CH 57

The language of the camera tells a story of its own. 

Photographers often imprint their intentions onto the pictures, expressing their thoughts. 

While the photos on the other walls reveal dark desires and unspeakable intentions, the content on the fourth wall is even more intricately chaotic and indescribable.

It’s not just bizarre screams, ghostly shadows, and camouflage frogs lurking in the rainforest. There are also many normal photos of Si Chu, and quite a few of them were even taken by Si Chu looking straight into the camera, showing off openly. This is unique and has never happened on any other wall. The photographer seems to lose patience, no longer meticulously choosing angles or solely focusing on Si Chu. The frequency of others appearing in the frame has significantly increased.

Si Di’s gaze swiftly scanned, capturing two photos. Astonishingly, his face dominated the frame far more than Si Chu’s. While, like the other photos, anyone other than Si Chu was blackened out, the way his face was obscured was not the usual malicious and oppressive complete blackout. Instead, it was cat whiskers, ears, and a meow.

Here it came again, this weird sense of disconnection. 

It’s as if Xiao Zhenyun before and after split into two different individuals, with radically different ways of dealing with things and unexplainable behavioral logics… Which one should he believe?

Si Di’s thoughts were chaotic, and he took a step back with a splitting headache, suddenly screaming as the shock collar detected his emotional fluctuations far exceeding normal thresholds and entered emergency control mode. The magnetic wristbands instantly clung together, preventing Si Di from moving.

Sitting on the table, Xiao Zhenyun rubbed his neck, coughed lightly. Although he had experienced slight suffocation when Si Di pressed down on his throat, fortunately, Si Di had some restraint, leaving red marks but no harm to his throat. He looked down at the countless shredded photo fragments on the ground, a slight pang in his heart.

Except for the first electric shock that caught Si Di off guard, he gritted his teeth in silence for the subsequent two shocks, bearing them all.

Xiao Zhenyun’s gaze fell on him, watching as he knelt on the ground in pain, cold sweat on his cheeks, the red light still flashing wildly on the collar, warning sounds echoing.

Si Di no longer needed these restraints. He wore them because he knew he might get angry, lose control of his emotions, and he feared hurting Xiao Zhenyun. Even when confronting a liar, he chose to first shackle himself with the constraints of control.

A spiritual link shot over, decisively connecting with Si Di’s spiritual domain.

In the instant the link was established, the intense emotional fluctuations collided with Xiao Zhenyun’s calmness. The sentinel gradually calmed down, and the guide’s smoke-blue eyes became increasingly piercing.

The pain all over Si Di’s body suddenly eased, and he breathed heavily, blinking his sweat-dampened eyelashes. However, before he could stand up, his vision was immediately blocked by Xiao Zhenyun.

“You…” Si Di didn’t move; his sensitive hearing served as his second pair of eyes. His wolf ears twitched, allowing him to face Xiao Zhenyun’s direction as if he could still see. “What are you doing?”

“I’m angry,” Xiao Zhenyun said coldly. “Si Di, you’ve caused me a lot of trouble. When the punishment is over, you’ll piece these photos back together, stick them back up, and fix them for me.”

Si Di’s face darkened. “Xiao Zhenyun, are you out of your mind?”

“Now,” Xiao Zhenyun commanded. “Come to me.”

“…,” the sentinel remained motionless, slowly standing in place, ‘facing off’ with Xiao Zhenyun.

The next second, his disobedience angered the guide. His proud hearing and sense of smell were forcefully shut down, and Si Di lost three senses, losing most of his ability to perceive the outside world.

Is this really something a C-level guide could really achieve against a S-level sentinel? Si Di was genuinely amazed. Completely blocking the senses of a S-level sentinel, even if it was based on 97% compatibility…

Thinking of the 97% compatibility, he felt a bit aggrieved again…

The sentinel’s emotions were transmitted unchanged through the spiritual link to the guide’s mind. Xiao Zhenyun couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless. Before the bonding, this link could only transmit unidirectionally. After bonding, the guide’s emotions and thoughts could also be transmitted to the sentinel through the link.

Si Di wasn’t afraid that Xiao Zhenyun would sneak attack him using this sensory-blocking method. He still had touch, and if Xiao Zhenyun approached, he could still react. Moreover, the guide’s spiritual pool was shallow, and he couldn’t maintain this state for long. Si Di waited in silence.

Xiao Zhenyun changed his posture on the table, calling an intelligent robotic arm to bring him a cup of warm water, along with a medicine box from the study. Meanwhile, Xiao Nian seemed to have learned some information from Xiao Jiali. On the terminal, he sent sincere greetings to Xiao Zhenyun: Are you still alive? What trouble have you caused again? Xiao Li said Si Di is furious.

Xiao Zhenyun: I might not be able to hide it anymore.

Xiao Nian: What happened?

Xiao Zhenyun: I can’t find a reason.

Xiao Nian: He didn’t discover the basement, did he?

Xiao Nian: Hey, speak.

Xiao Nian: Xiao Zhenyun!

Xiao Nian: I’m coming to your room now.

Xiao Nian: Why the hell did you lock the basement from the inside?

Xiao Nian: You haven’t been devoured by Si Di, have you?!

Xiao Zhenyun had already set the terminal aside, as Si Di slowly began to move. The silver-haired sentinel tentatively took a step forward. Not wanting to appear weak, he didn’t raise his hand to test for obstacles but walked forward step by step, like a regular person. However, his strides were noticeably cautious.

“Xiao Zhenyun?” he inquired, speaking loudly as he couldn’t hear his own voice. Si Di’s volume was a bit high, and Xiao Zhenyun amusingly whispered, “I’m here.”

