Lin Yuan and Ni Ji could only walk back along the flower sea.

The feeling of returning was completely different from when they came, their hearts no longer heavy, they even had time to take a look at this boundless flower sea.

Beautiful flowers, a Ferris wheel with colorful lights.

Flowers and an amusement park.

A dreamlike, boundless expanse of vibrant colors.

This truly was a beautiful world. Only, she didn’t know whose mindscape, which Guide’s, had been devoured by the Queen of Mantis.

A Guide who died in this place, hundreds of years ago.

The more dreamlike and beautiful the flower sea, the more tragic its origins felt.

Ni Ji’s leg was injured, and he had difficulty walking. So, they both rode the orca.

The large fish flew very low, its white underbelly almost brushing against the swaying flowers and soft grass, skimming the undulating ground, stirring up petals and leaves.

They saw a particularly beautiful roof, with a row of brightly colored neon lights.

It was a type of writing common in the Old Era, which could be translated as “hotel” or “guesthouse.”

In the ruins of the old era, buildings with this sign could be found everywhere.

Of course, in the current world, there were no longer such things as resort hotels, and no one used this alphabetic script anymore.

Ni Ji suggested entering to avoid the scorching sun.

He was a veteran who frequently entered contaminated zones and was very familiar with the various types of buildings in the old cities.

He knew what was inside those buildings marked “hospital”, “pharmacy”, “supermarket”, “cinema”, “amusement park”, what they were once used for.

Of course, he also knew about hotels.

He had seen this roof and sign from afar on their way here, but they hadn’t considered it at the time, because they had been in a hurry to catch up with their companions, they hadn’t had a choice then.

But they were on their way back now, no longer in such a hurry.

So, a small, selfish thought arose in his heart.

He didn’t want Lin Yuan’s memories of their first time together to be of a dark cave, mud, dust, and him, covered in blood.

Always looking disheveled whenever they were together.

He didn’t have much more time or energy to prepare something better for the most important person in his heart.

Even his own behavior, thinking back, was incredibly embarrassing.

Under her golden eyes, he hadn’t been able to control himself, easily disarmed, not at all like a sentinel.

But in his heart, he still hoped that they could at least be together in a slightly more comfortable and clean environment.

Fortunately, this underground building, with the hotel sign, didn’t disappoint him.

Entering, they found that there was a bathroom here, carpets on the floor, a sofa, and a counter where food could be heated.

And of course, there was also a large and sturdy bed – the bed wasn’t important, of course, Ni Ji didn’t even dare look in that room.

The space wasn’t large, but it was clean, much better than that bunker which was just a single cave.

Ni Ji secretly felt a little relieved.

Lin Yuan stood under the shower spray in the bathroom, and with a long sigh, released the tension that had been bottled up in her heart.

She realized that she liked water very much, perhaps because her mental body was a sea creature.

Clean, cold water sprayed down from the showerhead, washing away the dirt and blood from her body.

The dirty water flowed down the drain at her feet, and the tentacles excitedly emerged, slapping the wet floor.

Along the way, rolling through the flower sea, crawling through the underground cave, she was covered in dust.

But the most terrifying part was still crossing that long corridor.

Seeing the pain and hurt hidden in the hearts of so many people, those wails from the stakes, the suffering of being burned by flames, they still echoed in her mind, accompanied by the sound of rushing water.

So bitter, so much suffering in the world.

Lin Yuan, smoothing her wet hair, couldn’t help but think of her sentinel.

It was as if, just like in the past, she needed a little bit of sweetness to recover whenever she was feeling agitated.

She thought of how, standing in the flower sea, she had looked up and seen Ni Ji’s face in the transparent sky above, with his wounds, his blood, his killing intent, how he had slit the enemy’s throat with a single strike.

So shy in front of her, yet so ruthless when killing, it was a charm that made her heart race.

He had once sneaked into the White Tower alone. He had charged into and out of contaminated zones countless times, he had joined the underground organization, intending to overthrow that Tower.

