Chapter 33: Male Competition
"I’m fine. Thank you, Major General Zhou." Yun Sheng gave a slight nod, her bearing neither subservient nor defiant.
Zhou Lin nodded in response.
He wasn’t one for words or showing concern for others. The strange, indescribable feeling in his chest only made him want to leave as quickly as possible.
And yet, his feet felt rooted to the spot.
The comforting aura emanating from Yun Sheng, along with her unnervingly calm yet exceptionally clear eyes, were like invisible threads holding his attention captive.
He pressed his lips together and, breaking character, spoke first.
"I’m Zhou Lin, Zhou Ying’s brother. Her... words and actions today may have been inappropriate. If she upset you, I apologize on her behalf."
The words felt abrupt even to him as they left his mouth.
Given his status and personality, he had almost never formally apologized to anyone for such a trivial matter.
But right now, he felt compelled to clarify things.
Yun Sheng was clearly taken aback for a moment. She raised her eyes to look at him again.
’This Major General Zhou... he seems a little different than I expected.’
"You’re being too formal, Major General Zhou." She quickly regained her composure, her tone still polite. "The matter is already resolved, and I’m not upset."
"Mm," Zhou Lin grunted, letting the topic drop.
Silence fell between them once more, but he didn’t leave right away.
His gaze drifted to Yun Sheng’s face, seemingly of its own accord.
This close, the strange sensation seemed to grow more distinct. His restless, scorching spiritual landscape instinctively yearned to draw nearer.
’This isn’t right.’
Zhou Lin frowned.
He was an S-Class Sentinel and was extremely sensitive to spiritual fluctuations.
This feeling of attraction, this desire to get closer, typically only occurred with a guide whose spiritual power was highly compatible with his, or... one who had soothed him before.
But it was a well-known fact that Yun Sheng’s guide hormone was weak. She didn’t even have a spiritual body. How could she possibly be highly compatible with him?
And as for soothing... that was completely out of the question.
"You..." Zhou Lin began, wanting to ask something but not knowing where to start.
’Should I just ask, "Why do you have an aura that puts me at ease?"’
’That’s absurd!’
Yun Sheng grew increasingly uncomfortable under his intense gaze and was just about to excuse herself.
"Yun Sheng."
A deep, cold voice sounded from not far behind them, shattering the delicate standoff.
Yun Sheng’s heart leaped, and she looked toward the voice.
Bai Ye was walking toward them from the other end of the corridor, with Luo Cheng in tow.
He was dressed in the same crisp officer’s service uniform, his stride steady. His calm gaze swept over the people present before finally landing on Yun Sheng.
Zhou Lin turned as well. Upon seeing Bai Ye, he immediately reined in his probing expression and gave a slight nod. "General Bai."
Bai Ye nodded in acknowledgment.
His gaze flickered between Zhou Lin and Yun Sheng. The way Zhou Lin had been looking at Yun Sheng just now... was far too intense to be normal.
A thought flashed through Bai Ye’s mind like lightning.
On the day Yun Sheng returned to the Lin Family, Zhou Lin had coincidentally lost control during a spiritual power outburst. The official records, as well as the accounts from the Lin Family and the Zhou Family, all agreed that it was Lin Yueyao’s soothing that had ultimately worked.
But Bai Ye had seen the preliminary report. Lin Yueyao’s soothing had been ineffective at first; Zhou Lin’s rampage had only ceased abruptly at the very moment he was about to touch Yun Sheng.
The timing was too much of a coincidence.
’Is it possible... that the one who actually calmed Zhou Lin down was Yun Sheng?’
If that hypothesis was correct, then Zhou Lin’s unusual focus on Yun Sheng now had a dangerous, yet logical, explanation.
A Sentinel develops an indescribable imprint and an instinctual attraction to the first guide who successfully soothes them.
This deduction sparked a flicker of... displeasure in Bai Ye’s heart, so subtle that he himself barely registered it.
"Major General Zhou," Bai Ye said, his voice mild. "Don’t you have a field mission this afternoon? Why are you still dawdling here?"
Zhou Lin stiffened slightly.
’How does Bai Ye know my mission schedule for this afternoon? And why bring it up now?’
’This Star Alliance War God’s interest in Yun Sheng... seems to be more than just ordinary.’
A knot formed in his chest, and an indefinable feeling of concern began to sprout.
He suppressed the strange feeling and maintained a calm exterior. "I just happened upon a small dispute. I’ll be heading out shortly."
At his words, Bai Ye’s gaze shifted to Yun Sheng, his expression deep and unreadable.
"During your training, you need to concentrate. Report any unrelated disputes promptly. Don’t linger to handle them yourselves."
It sounded like a standard reprimand for a trainee, but in this context, it felt like a pointed directive.
"Yes, General Bai," Yun Sheng replied at once.
In a way, Bai Ye’s arrival had saved her from Zhou Lin’s intense scrutiny, though it brought a different kind of pressure.
"We’ll head back to the training room now."
"Go on," Bai Ye agreed with a nod.
As if granted a pardon, Yun Sheng and Li Wen immediately turned and quickened their pace, leaving the stressful scene behind.
Once Yun Sheng’s figure had disappeared around the corner, only Bai Ye, Zhou Lin, and the ever-invisible Luo Cheng remained.
Only then did Bai Ye turn his gaze back to Zhou Lin. "Zhou Lin, your spiritual landscape seems rather unstable lately. How has your recovery been since the last outburst?"
Zhou Lin’s pulse quickened. ’Bai Ye is suddenly concerned about my spiritual landscape?’
’This was no idle pleasantry.’
"Thank you for your concern, General. It’s no longer an issue. I’m on regular medication; it’s under control."
Bai Ye: "Good. You need to be careful when choosing a guide, especially in your case. Relying on a delusion can sometimes be more dangerous than losing control."
The implication was practically an open statement.
Zhou Lin’s back went rigid.
’Is Bai Ye warning me to stay away from Yun Sheng?’
"A wise reminder, General," Zhou Lin replied, his tone perfectly even. "I can make my own judgments."
Bai Ye gave him a long, deep look before turning and leaving with Luo Cheng.
Zhou Lin remained where he was, watching Bai Ye depart. He thought of Yun Sheng’s hasty retreat and the undeniable pull from the depths of his spiritual landscape.
He raised a hand to his throbbing temples.
’Looks like there are some things I’ll have to investigate myself.’
Meanwhile, Yun Sheng and Li Wen were hurrying toward the training room. They had just rounded a corner when they saw Bai Ye and Luo Cheng waiting for them, as if they had predicted their route.
Yun Sheng stopped in her tracks, her heart leaping into her throat again.
Li Wen instinctively shrank half a step behind Yun Sheng.
"Cadet Li Wen, return to the training room."
"Yes, General!"
Visibly relieved, Li Wen shot Yun Sheng a "you’re on your own" look and scurried away.
At almost the same moment, Luo Cheng gave Bai Ye a slight nod and swiftly retreated to the far end of the corridor entrance.
He stood with his back to them, clearly leaving the two alone and guarding against any possible interruptions or eavesdropping.
In an instant, only Yun Sheng and Bai Ye remained in the corridor.
Yun Sheng kept her eyes downcast, keenly feeling the weight of the silent, intense gaze fixed upon her.
She waited, wondering what this inscrutable War God wanted to ask—or warn—her about now that he had stopped her.