Naturally, Si Di heard no response, nor could he smell the guide’s scent. He repeated, “Xiao Zhenyun, are you still there?”

He took a few more steps, following the various furnishings in the basement from memory. He stopped keenly about half a meter from the table, then gritted his teeth and reached out to touch forward. After confirming contact with a solid object, he subtly breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Zhenyun sat high, watching him inch along the edge of the table. Eventually, Si Di placed his palm on the cuff of Xiao Zhenyun’s sleeve. Si Di first curled his fingers instinctively, then quickly grabbed the sleeve, swiftly seizing Xiao Zhenyun’s wrist.

Frowning, Si Di asked, “Is it you?”

He seemed worried that due to the sensory loss a moment ago, he didn’t realize someone else had already entered the room. Anxiously, he ran his hand along the arm, reaching until he caught a strand of what he recognized as Xiao Zhenyun’s distinctive long hair. Only then did he confirm the person in front of him was indeed Xiao Zhenyun.

“Having fun?” Si Di’s tone remained unfriendly. “Disconnect the spiritual link.”

Xiao Zhenyun currently held the initiative and wasn’t bothered by the sentinel’s superficial aggression. He just took hold of Si Di’s right hand, turned it upward, and wrote a ‘no’ on his palm with his fingertip.

Si Di’s breath tightened. When Xiao Zhenyun’s fingertip touched his palm, that restrained elegance permeated into his limbs. As soon as Xiao Zhenyun finished writing, Si Di quickly clenched his hand.

“What did you do to me? Did you enhance my sense of touch?”

Although Xiao Zhenyun hadn’t done exactly that, Si Di’s words gave him an idea. He promptly enhanced Si Di’s sense of touch, then lifted his hand and lightly scraped the underside of his jaw with his knuckles.

Si Di instantly reacted like a startled cat, his ears and tail all standing on end. He retreated two steps in panic, wide-eyed and terrified. Every cell in his body was rejecting further contact from Xiao Zhenyun.

Xiao Zhenyun loosened a bit of his hearing, then commanded again, “Come here.”

Si Di’s wolf ears trembled, and he quickly asked, “What’s going on?… Do you have a split personality?”

As soon as the question came out, he heard a light laugh. “You can interpret it that way.”

Si Di hesitated for a moment before approaching Xiao Zhenyun again. “What do you mean by ‘you can interpret it that way’? How many personalities do you have, two, or many? Which one is the main personality, and which one is it now?”

The raised hand was held tight by the guide and then led in his direction. His waist pressed against the table’s edge, and a cool hand grabbed his wolf tail, gently locking it with the guide’s fingertip.

“There…” Si Di couldn’t help but raise his arm, shifting it to wrap around Xiao Zhenyun’s neck. He then found his tail being lifted by force. Unable to see anything, he could only follow by standing on his tiptoes. “Xiao Zhenyun, answer me first.”

“This is my biggest secret,” Xiao Zhenyun said. “If you want to know, there will be a price to pay.”

The red light on Si Di’s collar became steady. He seemed to be seriously contemplating, considering the price he could afford. He asked, “Can this secret explain all your strange behaviors and give me a satisfactory answer? If it can, I’m willing to pay the price.”

“Have you considered what the price is?”

“If it’s only about me personally… then regardless of the content, I’m mentally prepared.”

“Including death?”

“Excluding death,” Si Di decisively refused. “Death is not acceptable.”

Xiao Zhenyun unexpectedly burst into laughter, and Si Di also curled his lips in response. However, he reminded, “Xiao Zhenyun, my attitude is very clear. I don’t want to give up on you. However, if after this, you continue with vague excuses, our relationship will truly come to an end. It’s not just me; the entire Si family will permanently cut ties with you.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I am.”

“Fine.” Xiao Zhenyun held Si Di’s right hand, pinching his fingers. “Then wait for it.”

“Wait for what?” Si Di asked, puzzled.

“Wait for the medicine to take effect.”

“… What medicine?” Si Di was confused until Xiao Zhenyun held his right hand and placed it on a semi-erect part.

Si Di couldn’t believe the shape he felt, tightening his grip on Xiao Zhenyun’s arm.  “What do you mean, are you suggesting a permanent bond with me?”

“You said you were willing to pay any price.”

“Is this considered a price?” Si Di didn’t let go of Xiao Zhenyun’s hand. “Bonding has a greater impact on guides, and it’s entirely beneficial to me.”

“What harm does it bring to me?”

“You and Si Chu will be completely impossible.”

“Then let it be impossible.” Xiao Zhenyun said, as the bonding wouldn’t affect his bride-snatching plans anyway.

His decisiveness made Si Di silent once again. After a while, as if seeking confirmation, he asked, “So you mean your secret can only be told to me after the bonding.”

“Yes,” Xiao Zhenyun affirmed, “My secret is crucial and can only be revealed to you after the bonding. No room for regrets; that’s the price you have to pay.”

It’s only when you’re willing to go all-in without knowing anything that I can fully trust you with this secret.

“…then let’s bond,” Si Di had always been someone willing to take risks. He wasn’t sure what else to say next, so he chose silence, gradually accelerating the onset of the medication.

“Are you sure you’ve thought this through?” Xiao Zhenyun lowered his gaze. “I only have C-level spiritual power.”

Everything else might change, but this was something tied to his core, the only thing that couldn’t be altered.

“It doesn’t matter… And are you really just C-level?” Si Di’s surroundings remained pitch black. “How can you use a C-level spiritual pool to block my senses for so long? And simultaneously release guide elements.”

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