Although her long hair was loose and she wasn't wearing any hair accessories, her good hair and beautiful face made up for it. She wasn't stunningly beautiful enough to draw attention, but her attire didn't seem inappropriate either.
The first person to speak to her was the daughter of a lieutenant general in the military, who was about the same age as her. The girl's purpose was similar to hers; she was simply looking for some peace and quiet. Upon hearing this, Chaoge merely smiled slightly and continued eating at her leisurely pace.
She had been wondering what kind of expression she should use to greet General Qin if she saw him here. But after seeing the sheer number of people present, Chaoge realized she had been overthinking it. While not quite a sea of people, it was definitely a large crowd of major generals—enough to be hit by a falling light fixture.
In this situation, it would be good enough if she could even see Qin Muge coming out from afar. She didn't believe that Qin Muge could notice her quietly waiting in the corner among so many people.
"Having been in Yuandu for so long, I don't recall ever seeing you at any of the upper-class balls. General Yan has really kept you well hidden." After exchanging a few words, the girl named Xue Congyi half-jokingly raised her glass of pale gold wine toward Chaoge and said with a smile.
Chaoge just smiled, unsure how to answer the question, so she simply let her interpretation be.
Just as Chaoge was about to say something to show that she was trying to fit in, a figure surrounded by many people in the distance caught her attention—Yan Zihe.
[Wow, she seems to have a similar aura to Queen Qin, but unfortunately, like Yan Xi, she has a face that I find repulsive.] Chaoge thought to Little Red Riding Hood.
Noticing Chaoge's gaze, Yan Zihe immediately turned her attention to Chaoge, talking to the person beside her. The smile on her lips was just right, revealing her flamboyance without making others feel embarrassed.
Yan Zihe merely glanced at Chaoge indifferently before looking away, as if she had just looked at someone insignificant. In fact, given Chaoge's status in the family, the Yan family's status, and Yan Zihe's personality, her reaction was perfectly normal in anyone's eyes.
Except for Chaoge.
Little Red Riding Hood was like a cheat code to her; aside from missions and energy, there was nothing Chaoge couldn't obtain. In other words, while some people might have done things that could be kept secret from everyone on Tianzi Star, they certainly weren't included in her schemes.
Yan Zihe's reaction made Chaoge smile with amusement, and he stared at Yan Zihe with great interest.
Xue Congyi looked back and forth between Chaoge and Yan Zihe, somewhat puzzled. She couldn't understand why Yan Chaoge's daughter would pay so much attention to General Yan, given his style within the military. In the end, she could only conclude that perhaps Yan Chaoge had a rather peculiar way of thinking; maybe she idolized Yan Zihe…?
After all, Xue Congyi searched her mind and could only come up with the explanation of a fan seeing their idol. Otherwise, how could she explain Chaoge's focused gaze, seemingly oblivious to everyone else, and how she could even smile?
Yan Zihe wasn't always surrounded by a crowd, especially after she hinted that she wanted to go to the side for a while, everyone around her immediately understood.
Yan Zihe was also puzzled by Yan Chaoge's gaze. From her observation, Yan Chaoge was not a smart person, and even had a personality that was very unsuitable for the military. How could she have discovered her previous plan?
As soon as doubt arose, she couldn't help but wonder if she had simply been underestimating this person. After all, according to the information she had gathered, there was another member of the Min family who had previously been in contact with her, but later found an excuse to transfer schools.
"General Yan." Xue Congyi stood up politely and gave Yan Zihe a military salute, his respect for Yan Zihe being expressed naturally and without excess. The Xue family was a neutral faction within the military, a true neutral faction, not favoring any of the three major families. This meant that members of the Xue family had to be shrewd and adept at navigating social situations.
Chaoge had no intention of getting up to bow to Yan Zihe or anything like that. The Yan family had done too many disgusting things to her, and she was already doing well enough to control her emotions and not show them. Hearing Xue Congyi's address, she only slightly widened her eyes and carefully looked at Yan Zihe.
Then she hesitated to get up, though she really didn't want to. But this action perfectly conveyed her unease at seeing the world for the first time since arriving from the small planet. It doesn't need to be perfect, just passing grade is fine.
