The Heartthrob Guide: Dodder of S-Class Sentinels

Chapter 258 Seeing Lin Nian Again
Number 5 did not answer.

Its pointed head remained pressed against her face, like a dutiful guardian. Sensing that Lin Nan wanted to escape, it hissed threateningly like a python, its mouth opening to reveal sharp fangs.

Lin Nan couldn't help but close her eyes.

[She's really ugly.]

Number Five: ...

Number Five had no consciousness; it could only follow instructions to act. But after hearing Lin Nan's inner thoughts, it was stunned for a moment.

What makes it ugly?

It wanted to respond to her in that way, but was suppressed by an even stronger force. Number Five once again became a cold, inanimate tool, gripping Lin Nan's body and completely merging with the tree behind her—

"My sweet baby!"

When Caesar arrived, it was too late. He tried to grab Lin Nan's hand, which was still not devoured, and pull her out, but the vines behind him had already caught up with him.

The sharp tip pierced his body almost from behind, blood splattered, and the intense pain made him freeze. His outstretched hand was just inches too late, and he watched helplessly as Lin Nan's last exposed fingertips were completely swallowed by the tree.

"You...you damn thing!!"

It took him a long time to find his voice. The raging anger in his chest almost burned away his reason. His golden eyes were bloodshot, and all that remained in his eyes was a murderous intent that could destroy the world.

A colossal lion spirit appeared behind him with a roar. It raised its head and let out a roar that shook the heavens and the earth. The sound waves transformed into visible golden ripples that spread out in layers, making the energy fluctuations around it so violent that they almost tore space apart.

With this roar, Caesar's mental image suddenly expanded outward, and the image of erupting volcanic lava appeared in the entire space above.

In an instant, the earth trembled, and countless cracks began to appear in the ground where the trees were rooted. Crimson magma gushed out from the cracks, carrying temperatures high enough to melt steel, and flowed into a rushing river of lava in the space.

Kaiser turned around, stepping on the tree trunk, to face the vines attacking him from below. The polluted branches poured down like a torrential rain, assaulting him from all directions.

"bring it on!"

With only a do-or-die determination in his eyes, Caesar roared and charged forward with a stubborn, suicidal attitude.

The world is pale—

There was no sound, no light or shadow, and not even any boundaries of up, down, left, or right; it was as if time itself had frozen at that moment.

Lin Nan was suspended in mid-air, her body light and airy, like a feather blown by the wind, feeling no weight at all. After being sucked into the tree, the intense tearing sensation disappeared, replaced by boundless nothingness. She felt as if she had been floating in the long darkness for a very long time, so long that she almost forgot who she was and why she had come here.

She couldn't muster any strength and could only drift along with a gentle yet irresistible force.

So this is what it's like inside a big tree.

Lin Nan stared blankly at the white sky above, thinking helplessly.

Then, a strange phenomenon occurred. Things began to appear in the pure white space, brick by brick, wall by wall, window by window, as if a computer model had been pressed the "build" button, layer by layer at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually forming an ordinary little house of just over 90 square meters.

The door creaked open automatically, and the familiar layout inside surprised her.

A tall, slender figure appeared at the kitchen doorway, wearing a navy blue apron stained with oil, the sleeves rolled up to the forearms, revealing the smooth lines of the wrists.

He was carrying a plate of freshly cooked food, steam still rising from the rim. As he turned around, he saw Lin Nan standing in the doorway, and a gentle smile instantly bloomed in his eyes, like a spring breeze brushing across a frozen lake. "You're back? Then wash your hands and come eat."

The man's voice was gentle and deep, with just the right amount of warmth, echoing the calls he made at countless dusks in his memory.

"..."

All of Lin Nan's confusion vanished after she saw that man.

You're so slow!

His consciousness has always been with you; he has existed since the first day you appeared here.

……

So that's how it is. Lin Nian has been here all along...

Seeing that Lin Nan hadn't moved, the man inside put down his chopsticks, looking somewhat puzzled. He took two steps forward and asked with natural concern, "What's wrong? Were you bullied at school?"

For some reason, Lin Nan's tears began to fall uncontrollably at that moment.

She wiped them dry with both hands, crying and shaking her head. At first, only silent tears slid down her cheeks, hitting the front of her clothes and spreading out a small dark stain.

But when the man's gentle gaze fell upon her, and his concerned question, "Were you bullied?" rang in her ears, the emotions that had been building up inside her finally broke free. Tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string, unstoppable.

She hurriedly raised her hands to wipe them dry, the back of her hands rubbing her cheeks sorely, but new tears immediately welled up, blurring her vision.

She shook her head violently as she cried. She desperately wanted to tell him she was alright and not to worry, but the words caught in her throat, as if something was blocking it. All her bravado crumbled into sobs, which eventually turned into an even more torrent of tears. She just cried, unable to stop, and unwilling to stop.

The injustice of being falsely accused and gossiped about by everyone, the fear of seeing monsters, the despair of losing control of the spirit, and the loneliness of floating alone in a strange world... all the emotions accumulated over these days found an outlet at this moment.

The man didn't urge her or ask any questions; he simply stood quietly in front of her, his gentle gaze enveloping her like warm water.

"It's okay to cry, don't be afraid, I'm here for you."

He gently took her hand, the warmth of his palm seeping through her skin, a familiar comfort. He carefully held her fingertips, his movements as gentle as if touching a fragile treasure, familiar and tender.

Sure enough, with the man's comforting words, Lin Nan's emotions finally returned to normal.

She raised her hand and touched her eyes. Without even looking, she knew they must be swollen like light bulbs and look terrible.

Lin Nan stole a glance at the man's smiling face and suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed. She quickly turned her back, not wanting him to see her disheveled appearance.

The man, understanding her situation, didn't laugh at her. He simply handed her a clean towel, his voice as gentle as an afternoon breeze: "Can we talk about it after we eat? Otherwise, the food will get cold. Didn't you say you wanted steamed crucian carp this morning? I specially went to the market and picked out a big one; it's very fresh."

Upon hearing this, Lin Nan paused in wiping her face.

The man had already walked into the house first, the corner of his dark blue apron swaying gently in the sunlight, his back view so familiar that it seemed he was greeting a family member returning late.

Seeing that she hadn't followed him from outside the door, he stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at her with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong? Come in quickly, why are you so absent-minded today?"

He reached out his hand to her, palm up, a warm glow flowing around his fingertips, as if inviting her into an eternal dream.

(End of this chapter)