112: Chapter 112 The air became ambiguous.

Hearing Murong Zhaoling's voice, which carried a rare hint of softness, Chen Shanzhi suddenly snapped back to his senses.

However, in his past life, he was a battle-hardened keyboard veteran.

In this life, he was a regular at the Yihong Pavilion, and his skin had long since grown thicker than a city wall.

Caught staring by a young lady, he didn't feel any embarrassment or awkwardness from being caught in the act; instead, he smiled naturally.

Then, Chen Shanzhi walked generously into the stone pavilion and bowed properly to Murong Zhaoling.

"I wonder, Murong..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Shanzhi got stuck.

He rubbed his chin, muttering to himself that this form of address was a bit tricky.

Call her Murong Zhaoling directly? It seemed too distant and lacked the courtesy due to the previous top ranker of the hidden dragon ranking.

Call her Master Murong? In this quiet private courtyard, where she was wearing such a gentle emerald-green dress, calling her 'Master' would be a total mood killer.

Chen Shanzhi's eyes darted around.

Since Murong Zhaoling had just called him "Brother Chen"...

Then this was a proper Jianghu way of addressing each other as equals.

Although she was several years older than him, since she was willing to lower her status, he might as well follow suit.

He thought for only a moment.

Chen Shanzhi smoothly changed his address and asked with a beaming smile, "I wonder, Miss Murong, what important matter led you to summon me here today?"

Murong Zhaoling looked at Chen Shanzhi's calm and composed manner, a flash of admiration passing through her beautiful eyes.

She smiled slightly, like a spring flower blooming: "Brother Chen, please sit. No need for such formality. Today is a day off; let's just consider it a chat between friends."

As she spoke, she extended her fair, jade-like hand and gently pointed to the stone stool across from her at the stone table, signaling Chen Shanzhi to sit.

Chen Shanzhi was not one to act like a stranger; he unceremoniously flicked his robe and sat down.

As soon as he sat, Chen Shanzhi's heart skipped a beat.

The stone table wasn't large.

Being face-to-face at such a close distance...

Murong Zhaoling's stunning face, stripped of its usual coldness and sternness, was presented before Chen Shanzhi's eyes without any blind spots.

A few stray strands of hair danced playfully in the wind across her forehead.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly like butterfly wings.

Her bright, naturally red lips.

And her swan-like, slender, fair neck, which radiated an alluring glow under the sunlight.

All of this was frantically bombarding Chen Shanzhi's visual nerves.

Even worse, as the breeze drifted by...

A faint, ethereal scent of a maiden...

Mixed with the fresh scent of bamboo leaves, it kept wafting into Chen Shanzhi's nose and down into his lungs.

Chen Shanzhi took a sharp breath in his mind.

Who could have imagined?

The Murong Zhaoling on the Martial Arts Arena of Four Seas Academy, wearing martial attire and showing off her long legs...

Radiating a terrifying "do not approach" aura...

After shedding her armor and putting on makeup at such close range...

Was actually beautiful to such a lethal degree!

That feminine charm emanating from her, combined with the rare hint of heroic spirit in her brows, was simply a deadly poison!

Chen Shanzhi was an honest man.

He had to admit that looking at the delectable beauty before him, he was indeed a bit excited.

Murong Zhaoling, however, was unaware of how much damage her specially dressed-up appearance was causing Chen Shanzhi.

She took a deep breath and placed her delicate hands back on the guqin.

Originally, she wanted to play a piece elegantly to ease the slightly distant atmosphere between them.

But, just as her fingertips touched the cold strings...

Murong Zhaoling seemed to suddenly remember something, and her face turned slightly red.

Feeling guilty, she silently withdrew her hand from the strings.

She gave up on the idea of playing the guqin, looked up, and met Chen Shanzhi's gaze with her clear, beautiful eyes.

"Actually... the reason I called Brother Chen here is to ask about some matters regarding my worthless younger brother, Murong Yun."

Murong Zhaoling's voice was soft, with a hint of helplessness in her tone.

Hearing this, a strong sense of confusion welled up in Chen Shanzhi's heart.

You called me here just to talk about that kid Murong Yun?

What's there to ask? Why not just hang him up and give him a beating?

