Free Web NovelChapter 87: Chapter 87: Entering Prison No. 1
He Hanshi’s eyes widened slightly at Shi Lan’s words. He stared at her intently. "Lanlan, are you sure?"
"A Spiritual Connection is different from Basic Healing. It’s not that simple."
His gaze met hers. His vast, ocean-blue eyes seemed to reflect her and her alone, their depths so profound they could pull her right in.
Shi Lan was stunned for a long moment before she tugged at her ear in discomfort. "Mhm, I’m sure."
"No matter what, I have to give it a try. This way, you all might be able to leave this prison."
"You don’t want to be stuck in prison forever, right?"
He Hanshi couldn’t bring himself to deny her words, and neither could the others.
Moreover, Shi Lan’s arrival had given them a greater desire and hope for leaving the prison.
They no longer wanted to gaze at her from behind a cell door. They wanted to pursue her, to openly become her Beast Husbands and protect her for a lifetime.
Besides, Lanlan was being so brave, choosing to save them. How could they hesitate or back down at a time like this?
He Hanshi sighed internally. ’Lanlan is just so wonderful...’
His pale scarlet lips pressed into a thin line. A hint of tenderness escaped into his gaze as he finally made up his mind. "Alright, let’s give it a try."
Shi Lan nodded, then said, "I might need to come inside the cell."
She’d learned a lot from her recent reading. A Spiritual Connection took longer than Basic Healing, and to increase the level of trust, both parties needed to find a more relaxed and comfortable position to reduce the risk of triggering a spiritual power collapse.
Previously, they had always been separated by the food-delivery slot, with He Hanshi extending a paw in his beast form to make contact with her. Maintaining that position for a long time was quite tiring.
He Hanshi understood the reasons. He grasped her concerns almost as soon as the words left her mouth.
"...Alright."
The thought of being in the same room with Lanlan made his voice uncharacteristically dry as he managed that single word. His long, slender fingers curled, and his palm tightened into a nervous fist.
With He Hanshi’s collapse value at 50%, and the fact that she could turn into her spirit body to escape in a critical moment, Shi Lan felt the probability of triggering a spiritual power collapse was very low.
Therefore, she had proposed entering the cell only after careful consideration.
She opened the cell door. Across from them, Mu Tangfeng found himself watching nervously. He stared as Shi Lan walked toward Vice Admiral He and sat cross-legged with him on the bed. An inexplicable, unpleasant feeling welled up inside him, like a sour taste in his mouth.
’If... if I hadn’t refused, would Lanlan have come to me first? Would I be the one sitting with her right now...?’
He instantly recalled Shi Lan’s previous offer. It hadn’t seemed like a big deal at the time, but now his heart soured with the feeling that something belonging to him had been stolen.
But he knew that Shi Lan had never belonged to him.
She wasn’t an object, much less his possession.
On the contrary, he was the one who wanted to become her Beast Husband. She held all the cards.
And because he understood this, Mu Tangfeng—who had always been spoiled by his family, looked down on everyone, and never paid any mind to females—experienced the sharp sting of jealousy and bitterness for the first time.
And yet, he also sincerely hoped that Vice Admiral He would recover.
This mix of awkward, conflicting emotions left him feeling so wretched that he had to look away.
’If I don’t look, I won’t be consumed by jealousy.’
「Inside Prison Cell One.」
Shi Lan had scanned He Hanshi’s room before finally choosing the bed.
His room was full of workout equipment and only had one chair. The bed, three meters wide to accommodate his beast form, was the most spacious spot.
They each leaned against a wall in the corner of the room, sitting cross-legged.
He Hanshi handed her a soft cushion. "Lanlan, put this behind your back. It’ll be more comfortable."
"Okay." freēwebnovel.com
As she took the cushion, a faint scent of jasmine wafted toward her. She paused, immediately remembering the perfume she had given him.
She didn’t dare ask about it and quickly stuffed the cushion behind her.
"Are you ready?"
Once she was settled, she confirmed that the position was indeed comfortable before looking at He Hanshi.
For the first time, He Hanshi felt he lacked the composure of a man in his thirties. He was like a clumsy teenager, fumbling around, unsure of how to even cross his legs without accidentally bumping into her.
He tried several positions until Shi Lan couldn’t watch anymore. She took the initiative and grabbed his leg. "Just follow my lead."
He Hanshi immediately stilled, simply cooperating with her touch and letting her guide him.
"This leg over, that leg under. Just cross them like I am."
After arranging his legs, Shi Lan scooted aside. She had underestimated his height; if they sat any closer, his leg would easily touch her thigh. Even though she was wearing conservative lounge pants, the thin fabric did little to block the searing heat of his body, especially on such a sensitive area.
He Hanshi also noticed his foot had touched somewhere soft. He shot an uncomfortable glance out of the corner of his eye before quickly looking away. He subconsciously tried to move his foot, afraid Lanlan would think he was a lecher and be displeased.
"Don’t move!"
Shi Lan had just managed to find a suitable position, and He Hanshi’s movement messed it all up. She put on a stern face, her fair, soft features showing a mix of seriousness and exasperation. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him as she started correcting his posture again.
"Sorry."
He Hanshi’s thick lashes fluttered. With an apologetic look in his eyes and his soft, silver hair resting against his ears, he was like a great beast that had just been tamed, instantly becoming docile.
Seeing this, Shi Lan couldn’t stay angry. Instead, her heart skipped a beat, once again captivated by his handsome face. She awkwardly touched her nose and could only lower her head to correct his posture again. Luckily, she had already figured out the general arrangement, so it was easy this time.
"Is this position okay?"
She asked, and He Hanshi nodded. "It is."
"Alright, shall we begin?"
Shi Lan had him rest his hand on one leg. She met his eyes, her gaze encouraging. "Now, you need to relax. Trust me completely. Believe that I can heal you, and believe that I will never harm you. Can you do that?"
"I can."
This time, He Hanshi answered without hesitation, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint smile.
’If Lanlan wanted to harm us, she wouldn’t need to go to all this trouble to heal us.’
’Besides, with my previous collapse value, death would have come without her needing to lift a finger.’
"Mhm."
Shi Lan nodded and placed her hand on his.
’To be honest, it’s impossible not to be nervous. After all, from what everyone’s said, a Spiritual Connection is a very dangerous and complicated matter.’
’But as a healer—a role similar to a doctor in this world—I have to be more confident than my patient. I have to soothe their emotions so they’ll be willing to trust me.’ freeweɓnovel.cѳm
’If a doctor doesn’t even trust their own skills, how can they expect a patient to place their full trust in them?’
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and centered herself.
