Unfortunately, the young general had no feelings for her whatsoever, and no matter how hard she tried, it was no use.
Butler Ning pondered deeply, his face contorted with worry, looking as if he were constipated.
Seeing that her words had no effect, Ye Liushuang's face grew increasingly grim. Ignoring Steward Ning by the door, she looked at the two maids and two old women beside her. These were brought from the Ye family and therefore obeyed her every command.
"Qing Si, Qing Shu, get this disrespectful guest out of here."
Qing Si and Qing Shu exchanged a glance, then gestured to the two old women beside them, and the four of them walked over.
Shi Mei and Shi Lan were about to step forward to stop her when Hai Ling raised her hand to block their movements. She remained elegantly seated, raising her eyebrows to look at the four servants approaching. Her expression was cold, and a slight smile played on her lips. The smile was chilling, and her beautiful, deep eyes flashed with a sharp, piercing light. An aura of ruthlessness emanated from her, causing the four servants to change their expressions and dare not approach.
When Little Lion Ball saw that someone was going to bully its master, it suddenly moved. Its golden fur trembled, and then it opened its blood-red maw, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. This frightened all the servants in the living room, who took several steps back. Before, when the little lion was buried in Hailing's arms, they hadn't seen it clearly and thought it was just an ordinary pet. Now, they realized that it was actually a lion. Although it was not yet a fully grown man, its fierce eyes and snow-white teeth made everyone's face turn pale.
This person was clearly no ordinary person. In the main hall of the Ji residence, Ye Liushuang's face was also pale, her eyes filled with fear as she warily stared at the little lion Qiuqiu and pointed at Hailing.
"what you up to?"
"What I want to do is Miss Ye's idea. I'm just waiting for someone, and Miss Ye wants to kick me out."
"Me, me?" Ye Liushuang stammered, overwhelmed by the tyranny of the little lion Qiuqiu, she couldn't even speak properly. In fact, Ye Liushuang was not an ordinary lady from a prominent family. She was proficient in horseback riding, hunting, and archery, which were the most basic skills for women in the Northern Dynasty. This was because not only men but also women in the Northern Dynasty often participated in hunting and archery activities, so she was quite brave. But when had she ever faced a fierce, snarling lion?
“You have no respect for me as the host, so naturally I have to kick you out.”
Ye Liushuang hesitated for a while before finally managing to finish her sentence. Hailing patted Qiuqiu's head and spoke in a clear and elegant manner.
"Qiuqiu, let's not scare you, be good."
Upon hearing her words, Qiuqiu immediately shrank back and snuggled into her arms again.
The people in the main hall were astonished. How could this lion be so obedient, even more docile than a human? It seemed that the young master in front of them was no ordinary person.
The steward of the Ji residence kept a close eye on Hai Ling, and suddenly realized that this young master seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. At this moment, Hai Ling raised his head, looked at Ye Liushuang, and said calmly, "I wonder who should leave?"
What do you mean by that?
Without the threat of Little Lion Ball, Ye Liushuang became bolder again, and angrily questioned Hailin after hearing her words.
Hai Ling ignored her and turned to continue looking around the main hall of the Ji family.
Footsteps sounded at just the right moment outside the door, steady and powerful, followed by a servant's announcement: "Young General, a guest wishes to see you."
"Oh, who is it?"
The voice was deep, magnetic, and captivating, and it kept moving towards the main hall.
In the main hall, Steward Ning and the servants breathed a sigh of relief and looked towards the door. Hai Ling also looked over. Back then, when Ji Shaocheng set up the Zhenlong Chess Game in the Great Zhou Dynasty, he mistakenly thought she was his sister. She thought he had mistaken her for someone else. She never expected that in the end, she really was his sister.
However, as Ji Shaocheng's sister, Hailing still had some expectations. Although they had only met twice, she had a good impression of Ji Shaocheng.
Inside the hall, Ye Liushuang, who had been glaring angrily at Hailin, rushed over happily as soon as she heard someone approaching. She blocked the view and took Ji Shaocheng's arm, saying joyfully, "Cousin, you're back! How are you? Are you tired? I'll have the servants prepare your favorite mung bean and white fungus soup right away."