Seemingly sensing the confusion in Chen Shanzhi's eyes, Murong Zhaoling sighed and continued:

"I hope Brother Chen won't laugh at me."

"I didn't expect that after I spent these years training at the border..."

"Yun'er, having such unique resources in the capital..."

"His cultivation has only barely reached the Xuanguan Six Apertures!"

"So, last night, feeling frustrated by his lack of progress, I... taught him a bit of a lesson on the Martial Arts Field."

A bit of a lesson?

The image of Murong Yun's massive black eye instantly appeared in Chen Shanzhi's mind, and his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

Murong Zhaoling didn't notice Chen Shanzhi's expression and continued:

"As a result, while I was teaching him a lesson, he complained to me."

"He said... the reason he only has this pitiful level of cultivation is all because..."

Speaking to this point...

A playful glint suddenly flashed in Murong Zhaoling's beautiful eyes.

She stared at Chen Shanzhi and said word by word: "Because Brother Chen, you have been leading him astray."

Then, in a very steady tone, Murong Zhaoling...

Recounted how Murong Yun, in order to save his life last night...

Had tearfully accused Chen Shanzhi on the Martial Arts Field of dragging him to the Yihong Pavilion to drink.

How he took him out to eat, drink, and be merry, and even how he threatened that they wouldn't be brothers if he didn't join in.

She repeated it all to Chen Shanzhi exactly as it was told.

Sitting on the stone stool, Chen Shanzhi was completely stunned.

His face, which had been smiling, turned dark as a soot-covered pot at a visible speed.

Fine, fine, fine!

Murong Yun! You damn well are a good brother!

I risked my life to come to your family's dragon's den to cover for you.

I didn't expect you to have already dug a massive pit waiting for me to jump in!

By the time she finished...

Chen Shanzhi's heart sank to the bottom, and he wailed inwardly.

It's over, it's over!

Looking at Murong Zhaoling's playful expression, she was clearly here to hold him accountable!

No wonder! No wonder that bastard Murong Yun ran faster than a rabbit at the courtyard gate.

He even "kindly" reminded him to protect his face if he got beaten!

I really have to thank your ancestors for eighteen generations!

Seeing Chen Shanzhi's restless and uneasy appearance...

A hint of regret suddenly surged in Murong Zhaoling's heart.

Her slender fingers unconsciously intertwined, and she secretly bit her lower lip.

Could there be a problem with the opening topic she chose?

She just wanted to use her brother's matter as a reasonable excuse...

To naturally lead into what she wanted to say next. How did it end up scaring him instead?

But since things had come to this, she could only grit her teeth and continue.

Murong Zhaoling took a deep breath and, following the plan she had calculated all night in her room, continued:

"Of course, I can't entirely believe Yun'er's words."

"After all, I know his personality very well."

"But it was precisely because of his words that I became curious about you, Brother Chen."

"I was curious what kind of person could make my arrogant brother..."

"Willingly call him 'Brother Chen'."

Murong Zhaoling looked at Chen Shanzhi, her tone becoming extremely serious:

"So... after I went back last night, I immediately had people in the capital look into your character, Brother Chen."

"Boom!"

Hearing this...

Chen Shanzhi felt as if a loud thunderclap had gone off in his head, and he was completely stunned.

He let out an even more piercing wail in his heart.

Isn't that even worse?

Looking into my character in the capital? Do you even need to look?

With his predecessor's reputation as a good-for-nothing playboy who hung out at the Yihong Pavilion every day...

How good could his character be?

He was practically a street rat that everyone wanted to hit!

It's over, it's all over now.

This violent woman Murong Zhaoling must have found out everything about him and is planning to act on behalf of heaven today!

Chen Shanzhi slapped his thighs with both hands and leaned back against the stone pillar.

He struck a pose of resignation: "Kill me or skin me as you wish, but don't hit the face."

Seeing Chen Shanzhi's completely resigned posture, like a frost-bitten eggplant...

A clear flash of panic appeared in Murong Zhaoling's clear, beautiful eyes.

This... this was completely different from how she expected things to go!

Why isn't he explaining? Why isn't he defending himself? Why does he look so hopeless?

