bookbashuk Page 77
Page 77
"Oh, no, the ceremony went perfectly. You planned it flawlessly."
Kaiya strolled leisurely to his desk, his fingers casually tracing the surface.
"However... as the cavalry captain in charge of Mondstadt's security, I feel obligated to report to you a... um... minor 'security risk'."
"Safety hazards?"
Qin's brows furrowed slightly, and her expression became serious.
"What is the specific situation?"
Kaiya sighed dramatically and shrugged.
"Well, it's nothing really... It's just that a... well... a very 'special' visitor came to the city today. A beautiful woman with white hair and a rather cold demeanor, who definitely doesn't look like an ordinary traveler."
Qin nodded, signaling him to continue.
Mondstadt welcomes travelers from all over the world, but special individuals do require attention.
"Normally, this wasn't a big deal,"
Kaiya abruptly changed the subject, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"But the problem is... our charming assistant Yi Chen seems to have an 'extraordinary' relationship with this lady."
Qin's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
"you do not say!"
Kaiya seemed to have found the perfect confidante and began to describe it vividly.
"I saw it with my own eyes! As soon as Yichen saw that white-haired lady, he rushed over to her and was incredibly enthusiastic!"
Then… in broad daylight! In full view of everyone!
He just... very naturally... took the other person's hand!
The two strolled side by side, chatting and laughing as they walked.
As he spoke, he carefully observed Qin's expression and saw that her face, which had returned to calm, gradually became stiff, and her fingers holding the pen unconsciously tightened.
"Oh? Is...is that so..."
The sound of the piano seemed unchanged, but the pace of the speech slowed slightly.
"Perhaps he's a friend he met in Liyue... That's... quite normal..."
Kaiya raised an exaggerated eyebrow, as if she had heard something funny.
"My dear commander, you're so naive~ In my rich 'life experience,' the way that white-haired beauty looked at Yichen... tsk tsk, it's definitely more than just 'friendship'~ it's practically..."
He paused deliberately, leaned closer, and lowered his voice.
"...That look in her eyes is like she wants to devour our cute little assistant whole~"
The poor pen in Qin's hand suddenly pierced through the paper of the report she was reviewing.
The air in the office instantly became quiet.
Kaiya watched with satisfaction as Qin's profile tensed instantly and the exposed document came to light, his inner calculations clicking away.
The betting odds... look like they're about to skyrocket...
And how delightful!
"Commander? Are you alright?"
Kaiya asked, feigning concern, but couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Qin snapped out of her daze, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the inexplicable surge of bittersweet and irritating emotions welling up inside her.
She pushed the damaged report aside and said, trying to speak in a calm, even voice:
"...I'm fine. Thank you for your report, Kaya. I understand about this. I'll...keep an eye on it."
"It's good that you know what's going on."
Kaiya smiled and bowed. His objective achieved, he gracefully withdrew.
"Then I won't disturb your work any longer."
He deliberately emphasized the word "work," glanced meaningfully at the corner of a novel peeking out from under the stack of documents, then hummed a little tune in a cheerful mood, turned and left the office, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Silence returned to the office.
Qin could no longer concentrate on any documents... or novels.
Her gaze drifted involuntarily to the window, Kaiya's words echoing repeatedly in her mind...
"...white hair...cold...beautiful..."
"...holding hands in broad daylight..."
And then there's Yichen's ever-present, bright, and seemingly approachable smile...
The crack in the pen spread silently across the report paper.
Chapter 30: The Secret...?
On the other side, Yi Chen was enthusiastically leading Shen He, introducing the landmarks of Mondstadt along the way, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
He was about to show off his workplace to his senior sister and see if the ensemble leader was there so he could introduce them.
Just then, the door to the Knights' Order was pushed open from the inside, and Kaeya strolled out with a smug, self-satisfied smile that seemed to indicate he had just finished doing something bad.
The air solidified instantly.
Kaiya's smile froze. He looked at the elegant, aloof white-haired woman standing next to Yichen, then at Yichen's unguarded, even sunny expression, as if he wanted to introduce him to a new friend. His heart skipped a beat.
Oh no… it seems… why did this kid bring people straight to headquarters?!
Doesn't that make my previous 'urgent intelligence' seem superfluous and contrived?!
When Yi Chen saw the subtle expression on Kaiya's face that he couldn't hide, which clearly said, "I just tricked you and I'm really happy about it," he almost instantly went into highest alert mode!
He knows Kaiya too well!
This guy always acts like this after he's scammed someone!
Yi Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at Kaiya's guilty face, a seemingly kind smile curling at the corner of his lips that sent chills down Kaiya's spine:
"Yuan Rang...my dearest friend..."
"You... that expression on your face is quite intriguing... could it be that you've done something 'good' behind my back again?"
As he spoke, he deliberately moved his right elbow joint, making a slight "click" sound, and a more "friendly" smile appeared on his face.
"Hehehe... You know best how I 'persuade' people to confess, don't you?"
Upon hearing this, Kaiya immediately felt a phantom pain sweep over his entire body!
"Haha...hahaha..."
