Chapter 98: [Alert! Alert! Someone’s Malice Level Detected at 95%!]

As soon as Sheng Zexi noticed the heated gazes being cast at his wife from those around them, his eyes narrowed and he swept a cold glance over the crowd.

Everyone who met his gaze instantly lowered their heads.

No one dared provoke him—truly, no one dared even look.

Satisfied, Sheng Zexi relaxed.

Of course he knew Ningning was beautiful, especially since she’d put special effort into her appearance today. He’d even helped her pick out her outfit, so he could take some credit for her stunning look.

He was happy when Ningning dressed up nicely. He wanted her to shine.

She had every right to show off her beauty.

He didn’t mind others admiring her—but looking was all they were allowed. Any hint of coveting was absolutely forbidden.

And even if someone did cross the line, he wasn’t afraid.

Sheng Zexi clenched his fists. If it came to it, he’d knock every single one of them down.

Meanwhile, Gu Jianing was busy curiously taking in the sights of the main hall, oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around her.

She found a seat and sat down, but just as she did, a voice only she could hear suddenly sounded in her mind.

[Alert! Alert! Someone’s malice level detected at 95%!]

The voice startled Gu Jianing so much that she almost jumped back to her feet.

“Ningning, what’s wrong?” Sheng Zexi immediately noticed something was off.

Gu Jianing quickly pulled herself together and forced herself to stay calm. “It’s nothing,” she replied.

Sheng Zexi frowned. His instincts told him something had happened, but since Ningning wasn’t saying anything, he didn’t press. Instead, he quietly took her hand in his, silently letting her know: I’m here.

But Gu Jianing’s heart was pounding wildly.

She instinctively glanced toward the left side of the stage, at the curtain.

Just now, she thought she’d seen someone’s head peeking out from behind it, but before she could get a good look, the person was gone.

She never expected the Malice Detector would sound an alarm at a time like this.

The Malice Detector was bound to her, which meant that within a hundred meters, someone harbored malice toward her.

And the malice level was actually 95%. What did that mean?

It meant someone had an extremely strong hatred toward her and her family—so strong it was almost murderous. And, even more terrifying, this person had actually killed before.

The most frightening part was that last point: this person had taken a life.

And now, this killer had set their sights on her.

Right now, that person was hiding behind the curtain. If she remembered correctly, the people behind the curtain were members of the performing arts troupe getting ready. So, was it one of them?

Who could it be?

Back before she’d even bound herself to the Malice Detector, she’d asked the system a question.

How did it define “having taken a life”?

After all, many soldiers in the Northwest Military District had been on the battlefield, fought in wars, or gone on missions. Technically, their hands were stained with blood.

Did those people count?

The system said no.

“Having taken a life” referred to innocent people. Soldiers defending their country didn’t count.

So, ever since she’d activated the Malice Detector, she’d encountered plenty of people—on the way here and elsewhere—but the real-time readings never showed anyone harboring malice toward her or her family.

Until now…

For the first time, someone with extreme malice toward her had appeared. And not just any malice—95%, and a killer to boot.

Just her luck, huh?

Gu Jianing screamed internally, but after a while, she forced herself to calm down.

It’s fine, it’s fine, don’t panic.

With the Childbirth System and the Malice Detector, she wasn’t afraid. If anything, the enemy was in the shadows while she was in the light.

If the person really was from the performing arts troupe, and she ended up performing on stage tonight, she’d have a good chance of figuring out who it was.

Gu Jianing took a deep breath and sat down.

She didn’t realize Sheng Zexi had been watching her the whole time.

When he saw her calm down, he finally relaxed, though he was still puzzled.

His gaze drifted to the curtain—Ningning had just been looking over there. Who was she watching? What was she thinking?

—

“Hey, did you see that woman in the fourth row? She’s gorgeous! Is she a military wife? The officer next to her is really handsome, too.”

“I saw her too! Honestly, I think she’s even prettier than our star performer.”

“Shh, don’t say that! If Li Shuyao hears you, you’ll be in trouble. She’s not someone you want to mess with.”

A few girls from the performing arts troupe, having heard rumors about a beautiful young military wife in the Northwest Military District, couldn’t resist sneaking a peek from behind the curtain. Now that they’d seen her, they were stunned by her beauty.

But they only dared whisper among themselves, careful not to let Li Shuyao or her cronies overhear. Otherwise, they’d be in for it.

After all, Li Shuyao was from the Li family and was notoriously arrogant and difficult.

If she set her sights on you, all you could do was accept your bad luck.

“Do you think Li Shuyao saw that pretty military wife?”

“She probably did. Maybe she even came out just to look.” One girl, Alan, said mysteriously.

“What do you mean, Alan? Is there something going on? Spill!”

Alan glanced around to make sure none of Li Shuyao’s lackeys were nearby, then whispered, “Do you know who that pretty military wife’s husband is? That handsome officer next to her?”

“He’s Fang Manping’s stepbrother, and the eldest son of the Sheng family—same status as the Li family.”

“I heard Li Shuyao likes him.”

“What?!”

The gossip sent shockwaves through the group.

None of them had expected such a tangled web of relationships.

“But I heard that officer is already married…”

Alan snorted softly. “Who knows? You all know what Li Shuyao’s like—she always gets what she wants. If she’s set her sights on a man, who knows if she’ll let go so easily?”

“Shh, stop talking—Li Shuyao and her group are coming.”

Seeing Li Shuyao approach, the girls quickly scattered to prepare for the performance.

Gu Jianing, meanwhile, had no idea what was being said about her behind the curtain. She’d originally just come to watch the show and maybe check out her own “rotten peach blossom” (love rival), but now, all her attention was focused on the person with a 95% malice level toward her.

She was determined to find out who it was.

As the time arrived, the lights came up, the curtain was drawn, and the host took the stage to start the show.

The first act was a duet—two girls singing a rousing military song. Their voices were lovely, quickly capturing the attention of the soldiers in the audience.

But Gu Jianing didn’t detect any malice from them."