288: Chapter 288 Waiting to eat your grilled fish

The atmosphere in the base had been a bit strange lately.

To be precise, Ji Wushuang was acting a bit strange.

This Fire-type young miss from a Hidden Clan usually walked with a gust of wind and had fire in her eyes, maintaining a proud and pampered persona.

Aside from suffering setbacks in front of Lin Yuan, she had never been seen lowering her head to anyone.

But for the past two days, she seemed like she had been infected by a virus called 'helplessness in front of the person one likes'.

Her behavior was extremely abnormal.

In the early morning, Lin Yuan had just stepped out of his room.

Stretching his limbs, he saw Ji Wushuang holding a rag, frantically wiping the corridor railing in front of his door.

The frequency was so fast that sparks were almost flying from the railing.

"Morning."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, watching her arm, which was even using Fire Superpower to accelerate.

"Is this... practicing a new combat technique?"

Ji Wushuang was startled.

The rag in her hand suddenly ignited with a 'whoosh' and turned into ashes in an instant.

She turned around stiffly, forcing a smile onto her face that looked more painful than crying.

"Mor... Morning! That, I saw some dust on this railing, so I... just wiped it in passing."

"In passing?"

Lin Yuan glanced at the stainless steel railing that had been polished to a shine and was even slightly deformed from the high temperature.

"Your way of doing things 'in passing' is quite unique."

Ji Wushuang's face turned red. She hid the black ash behind her back and forced an explanation:

"I'm doing this... to pay off my debt! Yes, to pay the debt! Since I owe you money, I have to work! Not only do I have to be a fighter, but I also have to work part-time as a cleaner!"

After saying that, she seemed to feel that this reason was simply perfect.

Her originally guilty posture straightened up significantly.

Lin Yuan suppressed a laugh and took a step forward.

Ji Wushuang subconsciously took a step back, her hidden hands sweating from nervousness.

"Since it's to pay off debt, there's no need to be so nervous."

Lin Yuan reached out and gently patted her shoulder with his slender fingers.

He casually brushed away some of the black ash that had just fallen on her.

"Also, in the future, just let the cleaning robots handle this kind of manual labor."

Having said that,

Lin Yuan smiled gently, turned around, and headed downstairs.

Ji Wushuang stood frozen in place, as if a binding spell had been cast on her.

The warmth of his palm seemed to linger on her shoulder.

"Ugh..."

Three seconds later, the Fire-type young miss covered her face.

She squatted on the ground and let out a whimper, though it was unclear if it was from shame or excitement.

"Is he... Is he caring about me? Is he hinting that I'm actually very important?"

At a corner not far away, Chu Yanran held a cup of coffee.

She watched this scene with a meaningful gaze.

It was unclear what she was thinking.

...

Afternoon, at the training ground.

In order to deal with the upcoming coastal crisis,

and also to help the newly joined members quickly form combat strength, Lin Yuan arranged a special training session.

As a main Fire-type force, Ji Wushuang was naturally a primary focus.

"Your flame's explosive power is strong, but your control is too poor."

Lin Yuan stood in the center of the training ground.

He shook his head as he looked at a distant target that had been blasted into nothingness by one of Ji Wushuang's massive fireballs.

"Isn't great power a good thing?"

Ji Wushuang wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling a bit defiant.

"As long as the enemies are burned to ash, what's the need for control?"

"If you're fighting alone, of course, it's fine. But in team combat, if you do that, the enemies will be dead, but your teammates will likely be half-cooked as well."

Lin Yuan walked over, his tone flat but hitting the nail on the head.

Ji Wushuang opened her mouth.

She wanted to argue but found she had nothing to say.

It was true; she had always fought alone before and never considered the issue of friendly fire.

"Then... then what should I do?" She felt a bit discouraged.

"Master the art of restraint."

Lin Yuan walked behind her. "Flame is not just destruction; it's a form of energy. You must learn to control it like you control your own breathing."

As he spoke, he reached out.

He grasped Ji Wushuang's raised right wrist.

"Open your hand, condense the fire element, but do not release it."

Lin Yuan's voice sounded right next to her ear.

The warm breath brushing against her earlobe made Ji Wushuang tremble all over, and she almost gave Lin Yuan a shoulder throw—it was a physical instinct.

