Chapter 19: She Was Held in an Embrace
Yun Sheng was too close to Bai Ye right now. So close it instantly reminded her of last night’s chaotic and wanton dream.
More than once, she had pressed herself against him, even brazenly sitting on his lap, touching and kissing him...
A sudden heat rushed to her cheeks, and the tips of Yun Sheng’s ears burned. Almost instinctively, she tried to back away to create some distance from this dangerous proximity.
However, her wrist was suddenly seized by a warm, strong hand!
Yun Sheng froze, her eyes widening in astonishment as she looked up.
Bai Ye looked down at her, his face expressionless, but the grip of his fingers on her wrist was an undeniable presence.
"Yun Sheng, wait for me. I’ll be done here soon. I can give you a ride."
Instantly, the high-ranking Tower officials standing behind Bai Ye, as well as his own deputy, all turned in unison to look at Yun Sheng.
Surprise, scrutiny, curiosity...
All sorts of ambiguous gazes intertwined.
A tingling numbness spread across Yun Sheng’s scalp.
The last person she wanted to face right now was Bai Ye—especially in front of so many people, with her wrist in his grasp, while he matter-of-factly told her to wait for him so he could take her home.
This would undoubtedly push her into the spotlight.
"N-No, there’s no need to trouble General Bai."
She refused almost immediately, her voice slightly hoarse with nervousness as she even tried to pull back.
"I can get back on my own. I won’t keep you from your duties."
But Bai Ye acted as if he hadn’t heard her. His grip didn’t loosen in the slightest, holding her fast and preventing her from retreating.
"It’s no trouble. As it happens, there’s also something I want to discuss with you alone."
’What could he want to discuss with me alone?’
Yun Sheng’s heart sank.
’Could it be that he sensed something again because of last night’s dream?’
She didn’t dare to dwell on it. The skin of her wrist, where he held it, felt as if it had been seared by a branding iron. The heat spread through her, making her entire body squirm with discomfort.
Bai Ye gave her no further chance to refuse. He turned his head and gave an order to his deputy at his side.
"Deputy Luo, you will stay here and look after Miss Yun Sheng."
"Yes, General," the deputy replied at once.
After giving his orders, Bai Ye finally released Yun Sheng’s wrist and turned to enter Room 302 with the waiting Tower officials.
The door closed, leaving only Yun Sheng and Deputy Luo in the hallway.
She looked at the deputy, who couldn’t be much older than her but was as serious as an old relic. Trying to break the silence, she put on the most harmless smile she could manage.
"Deputy Luo, from the looks of it, General Bai might be in there for a long time. Really... I can just go back on my own, so I don’t waste your time."
Deputy Luo stared straight ahead. "My apologies, Miss Yun. The General ordered you to wait for him. I must look after you until he returns."
Yun Sheng: "..."
Not giving up, she tried another excuse, her tone even softer this time.
"Well... how about I go to that vending machine over there to buy a bottle of water? It’s just a few steps away. I’ll be right back."
The moment the words left her mouth, Deputy Luo’s gaze swept precisely toward her. Though his face remained expressionless, his eyes clearly said, "No."
"If Miss Yun is thirsty, I can have someone bring water over right now."
His words were polite, but they completely blocked any possibility of her leaving.
Yun Sheng was utterly speechless.
’This isn’t looking after me, this is guarding me!’
’Is Bai Ye guarding against me like I’m some kind of thief?’
She gave up the struggle and, resigned to her fate, shuffled to the side to lean against the wall.
Lowering her head, she opened her terminal and typed Bai Ye’s name into the Star Network search bar.
The search results instantly flooded the screen.
"Star Alliance War God General Bai Ye Leads Troops to Purge X-7 Contamination Zone, Saving a Million Lives!"
"General Bai Ye Awarded the Star Alliance’s Highest Honor: The ’Guardian’s Medal’"
"The War God Returns! General Bai Ye Once Again Quells Border Unrest"
...
Looking at the screen filled with these heroic achievements and praises, Yun Sheng didn’t feel reassured at all. Instead, a chill ran down her spine again and again.
This man... he was too powerful, his status too high. Getting involved with him was like an ant running into the most powerful mecha; the slightest misstep would get her crushed to pieces.
Yun Sheng stared at her terminal and murmured softly, "Thank goodness... he couldn’t see my face clearly in the dream. Otherwise, with his methods and vigilance, I would’ve been done for long ago..."
"What’s done for?"
A deep voice sounded by her ear without any warning!
"Ah!"
Yun Sheng’s head snapped up, her heart nearly leaping out of her throat.
Bai Ye was standing in front of her, having appeared from who knows where, his eyes studying her inquisitively.
’AHHHH... Does this guy not make a sound when he walks?!’
Yun Sheng screamed wildly in her head.
She bit her lip, quickly shut off her terminal’s screen, and looked at Bai Ye, feigning nonchalance.
"It’s nothing, General Bai. You’re... finished with your discussion already?"
Bai Ye gave Yun Sheng a searching look. His thin lips parted slightly, as if he was about to ask the very question that made her heart pound with fear.
GRRRUMBLE...
A faint but exceptionally clear sound echoed without warning.
Yun Sheng: ...
Her body stiffened for a moment. A flash of acute embarrassment crossed her eyes, and her cheeks grew faintly warm.
Her breakfast had been interrupted by the issue with Lin Hao, so she’d barely eaten a few bites. Then she had rushed through lunch because she had to come to the Tower. Yun Sheng had long since been starving, but... for it to happen at this moment, in front of this man.
It was more than a little awkward!
Bai Ye’s gaze swept swiftly over Yun Sheng’s flat stomach before returning to her face, which was trying to feign composure but couldn’t hide a trace of mortification.
He said nothing, but that brief glance and the subtle shift in the atmosphere were enough to make Yun Sheng so embarrassed she could have dug a hole with her toes.
"Let’s go. We’ll talk somewhere else."
Bai Ye turned and walked straight toward the elevators.
Deputy Luo saluted him and remained in place.
Yun Sheng could only bite the bullet and follow.
The two of them entered the elevator, one after the other.
Bai Ye’s tall, straight figure stood in front, exuding an invisible pressure.
Yun Sheng kept her eyes downcast, staring at the mirror-like elevator floor, trying to will herself into becoming a wisp of air.
CLICK... WHIR!
The elevator car lurched violently without warning, followed by the jarring sound of grinding machinery.
"Ah!"
Caught off guard, Yun Sheng instantly lost her balance. With a cry of alarm, she pitched forward uncontrollably.
She was caught.
It was Bai Ye.
The moment she fell, he had turned almost instinctively, his arms shooting out to catch her securely.
In that fleeting instant, an incredibly sweet yet exceptionally unique fragrance drifted faintly into Bai Ye’s nose.
The scent was very faint, like the fragrance of a newly opened flower bud mixed with morning dew—pure and warm. It stood in stark contrast to the icy Spiritual Force Field surrounding him, yet strangely... it wasn’t repulsive.
This scent...?
Bai Ye’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, a flicker of deep confusion crossing his eyes.
This smell, it seemed...