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Cheng Mosu leaned by the window watching the snow for a while. She had planned to wait for Shaoyi to finish his business and then say goodnight to him before sleeping, but he had not returned by evening. Growing tired of waiting, she leaned against the soft seat and dozed off. She didn't know how long she had slept, only feeling a heavy coat draped over her shoulders, bringing with it a warm sunlight scent. She opened her eyes to see Xiao Zuowei's warm smile in front of her.
"Brother Zuwei," she rubbed her eyes, her voice carrying a hint of surprise. "What are you doing here? Aren't you in a meeting?"
"Shaoyi was worried about you and sent me to keep an eye on you." Xiao Zuowei's eyes shone like marble, particularly bright in the darkness, but his tone carried an emotion that Cheng Mosu couldn't comprehend.
"Is he still in the meeting?" She had fallen asleep so suddenly that her neck felt stiff and painful; Cheng Mosu rubbed her neck.
Xiao Zuowei sat down across from her. Cheng Mosu's quiet and gentle demeanor was no different from when they were children, but he felt that something had changed between them. The days of enjoying plays together, studying, playing in the rain, and appreciating flowers were gone forever. How wonderful it would be if they could return to the past.
"Brother Zuwei?" Cheng Mosu felt a bit shy under his gaze and gently asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," he snapped back to reality, wearing his usual warm smile.
"Tell me about your studies in Germany," her voice was light and rich. Xiao Zuowei smiled silently; rather than asking about his situation, it felt more like she was inquiring about Shaoyi's situation. He said solemnly, "When I first went to Germany, I was unfamiliar with everything and had no one to rely on. Plus, the training was tedious and difficult, which left me feeling quite depressed."
Seeing Brother Zuwei show signs of insecurity for the first time brought a gentle smile to Cheng Mosu's face and serious concern to her eyes. Xiao Zuowei continued, "My classmates came from various countries. As an Asian, my physique was naturally not as strong as those Germans', so I faced their contempt and bullying. But soon after, I discovered that the only Asian who could stand shoulder to shoulder with those Germans..."
"Who is it?" Cheng Mosu asked eagerly.
Xiao Zuowei looked into her clear eyes and bright smile; his gaze paused slightly before he softly uttered two words: "Shaoyi." It seemed he had anticipated this reaction; a faint blush spread across Cheng Mosu's elegant face. Xiao Zuowei felt a prickling sensation all over him as if he had been pricked by needles. At that moment, he realized that his feelings for her were beginning to reveal themselves—not the sibling affection he had thought it was, but something different from romantic love. Seeing her expectant gaze made him pause before continuing: "At that time we weren't close; I only knew he was called Shangguan Lin, the only son of General Shangguan. Later on, I persisted in hard training and finally won against a German in a competition; he congratulated me then—that was our first conversation."
"And then?"
"At first, I thought he was just as arrogant and overbearing as those warlord's sons, but after spending more time with him, I realized he is calm and reserved. Although he is not good with words, he gives off a very reliable impression. That was when we became friends, running and practicing shooting together every day." He looked seriously at Cheng Mo Su, suppressing the special feelings in his heart, and offered her a gentle smile. "Moreover, he keeps himself clean and has not acted inappropriately with those German women, so you can rest assured."
It seemed as if he had seen through her thoughts; Cheng Mo Su turned to look at the angry wisps of white smoke in the night. The redness on her fair cheeks became even more pronounced, but she did not want to deny her feelings. Just thinking about the hint of tenderness behind his cold gaze and the subtle delicacy beneath his tough exterior made her feel as if her heart had been soaked in honey.
She lowered her eyes, revealing a faint smile. "I already knew this when he was at my house." She murmured, as if speaking to Xiao Zuo Wei while reminiscing about something. "When he first arrived at my home, I only thought he looked very good and had an aura unlike ordinary people. It was only later that I saw he is a person of both courage and wisdom, capable and resourceful, which made me admire him a bit more. Until these past few days when I learned about his true identity and understood how much he bears alone, I have grown even more in awe of him."
Xiao Zuo Wei smiled gently, concealing his inner loneliness. "For Shaoyi to achieve this is truly not easy. You and I grew up together; I know your character best. On the surface, you are gentle and elegant, but deep down you are stubborn. Once you set your mind on something, you won't change it. So..." His eyes sparkled brightly. "Please treat him well. But if one day he lets you down, remember that I am always here for you."
