Chapter 364: Do you like him?
Aboard the starrail, Rory sat by the lounge window, gazing at the endless sea of stars streaking past outside.
Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation she had shared with Polly before leaving.
"Rory, do you remember the snow surge you encountered in the Snow Domain? I heard something from my mate, Shen, last night."
"My brother learned that you had gone to the Snow Domain and secretly followed after you. He was the one who saved you and Paros, and he was also the one who healed your injuries."
"At the time, though, his face had been wounded. Maybe he was afraid you would find him unattractive, so he never showed himself."
"Rory, I think you deserve to know this. My brother... he truly loves you. He’s done so much for you in places where you could never see."
"Rory." Jasper entered carrying a cup of steaming fruit juice.
When he noticed Rory still sitting by the window, lost in thought, he sighed helplessly and asked, "Are you still thinking about Lian?"
"Mhm."
Rory nodded. Accepting the drink he offered, she took a small sip.
"If Polly hadn’t told me, I never would have known he’d done so much for me."
"When I woke up in the Dragon Palace, there wasn’t a single injury left on my body. I thought Paros had protected me. I never imagined it was Lian who saved me."
Yet Lian had never once mentioned any of it.
Setting the glass aside, Rory wrapped her arms around Jasper’s waist and buried her face against him.
"Jasper, what do you think I should do?"
Jasper gently stroked her hair before asking softly, "Rory, do you like Lian?"
Do I?
Rory considered the question for a long moment.
"I wouldn’t say I like him very much, but I don’t dislike him either."
That was exactly what troubled her.
Her feelings for Lian weren’t deep enough to be called love. If she accepted him simply because of everything he had done for her, wouldn’t that be unfair to him?
After hearing her answer, Jasper thought quietly for a moment before speaking again.
"Rory, perhaps that wasn’t the right question."
"Let me ask it another way. Forget about Lian for a moment. Think about Vangar and Aren. When you first met them, did you love them?"
Rory found herself at a loss for words.
Jasper answered for her.
"The truth is, you didn’t have particularly deep feelings for them at the beginning either, did you?"
"But because they were the mates chosen for you by the Beast God, and because of everything they did for you, your feelings gradually grew."
He looked at her with quiet sincerity.
"Rory, perhaps human emotions are different from ours. Maybe that’s why you carry so many worries and reservations."
"Beastkin emotions are simple. If we like someone, we like them. If we don’t, we don’t. You don’t need to burden yourself with so many concerns."
"Lian loves you. No matter what reason leads you to accept him, I don’t think he would mind. The only thing he truly cares about is whether he can remain by your side."
Once he finished speaking, Jasper lifted Rory into his arms and carried her toward the bed.
"It’s getting late. You should rest. If you can’t figure this out right now, then stop forcing yourself to."
"Lian isn’t going anywhere. He won’t suddenly disappear. When you’re ready and you’ve sorted out your feelings, you can talk to him then. There’s no need to rush."
Looking at Jasper’s gentle expression, Rory cupped his face in both hands and pressed a tender kiss to his lips.
"Jasper, I’m sorry. I haven’t spent proper time with you for so long."
Jasper covered her hands with his own, leaning into the warmth of her palms as though reluctant to let it go.
"But Rory, aren’t you with me every day already?"
A faint smile touched his lips.
"To me, companionship has never been about doing something special, traveling somewhere, or hearing endless sweet words."
"Rory, as long as you’re here, as long as I can see you every day and feel your presence beside me... Even if all I’m doing is watching you daydream, watching you smile, or listening to the sound of your breathing..."
"As long as you’re within my reach... That is the greatest companionship I could ever ask for."
"Jasper..."
Rory suddenly threw her arms around him.
Her voice broke with emotion, and tears instantly welled in her eyes, shimmering like crystal beneath the soft light.
"Rory, don’t cry."
The moment Jasper heard the tremor in Rory’s voice, a sharp ache pierced his heart. He immediately softened his tone, coaxing her gently.
"I didn’t tell you all of this to make you feel guilty. Nor did I tell you because I want you to feel indebted to me."