Ji Shaocheng was not moved in the slightest by such gentle words. On the contrary, he was extremely annoyed by such entanglements every day. However, because there were no women in the mansion, his mother did not care about affairs, his father lived in the military camp and never returned home, and he had to attend court and social events in various places, he had no way to take care of the affairs of the mansion. Therefore, he reluctantly allowed his cousin to stay and manage the trivial matters of the mansion.
"Hmm, I'm not hungry. Where are the guests?"
Ji Shaocheng pulled his arm away and strode in. Ye Liushuang's eyes dimmed for a moment, but she quickly smiled again and followed Ji Shaocheng in.
In the hall, Hai Ling sat calmly, sizing up the man approaching. He was dressed in a black martial arts outfit, looking dashing and flamboyant. He didn't wear a cloak despite the cold weather, revealing the pride and strength of a martial artist. His handsome and masculine features were adorned with a proper smile, and his deep, dark eyes held a restrained aura as he gazed at Hai Ling sitting in the hall.
Who are you?
Ji Shaocheng stared at Hai Ling, his feet pausing, disbelief flashing in his eyes. This person's face looked so familiar. He wouldn't dare say she was stunningly beautiful, but she possessed an exceptional charm. Her languid demeanor concealed a strong sense of ruthlessness. Anyone who messed with her would likely suffer a terrible end. She was definitely a ruthless character.
"Cousin, he's so mean, he actually bullied me."
Upon hearing Ji Shaocheng's words, Ye Liushuang became excited. Her cousin didn't know this person? This person had a lot of nerve, actually saying that her cousin knew her. She was determined to make her cousin kick him out.
"General Ji is truly forgetful; he doesn't even recognize his own friends. It's disheartening for his friends to think that he's forgotten them."
Hai Ling spoke in a seemingly serious tone, and Ji Shaocheng was taken aback. He stared intently into her eyes, and suddenly a pair of similar eyes popped into his mind—the Crown Princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No, it should be the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty now. However, the former was plump, while this person was an absolute beauty, and there was a man and a woman.
Could it be that he is a woman? Thinking this to myself, and looking at him more closely, he really was a woman.
"It was Shaocheng's rudeness."
As soon as he spoke, it meant he recognized Hai Ling. Ye Liushuang, who was about to say something more, stopped talking and glared at Hai Ling resentfully. Hai Ling looked at her coolly, and Ye Liushuang immediately felt her scalp tingle. She quickly followed her cousin to the side and sat down.
Hai Ling looked at Ji Shaocheng and smiled faintly: "I have something to discuss with General Ji, but he is not at home, so I am looking for Young General Ji instead."
"Looking for my father? What brings you here?"
Ji Shaocheng was surprised, never expecting that she was looking for his father. Thinking about it, a figure suddenly flashed into his mind like lightning: his second aunt. He had a deep impression of his second aunt. When he was a child, he saw his mother crying because of his second aunt, so several times he ran to his second aunt and scolded her for being a vixen who had seduced his father. Later, his second aunt and sister disappeared, his father never returned to the mansion, and his mother's face never smiled again. Only then did he regret it. If his second aunt were still alive, his father would definitely come back, his mother's face would smile again, and he would have a sister, a sister as beautiful as his second aunt.
But what happened later caused him to lose a happy family. His mother also knew that she was guilty of a great sin, so she never left her inner room again. She did nothing but eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures.
Ji Shaocheng looked at Hailing, his eyes flashing with excitement, but he was also afraid that he had guessed wrong. When Hailing broke the Zhenlong chess game, he suspected that she was his sister, but at that time, firstly, she had gained weight and did not resemble his second aunt, and secondly, her mother was not his second aunt at all, so he gave up. But now she has reappeared. She has lost weight and looks very much like his second aunt. She is also looking for her father.
After his initial excitement subsided, Ji Shaocheng calmed down and waved his hand, ordering everyone in the hall to leave.
"Go down."
"Yes, Young General."
Butler Ning led the servants out. Shi Mei and Shi Lan consulted Hai Ling and, seeing that their young lady had nodded, also went out. Ye Liushuang, however, refused to leave the hall and clung to Ji Shaocheng's arm, pouting, "Cousin, what are you talking about? Why are you being so secretive? Can't I listen? And who is he? Why are you looking for my uncle?"
Ye Liushuang relentlessly pressed for answers.
Ji Shaocheng's face darkened, and he glared at her. Ye Liushuang was very afraid of Ji Shaocheng, so she lowered her head, pouted, and walked out.