Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 66: Leaving the Cave

Today marked the third day they had spent in the cave. Ji Lingruo measured time by watching the light filtering through the cracks in the rock—one cycle of light and darkness equaled a full day.

Over these three days, You Su had focused on recovering. He had strictly ordered Ji Lingruo not to engage in any frivolous behavior, as it would hinder his healing.

For the most part, she obeyed. However, during their quiet nighttime conversations, she often leaned in close. Each time he woke, he inevitably found her curled up against his neck.

By the third day, You Su felt he had regained most of his mobility, though any movement that strained the wound on his abdomen still caused pain.

Their escape had been abrupt, leaving them with limited resources. The pastries and tea stored in You Su’s Dimensional Bag were nearly depleted.

Glancing at the increasingly dense white mist filling the cave, You Su knew it was time to leave.

Yes, he could see again.

On the evening of the second day, Ji Lingruo had insisted he change out of his bloodstained, torn clothes, citing hygiene concerns—though You Su suspected her real worry was infection.

The clothes did need changing; dried blood had caused the fabric to stick to his wound, hindering its recovery.

Initially, You Su attempted to change in a corner by himself, but his limited mobility and the pain made the task difficult. Ji Lingruo forcibly took the clothes from his hands and commanded him to lie down on the tea table.

Feeling both awkward and helpless, You Su despised this sense of powerlessness but had no choice but to endure it.

Resigned, he weakly protested with an embarrassed “No, no, no,” before finally conceding:

“My lower body isn’t injured, so there’s no need to change those.”

Ji Lingruo, unbothered, smiled mischievously as she undid his belt. “Mm, your lower half seems quite healthy.”

You Su inwardly sighed. Junior Sister was now seventeen. She had joined the sect at fourteen. Where had she learned such inappropriate things? Could it be innate?

In the past, their interactions had been relatively restrained, rarely crossing boundaries. But ever since she was afflicted by the evil influence, she had become bolder, her teasing relentless. You Su struggled to keep up, even wondering if this playfulness was her true nature, revealed only to him.

Yet, with her burdened by the evil presence, he had to maintain self-control.

Ji Lingruo stripped him bare above the waist and carefully wiped away the dried blood with a damp cloth. Her delicate fingertips occasionally brushed against his skin, making him tense involuntarily.

Blinking innocently, she traced the contours of his abdominal muscles. “Brother is usually so calm and composed. Why are you so nervous about changing clothes?”

You Su was momentarily speechless before reminding her:

“Junior Sister, I said there’s no need to change my lower garments.”

“Hehe, almost forgot.” Ji Lingruo reluctantly withdrew her hand from the waistband, then suddenly exclaimed, “Ah! There’s a big snake!”

Knowing that women—even cultivators—were often afraid of snakes, You Su instinctively reacted. Despite the pain, he quickly sat up, scanning the surroundings. But under the flickering candlelight, there was no trace of a snake.

“Junior Sister, where’s the snake?”

Ji Lingruo giggled, pointing at him. “It’s on you.”

Realizing he’d been tricked, You Su played along, pretending to suffer from both a headache and body pain. His act successfully made Ji Lingruo feel guilty. From that point on, she behaved and dutifully helped him change into clean clothes.

Through this incident, You Su gained some insight—his fusion with the Tai Sui flesh seemed to be progressing. Whenever he focused his mind on his eyes, his vision would temporarily return for a short period.

After his sight faded again, he attempted to use his eyes repeatedly but to no avail.

Until now. As he followed Ji Lingruo through the narrow, pitch-black passage, he realized he could see once more. Estimating the time intervals, he guessed his vision returned roughly once a day.

The passage was steeped in darkness, the candlelight barely illuminating the way.

Since Ji Lingruo could see, she took the lead. Suddenly, she stopped and grabbed You Su’s hand without explanation.

“I’m holding your hand so you don’t get lost.”

You Su smiled faintly and squeezed her hand in return.

Fortunately, he kept his head bowed, and Ji Lingruo failed to notice that his eyes had turned completely black once again.

They pressed forward in silence, the darkness around them growing heavier, the air turning colder.

Ji Lingruo hesitated before asking, “Brother, should we turn back? We can go back to the cave.”

“We can’t stay there anymore. Didn’t Junior Sister say the fog was getting thicker?”

“It doesn’t matter if there’s fog. We’re also tainted by evil influences. What harm could other evil entities possibly do to us?”

You Su paused, pondering her words. He hadn’t considered whether evil influences could prey on each other.

“Even if they wouldn’t harm us, we can’t stay there. Our food and water supplies are nearly gone.”

Ji Lingruo stopped abruptly, placing the candle on the ground. Still holding You Su’s hand, she rummaged through her pocket and pulled out three pieces of walnut cake, murmuring softly:

“Brother, I still have some food. If we ration it carefully, it’ll last longer. Otherwise, let’s go back?”

You Su felt a mix of exasperation and warmth. Gently, he scolded, “Junior Sister, aren’t you hungry?”

“I… I have a small appetite.”

“How can you be so foolish?” His voice softened. “Hurry up and eat. How could I bear to eat knowing you’ve been depriving yourself?”

“Oh…”

“Well? Aren’t you going to eat?” For once, You Su’s tone carried a rare hint of irritation.

Seeing his determination, Ji Lingruo reluctantly obeyed, eating one piece of cake before mumbling, “I’m full… I’ll save the rest for later.”

She packed the remaining cakes, picked up the candle, and resumed leading the way.

You Su squeezed Ji Lingruo’s hand firmly, and she squeezed back gently.

Warmth passed between them as they continued in silence.

“Brother, why don’t we turn back? We could go home. Who knows where this path leads?”

“What if the people hunting us are waiting outside the well?”

Ji Lingruo halted, realization dawning in her voice. “That’s right. Those despicable people would definitely do that.”

You Su’s vision slowly faded again, yet he felt no panic. His spiritual awareness had largely recovered, and blindness was once again his default state.

They pressed forward, occasionally chatting, frequently stopping. After what felt like hours—or perhaps days—they finally heard distant voices echoing through the passage.