“I am the general’s wife. Do I need his permission to go out?”
The guard glanced at Shan Xiaoya. Last time, he was severely punished for letting her leave, which had taken a long time to recover from. This time, he was determined not to let her pass.
“Madam, please don’t make it difficult for me. Please get a token from the general. With the token, I will definitely let you go.”
Shan Xiaoya’s eyes narrowed. “What? I need a token to leave the mansion? Did he say that?” The guard nodded helplessly. “Madam, please go back.”
Shan Xiaoya pointed a finger at the guard. “Fine, wait for me. I’ll come back with a token.”
“If you bring the token, I will definitely let you go without hindrance.”
“Good! Open the gate and wait for me,” Shan Xiaoya said, turning to walk back into the mansion.
Her eyes darted around. Would that man voluntarily give her the token? Unlikely.
Such an important item must be in the study. She might as well go and ‘take’ it herself.
She quietly hid behind the tree closest to the study, surveying the area. Six guards stood on both sides of the study door. Entering seemed impossible.
Shan Xiaoya silently circled to the back of the study, looking around. Perfect, no one was there. Crouching low, she gracefully jumped through the open window without making a sound.
Carefully approaching the desk, she glanced around nervously. Reaching the desk, she scanned the surroundings, as if afraid someone might suddenly burst in. The silence around her put her at ease.
On the desk were writing implements, and a stack of scrolls neatly arranged in one corner. In another corner, a golden token lay prominently. Shan Xiaoya reached out and picked up the token, examining it closely. A triumphant smile spread across her face. Unexpectedly, she had obtained the general’s token so easily.
Suddenly, voices from outside caught her attention. “The general has returned!” Footsteps approaching the study were now mere inches away. Whoever was walking seemed about to push open the door.
Shan Xiaoya panicked, searching for a hiding spot in the study. There was hardly anywhere to conceal herself. Besides the bookshelf, incense burner, and desk, there were no concealing objects.
The door creaked open… Shan Xiaoya quickly dove under the desk without any choice… Hu Yannan strode in. Unaware of anything unusual, he naturally came to the desk and sat down in the chair. Following him was Zhu Zongguang from the General’s mansion. Zhu Zongguang respectfully stood to one side. “General, what is the matter?”… Zhu Zongguang’s raised head directly met Shan Xiaoya’s nimble eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Shan Xiaoya quickly shook her hand and placed her index finger on her lips, making a gesture to keep silent. Zhu Zongguang opened and closed his mouth, saying nothing, staring in surprise at Shan Xiaoya under the desk…
At this moment, a young maid brought a cup of tea to Hu Yannan and then walked out. Hu Yannan looked puzzled at the unusual Zhu Zongguang. “Zhu Zongguang, what’s wrong with you?” Zhu Zongguang quickly averted his gaze, awkwardly blinking. He didn’t know whether to say that the madam was under the desk or not. He unconsciously glanced under the desk and ultimately chose to say nothing. “Reporting to the General, nothing is wrong. Oh! Right, what did you want me for?”
Shan Xiaoya felt herself being pulled into a solid chest, his body as hard as stone. Crashing into it brought only pain and a feeling of being trapped in an inescapable embrace. Shan Xiaoya pushed against his hard chest, wanting to create distance between them.
Hu Yannan felt Shan Xiaoya’s resistance, knowing he couldn’t force her. He suddenly increased his grip, pulling her body close. Almost greedily, he inhaled her fragrance, then released her. Everything happened so quickly it seemed unreal.
Shan Xiaoya felt a suffocating tension; then air rushed back into her body, and the physical restraint vanished. But she knew it wasn’t. Shan Xiaoya awkwardly blinked. “General, I’ll take my leave now.” She fled in embarrassment from the study.
Hu Yannan watched her back, revealing a bitter smile. He shouted outside: “Come here!”
Two guards entered.
“From today, your task is to protect my wife. You must not let her suffer any harm, nor let her leave your sight. Understood?”
The two guards simultaneously cupped their fists: “We obey!”
“You may go,” Hu Yannan waved them away. The two disappeared from the study.
Two people stared at each other for a while, simultaneously lifting their feet. Shan Xiaoya raised her right foot, while Zhao Yeqing raised her left foot, and both took a step sideways simultaneously. The two opposing figures stopped again. Shan Xiaoya impatiently raised her head and glared at Zhao Yeqing, who brazenly stared back. They unexpectedly shouted at each other simultaneously: “Are you going to move or not?”
Momentarily stunned, Shan Xiaoya was the first to extend her right hand, making a gesture of invitation. With a strange tone, she said: “I’ll let you go! You go first!”
Hearing her insincere words, Zhao Yeqing’s anger intensified. This time, he wanted to teach this shortsighted person a lesson.
Zhao Yeqing’s large hand pushed towards Shan Xiaoya without mercy. She nimbly took a step back, dodging his sudden hand. She said dissatisfiedly, “I already let you go first, so why are you trying to hit me?”
Zhao Yeqing spoke almost like a ruffian: “I’ll hit you. What are you going to do about it?”
As he spoke, his hand swung towards Shan Xiaoya’s face. Shan Xiaoya quickly lowered her head to avoid his hand, and as she stood up, her right foot launched a counterattack, kicking towards Zhao Yeqing’s head. Zhao Yeqing didn’t move his foot, only slightly shifting his waist to dodge her kick, then stood straight and struck a palm towards Shan Xiaoya’s chest.
The palm was extremely fast. Shan Xiaoya’s leg hadn’t yet retracted when his palm was already approaching. If hit solidly, not only would her female identity be exposed, but she would also be injured. Seeing his palm approaching, Shan Xiaoya had no choice but to retract her left foot standing on the ground and fall backward. In the process of falling, her right leg swept to trip his feet.
Zhao Yeqing didn’t expect such a move. He quickly withdrew his palm and jumped up to avoid her tripping leg. Standing to the side, he laughed at Shan Xiaoya lying on the ground. Their actions had already attracted the attention of passersby, who burst into laughter when they saw Shan Xiaoya fall. Lying on the ground, Shan Xiaoya’s face turned red with anger. Unwilling to accept defeat, she stood up and glared hatefully at Zhao Yeqing. “Are you mentally ill?”
Seeing her fall, Zhao Yeqing’s bad mood disappeared, and his anger vanished. He put away his smile and ignored Shan Xiaoya’s shouting, swaggering away from the scene surrounded by many people. The onlookers quickly made way for him.
Furious Shan Xiaoya knew she was no match for him and was puzzled about how she had become a pushover as soon as she arrived here. Unable to even beat a bystander? Where had her previous might gone? Shan Xiaoya clenched her fists, full of unwillingness. She gritted her teeth and looked in the direction Zhao Yeqing had disappeared… Her life principle was: don’t attack unless attacked; if attacked, retaliate. Boy, we’ve made an enemy today. I’ll make you regret this…
Shan Xiaoya changed direction. Her eyes darted around. Before leaving, she had to make him understand the consequences of being evil. He must pay the price. Shan Xiaoya quietly followed behind Zhao Yeqing, looking for an opportunity to strike…
Zhao Yeqing arrived at the entrance of the Yinbin Inn. A servant named Li Wei approached him. “Young Master, there are only two guests in the inn. The innkeeper and the waiter are our people.”