Was it because she took it upon herself to investigate him, crossing his boundaries and making him angry?

Murong Zhaoling suddenly felt a bit flustered.

She secretly reflected that her act of sending someone to dig up his past...

Was indeed an extremely disrespectful practice according to Jianghu rules.

But... if she didn't do that, she had only just returned to the capital.

Surrounded by rumors about him, how else was she supposed to truly understand him?

After all, she couldn't keep doing this every day...

Using Murong Yun's name as a clumsy excuse to trick him into meeting her at her home.

Thinking of this, in Murong Zhaoling's usually steadfast heart...

A rare hint of grievance actually welled up.

But in order not to let her first impression in Chen Shanzhi's eyes be completely ruined...

Murong Zhaoling bit her bright red lips hard.

Then, she suddenly stood up from the stone stool!

Under Chen Shanzhi's astonished gaze...

This famous top ranker of the hidden dragon ranking, the Young Miss of the Murong Family...

Actually performed a formal and deep Wanfu Bow to Chen Shanzhi!

"Zhaoling acted on her own and secretly sent people to investigate Brother Chen. This act was indeed inappropriate and lacked integrity."

Murong Zhaoling lowered her head, her voice carrying a hint of sincere apology:

"Please do not blame me, Brother Chen. Zhaoling... was also desperate and wanted to know more about you."

"Huh?"

Chen Shanzhi, who had already closed his eyes and prepared for a beating...

Opened his eyes to see this incredible scene.

He was instantly dumbfounded, his brain short-circuiting.

Wait, what's going on?

This shift in tone was too bizarre!

Murong Zhaoling didn't hit him, but apologized instead?

However, Chen Shanzhi was an old hand with memories of two lives, and his reaction was extremely quick.

He didn't dare let this young mistress perform such a grand gesture to him.

Chen Shanzhi almost reflexively sprang up from the stone stool.

He stepped forward and naturally reached out both hands.

He grabbed Murong Zhaoling's two fair wrists crossed in front of her and forcefully pulled her up.

"Miss Murong! You mustn't! You absolutely mustn't!"

Chen Shanzhi shook his head repeatedly, a self-deprecating bitter smile on his face:

"Miss Murong, you're flattering me too much."

"My character in this capital is like a stone in a latrine; you don't even need to ask around."

"You could pull any three-year-old off the street and they'd know what kind of person I am."

Chen Shanzhi looked at Murong Zhaoling candidly:

"You investigated me for Murong Yun's sake; that's only natural. You don't need to feel any guilt at all!"

Hearing Chen Shanzhi's unreserved self-deprecating words...

Murong Zhaoling stood up straight with the help of his pull.

She looked up, her stunning eyes meeting Chen Shanzhi's, a clear flash of joy in the depths of her gaze.

"Brother Chen... truly doesn't mind that Zhaoling secretly investigated you?" Murong Zhaoling asked softly, her tone carrying a hidden anticipation.

"I don't mind! Of course I don't mind!"

Chen Shanzhi didn't even think before preparing to let go and wave his hands to show he didn't care.

But at the moment he let go...

Whether it was because he had held on too tight or because of muscle memory...

As Chen Shanzhi's right hand released, his thumb inadvertently...

Slid gently down the curve of Murong Zhaoling's fair wrist.

As it passed over Murong Zhaoling's delicate hand...

Chen Shanzhi's hand turned as if possessed.

And then he firmly grasped Murong Zhaoling's slender, jade-like hand in his palm!

What he felt was a sense of smoothness and softness.

It even carried a hint of coolness, like high-quality mutton-fat jade.

Murong Zhaoling hadn't expected Chen Shanzhi to be so bold.

Her hand had never been held by a man before.

In an instant, Murong Zhaoling's delicate body shuddered as if struck by an electric shock.

Both of them were stunned.

Chen Shanzhi stared blankly at his restless hand, his mind a complete blank.

Murong Zhaoling also widened her beautiful eyes, looking at her held hand in disbelief.

The two of them slowly looked up and met each other's eyes in astonishment.

The breeze blew through the bamboo forest, making a rustling sound.

The serious, even tense air inside the stone pavilion, at this second...

Instantly became ambiguous.