"Yan Chaoge? He's quite similar to your father in personality." Yan Zihe's smile carried a disdainful air, and her eyes revealed a strange sense of aggression. It was an aura honed in the battlefield of life and death, and her eyes were surprisingly bright, making people dare not look directly at her.
Chaoge knew she was referring to the fact that she hadn't spoken yet. This could be interpreted differently by different people; it could mean that she was quiet by nature, or it could imply that she lacked status and was impolite.
Chaoge knew that trying to outsmart someone as cunning as Yan Zihe would be giving herself too much credit, so she never even considered trying anything with her. Of course, she wouldn't be foolish enough to directly offend Yan Zihe. Given the checks and balances among the three major families, as long as she wasn't too arrogant and didn't leave Yan Zihe with any major flaws that could be used against her, it wouldn't be a big deal.
However, some things cannot be easily dismissed, so she thought about it.
She gave Yan Zihe a slightly surprised smile, "So this is what General Yan looks like? You truly are a heroine! My elder sister often mentions you." Her expression was very sincere.
Xue Congyi, standing beside her, quietly shifted her gaze elsewhere, wondering to herself if this guy was really praising someone. If it weren't for the genuine sincerity in her expression, she would have seriously suspected that something was amiss with the Yan family.
From the beginning, Chaoge has had a unique skill in praising people. In the words of her friend, you should never praise someone casually, because the sarcasm in your praise is much higher than when you insult someone.
Yan Zihe's first reaction upon hearing this was that Yan Chaoge seemed to know something, but she immediately dismissed the idea. As for what that idiot Yan Xi had revealed? Of course, it wouldn't be a clue that Chaoge could grasp. Because there were some things that Yan Xi kept a closer eye on than anyone else.
Even if it doesn't belong to her, she'll take it from someone else. This is the result of the Yan family's upbringing of Yan Xi. Although Yan Chen and Li Wanfang aren't like that, it just goes to show they're not her biological daughters.
Yan Zihe only threw out this sentence, and there were a few people over there who seemed not to want to disturb her, but they also seemed to have something to do, so they just stayed at a distance.
"Oh? Is that so?" she replied with a nonchalant smile, her true thoughts hard to discern.
Having found a pretext, she headed in the direction of the group of people who had come looking for her, and just happened to be quite far away from Chaoge.
Although Xue Congyi had some questions about the strange atmosphere between Chaoge and Yan Zihe, she was able to control her curiosity and pretended not to see it.
【What were you trying to do just now?】Even Little Red Riding Hood said that Chaoge's thoughts were like the bottom of the sea. As a human with normal thinking and a computer system, you should never try to guess.
"Oh, she was capable of having me killed and having Yan Chaoge's things stolen, so can't I at least annoy her a little? Compared to what she did, I think I'm incredibly kind." Chaoge explained this to Little Red Riding Hood in her mind, then fell into a state of self-congratulation about her own kindness.
Little Red Riding Hood: ...I admit I was being mean.
It seemed that most of the guests had arrived at the ball. Chao Ge could easily tell from a casual glance that there were more people than just those from Tianzixing. Some of their conversations reached her ears, and she could hear everything they were saying, as if she were eavesdropping.
In summary, it's like discussing how to flatter someone using a hundred different sentences.
Chaoge stabbed a cherry tomato with a fork, creating a splattering effect... strangely enough, not a single drop got on her snow-white dress. The cherry tomato was the only fruit she'd found on this planet that shared the same color as any fruit on Earth—well, its blood-red hue wasn't the point.
Then she realized that all the sounds around her had fallen silent, as if someone had pressed pause on the palace hall. "No way, I just poked a piece of fruit, could it have caused such a public outcry? Did I poke the king of fruits?"
She looked up, and as she did so, everyone in the main hall bowed to the person who had come out, saying in unison, "General, good day."
Holy crap, the visual effects are amazing!
The baby was so scared that he dropped all the fruit.
As Chaoge hesitated between getting up and joining the others or pretending to be clueless, she heard that incredibly familiar voice, tinged with a slight smile, enter her ears: "Good day."
After that, everyone's eyes in the entire main hall were fixed on that person. Chaoge was thankful that there was a pillar blocking her view from the side; otherwise, if she were the only one sitting safely while everyone else was bending over, wouldn't she be doomed?
