He Mo turned on his heel, glancing sideways at the man kneeling on the ground—one who looked as if he wanted nothing more than to lunge forward and tear that girl apart.
Though there was an age gap, their features bore some resemblance. They appeared to be family.
Colonel Fu Lei, the young officer standing beside the noblewoman—who still had a boyish air about him—noticed the Marshal’s subtle frown. His sharp instincts kicked in, and he lowered his gaze before leaning closer to quietly explain the identities of the three individuals.
To Fu Lei, watching someone gawk so openly at their neighbour’s misfortune—without even bothering to pretend otherwise—was utterly disgraceful. If any soldier under his command acted this way, he’d break their legs without hesitation.
That said, the girl who had been standing there all this time, staring straight at the Marshal, was quite interesting. He had never seen anyone meet the Marshal for the first time and remain this composed.
Taking a step back, Fu Lei studied Leng Yiyao’s face, his expression growing even more perplexed.
Was it just his imagination, or did the Marshal not seem displeased with her gaze?
As Fu Lei pondered, He Mo once again glanced at Leng Yiyao, this time with mild surprise.
So they were siblings?
His gaze flickered over Leng Chao and Leng Yirou, kneeling behind her, before quickly losing interest.
One lacked discipline, unable to even take a step forward. The other was audacious beyond reason, completely ignoring basic etiquette. As for their older brother, his eyes held nothing but the shrewd calculation of a merchant—not worth a second glance.
But what truly caught his attention was how long this girl had been able to meet his gaze without wavering.
It had been a long, long time since any woman dared to look into his eyes for this long.
Long enough that he was almost tempted to preserve her eyes as a specimen.
At the very least, they were a peculiar color—different from those of ordinary people. Especially now, as the setting sun cast its glow upon them…
They looked as if they had been dredged up from the bottom of the ocean, frozen solid, yet still carrying the faintest ripple of movement.
If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a faint hint of coral red in her irises.
A mixed-blood?
Among the nobility, this wasn’t uncommon. But in a merchant family—even a wealthy one—it was rare. The bureaucratic procedures for intermarriage with foreigners were notoriously complex, requiring embassy approval and an extensive series of legal formalities. Money alone wouldn’t suffice to make it happen.
Moreover, green and blue eyes were common enough—but red? That was almost unheard of.
Judging by her attire, she didn’t seem like an illegitimate child. So was she the legitimate daughter of the family?
“Marshal, the military doctor has taken Zhai Mu back to the hotel,” Colonel Fu Lei reported in a low voice after receiving a call.
The moment He Mo heard this, the look in his eyes cooled. He turned away, his knee-length coat sweeping through the air in a dazzling arc.
“Take the person away,” he ordered coldly.
Leng Chao instantly tensed, his hands digging desperately into the gravel beneath him as he struggled to remain composed. But his jaw instinctively tightened.
Yet—
Nothing happened.
After a long pause, he finally dared to look up—only to see the officers dragging the noblewoman to her feet, hauling her husband and three daughters away like a pack of dead dogs. They hadn’t even spared a glance at him.
Relief surged through his body. Two words echoed in his mind—thank God.
A shiver ran down his spine, and he nearly collapsed back onto the ground.
When he turned his head, he saw Leng Yirou standing there, completely dazed. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes.
It seemed that after all these years, their father and he had indeed spoiled her rotten.
What ridiculous delusions was she harboring? Did she really think that just because she was raised as a socialite, the entire nation would line up to admire and marry her?
Did she even know who that man was?
The empire’s greatest commander.
A pillar of the nation.
Even the royal family had to bow their heads before him—yet she thought she was some celestial beauty?
Just as these thoughts settled in Leng Chao’s mind, a strange sense of unease crept over him. Something felt off. In the next instant, his head snapped around, his pupils contracting in shock.
Where was she?
The girl who had been standing here just moments ago—
Where had she gone?
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