Baili Jing’s hand came to rest on Jiang Qingli’s ankle, caressing it gently.

It tickled a little.

Jiang Qingli felt no pain. When she looked down, she discovered the wound had already healed. All the redness and irritation were gone, leaving her skin good as new.

Medicine in the Interstellar Era really was something else, healing a wound in no time at all.

"How amazing," Jiang Qingli couldn’t help but murmur in awe.

"This medicine is fast for superficial wounds. For bigger injuries, a professional medical pod is quicker," Baili Jing said with a smile. "You used to apply it for me often when we were children."

Jiang Qingli nodded.

But then she suddenly froze.

A strange feeling belatedly dawned on her.

’Baili Jing’s tone... it sounded like he was explaining...’

’If it was a medicine they used often as kids, it must be very common. I should already be familiar with its effects, right? Did it really need an explanation?’

’It was the same last time, too.’

’After we met Qin Shu, Baili Jing was the one who explained the origins of the Melt Star Association to me—something that was clearly common knowledge for the whole school.’

At this realization, a chill ran down Jiang Qingli’s spine. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach, and a voice in her head screamed relentlessly.

’Oh god, could Baili Jing have already figured out I’m an imposter?!’

’Is he testing me?’

’Or has he known all along?!’

Cold sweat trickled down her back. Jiang Qingli’s mind went blank as she frantically tried to figure out where she had slipped up.

The more she thought, the more she felt her entire act was riddled with flaws.

’No wonder the system said so many previous hosts died. How could anyone survive when everyone around them is sharp as a tack...’

’And what did Baili Jing mean just now when he said, "It’s just the two of us now"?’

’Was he trying to say it’s easier to kill me and silence me if we’re alone?!’

’What do I do, what do I do, how can I bluff my way out of this...’

Jiang Qingli’s whole body went rigid. She stared down at her own fingers, having absolutely no idea what to do.

Deep down, Jiang Qingli didn’t actually believe Baili Jing would kill her.

But she had to prepare for the worst.

Just as she was panicking, a warm, dry hand suddenly took hers.

"Qingli."

Baili Jing called her name softly, his voice gentler than ever before.

Jiang Qingli trembled and looked up, her voice shaking. "W-what is it..."

The girl forced a stiff smile, but it couldn’t hide the alarm and fear in her eyes.

The hand he held was ice-cold.

It wasn’t from the water, or for any other reason. She was afraid of him.

Any words Baili Jing might have said caught in his throat.

The corners of his lips curved into a helpless, bitter smile.

Just as he was about to let go, the girl gripped his hand back, her expression even more tense, her small face tight.

Baili Jing could no longer contain the sour, bitter ache in his heart.

He raised a hand to cover her eyes and pulled her into his arms, sighing softly. "Don’t look at me like that..."

Through the fabric of his shirt, the young man’s warmth enveloped Jiang Qingli.

Jiang Qingli’s ear was pressed against his chest. Hearing his strong, steady heartbeat, a familiar sense of peace washed over her.

"Qingli."

Baili Jing spoke gently, patting her back lightly as he softened his voice as much as possible. "When I brought up our childhood, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to tell you that I still remember my promise."

"I know that right now you’re***—"

Baili Jing’s voice stopped abruptly.

His eyes widened slightly.

’Why... can’t I make a sound?’

Baili Jing tried to speak again. "You’re*****—"

Once again, the rest of the words were soundless.

He wanted to tell Jiang Qingli, "I know you’ve just forgotten our memories, but you’re still you."

He also wanted to say, "I know you’re not the ’her’ from before."

But he was like a speaker with the volume turned off.

Baili Jing could feel his lips moving. He was certain he had formed the words clearly and precisely, but no sound came out. There was no way Jiang Qingli could have heard him.

He had been muted.

Baili Jing opened his terminal, trying to type.

But the words he typed appeared as black squares.

At the same time, Baili Jing felt his throat begin to ache, and a sharp pain shot through his head, as if a needle had been thrust in and was being stirred around.

As if strangled by a pair of invisible hands, Baili Jing found it hard to breathe, and waves of dizziness washed over him.

Sensing something was wrong, Jiang Qingli struggled out of his embrace to check on him.

By then, Baili Jing no longer had the strength to hold her.

