"Is that so?" Shen Chengfeng stared intently at Xiao Jing as if doubting every word she said.
Xiao Jing kept tight control of her facial expressions. To an outsider, she seemed as tough as nails in the presence of the imposing figure before her. However, only she knew that her heart thumping wildly in her chest, and she was so terrified that she didn't even dare breathe too loudly.
"I'll make my judgment based on your evaluation scores. You may go back now." Shen Chengfeng dropped his gaze onto the folder on the table and didn't spare her another glance.
Xiao Jing looked away and hung her head as she made a move to leave.
"Hold on," the man's voice once again echoed in the room.
Xiao Jing's body froze instinctively. Unfortunately, her legs seemed to possess a mind of their own and took another step forward. Just like that, her left leg tripped over her right leg, and she stumbled forward, brushing past Shen Chengfeng's arm as she fell to the ground.
Like anyone else in the face of danger, Xiao Jing's innate sense of self-preservation kicked in. Therefore, no one could accuse her of disrespect when she reached out subconsciously to grab the only arm that was available to her.
Shen Chengfeng sensed Xiao Jing's proximity, and his brows tightened together. Her hand had already reached out to touch his arm, and the very next moment, he was enveloped in a hug as she clung on to him for dear life.
There was complete silence. It was as if someone had pressed the pause button on a film.
In contact with Shen Chengfeng, all Xiao Jing could suddenly think of was how comfortable it felt to touch his muscles. Perhaps it was due to the innate female nature, but she forgot to release her hold.
Shen Chengfeng suddenly regained his senses, and without a second thought, he pushed the little soldier off him with an expression of absolute horror.
The silence continued. It was as if someone had pressed the mute button.
Shen Chengfeng looked the motionless scarecrow standing in front of him. Seconds turned to minutes, and still, the person didn't display any unusual reaction!
Xiao Jing blinked. He had pushed her away because her physical contact had repulsed him!
Shen Chengfeng frowned slightly, and he scanned the soldier from head to toe again. A fire ignited in his eyes.
The prolonged scrutiny woke Xiao Jing's guilty conscience up, and she hurried to explain herself, "I…I didn't do that on purpose! I slipped! The soles of my shoes were too slippery." As she spoke, she tried to demonstrate her point by rubbing the floor with her feet.
Sheng Chengfeng said nothing, and his eyes blazed even more intently than before.
Xiao Jing swallowed nervously and asked uncertainly, "Is there anything else, Sir?"
Shen Chengfeng raised his hand and approached Xiao Jing. Then, he pinched her face.
Xiao Jing's eyes widened, and her cheeks ached. He seemed to be exerting quite a bit of force with his pinch. Was he having designs on her because he had noticed how fair and soft her skin was?
In the past, she had often heard her uncles discussing the hidden dangers in the military barracks, and how soldiers needed to be cautious of the comrades surrounding them to avoid the unfortunate possibility of being fancied and preyed upon one day.
Had this outstanding, handsome and sophisticated, 1.9-meter-tall general in possession of eight-pack abs taken a fancy to her?
What was she supposed to do now? Could she reject his advances?
However, considering how hard his pinch was, if she didn't permit him to continue pinching her, was he going to resort to using his fists to convince her?
Shen Chengfeng's brows knitted closer together, and he slowly released his fingers. He stared in surprise at his hand. It still looked the same as before.
Then, he took another look at Xiao Jing's face. Other than a red mark on her cheek from the pinch, she hadn't had any other reaction. Her face remained just like before.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
Xiao Jing's round eyes flickered in response. How did he want her to feel? Was she supposed to feel as though she had drunk potent alcohol that had dulled her senses?
Shen Chengfeng watched as Xiao Jing stood in a daze. He walked over to his desk and picked up the folder on it.
Suddenly, a wisp of white smoke curled upwards, and in the matter of a few seconds, the entire folder turned to ash and dispersed into the wind.
Xiao Jing felt as if she had just sat through a movie packed with special effects. She took a step back, and through the haze of her panic, suddenly felt that her cheek was hurting horribly. It was as if it had decomposed without her knowing and had turned her to ash as well.
Shen Chengfeng picked up a cup on the table, and in an instant, the cup melted into a puddle of water.
Xiao Jing swallowed audibly, and the corners of her mouth began to tremble. She pressed her palms to her face. Why was her face hurting so much all of a sudden? Had it decomposed?
Shen Chengfeng stopped scrutinizing her. He clenched his fists tightly and faced his back towards Xiao Jing as he said, "You may leave now."
Xiao Jing's legs were stiff. They felt like they were being pulled down by deadweights, and she struggled even to move an inch.
Shen Chengfeng glanced at the still figure and asked in an icy voice, "What are you waiting for?"
"Yes, Sir!" Xiao Jing replied before disappearing out of the room.
When she could finally breathe the fresh air outside, Xiao Jing leaned towards a window to check her face in the mirror. When she saw that it was still as beautiful as before, she patted her chest to soothe her lingering unease.
The room fell silent again as Shen Chengfeng sat in his chair. As his gloved hand tapped the table, he stared at the neat and straightforward data on his computer screen, and the expression in his eyes darkened.
Ring! Ring! The ringtone of the phone echoed throughout the room.
"How is General Shen so free that he's decided to call me today?" A man could be heard joking over the phone.
"I think I've discovered what's so special about Xiao Jing," Shen Chengfeng got straight to the point.
The other party was silent for a moment before finally opening his mouth again, "So soon? How did you find out?"
"It's indeed unbelievable! He's immune to me!"
There was no answer on the phone. It was as if the line had been cut off.
Shen Chengfeng kept quiet, waiting for the other person to reply.
"Cough, cough." The other person seemed to choke on air. "And how did you find that out?"
Shen Chengfeng looked at his hand. How long had it been since it had come in contact with a living creature? It seemed like a long, long time ago. So long ago that he had forgotten what the sensation of an intimate contact felt like.
"He touched me." Shen Chengfeng had no intention of hiding that information.
"Ahem. He touched you? Where did he touch you? On your hand or your body?"
"Is that important?"
"How is that not important? When have you ever allowed anyone to touch you?" the other person asked with a humorless laugh.
That statement made Shen Chengfeng pause. He had always been a cold person who never allowed anyone else to come close. No one had ever dared to approach him. Even his comrades didn't dare to touch an inch of him.
However, with Xiao Jing, that barrier had been broken twice in a row. And he had let it happen.