The Unhinged O Has Designs On Me - Chapter 4

Before Yue Xing could see the emotion in Shen Jingmian’s eyes clearly, under the sealing strike of those sharp teeth, one of the star pirates twisted aside and narrowly dodged through.

It worked?!

The black-and-yellow figure blocked Yue Xing’s view. She could no longer see any trace of Shen Jingmian, so in her urgency, she shifted to the side, wanting to see the result.

Seeing her suddenly move, the star pirate worried that another mechanism would appear and decisively flung a flying blade at her.

Yue Xing cursed inwardly at the obstruction. Her body spun, and she immediately grabbed Du Nian to dodge.

It was not difficult for her to dodge alone, but protecting another person while dodging and counterattacking was truly not easy.

With a sharp slap, the blade narrowly brushed past Du Nian’s side, and Yue Xing’s arm was instantly gripped so hard it hurt.

Du Nian had never seen such a scene before. Her face had long since turned pale.

Yue Xing stroked her arm in comfort, indicating that everything was fine.

When she lifted her head again, Shen Jingmian had disappeared.

No. Yue Xing immediately denied that success. The serrated mechanism had completely closed, and there was not the slightest trace of blood on it.

Just as she was thinking this, the star pirate’s body somehow leaned forward. Yue Xing’s attention was quickly drawn over, and in just one second, her entire body went cold.

Du Nian, however, instantly let out a breath of relief.

At some point, Shen Jingmian had silently appeared behind the star pirate, her hand clasped around the huge helmet and lifting it slightly.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

The star pirate let out muffled cries of agony, as if suffering the pain of having her tendons stripped out.

Shen Jingmian lowered her eyes expressionlessly and continued exerting force.

The instant she tore off the helmet, the star pirate screamed sharply. Unable to endure any longer, she collapsed forward. In only a short while, she was already drenched in cold sweat from the pain.

Yue Xing narrowed her eyes as she watched, a chill crawling up her spine.

Humans were animals capable of empathy. It was not that she was afraid; she simply could not control her imagination from inserting herself into the scene, imagining that she was the one being flayed by Shen Jingmian.

“Yue Xing.”

Shen Jingmian suddenly called her name coolly.

She was holding the helmet and studying it, her expression unclear. Yue Xing pressed her hands against the seams of her trousers, her expression normal.

“Senior…” Her voice softened.

Shen Jingmian put the helmet aside and stepped over the person on the floor, walking toward her with extremely cold brows and eyes.

“Don’t you want to say something to me?”

She stood there with her arms folded, her fingertips tapping her arm with considerable patience. Her white military uniform set off her imposing presence, making her look as though she had come to demand an explanation.

Yue Xing played dumb. “What are you referring to?”

Shen Jingmian had neither stated it outright nor presented any evidence. If Yue Xing opened her mouth just because Shen Jingmian asked, that would be far too stupid.

Taking a step back, even if Shen Jingmian really had discovered it was her, Yue Xing would simply take on the reputation of “a cowardly idiot who had just enrolled and wanted to help Senior solve a problem but messed it up.”

Face and reputation were the first things Yue Xing had discarded on her road to survival.

Shen Jingmian’s gaze swept left and right over her. Her gray eyes blinked lightly, and a trace of danger spilled out from within them.

“You don’t know?”

She plainly did not believe her.

Yue Xing was just about to say something when Du Nian tugged at her arm, reminding her.

“Senior Shen saved us.” Du Nian’s complexion had recovered quite a bit. “Thank you, Senior.”

Yue Xing followed with her own thanks.

Two thanks sounded one after the other, making them seem perfectly close and united.

The corner of Shen Jingmian’s eye lifted slightly, and her expression was not good. Just as she was about to say something, she turned back and narrowed her eyes.

“Hm?”

The star pirate, drenched in sweat, had actually forced herself to stand again, her body still trembling from the pain.

Yet after all her painstaking effort, her ending was nothing more than meeting those gray eyes again in the space of a single breath.

Shen Jingmian stood right before her, so close that if the woman lifted her hand, she could kill her. But the woman knew that was impossible.

She knew that certain death awaited her, and her heart had already sunk.

Shen Jingmian stood before her, thoughtfully tapping the sword blade. Cold eyes were reflected in it as she asked her one sentence.

“What should be done with one who betrays her master?”

The killing intent that had long hung over the woman’s heart made her shiver. She could not help speaking, hoping for a swift end.

“She should be killed.”

“Yes. One who betrays her master should be killed,” Shen Jingmian murmured.

Yue Xing blinked and decisively moved her gaze back to Du Nian. Meeting those clear smiling eyes, she felt reassured.

