Chapter 85: Slow-Acting Poison

Darkness, thick like ink, robbed him of all sight, but amplified touch, hearing, and smell to a degree that was unsettling.

Every breath carried the other person’s increasingly feverish warmth.

A certain cloyingly sweet scent was also growing stronger.

Xin Yao’s kisses had shifted from their initial gentle longing to something much more urgent.

Her moist, hot lips wandered over his neck and cheeks, her teeth occasionally nipping unconsciously, bringing with it a slight sting and an even stronger tremor.

“Please… move… touch me…”

From the first plea onward, similar words kept reaching Lin Yu’s ears.

These suppressed, tearful pleas kept scraping at his already taut nerves.

This, however, did let Lin Yu breathe a slight sigh of relief. Her behavior indicated she still had some rationality left. But the next second, that fragile resistance could completely collapse.

By now, the hand that had been pressed against his chest had slid down to his waist, her fingertips trying to slip under the edge of his waistband.

The sensation startled him, and he hurriedly used his other hand to press hers down. This woman said one thing but did another, actually trying to get a hold over him.

“Lin Yu… Lin Yu…”

Thwarted, Xin Yao instead grabbed at his waist, her nails digging in as if she wanted to pierce his skin. She just kept repeating his name. He knew what she meant, but he couldn’t.

He used all his strength to control his already somewhat stiff body, not daring to make any movement that might create a sound.

But Xin Yao’s condition was clearly getting worse.

The physiological craving brought on by the “Energy Drain” symptom was amplified to its extreme in this enclosed, dark space filled with the scent of the opposite sex and with their bodies pressed so closely together.

Her breathing grew heavier, each pant carrying a muffled sob of impatience. Her body rubbed against his in small, snake-like motions. The faint rustling sound of the tight-fitting fabric rubbing together made Lin Yu feel his scalp prickling.

As time passed, what made him even more embarrassed were the shameful physiological changes happening to certain parts of Xin Yao’s body. Dampness and heat were being transmitted clearly through her bodysuit.

Just as Xin Yao seemed finally unable to bear it any longer, trembling as she reached for the side zipper…

From the direction of the bed outside the wardrobe came the sound of someone turning over, followed by the rustle of fabric.

It was like a bucket of ice water, instantly dousing Xin Yao’s impending eruption of impulse.

Her whole body stiffened. All movement abruptly stopped. Even her breath was held in an instant.

Lin Yu was also scared into a cold sweat, his heart almost stopping.

He felt Xin Yao’s hand gripping him suddenly tighten, her nails digging into the skin on the back of his hand.

Time seemed to stand still.

A few seconds later, from outside came Lin Mowei’s slightly indistinct sleep-talking. “Xiao Yu… don’t run away…” Then, silence again.

This interruption, while it temporarily suppressed the most violent outburst, also made the situation even more dangerous. It meant there wouldn’t be a next chance.

Xin Yao’s craving hadn’t disappeared. Instead, transformed by the fright, it turned into another kind of restless, uncontrollable action.

She buried her face against Lin Yu’s shoulder, opening her mouth to gently bite his shoulder. Scalding tears slid down her cheeks, soaking his clothes.

Lin Yu could feel her pain and struggle.

Rationally, he knew the best choice right now was to continue this stalemate, waiting for Lin Mowei to leave or fall into deep sleep.

But physically, being clung to, cried over, and pleaded with by a mature, beautiful woman in such a state was also a huge test of his willpower.

Moreover, he wasn’t entirely without a reaction himself. His body, under such stimulation, had long since developed changes it shouldn’t have, which made him even more flustered and panicked.

He needed to calm down, even if just for an extremely short time.

He tried, very slowly, to move the hand Xin Yao was holding, wanting to gradually pull it free.

But this tiny movement was like pressing a switch.

Xin Yao abruptly lifted her head. Though they couldn’t see each other’s eyes in the dark, Lin Yu could feel her scorching gaze “nailing” itself to his face.

She let go of his wrist, but instead used both hands to cup Lin Yu’s face.

“Lin Yu…” Her voice was terribly hoarse, carrying a kind of desperate, all-or-nothing resolve mixed with a heart-wrenching fragility. “I… I’m going crazy. Help me… just once. I promise, just once… After this, I’ll listen to whatever you say… I won’t bring up the photo thing anymore, I…”

Their faces were very close, close enough to feel the shape and warmth of each other’s lips.

Lin Yu’s heart pounded wildly. He knew what “just once” meant.

But that definitely wouldn’t be “over after just once.” It would be a prairie fire.

Once it started, even in this cramped space, even with his sister just steps away, it absolutely wouldn’t stop.

He had to make a choice, immediately!

But Xin Yao wasn’t giving him that time anymore.

Loyalty to her deceased husband, apology to her junior, dissatisfaction with the young man… by the time she uttered those words, none of it mattered anymore.

Her lips, trembling and exhaling hot breath, pressed against his. It didn’t feel like a kiss, more like a desperate surrender.

Feeling the softness of her lips, Lin Yu could only let out a powerless sigh in his heart, his tense body slowly relaxing.

It was already beyond retrieval…

No!

It was already a foregone conclusion. The moment he relaxed, he finally remembered some other vague descriptions in those records.

In the early stages of the symptom, the Resonator’s “soothing” and “guidance” might be more effective than outright refusal, temporarily alleviating the Ability User’s extreme cravings and buying time for subsequent handling.

But that required the Resonator to actively engage in a certain degree of resonance or close-range soothing. The records were vague on specifics, and the risks were unknown.

There were only a few lines. After all, there were only a handful of Resonators, so there couldn’t be a large sample of data.

Thinking of this, he steeled his heart.

He raised one hand, hesitated for a moment, then gently placed it on the sweaty nape of Xin Yao’s neck.

That was a spot many mammals touched to soothe their young, and it was also one of the relatively sensitive areas on the human body for transmitting calming signals.

At the same time, he closed his eyes and tried to actively release a tiny bit of the peaceful, stable mental fluctuation unique to a Resonator.

This wasn’t to amplify power, but more like transmitting a stabilizing signal, trying to override the chaotic frequency in the other’s mind.

“Xin Yao,” a hypnotically gentle voice whispered from between their lips, “listen to me. Take a deep breath… follow my rhythm…”

His hand gently massaged the back of Xin Yao’s neck. The motion was clumsy, yet exceptionally tender.

The unique mental fluctuation of a Resonator, like a trickling stream, began trying to seep into Xin Yao’s agitated mind.

Receiving this signal, Xin Yao’s body stiffened abruptly, and even her action of kissing his lips stopped.

A sense of acceptance, more comfortable than mere physiological craving, welled up like a sweet spring, temporarily suppressing that scorching desire to plunder.

She drew in a long, shuddering breath, like someone rescued from drowning.

Her body was still burning hot and trembling, but she no longer tried to make any further advances. Instead, like clutching a lifeline, she tightly embraced Lin Yu.

She closed her eyes, burying her face deep into the crook of his neck, greedily drinking in the calm aura emanating from him.

The suffocating, dangerous atmosphere of lust inside the wardrobe seemed to be replaced by another, more complex, more bizarre atmosphere of dependence and solace.

The frantic movements stopped, leaving only an embrace so tight they seemed to meld into one.

Their breathing gradually returned to a regular rhythm, slowly intertwining.

Lin Yu maintained this posture, his back pressed against the cool wardrobe door, his palms slick with cold sweat.

He knew this was just a stopgap measure, like drinking poison to quench thirst.

Xin Yao’s “Energy Drain” symptom hadn’t been resolved, only temporarily “soothed.”

But this kind of soothing would only deepen her symptoms, requiring an even greater frequency later, until eventually… she wouldn’t be able to leave his side for even half a step.

He didn’t know if that brief, unusual noise earlier had drawn his sister’s attention.

He could only pray she was truly asleep, or hadn’t pursued it for some other reason.

Time passed, second by second, each one feeling like a century.

The temperature inside the wardrobe was still high. Their bodies were still pressed together, the pose extremely ambiguous.

But at least, for now, it hadn’t developed in a worse direction.

While continuing the soothing motions and mental suggestions, Lin Yu’s mind raced.

This side was handled for now, but how were they going to get out?

And after getting free, how was he supposed to deal with Xin Yao, this sudden, huge problem?

Once the “Energy Drain” symptom was confirmed, it was an unsolvable puzzle. The records were blank on this.

Maybe there were details he hadn’t remembered?

But he couldn’t see them… A dead end.

Just as his thoughts were in complete turmoil, from the direction of the bed outside the wardrobe came the sound of fabric being thrown back, and… the faint sound of feet touching the floor.

Was his sister getting up?

Lin Yu and Xin Yao’s bodies instantly stiffened simultaneously, their breathing stopping completely.