Chapter 16: If I Were to Leave
Page 1 of 3
Cyril began the second round of spiritual nourishment, which was also the reason he had come today.
The White Tower needed Wen Li. The little Guide had no idea how sought-after she had become.
Wen Li felt utterly comfortable, her whole body wrapped in warmth, as though she were once again floating in amniotic fluid.
Her thoughts emptied, and gradually her eyelids grew heavy.
After transmitting his mental power three times, Cyril decided it was probably enough and released their touching heads.
Who could have known that the girl would be like a boneless snake? The moment he let go, her unsupported head fell into Cyril’s arms.
Afraid of waking her, Cyril helplessly caught her.
One of them was straddling the Sentinel, while the other held the sweetly sleeping girl tightly.
At some point, the rain stopped and the sun emerged.
The sunlight grew increasingly rich and intense, pouring through the bright windows without restraint and flooding into the room in broad golden shafts.
It fell upon the two people nestled together on the sofa.
The Sentinel smiled faintly and soon drifted into dreamland alongside Wen Li.
Wen Li slept until evening, perfectly missing lunch.
Cyril was nowhere to be seen. A message from Ban appeared on her light-brain.
Feeling refreshed all over, Wen Li stretched lazily, only to notice that the light-brain on her wrist displayed six-thirty.
When she stepped out of the lounge, she saw Ban waiting outside.
The Sentinel sat on the sofa, seemingly deep in thought.
His voice was hoarse with sleep when he asked, “Ban, what brings you here?”
Ban rose from the sofa and came to Wen Li’s side, discreetly looking her over from head to toe.
“Miss, you haven’t replied to the message I sent at noon. I thought something had happened to you, so…”
Wen Li smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, Ban. I didn’t mean to worry you. Cleansing Cyril this morning left me a little tired, so I fell asleep.”
The sun sank toward the horizon, and the sky gradually darkened.
“You see, I didn’t even realize I’d slept until now. How long have you been here? Have you eaten?”
Ban shook his head, his eyes lowering with restraint.
Wen Li gathered her documents and invited Ban to dinner.
The two of them went to the dining hall. There were few people at that hour, and several of Wen Li’s favorite dishes were still available.
Noticing that her personal assistant seemed distracted, Wen Li pushed her favorite dessert toward him.
“Ban, are you in a bad mood today?”
The man’s dark-brown eyes rested on the enticing strawberry cake. He naturally accepted it and began to eat.
“No, Miss,” he replied.
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
Wen Li did not believe him. Ban had always been quiet and sparing with words, carrying an air of abstinence, but today he radiated unmistakable agitation.
Something had certainly happened to him.
She pressed down on the hand holding his fork. “You’re not allowed to eat. Tell me why first.”
The Sentinel remained frozen with his fork poised over the cake. He did not dare look at Wen Li, and his voice came out muffled.
“If one day I leave, will you remember me?”
Wen Li stared at him. “What?”
Her shock was so great that her voice rose, drawing the attention of the other people in the dining hall.
Having lost all concern for the eyes around her, Wen Li looked at Ban anxiously.
“Why would you leave? Are you being sent on a mission?”
Ban patted her hand reassuringly and said with forced ease, “It’s all right, Miss. As long as you don’t forget me, I’ll be satisfied.”
Their long companionship had already made Wen Li accept Ban as a part of her life. Though he was almost always expressionless, he noticed countless details in her daily life and was always there to help her.
In Wen Li’s heart, she had long regarded him as a friend, someone within the circle of her own people.
Now she had learned that Ban was going to leave her.
Wen Li said angrily, “Who arranged this? No, I’m going to ask Angus!”
She abandoned her meal, rose at once, and rushed to the office.
Ban seemed lost in thought. When Wen Li left, he carried the little cake with him and followed.
Wen Li pushed open the door to Angus’s office.
Suppressing her anger, she demanded, “Director, why are you transferring Ban away from me?”
The man with long dark-green hair remained poised with a cup of coffee in his hand. Seeing Wen Li barge into his office so rudely, he raised his brows and waited for the furious young woman to continue.
“Ban hasn’t committed any serious offense, has he? Why is the White Tower transferring him?”
Angus took a sip of coffee and savored it carefully.
Too bitter.
He returned unhurriedly to his desk and began leafing through the documents.
His deep, magnetic voice echoed in Wen Li’s ears. “Miss Wen, aren’t you taking rather too much interest in that Sentinel?”
Wen Li failed to notice the hidden meaning in his words and continued pleading Ban’s case.
“Ban has been taking care of me ever since I arrived at the White Tower. You can’t do this.”
“He’s my personal assistant!”
Angus set down his pen and approached Wen Li, his imposing figure drawing near.
His black military uniform created an overwhelming sense of pressure as he looked down at her.
His dark-green pupils contracted sharply.
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
“You dare speak to your superior like that over such a trivial matter?”
A dark serpent coiled around Wen Li’s slender waist. When its scales brushed across the skin of her thigh, the anger-clouded mind finally regained its composure.
Angus reached out and caught Wen Li by the chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.
“One ordinary Sentinel has already captured your attention so completely. With so many Sentinels in the White Tower, will you be able to keep track of them all?”
His fingers slowly rubbed her tender cheek as he gazed into her stubborn pale eyes.
Angus found it regrettable that he had chosen to wear gloves today.
“A bunch of half-grown pups have used a few little tricks and left you completely spellbound.”
“Which of you is the Guide here—you, or them?”
He released her, and the warmth beneath his hand gradually faded.
Wen Li thought carefully. There had been too much happening lately. Perhaps after accomplishing a few things, she had begun to feel invincible.
This was no longer the world she had known. She could not afford to let success go to her head.
She still lacked the power to stand against them.
But whenever she thought of work, she knew that the next time she looked up, that tall figure would be there. She… she did not want Ban to leave.
Like a softened cake, the fury she had arrived with melted away, and Wen Li spoke gently.
“I’m sorry, Director.”
Her waist and abdomen suddenly tightened. The great serpent seemed to be coiling around her with increasing force.
She continued pleading, “I can complete any additional assignments the White Tower gives me, as long as you don’t transfer Ban away.”
The serpent had already reached the back of Wen Li’s neck. Its red forked tongue slid over her skin, the tingling sensation making her want to scratch at it.
Angus seemed to be in an even worse mood now, as though she had disappointed him beyond endurance.
“You like degrading yourself?”
A gust of wind swept past. In the dizzying whirl of motion, Wen Li found herself pinned against the desk by Angus.
Her legs kicked wildly, and Angus seized one of her slender, straight calves.
“What are you doing?”
The great serpent remained wrapped around Wen Li. Her uniform had accidentally ridden up, and the serpent began probing toward the exposed, pale skin of her waist and abdomen.
Wen Li was so frightened that tears nearly spilled from her eyes. Her reddened eyes made her look like a rabbit.
Seeing Wen Li on the verge of breaking down, Angus waved his hand. The unhappy serpent dispersed.
Page 3 of 3