The wooden door let out a heavy creak as Ye Jinzhi stepped into the room, holding Bella in his arms.
Inside, candle flames flickered, and the rich scent of sandalwood mixed with the dampness of the rain.
The old abbot did not look up, maintaining his cross-legged meditative posture.
"You have arrived?"
The young man said nothing. He silently pulled back a corner of the blanket wrapped around Bella in his arms, revealing a face so exquisitely beautiful it was almost otherworldly.
Seeing the person sitting across from them, Bella instinctively held her breath.
By the faint candlelight, she made out the old abbot's appearance:
He had kind eyes and a gentle brow, with a completely white beard resting against his chest.
His eyes were as deep as an ancient well, undisturbed and tranquil.
[From his looks alone, you really can't tell much. Who knows if he has real skills or is just putting on an act.]
Seeing that the other party wasn't looking at Ye Jinzhi, but was instead staring straight at her, Bella's heart leaped into her throat.
The old abbot stared at Bella for a good while before his slightly pursed lips gradually relaxed into a smile.
He reached out a hand, slowly stroking his long white beard, and let out a low chuckle.
"Your wish shall be granted,"
The old abbot's voice was very slow, but every word struck heavily against Ye Jinzhi's heart.
"Just wait patiently for the flower to bloom."
The fingers Ye Jinzhi used to hold Bella suddenly tightened, his knuckles turning white from the force.
His dark pupils abruptly shrank as he stared fixedly at the abbot, his voice carrying an uncontrollable tremor:
"Do you mean... she really can..."
But the old abbot said no more, closing his eyes once again:
"Destiny works in its own ways, do not force it.
Flowers bloom in their season, and the departed will return in due time."
Bella was completely dumbfounded at this point.
She was someone who had scored over a hundred and thirty in her high school literature exam; she wasn't stupid and could vaguely guess what the man meant.
Wish granted? The departed will return?
Tsk, tsk, tsk. To think that such a massive yandere actually had someone he yearned for but couldn't get.
[Tragic! Truly tragic! Absolutely tragic!]
Who knows which beautiful lady was so pitiful, ah, no, rather, so lucky, to have caught Ye Jinzhi's eye.
After all, in novels, when a yandere character appeared, everyone would just clutch their chests and scream:
"Aww, so edgy! So thrilling! Love him so much!"
But if you actually met someone like this in reality, your rationality would instantly kick in, and all sense of romance would drop to zero.
Your first reaction would probably be to whip out your phone and say with absolute, unwavering conviction:
"Officer, this is the man."
After hearing the other's words, Ye Jinzhi looked like a prisoner who had just received a full pardon.
With gentle yet irresistible movements, he turned Bella around in his arms, making her sapphire eyes look directly into his own.
An overly radiant smile blossomed little by little in Bella's eyes.
That smile was so brilliant it was almost blinding, his eyes looking as if they had captured a sky full of stars, fragmented and dazzling.
How do I explain to you that,
while I love you without hesitation...
my fear is equally boundless.
Bella looked up at him from close range. Under the candlelight, his face flickered in and out of the shadows.
She suddenly felt that this was the young man's first truly genuine emotional expression toward her today.
"Bella... did you hear that?"
Ye Jinzhi's voice trembled terribly, carrying a faint sob as if afraid of disturbing this fragile dream.
He pressed the tip of his nose against Bella's forehead, his scorching breath spraying over her skin, making Bella feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Noticing the redness at the corners of his eyes, Bella's heart inexplicably tightened, followed by a trace of a guilty conscience.
[...Wait a minute, what do I have to feel guilty about?]
Inside the car cabin, the sound of the torrential rain battering the windows was isolated outside the heavy sheet metal.
"Bella~"
"Bella..."
"I like you so much, I really like you so much."
"Baby, you are mine... mine."
...
Ye Jinzhi currently looked like a madman caught in some kind of hysteria.
Bella rolled her eyes several times in her mind.
Ever since they left the temple and got into the car, this guy had been endlessly calling her name.
His arms never loosened their grip, keeping their faces pressed together as he murmured over and over again.
Moreover, his tone was sickeningly sweet.
Enough... this is really enough!
[From just now until this very moment, you've called my name no less than a hundred times. Even a parrot isn't as diligent as you!]
And those constant calls of baby.
Such intimate terms of endearment were like a bubble tea with 200 percent sweetness, cloying and smothering her sense of hearing.
Yet the young man remained completely oblivious.
He even went a step further, gently rubbing the tip of his nose against Bella's light blue Empire-style collar, sniffing the scent of the body wash that was identical to his own.
The redness in his eyes had not completely faded, but right now, they were filled with overwhelming doting affection.
"From now on, we will always be together, okay?"
He lifted his head, his eyes shining astonishingly bright.
Bella stared stiffly straight ahead, feeling his embrace constantly tightening due to his emotional excitement, but her heart held only a stretch of calm.
Even so, that feeling of being coiled around by a venomous snake followed her like a shadow.
On the winding mountain road.
Outside the window, the thunder grew increasingly furious, every roar sounding as if it wanted to collapse the mountain road.
The rain was no longer just falling; it was like a breached sea, smashing head-on against the windshield.
The distant mountain silhouettes twisted like baring, clawing demons. Ye Jinzhi vaguely sensed that there was something sinister about today's weather.
"Young Master, there are two cars that have been following us."
The young man tilted his head slightly, raising his hand to pick up the tablet beside him. With a few taps of his fingertips, the rear camera feed instantly popped up.
Amidst the flashes of lightning, two black SUVs were in close pursuit.
"Tsk, truly impossible to shake off no matter what..."
A flash of annoyance stirred in the depths of Ye Jinzhi's eyes.
If it were any other normal day, he probably would have personally taught these reckless fools a lesson.
He looked down at his arms; Bella was curled up quietly against his chest.
Almost instantly, the hostility surrounding him was forcefully suppressed by a wave of joy.
His features visibly softened, even showing a degree of restraint.
The dirty blood of these scumbags absolutely could not be allowed to startle his baby.
"Lose them."
He ordered indifferently.
Bella: [!!!]
Oh boy!
Rainy day, hellish weather, and cars following them from behind...
What kind of drama is about to play out?
A kidnapping? Or an assassination?
Moving his fingertips away from Bella's palm, he unhurriedly pressed a hidden button concealed on the inside of the leather armrest.
"Beep—"
After a crisp electronic sound, the car's internal line connected instantly, and a capable, utterly cold male voice came through:
"Boss?"
Seeing that he didn't show the slightest bit of panic and even lowered his head again to casually play with the bracelet on her wrist,
Bella felt slightly relieved.
"Take some men and deal with the tail behind me."
His tone was extremely steady. "Keep it clean."
"Yes, Boss."
