Chapter 42

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Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

Inside the Main Hall of the Shen Wei General's Mansion, the stagnant air seemed to have been twisted into knots by an invisible force, a weird sensation spreading along the beams and pillars.

The faint medicine fragrance on Ling Sha intertwined and collided with the cold aura surrounding Xing Xiao, forming an invisible boundary line of Qi.

Even the sandalwood smoke curling up from the bronze censer in the corner of the hall seemed forced by this tension to slow its drifting speed.

Xuan Ge shrank in Ling Sha's seat, his sitting posture stiff as if nailed in place, only feeling the back of his neck and scalp go numb in waves, not even daring to breathe heavily.

He originally held a mindset of watching the excitement, wanting to see how the confrontation between Ling Sha and Xing Xiao would end....

But in the blink of an eye, he himself had become the core focus of both their gazes, that sword-drawn bow-taut Qi almost about to engulf him within it.

He opened his mouth, wanting to speak up to smooth things over, but discovered his throat was tight, and for half a day he couldn't squeeze out a single complete sentence.

His gaze uncontrollably darted back and forth between Ling Sha's gentle smile and Xing Xiao's icy eyes....

Finally it could only land awkwardly on the documents on the desk, watching helplessly as the two women's confrontation escalated further, not even daring to breathe.

That faint purple star ring atop his head was still rotating slowly, rippling with fine specks of light, swaying slightly with his panic, its brightness flickering on and off.

Like it was looking down from above measuring his embarrassment, and also seemingly silently mocking his stupidity of "lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot".

Xuan Ge subconsciously raised his hand wanting to wave the star ring away, but feared too large a movement would draw even more attention from the two women; his hand lifted halfway then stiffly fell back down, leaving him no choice but to let it "show off its might" atop his head.

Xing Xiao gazed at Ling Sha's suggestive action, first freezing slightly, her pupils contracting imperceptibly.

A moment later, she then realized the implication behind Ling Sha's words, a thread of fierce anger instantly flashing in her gray-purple eyes, a flush of red rising on her cheeks uncontrollably.

That was absolutely not bashfulness, but indignant anger at being offended, like flames hidden beneath ice and snow, suppressing a rage about to erupt.

She subconsciously straightened her spine, slightly puffing out her chest, attempting to use her posture to recover some momentum.

Her shoulders pulled back slightly, the skirt hem stretched into fine wrinkles, yet her gaze sweeping over Ling Sha's figure, she had to admit she indeed held no advantage in this aspect.

This powerlessness made her anger flare higher, fingertips clutching the skirt hem tightly, the fabric twisted into deep wrinkles, knuckles turning white.

Xing Xiao took a deep breath, her chest cavity rising and falling slightly, striving to press down the surging rage, yet the cold aura around her body grew increasingly bone-chilling, causing the ink on the desk beside her to form a thin layer of ice crystals.

She turned her head to the side, her icy gaze like a frost-tempered sharp blade, viciously glaring at Xuan Ge, her tone full of disdain and contempt:

"Superficial!"

These two words both scolded Ling Sha's deliberate showing off, and resented Xuan Ge's preference.

Ling Sha let out a low laugh, her brows and eyes curved, a few traces of mischief hidden in her gentle smile.

She did not continue picking up Xing Xiao's words, but instead turned her gaze toward Xuan Ge, her eyes carrying a trace of hard-to-detect pressure.

She had no intention of letting this General remain a bystander; since he was involved, don't even think about staying uninvolved.

Ling Sha coughed lightly once, her voice not loud, yet precisely pulling back Xuan Ge's attention.

Xuan Ge felt two completely different gazes land on him simultaneously, one gentle yet carrying control, one icy and full of anger.

Xuan Ge only felt his ear roots grow hot, his right index finger uncontrollably scratching his cheek, the movement stiff and awkward.

In his heart he regretted until his intestines turned green: had he known earlier he wouldn't have been greedy to watch the excitement; now it was good, the fire burned to his buttocks, wanting to extricate himself was difficult.

Xuan Ge hardened his scalp and stood up, chair legs rubbing against the floor emitting a "creak" of light sound, particularly abrupt in the silent hall.

He looked at the two women confronting each other head-on before him, his tone weak, speaking somewhat stammeringly, his tongue tip as if knotted:

"Cough cough..... I..... um..... that..... "

Words not finished, they stuck in his throat, because he really truly couldn't think of what words to say, this was also his first time......

Ling Sha looked at Xuan Ge's at-a-loss, dazed and blank appearance, a flash of laughter flitting across her eyes, then softly spoke to resolve his predicament.

She leaned forward slightly, raised her hand brushing over an urgent document on the desk, her tone gentle enough to drip water:

"General~ no need to make things so difficult for yourself, this matter is Concubine's fault, it was Concubine who came rashly, disturbing General's rest, and even provoking such dispute."

Just as her words fell, she changed topic, the map exhausted the dagger appears:

"However, Concubine has already rested for a long time, affairs cannot be delayed further. Concubine will stay, and accompany General to handle these documents together."

These words both gave Xuan Ge a way down, and using military affairs as pretext, sealed off his possibility of refusal.

Xuan Ge was like having grabbed a life-saving straw, hurriedly nodding like pounding garlic, his tone full of relief after a heavy burden:

"Mhm mhm~ then trouble you Ling Sha....."

He followed the step down Ling Sha handed him and obediently replied, not even daring to look toward Xing Xiao again, fearing it would invite new disputes.

