At that moment, when Sheng Zexi noticed the heated gazes directed at his wife from all around, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he swept a glance across the surroundings.
Those who met his gaze immediately lowered their heads.
They didn’t dare provoke him—truly didn’t dare. Nor did they dare keep looking.
Satisfied, Sheng Zexi relaxed slightly.
Of course, he knew how beautiful Ningning was, especially tonight when she had dressed up so carefully. In fact, he had played a part in her outfit selection too.
He was happy to see Ningning dressed beautifully—he delighted in it.
She had every right to shine in her own radiance.
He didn’t mind others looking, but looking was all they were allowed to do. Any hint of improper thoughts was absolutely forbidden.
Not that he was worried even if someone did dare to harbor such ideas.
Sheng Zexi clenched his fist. He’d beat every last one of them to the ground.
Meanwhile, Gu Jianing was curiously surveying the auditorium, oblivious to the undercurrents around her.
She took her seat, but the moment she sat down, a voice—audible only to her—suddenly rang out:
**[[ALERT! ALERT! A Person with 95% Malice Value Detected!]**
The abrupt warning startled Gu Jianing so badly that she nearly jumped back to her feet.
“Ningning, what’s wrong?” Sheng Zexi asked, noticing her unease.
Gu Jianing quickly composed herself, forcing calm into her voice. “It’s nothing.”
Sheng Zexi frowned. His instincts told him something was off, but since Ningning didn’t elaborate, he didn’t press further. Instead, he silently tightened his grip on her hand, wordlessly reassuring her that he was there.
Yet as she sat there, Gu Jianing’s heart pounded wildly.
Her gaze instinctively darted toward the left side of the stage’s curtain.
Just moments ago, she had glimpsed a figure peeking out from behind it—but before she could get a clear look, the person had vanished.
She never expected the Malice Detection System to trigger an alert now.
The malice detector was linked to her, meaning that within a hundred-meter radius, someone harbored intense hostility toward her.
And this malice level—95%—what did that signify?
It meant this person bore extreme malice toward her and her family, bordering on murderous intent. Worse, this individual had blood on their hands.
The most terrifying part was that last detail: they had killed before.
And now, this killer was targeting her.
Whoever it was, they were currently hiding behind that curtain. She remembered that the area behind the stage was where the cultural troupe members prepared. So… was it someone from the troupe?
But who?
Actually, before binding with the malice detector, she had once asked the system:
*How does it define “having blood on their hands”?*
Many soldiers in the Northwest Military District had been on the battlefield, fought in wars, or carried out missions—technically, they too had taken lives.
Did they count?
The system had replied: *No.*
The term referred only to those who had killed *innocent* people. Soldiers defending their country didn’t qualify.
So, after binding with the malice detector these past few days, even though she had encountered many people—including just now on the way here—the real-time monitoring had never detected malice from anyone toward her or her family.
Until now.
The first person with extreme malice toward her had appeared. And not just malice—95%, from someone who had killed before.
*Just my luck!*
Gu Jianing screamed internally, struggling to steady her breathing.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t panic.”
With the fertility system and malice detector at her disposal, she had nothing to fear. For now, the enemy might be hidden while she remained exposed, but that would change.
If that person truly belonged to the cultural troupe, there was a high chance they would perform tonight. Then she would discover their identity.
Gu Jianing took a deep breath and sat back down.
Unbeknownst to her, Sheng Zexi had been closely monitoring her emotions. Only when he sensed her composure returning did he relax slightly—though confusion still lingered in his heart.
His gaze shifted to the stage curtain. Ningning had been staring at that spot earlier. Who was she looking at? What had she been thinking?
…
“Hey, did you see her? That woman in the fourth row is stunning! Is she a military wife? The soldier beside her is so handsome too.”
“I saw her! She’s even prettier than our lead performer, don’t you think?”
“Shh! Keep your voice down. If Li Shuyao hears, we’re done for. You know how she is.”
A few members of the cultural troupe, having heard rumors about a particularly beautiful young military wife in the Northwest Military District, couldn’t resist peeking from behind the curtains. Now that they’d seen her, they were awestruck by her beauty.
But they only dared whisper among themselves, careful to avoid being overheard by Li Shuyao or her lackeys—unless they wanted to face retaliation.
After all, Li Shuyao came from the influential Li family and had a notoriously domineering personality. Crossing her meant trouble.
“Do you think Li Shuyao has seen the beautiful military wife yet?”
“She probably has. Might’ve even gone out of her way to look,” one girl said mysteriously.
“Ah Lan, what do you mean? Is there something going on? Tell us!”
Ah Lan glanced around, confirming Li Shuyao and her clique weren’t nearby, then lowered her voice. “Do you know who that handsome officer—the military wife’s husband—really is?”
“He’s Fang Manping’s stepbrother. More importantly, he’s the eldest son of the Sheng family, whose status rivals Old Li’s.”
“Rumor has it… Li Shuyao is in love with him.”
“What?!”
The shocking gossip sent waves of surprise through the group. None had expected such a tangled relationship.
“But I heard the officer is already married…”
Ah Lan scoffed lightly. “Who knows? You know how Li Shuyao is. Anything—or anyone—she wants, she gets. Whether she’ll let go of a man she’s set her sights on… who can say?”
“Hey, stop talking, stop talking, Li Shuyao’s coming!”
Spotting Li Shuyao approaching, the girls quickly scattered to prepare for the performance.
…
Gu Jianing remained unaware of the whispers behind the curtain. Originally, she had come tonight simply to enjoy the show and to observe the “peach blossoms” around her beloved Brother Xi. But now, her attention was entirely fixed on identifying the person with 95% malice toward her.
She would find out who it was.
As the scheduled time arrived, the lights brightened, the curtains parted, and the hosts took the stage—the performance had begun.
The first act was a duet by two young women, their powerful military songs ringing out in perfect harmony. Their beautiful voices quickly captivated the soldiers in the audience.
However, Gu Jianing detected no trace of malice from either performer.
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