I'm in the Dragon Clan, bound to the Naruto Counterattack System

Chapter 168 Chu Zihang Stays Overnight (6000 words)

One hundred and seven.

Xia Mi silently recited the last number in her mind.

When the number clearly came to mind, she was suddenly jolted awake from her near-obsessive concentration.

What exactly did I just do?

A surge of scalding heat rushed up my cheeks with a "whoosh".

Her heart was pounding in her ears like a drum, each beat faster than the last, making her eardrums buzz.

She practically sprang up from the sofa, taking two steps back in a panic before stopping.

She looked at Chu Zihang, who was still sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, completely unaware of what had just happened, and her mind was in complete turmoil.

There was the panic of being caught doing something wrong, the thrill of breaking taboos, and a secret joy that she herself was unwilling to admit.

This feeling was so unfamiliar and so dangerous.

We must calm down.

The part of Jormungandr's consciousness, like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguished the chaotic emotions rising in Xia Mi's heart.

The most important thing right now is not to dwell on how childish and audacious the stupid thing I just did, but how to handle the aftermath perfectly.

He absolutely must not know what just happened.

An idea took shape in her mind.

Kill him.

But looking at Chu Zihang's peaceful sleeping face, Xia Mi's heart softened involuntarily.

I might as well tamper with my memories; it's not like this is the first time I've done something like this.

For the Dragon King, altering the memories of a hybrid is just a matter of lifting a finger.

Especially in a coma like Chu Zihang's, his mental world is like an undefended city, allowing her to enter freely.

Xia Mi took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the panic and shyness that belonged to a human girl.

She slowly walked back to the sofa and squatted down again.

This time, her eyes no longer held the infatuation and curiosity of before, only the indifference of Jormungandr.

She extended her slender index finger, the tip of which was surrounded by a faint light imperceptible to the naked eye.

This is a manifestation of the high degree of cohesion of spiritual power.

Her fingertips gently touched Chu Zihang's smooth forehead.

A cool sensation came through.

The moment Xia Mi touched his skin, she closed her eyes.

A powerful spiritual force, like an invisible tide, silently surged into Chu Zihang's cerebral cortex, precisely locating the area storing short-term memories.

She found the starting point of that memory: the moment he took the umbrella and said goodbye.

Then she completely erased that memory, along with everything that happened afterward.

It's like cutting out the most crucial minute from a complete videotape.

After doing all this, she re-welded the end of her memory.

The new memory's endpoint was precisely anchored by her at the moment when the two had just entered the door, he was standing in the entryway, and she turned to pour water.

The entire process was seamless and left no trace.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Chu Zihang's still peaceful sleeping face. The weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.

All right.

Now it's time to address the next issue.

Why did he suddenly faint?

Xia Mi stood up, looked around the small living room, and her brain started working at lightning speed.

Her gaze eventually fell in the direction of the kitchen.

Have it.

She strode into the kitchen, first poured herself a glass of warm water, then rummaged through the cupboard and pulled out a bag of fruit hard candies left over from the last hot pot meal.

She placed the water glass and a few unwrapped candies on the coffee table in the living room, in a spot where Chu Zihang could see them as soon as he opened his eyes.

The site setup is complete.

Next, it's time to wake him up.

Xia Mi walked to the sofa, bent down, and gently patted Chu Zihang's cheek.

"Senior brother? Senior brother? Wake up."

Her voice carried just the right amount of anxiety and concern.

Chu Zihang's eyelashes trembled slightly.

He slowly opened his eyes.

At first, there was a blank look in those dark eyes, as if they had just woken up from a deep dream and could not distinguish between reality and illusion.

His gaze lingered on the ceiling for a few seconds before slowly shifting to Xia Mi beside him.

At this moment, the girl's hair fell gently down, and was hazy in the soft light, like an angel gently possessing her.

"I----"

He was about to ask something when he realized there was a clear break in his train of thought.

His memory was still stuck on the moment he walked into the apartment and the girl said she would pour him a cup of hot tea.

What happened next?

Why am I lying on the sofa?

"You're awake!"

When Xia Mi saw him open his eyes, she immediately showed a relieved expression.

Her acting was flawless, and the worry in her eyes seemed genuine.

