Chapter 280

Ning Ning’s brain stalled again, filling up with one question mark after another.

When it finally managed to start working, she hazily figured out what he meant.

Meng Jue… did he mistakenly think she pushed him away on purpose to protect him?

No way.

What kind of self-sacrificing hero saves the day like a top-ten touching figure in China? Isn’t she supposed to be following the route of a vicious female supporting character? Senior Brother, please don’t fill in the blanks with weird ideas!

This plot is plunging like a waterfall, crashing straight into an out-of-control Chang’e-1 rocket, zooming off into outer space.

(T/N: Chang’e 1 was an uncrewed Chinese lunar-orbiting spacecraft, part of the first phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The spacecraft crashed onto the surface of the moon, ending its mission.)

Just as Ning Ning was stunned, she suddenly heard Bai Ye’s voice coming from not far away: “Senior Brother Meng, Junior Sister Ning Ning, we found Pei—Whoa! Why is this wolf so huge!”

She turned her head and saw the other two who had split off earlier, along with Pei Ji, whom they had found.

Their eyes met, and Ning Ning’s breath hitched.

Could it be… did they all see her push Meng Jue?

Pei Ji seemed to be injured; his pale neck was stained with bright red blood, and his black clothes were similarly soaked, clinging to him limply.

Was it just her imagination, or did his expression seem different than usual, as if he was suppressing some unhappiness, his face cold and tense?

Meng Jue noticed him too and, after quickly glancing at Ning Ning, allowed a barely noticeable smile to form at the corners of his lips.

Then, without a word, he moved a step closer to her.

The young man’s warmth enveloped her, and Ning Ning’s internal alarm bells went off.

W-wait a second.

Why is Senior Brother suddenly getting so close to her?

Ning Ning had always been uncomfortable and disliked close contact with the opposite sex, so when Meng Jue leaned in, her instinct was to take a step back.

However, he didn’t give her any room to escape.

Meng Jue’s expression was leisurely and relaxed, his eyes clouded with a dark, unreadable emotion and a faint, enigmatic smile.

That smile lacked any warmth or friendliness, instead carrying a hint of mischievous mockery, like a predator silently watching its prey, revealing a bit of its sharp claws at this moment.

Danger.

Ning Ning immediately sensed something was off—this black-hearted lotus definitely had bad intentions.

Seeing her on guard, the curve of Meng Jue’s mouth deepened.

Then, with a swift motion, he raised his right hand and brushed her cheek.

“No need to sacrifice yourself for me, Ning Ning.”

His tone was casual, but his voice was clear and gentle, making it sound deeply affectionate to anyone listening.

His slender fingers slightly curled, without the calluses that marred Pei Ji’s hands, and he subtly applied pressure as he wiped away the bloody traces on Ning Ning’s face, leaving her skin clean from the sticky, metallic-smelling stains.

Ning Ning heard him say, “As your brother, I’ll protect you for the rest of your life.”

Ning Ning: ……

The gesture was so unexpected that Ning Ning was utterly shattered.

Wiping away blood for someone else—that’s clearly something that could make a person’s heart race, yet when Meng Jue did it, it only filled her with endless panic and fear.

The relationship between her and Senior Brother had by no means progressed to such an intimate stage, right? And with someone like Meng Jue, would he really say something as cringeworthy as “I’ll protect you for the rest of your life”?

Did he..he..he… did he get possessed by another spirit?

In Ning Ning’s mind, even if she really did die today trying to save him, Senior Brother Meng would probably just smile faintly at her corpse and maybe even curse her in his heart as a “foolish idiot who didn’t know her limits.”

—So why did he suddenly say such a thing?

Before she could react, she saw Meng Jue step back and, without a word, turn his body, moving out of her line of sight.

With him stepping aside, Ning Ning only needed to lift her gaze to lock eyes with Yonggui and Bai Ye in the distance.

And with Pei Ji.

The black-clad youth quietly looked at her, seemingly lost in thought, as if dazed.

When Ning Ning raised her eyes, their gazes met, and Pei Ji instinctively tightened his grip on his sword.

He didn’t immediately avert his gaze like usual, instead continuing to silently stare at her, his lips tightly pressed together, pale as paper, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Ning Ning thought, she must be seeing things.

Otherwise, why would there be inexplicable emotions like grievance and helplessness in Pei Ji’s eyes?

…Grievance?

Unfortunately, the eye contact didn’t last long.

Just as Ning Ning was about to focus and take a closer look, she saw the young man clutching his sword and lowering his long eyelashes.

With a movement almost verging on clumsiness, he deliberately avoided her gaze.

“I have blood on me.”

Pei Ji had been standing there for a while, and when he moved, his vision blurred, causing his body to sway slightly.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly, stabilizing himself before he could fall.

Had it not been for that lingering gaze, Ning Ning might have rushed forward to support him.

Pei Ji’s voice was raspy as he walked away without looking back: “…I’ll go wash up in the river over there.”

Ning Ning noticed that he wasn’t happy.