There was a type of people who would always appear when their presence was not welcome.
And there were also events that would occur in the worst possible moment.
The appearance of Fleeting Time outside of Ye Ci’s cell was a combination of both. It was a calamity.
She stared incredulously at the man. Why is he here? The man was casually leaning against the wall in the dark, damp jail. The smile on his face disgusted Ye Ci as he stared at her silently, as if she was all that mattered to him at that moment.
A shiver ran down her spine. It was not because she was cold, but was due to a feeling.
It was similar to the primal instinct of an animal. They could sense any changes in their surrounding, be it something harmless or an approaching danger. It was an instinct that would remind them that something was coming.
Ye Ci have no fear of Fleeting Time, or rather she had never known fear. Even if she had died time and time again to his arrows in her past life, she was not afraid.
And in this life, her regrets in the past pushed her into his life. He had been a formidable opponent from the beginning, but she was still not afraid.
Pressure had never been Ye Ci’s reason to fear, nor was the strength of her opponent.
But she felt fear at that very moment.
Even Ye Ci herself could not understand the source of her fear. She was not afraid that she would one day surpass him, nor was she fearing defeat by his hands. But Fleeting Time still struck fear into her. She had the urge to flee whenever he appeared before her, even if she was fully capable of defeating him. She felt so helpless and nervous in front of Fleeting Time, even when he was a corpse.
And the same feeling was washing over her.
Fleeting Time was standing casually not far away from Ye Ci, and she felt the urge to hide in a corner of her cell. Her grip on the bars of her cell tightened, to the point where the whites of her knuckles could be seen. She did not have the courage to look him in the eye, and instead snorted at him, “What are you doing here?”
“I came to visit a prisoner of course.” he replied matter of factly as he walked towards Ye Ci.
Ye Ci subconsciously took two steps back. There was still a yard between them, but Ye Ci could feel an unseen pressure weighing down on her chest. It was a pressure that only Fleeting Time was capable of exerting on her.
But she had nowhere to run.
Fleeting Time raised an eyebrow to her reaction, “You’re afraid of me?”
“Why would I?” snapped Ye Ci. She snorted, and took in a deep breath, “I just do not want to get too close to you.”
“Well what’s wrong with that? It’s not like I will eat you.” Fleeting Time asked quizzically as he studied Ye Ci’s expression.
Ye Ci, who was at a loss for words, gritted her teeth and sat down. She closed her eyes and proceeded to ignore Fleeting Time.
But he was not angered by her gesture, and instead produced some food and wine from his inventory, placing them in front of Ye Ci’s cell.
She opened her eyes, but remained silent even after seeing the food.
“Staying in a jail cell will drain your stamina quickly. If you don’t eat, these three days will be uncomfortable for you.”
But Ye Ci remained silent.
“Are you mad at me?” asked Fleeting Time. He sat down on the floor outside the cell, and extended an arm. He wanted to pat Ye Ci on the head, but he stopped himself. He redirected his hand towards a piece of fruit, and placed it in Ye Ci’s hands.
And that was when she finally lifted her head and looked at Fleeting Time. She trained her eyes at Fleeting Time with her dark eyes, as if he was a stranger.
Panic gripped Fleeting Time’s heart when he saw her expression. This was the first time he was not in control of a situation. The feeling was strange to him, and it made him nervous. I must not panic or I might end up doing something that I’ll regret. Fleeting Time warned himself, and forced a smile on his face.
Am I afraid? Fleeting Time would never admit the truth, but he knew deep down that he was afraid of Ye Ci. It was not a fear of her strength or her arrogance. He was afraid of rejection. And because of that fear, he had been using the most childish and foolish way that angered her time and time again to get closer to her. He knew it would not end well, but he was inexperienced, and it was the only way he had in mind.
There was a saying, that males had their unique way to pursue their mate. They might not succeed, but it was still unique.
But Fleeting Time’s method was way too childish. According to Absalom, Fleeting Time was like an elementary school kid trying to woo a child of the same age. He was beaten up by Fleeting Time because of that, but the truth was undeniable. Fleeting Time was simply too childish.
Fleeting Time gulped as he stared into Ye Ci’s eyes, “So you really are mad at me?”
And Ye Ci was still silent.