"Senior brother, you suddenly fainted! You scared me to death!"

As she spoke, she handed over the glass of warm water that had been prepared beforehand.

"How are you feeling? Is there anything that's bothering you?"

Chu Zihang subconsciously took the water glass, feeling the warmth coming from his palm.

He sat up and stretched his body.

I felt no discomfort whatsoever.

There was no dizziness, no nausea, and no signs of being attacked.

"I... I fainted?"

His tone was full of uncertainty.

"yes!"

Xia Mi nodded exaggeratedly, looking as if she was still shaken.

"You had barely walked in and hadn't even said two words when you closed your eyes and fell backward. I almost couldn't catch you."

She pointed to the candies on the coffee table: "You look pale, and your lips are bloodless. You probably have low blood sugar."

"I just fed you two candies. Are you feeling better now?"

Hypoglycemia?

Chu Zihang frowned.

This explanation seems reasonable and does indeed explain why he suddenly lost consciousness.

But Chu Zihang knew his body perfectly well. Let alone low blood sugar, he could even run a marathon without any problem if he fasted for a week. How could he possibly faint here because of low blood sugar?

He looked at Xia Mi, trying to find some clues on her face.

But the girl's eyes were clear and open, full of concern for him, without the slightest hint of pretense.

Maybe I'm just overthinking things.

Chu Zihang suddenly remembered that he had performed a blood-boosting attack some time ago.

Could this fainting spell be related to a sudden blood loss?

He took a sip of warm water, which relieved the dryness in his throat considerably. Having just woken from a brief coma, the gaps in his memory left him momentarily disoriented.

He forcefully suppressed that inexplicable sense of unease and regained his usual calm and restraint.

"Feel sorry."

Chu Zihang stood up, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of apology.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble just now."

He felt sorry for his sudden unconsciousness and uncomfortable about behaving inappropriately in the home of a strange girl.

"And thank you."

That thank you was sincere.

In any case, she took him in when he was caught in the rain and took care of him when he had a hypoglycemic attack.

"Oh, senior brother, why are you being so polite?"

Xia Mi waved her hand dismissively, her bright, sunny smile returning to her face.

"Isn't it natural for teachers and students to help each other?"

"It's getting late, I should go."

Chu Zihang glanced at the clock on the wall; the hands had already pointed to the dead of night.

He was a person who was strict with himself to the point of being harsh. In his code of conduct, staying at the home of a girl living alone late at night was absolutely not allowed.

This has nothing to do with other people's opinions, but rather with his adherence to his own principles.

As he spoke, he strode toward the door.

"Wait a moment!"

Just as his hand was about to touch the doorknob, a soft yet unusually strong hand grabbed his arm.

Chu Zihang's body tensed up instantly, his muscles instinctively reacting in a defensive posture.

But he quickly relaxed again.

He turned his head and saw Xia Mi's face, which was filled with difficulty and confusion.

Her brows were furrowed tightly, her lips were slightly pouting, and her bright eyes revealed a troubled expression.

"No, no!"

Xia Mi shook her head vigorously, gripping his arm even tighter.

"We absolutely cannot leave now!"

Chu Zihang frowned as well, somewhat puzzled.

Why?

"because----"

Xia Mi took a deep breath and then pointed out the window with her other finger.

"It's so late now, and our neighbor's gossipy old lady is still up! Her bedroom window faces right into the hallway!"

Her tone was exaggerated, her expression serious, and she spoke with great conviction.

"If she sees a boy walking out of my house in the middle of the night—"

Xia Mi paused deliberately at this point, her face displaying the perfect shyness typical of high school girls.

"Then tomorrow—no, maybe tonight—the whole building will know that Xia Mi brought a boy home for the night!"

The reasons she made up were almost laughable.

Even if they are seen, as long as it is explained clearly, it is not something that cannot be undone.

But Xia Mi's tone was unusually resolute.

It was as if if he dared to step out of that door tonight, she would publish a notice in the newspaper tomorrow announcing that she had lost her chastity, and that he was the heartless man who had started the affair and then abandoned her.

Chu Zihang fell silent.

He didn't care about other people's gossip.

Since he stepped into the world of mixed-race people, he has become accustomed to walking on the edge that ordinary people cannot understand. Other people's opinions no longer stir any waves for him.

