A strange smell

Dawn broke, and cool morning light seeped through the gaps in the tent.

Neither of them had slept all night.

After their long night of entanglement, their surroundings finally fell quiet. Tang Ya was sore and exhausted, nestled helplessly in Chen Jie's arms. The crimson flush had yet to leave her cheeks, her long lashes drooped, and her eyes were filled with embarrassment and panic.

After their union yesterday, her soul power had surged to level 35. The joy of that increase completely drowned out her shame.

The pink contract on her lower abdomen still felt faintly hot. Every secret tug and bond from the previous night remained vivid in her mind, leaving her so ashamed she wished the ground would swallow her.

As daylight grew brighter, faint sounds drifted through the woods. Tang Ya instantly panicked, hastily pushing at Chen Jie, her voice soft and urgent:

"Get out... hurry! Bei Bei will wake up soon. If he comes in and sees us like this, it's all over..."

Panic reddened her eyes, and her whole body tensed. Her heart was filled with fear and guilt at the thought of being discovered.

But Chen Jie merely chuckled, his arm firmly locked around her waist, with no intention of releasing her or leaving. He looked at the flustered girl in his arms with utterly fearless certainty:

"What are you afraid of?"

His fingertips brushed lightly over her burning cheek, his eyes brimming with the unrestrained confidence of someone certain of his conquest:

"Even if he does see us, what can he do?"

Tang Ya abruptly stiffened, her pupils trembling as she completely lost her composure.

Anxious and frightened, ashamed and helpless, she hurriedly raised a hand to cover his mouth, her voice quivering as though she might cry:

"Don't say things like that! Just hurry up and leave!"

The pink markings on her lower abdomen glowed faintly.

She understood perfectly well that from the moment the contract had been formed last night, there had been no going back for her and Bei Bei.

Faced with Tang Ya's panicked, bashful resistance, Chen Jie watched her flustered movements with a deep smile in his eyes. In the end, he released the arm around her waist.

He stopped deliberately teasing her. Then, in the faint morning light filtering through the woods, he quietly lifted the tent flap with light, silent movements and turned to walk away, leaving no trace.

The tent instantly felt empty, yet the lingering warmth clung to Tang Ya, making her chest burn and throwing her thoughts into turmoil.

She hastily pressed her hands to her burning cheeks and took deep, shaky breaths, forcing herself to calm her restless anxiety. In a flurry, she straightened her clothes and hair, trying to erase every trace of that entire night of reckless entanglement. Guilt churned inside her like an overturned sea. The mere thought of Bei Bei filled her with anguish, and she could only reassure herself over and over that no one would discover what had happened in the tent.

Before long, a faint sound came from outside.

Bei Bei, who had spent the night resting against a tree trunk, slowly opened his eyes, rubbed the sleep from them, and stretched. After a full night's sleep, he felt refreshed.

He turned toward the closed tent and called gently, his voice still hoarse from sleep:

"Xiaoya, are you awake? It's morning."

At the sound of his voice, Tang Ya abruptly stiffened inside the tent. Her heart leaped, and her entire body instantly went taut.

The exhaustion of a sleepless night, the guilt buried deep in her heart, and the strange bond brought about by the contract intertwined, leaving her without even the courage to answer for a moment.

Inside the tent, Tang Ya's heart clenched hard when she heard Bei Bei call.

Scenes from the previous night surged uncontrollably through her mind. The mark on her lower abdomen still burned faintly, constantly reminding her of what had happened. On one side was the lover who had been with her for years; on the other was a soul bond she could not escape. Crushing guilt pressed down on her chest.

She took several deep breaths, forcing herself to steady her panicked thoughts. Raising a hand to smooth her tangled hair, she tried to suppress the lingering flush on her face and make her voice sound as normal as possible.

"I... I'm awake."

Tang Ya's voice carried through the tent fabric, its faint tremor barely concealed.

Hearing her answer, Bei Bei walked up to the entrance and reached out to lift the flap.

The movement frightened Tang Ya into tensing all over. She instinctively shrank back and hurriedly stopped him:

"Don't come in! I'm not ready yet! Stay back for now!"