Cheng Mo Su's heart trembled. Although Xiao Zuo Wei's expression was warm and gentle, the seriousness in his eyes was unprecedentedly intense, making her too shy to look back at him. "Brother Zuo Wei, you're overthinking it. This is just my one-sided view of him; how he sees me is still unknown."
Xiao Zuo Wei smiled lightly. "I have never seen him care for any girl as much as he does for you." After saying this, before Cheng Mo Su could respond, he turned to leave. As he opened the door, he paused for a moment and stood at attention to salute. "Young Marshal."
He has returned? Cheng Mo Su looked at the tall figure outside the door, her heart racing like a startled deer. She didn't even hear what Shaoyi and Xiao Zuo Wei were saying or how Xiao Zuo Wei left; she only caught a glimpse of the person in shiny black boots standing in front of her. When did he stand outside? How long had he been there? Did he hear everything she just said? The thought that he might understand her feelings made her panic and feel utterly embarrassed.
Shangguan Shaoyi wore a faint smile on his face that was hard to detect. "Just arrived." Although he only said two words, Cheng Mo Su felt that his mood was quite good. Hearing his response made her breathe a sigh of relief; since he had just arrived, perhaps he hadn't heard anything.
He rubbed his throbbing temples and leaned back against the cold chair. "Huang Chenghao just returned."
"Mm? Who is that?" she asked in confusion, not understanding why he would mention this out of nowhere.
"He was one of my informants sent years ago." He said with his eyes closed. In fact, he had stood outside for quite a while and overheard Cheng Mo Su's conversation with Xiao Zuo Wei. It turned out there was warmth belonging to him in this world after all; facing someone like her allowed him to finally let go of all masks and defenses.
Cheng Mo Su's water-like eyes brightened. "Does that mean he brought back useful information?" In the midst of their conversation, they heard Shen Mingliang reporting from outside. Shangguan Shaoyi quickly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them as he said, "Come in."
"Report, Young Marshal! Huang Chenghao has arrived, and this is the intelligence he provided!" Shen Mingliang presented a document and casually shot a glance at Cheng Mo Su. Cheng Mo Su smiled and tactfully turned his face away from the document. Shangguan Shaoyi's eyes darted quickly over the paper, each glance radiating a chilling intensity. Shen Mingliang leaned forward and asked, "Young Marshal, what does it say?"
"It says that Lin Hongyao's troops are stationed at Pingyang Pass, allowing our army to launch a night raid and seize it in one fell swoop." He tossed the document aside; what should have been uplifting news showed no trace of joy on his face.
"Young Marshal, how could you reveal this information? That woman..." Shen Mingliang shot a glare at Cheng Mo Su, but when he turned back, he saw Shangguan Shaoyi glaring fiercely at him. He hurriedly lowered his head and said, "Young Marshal, I didn't mean to..." Unable to clarify, he decided to avoid the topic altogether. "Then I'll go rally the troops and prepare for the ambush!"
"Wait." Shangguan Shaoyi's hand paused in mid-air as he gently bit off his black leather gloves and tossed them aside. His voice was deep and cold. "Years ago, we sent three insiders into Lin Hongyao's army. After my father passed away, Lin Hongyao eliminated two of them, leaving only Huang Chenghao. But he is the most mediocre of the three. Do you think Lin Hongyao hasn't realized that he is my planted insider?"
"Are you saying that Lin Hongyao has bribed Huang Chenghao?"
Shangguan Shaoyi's face was filled with coldness, his gaze growing more fierce. "Huang Chenghao is extremely filial. To everyone else, my confrontation with Lin Hongyao seems like an act of folly, and my brothers are all prepared for sacrifice. Yet he hasn't mentioned anything about having me help him relocate his parents to safety before returning to report. Don't you find that suspicious?"
Shen Mingliang felt a pang in his heart and immediately reacted with anger. "That shameless little brat! Disregarding the trust and support from the Young Marshal and the Grand Marshal, he actually turned against us like this and even gave us false intelligence! He truly wants to put us in danger! It's a good thing the Young Marshal is wise; otherwise, we would have rushed to Pingyang Pass and fallen into Lin Hongyao's trap! I'll go take care of that little bastard right now!"
"No need!" Shangguan Shaoyi waved his hand dismissively and said coldly, "Don't alert the enemy."
Shen Mingliang was confused again. "Then what does the Young Marshal mean?"
"What I mean..." His hand rhythmically tapped on the wooden table, the sound echoing clearly around them, "is to use their own scheme against them!"
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