Lowering his head, he cupped her face in both hands and met her gaze with unwavering sincerity.
"We have incredibly long lives ahead of us. We have all the time in the world to spend together."
A playful glint flickered in his eyes.
"I’m working hard every day to become stronger. Once I’ve grown powerful enough, how about I steal you away myself?"
His smile deepened.
"When that day comes, I promise I’ll be even craftier than Vincent. They’ll search everywhere and still never find you."
A moment ago, Rory had been on the verge of tears.
Instead, his words made her laugh through her lingering emotions.
"Then you’d better work hard and get stronger soon. I don’t intend to wait forever."
"Deal."
Jasper nodded solemnly, as though making a sacred vow.
"I won’t keep you waiting long."
Rory leaned forward and kissed him firmly before rolling over and pinning him gently onto the bed.
Then she reached into her storage ring and retrieved a Beast God’s Fruit.
Taking a bite, she immediately pressed her lips against his before he had any chance to protest.
The sweet fruit was transferred directly into his mouth.
Jasper’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Swallow it."
Rory pinched his cheeks lightly, her expression leaving no room for argument.
"And don’t even think about spitting it out. If you want to become stronger, then you need to heal the hidden injuries you’ve been carrying all these years."
"I asked Lian about it. Right now, the Beast God’s Fruit is the most effective medicine for treating those lingering wounds."
Jasper had hidden them too well.
Until today, Rory hadn’t known he was carrying old injuries beneath the surface.
The truth had only come out because Lian had casually brought him up during their conversation.
Of course, Rory wasn’t naive enough to believe Lian had mentioned Jasper entirely by accident.
Whatever his motives might have been, she was grateful nonetheless.
Under her watchful stare, Jasper obediently swallowed the fruit.
A trace of guilt appeared on his face.
"Rory, let me explain..."
Before he could finish, Rory stuffed the remaining half of the fruit into his mouth.
"You can explain after you’ve finished eating."
Jasper wisely chose silence.
Not daring to argue further, he obediently ate every last bite.
Almost immediately, a pure and powerful energy surged through his body.
Warm currents spread rapidly through every vein and muscle, sweeping across him like a tide.
His body trembled violently.
A suppressed groan escaped his throat.
The warmth flowed relentlessly through every corner of his being, cleansing and repairing everything in its path.
The hidden wounds accumulated over countless years began healing at astonishing speed.
One by one, the lingering injuries disappeared.
By the time the healing process was complete, Jasper opened his mouth, intending to speak.
Rory didn’t give him the chance.
She lowered her head and captured his lips in a kiss.
"I don’t want your explanations."
Her voice was soft but resolute.
"I want you to become stronger as quickly as possible and steal me away."
Then she bit his lower lip lightly in punishment.
"And from now on, if you’re injured, you’re not allowed to hide it from me."
Rory had noticed a common flaw shared by all the men around her.
Whenever something unpleasant happened, they kept it from her.
Whether it was an injury or some trouble they encountered outside, as long as it wouldn’t directly affect her, they would remain stubbornly silent.
Not a single word.
"Okay."
Jasper nodded obediently.
His expression was so compliant that Rory couldn’t help feeling both exasperated and amused.
Meanwhile, in the starrail’s main lounge, Vincent was finally looking somewhat more energetic than before.
Seated on a sofa, he listened as a subordinate delivered a report through a holographic projection, detailing everything that had occurred in the Central District over the past few days.
The moment the report mentioned Dax, Vincent’s brows furrowed.
"So you’re saying that Bree has been busy competing with Sacred Wood Technologies for business lately?"
He paused.
"And aside from that, nothing unusual has been discovered?"
The subordinate nodded.
"That’s correct. We’ve purchased multiple samples of every product released by her new company and conducted thorough inspections. So far, we’ve found nothing abnormal."
Vincent scrolled through the sales reports and product information from Bree’s newly established company.
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Why is she targeting Dax?"
The pricing structure made no sense.
At those prices, she was clearly operating at a loss.
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