Always determined and decisive, with a reckless disregard for his life.

Yet he was so gentle in front of her, willing to let go of everything, to become her sentinel.

For most of her life, Lin Yuan hadn’t had anything that truly belonged to her.

No parents, no family, no home, even very few friends.

The clothes she wore had been provided by the academy, her hobbies and interests determined by the White Tower, her fiancé assigned by the state.

Her heart had been empty, a hollowness never to be filled.

It wasn’t until these past two years that she had gradually found something to hold onto.

Someone who once had nothing, would, after obtaining something precious, only want to hold onto it more tightly.

Now she had a Sentinel, a Sentinel, body and soul, who belonged to her.

Lin Yuan turned off the water and walked out of the bathroom.

She had spent a little too long in the shower, when she came out, she saw Ni Ji by the stove, cooking.

She didn’t know where he had gotten the ingredients, but a pleasant aroma filled the air, making her realize that her body needed to replenish its energy.

Ni Ji was always like this, no matter how harsh the environment, he could always magically conjure up food.

Not to mention in a place with a stove and cookware.

He had cleaned himself up, his hair and face washed, white bandages on his hands and ankles, and he had even found himself a crutch to support his injured leg.

The sentinel, who had just created a mountain of corpses on the battlefield, was now holding cookware with one hand, a crutch supporting him with the other, his head lowered as he stood by the stove, the firelight reflecting on his focused face.

His appearance was handsome, his features soft, with a gentle, domestic aura.

It made one feel he shouldn’t have to go through that kind of bloodshed.

He should be in a clean and comfortable room like this, sharing a warm meal, then rewarded with a kiss.

When they had free time, going to the courtyard to bask in the sun together, riding his whale to see mountains and ridges, to soar across grasslands and oceans.

In short, if it weren’t for this era, a gentle, smiling, and beautiful person like him, shouldn’t have to be stained with blood, filled with hatred and pain.

There was a deep gash across the bridge of Ni Ji’s nose, but strangely, it didn’t make him look ugly. It only made one feel pity in their heart.

Lin Yuan, from behind, held the hand holding the cookware and turned off the fire, wrapping her arms around his waist.

The sentinel’s firm muscles instantly tensed beneath her touch.

Lin Yuan twitched her nose, she felt hungry.

The air was filled with the aroma of food, a scent of oats and mushrooms.

And a sweet scent, a pure, alluring sweetness, coming from her sentinel.

Lin Yuan’s face pressed against Ni Ji’s firm, broad back, feeling the muscles there tense, then relax.

She couldn’t tell which part of her was hungry, in any case, she was incredibly hungry, wanted to eat everything.

She took the food Ni Ji cooked and divided it into two bowls.

Oatmeal with fragrant mushrooms.

She didn’t know where Ni Ji had gotten the mushrooms from, he probably went out while she was showering, dragging his injured leg.

The sky outside hadn’t brightened yet. If one carefully searched, they could certainly still find some edible food.

He was truly a gentle Sentinel, covered with wounds, yet always busy taking care of her.

The two sat at the dining table, enjoying this warm meal. The taste was incredibly delicious.

After several days of intense fighting, being able to have such a warm and tasty meal made one almost want to cry from happiness.

The golden oatmeal was topped with sliced white mushrooms, Lin Yuan, looking at those small white mushrooms, her mind wandered.

She seemed to, during a period of muddle-headedness, have tried to feed her sentinel with colorful, poisonous mushrooms she found in the lair in the underground city.

Pinching his chin, stuffing those randomly picked mushrooms into his mouth.

Recalling this memory, even the tentacles cringed.

After dinner, Lin Yuan didn’t want Ni Ji to do any more work, and the tentacles clattered, tossing the plates and bowls into the sink.

But Ni Ji pulled her hand, sat her down on the sofa, and treated some of the less serious wounds on her body.

They didn’t have much medicine with them, to minimize their load.