The killing intent in Shen Jingmian’s words seemed to overflow. Although those words had nothing to do with her, Yue Xing felt inexplicably uncomfortable, as if someone had jabbed a fine needle into her heart, catching her off guard with a sharp pain.

Her arm was suddenly pinched. Du Nian’s breathing turned chaotic. Sensing it, Yue Xing raised her head.

The woman’s eyes were wide as she stared in their direction. In an instant, a thread of blood sealed across her throat.

She was dead.

But Shen Jingmian, alive and standing in front of her, was clearly far more frightening than the dead.

Yue Xing’s throat rolled lightly. Shen Jingmian’s back slowly turned toward her, the murderous aura around her pressing down until even the air in this area seemed to sink.

Was Yue Xing nervous? Of course she was nervous. But sooner or later, she would have to face this.

Yue Xing rubbed her index finger, her heartbeat so fast it nearly exceeded its limit.

Shen Jingmian’s gaze swept over the two bodies pressed close together. The killing aura on her was astonishingly heavy at that moment, so heavy that even Du Nian could not help growing nervous.

Yue Xing’s arm was unconsciously squeezed several times.

Shen Jingmian approached. Warm crimson blood slid down past her brows and eyes, but she paid it no mind at all, like a killing god.

“You want to kill me.”

This time, Shen Jingmian did not circle around the matter. Her tone was certain.

Yue Xing licked her lips.

This was the first time since they had met that she heard clear hostility in Shen Jingmian’s voice.

The arrogance and coldness from earlier had both been part of her nature. But only now was Shen Jingmian truly angry.

Yue Xing saw it clearly. In Shen Jingmian’s eyes was unconcealed killing intent, aimed straight at her.

The sword blade was still dripping with blood. Shen Jingmian held it and stared at her, her gray eyes dark and heavy. Yue Xing’s back turned cold.

She almost believed that if she continued staying silent, Shen Jingmian would kill her on the spot.

She could not hesitate. Yue Xing shrank her neck, and the rims of her eyes instantly turned red.

“Senior… I’m sorry… I was too scared. She rushed in all of a sudden, and I remembered you said there was a defense system, so in a moment of panic, I randomly pressed something, wanting to see if there were any other defenses. Who knew it would just happen to trigger a mechanism…”

Shen Jingmian clearly did not believe such nonsense, and her gaze was piercingly cold.

Yue Xing did not expect her to believe it. She only persisted in apologizing, the entire area around her eyes turning completely red.

In the span of a breath, she smelled that familiar cold fragrance. That scent actually seemed to carry someone’s emotions.

Just smelling it, Yue Xing nearly became emotional and truly shed tears.

Du Nian was trembling badly too. She had been terribly frightened by the attack just now, but seeing Yue Xing’s ashamed expression, she could not help stepping forward to speak for her.

“Senior, we’re both poor kids. We’ve never seen a starship before. Please believe Yue Xing. She really didn’t mean it just now.”

Yue Xing’s nose twitched at exactly the right moment. When Shen Jingmian looked over, she nodded fearfully and shrank back.

Accurately and perfectly, she hid behind Du Nian.

Shen Jingmian spoke, and Yue Xing could clearly feel that her tone had grown even colder.

“You’re vouching for her?”

The fabric at Du Nian’s lower back was carefully tugged by someone, and her heart softened.

Du Nian lifted her head and met Shen Jingmian’s sharp gray eyes, her gaze resolute. “Yes! Please believe her.”

Yue Xing hooked her fingers around Du Nian’s clothes and sighed inwardly at what a good female lead she was.

Out of gratitude for Du Nian protecting her now, Yue Xing swore she would definitely get rid of Shen Jingmian!

A chill suddenly brushed the back of her neck. As if sensing something, Yue Xing met those obscure gray eyes.

The emotions in those eyes were too deep. For a moment, she could not distinguish what Shen Jingmian was thinking.

If she had to describe it, Yue Xing only felt that the familiar cold fragrance at the tip of her nose seemed to have grown stronger. This time, the pressure was even heavier.

Light and shadow fell over Shen Jingmian, dragging out a dark, heavy silhouette. She looked at Yue Xing for a very long time, deep and cold.

“Yue Xing, I’ll give you one more chance.”

Shen Jingmian parted her lips, her voice low. “Repeat it to me.”

The one she demanded a repetition from was Yue Xing, yet Yue Xing discovered that Du Nian, standing in front of her, was trembling nonstop.

Yue Xing did not understand why, but right now, she had no time to worry about Du Nian. Shen Jingmian was still waiting for her answer.

What should she say? Should she tell the truth? Yue Xing’s throat moved as she lowered her eyes, considering a more realistic way to coax her.

“I…”

Before she could speak, the lock on the control room door clicked, interrupting her repetition.

