The sky curtain makes you a useless class monitor, yet you act arbitrarily for eternity?

"Stop arguing! He's here! Old Ancestor Ye is out! The answer is about to be revealed!"

Upon seeing the bathroom door opened, the audience members who had been clamoring to keep one or two people in the bathroom instantly fell silent.

Countless eyes were simultaneously fixed on the projection.

"Squeak—"

Steam seeped out from the cracks in the door.

Ye Chen was shirtless, with a towel draped around his neck, and was drying his wet hair as he spoke.

"I'm done washing, do you want some...?"

He stopped halfway through his sentence.

On the heart-shaped bed covered with flower petals, Jiang Liyu lay with her eyes closed, her face pale and bloodless.

Bloodstained clothes were scattered around the bed.

She gripped the sheets tightly with both hands, her shoulders, exposed to the holy light, trembling slightly, clearly indicating that she had made some kind of preparation.

Ye Chen remained silent for two seconds, his expression unreadable.

He turned and walked to the wardrobe, took out a pink bathrobe, and then sat down on the edge of the bed.

The mattress sagged down.

The camera focused on Jiang Liyu's face.

Her eyes were tightly closed, and her eyelashes trembled.

Seeing the tension on her face, Ye Chen sighed softly and took her cold hand in his.

Jiang Liyu pursed her lips and squeezed out two words with difficulty.

"Gently... gently."

"Reach out your hand."

Ye Chen's tone was calm, revealing nothing unusual.

Jiang Liyu felt a tightness in her chest.

Did he want to be on top?

Sure enough, the reason he saved me and brought me back was still for this body that could serve him.

She sat up as Ye Chen pulled her up, opening her eyes resignedly.

"Lie down..."

"Lying down for what?"

Ye Chen took her hand and pulled the sleeves of the pink bathrobe over her shoulders.

Jiang Liyu was stunned.

Ye Chen helped her put on one side of the garment, then took her other hand.

"Stretch this one out too."

Jiang Liyu did as instructed, but remained silent.

Ye Chen helped her put on her bathrobe, gathered the collar to cover all her exposed skin, and finally tied the belt around her waist.

He did these things swiftly, and his eyes never wavered.

After fastening the straps, Ye Chen reached out and rubbed her head.

"You've had a long day, go take a shower first, and get some rest tonight."

Jiang Liyu felt the warmth coming from above her head, and her eyes quickly reddened.

"I'm still a virgin."

She lowered her head, tears falling onto her pink bathrobe, quickly darkening the color slightly.

"The only reward I can offer is this body..."

Ye Chen looked at her hands gripping the bathrobe tightly and guessed what the problem was.

He was just about to pull his hand back and ask him properly when Jiang Liyu suddenly raised her head and pressed her hands against his palms.

"Please don't leave me?"

Her eyes were bloodshot, and she could no longer suppress her sobs.

"I want to live... I don't want to die."

Ye Chen stopped.

A moment later, he sat down on the edge of the bed, letting Jiang Liyu hold his hand.

Why would you think I saved you for your health?

His voice was a little lower than before.

"I'm much older than you. If I were to take advantage of a young girl who has just come of age, what would become of my reputation?"

Jiang Liyu raised her face, sobbing.

"You saved me... not for this?"

"Then why did you save me?"

Ye Chen smiled.

"Just consider it as me seeing injustice on the road and casually drawing my knife."

"I have no feelings for your body, nor do I need you to repay me in this way."

The light in Jiang Liyu's eyes dimmed.

She slowly lowered her head and released her grip on Ye Chen's hand.

The room fell silent for a moment. The setting sun outside the window had already sunk behind the distant city walls, and the last golden rays pierced through the gauze curtains, spreading across the dark red carpet.

Ye Chen looked at her.

"You're the one who chopped up that soldier ant with the pheromone sac, aren't you?"

"Um."

Jiang Liyu lowered her head and responded.

Did your friend remind you before leaving?

"I reminded you..."

"Did she leave the group later?"

Jiang Liyu's fingers tightened suddenly. She didn't answer, but tears fell again.

Ye Chen stood up, his voice turning colder.

"You can be sad, or you can blame her for not staying by your side when you were in the most danger."

"But you brought the soldier ant swarm yourself, so you can't blame it on anyone else."

Jiang Liyu's lips were bitten until they bled, and her face grew paler and paler.

Ye Chen did not stop just because she was crying.

Whether she turned back to save you or was stopped by the ant swarm, you don't know.

"Even if she really did retreat to save her life, you have no right to demand that another person pay for your mistakes with their life."

"I...I understand..."

Jiang Liyu clutched her chest, her breathing becoming erratic.

"It was my fault……"

"Yes, it's your fault."

Ye Chen stared at her.

"But what you should be doing right now is not lying here crying and admitting your mistakes, nor is it exchanging your body for the protection of a strong person."

"You should remember the price of this mistake, remember why you were trapped, and then make yourself strong enough to fight your way out next time."

Jiang Liyu raised her face, which was covered in tears.

Ye Chen continued, "If you hand over your hope of survival to someone else, and that person lets go even once, you will experience the despair you felt today all over again."

"If you always think about relying on the strong, even if I protect you today, tomorrow and the day after, you will still be just a weak person waiting for someone else to save your life."

Jiang Liyu's shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and the sobs she had suppressed for so long finally burst out.

Ye Chen waited for her to cry for a while before squatting down in front of her.

The setting sun shone through the window, illuminating his profile and the hand that was extended to Jiang Liyu.

The hand stopped at the boundary between the setting sun and shadow, palm facing upward, knuckles bearing calluses formed from years of holding a knife.

I'm giving you two choices.

"After tonight, we'll go our separate ways. You can continue to live in this world the way you want."

"Or come with me."

"I'll teach you how to fight, how to identify monsters, and how to hold onto your own life even after everyone else has left."