But in the next second, she froze.

Because Lin Yuan's chest lightly pressed against her back.

Even through their clothes, that unique masculine scent and body temperature instantly surrounded her.

"Concentrate."

Lin Yuan's low voice seemed to possess a certain magic.

"I... I am concentrating!"

Ji Wushuang wailed in her heart.

But how could she concentrate?!

To be held from behind and taught hand-in-hand by a man—a man who had just punched the Titan King to pieces.

And also the man who was...

a bit special in her heart. No normal woman could withstand this!

Ji Wushuang felt her heart beating as fast as a drum.

The temperature on her face was even higher than the flames in her hand.

"Feel the flow of the fire element."

Lin Yuan seemed completely unaware of her abnormality. His left hand gently rested on her waist to adjust her posture.

"Keep your back straight, core tight."

With this touch, Ji Wushuang felt as if she had been electrocuted. The ball of orange-red flame she was condensing in her palm suddenly fluctuated violently.

The originally docile fireball instantly expanded, and its color changed from orange-red to a blinding incandescent white!

"Not good!"

In the distance, Chu Yanran and Tang Shiyun's expressions changed. That fireball was going to explode!

"Steady!"

Lin Yuan's voice remained steady, without a hint of panic.

His palm applied slight pressure, and an invisible spatial force instantly enveloped the fireball that was about to go out of control.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

These words were like a stabilizing anchor, instantly calming Ji Wushuang's panicked heart.

She took a deep breath, trying her best to calm the rampaging Superpower within her.

Under Lin Yuan's guidance, the violent fireball slowly shrank.

Its color returned to a stable orange-red, and finally, it transformed into an exquisite flame lotus in her palm.

"Phew..." Ji Wushuang let out a long breath, her legs feeling a bit weak.

If it had exploded just now,

her beautiful face would have been ruined!

And she would have lost so much face in front of Lin Yuan!

"You did it."

Lin Yuan released his grip, took a step back, and looked at the fire lotus in her palm with a hint of approval in his eyes.

"Not bad."

Ji Wushuang turned around and looked at Lin Yuan.

Under the sunlight, the man's profile was both resolute and soft.

There was no mockery or blame in his eyes, only a kind of...

encouragement that made her feel incredibly at ease.

"Just now... it almost exploded." She lowered her head in embarrassment and spoke softly.

"It's normal. Everyone gets nervous the first time they try fine control."

Lin Yuan smiled and took a bottle of chilled d-grade mineral water from his pocket, handing it to her.

"Drink some water and rest. You're too hot-tempered, just like your personality. It needs to be tempered slowly."

"Who are you calling hot-tempered!"

Ji Wushuang retorted subconsciously, but as she took the water, she realized the cap had already been unscrewed.

She froze for a moment.

This kind of detail...

Back in her clan,

although she was the pampered young miss surrounded by everyone,

the people around her only showed awe and flattery. No one had ever been like this—able to suppress her arrogance while also giving her this kind of subtle, silent care.

"What? Do you want me to feed you?"

Seeing her dazed, Lin Yuan teased.

"Who... who wants you to feed me!"

Ji Wushuang's face turned red. She tilted her head back and took a large gulp of water. The cold liquid flowed down her throat, but it couldn't extinguish the fire in her heart.

She stole a glance at Lin Yuan and found that he had already turned to guide Luo Qinghan nearby.

He was patient with everyone and kind to everyone.

But...

the way he held her just now, that tone, that look... was it...

a bit different?

"Am I overthinking?"

Ji Wushuang shook her head vigorously, trying to shake these embarrassing thoughts out of her mind.

But the corners of her mouth couldn't be suppressed and involuntarily curved upward.

...

In the following days, Ji Wushuang seemed like a different person.

The old 'slacker queen' who always shouted "training is so tiring" and "I want to rest" was gone.

In her place was a training fanatic who was the first to arrive at the training ground every day

and the last to leave.

"Wushuang, have you gone mad?"

Su Yuyan couldn't stand it anymore as she watched Ji Wushuang, drenched in sweat, still practicing fireball control.

"Why are you working so hard?"

"I want to get stronger!"