Outside the tent, Bei Bei paused. He thought nothing of it, assuming it was merely a girl's morning modesty, and withdrew his hand with an easy, good-natured smile.

"All right, all right, I won't come in. Take your time. Where's Chen Jie? I don't see him anywhere. Don't tell me he fell asleep on watch."

Tang Ya's heart tightened again at his words. Chen Jie's half-smiling face immediately appeared in her mind, and she wondered where he was hiding now.

Just then, Chen Jie leisurely emerged from behind a nearby tree. His face once again wore that gentle, harmless expression, as though the forceful youth inside the tent last night had been nothing but a dream.

"I'm here. I kept watch all night," Chen Jie said calmly, his expression composed and natural, as though nothing had happened.

Bei Bei noticed nothing amiss and even gave him a thumbs-up. "Thanks for your hard work, Chen Jie. We really owe you for keeping watch all night."

Chen Jie smiled faintly. His gaze passed over Bei Bei and settled on the tightly closed tent, seeming to pierce the fabric and see Tang Ya suffering inside. A barely perceptible glint of cold possessiveness flashed in his eyes.

Inside the tent, Tang Ya heard their conversation clearly.

Hearing Bei Bei thank him so unsuspectingly, she felt as though a stone were pressing down on her heart, filling her with bitterness and guilt. When she thought of the contract binding her soul and Chen Jie's gaze, so certain of his conquest, a profound helplessness swept through her.

Tang Ya closed her eyes briefly and let out a long, heavy breath. Only after making the final adjustments to her clothes did she grit her teeth, reach out, and slowly lift the tent flap.

The tent flap rose slowly, and Tang Ya stepped out with her head lowered.

After a sleepless night and the previous night's exertion, her legs felt weak. Every step was unsteady, her body swaying slightly as she walked with an awkward limp. Her long bangs hung down, deliberately concealing the faint blush that had not entirely faded from her face. She dared not lift her eyes to meet Bei Bei's gaze.

Bei Bei immediately hurried forward, concern written across his brow. He could tell at a glance that something was wrong with Tang Ya. His gaze fell on her unsteady legs, and he frowned in confusion:

"Xiaoya, what's wrong? Why are you limping?"

As he spoke, he moved a little closer and caught a faint, peculiar smell he could not quite identify, mingled with the girl's own delicate fragrance. It was unfamiliar and strange. Bei Bei wrinkled his nose slightly and asked, still puzzled:

"And why is there such a strange smell on you?"

The sudden question frightened Tang Ya into going rigid. Her heart sank, and cold sweat broke out on her palms.

Her heart rose into her throat. She hurriedly avoided Bei Bei's gaze, her eyes darting as her mind raced to find an excuse that would conceal everything that had happened last night.

"What strange smell? I don't smell anything."

"It smells like... phot..." Bei Bei said with a frown.

Phot... photinia?

A blush spread across Tang Ya's face. In embarrassment, she pressed her legs tightly together.

I... I clearly sealed it with soul power. How could he still...

Chen Jie stood quietly nearby with his arms folded across his chest, wearing a faint smile and saying nothing. Only the amused gleam deep in his eyes betrayed his true feelings, as though he were enjoying the sight of Tang Ya's flustered embarrassment.

Tang Ya's fingertips tightly gripped the hem of her clothes, her heart pounding wildly. Putting on a look of exhaustion, she offered a quiet excuse:

"N-nothing. The sleeping mat in the tent was too hard last night. I slept badly, and I'm sore all over. As for the smell... it's probably the plants in the woods."

Her voice was weak and uncertain. Even she felt that her explanation was terribly far-fetched. The hand hanging at her side would not stop trembling slightly, and she dreaded Bei Bei questioning her further and tearing through this shameful disguise.

Bei Bei was only half convinced, his brow still tightly furrowed. Looking at Tang Ya's haggard, evasive demeanor, he felt a faint, indescribable sense that something was wrong, yet he could find no evidence.

Afterward, the three of them quickly packed up and immediately set off for Shrek Academy.