She pretended to have finished eating and put down everything in her hands. Then she stood up and took a few steps forward, her gaze following Qin Muge's direction. Who else could it be but Qin Muge, the figure standing on the high place in a white military uniform?
At such a distance, Chaoge couldn't see her expression clearly, but the aura emanating from her could still be felt even from this distance.
She only needed to stand there to outshine everyone else. This was a unique presence belonging to Qin Muge, one that no one else could surpass.
☆ Chapter 25: The Twenty-Fifth Evaluation of General Qin
Even Chaoge herself didn't realize that a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips the moment she saw Qin Muge. It was because Qin Muge's personal charm was so great that countless people present felt joy upon seeing her; Chaoge's reaction was no different from the others.
Everyone was eager to get as close as possible to Qin Muge, but Chaoge wasn't in a hurry to approach. Compared to the countless people who hoped to catch a glimpse of the great general, Chaoge wasn't curious about this at all.
She's someone who's seen Qin Muge up close—she's beautiful from every angle!
She paused briefly before continuing to eat the fruit on her plate with complete focus, while pondering whether to have some pudding or try other flavors of fruit later.
Like her, Xue Congyi, who was sitting next to her, didn't move much. She was a little curious. There were very few people in the empire who weren't die-hard fans of a certain general. Could it be that she had run into another one?
"General Qin, is this your first time appearing in public?" Chaoge asked Xue Congyi with a smile.
"Yes, this is the first time I've ever seen the General up close since I was a child. I can hardly believe it." When Xue Congyi heard Chaoge's question, she couldn't help but look in Qin Muge's direction. The admiration in her eyes was so dazzling that it almost blinded Chaoge.
What made her think this guy wasn't a die-hard fan of Qin Muge? It's all an illusion! He's clearly a deeply devoted fan!
"General, you are truly a handsome and talented man!" Xue Congyi's ability to praise people made Chaoge feel that he was just as good as himself.
"Handsome and talented..." "Uh, General Qin, isn't she a woman?" She felt it necessary to remind the other party of Qin Muge's true gender.
This time, it was Xue Congyi's turn to look Chaoge up and down with a strange gaze. If it weren't for the fact that she was indeed the youngest daughter of the Yan family, she would have really suspected that she was a spy sent by another country, or someone who hadn't even graduated and was just sent to make up the numbers.
As expected of someone from the countryside, not only can they not see the brilliance of my great general, but they also talk too much.
Chaoge was completely unaware that in the other person's mind, she had once again been labeled a country bumpkin, and she was still waiting for Xue Congyi's answer.
"Of course I know! Everyone in the country knows! But that doesn't diminish the General's imposing presence at all! Look, the moment the General appears, he captivates the entire audience! He's so handsome that it makes you want to have his baby right away! Oh, right, I forgot to mention, I'm a member of the General's support group. Do you want to join us? It's the Military Junior Special Committee, and we always have firsthand information about the General!" Xue Congyi acted as if some strange mechanism had been activated when Qin Muge was mentioned, wishing she could instantly transform into Qin Muge's most loyal follower.
Help! I shouldn't have mentioned Qin Muge to her. Someone, please save her!
Even from this distance, Qin Muge's face is barely visible, so how did Xue Congyi arrive at this evaluation? Her brainless fandom is beyond saving.
This feeling of being the only one who is right in the crowd made her realize that she was not far from being suspected of being an alien.
To avoid being overwhelmed by General Qin's posts every morning, she forced a smile and said, "I think General Qin is like a flower on a high mountain; it's better for us mortals to admire him from afar and not even think about getting close."
“That’s what I think too!” Xue Congyi’s eyes lit up as she said to Chaoge.
Just then, Chaoge suddenly felt a gaze sweep over her. She instinctively turned her head to look, and the sight of a sea of military uniforms in that direction once again dazzled her.
[The captains of General Qin's personal guard.] Little Red Riding Hood promptly supplemented her knowledge.
Qin Muge was among the group, seemingly chatting and laughing with them. When he saw Chaoge looking over, he didn't hold back his smile, the curve of his lips even more pronounced than before.
Chaoge tilted her head slightly. Was she smiling at her? No way? Right? Chaoge was caught in a strange dilemma.
On the contrary, Xue Congyi's eyes were as bright as a puppy seeing a bone, and she clenched her fists, a suspicious blush appearing on her face.
