After Accidentally Sending Empathy Dolls to My Four Top Donors - Chapter 5

When the Great White Shark Sentinel and Mr. Xia pushed the door open softly, they were greeted by a warm and hazy scene.

Under the dim, amber glow, a youth rested his head against a pillow. Perhaps because he was cuddling the Great White Shark, his thin, dark, yet rosy lips exhaled cool air. From his slightly long hairline to the skin around his ears, a pale red flush had spread. His delicate skin looked almost like a fragile vitreous tissue, revealing faint, blue, snake-like veins beneath the surface.

Wen Leling was playing with the shark, occasionally stroking its head or pressing his nose against its snout. The person and the predator were getting along swimmingly.

The Great White Shark was the first to notice the movement. As if its territory had been invaded, its large, bell-like eyes, previously filled with joy, instantly flooded with ferocity, shifting into a state of high alert and aggression.

Wen Leling followed the sound and looked over. Seeing it was Mr. Xia and the White Shark Sentinel, he patted the shark’s back. “Are you really going to bite your own master?”

The shark suddenly arched its back and turned around, its eyes instantly becoming pure and clear as it looked at Wen Leling. Looking as if it had endless grievances to share, it wiggled its body and let out a gurgling cry.

Ignoring the display, Wen Leling got out of bed to greet Mr. Xia. Before he could speak, the other man smiled and said, “Guide Wen, you seem to be getting along quite well with the Great White Shark. You can test your compatibility with Song He later; I am sure it will be very high.”

“If you are not willing to be responsible for four S-grade Sentinels at once, being solely responsible for Song He is also an option.”

Mr. Xia spoke to himself. Although his speed was not fast, he spoke with a heavy hometown accent, rattling everything off in one breath regardless of whether the listener could hear or understand him.

When he finally paused, Wen Leling thought he finally had a chance to speak. However, he saw Mr. Xia nudge the silent Song He with his elbow. Before Wen Leling could recover from his daze, Mr. Xia snatched the opportunity to speak again.

“His situation has always been a headache for the higher-ups. You attended a Sentinel-Guide high school, so you should know that if an S-grade Sentinel does not have a suitable Guide to perform regular cleansing, their lifespan generally will not exceed a year. Song He has been with the White Tower for nearly six months, yet so far, he has not found a Guide with a compatibility higher than 50 percent. He has been relying solely on pheromones. Now, it seems a miracle is about to happen.”

“The higher-ups will definitely approve your transfer.”

The expression on his face was complex but clear. When facing Wen Leling, he could not hide his delight; when facing Song He, he looked frustrated, as if he wanted to just give up and shove the man directly in front of Wen Leling to force them to hold hands.

Wen Leling could see through it. He listened, but he did not believe a word. His brows furrowed tighter and tighter until it was finally his turn to speak. He first glanced at Song He, the “dying man” in Mr. Xia’s words.

The man’s mental state was excellent. It was absolutely impossible to maintain such a level after six months without a Guide’s cleansing. Even lasting a week would be a fantasy, let alone for an S-grade with massive requirements.

Therefore, his disbelief was not a matter of personal bias.

Mr. Xia was clearly lying. To coax a Guide into taking responsibility for a life, he had truly gone to great lengths.

Wen Leling sighed helplessly, his eyelids drooping as if he were deep in thought about how to respond. When he looked up again, he shifted the topic.

“Mr. Xia, let us talk business first. You went to such great lengths to bring me here. What exactly do you want?”

Mr. Xia gave a forced smile. It was not that he had forgotten his purpose, but rather that he did not take it to heart at all, believing it to be a trivial matter. His tone was flat, as if discussing something insignificant. “Yes, well, it is the Sentinel you contacted me to rescue yesterday, Xiao Wenye. His condition is now more serious than when he arrived. He needs your cleansing.”

He had been sleeping here for half the day, and now it was dark. For a whole day and a half, Xiao Wenye’s mutation issue still had not been resolved?

With so many Guides in the White Tower…

Wen Leling was truly speechless. He felt a sense of horror at the White Tower’s attitude toward Sentinels. He pinched his forehead, his eyelashes trembling. The faint smile vanished from his face, and his breathing turned darker than before. He looked like he might spit sparks the moment he opened his mouth. “Mr. Xia, may I ask if I am the only Guide in the White Tower?”

“You knew his condition was serious, yet you delayed for a whole day. Do you want him to die?”

“In the time you spent tracking and kidnapping me, you could have invited a Guide from out of town.”

The atmosphere became solemn, becoming so heavy it was suffocating.

Wen Leling could feel Song He watching him with a mix of emotions, but he had no time to care. He focused all his attention on capturing Mr. Xia’s every move, hoping to find even a shred of guilt. If he saw that, he would not make things difficult; as a fellow worker, he could understand.

Unfortunately, there was none.

However, the other man’s expression became solemn. He did not look anxious to save a life, but rather anxious to clear his own name.

“Guide Wen, it is not like that. He himself insisted that only you help him. The person he was video-calling, Lele, that is you, is it not? Other Guides cannot get near him at all. He has already injured three Guides. We were truly helpless and had to use irregular means to bring you here. Please, help him.”

“Your compatibility with him is as high as 68 percent; there will not be any problems.” As he spoke, Mr. Xia opened the door to the lounge and stood to the side, respectfully gesturing to Wen Leling.

Please.

Wen Leling was stunned repeatedly.

What on earth?

Is 68 percent considered high?

Had Xiao Wenye already matched the secret code through Mr. Xia? Did he know that Lele, the streamer he followed, was about to become his Guide?

If the dots were connected, he could not stay in this White Tower anymore.

