her. It was cold and damp, making her feel particularly...
"Is it clean?" Xu Youling's voice sounded particularly aggrieved.
"Yeah, it's clean." Pei Zhi forced himself to be relaxed.
He held Xu Youling's wrists with one hand and gently brought her back to the narrow bed, as if Xu Youling was the prisoner. Xu Youling let him do whatever he wanted with red eyes.
"Are you cold?" Pei Zhi asked knowingly, tightening his grip a little, subconsciously finding fault with Xu Youling, "Who told you to run here in just a shirt?"
Xu Youling felt that his fingers had regained some sensation and wanted to pull them out, but as soon as he moved, Pei Zhi pinched him again and prevented him from leaving.
"I didn't know you thought that was dirty." He sniffed. "I haven't touched the spirits of other Sentinels... They're all Guides, really, only Guides."
"Guides are not good people either." Pei Zhi's tone was very fierce. He rubbed Xu Youling's fingertips slowly with his palm and frowned. "A guide can't even do guidance. You think you have a strong ability to judge people, right?"
"..." Xu Youling shut up and sat there obediently, letting Pei Zhi warm his hands. If his fingertips curled up slightly, Pei Zhi would tighten his grip even more, making him feel nervous for no reason.
"Are you still going to do it?" he asked quietly, "Um...spiritual body counseling."
"No." Pei Zhi refused rudely.
"Then I was frozen in vain, wasn't it?" Xu Youling wanted to take his hand back again.
Pei Zhi looked up and glared at him.
"You just wanted me to help you, so you dragged me to wash it." Xu Youling continued to test, "Please don't feel burdened, okay? This doesn't cost me much, and you're the only one doing it."
"What burden can I have?" Pei Zhi's hand loosened.
He snapped his fingers, and the German Shepherd slowly crawled up and approached to lick Xu Youling's drooping hand, which had regained its temperature. There were wounds on its body, including skin and flesh, and its eyes were cloudy.
"It really likes you." Pei Zhi sneered.
"I'm injured." Xu Youling looked around and changed the subject.
He bent down and tried to pick up the German Shepherd, but it had already climbed up a few steps on his trouser leg. It seemed very tired and soon fell heavily into Xu Youling's arms.
Xu Youling began to rub the back of its head in circles: "When it feels very tired, do you also feel very tired?"
"You have a spiritual body yourself, why are you asking me?" Pei Zhi sat side by side with Xu Youling on the bed, slightly tilting his head, not looking at him and the dog on his lap.
The orange cat squatted far away and cried out in disgust.
Xu Youling was afraid that Pei Zhi would find out something, so she didn't dare to ask any more questions. She just continued to relax the German Shepherd's muscles and occasionally touched its head in cooperation.
"The spiritual body and the human body are independent," said Pei Zhi.
His tightly furrowed brows seemed to relax a little. He turned his head and lowered his eyes to look at Xu Youling's neck exposed from the collar of his shirt, and his lips which were slightly puffed up because of his seriousness.
"Then why... did you always refuse before?" Xu Youling raised her head and looked at him.
Pei Zhi turned his face away: "Don't ask, it's annoying."
"Oh..." Xu Youling responded slowly.
The German Shepherd panted with its tongue hanging out. Xu Youling stroked its wound, feeling its sudden tremor. "There's no way to treat it surgically... right?"
"Yeah." Pei Zhi answered briefly, "Don't worry about it."
Xu Youling didn't say anything, but he didn't stop until the German Shepherd was drowsy and his wrist started to hurt. Then he carefully took it off his knees, raised his head, and saw Pei Zhi's gloomy face as expected.
"I wasn't lying to you." He felt a little proud, but also a little sad. "It really is comfortable."
The spiritual realm seemed to have been carefully wiped off a layer of dust, making it smooth and bright.
Pei Zhi asked in a low voice: "Should I say sorry to you?"
"I don't want you to say sorry." Xu Youling wiped off a few strands of dog hair from his hands.
"Then what do you want?" Pei Zhi frowned subconsciously again.
"I didn't lie to you, and you shouldn't lie to me either," Xu Youling said.
He wanted to make a threatening gesture, half-kneeling on the bed and leaning towards Pei Zhi, but his face was young and his movements were forced, so the effect was poor, and it sounded more like a coquettish act than a threat.
Pei Zhi's eyes deepened: "What do you want to know?"
"Why...?" Xu Youling wanted to play with his seal again, but he held back. He felt his brain fogged up as soon as he got close to Pei Zhi, and he felt very uncomfortable. "Why was I suddenly locked up? Why..."
Why do you want to do that in the future.
Is it your character that shapes your destiny, or is it destiny itself that is destined to take you in that direction?
"Why? Which part do you want to hear?" Pei Zhi smiled, almost teasingly, "Do you want to hear about me disobeying orders and causing my teammates to die, or accusing my superiors of illegal war orders, or..."
He lowered his upper body and leaned close to Xu Youling's ear. With a hint of a smile, he whispered in his ear, "Did I almost infringe upon a young guide who didn't even pass the qualification exam?"
“!”
Xu Youling's ears suddenly felt hot. He retreated in panic, escaping Pei Zhi's control, and stammered, "I heard about that thing... but it's not true! Everyone can prove it, you..."
"Why is it not true?" Pei Zhi leaned closer. "It was me who invaded your mental realm, and it was me who forced you to undergo counseling."
Xu Youling felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck. They were too close, and his face flushed. Pei Zhi, however, raised his eyebrows, looking cold and sarcastic. Seeing his big reaction, he looked so confident, which was frightening.
"You're so eager to help me and save me." Pei Zhi laughed, "Xu Youling, you don't really think I'm a good person, do you?"
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