Wei Qing agreed far too quickly—so quickly that Bai Heng froze for a beat.
She'd expected to need a full arsenal of persuasion tactics, maybe even a few rounds of shameless pleading. But since he didn't resist at all, she happily took the win.
The three of them continued toward the General's Residence.
Because of the special security period, the closer they got, the heavier the guard presence became. Patrols of Cloud Knights were noticeably denser, their eyes sweeping every passerby with professional suspicion.
But with Bai Heng leading, everything went almost absurdly smoothly.
She clearly had high clearance. She flashed her Sky-Faring Commission token, exchanged a few familiar greetings with the guards, and they were waved through again and again—until they entered the General's Residence without delay.
They arrived outside a quiet side hall study. Two Cloud Knight guards stood at the door, both with steady, disciplined auras. Seeing Bai Heng, they nodded politely.
"Still buried in paperwork?" Bai Heng asked in a lowered voice.
One guard nodded. "Yes, Lady Bai Heng. General Jing Yuan said if you come, you may enter directly."
"Thanks!" Bai Heng grinned, then inhaled theatrically. A mischievous smile spread across her face—pure trouble.
She shoved the door open.
"Jing Yuan-yuan! Look what I brought you—something good!"
Her voice hit the room before her feet did, shattering the study's fragile peace.
Inside, behind a mountain range of documents and jade slips, Jing Yuan raised his head.
Decades had passed. Compared to Jingliu and Bai Heng, Jing Yuan's changes were—honestly—closer to Yingxing's.
His fluffy white hair was messier now, with a few rebellious strands sticking up. The sharpness in his gaze had softened, dulled slightly by fatigue and a practiced laziness that looked almost habitual.
His eyes landed on Bai Heng first.
"Bai Heng. How many times have I told you—before entering you should…"
Then his sentence stalled midway.
His gaze slid past Bai Heng, onto the blindingly colorful figure behind her.
He stared at Wei Qing for a full three seconds.
His half-lidded eyes opened just a little wider.
For reasons he couldn't immediately explain, his right eyelid started twitching like it was trying to send an emergency signal.
The entire study's atmosphere turned… delicate.
Bai Heng seemed oblivious and continued cheerfully.
"Ta-daaa! Jing Yuan-yuan, introductions!"
"This is Mr. Dot-Dao, a Pure Beauty Knight with an… exceptionally unique aesthetic. And this is his sister, Miss Xing."
Then she pivoted and added the final stab with bright sincerity:
"And this is our Luofu's hardworking hero—General Jing Yuan—who is currently deeply troubled by his receding hairline!"
Wei Qing looked at Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan looked at Wei Qing.
Just a few decades apart, and it really was obvious—
Yingxing had simply aged.
Jing Yuan looked like he'd been patched into a different character build.
But instead of immediate tension, Jing Yuan's surprise faded quickly, replaced by that lazy composure.
"A Pure Beauty Knight?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes like he suspected he was still dreaming.
"Bai Heng… where did you find such an… hmm… radiant friend?"
Wei Qing smiled inwardly and said nothing.
Luofu had already assigned Bai Heng to monitor them. There was no chance Jing Yuan hadn't read their files.
So this was Jing Yuan's improved "slippery eel" diplomacy: polite, cautious, and impossible to pin down.
Bai Heng looked mildly disappointed at his calm reaction, but not shocked. She leaned closer to his desk and continued pushing her nonsense theory.
"So? Isn't your mood instantly improved? Mr. Dot-Dao's outfit is basically medicine! It cures stress, gloom, and hair loss!"
Jing Yuan chuckled and shook his head, then returned his gaze to Wei Qing.
"Mr. Dot-Dao. Miss Xing. Welcome."
He gave a small nod, tone impeccably courteous.
"Bai Heng is… energetic. If she has offended you in any way, I apologize on her behalf."
Then the real question—delivered cleanly and professionally:
"May I ask why you've come to the General's Residence?"
It was flawless. Calm. Official.
And Jing Yuan genuinely didn't understand what was happening.
Last night, Bai Heng had called him and sounded so strange that he'd briefly suspected she'd been taken hostage. If Cloud Knights hadn't already confirmed she was safe, he would've personally gone—possibly with his master.
And now, not even one day later, Bai Heng had dragged these two "tourists" directly into the General's Residence.
What was she doing?
If she'd found something suspicious, she should've reported it last night—not show up today with a cheerful smile.
Wei Qing stepped forward, posture respectful, voice sincere.
"General Jing Yuan, I've long admired your reputation. My sister and I have no urgent business here."
"However, Miss Bai Heng informed us that you've been carrying Luofu's burdens with extraordinary diligence—so much so that you're even suffering from… hairline-related distress."
"She believes that vivid, decisive color can bring vitality to weary bureaucracy, relieve stress, and lift the spirit."
"As a Pure Beauty Knight, spreading aesthetic delight is also part of my calling."
"So I came—hoping my humble presence could offer you a brief moment of lightness."
A short silence fell over the room.
Jing Yuan immediately grabbed Bai Heng by the sleeve and pulled her aside, turning his back to Wei Qing and Liu Ying.
He lowered his voice sharply.
"Bai Heng. What are you doing?"
He'd worried about her last night—and now she was openly spreading rumors about him in front of outsiders?
Bai Heng blinked innocently, eyes wide.
"I'm not doing anything! I'm helping you!"
"Look at Mr. Dot-Dao's colors—super refreshing, super mind-clearing."
"Stare at him a little and you'll process documents faster and lose less hair!"
"Stop." Jing Yuan's temple twitched. "Is your nonsense last night related to this?"
"And who exactly are they? Why would you bring them into the General's Residence at dawn?"
He couldn't understand her logic. Even if the two were harmless, this was the most sensitive period Luofu had seen in years. Suspicious figures should be handled carefully—not led straight into the core.
Bai Heng patted his shoulder confidently.
"Relax, Jing Yuan-yuan! They're fine."
"Mr. Dot-Dao's just a Pure Beauty Knight with unusual taste. The Divination Commission verified them with the Poor-Observation Array. Clean."
"I just thought you've been suffering too much lately, so I brought you something fun to help you loosen up."
"That's not 'fun.' That's 'adding trouble.'" Jing Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose.
He could practically feel his already endangered hairline screaming.
And he knew Bai Heng too well.
This fox definitely had ulterior motives.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 138)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter160)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter98)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter175)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 163
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 150
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 100
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 170
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 145
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 125
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 69
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 90
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 100
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 70
Uma Musume: I Want All 90
I Can Copy Unique Skills 65
Summoning an Evil God, but the 52
Supernatural Multiverse 65
My Harem Is Indescribable 55
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 55
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 55
Still playing traditional Honk 35
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 35
What Should I Do After Switchi 24
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 35
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 27
Transmigrated as Sukuna 27
Checking In in Demon Slayer 32
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 44
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