Chapter 53: Overly Intimate, Caught in the Act
An immense panic instantly overwhelmed Yun Sheng.
Her face turned pale, and she even forgot to struggle.
She could only focus all her energy on suppressing the turbulent silver river within her spiritual landscape, desperately trying to force the power fluctuations that threatened to erupt from her body back down!
Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her body trembled uncontrollably from the strain.
Bai Ye’s fingers, clasped around her wrist, paused for a moment.
The moment they touched, he clearly felt a familiar fluctuation of spiritual power coming from within Yun Sheng.
That feeling... it vanished in a flash, so fast it was like an illusion, yet it made his heart tighten inexplicably.
And as he looked at Yun Sheng’s pale face and trembling body, it seemed there was more to it than just her being frightened of him... something else?
"Yun Sheng, what are you afraid of? Or should I say... are the things you’re hiding even greater than I imagined?"
Bai Ye spoke in a cold voice, using his grip on her wrist to pull her a step closer to him.
The distance between them instantly closed until they were almost touching.
His tall figure completely overshadowed Yun Sheng. His crisp scent, mixed with the formidable pressure of a top-tier Sentinel, enveloped her completely, leaving no room to breathe.
His free hand reached for her sweat-dampened forehead, as if to brush away the unsightly moisture, or perhaps... to more directly probe the anomaly in her spiritual landscape.
Trapped between the cold desk and his scorching, solid chest, Yun Sheng had nowhere to run.
In the flickering light of the afternoon study, their posture created a dangerous and ambiguous stalemate.
However, just as the tension reached its breaking point.
BANG!
The study door was thrown open without warning!
"What... what are you two doing!"
Lin Hao’s eyes bulged so wide they looked like they might pop out, his face a twisted mask of shock and fury.
He had heard from Su Wan that Bai Ye had arrived and was talking with Yun Sheng in the study. On top of that, he’d already heard about the incident at the Tower that morning. Fearing Yun Sheng would spout nonsense, he had rushed over in a panic.
’But what was he seeing?!’
The cold, perfect Star Alliance War God of his admiration was currently trapping Yun Sheng in a near-dominant, controlling posture, pinning her firmly in the narrow space between the desk and his own body.
They were so close they were practically pressed together, their position so ambiguous it sent the mind racing with possibilities.
Lin Yueyao, who was right behind him, froze in the doorway as if her feet were nailed to the floor.
The smile on her face froze instantly. Her gaze was drawn as if by a magnet, fixed on Bai Ye’s hand clamped tightly around Yun Sheng’s wrist.
Her fingertips dug deep into her palm, the sharp sting incomparable to the violent tremor of ice and fire that suddenly surged through her heart.
Bai Ye’s movements abruptly halted.
He released Yun Sheng’s wrist. The sudden oppressive feeling receded like a tide, but his eyes, still fixed on her, held a lingering scrutiny.
Yun Sheng was on the verge of collapse. The lingering, searing heat on her wrist was a stark reminder of the danger she had just been in.
She quickly took a step back, creating distance, and masked the trembling of her fingertips by pretending to adjust her cuff.
"B-Brother Bai Ye!"
Lin Hao’s voice was distorted with agitation and anger. He walked through the door, shot Yun Sheng a malicious glance, then turned his eyes back to Bai Ye.
"What important matter were you discussing with this... with her, that required you to be so close? What kind of behavior is this?!"
Bai Ye slowly turned around, his gaze falling on Lin Hao’s face.
His face was expressionless, his jet-black eyes bottomless. He simply looked at him calmly, yet it sent an invisible chill creeping up Lin Hao’s spine.
"Lin Hao, knocking before entering an occupied room is basic etiquette. When did the Lin Family’s upbringing become so lax?"
Faced with Bai Ye’s imposing aura, which commanded respect without anger, Lin Hao’s throat tightened. His arrogant demeanor instantly deflated, his face alternating between red and white as he stammered out an excuse.
