Chapter 54: She is Trouble
Chapter 54: She is Trouble
In the tranquil embrace of the night, the Chen Manor stood like a stoic sentinel amidst the sprawling darkness.
Within the manor, the echoes of laughter and chatter from the evening’s dinner had faded into the hushed whispers of slumber. The aroma of delicacies still lingered in the air, a nostalgic reminder of the conviviality that had graced the dining hall just hours before.
As the hours waned, the celestial canopy above shimmered with an ethereal brilliance. Millions of stars adorned the firmament, casting a soft, luminescent glow over the surrounding landscape. The moon, veiled by the shroud of night, withheld its presence, allowing the stars to reign supreme in their celestial dance.
Outside, the grounds of the Chen Manor lay cloaked in an enigmatic stillness, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant hoot of an owl. The pathways, once bustling with activity, now lay deserted, their cobblestones bathed in the subdued radiance of the starlight.
Amidst the tranquility, two figures could be seen stepping out into the backyard.
"What was that all about?" Xin Cheng asked as he took his place against one of the pillars, staying within the shadows. His gaze followed the wolf shifter who had stepped out into the open, allowing any prying eyes to spot him easily.
"What are you talking about?" Dao Ming asked innocently as he looked up at the sky. His eyes marveled at the beauty of the sky above.
"Don’t play smart with me. You know I’m asking about what happened in the dining hall." Xin Cheng almost sounded angry as he watched Dao Ming appreciating the night sky. Wolves loved everything celestial, especially the moon and the stars. But he wasn’t a wolf and he had no time to appreciate the stars or watch Dao Ming doing it.
The wolf shifter didn’t remove his gaze from the sky above even for a second as he replied, "I just realized that her new persona is interesting."
Xin Cheng let out a sigh of pure disappointment before he spoke. "Don’t let her distract you from our mission. This isn’t the right time to focus on a woman."
Dao Ming chuckled, surprising Xin Cheng in the process. "Don’t you think you are the last person to say this to me?"
"What do you mean?" Xin Cheng asked as he watched the wolf shifter with a frown masking his handsome facial features.
Dao Ming finally turned his attention away from the stars and shifted his gaze to the man whom he loved and cherished the most. "Do you really believe that no one noticed the way your eyes have been following her around the manor? You may pretend that you have nothing to do with her but you can’t hide the truth from me. You are just as interested in her as I am."
Xin Cheng opened his mouth to contradict Dao Ming’s statement but then closed it and stayed silent. There was no point in lying. Even if he himself wanted to believe that he had no interest in Chen Xiang Ling, that was far from the truth. That woman had all his attention and interests from the very day she returned to the manor after losing her memories.
"See? You can’t even deny." Dao Ming teased only to receive a deadly glare from Xin Cheng. This wasn’t the first time the two of them were interested in the same woman. Their blood bond had made it easier for them to share things and women between them without any sort of conflict.
But no women had ever succeeded in catching their interest the way current Chen Xiang Ling did.
"She’s bad for us." Xin Cheng added after a long silence.
"Not really. But the timing is indeed not right. However, I can’t just let her go in the hope of getting her back once we are done with our mission. After all, we aren’t her only choices. She had some really good men waiting for her out there." Dao Ming stated the obvious. Just like he had noticed Xin Cheng’s interest in Xiang Ling, he was also aware that the other three men were also equally interested in her ever since her transformation.
Xin Cheng cursed under his breath before he decided to end the discussion. "I just need you to remember - nothing or no one should come before our mission."
Dao Ming just gave a slight nod of his head in response, not trying to deflect the obvious responsibility that he was shouldering alongside Xin Cheng. The reason they appeared in the Mortal Realm and married a Mortal was all because of a certain mission, and they needed to finish their business at any cost.
He watched as Xin Cheng turned around and left the backyard without another word, leaving Dao Ming alone to appreciate the stars.
However, the wolf shifter was no longer in the mood for watching the night sky, a certain woman had clouded his thoughts all of a sudden.
With a smile playing on his lips, he recalled their interaction during the dinner. He knew that his request would make her mad, he just didn’t know that he would enjoy getting on her nerves.
Ever since his stardust took possession of the dead Chen Xiang Ling’s body, she had been acting all sweet and calm. Which was why he enjoyed it when she showed other reactions, like that of - anger, or frustration. But his favorite was undoubtedly the one she showed when she first found him naked in her bed, or when she was laying under him.
He closed his eyes and shook his head to get rid of his thoughts that were taking a drastic turn toward a certain direction. Yet, that woman appeared behind his closed eyes as if to tempt him.
"You brought this upon yourself." He whispered as he opened his eyes and started walking in a certain direction. When he reached her bedchamber, it was surrounded by darkness, proving the absence of her presence.