“Alright, it’s all my fault. I promise that I’ll dodge the next time you want to kill me in the middle of the streets.” Fleeting Time grimaced, “Come on, don’t be mad anymore. I’ve apologised.”
Ye Ci sighed. He’s apologising for the wrong reasons.
She did not mind that she was imprisoned due to the murder. She was angered by the chaos he caused in the World and Map Channel by mentioning her name. The thought that her name would once again be associated with Fleeting Time made her cough up blood.
“You’re here as a visitor?” Ye Ci sighed.
“Yes.” Fleeting Time smiled at Ye Ci, his worries washed away by her response.
“Well, now that you’re done, you can leave now.” replied Ye Ci.
Fleeting Time bit back a response and stood up, “Alright, alright, I’ll leave. Just don’t be mad anymore.”
Ye Ci looked away not wanting to continue their conversation.
Fleeting Time scratched his head. He knew that he did something wrong, but he did not know what his mistake was. He would not gain an answer by staying, which was why he made the decision to leave. She was imprisoned for three days. He would have more time to talk to her.
“Little Ci!” a voice rang out in the silent jail as a Warrior made his way to Ye Ci’s cell.
Little Ci? Fleeting Time narrowed his eyes. Is that Gongzi You’s name in real life? He stood aside and stared silently at the heavily armored Warrior.
Ye Ci’s eyes flung open when she heard the voice. She jumped up from the ground, and rushed to the door of her cell with surprise written on her face, “Why are you here?”
“Why am I here? You killed someone, and your sentence was announced by the system. How do you expect me to not know? I happen to be in Hero City, that’s why I came as soon as I heard.” Bai Mo was relieved when he saw Ye Ci healthy and well. He extended an arm through the bars of her cell and caressed her head, as if it was a gesture that was very natural to him.
But to Fleeting Time, it was something else. His eyes narrowed into slits, emanating a thick killing intent that was obviously directed at Bai Mo.
Bai Mo was alarmed by a chill going down his spine and the feeling that someone was glaring at him. He turned around and saw a male Elf with silvery hair staring at him with hostility.
It did not take him long to figure out the situation. A smile appeared on his face as he nodded at Fleeting Time and proceeded to ignore the man. He then turned around and spoke to Ye Ci, “I guess you won’t be out very soon.”
“Yup.”
“Alright. I’ll come get you when it’s time for dinner.” Bai Mo intentionally raised his voice.
Ye Ci was dumbfounded by his words. Bai Mo had never called her down for dinner. He was even afraid that her presence would mean less food for him. Did the sun rise from the west this morning?
Then again, perhaps he’s just pitying me because I’m imprisoned.
“Okay.” she nodded.
This normal interaction however, made Fleeting Time nervous.
That man seemed to be very close with Gongzi You, and he even knew her in real life. As the saying goes, the pavilion closest to the water enjoys the moonlight first. Even if they were not in a relationship, he was already in an advantageous position.
The thought annoyed Fleeting Time to no end. He stared coldly at the intimate interaction between the man and Ye Ci as the flames of anger began to grow in his heart. But Ye Ci’s reaction to the man was like a bucket of icy cold water that splashed down on him.
Gongzi You had always faced him with a mask of anger. And even at the best of times, her expression would remain neutral. She had never treated him with joy. Have I already lost something that I wasn’t even able to get?
Fleeting Time’s thoughts were thrown into disarray. He could not bear to watch the smiles on their faces. He felt very out of place standing in front of Ye Ci’s cell, as if he was an insignificant extra. He gritted his teeth and left the prison.
The smile on Bai Mo’s face disappeared along with Fleeting Time, “Was that Fleeting Time?”
“Yup.” Ye Ci’s thoughts were immediately jumbled up upon the mentioning of his name.
Bai Mo appeared to not have noticed Ye Ci’s change in behavior, “He seems like a very skillful player.”
“Bullshit!” Ye Ci’s anger immediately exploded at Bai Mo’s praise of Fleeting Time, “He’s just a rascal! Hmpf! I’ll beat him up the next time I see him!”
“Reaaallyy?”
“Are you doubting me?” Ye Ci’s eyebrows creased.
Bai Mo responded by patting her on the head and smiled at the food and drinks laid on the ground, “I have to go. The people at the guild are waiting for me. Have fun!”
