https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-496-Lanchi-Huberian-and-Antharia-s-Scorching-Summer/12584689/
Chapter 495: Lanchi's Tower Explodes
Chapter 495: Lanchi's Tower Explodes
Light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a pure and ethereal glow in the room. In this brief moment of silence, Cardinal Lanchi's bedroom was especially quiet.
"Care to explain why you have a portrait of me in your bedroom?"
Talia finally spoke, her expression unreadable, giving no hint of her anger.
"It's a complicated story..."
Lanchi unconsciously took two steps back. Glancing sideways, he noticed that Shubelian had arrived at the bedroom door, her attention also drawn to the conspicuous portrait hanging within.
"..."
Shubelian's lips parted as she beheld the painting in Lanchi's room, but no words escaped her mouth. The beautiful woman in the portrait was all too familiar to her—a solitary figure exuding not an ounce of frailty. The dust that cloaked her only served to accentuate the nobility that flowed in her veins, a sight that Shubelian adored.
It was in this moment that Shubelian pieced together the chain of events.
When Lanchi had mentioned the portrait in his bedroom as he and Tata departed from the Nanwantina domain, he had described it as a painting of a poor, elderly lady.
And now, it turned out that the portrait was of Talia!
Shubelian finally understood why Lanchi had been so flustered since yesterday.
But for reasons unknown, a surge of indescribable emotions welled up within her.
Why did Lanchi have a portrait of Tata in his bedroom, and such a meticulously crafted one at that?
Could it be... that Lanchi truly held special feelings for Tata?
This thought muddled Shubelian's emotions. She had always believed that Lanchi and Tata shared a teacher-student relationship, with clear boundaries between them.
Unconsciously, she turned her gaze towards Lanchi and Tata, seeking an answer. But they both remained motionless.
"How complicated could it be?"
Talia's voice, now closer, carried an air of pressure, even danger.
Without uttering another word, Talia slowly advanced towards Lanchi.
Her eyes seemed to see through Lanchi's despicable nature, as if she had finally realized he was toying with her like a fool.
Her steps were light yet resolute, each one sounding like the tolling of a grandfather clock.
"Why don't you sit down and let me explain slowly?"
Lanchi wanted to retreat, but his rational mind kept his feet rooted to the spot. He knew that panic would be his undoing. If Talia detected even a hint of his intention to flee, it would truly be over.
At this distance, he had no chance of outrunning her.
However, Talia seemed not to have heard Lanchi's plea. She walked up to him, swiftly and skillfully grasping his wrists.
Lanchi's reaction was almost instinctive; he wanted to speak, but at that moment, Tata kicked his heel, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground with a loud thud.
"This painting is actually..."
He didn't have time to worry about his loss of balance and frantically shouted.
Immediately, Tata quickly and deftly sat on top of Lanchi, covering his mouth with one hand, silencing him.
Her cold stare at Lanchi held a mixture of anger and interrogation.
Lanchi was completely dazed.
It was the first time he had been physically overpowered and even prevented from speaking. Any sign of him attempting to use his magic cards, and Talia would surely strike first!
Talia, astride Lanchi, leaned slightly forward, her eyes fixed on his.
"A portrait of a poor, pitiful old lady, one of your early works... is this the one?"
Talia knew better than anyone the silver-tongued devil that he was.
He possessed a unique gift—an ability to captivate and bewitch through words, to ensnare any who communicated with him linguistically, even bypassing her lie-detecting magic.
What infuriated her the most was that wretched day at the station when he had genuinely believed the painting to be that of a poor, pitiable old woman!
The more Talia thought about it, the more her anger surged, her chest heaving. Her grip on Lanchi's cheeks tightened.
"..."
Lanchi never imagined that Talia would be so ruthless, exploiting her knowledge of him.
Talia could detect lies, but now she realized that her lie-detecting abilities could be circumvented by clever wordplay. So, she opted to have him answer with his eyes alone!
