His voice was cracking, unable to hide the possessiveness that had been gnawing at his sanity.
He looked down at the lapels of her dark robes, his fingers curling into tight fists. "He was looking at you with those filthy, calculating eyes. I know what kind of monster Mo Ling Yuan is. I know what he does to things he finds interesting. I couldn't... I couldn't just sit there and let him look at you like you were his prey."
The unvarnished sincerity in his voice hit Yun Shu right in the chest.
This heavily traumatized man, who had spent countless lifetimes being victimized and broken by monsters exactly like Mo Ling Yuan, had just willingly thrown himself into the line of fire solely to protect her.
Yun Shu's teasing smirk melted away, replaced by an expression of pure affection.
She raised her free hand, her calloused fingers gently brushing a stray lock of raven-black hair behind Bai Yunxian's rapidly reddening ear.