Wen Leling’s legs felt like they were filled with lead; he could not take a step. His heart pounded straight into his throat. Light filtered through the messy hair on his forehead, illuminating his hesitant, pale-yet-flushed face. Seeing this, Song He felt uneasy. He did not want Wen Leling to leave this room. If he had to leave, testing compatibility with him was fine, but cleansing Xiao Wenye was not.

But what standing did he have to intervene in Wen Leling’s choice?

He had none. He could only grumble internally, not daring to say a word. His gaze, however, changed, becoming somewhat shifty and sly.

Sensing the gaze, Wen Leling glanced over uncomfortably. He did not stop him, simply treating Song He like a fool. Knowing he could not escape, he walked out with a headache, asking about his concern. “Mr. Xia, did you say anything to Xiao Wenye?”

Mr. Xia followed him out and quickened his pace to lead the way, replying, “No.”

“When he was semi-conscious, he kept calling for Lele and would not listen to anyone else. Since your name has “Le” in it and he contacted you before the incident, I was certain the Guide he was looking for must be you.”

“You really are something, having private contact with a Sentinel already. Why did you refuse to be their…” Mr. Xia’s voice cut off, and his footsteps halted. It was as if he had suddenly realized a profound truth. He opened his mouth, his tone shifting to an exaggeratedly surprised pitch. “Oh! I get it now!”

His eyes went wide and round. Leaning toward Wen Leling, he bumped shoulders with him, made a hush gesture, and whispered, “Guide Wen, do not worry. I will definitely keep this secret for you. I will even strive to get you and him bound 1v1.”

His voice was very low. For some reason, the sound of Song He’s footsteps became noticeably heavy the moment they leaned in, to the point where Wen Leling could not hear clearly and was left baffled.

He only heard, “Go on!”

Followed by a beep like an electronic Open Sesame, and a mechanical voice announced from above.

“Xia Congmian… Authentication passed… Please enter.”

The iron door in front of him slowly opened.

Wen Leling was completely confused, unable to tell what kind of madness had gripped Xia Congmian. However, the man seemed a bit more human now, so Wen Leling did not want to dampen his spirits. He gave a compliant smile. “Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

As he walked inside, the iron door hissed shut automatically.

Wen Leling looked straight ahead and saw clearly.

On a cross-like frame, a man was bound by massive iron shackles at his limbs.

That was indeed Xiao Wenye. His spiritual animal was a white leopard, but at this moment, it lacked any of its usual pride or coldness. Its white fur was matted with blood, covered in wounds, and painful to look at.

He had been beaten.

Wen Leling felt a wave of physiological discomfort; his stomach churned. His hand, with its thin skin and faint veins, covered half his face. He adjusted himself for a moment before looking back at Xiao Wenye.

Xiao Wenye’s head was hanging very low. He had sensed someone’s arrival from the start. His nose wrinkled, and the light gray markings that should have been hidden in his white fur now strained against his bulging muscles, becoming a symbol of his ferocity. Every muscle was like a spring coiled to its limit, twitching frequently in small movements.

It was not nervousness; it was the suppressed excitement before a hunt.

Wen Leling trusted his intuition and cautiously approached Xiao Wenye. The leopard’s nostrils flared violently, exhaling white mist that smelled of blood. Its mouth pulled back into a gruesome arc, revealing sharp canines gleaming with a cold light.

Suddenly, he snapped his head up. His deep eyes narrowed thinner than needles, pinning his target. The whites of his eyes were swallowed by a murky crimson. A dark growl rolled from his throat, mixed with the threat of grinding teeth. Each sound dripped with a desire to tear the other apart, intending to frighten them away.

But the moment he saw Wen Leling, everything vanished like smoke.

It was unexpected.

The surveillance cameras panned back and forth several times. Wen Leling faintly heard someone on the other end clapping and exclaiming. Fearing it would startle Xiao Wenye and cause the situation to spiral out of control, he turned his head and warned, “Be quiet.”

The noise from that side stopped instantly.

In truth, Wen Leling was also a bit surprised; he had not expected Xiao Wenye to become submissive so easily.

The ferocity faded from those eyes, no longer inspiring fear. The low growl in his throat was abruptly cut off, replaced by nothing but soft, fawning breaths. The snarling mouth retracted awkwardly, hiding the canines.

“Le… Lele,” he called out, his expression dazed.

Wen Leling did not speak. He moved forward two more steps and ran his fingers through Xiao Wenye’s thick white hair, rubbing it gently. The white leopard had completely lost its previous ruthlessness; it was now entirely obedient. Not only did it close its eyes in comfort, but it also pressed its face into Wen Leling’s palm, nuzzling him to make the stroking easier. He kept muttering under his breath.

“Lele, Lele, is it you? Lele?”

Wen Leling remained silent. This time, he did not step forward further to let Xiao Wenye get closer; instead, he stepped back.

It was not that he wanted to ignore him. If he had not come, Xiao Wenye would have surely died. Since he was here, he would not let Xiao Wenye die.

He simply wanted Xiao Wenye to realize that he hated the name Lele. Because he was not Lele, he hated it. He wanted the man to stop calling him that.

He had to protect his secret identity!

Unexpectedly, the other man did not follow the script. Instead, he showed a humble, pathetic expression, like a pet that had done something wrong and was begging for its master’s forgiveness.

Fortunately, Wen Leling was not falling for that either.

He knew very well that the chances of his vest falling off in front of Xiao Wenye were high. Even if he slightly adjusted his vocal tone during streams, he could not ensure total safety. Moreover, Xiao Wenye was a voice lover and extremely sensitive to vocal timbres.

Therefore, he did not dare act rashly, nor did he intend to reply, as long as Xiao Wenye stopped calling him that. He was afraid that out of habit, he might treat it as his Top Donator calling him and instinctively give a response!

“Lele… Lele, do not go! Lele…”

Wen Leling: “……”

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