"I... I heard you were here, Brother Bai Ye, and something important... I was in a hurry..."
"Apologize."
Bai Ye cut him off, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Lin Hao’s face flushed an even deeper red. Stiff-necked, he mumbled indistinctly, "...I’m sorry."
"Not to me." Bai Ye’s gaze shifted to Yun Sheng, who stood to the side with her head lowered obediently. "Your reckless intrusion startled Yun Sheng. You should apologize to her."
Lin Hao snapped his head up, looking at Bai Ye in disbelief before glaring fiercely at Yun Sheng, his eyes practically shooting fire.
’Apologize to this waste of space again?’
’What a joke!’
"Xiao Hao."
Lin Yueyao took a few steps forward and gently placed a hand on Lin Hao’s tense arm.
She looked at Bai Ye, her voice gentle, proper, and tinged with apology.
"Brother Bai, I apologize. Xiao Hao was too reckless. He was just worried and got flustered. Yun Sheng and I had a small misunderstanding at the Tower this morning, and he was afraid something she said might have given you the wrong impression... that’s why he lost his composure."
With that, she turned to Yun Sheng.
"Yun Sheng, you weren’t frightened, were you? Xiao Hao is just hot-headed. Don’t take it to heart."
Bai Ye’s gaze lingered on Lin Yueyao’s face for a moment before turning to the indignant Lin Hao.
"Lin Hao, being hot-headed is no excuse for being reckless, rude, and barging in on others. That temper of yours needs to be ground down."
Lin Hao’s heart skipped a beat, and he was suddenly filled with a sense of foreboding.
Just as he expected, Bai Ye’s next words were: "How about this. Starting tomorrow, go to the Tower and report to Luo Cheng. He’ll give you your assignment. As for what you’ll be doing, just listen to him."
"Brother Bai Ye! I..." Lin Hao’s face fell instantly.
Luo Cheng was one of Bai Ye’s most capable subordinates, famous for being strict and impersonal.
You didn’t need to be a genius to know that working under him would be anything but a pleasant and easy experience.
’This wasn’t about grinding down his temper, it was a punishment in disguise!’
’He wanted to argue, to say that he wasn’t a soldier, so why on earth should he have to train at the Tower?’
But when he looked up and met Bai Ye’s calm yet implicitly threatening dark eyes, all his words died in his throat.
Lin Yueyao hadn’t expected Bai Ye to make such an arrangement either. This was undoubtedly a slap in the face to Lin Hao, and it also indirectly refuted the excuses she had just made for him.
She forced a smile, trying to smooth things over. "Brother Bai, Xiao Hao is still young, after all, and he’s still in school. Won’t going to the Tower interfere with..."
"It won’t interfere. Luo Cheng knows his limits. Besides, training at the Tower will do Lin Hao no harm."
Lin Hao’s chest heaved with anger, but he didn’t dare talk back again. He could only clench his fists tightly and say through gritted teeth, "...Got it."
Bai Ye didn’t look at him again. His gaze shifted to Lin Yueyao. "You two can leave first. Yun Sheng and I aren’t finished talking."
Hearing this, a flash of coldness instantly flickered in the depths of Lin Yueyao’s eyes.
But she quickly adjusted her expression, returning to her usual gentle and considerate demeanor.
"Alright. Xiao Hao and I will head downstairs first, then."
Although Lin Hao was still resentful, seeing that Lin Yueyao had said as much, he could only shoot Yun Sheng one last vicious glare before following Lin Yueyao out of the study, pulling the door shut behind them.
Once again, only Bai Ye and Yun Sheng were left in the study.
The air grew stagnant and tense again.
"Yun Sheng, I’ve already given you many chances."
Bai Ye took a step forward, the pressure from his tall frame more intense than ever before.
He reached out and used his fingertips to lift Yun Sheng’s chin, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze.
"Tell me the truth. What secret are you hiding?"