Chapter 342: Third Party 

Mu Xi’s heart pounded so violently it felt like it might burst from her chest.

The Captain’s sudden intrusion, everything that had happened — it was all too fast. Ba He’s desperate struggle, and then that earth-shattering gunshot from Ye Lan, her personal guard.

Her mind went completely blank, leaving only her body’s instinctive trembling and that relentless, gnawing weakness.

But at the same time, she could clearly feel it. As Ye Lan drew from her, that life force that had been so faint it was nearly severed was surging back with impossible speed — growing, swelling.

Like a dried-up riverbed suddenly refilled with water. Like withered plants bursting forth with new vitality.

The sensation was strange, as if an invisible connection had formed between them.

She could vaguely perceive the changes happening inside Ye Lan’s body.

Those grotesque wounds seemed to writhe, faint tingling spreading through her — flesh regenerating. Fractured bones let out the faintest grinding sounds as they slowly corrected themselves.

Ye Lan… was recovering.

This realization stirred an indescribable emotion in Mu Xi’s heart.

Relief that the fear had dissipated. Exhaustion from what she’d given. And a strange, quiet satisfaction.

Like watching a flower she had watered with her own hands, teetering on the edge of death, finally bloom again with the colors of life.

Dizziness washed over her in waves, tiny golden specks swimming before her eyes.

She knew this was a sign her body was being pushed past its limits, but she didn’t stop.

She could feel it — Ye Lan still needed more. So much more.

Ye Lan drank greedily, her tightly shut phoenix eyes slowly opening.

They were weary, but deep within, that familiar flame had been rekindled. Sharp. Domineering. Filled with the power to command everything.

Her gaze landed first on Mu Xi’s face, so close it was nearly touching hers.

No longer the scattered, despairing look from before. Though still carrying the weakness of injury, her eyes were deep as the darkest abyss — so complex they defied interpretation.

There was relief at surviving death’s door. Instinctive dependence on her savior. Hunger for this essence. And something unprecedented — a focused scrutiny that bordered on examination.

She looked at Mu Xi’s pale, delicate face. At her long lashes trembling slightly. At her ears turning red from shame and tension. At her skin, exposed to the air, so fine it seemed it might break at the slightest touch…

Then Ye Lan moved.

She raised one hand.

That same hand that had hung limp not long ago, possibly with broken bones, had now recovered some strength. Though the movements were still slow and stiff, they carried an undeniable authority.

Her fingertips, faintly cool, gently brushed against Mu Xi’s sweat-dampened cheek.

The touch was impossibly soft — utterly unlike any of her previous contact that had carried punishment or possessiveness.

It was more like touching a treasure lost and regained, with cautious probing and unprecedented cherishing.

Mu Xi’s body went rigid.

A wave of heat rushed to her face instantly, spreading from her neck all the way to her ears, making her feel like she might catch fire.

This sudden intimacy flustered and shamed her more than having her body exposed had.

She instinctively tried to turn her head away — that avoidance response to Ye Lan’s touch practically carved into her bones.

But Ye Lan’s fingers applied slight pressure, a gentleness that brooked no resistance, gently holding her chin in place and preventing her retreat.

Ye Lan’s fingertip traced over her delicate skin, feeling that extraordinary warmth.

Her phoenix eyes fixed unblinkingly on Mu Xi, roiling with too many complex emotions, so deep they threatened to swallow her whole.

There was exhaustion from just escaping death’s grip. The sharpness of returning power. Shock at what Mu Xi had given. And something deeper, harder to name — possessiveness.

She seemed to be searching Mu Xi’s eyes for confirmation of something.

Mu Xi was forced to meet her gaze, her heart hammering like a war drum, so tense she forgot to breathe.

She could feel the warm breath radiating from Ye Lan, mingling with the scent of blood and her own “essence,” creating an atmosphere both dangerously intimate and deeply ambiguous.

Ye Lan’s lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, only her throat moved slightly before she stopped.

Though her instincts still screamed for more, she forcibly suppressed that primal urge.

She could feel that Mu Xi had reached her limit — that small face was pale almost to the point of transparency, her body trembling faintly.

If she continued, she feared she might truly hurt her.

Ye Lan slowly withdrew the hand stroking Mu Xi’s cheek, instead gently gripping her bare shoulder to sit her up straighter.

Her movements still carried the stiffness of injury, but they were remarkably steady.

“…Little Xi.”

A hoarse voice, heavy with exhaustion, slipped from Ye Lan’s lips.

Just two words, yet they struck Mu Xi’s heart like a thousand-pound weight.

Mu Xi shuddered violently, lifting her eyes in a daze.

Ye Lan looked at her, her gaze still deep and unreadable, but something else seemed to have crept into it — no longer pure dominance and control, but something softer, more complex.

The Captain of the Personal Guard silently rose to her feet and stepped back two paces, giving them space. But those sharp eyes remained alertly scanning the surroundings, while simultaneously unable to completely ignore the strange and intimate scene before her.

She felt relief for her Sovereign, and profound shock at Lady Mu Xi’s actions.

The chaos outside had fallen completely silent.

Those heart-stopping gunshots, the explosions — along with the purification process from before — had all ceased.

The air was thick with cloying blood, mixed with the acrid stench of burned metal and wires, invading their nostrils and reminding them of the brutal battle that had just taken place.

Mu Xi’s body remained limp against the headboard. Ye Lan’s presence enveloped her — warm, tinged with the distinctive rust of wounds, along with the unique scent of her own “essence.” It made the heat in her cheeks rise once more, and she shifted uncomfortably.

Ye Lan didn’t release her. Instead, the hand that had been gripping her shoulder slid down naturally to encircle her waist.

The pressure wasn’t heavy, but it carried an undeniable claim.

Beside them, the Captain of the Personal Guard, who had been standing in silent vigilance, straightened soundlessly.

She didn’t speak immediately. Her sharp gaze first swept quickly over the room, confirming her Sovereign’s condition was stable, then turned toward the door as if listening for movement outside.

A moment later, she turned back and bowed slightly.

“Sovereign.”

The Captain’s voice was pitched low but exceptionally clear, carrying the calm of post-battle assessment. “All external intruders confirmed eliminated. Silent Language Building has held.”

Ye Lan’s phoenix eyes lifted slightly, her gaze landing on the Captain. The flame that had just been rekindled flickered, a sharp glint flashing through.

She didn’t speak, simply indicating with her eyes for the Captain to continue.

The Captain paused, her expression growing somber. “We lost more than three-tenths of our personnel. The Silent Language Building’s external defensive structures are severely damaged — particularly the south wall, which needs immediate repair. Additionally…”

The Captain paused a moment longer, as if weighing her words.

Mu Xi’s heart instinctively clenched.

Three-tenths lost… The number sent a chill through her.

So many casualties. Every member of the escort team Ye Lan had brought was the elite of the elite.

The ferocity of this attack far exceeded anything she had imagined.

Ye Lan remained silent, but Mu Xi could feel the arm around her waist tighten, the muscles tensing slightly.

“While clearing the battlefield,” the Captain continued, her voice growing heavier, “we discovered equipment that doesn’t belong to Ba He’s forces. The specifications are unusual — bearing markings we’ve never seen before. Preliminary assessment indicates that a third-party force may have infiltrated the attackers.”