Yue Xing’s lashes flicked, and she decisively swallowed down the lie, lowering her eyes and becoming mute.

Shen You walked in with anger still on her face. Seeing that the three of them were unharmed, her tense expression immediately loosened.

“I dealt with everyone outside.”

She walked closer and saw that the woman’s helmet on the floor had been removed. Then she lightly sniffed the faint tea fragrance in the air and hurriedly raised her eyes to look at Shen Jingmian, worried. “You…”

“I’m fine.” Shen Jingmian reined in all the aura around her and said coldly, “We’ll talk after we go back.”

The worry on Shen You’s face did not lessen, but after hearing Shen Jingmian’s words, she still nodded.

Seeing Shen Jingmian walk closer, Yue Xing pulled Du Nian with her to avoid her gaze, and they obediently shifted to stand off to the side together.

Shen Jingmian lowered her eyes, her gaze pausing on the control panel.

Shen You also walked over and stood beside her, her expression tense and grave. “Let’s hurry back as soon as possible.”

Once they returned to Chicheng, no matter what methods were used, things would have to be restrained somewhat.

Shen Jingmian hummed in acknowledgment and ordered lightly, “Go outside and see if you can find anything valuable.”

Shen You responded seriously, then decisively turned to handle it.

Shen Jingmian manipulated something on the control panel. Yue Xing could only see her back.

Tall and slender, silver-white hair gathered over her shoulder, even her back carrying a distant chill, unapproachable and unfeeling.

Watching her, Yue Xing felt fortunate that she had given up on the idea of moving Shen Jingmian with emotion.

Compared with smashing an iceberg apart, melting her was simply a daydream.

Shen Jingmian moved slightly, and Yue Xing swiftly withdrew her gaze, pretending nothing had happened.

The cold fragrance passed in front of her. Yue Xing did not move at all, her gaze only landing on the smooth surface of Shen Jingmian’s boots.

Shen Jingmian’s gaze lingered on her, icy to the bone.

Yue Xing lowered her head further and further, until those leather boots finally moved.

“You’re very good.”

Yue Xing’s inexplicable sixth sense wanted her to lift her eyes and look at Shen Jingmian’s expression in that moment.

But her reason held her back with all its strength. Only after Shen Jingmian walked out of the control room did Yue Xing finally raise her head.

“She’s finally gone…”

Yue Xing reacted quickly and scooped Du Nian up in one motion. She had no time to think about what Shen Jingmian’s words had meant; the pallor on Du Nian’s face startled her.

“Du Nian, are you all right?”

Du Nian shook her head with a pale face. She did not try to see whether she could stand. Her legs had already gone completely weak.

She looked in the direction Shen Jingmian had left and sighed.

“Senior Shen’s pheromones are too terrifying.”

Yue Xing froze for a second. “Pheromones? Did she release pheromones just now?”

Du Nian bit her lip and nodded slightly, a trace of fear still remaining in her eyes.

“There was a moment in the middle, but Senior Shen immediately drew them back. Thank goodness she did…”

Du Nian’s words were full of relief. Seeing Yue Xing blink in complete ignorance, her envy deepened.

It was so nice not to have to personally experience the pressure of Senior Shen’s pheromones.

Just at the moment when she had vouched for Yue Xing, Du Nian had felt as though she had fallen into a sea of flowers. But those flowers seemed to grow in the endless deep sea, oppressive and cold.

Du Nian had no doubt that if Shen Jingmian had released even a little more pheromones, she would have suffocated to death.

The fear and lingering dread on Du Nian’s face were very strong. Yue Xing thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered the cold fragrance she had smelled earlier.

But immediately afterward, Yue Xing denied the idea that it had been Shen Jingmian’s pheromones.

A beta could not possibly smell pheromones.

Besides, judging from the current situation, Yue Xing felt that she should be grateful she was a beta.

Even Du Nian could not withstand a single instant of suppression from Shen Jingmian’s pheromones. Yue Xing did not dare imagine what would happen to a tiny cannon fodder like herself.

Imagine if she had differentiated into an alpha, and Shen Jingmian released just the faintest thread of pheromones, luring her into pouncing on her like a beast…

Yue Xing shook her head hard, shaking that awful thought away.

If that really happened, everything would be over.

Thank goodness she was not an alpha!

She absolutely did not want to go into rut because of Shen Jingmian.

The more Yue Xing thought about it, the clearer her nerves became, cool and chilly in a way that made her extraordinarily calm.

Du Nian breathed out, then suddenly caught a refreshing fragrance. It was so cool that it cleared her mind, even dispelling the lingering fear.

Where was that fragrance coming from?

Following the scent, Du Nian’s nose gradually moved closer to Yue Xing.