The young man collapsed onto the bed, his face pale and his lips turning purple. Frightening blue veins bulged on his neck.

Jiang Qingli jumped in fright. She frantically pressed the pressure point on his philtrum and felt his neck, her voice trembling even more. "Wh-wh-what’s wrong with you? Is it your heart?! Don’t move! I’ll call a doctor right now!"

As she spoke, she started looking for her terminal.

She patted herself down, only to realize she was still in her swimsuit and her terminal was in the changing room.

Growing more anxious, Jiang Qingli was just about to grab Baili Jing’s terminal to call a doctor when a hand caught her wrist.

"I’m fine," Baili Jing said softly.

"How can you say you’re fine! Look at you!"

Jiang Qingli didn’t know why she was in such a panic. Forgetting her earlier fear, she put her arms around Baili Jing’s waist, moved him fully onto the bed so he could lie down properly, then found the infirmary’s emergency button and called for a doctor.

After doing all that, Jiang Qingli hurried to pour a glass of warm water and brought it to Baili Jing.

"Thank you, Qingli." Baili Jing took the water, his voice soft and reassuring. "I’m really okay."

Baili Jing wasn’t lying.

He really was fine now.

The moment Jiang Qingli’s fingers touched his neck, the restrictive force vanished instantly.

Baili Jing could once again draw in a deep breath of fresh air.

He realized that Jiang Qingli’s memory loss might be connected to some kind of mysterious power.

These matters were an absolute secret, something that could not be spoken aloud.

He knew, but he couldn’t say.

Not even a hint was allowed.

What happened just now was only a warning.

If he tried to tell Jiang Qingli the truth again, he would likely be obliterated on the spot. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Baili Jing closed his eyes, a profound sense of despair and helplessness welling up from the bottom of his heart.

He had thought his own power was enough to protect his girl, yet he could only watch, powerless, as she was harmed by an unknown force.

Soon, a medical robot arrived.

Jiang Qingli quickly made way for it. A little wary of the robot, she stood to the side, staring at it without blinking.

After a moment’s examination, the medical robot reported the results to Jiang Qingli in a monotone voice: "Jiang, please do not worry. Mr. Baili has no internal or external injuries. He is very healthy."

Jiang Qingli, still shaken from what had just happened, asked, "But he was having trouble breathing just now. Can you check again?"

The medical robot performed another examination on Baili Jing, producing a large amount of data to prove that nothing was wrong.

The mechanical voice offered a serious-sounding hypothesis: "Mr. Baili’s condition just now may have been due to high fluctuations in his contamination value caused by emotional distress."

Jiang Qingli frowned. "Then what should we do? Does he need Spiritual Healing?"

"You and your Beast Husband can just discuss a time for that," the robot suggested. "Additionally, you can pet your Beast Husband more often. This will effectively help him relieve stress. Research shows that 80% of male Beastmen enjoy being petted by their female master..."

It was as if the robot’s public service announcement button had been pressed. It became exceptionally talkative, but Jiang Qingli showed no impatience, listening intently, nodding from time to time, and asking questions.

Lying on the bed, Baili Jing watched the girl frown with worry, and a contented smile appeared on his lips.

’Even though she’s forgotten the past, she still cares about me.’

’That’s enough.’

No matter what the future held, as long as he was alive, he would always be by her side.

If fate wanted to kill her, it would have to roll over his corpse first.

-

Fifteen minutes later, the medical robot finally stopped its incessant chatter.

Jiang Qingli saw the robot out, closed the door, and moved to sit by the bed.

The crisis was over, but now she was remembering what happened earlier, and she was filled with worry.

After some thought, she decided to play dumb and try to bridge the gap.

Jiang Qingli bit her lip and said softly, "By the way, thank you for helping me at the pool earlier..."

Baili Jing held her hand, bending down to press his face into her palm. His fox ears emerged from his white hair, their furry tips twitching slightly.

Seeing the fox ears, Jiang Qingli had the subconscious urge to touch them but managed to hold back. "What is it?"

Baili Jing didn’t miss the thought in her eyes. The smile in his own eyes deepened, and the slight upward tilt at their corners tugged at Jiang Qingli’s heart like a hook, forcing it to beat faster.

He leaned in close, his soft enunciation mixing with hot breath against the shell of her ear.

"Just a ’thank you’?"

"I want a more... substantial reward."