Chapter 86: Who Is She?

Members of the Wufeng Organization had entered the borders of Country Y, all for the sake of hunting her down. She must truly be someone of considerable significance.

“Miss, how should we handle this person?” Xiaoxiao asked earnestly.

“If she could make a move once, there will be a second time,” Shen Chaoxi’s eyes were as cold as mist-laden blades, a faint smile curling on her lips. “I am not dead. The one who should be anxious is her—not us.” She needed only to wait and see, to watch for the insect to show itself again before crushing it.

“But, Miss, aren’t you concerned about Fourteen Prefectures?” Xiaoxiao frowned, worry clouding her brow as she tried to fathom her mistress’s intentions. The fact that Wufeng had sent assassins meant a murderous intent had already taken root in Fourteen Prefectures. Yet for years, her lady had been stationed in the Y Country military district, in the Eastern Continent, never once involving herself in their affairs.

“Xiaoxiao, do you recall what I told you when you came with me?” Shen Chaoxi asked.

“When the time is right,” Xiaoxiao replied quickly, brows still knit.

Shen Chaoxi smiled. “Exactly. The time is not yet ripe. That’s why, for us, Wufeng’s matters are not ours to meddle in. Not now.”

“But…” Xiaoxiao’s expression remained tense, unable to find peace of mind.

Shen Chaoxi simply smiled at her, lips gently upturned, as if nothing could ruffle her calm. No matter what she faced, she was always composed, always unhurried.

Xiaoxiao, seeing this, dropped the topic of Wufeng’s assassin. Instead, she gazed at the pale-faced girl before her, confusion shadowing her eyes.

“But, Miss, what are you doing in this military base?” she asked. Even if her lady didn’t care for affairs in Fourteen Prefectures, what were they doing here?

Shen Chaoxi’s gaze deepened, dark currents swirling in her eyes as if she foresaw the future. With a hint of amusement, she replied, “To break off an engagement.”

#

On the other side, Lu Yunzhou hadn’t left his dormitory to busy himself with training.

“Did you find out anything?” His voice was cold and low, stripped of the calm gentleness he showed in front of Shen Chaoxi, his entire presence now stern and severe. His eyes were deep, lips pressed into a tight, unyielding line as he turned to the investigator he’d dispatched the previous night.

“Captain, this woman isn’t a student from Jing University’s training camp. She has outstanding counter-surveillance skills. Last night, around nine, she happened to run into a female reporter who was conducting interviews with the students. The reporter organized a singing event on the south field, attracting many students. Hardly anyone was in the bathhouse at that time.”

In other words, the one behind the clandestine act wasn’t a Jing University student out to bully Shen Chaoxi, but someone who had come specifically for her life.

Lu Yunzhou was left wondering—who would want her dead? No one in the military district knew Shen Chaoxi’s true identity. Even if someone had a grudge against the Shen family, it shouldn’t have reached this far. Whoever it was, they had infiltrated unnoticed and attacked her while he was away.

The perpetrator was still lurking in the shadows.

“Captain, I checked the surveillance as you asked. Everything appeared normal. She avoided every camera on her way to the bathhouse.”

Clearly, the attacker couldn’t have been a Jing University student. As long as this person remained at large, with Shen Chaoxi out in the open, danger would always be near.

#

For the next two days, Lu Yunzhou had someone watching over Shen Chaoxi at all times, fearing she might come to harm again.

But the young lady seemed disinterested. She complained about feeling stifled in his dorm, so Lu Yunzhou arranged for Lu Fifteen to accompany her, letting her stroll around the military base.

“Miss Shen, you can’t go that way!” Lu Fifteen hurriedly stopped her as she approached a barbed-wire fence enclosing a live training ground where soldiers were engaged in combat exercises. He frowned, troubled but unable to speak more harshly—after all, the Captain had entrusted him with her care.

“Why not?” Shen Chaoxi feigned innocence, clearly intent on entering, but Lu Fifteen blocked her path.

“There’s a live drill going on inside, Miss. It could be dangerous. It’s best if you don’t go in,” he said awkwardly.

Before he could say more, the shouts and laughter of soldiers from the training ground caught his attention. A young female reporter had come to the base for an exchange and interview, gathering material on their drills. Mu Ting snapped photos, eager to share them with Lu Yunzhou, but he seemed wholly focused on the soldiers’ performance. He stood tall and straight, eyes deep and face cold, betraying no hint of emotion.

From Shen Chaoxi’s vantage point, she could see the female reporter in uniform tilting her head, speaking closely with him.

“Who is she?” Shen Chaoxi’s gaze darkened, her eyes narrowing. Lu Fifteen smiled as he explained, “She’s a reporter from the 10th Military District, here on assignment. She was specially approved to observe the drills and conduct interviews.”

He failed to notice the sudden shadow crossing Shen Chaoxi’s eyes, nor the subtle curve of her lips.

Ah, an opportunity has presented itself.

Just as Lu Fifteen finished speaking, Shen Chaoxi turned and walked away. He was taken aback. “Huh? Miss Shen—”

He was left bewildered. Why had she suddenly left?

His anxious call was loud enough to reach the training ground. Lu Yunzhou’s eyes grew cold as he looked toward the disturbance, seeing Lu Fifteen standing there, searching for someone.

But Shen Chaoxi was nowhere in sight. Clearly, the young lady had been there.

A trace of complex emotion flickered in Lu Yunzhou’s dark eyes as his brow knotted.

Mu Ting noticed and smiled, “Thank you for your help, Captain Lu.”

But following his gaze, she spotted a young officer standing by the training ground, looking lost and hesitant. After a moment, the officer, torn between duties, glanced at the field and then hurried off in pursuit.

Lu Yunzhou’s gaze was somber, his lips pressed tightly together, his entire demeanor cold and distant. Even Mu Ting could sense his growing impatience.

“Continue training!” he ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

On the training ground, the exercises continued, but Lu Yunzhou’s expression grew colder still. He summoned someone to coordinate with Mu Ting. Sensing his shift in mood, Mu Ting felt a jolt of unease.

Did he notice? That shouldn’t be possible.