The Sentinel, reluctant to use it all himself, carefully applied what was left onto Lin Yuan.

They were very close right now, and Lin Yuan could smell the scent of his freshly washed hair, could clearly see the slight trembling of his lowered eyelashes.

The hand wrapping the bandage around her held her arm, his fingers, strong, with a little bit of calluses, gently pinching her wrist.

His other hand, using a cotton swab, dabbed some medicine onto the wound, a slight sting.

Lin Yuan softly hissed. She saw Ni Ji glance up, giving her a faint smile.

The lighting in the hotel room was a bit ambiguous, hazy and dim.

His smile at this moment, like roses blooming in the night.

From its heart to its delicate petals, incredibly alluring, incredibly tempting.

In the quiet night, releasing its beauty, shyly enticing.

The small space filled with his sweet scent.

Lin Yuan didn’t know if she had ever told Ni Ji that she loved seeing him smile.

He must have known, so he kept giving her these smiles.

Silently, evoking some primal emotion from the depths of her heart.

Making her, even when he was covered with wounds like this, want to do something to bully him.

Lin Yuan’s gaze moved down from the wound on the sentinel’s face.

Past his collarbone — where there was a terrifying scar — then his bandaged chest. There were also bandages on his legs.

Bruises and cuts everywhere, his ribs and leg bone seriously injured.

She should let him rest properly.

The two were sitting on that small, overly soft sofa, the Sentinel holding her hand, the disinfectant already completely smudged. Ni Ji’s fingers were subconsciously gently caressing her skin.

This was dangerous.

The scent of pheromones, incredibly thick, intoxicating, filling the small space around them.

Tentacles emerged from the ground, medicine bottles on the floor overturned.

Lin Yuan’s head lowered, slowly approaching.

She knew she shouldn’t be impulsive. She kept reminding herself that Ni Ji was injured.

But Ni Ji’s eyes flickered, and he smiled at her.

So Lin Yuan leaned down.

Fingers, wrapped in pure white bandages, lifted, placed between them, against Lin Yuan’s lips.

“Wait, I have something to say,” Ni Ji’s voice was very low, like the sound of flowing water.

What did he want to say at this time? Lin Yuan’s mind was a little muddled.

That soft voice was like feathers slowly falling in the sunlight, brushing her heart, making her want to hear more, yet also wanting to stop him.

The dim light, the strong scent of Guide pheromones, and the sweetness of the Sentinel’s scent, intermingled.

Making her mind hazy.

Lin Yuan wasn’t sure of Ni Ji’s condition, perhaps he wanted to rest.

She shouldn’t be releasing her pheromones at a time like this. Perhaps he wanted to stop her? Or perhaps he wanted something else?

In any case, his scent and his voice were intoxicating, she couldn’t think straight.

“I should be the one to say this, I haven’t properly told you yet,” the sentinel’s forehead against hers, only his injured hand between them.

Lin Yuan made a soft sound. “Tell me what?”

After a moment of silence, Ni Ji’s low voice clearly rang in her ear.

“I like you, Lin Yuan.”

Those words, with their warmth, seemed to heat the surrounding air.

“I didn’t do it very well, I should have said this sooner, I should be the one to tell you how I feel first.”

Lin Yuan licked his palm, finding him a little adorable, “Why do you have to be the one to say it first?” she thought. Couldn’t she be the one to say it? Couldn’t she make the first move?

“Because I’m the one who liked you first. From a long time ago, I’ve always, always liked you, hoped you would hold me,” Ni Ji’s words were warm, igniting the two of them.

He spoke earnestly, sincerely, not a single word false.

His words incredibly moving, not only was he sweet, even his words were so sweet.

So, in this world, am I really the only one who doesn’t know how to say sweet nothings? Lin Yuan thought, pulling that bandaged hand away, and kissing her sentinel.

Kissing him, seeing him close his eyes, eagerly responding.

At this moment, Lin Yuan was certain he liked her, he also wanted this.

He had been longing for it for a very long time.