"General Qin's smile is simply irresistible," Xue Congyi muttered softly, her voice just loud enough for Chaoge, who was closest to her, to hear.
...Young lady, please try to control yourself, okay?
Just how charming is that guy? He's definitely good-looking, and his fighting skills seem pretty high, and he's definitely—wait, looking at him this way, he seems to have no flaws!
Comparing goods will only lead to discarding them, comparing people will only lead to ruin. ← This is a universal truth.
Just as Chaoge was inwardly criticizing Qin Muge, the guards weren't idle either. Yang Yuheng swirled a glass of wine in her hand, the pale golden liquid flowing in circles along the transparent rim. Her gaze met Tianxuan's in mid-air, and she gestured with her chin towards Chaoge and Xue Congyi.
"The general just smiled in that direction, did you see it?" Yang Yuheng stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. The silver tongue ring appeared for only a moment before disappearing behind his lips again.
Miraculously, this time everyone understood what she meant. Su Yaoguang's eyes flickered, and because she had previously been an instructor at the Yuandu Military Academy, she immediately recognized Chaoge and Xue Congyi beside her.
Thinking of a girl from the Min family, she vaguely guessed what was going on, but calmly turned her gaze away.
With his indigo military jacket draped over his shoulders, Ling Tianquan glanced casually in that direction, his languid demeanor resembling that of a satiated leopard, unwilling to utter a single word.
Tianji lowered his eyelids slightly, quickly glanced at the two people over there, then looked away and continued to focus his gaze on Qin Muge.
Tianxuan puffed out her cheeks. Among this row of handsome men and beautiful women, she was noticeably shorter than everyone else. However, the superior genes of the Ling family made her no less attractive than the others.
"Of course I saw her! Do you think it's the one from the Xue family or the one from the Yan family?" Ling Tianxuan's gaze darted back and forth between the two girls, as if trying to figure out which one had caught her boss's attention.
"It's hard to say. The one from the Xue family is a possibility, but the one from the Yan family is even more likely. Look at Ling Tianji, isn't he an example?" Her gaze subtly shifted towards Ling Tianji, her disdain quite evident.
Before Yang Yuheng could say anything more, Ling Tianshu reached out and slapped Ling Tianxuan on the head, while giving a warning look to the people around them.
Everyone immediately and tacitly stopped paying attention to that direction. This finally eased Chaoge's stiffness after Little Red Riding Hood had informed her of who was watching her.
Holy crap, what did Qin Muge say? A bunch of generals were staring at her, it's unbelievable!
Qin Muge naturally took in their subtle movements. Casually, she swirled the glass in her black-gloved hand, her wine-red eyes mirroring the liquid at the bottom of the glass, even more crystalline. These shrewd fellows seemed eager to know her every move from a mere gesture.
So she smiled at Yang Yuheng and Ling Tianxuan with the same smile as before. Her red eyes, hidden beneath her black hair, also held a smile, but they couldn't tell if it was a genuine smile.
Yang Yuheng and Ling Tianxuan immediately lowered their heads and pretended to examine the cups in their hands. Their expressions were very serious, as if they wanted to see what the dust on the glass looked like.
Ling Tianquan scoffed, directly mocking Tianxuan. Ling Tianji, naturally aware of Ling Tianxuan's earlier meaning, merely curved her lips into a smile, a beauty that made all the surrounding girls pale in comparison, a beauty that could only be described as breathtaking.
Ling Tianxuan felt a little frustrated and subtly moved away from Ling Tianji, thinking that this way her older brother wouldn't hit her, right? Then she looked up at Ling Tianshu and saw that he frowned slightly, but didn't reach out to pat her again.
"Are you all interested in my people?" Just as they thought they could only guess at the enigma of who the General had just smiled at, Qin Muge swirled the wine in her glass and downed the liquid in one gulp. Her crimson lips were stained with a similarly colored liquid, making her face even more alluring. Her gaze swept over the captains of her personal guards, and she uttered these words.
"I think I just had some kind of auditory hallucination," Yang Yuheng muttered to himself, not believing a word of what he had heard.
"What a coincidence, I was hallucinating too!" Ling Tianxuan looked at Yang Yuheng with a look of having found a kindred spirit, insisting that she hadn't heard anything just now.