But seeing Xia Mi's face, which was about to cry, he couldn't bring himself to force her to leave.

He can ignore the whole world, but it's hard for him to give a girl who has just taken care of him a firm rejection.

This may be one of the few weaknesses in his personality.

He remained silent for a moment, weighing all the possibilities and consequences.

"Then I can stay in the living room until dawn before I leave." His voice was steady and clear.

The moment those words left her lips, Xia Mi's expression underwent a complete 180-degree turn.

The gloomy and dejected look vanished in an instant, replaced by a radiant glow, like the sky after a rainstorm.

"Okay, okay!"

She nodded vigorously, as if she had been waiting for him to say those words.

Her undisguised joy made Chu Zihang even more convinced that her earlier remarks about the "gossipy auntie" were purely made up.

Xia Mi's movements were incredibly fast.

She practically jumped for joy as she turned and dashed into her bedroom.

In less than half a minute, she came out carrying a neatly folded thin blanket and a pillow that looked very soft.

The pillowcase has a cute Totoro pattern printed on it, and it's the same style as the umbrella she used before.

"Wait a minute, senior brother, I'll set it up for you right away!"

She was unusually attentive, spreading the blanket out on the floor in the center of the living room, carefully arranging the pillows, and even considerately patting them to make them look fluffier.

A simple "bed" was thus completed.

Xia Mi clapped her hands and looked at Chu Zihang with anticipation.

"How is it? It's a bit basic, but it'll definitely be fine for a night's sleep!"

Chu Zihang looked at the "bed" on the floor that emitted a faint fragrance and didn't insist on anything further.

He readily accepted Xia Mi's proposal.

Since you've already decided to stay, making pointless excuses will only seem pretentious.

"Thanks."

He thanked her softly, then walked over to the blanket.

But he did not lie down as Xia Mi had expected.

Instead, he sat cross-legged on the living room floor.

He straightened his back, placed his hands naturally on his knees, and then slowly closed his eyes.

Within seconds, the sharp aura around him quickly subsided, and he entered a meditative state akin to an old monk in deep meditation.

My breathing became long and steady, as if I had become one with the surrounding air.

This is a habit he has developed over the years.

Wherever he is, whenever he has a moment of peace, he can restore his physical and mental strength through meditation while maintaining the highest level of vigilance.

Xia Mi stood aside, somewhat dumbfounded, watching him look as if he was about to ascend to heaven at any moment.

This guy—he really is a weirdo.

Shouldn't normal people lie down and sleep?

She secretly stuck out her tongue at Chu Zihang's back and made a face.

Then she tiptoed back to her room.

"Click".

The bedroom door was gently closed.

But she didn't close the door completely; instead, she deliberately left a tiny gap.

The gap was just big enough for her to glimpse the lonely figure sitting cross-legged in the living room from inside the room.

Night deepened, and all was quiet.

The walls of the old apartment seemed to shut out all the noise of the city. Xia Mi lay on her soft bed, her eyes wide open, wide awake.

The ceiling appeared as a blurry grayish-white in the darkness, like an unfinished book.

Xia Mi kept recalling the events of the day. The black umbrella opened up a small world, and the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella surface was as dense as drums, but the breathing under the umbrella could be clearly heard.

The boy silently tilted most of the umbrella toward her, letting the cold rain soak his shoulders. The touch on his fingertips seemed to linger as he counted her eyelashes, and the itch from her warm breath on his cheeks seemed not to have completely dissipated.

One hundred and seven, Xia Mi still remembers this number.

Chu Zihang refused the bed and chose to spend the night in an almost ascetic manner.

His back was ramrod straight, like a sharp sword about to be drawn, exuding aloofness and sharpness even in meditation.

These fragments kept intertwining and overlapping, playing over and over in her mind.

An unprecedentedly complex emotion overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

As Jormungandr, the Dragon King, she felt alarmed.

Chu Zihang's existence itself is a huge variable, and the Odin's mark on him makes her sense a dangerous aura.

Keeping such an uncertain factor around is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin.

Reason told her that she should find his weaknesses before he became too powerful and then completely eliminate this threat.

But as a human girl, Xia Mi's heart was pounding uncontrollably.

