Deep within her heart, there was another reason she felt no hesitation about her decision.
Some time ago, a new person had entered her life.
It had not taken long before he occupied a place that no one else had ever managed to reach.
That person was Ye Fang.
Despite his young age, his name had rapidly spread throughout Azure Cloud City, and he had come to be recognized as one of the most brilliant geniuses of his generation.
He was confident without being arrogant, treated others with a gentle smile, and carried himself with a grace and composure that naturally drew people toward him.
As time passed, Luo Yan found herself comparing him to Ji Lin.
No matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, the conclusion was always the same.
One of them was steadily climbing toward the summit, surrounded by admiration and attention.
The other, in her eyes, was nothing more than a kind-hearted physician who spent most of his days among medicinal herbs and remedies without accomplishing anything worthy of note on the path of cultivation.
For that reason, she had resolved from the very beginning that even if Ji Lin tried to exploit her dependence on the medicine to force her into doing something against her will, she would never yield, no matter the cost.
She would rather endure the agony tearing her body apart than allow anyone to blackmail her or force her into something she did not wish to do.
At that moment, Ji Lin let out a quiet sigh before walking toward her with calm, measured steps.
They were not hurried, yet they carried such quiet confidence that she felt the distance between them closing far more quickly than she had expected.
Before she had a chance to step back, he raised his hand and gently rested it upon her shoulder.
Her body shuddered involuntarily.
His palm was astonishingly warm, in stark contrast to the coldness that had clung to her skin for so many years.
The difference between the two was unmistakable from the very instant his hand touched her.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she instinctively tried to retreat.
But Ji Lin gently caught her by the arm, preventing her from moving any farther away.
Ji… Ji Lin…
Her words faltered as she stared at him.
Ji Lin, however, continued looking at her in silence, as though her confusion and repeated attempts to pull away meant nothing to him.
Her anxiety deepened, and she struggled to free her arm from his grasp.
Yet the weakness of her body at that moment rendered every attempt futile.
The symptoms of the Yin Lotus Physique had resurfaced, draining much of her strength until she could no longer display more than a fraction of her true power.
More than fear, it was humiliation that overwhelmed her.
A deep blush spread across her face as she lifted her head to glare at him with eyes filled with anger.
Ji Lin… what do you think you’re doing?
Her voice trembled with emotion as she continued through clenched teeth, struggling to suppress the turmoil within her.
I always considered you the person closest to me.
Never—not even once—did I imagine you would behave like this.
She bit her lower lip hard before continuing, her voice filled with disappointment and anger.
I was wrong about you.
Let me go this instant… or I’ll call for help.
She paused briefly, as though the mere thought of a certain person’s name gave her greater confidence.
When Elder Brother Ye Fang arrives, what you’ve done today will not go unpunished.
Ye Fang’s name slipped naturally from her lips, as though he had already become the person she instinctively relied upon whenever she sought a sense of security. New chapters come out on novelping(.)com first.
Although she had known him for less than a month, his place in her heart had risen with each passing day, influenced by his extraordinary talent, his confident demeanor, and the brilliance that naturally drew everyone’s attention toward him.
As for Ji Lin…
The young man who had grown up beside her since childhood and accompanied her through the most difficult years of her life had gradually faded from her world.
To her, he had become nothing more than the physician she visited whenever she needed her medicine—a man she left behind the moment she received it, never once stopping to think about everything he had done for her or the feelings he had quietly carried all those years.
It never crossed her mind that the day she believed would be utterly ordinary…
Would become the beginning of the end for everything that had once connected her and Ji Lin.
At that moment, it never once crossed Luo Yan’s mind that the situation might slip beyond her control.
She saw no reason to be afraid.
No matter how different Ji Lin seemed today, in her eyes he was still the man who had always lived in Ye Fang’s shadow.
She had personally witnessed the trust and respect he had shown Ye Fang over the years, so she simply could not believe that he would dare overstep his bounds the moment Ye Fang’s name was mentioned.
With that thought, some of her composure returned.
She lifted her chin slightly, and a trace of her usual pride reappeared in her eyes.
If you continue behaving like this, Elder Brother Ye Fang will not be pleased with what you’ve done.
Her words carried both confidence and warning.
Ji Lin, however, showed no reaction whatsoever.
Silence lingered between them for several seconds.
Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.
It contained neither mockery nor anger.
Instead, it was so strangely calm that an inexplicable tightness gripped Luo Yan’s heart the moment she saw it.
Ye Fang…
He repeated the name slowly, as though savoring it for the very first time.
But contrary to everything she had expected, he did not step away from her.
Nor did he loosen his hold around her thighs.
Instead, the movements of his hands became even bolder.
The color gradually drained from Luo Yan’s face.
The already narrow distance separating them suddenly felt suffocating, as though the air itself had become too thin to breathe.
Her breathing quickened, her fingers trembled uncontrollably, and her eyes widened slightly as they remained fixed upon his face in growing confusion, desperately trying to discern how far he intended to go.
Ji Lin leaned forward slightly before speaking in a low, emotionless voice.
Tell me…if the medicine you depend on every day were to disappear, how long do you think your body could endure?
Luo Yan stopped struggling.
His words were not harsh.
Yet they had struck the weakest point buried deep within her heart.
He continued in the same unwavering tone.
You know exactly what will happen to your body.
The pain will return first.
After that, your cultivation speed will slow until you’re no longer able to keep pace with your peers.
He raised his eyes to meet hers directly before speaking even more calmly than before.
And when you go from being the genius everyone admires…to becoming a burden upon those around you…do you truly believe the place you’ve imagined for yourself beside Ye Fang will remain the same?
His words struck her mind like a bolt of lightning.
Her entire body trembled.
Her expression froze, and she no longer tried to pull away.
Not a single word escaped her lips.
She simply stared at him with eyes overflowing with turmoil as countless thoughts collided within her mind.
She wanted to convince herself that everything he had said was nothing more than an empty threat.
But she couldn’t.
Every word he had spoken was rooted in a truth she knew all too well.
For years, the medicine Ji Lin prepared had been far more than something that merely eased her pain.
It was the very foundation that had kept her condition stable and allowed her to continue cultivating as though she were an ordinary genius.
If she lost it…
She would lose far more than her comfort.
She might lose her entire future.
Little by little, the resistance she had shown only moments earlier began to crumble.
In its place arose a bitter struggle between her pride and the fear that was steadily seeping into the depths of her heart.
For the first time, she realized that the man standing before her was no longer the boy she could guide with a single word or a simple glance.
He had become someone she could neither understand…
Nor predict.
Ji Lin was the finest physician in all of Azure Cloud City, and there was no one else capable of preparing the medicinal remedy that could keep her condition stable.
Even if she summoned Elder Brother Ye Fang and had him severely punish Ji Lin, it would do nothing to solve the root of the problem.
Then an even more painful thought crossed her mind.
What would happen if Elder Brother Ye Fang arrived and saw her in this condition… being treated like this right before his eyes?
The instant that thought entered her mind, a tear slowly rolled down Luo Yan’s cheek.
Soft sobs escaped her lips as her shoulders trembled beneath the turmoil that swept through her heart, leaving her completely at a loss for what she should do.
At that moment, Ji Lin leaned toward her and buried his face against her neck, breathing in her delicate fragrance.
He then pressed a kiss against her skin, leaving a visible mark before moving close to her ear and whispering in a low voice
All right… there’s no need to be so upset.
Think of it as a mutually beneficial exchange.
Don’t worry—I will only keep it to external contact.
I won’t go any further.
For now, just try to enjoy the moment and forget everything else.
Consider it nothing more than a simple… and highly confidential… exchange.