Relief

The banter about the exclusive seal and the golden eyes briefly broke the tension in the air, but between the two sensitive individuals, this thin veil of secrecy was ultimately destined to be torn down.

Aemeath released her grip on Lu Yan's neck, but did not pull away.

Her golden eyes were fixed on Lu Yan, the coquettishness and panic from before gone, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

"A-Yan, don't think you can just get away with this." Although Aemeath's voice was soft and sweet, her attitude was very firm.

She gently touched Lu Yan's eye with her fingertips, feeling its vibrant warmth. "Tell me, what exactly happened to your eyes? And what about your high fever just now, and those changes in your senses that you mentioned?"

Lu Yan looked at Aemeath, whose eyes were filled with his, and felt the slight tremor in her fingertips.

He didn't avoid her gaze, but instead reached out his large, warm hand and firmly enveloped her small hand, which was pressed against his cheek, in his palm.

A gentle light surged in his newly formed golden eyes.

"Actually, I wasn't quite sure at first either; I just had a vague feeling." Lu Yan's voice sounded deep in the quiet night.

"But when I saw those eyes in the mirror just now, those fragmented perceptions suddenly connected."

His gaze followed Aemeath's smooth forehead, glided over the tip of her pert nose, and finally landed on the pink lips he had kissed.

Recalling their first passionate night, Aemeath's exploitation the second time, and their union in the bathtub last night, Lu Yan's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably, and a blush crept up his ears.

But he still looked directly at Aemeath with an open and honest gaze, his voice slightly hoarse. "Actually, every time... every time we finish doing that, I have a very strange feeling."

Aemeath paused for a moment, clearly not expecting the topic to suddenly veer in this direction.

Two blushes instantly rose to her cheeks, and even her ears turned pink. Her previously pressing tone weakened considerably, and she even tried to look away in a flustered manner.

Aemeath stamped her foot, somewhat annoyed and angry, and said, "Why did you suddenly bring this up... I was asking about the changes in your body!"

"I'm talking about the changes in her body." Lu Yan chuckled, tightening his grip slightly to pull her closer, giving her no chance to escape.

"I'm serious." His smile faded, his expression becoming focused. "I've found that after each time we're intimate, the heaviness and fatigue in my body lessen."

"It's as if an energy is seeping into my limbs and bones, through our breath and our touch."

Lu Yan closed his eyes, as if savoring that wonderful sensation. "At first, I thought it was just an illusion caused by relaxation."

"But gradually, I found myself with more and more energy, and my hearing and vision reached unprecedented levels."

He reopened his gleaming golden eyes and gazed at Aemeath:

"Perhaps it's because... the Frequency was too high, and that energy reached a critical point, which is why I had that dream about you tonight, and why my body produced that seemingly terrifying high fever in order to adapt."

After hearing these words, Aemeath stood there dumbfounded in his arms.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Aemeath's mind was frantically processing every word Lu Yan had said.

Energy... Frequency...

And what she had seen in her research about the Sound Vessel for Rover, and what Rover said about him being another version of me...

When all the clues converged and pointed to that one and only result, Aemeath's body, which had been tense for so long, suddenly went limp, like a string that had been suddenly released.

"Phew~~" Aemeath let out a long sigh of relief.

This breath was filled with boundless joy and relief, as well as a feeling of exhaustion as if reborn.

Then she suddenly opened her arms and hugged Lu Yan's waist tightly.

Aemeath buried her face in his firm chest with such force that it seemed she wanted to merge herself into his body.

"That's wonderful... it's really wonderful..." Aemeath's voice was muffled in Lu Yan's arms, trembling with barely suppressed sobs, "Finally... finally I can rest easy..."

Lu Yan Aemeath's sudden change in mood.

He hugged her back, gently stroking her soft, long hair, his mind filled with questions.

"Silly girl, why are you crying?" Lu Yan gently coaxed. "You just said you were relieved? Relieved of what?"

Aemeath didn't look up immediately; she simply hugged him with all her might, as if she were holding the most precious thing in the world.