Chapter 13: What Does General Bai Want to Do to Me?
"Brother Bai, you’ve misunderstood!" Lin Yueyao hurried forward to explain to Bai Ye. "Xiao Hao only acted impulsively because he saw I was hurt... He didn’t really mean to harm Yun Sheng. This is a private family matter. There’s no need to make it so serious, is there?"
Bai Ye’s gaze shifted to her. "Are you suggesting that a Sentinel is exempt from the Regulations when handling family matters?"
His question left Lin Yueyao speechless. She hadn’t expected Bai Ye to be so unsparing, immediately framing the issue in legal terms.
Su Wan also realized the gravity of the situation. Her face paled as she looked at Bai Ye.
"Ah Ye, Xiao Hao is young and doesn’t know any better. I promise I’ll discipline him strictly from now on! For the sake of our families’ long-standing relationship, and your engagement to Yue Yao... can you let him off just this once?"
Bai Ye didn’t respond immediately.
His gaze slowly shifted to Yun Sheng, who had been standing silently to the side the entire time.
"The victim is right here. Whether Lin Hao’s actions constitute an attack and need to be handled according to regulations... perhaps we should hear the opinion of the person concerned."
In an instant, all eyes were on Yun Sheng.
"Xiao Hao! Apologize to your sister, now!" Su Wan was the first to react, giving Lin Hao an urgent push, her voice sharp.
Lin Hao clenched his fists, his face turning deathly pale.
He was terrified by the severe consequences of compulsory re-education, but he couldn’t bring himself to bow his head and admit fault to Yun Sheng in front of so many people.
He froze in place, neck stiff with defiance, refusing to bow his head.
Seeing this, Lin Yueyao immediately turned to persuade Yun Sheng.
"Yun Sheng, please forgive Xiao Hao just this once. If this incident goes on his record, it will leave a permanent stain and his entire future will be ruined..."
Her words sounded like she was trying to mediate, but in reality, she was putting all the pressure on Yun Sheng.
In this situation, if Yun Sheng insisted on pursuing the matter, she would be cast as the villain who disregarded family ties and destroyed her brother’s future.
"That’s right, Shengsheng. Xiao Hao was being immature. I’ll be sure to discipline him properly later," Su Wan pleaded, her eyes welling with tears. "Can you... forgive him this one time? I know it’s not fair to you, but he is your brother, after all. He can’t have his future ruined like this..."
Even though her heart ached for her frightened daughter, as a mother, she couldn’t bear to watch her son’s life be marked with an indelible stain.
Hearing her mother’s words, Yun Sheng’s expression remained unchanged.
She wasn’t surprised by Su Wan’s choice. ’Even among biological children, there are always favorites.’
"General Bai," she said, looking up at Bai Ye, her voice clear and steady. "Lin Hao’s spiritual assault just now did not cause me any substantial harm. Therefore, I will temporarily reserve the right to pursue the matter."
Yun Sheng didn’t say she would forgive him, nor did she say she wouldn’t pursue it.
She gave the Lin Family an out while keeping her options open.
Lin Hao’s head snapped up to look at her, his fists clenched.
Lin Yueyao hadn’t expected Yun Sheng to respond this way either. ’She’s much harder to deal with than I imagined.’
Su Wan breathed a sigh of relief, but a deeper, bitter feeling welled up in her heart.
Her daughter’s calm demeanor was a clear sign that she felt little sense of belonging to the Lin Family.
"Fine, we’ll handle it your way. However, Lin Hao," Bai Ye’s gaze shifted to the grim-faced young man, "you will complete one week of mandatory study of the Sentinel Behavior Regulations and pass the subsequent assessment. That’s non-negotiable."
"...Yes," Lin Hao forced out through gritted teeth.
Without a second glance at him, Bai Ye took a step forward, his gaze falling on Yun Sheng.
"Yun Sheng, I need to confirm a few details with you about what happened at the institute today."
Yun Sheng’s back stiffened almost imperceptibly.
’Of course. His ’timely’ arrival was for her sake.’
"Of course. Please, come in, General Bai."
She stepped aside to let him in. Bai Ye gave a slight nod and walked into the room.
Outside, Su Wan quickly dragged the still-defiant and indignant Lin Hao downstairs, muttering reprimands under her breath.
Even as he was being dragged away, Lin Hao couldn’t resist turning back to shoot a venomous glare at Yun Sheng’s closed door.
Lin Yueyao remained where she stood, staring at the closed door as an impenetrable shadow clouded her eyes.
’Brother Bai... his interest in Yun Sheng has gone far beyond normal.’
’What on earth happened between them on the way back from the Eighth Star Zone!’
She had the sinking feeling that certain things were spiraling out of her control.
The door clicked shut behind them, sealing them off from the outside world.
Bai Ye stood by the window, silent, merely scrutinizing Yun Sheng with a gaze so sharp it seemed to see right through her.
"General Bai, please have a seat." Yun Sheng gestured to the sofa and sat down first, her posture deceptively relaxed.
Bai Ye sat down as requested and got straight to the point. "What happened after Si Jin took you?"
Yun Sheng’s fingertips curled almost imperceptibly as she met his gaze.
"Didn’t you see it all, General Bai? His condition... it was unstable. His power was out of control. I’m just an ordinary person. In that situation, what could I do besides try to protect myself?"
"Protect yourself," Bai Ye repeated, his tone unreadable. "An ordinary person who can protect herself from an SSS-level Dark Sentinel in the throes of extreme spiritual power instability, evade all the guards, and then slip out the institute’s back door unnoticed. Yun Sheng, do you really find that explanation convincing?"
"Then what do you think I am, General Bai? Some kind of master in disguise?"
The corner of Yun Sheng’s mouth curved into a distinctly self-mocking smile.
"You seem to have forgotten. Right before I ran into Si Jin, I was re-tested as a guide right under your nose. The results were clear: awakening failed. No spiritual body.
If I truly had such incredible abilities to deceive everyone, I wouldn’t have spent the last eighteen years living the life I did in the Eighth Star Zone!"
Bai Ye watched her in silence.
Her eyes reflected wariness, exhaustion, and a hint of the grievance that came from being repeatedly questioned.
Judging by her micro-expressions and physiological responses, she didn’t appear to be lying.
But his intuition, along with the inexplicable details, felt like a splinter lodged deep in his mind.
He slowly raised his hand.
Yun Sheng’s pupils contracted, and she instinctively recoiled, dodging the hand he was extending toward her forehead.
"General Bai!" Her voice rose sharply, laced with clear shock and anger. "What are you trying to do now? Forcibly probe me with your spiritual power, like you did at the institute?"
"You just sternly warned Lin Hao that a Sentinel must not use their spiritual power on an ordinary person. Or does that rule not apply to you?"
Bai Ye’s hand froze in midair.
He didn’t pull his hand back. Instead, he leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
Before Yun Sheng could react, his other hand shot out like lightning and seized her wrist.