Kaiya chuckled dryly, a bead of cold sweat appearing on his forehead, and instinctively took a step back.
"No, no way! Brother Yichen, what are you saying! Do you think I, Kaiya, am that kind of person?!"
As he spoke, his eyes darted around rapidly, searching for the best escape route.
"Um... I suddenly remembered! Amber seems to have something urgent to discuss with me! It's about adjusting the patrol routes! It's very urgent! There's no time to lose!"
Before he could finish speaking, he didn't give Yi Chen a chance to speak again. He suddenly turned around and darted away in a flash, so fast that only a blur and a fading shout remained in his wake.
"Brother, you're busy! Take your wife... oh no! Take your friends shopping! I'll be going now! Bye-bye!!!"
Watching Kaiya's retreating figure disappear into the alleyway in a flash, Yi Chen snorted in annoyance.
"You ran fast... good thing you know what's good for you!"
He turned his head and explained to Shen He, who had been watching quietly with no change in expression.
"Don't mind me, senior sister. That guy is my good friend. He's not a bad person, but he's always up to no good."
Shen He turned his gaze away from the direction where Kaiya had disappeared and placed it on Yi Chen, simply nodding slightly.
"It's alright. If he does anything to harm my junior brother, I will handle it."
Her tone was calm and even, as if she were talking about something as simple and natural as eating and drinking, but the content of her words sent a chill down the spine of a cavalry captain who was galloping nearby.
Yi Chen laughed and didn't pay much attention to what his senior sister meant by "handling" it, and once again enthusiastically took her wrist.
"Let's go, senior sister, don't let that guy spoil the fun! I'll take you to meet Commander Qin, she's a really nice person!"
With that, he led Shen He and pushed open the door to the Knights' headquarters.
Meanwhile, Qin, in her office, was still mentally preparing herself, staring at the document pierced by the pen, completely unaware that a "storm" had already come knocking on her door.
A moment later, in the Grand Master's office.
Qin maintained the proper smile befitting an acting leader as she listened to Yi Chen's enthusiastic introduction of the aloof, white-haired woman beside him—Shen He.
Her gaze swept over Shen He seemingly unintentionally, but when it met his eyes, which were almost unblinking and completely glued to Yi Chen, a drop of cold sweat, barely perceptible, quietly slid down Qin's forehead.
That look in his eyes... it's way too direct!
It's like looking at all your possessions!
However, when she looked at Yi Chen, who was completely oblivious and still laughing carefree, she immediately understood—given his slowness, he probably had no idea of the deeper meaning in this "senior sister's" eyes.
Taking advantage of a brief pause in Yichen's speech, Qin quickly and subtly cast a questioning glance at him, her eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly, conveying a clear message: "What exactly is going on?!"
Yi Chen successfully received the signal, immediately blinked, and gave him a reassuring look that said, "I'll report back to you privately later!"
Shen He naturally noticed their brief but tacit exchange of glances.
Although she didn't understand the specific meaning, the unique atmosphere that excluded her made her frown slightly.
Qin felt somewhat relieved after receiving Yi Chen's hint, and put on a formal, polite smile again to welcome Shen He and exchange a few simple pleasantries.
A short while later, Yi Chen took Shen He's leave and departed from the office.
As soon as they stepped out of the Knights' headquarters and arrived at the sparsely populated square fountain, Shen He gently pulled Yi Chen's hand, stopping him from going any further.
"Just now... what was the meaning behind the exchange of glances between you and that acting leader?"
Upon hearing this, Yi Chen shook his head nonchalantly, his reply as frank and natural as could be.
"Oh, that! That's just a secret communication method between me and Director Qin! It's work-related, so you don't need to worry about it, Senior Sister!"
"secret…?"
Shen He repeated the word, his eyes narrowing slightly, and the surrounding air seemed to cool down by several degrees instantly.
However, the oblivious Yi Chen was completely unaware of the sudden chill in the atmosphere beside him and the fleeting darkness in Shen He's eyes. He excitedly grabbed Shen He's hand in return.
"Come on, senior sister! Let me show you my house first! I'll go buy groceries later, and I'll show you my cooking skills tonight!"
As he spoke, he walked energetically toward the vegetable market.
Shen He stood there, looking at Yi Chen's unguarded back, and then recalled the "tacit understanding" between him and the blonde female leader just now. The coldness around him almost solidified.
But in the end, she slowly took a step and followed.
Chapter 31 How did things develop to this point?
Although... her fiancé had a "secret" with another woman right in front of her, and even exchanged flirtatious glances...
Shen He silently recited the Heart-Cleansing Mantra in his heart.
Since they haven't officially married yet, let's... choose to forgive him for now.
If this happens again after we've officially gotten married...
Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched almost imperceptibly.
Well... perhaps someone will need to use their head to properly measure the hardness of the ground.
The two returned to the villa in silence.
Yi Chen carried the groceries in one hand and pushed open the door with the other.
On the living room sofa, Ying was slumped over without any regard for her image, while Paimon was nestled in her arms like a little pillow. Both of them looked completely exhausted.
Hearing the door open, Paimon listlessly raised his little head and glanced at it: