bookbashuk Page 82
Page 82
Yura listened to Yichen's words in a daze.
He... actually considered so much for her?
It wasn't meant as a joke; it was a genuine desire to clear her name and show everyone her best side.
An indescribable warm current, a mixture of surprise, emotion, and a touch of sweetness, suddenly surged into Yura's heart, making her nose even feel a little sore.
She turned her face slightly away, trying to hide her eyes that instantly reddened, habitually trying to use arrogance to cover up the shock in her heart.
"Hmph... Saying something like that all of a sudden... I'll remember this grudge..."
But her voice was much softer than usual, even with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.
However, at this perfectly timed moment—
A chilling gaze, seemingly capable of freezing the air itself, suddenly pierced Yura!
Yura almost instinctively shivered, looking in the direction of that terrifying gaze—
The white-haired woman who had been standing silently behind Yichen was staring at her coldly and intently with her emotionless eyes!
There was no curiosity, no friendliness in those eyes, only pure, undisguised, cold hostility and... a chilling possessiveness.
It was as if it was a silent warning to her to stay away from Yichen.
Yura's heart sank.
All the warmth and emotion that had just welled up was instantly frozen by this sudden, cold hostility.
She looked at the undisguised coldness and warning in the woman's eyes, then glanced at Yichen beside her, who remained oblivious and still smiled brightly...
Yura's gaze slowly returned to its cold and sharp state.
Her pride as a member of the Lawrence family and the rebellious streak hidden beneath her indifference were quietly ignited at this moment.
Instead of backing down, Yura slightly raised her chin.
She leaned forward deliberately, bringing her voice close to Yichen's ear, and whispered in a way that was loud enough for others to hear, yet carried an intimate undertone:
"Since this stage was specially prepared for me..."
"...After that, I can show you the dance separately during the rehearsals. Let you...check it out first, okay?"
Yi Chen only felt a tickle in his ears, completely oblivious to the deeper meaning in her words. He simply thought that Youra had finally agreed and nodded happily.
"Okay, okay! No problem! I'll definitely read it carefully!"
However, Shen He, standing to the side, took in Yura's provocative gaze and intimate, almost whispering gesture!
Her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched suddenly, her knuckles cracking slightly from the extreme force, and the veins on the back of her fair hands became visible.
I wanted to hold her head down...
Take down the head of this reckless woman who dared to provoke and even try to touch her junior brother…
It crashed into the nearby fountain!
Smash it until she can no longer laugh!
This violent thought grew wildly like a poisonous vine, almost overwhelming her reason!
Just as things were about to spiral out of control, Shen He suddenly closed his eyes.
My junior brother is still by my side.
She cannot lose control.
I can't let him see me in this terrible state.
I can't... cause him trouble.
A powerful will, like the strongest chain, forcefully suppressed that overwhelming killing intent back into the body!
When Shen He opened his eyes again, his gaze had returned to calm, as if the violence of that moment had never existed.
But beneath that calm lies a deeper, more stubborn determination.
She stopped looking at the provocative woman and focused her gaze entirely on Yi Chen.
Ordinary protection and waiting are no longer enough.
Once we return to Mount Ozang…
After her junior brother helps her completely eliminate the hidden dangers of evil energy within her body…
She then formally proposed marriage to her junior brother.
In the oldest and most irresistible way, keep him firmly and forever by your side.
At that time, they will be married in the Immortal Cave, witnessed by the True Lord of Cloud Retention and Wind Borrowing.
Then, they spent many years practicing together on the secluded Mount Aozang.
There will never again be any women who appear out of nowhere...
I could get even half a step closer to him.
The last trace of emotion vanished from Shen He's eyes. She turned her head slightly to face Yi Chen and said softly in a voice devoid of any discernible emotion:
"Junior brother, aren't we supposed to go to the Knights?"
Chapter 38 Whose Crane Is It?
Yi Chen was completely unaware of the silent tension between the two women. Upon hearing Shen He's reminder, he immediately nodded.
"Right! We need to hurry, or Commander Qin will be getting impatient!"
He very naturally reached out again, grabbed Shen He's wrist, and turned around to walk excitedly toward the Knights' headquarters, muttering about the next arrangements.
Shen He let him pull him along, and followed with light steps.
The moment Yi Chen grasped her wrist, the last trace of coldness around her vanished completely, as if it had been instantly smoothed out.
She didn't even turn around, but just slightly tilted her head and cast a cold glance at Yura, who was still standing in the same place, out of the corner of her eye.
The violence that had almost spiraled out of control in his eyes was gone, replaced by a chilling coldness and indifference, as if he were asserting sovereignty.
"Look carefully."
"I'm the one next to him."
And you, you are irrelevant.
Immediately, she turned back, all her attention returning to Yi Chen beside her, as if You La were just an insignificant speck of dust.
Yura stood there, watching Yichen's retreating figure as he unhesitatingly pulled the white-haired woman away, watching their clasped hands, watching the woman's final, smug glance...
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around her arms.
An indescribable sense of frustration and anger welled up inside her, causing her to subtly and extremely displeased...
Yura stared at the backs of the two people as they disappeared around the street corner. After a long while, she suddenly stomped her foot, turned around, and strode away in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, Yi Chen, who had walked away, was still happily planning the details of the ceremony, completely unaware of the silent battle that had just taken place behind him, and the thick "ledger" that the two ladies had kept in their hearts.
He just felt that the sun was shining brightly in Mondstadt today.
A moment later, Yi Chen, pulling Shen He along, arrived at the headquarters of the Knights of the West.
Pushing open the door to the regimental commander's office, Qin was sitting behind her desk, buried in a pile of documents. She looked up when she heard the noise.
"Yichen, you've arrived..."
Qin was halfway through her sentence when her gaze naturally fell on Yi Chen and Shen He's wrists, which were still clasped together.
Her voice paused almost imperceptibly, but was quickly masked by a professional smile.
"...And Miss Shen He. Please come in."
"Captain Qin!"
Yi Chen released Shen He's hand and walked to the desk.
"We're here to help! Just let us know if you need anything! My senior sister Shen He is here to help too, she's absolutely reliable!"
Qin maintained a polite smile and nodded slightly to Shen He.
"Thank you for your trouble, Miss Shenhe."
Her gaze lingered for a moment on Shen He's refined face before turning to Yi Chen and beginning to assign tasks.
"Perfect timing! There's a large batch of supplies here that needs to be moved to the ceremony venue for decoration. We would normally need to mobilize several knights..."
"Keep it on us!"
Yi Chen immediately patted his chest to assure her, completely unaware of the subtle pauses and deliberation in Qin's tone.
Qin nodded and handed Yichen a list of supplies and a warehouse key.
"The warehouse is in the backyard. All the items on the list have been checked. Thank you for your help."
"a piece of cake!"
Yi Chen took the key, full of confidence.
"Senior Sister, let's go!"
Watching Yi Chen's energetic back and Shen He silently follow behind, his gaze always following, Qin's fingers holding the pen tightened slightly.
Is he a reliable, trustworthy companion... or something else entirely?
She lowered her eyes, trying to refocus her attention on the document, but the tip of her pen unconsciously left a small ink dot on the paper.
The Knights' backyard warehouse.
Yi Chen looked at the mountain of wooden crates, flags, and decorations.
Wow, there's a lot of stuff! It'll take a while to move it all.
However, no sooner had he finished speaking than Shen He beside him made a move.
She lowered herself slightly, stretched out her slender, fair hands, and firmly gripped the bottom of a huge wooden box that required two strong knights to lift.
Then, with the coordinated effort of her slender waist and arm muscles, she effortlessly and steadily lifted the heavy wooden box directly over her head!
Her posture remained upright, and even her breathing was perfectly steady. Only the taut, smooth muscle lines in her arms and shoulders hinted at the pure, almost violent power contained within that cool body.
Yi Chen's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his mouth was agape in an "O" shape.
Wow!! Senior sister! You're amazing!
Shen He seemed not to hear his exclamation. She calmly lifted the huge wooden box with one hand and easily picked up two smaller wooden boxes stacked together with the other hand, as if she could not feel any weight at all.
Yi Chen's praise acted as the best catalyst, causing a strange emotion to quietly surge within her.
"Oh my god! Senior sister, look at that statue base over there! I tried it before, it's incredibly heavy!"
Yi Chen pointed to a stone base in the corner that required a pulley system to lift it, his tone filled with unbelievable admiration.
Shen He looked in the direction he was pointing.
She put down the wooden box in her hand and walked to the stone base, which was several times larger than her.
This time, she even used both hands to hug the base, and suddenly exerted force from her core muscles—
She actually managed to lift the heavy stone base off the ground!
She did it! Purely through physical strength!
"My wind god!!!"
This time, Yi Chen really jumped up, circling around Shen He and the pedestal, so excited he was incoherent.
"Senior sister! You are truly... truly... incredibly strong and awe-inspiring! So cool! So amazing!"
He showered her with a string of superlative praises, his eyes shining with an astonishing light.
With each exaggerated compliment uttered by Yi Chen, the inexplicable, fervent emotions within Shen He surged even more intensely.
Listening to his tone filled with amazement and admiration, seeing his eyes sparkling with joy as he cheered for himself…
An indescribable, unprecedented sense of exhilaration and satisfaction, like the finest liquor, quickly swept through her body, making her feel even more pleasure than suppressing the murderous aura!
The pure joy of being recognized, needed, and especially of being praised so frankly and passionately was simple, direct, yet incredibly intense.
Shen He remained expressionless, but the icy aura that kept strangers at bay had melted away considerably without him even realizing it.