The Heroic Master Is Tough-Talking but Soft-Hearted: The Aloof Major General Has Fallen - Chapter 23

“So noisy,” Cen Li muttered.

Cen Li rolled over. In his groggy state, he felt as if a mosquito were buzzing incessantly in his ear. Where did this damn mosquito come from?

Cen Li’s hand flailed blindly, trying to drive away the mosquito that was disturbing his peaceful slumber. Suddenly, he struck something soft.

“Hmm?”

Jelly?

Cen Li’s movements froze. The moment his consciousness returned, a shiver ran through his body. He opened his eyes to find a handsome face magnified right in front of him.

Cen Li blurted out, “What the! You scared me to death!”

“Ugh, why are you so close to me?!”

Cen Li pulled his hand away as if he had been burned; the warmth of another insect’s lips seemed to linger on his palm. In his dream, he thought he had swatted a mosquito, but instead, he had grabbed Asher’s lips. There was even a faint trace of moisture on the tip of his index finger.

This was awkward.

Cen Li’s blue eyes were wide, and he had not yet recovered from the sheer embarrassment of the moment. Asher was equally stunned. He had simply intended to act as his Master’s reliable alarm clock and had not expected the Master to suddenly swing his arms while his eyes were closed.

Cen Li’s rapid questions left him dazed. Asher explained slowly, “Master, I only wanted to wake you up. An hour has already passed.”

Right. Cen Li’s thoughts slowly drifted back. He remembered that he had told Asher to wake him up after an hour.

Cen Li asked, “But why were you so close?”

“Because I called out several times and you showed no signs of waking up, so,” Asher paused.

“Fine,” Cen Li interrupted him with a wave of his hand, “I understand.”

Cen Li remained curled in his soft quilt, a faint pink hue spreading across his face. His skin was very pale, so any slight change was immediately noticeable. He took a breath, and his heart slowly calmed down.

He checked with the System and learned that for the entire hour, Asher had been kneeling obediently, never even shifting his posture. Cen Li’s expression finally flickered with a subtle change. He had thought that while he slept for an hour, Asher might slack off without supervision. It was Cen Li’s way of giving him a break. But he had not expected Asher to be so honest, kneeling for the full hour without a single trick.

Cen Li looked at Asher, unsure of what to say. After a moment of silence, he dismissed him.

Asher closed the Master’s door behind him, confusion flashing in his eyes. Was kneeling for an hour truly a punishment? And on a soft carpet, no less. Today’s punishment was surprisingly light.

Xi Ya was similarly frustrated with the stubborn Asher; the female attendant Renzo had already pressured him multiple times. If Cen Li fully recovered, Xi Ya dreaded to think how caught in the middle he would be.

Now that Cen Li had regained his looks, a warning bell rang in Xi Ya’s heart. He felt increasingly uneasy; fortunately, the news had not yet reached Renzo. In the meantime, he had to do something.

In the evening, Asher prepared dinner as usual and saw Xi Ya wandering nearby again. Xi Ya touched this and felt that, making Asher frown. He could guess what the other was up to.

Asher said in a deep voice, “Give it up. I will not help you.” He added a warning, “If the Master finds out, the consequences will be severe.”

Xi Ya was well aware of the consequences, but he could only pray that the Master would never find out. He was already backed into a corner and had no other choice.

“Just help me! Otherwise, Renzo will certainly not let my family go!”

Asher’s eyes flickered. Just as hope rose in Xi Ya’s heart that he might agree, Asher shook his head.

“I cannot help you.”

He could barely protect himself, let alone help someone else. Moreover, Asher could not convince himself to go through with it.

Xi Ya had cast aside his pride, only to be rejected. He exploded with irrepressible rage, his face twisting. “Why are you unwilling to help me?!”

“They all say you are kindhearted and the easiest Major General to get along with! But now, you refuse to help me with such a small favor!”

“Just close your eyes and act as if you saw nothing! No one will know!”

Xi Ya alternated between accusations and temptations, but Asher remained unmoved, standing still and merely looking at him with a frown. Xi Ya’s emotions collapsed. He stepped forward and pounded on Asher’s chest. “I just do not understand! Why are you so thickheaded?!”

“The Master treats you so poorly! He hits you, scolds you, punishes you, and humiliates you! Do you not have even a shred of hate in your heart?!”

“Do you not want Cen Li to stay in that wheelchair for the rest of his life?!”

“When he recovers and stands up, he will surely torture you even more! By then, it will be too late for regrets!”

“Do not tell me you have developed feelings for such a scumbag and are unwilling to hurt him!”

Looking at the agitated Xi Ya, Asher frowned and reached out to restrain his movements. “Calm down. Be careful, or the Master will hear you.”

“I have already heard you.”

A ghostly voice echoed from outside the kitchen, and a chill instantly climbed up the backs of both insects. Xi Ya’s neck stiffened as he turned his head, his face still twisted in a mix of rage and terror.

“Ma, Master.”

“I do not deserve that title.” Cen Li’s lips showed no curve, and his eyes were cold. “I never knew you had such a strong opinion of me.”

Xi Ya did not know how long the Master had been standing there or how much he had heard. His brain raced, trying to think of a way to cover it up seamlessly. The cold sweat on his back had nearly soaked through his clothes. Soon, his forced composure crumbled under Cen Li’s interrogation.

“Scumbag? You want me to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life?”

The male’s sinister voice washed over him. Xi Ya felt his blood turn to ice, and his face went pale. The Master heard everything?

“Xi Ya, I never knew you had another face behind my back.”

Xi Ya’s lips trembled. “Master,” he started.

Cen Li impatiently interrupted him. “Hand it over.”

Xi Ya’s pupils shrank. Had the Master even heard about that? Then he was truly finished.

When Cen Li had heard the noise and approached, he saw Asher standing there like a wooden post, letting Xi Ya vent. Just as he was about to intervene, he heard Xi Ya’s low, out of control growl. Cen Li had read the original plot and deduced the situation from their conversation. Therefore, when Cen Li told Xi Ya to hand over the hidden potion, neither insect noticed anything unusual.

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