"Superficial scum!"

Xing Xiao gritted her teeth and cursed a sentence, her tone full of unwillingness and anger.

She had figured it out, Ling Sha this move of advancing by retreating, using military affairs to apply pressure, the level was really too high, she fundamentally had no way to refute.

Xing Xiao fiercely glared at Xuan Ge, turned and walked quickly back to the General's Seat and sat down, chair legs colliding with the floor emitting a slight sound, leaking out her inner frustration.

Her two hands properly placed on her thighs, yet still clutching fists tightly, the anger in her eyes not dissipating for a long time.

This round, she lost convincingly in words but not in heart.

Ling Sha smiled increasingly gentle and moving, her brows and eyes revealing complacency.

She walked to Xuan Ge's side, unceremoniously sitting down next to him.

Ling Sha pressed tightly against Xuan Ge's arm, fabric rubbing against fabric, transmitting a delicate tactile sensation.

She picked up a document and spread it open, fingertips brushing over the writing, her tone naturally beginning to handle military affairs, as if the confrontation just now had never happened.

Xuan Ge sat obediently, body slightly stiff, yet not daring to move a fraction.

He turned his head looking at Ling Sha's side face, morning light sprinkling on her cheeks, outlining soft contours, long eyelashes casting faint shadows under her eyelids.

He clicked his tongue inwardly, truly never expecting that the usually gentle Ling Sha, today would actually be so straightforward in "declaring sovereignty", dropping so many bombs, catching both him and Xing Xiao off guard.

Driven by curiosity, he subconsciously wanted to turn his head to check Xing Xiao's state, but just as he turned his neck, Ling Sha lightly hooked his arm, exerting slight force to pull him toward her direction.

A warm, soft touch traveled along his arm, carrying the unique blend of medicine fragrance and sandalwood from Ling Sha's body; Xuan Ge froze for a moment, blinked, and instantly forgot what he had intended to do.

"General~ Concubine doesn't quite understand this part~"

Ling Sha tilted her face up, her tone carrying a few parts coquettish reliance, fingertip pointing at a marginal note on the document, eyes looking at Xuan Ge with innocent gaze.

She did not care in the slightest about the intimate physical contact between the two, instead especially enjoying this feeling of exclusively possessing Xuan Ge's attention.

While speaking, she also deliberately raised her eyes, casting an interested glance at Xing Xiao, the teasing provocation in her eyes self-evident.

"Mhm~ Okay~"

Enveloped by the cool fragrance on Ling Sha, Xuan Ge steadied his mind, hurriedly lowered his head, fingertip landing on the document, and patiently explained the meaning of the marginal note to Ling Sha.

He deliberately ignored Ling Sha's provocation, and also dared not look at Xing Xiao again, only able to devote his whole mind to the document, attempting to use military affairs to cover up his awkwardness.

On the other side, the hand Xing Xiao had placed on her thigh clenched tighter, blue veins on the back of her hand faintly bulging, knuckles turning white.

She clearly saw the provocative look Ling Sha cast over, the anger in her heart flaring up even more fiercely as if fed firewood.

If not for forcibly restraining herself, she just now truly wanted to directly throw a destruction beam at Ling Sha, to let this woman who is spoiled and arrogant taste the flavor!

Xing Xiao took a deep breath, her not-large chest heaving violently a few times, striving to calm her surging anger.

She admonished herself in her heart: Absolutely cannot leave!

Once she leaves in a sorry state now, next time she faces off against Ling Sha, she will naturally be at a disadvantage, and never be able to hold her head high again.

She must stay, even if only sitting, she must guard her own momentum.

Xing Xiao slowly raised her head, suppressed the anger in her eyes, and resumed her usual icy temperament, as if the anger and frustration just now had nothing to do with her.

She looked at Xuan Ge, tone flat and calm yet carrying an attitude that brooked no refusal: "Xuan Ge, I want to take a look at this Shen Wu Xian Zhou."

Xuan Ge raised his head, meeting Xing Xiao's calm eyes, momentarily a bit stunned.

Looking at her appearance, she actually seemed completely unaffected by the confrontation just now; this composure actually surprised him a bit.

Before Xuan Ge could speak, Ling Sha said without even raising her head, voice soft, glutinous, and gentle, even carrying a trace of hard-to-detect brokenness, as if she had suffered a tremendous grievance:

"General~ you go accompany her~ Concubine alone can also handle these documents~"

The corner of Xuan Ge's mouth twitched violently, fine cold sweat seeping out at his temples.

How could he not hear the implication in Ling Sha's words......

This tone, this posture, seemingly generous, actually full of probing and threat.

As long as he dares nod in agreement, although Ling Sha might not actually cry for him to see, she will absolutely ignore him for several days.

Even too lazy to handle his personal documents, letting him taste the flavor of a cold war.

Xuan Ge looked at Ling Sha beside him lowering her head to handle documents, seemingly obedient yet exuding a "don't agree" aura all over, then looked toward the opposite side at Xing Xiao with cold eyes quietly awaiting his answer, only feeling one head two big.

This fire-burning-buttocks situation, compared to facing the Amphoreus Allied Forces' thousands of troops and horses, is even more headache-inducing.

The hall fell into a weird silence again, only the "rustle" sound of Ling Sha's fingertip brushing across paper, and Xuan Ge's slightly rapid breathing sounds.