As for Dai Chengfeng, his earlier eagerness to make her leave, followed by those affectionate actions filled with reassurance and distraction…
Now, all of it made perfect sense.
The air in the room seemed to have frozen solid.
An awkward, delicate tension—like the calm before a storm—hung heavily over everyone present.
Three people, three vastly different mindsets, yet together they formed this suffocating silence that felt impossible to break.
Dai Chengfeng looked at the chaotic scene before him, which was akin to a massive "caught in the act" scenario, and could only feel overwhelmed, as if he had two heads instead of one.
Inwardly, he lamented: Is this the price for gaining power? Must the harem drama descend upon me in such an excruciatingly embarrassing manner?
Heaven above, this test is truly too stimulating!
Tonight's trial seems destined to be difficult. Mishandle it even slightly, and the consequences could be dire.
Taking a deep breath, he prepared to grit his teeth and scramble for some words to ease the suffocating atmosphere—even if only by a little.
However, as if fate decided the situation wasn't chaotic or dramatic enough…
Knock knock knock!
A crisp knock on the door once again shattered the deathly silence in the room.
Immediately afterward, a lively and curious young voice came from outside:
"Dai Chengfeng? Are you asleep? I have something to talk to you about—I'm coming in, okay?"
It was Ning Rongrong!
Before her sentence even ended, the faint sound of the door being pushed open could already be heard from outside!
Clearly, Ning Rongrong wasn't waiting for a response. True to her usual style, she carried the slight capriciousness of the little princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect, intending to barge in without hesitation!
"!!!"
At the moment Ning Rongrong's voice and the sound of the door being pushed reached their ears, the expressions of the three people in the room instantly froze like stone.
Dai Chengfeng's brain nearly stopped functioning altogether.
One Zhu Zhuqing, one Hu Liena—already leaving him frazzled—and now another person, completely out of the loop and unrelated to any romantic entanglement with him: Ning Rongrong?
If she were to see the current scene…
Zhu Zhuqing standing icily in the room, Hu Liena emerging disheveled and flushed from beside the wardrobe…
With Ning Rongrong's clever, gossip-loving mind, what outrageous drama would she concoct?
He could almost picture Ning Rongrong's eyes lighting up with excitement and her shriek loud enough to lift the roof off the inn!
Ning Rongrong must not see this scene!
This became the sole, unanimous thought in the minds of Dai Chengfeng, Zhu Zhuqing, and Hu Liena!
Hu Liena reacted most intensely.
The moment she heard Ning Rongrong's voice, she instinctively began searching for another hiding spot!
Her panicked gaze swept across the room…
Under the bed? Too low, and the space was narrow—it wouldn't fully conceal her!
Behind the curtains? Too thin; her silhouette would be easily visible!
The balcony? There might be people outside!
Back into the wardrobe? What a joke—that would be like walking straight into a trap and confessing guilt without a fight!
Every option seemed incapable of simultaneously avoiding Zhu Zhuqing's icy glare and Ning Rongrong's imminent entrance.
She froze in place, unable to advance or retreat.
Zhu Zhuqing's brows instantly furrowed, and a flicker of surprise and trouble crossed her otherwise cold face.
She hadn't anticipated Ning Rongrong's sudden visit at this critical moment.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't care, but given the current situation…
She quickly glanced at Dai Chengfeng, her gaze complex. But there was no time to dwell on it—they had to resolve the crisis immediately.
She, too, didn't want this chaotic scene to be witnessed by Ning Rongrong.
In an instant, Dai Chengfeng displayed remarkable adaptability—or perhaps potential forced out by immense pressure.
With no time to think, he relied solely on quick gestures and eye signals!
His gaze darted toward Zhu Zhuqing, then swiftly scanned the wardrobe—the very one that had just spat out Hu Liena, its door still slightly ajar!
The meaning was crystal clear: Hurry, hide back inside with Hu Liena!
Zhu Zhuqing caught his signal, and a flash of extreme reluctance crossed her exquisite face!
Hide inside the wardrobe—with Hu Liena?
She was his rightful fiancée, not some seductress!
But the sound of the door being pushed grew louder, and Ning Rongrong seemed to have added more force since the door didn't open immediately!
In the end, seeing no other options, Zhu Zhuqing shot Dai Chengfeng a fierce glare, her eyes clearly saying, "This isn't over!"
Then, with a flicker of movement, she rushed toward the wardrobe.
Seeing this, Hu Liena hastily scrambled back into the wardrobe as well.
"You sly fox," Zhu Zhuqing muttered within the wardrobe, glaring at Hu Liena. "We'll settle this later. For now, don't say a word. Let's see how my 'good fiancé' handles this little mischief-maker from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect."
Hu Liena blinked, momentarily stunned, then hurriedly nodded.
She, too, was curious about Dai Chengfeng's relationship with this mischievous girl from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect.
Were they really just friends?
With these thoughts swirling in their minds, both women held their breaths.
Just as their whispered exchange ended…
Creak—
The door to Dai Chengfeng's room was pushed open from the outside.
Ning Rongrong's small head peeked in, her face brimming with playful mischief. Her large, curious eyes scanned the room:
"Dai Chengfeng? What are you doing? It took you so long to open the door—I thought you'd fallen asleep…"
Her gaze swept around the room before finally landing on Dai Chengfeng, who was trying—and failing—to appear calm.
Dai Chengfeng's heart was pounding wildly in his chest, but he forced himself to quickly regain composure. He plastered on the most natural smile he could muster, though it looked undeniably stiff:
"Oh, it's Rongrong. What brings you here so late?"
As he spoke, he instinctively shifted his body slightly to block the view of the wardrobe.
Internally, he prayed: "My dear little miss, we're innocent, right? Please don't say anything outrageous. If you do, I… I'm done for tonight!"
"Oh, nothing important," Ning Rongrong replied casually as she stepped into the room with a light, cheerful gait, glancing around nonchalantly. "I just thought I heard some noise from your room earlier? A thud. I thought maybe you dropped something."
As she spoke, her gaze casually swept over the corners of the room—including the tightly shut wardrobe.
Dai Chengfeng's heart leapt into his throat. He could almost feel the two pairs of eyes behind the wardrobe door piercing through and locking onto his back.
He let out a strained chuckle, his mind racing to come up with a plausible excuse:
"Oh… Noise? Maybe… maybe I accidentally knocked over a chair earlier."
"No worries, I've already picked it up."
"Is that so?"
Ning Rongrong blinked her big eyes, seemingly satisfied with his explanation. Her attention quickly shifted elsewhere: "Hmm? Dai Chengfeng, your aura seems a bit off. Have you been secretly practicing some strange soul skill in your room?"
As she spoke, she leaned in closer.
Suddenly, the atmosphere turned slightly… intimate.
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