Chapter 67: Unconcealed Affection, A Passionate Encounter

I took a deep breath, trying hard to calm myself down.

This was a treasure trove!

Just think of the mountains of gold and silver, the luxurious silks and satins, and all the fine food and wine I would enjoy in the future...

I rubbed my hands together, full of enthusiasm!

"Brothers, fortune favors the bold! Charge!"

The traps were intricate, looking like a giant game of Tetris; a single misstep would trigger a lethal mechanism.

I crouched down, carefully observing the structure of each mechanism, muttering to myself, "Three circles to the left, three circles to the right, twist your neck, shake your hips..."

I kid you not, the designer of this mechanism must have been an old-school anime fan. This familiar formula and nostalgic vibe gave me a sudden sense of childhood return.

Yunsheng was standing beside me, his breath gently brushing against my cheek, making me feel a little...

My heart was fluttering like a frightened fawn?

I cast a quick, stealthy glance at him and found that he was looking at me too, his eyes carrying a hint of...

Shyness?

Oh my god, the atmosphere suddenly turned rather ambiguous!

"Sister Wan'er..." he called out softly, his voice low and tender.

Before I could respond, he accidentally brushed against my hand.

His hand was warm and dry, his fingertips bearing light calluses, and the tactile sensation was unexpectedly wonderful.

I felt my cheeks begin to burn, and my heartbeat accelerate.

He pulled his hand back as if startled by an electric shock, his cheeks slightly flushed, his eyes carrying a trace of panic and...

Deep affection?

"Sister Wan'er, you look... very beautiful today." He suddenly leaned in close to me, his lips almost brushing against my ear, and whispered.

I felt a tingling sensation ripple through my entire body, as if struck by lightning.

The scent of his body was delightful, faint and reminiscent of some fresh herbal medicine.

His arm naturally wrapped around my waist, and my body gradually softened, as if I were about to melt into his embrace.

"Yunsheng..." I softly called out his name, my voice trembling slightly.

He lowered his head, his gaze hazy, as if he were about to kiss me...

"Wait!" Scholar Li suddenly spoke up, shattering the ambiguous atmosphere, "This mechanism..."

At the critical moment, Scholar Li's roar scared my poor little heart into almost jumping out of my chest.

"The mechanism is moving!"

I quickly opened my eyes, and sure enough, the surrounding walls began to shift, and several arrows came whizzing through the air above our heads, scaring the color right out of my face.

"Hold on to me!" Yunsheng pulled me tightly into his arms, dodging left and right with me. His agility, rivaling 007, left me in absolute awe.

This kid usually looked so gentle and frail, but at a crucial moment, his boyfriend energy was completely off the charts!

While trembling in his arms, I couldn't help but complain, "Tell me, bro, have you been practicing in secret? With moves like these, it's a real shame you're not competing in the Olympics!"

Yunsheng smiled helplessly: "Sister Wan'er, now is not the time for jokes!"

That snapped me back to reality. This was definitely no time to be infatuated!

Mountains of gold and silver were still waiting for me!

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.

These mechanisms looked complicated, but upon closer inspection, they seemed...

Somewhat familiar?

Wait a minute!

Aren't these just permutations and combinations of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams?

Good grief, back in the day, I was a teenage tomb-roading prodigy; did they really think such a minor trick could stump me?

While directing Yunsheng to dodge the flying arrows, I rapidly analyzed the pattern of the mechanisms.

Three circles left, three circles right, binary, hexadecimal...

Various formulas were spinning at high speed in my mind.

"Yunsheng, to the left! Three steps! Fast!" I shouted. Yunsheng immediately grasped my intent, sidestepping with me to narrowly and perilously dodge a wave of arrow rain.

"To the right! Jump!" I commanded again. Yunsheng didn't hesitate for a second, jumping up with me and perfectly avoiding the trap on the ground.

With my repeated and precise guidance, the operating speed of the mechanisms gradually slowed down, and the flying arrows grew fewer and fewer.

Finally, with a crisp "click," the mechanisms stopped running entirely.

Phew!

Finally safe!

I let out a long breath of relief. Before I even had a chance to celebrate, I suddenly felt a powerful force emanating from the direction of the treasure. This power...

Filled me with a sense of unease.

"Yunsheng..." I grabbed his hand tightly, my voice trembling slightly.

He squeezed my hand back, his gaze firm: "Don't be afraid, Sister Wan'er, I'm here."

However, the force grew stronger and stronger, as if it intended to swallow us whole...

"What... what is this..." I felt my body begin to float uncontrollably...

Yunsheng was the same...

"Sister Wan'er... hold on to me..."