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墨書 Inktalez
As I approached the vicinity of Chuxiu Palace, I indeed saw a group of people running around in a panic. But strangely...
"Lord Commander," I whispered, "do you smell smoke?"
Xiao Yuan nodded slightly. "Indeed, there is none."
That’s right! If there really was a fire, with such a large palace, how could the smell of smoke be so faint?
"Make way!" Xiao Yuan's cold voice rang out, and the crowd immediately parted to create a path.
I followed closely behind him, observing as we walked. Hmm... the maids' panic seemed a bit exaggerated, and the messenger sent by the Crown Princess also looked off...
This situation felt eerily similar to our company's previous fire drill. Wait a minute!
"Lord Commander!" I suddenly grabbed Xiao Yuan's arm just as he was about to push open the door. "Don't open it!"
He raised an eyebrow at me, seemingly waiting for an explanation.
"If there really is a fire," I lowered my voice, "the doorknob would be very hot. But..."
I pointed at his hand. "You showed no reaction when you touched the door."
Xiao Yuan's expression sharpened. "What do you mean...?"
"This is a performance," I asserted. "And the show isn't over yet."
He pondered for a moment. "Go on."
"Think about it," I coaxed gently. "If we push the door open now and happen to stumble upon something detrimental to the Sixth Princess..."
"Like what?" he prompted.
"Like..." I feigned mystery with a smile, "some evidence that looks like the Sixth Princess started the fire?"
Xiao Yuan's gaze turned fierce. "A clever diversion!"
Suddenly, I felt a tight grip around my waist—Xiao Yuan pulled me behind a pillar in the corridor.
"Lord Commander?" I whispered, my heart racing. This distance... was too close!
"Shh," he placed his finger on his lips. "Let's see what they are really up to."
His breath brushed against my ear, causing me to freeze in place. Could this Lord Commander hear my heart pounding like a drum?
Suddenly, Xiao Yuan leaned forward slightly. I could almost feel the warmth of his chest and that faint scent of pinewood. This... this posture was far too intimate!
I stole a glance at him, only to find that this usually stern Lord Commander had a hint of red creeping up his ears. He stared straight ahead, seemingly avoiding making eye contact with me, but the tightness of his lips revealed that he was not as composed as he appeared.
"Someone's coming," he said, his voice rougher than usual, and then he coughed lightly, as if to cover up the unusual tension.
The footsteps grew closer, and Xiao Yuan instinctively tightened his hold around me. At that moment, I felt my face flush so hot it was almost burning. This man... could he hear the frantic beating of my heart?
"Don't... don't move," he whispered, his tone carrying a hint of tension that even he might not have realized, "or we’ll be discovered."
I stiffly nodded, but in doing so, my hair accidentally brushed against his chin. Xiao Yuan's body tensed noticeably, and I felt his hand around my waist tighten slightly.
"I'm... I'm sorry..." I murmured.
"It's fine." His voice was soft, as if afraid to disturb something.
The overly intimate distance made me almost forget that we were supposed to be focused on the task at hand. His breath, his warmth, and the slight flush of his ears... this icy commander could actually be shy.
Just then, I suddenly heard the stealthy footsteps of a young eunuch approaching.
I instinctively shrank closer into Xiao Yuan’s embrace, only to realize how ambiguous that action was and wanted to pull away. But he gently pressed down on my shoulder, his touch soft yet firm enough to be unyielding.
"Host, host," the system teased, "are you taking this opportunity to get a little cozy?"
"Don't move," he said in a muffled tone, trying hard to maintain his composure. "It'll expose us."
I nodded but felt my ears growing hotter. This position, this distance, and his slightly trembling fingers... it hardly felt like we were handling business; it felt more like... an affair!
But... was his heartbeat racing too? I could feel the strong thump of his heart even through his formal attire. Could it be that the Lord Commander was nervous as well?
Sure enough, the young eunuch was holding an Aroma Pouch embroidered with peonies.
"Isn't that the Aroma Pouch that the Sixth Princess loves to use?" I whispered.
Xiao Yuan's gaze sharpened. "How do you know?"
"Well..." I blinked and tried to calm my racing heart from our earlier closeness. "I'm just observant."
"Is that so?" He said with a hint of a smile. "Then what do you think they intend to do?"
"Lord Commander," I lowered my voice, "instead of passively waiting for them to act, why don’t we initiate some reverse crisis management?"
"Reverse... what?"
"It means..." My eyes lit up. "Let them think their plan has succeeded."
Xiao Yuan seemed to ponder this: "Are you suggesting..."
"First, we deliberately leaked the news about the arrival of the Sixth Princess to create panic among them; then we claimed it was a misunderstanding to make them let their guard down," I said quickly. "The key is the third step..."
"The third step?"
"We make them feel clever," I replied with a smile. "For example, we could intentionally say something like, 'It's a pity Huo Yin wasn't found' in a discreet manner."
A glimmer of appreciation flashed in Xiao Yuan's eyes. "So we let them expose more evidence themselves."
"Exactly!" I grew more excited as I spoke. "It's just like fishing; to catch the fish, you have to bait it deeper."
Xiao Yuan stared at me for a moment before suddenly asking, "Have you dealt with this kind of thing often before?"
Oh no! I had let it slip! I quickly laughed it off, "It's just... I enjoy reading stories in my spare time!"
He looked at me with a half-smile. "Is that so?"
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