She could not forget the silent tenderness in the rain, nor could she ignore the secret joy she felt when counting his eyelashes.

His loneliness was like a mirror, reflecting her own shadow hidden deep within her soul.

That sense of alienation from the world made her want to get closer.

Two completely different emotions collided fiercely within her.

Vigilance and excitement, coldness and tenderness.

The dragon's instincts and human emotions.

Xia Mi rolled over in bed in frustration and covered her head with the blanket.

But those images and emotions seemed to be etched into the inside of her eyelids, becoming even clearer in the darkness.

She couldn't sleep at all.

This feeling of being out of control made her extremely irritable.

Finally, she suddenly jumped out of bed and threw off the covers.

Forget it.

If you can't sleep, then don't sleep.

She walked barefoot on the cool wooden floor without making a sound.

Her movements were as light as a cat walking at night.

Xia Mi quietly turned the doorknob and pushed the bedroom door open a tiny crack.

The lights were off in the living room.

The moonlight is beautiful tonight. The cool moonlight shines through the gap in the curtains, which are not fully drawn, casting a bright silver patch on the living room floor.

Chu Zihang sat in the center of this silvery spot, bathed in a holy and ethereal glow from the moonlight.

He remained in the same position, sitting cross-legged with his hands on his knees, motionless, like a statue.

The surrounding air seemed exceptionally calm because of his presence, and even the movement of dust seemed to slow down.

Xia Mi leaned against the door frame, quietly watching him through the narrow crack in the door.

Looking at his straight back, his well-defined profile, and the moonlight dancing on his dark hair.

She suddenly felt that this guy was actually quite pitiful.

He's just a boy who's not even twenty years old, but he lives like an old man who's hundreds of years old.

Aside from studying, missions, and battles, there's probably no other color in life.

Isn't it tiring to live like this?

Xia Mi asked silently in her heart.

She didn't know how long she had been watching.

It might be a few minutes, or it might be longer.

She was completely absorbed in this silent gaze, forgetting the passage of time.

A gust of cold wind slipped in through the crack in the window and swirled around in the living room.

Xia Mi, wearing only a thin nightgown, instinctively hugged her arms tightly, feeling a slight chill.

In that instant, she saw the figure, which had been motionless like a statue, seem to tremble slightly.

The movement was so subtle that an ordinary person would not have noticed it at all.

But Xia Mi saw it.

Her dynamic vision far surpasses that of ordinary people; she accurately captured Chu Zihang's subconscious muscle contraction caused by the cold.

Xia Mi felt something inside her being touched.

She didn't hesitate any longer.

Xia Mi turned and went back to her room, her steps still light, but without the hesitation she had just felt.

She walked to the bedside and picked up the thick blanket that she had tossed aside.

This is a coral fleece blanket, and it's her favorite.

When she's snuggled up on the sofa watching TV in winter, she always likes to wrap herself in this blanket; its softness and warmth give her a great sense of security.

She carried the blanket, which was heavier than she had imagined, back to the living room.

Chu Zihang was completely unaware of her return.

He remained immersed in his own meditative world, maintaining only a minimal awareness of everything around him.

Xia Mi stopped behind him.

She looked at his back, which was so close to hers, and smelled the soapy scent of his white T-shirt mixed with her own jasmine fragrance.

Her heart started racing again, much to her dismay.

Wouldn't doing this be too deliberate? Wouldn't it wake him up?

After he wakes up, how is he supposed to explain his behavior?

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

But when her gaze fell again on his shoulders, which were stiff from fighting the cold, all her worries vanished.

To hell with his deliberate actions.

To hell with waking up.

I'm doing what I want, and nobody can stop me.

Xia Mi took a deep breath, as if to encourage herself.

She carefully unfolded the blanket in her hands.

She tiptoed, leaned forward, and wrapped her arms in a gentle arc, draping the thick blanket softly over Chu Zihang.

The blanket, still warm from her body, silently covered that lonely figure.

After doing all this, Xia Mi slowly straightened up and took two steps back.

She looked at the figure wrapped in her blanket, and a strange sense of satisfaction welled up inside her.

It was as if a great and remarkable thing had been accomplished.

Xia Mi looked at her masterpiece, pursed her lips, but in the end she couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth unconsciously turn up slightly.