Ji Wushuang gritted her teeth, the fireball in her hand leaping nimbly between her fingertips.

Although she couldn't yet do it as effortlessly as Lin Yuan, she had already made far more progress than before.

"Getting stronger to kill zombies better?" Su Yuyan asked.

"To..."

Ji Wushuang paused, that figure appearing in her mind.

To be able to stand by his side, not just as a protected object, but as a partner who could fight alongside him.

Or even... a step further.

"To pay off my debt sooner!" she said stubbornly.

"Tch."

Su Yuyan rolled her eyes.

"Everyone in the base knows what you're thinking. It's only because Lin Yuan is playing dumb, otherwise you'd have been devoured long ago."

"What did you say?!"

Ji Wushuang was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Nothing. Good luck, debtor." Su Yuyan waved her hand and walked away.

Ji Wushuang huffed and turned back to continue her practice.

At that moment, Lin Yuan's figure appeared at the entrance of the training ground.

Ji Wushuang's eyes instantly lit up, and like she had a built-in radar, she precisely locked onto her target.

"Lin Yuan!"

She called out happily and was about to run over.

Suddenly, she realized her current appearance—covered in sweat, hair messy, looking like a refugee who had just crawled out of a coal pile.

"Ah!"

She let out a tragic cry.

With lightning speed, she hid behind a giant training tire.

"What's wrong?" Lin Yuan walked over, looking at the empty training ground with some confusion.

"No... nothing! Don't come over!"

Ji Wushuang's voice came from behind the tire, tinged with panic.

"I... I'm contemplating life!"

Lin Yuan burst into laughter.

Contemplating life?

More like contemplating how to salvage your image.

He didn't expose her, but pretended not to see, walking to the nearby rest area to sit down and placing several crystal-clear fruits on the table.

"That's fine then. I brought a few Fire Spirit Fruits I just picked from the Underground Ecosystem; they're helpful for Fire Superpowers. Since you're contemplating life, I'll just give them to someone else..."

"Whoosh!"

A red afterimage flashed by.

In the next second, Ji Wushuang was already sitting properly across the table.

Clutching two Fire Spirit Fruits in her hands, she wore an "I am very calm" expression, if one ignored the massive bead of sweat on her forehead.

"Ahem, since it's a gesture of your goodwill, I'll reluctantly accept them."

As she spoke,

she took a bite of the fruit with an extremely forced, elegant posture.

"Mmm!"

The fruit melted in her mouth, and a burst of pure fire energy instantly exploded within her body.

The comfortable sensation made her involuntarily squint her eyes, like a cat whose fur had been stroked smooth.

Lin Yuan looked at her gluttonous appearance, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

"Is it good?"

"Mm-hmm!" Ji Wushuang nodded frantically, completely forgetting her earlier reserve.

"If it's good, eat more. Anyway, you'll have to earn back the cost of this consumption."

As Lin Yuan spoke, he naturally reached out to help tidy her slightly messy bangs.

"When the time comes, I'll be counting on our fire-type genius to show her great power."

Counting on... me?

Ji Wushuang stopped chewing the fruit.

He trusts me.

He needs me.

These two realizations were like stones thrown into the lake of her heart, creating ripples.

This feeling was even more intoxicating than eating the Fire Spirit Fruit.

"Don't worry!"

Ji Wushuang swallowed the fruit pulp and patted her chest vigorously, her eyes burning with intense fire.

"With me here, those seafood... no, sea beasts, if one comes, I'll grill one; if two come, I'll grill a pair! I'll make sure they're grilled crispy on the outside and tender on the inside!"

"Good, then I'll be waiting to eat your grilled fish," Lin Yuan laughed.

Watching Lin Yuan's departing back,

Ji Wushuang tightened her grip on the Fire Spirit Fruit.

At that moment, a certain defense in her heart was quietly collapsing.

"Hmph, so you just want me to be your fighter? This young miss will grant your wish!"

She muttered to herself.

But the smile on the corners of her mouth couldn't be hidden.

"But... if I can be your fighter for a lifetime, it seems... not bad?"

Seeing the loyalty level about to turn blue,

a meaningful curve appeared at the corner of Lin Yuan's mouth.

...