But Lanchi felt that answering this question would seal his fate.
He was completely at Talia's mercy, his innocent gaze fixed on Tata.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense and heavy, and Talia's patience was being slowly worn down.
Under Tata's control, Lanchi's face turned more and more flustered, as if he had fallen into an inescapable trap.
Not answering would likely seal his fate as well!
Shubelian stood by, her movements filled with worry and anxiety as she watched the unfolding scene.
She was certain that Lanchi had truly messed up this time.
There was no way he could save himself now.
This was the moment she had to save her good friend!
"Tata, let Lanchi go."
After a moment's decision, Shubelian quickly rushed over and grabbed Tata's hand, trying to make her let go of Lanchi's hand.
But soon, Shubelian realized that her strength was no match for Tata's. No matter how hard she tried, Tata's hand was like an immovable mountain, and she showed no signs of letting go.
"..."
With Shubelian's arrival, Tata's attention was drawn to her as well. Although her gaze towards Shubelian softened slightly, it soon turned stern again.
The fact that Lanchi dared not answer her question spoke volumes.
Today, even with Shubelian pleading for him, she would never let Lanchi get away with it; she would not give him that chance again!
"Tata, Tata!"
The anxious Shubelian was at a loss, and shaking Tata didn't work either.
In the end, she had to change her strategy.
Shubelian wedged herself between Tata and Lanchi, hugging the prone Lanchi and shielding him with her body.
Her movements were filled with protection and determination as she held him tightly, as if she was going to use her body to shield Lanchi from all attacks.
"Lanchi, rest assured."
Shubelian's cheeks were pressed against Lanchi's, and her eyes were resolute, as if declaring that no matter what, she would not let Lanchi come to harm.
The air in the room became tense and still, and the three people's heartbeats and breathing sounded unusually prominent in the silent space.
"..."
Not just Talia, but Lanchi was also stunned. He hadn't expected Shubelian to suddenly hug him like this.
Even if it was an act.
Shubelian's impromptu performance had already exceeded his expectations.
"Shubelian, you..."
Talia was first astonished, then the stagnant emotion in her eyes turned into a subtle hint of resentment.
She understood Shubelian's intention.
She didn't know why she felt so angry and disappointed.
Yet her palm still clutched Lanchi's cheeks tightly, unwilling to let go of this last bit of control.
Cat Boss stood at the door, dumbfounded.
It had originally thought that the showdown between Sigrid and Shubelian was explosive enough, but it never expected Tata and Shubelian to be even more dramatic.
However, it seemed that the three of them in the room were all emotionally volatile, as they hadn't noticed one crucial thing—
The footsteps outside the door.
Butler Hans, maid Fransin, and Lanchi's father, Noe, stood at the door, their eyes wide as they took in the entangled trio on the floor.
The trio on the floor also became aware of the strange atmosphere and turned to look at the three people standing at the door.
At that moment, silence spoke volumes.
Originally, Noe had been happy to hear that Lanchi had brought Shubelian back today, and he had been chatting and laughing with Hans as they made their way over from the study.
But he never expected this.
When they arrived at Lanchi's room, the sight that greeted them was beyond their imagination.
Fransin covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock, unable to comprehend what was happening.
The silence lingered for a long time.
"Are the three of you playing a fighting game or something...?"
Noe wondered if there was something wrong with his parenting methods, and he muttered to himself.
Hearing Noe's words, Hans gently coughed and quickly closed the bedroom door, separating the entanglement within from the outside world.
In that instant, the door closed, isolating the complicated situation inside the room.
And at that moment, the three people who realized they were being watched breathed even more heavily and rapidly.
Talia's body tensed up, her eyes wide and vacant with disbelief, as if she felt that she couldn't go on living.
Shubelian's face turned a bright shade of red, and she didn't dare to lift her head.
She couldn't fathom why she and her aunt were in such an embarrassing position, hugging her friend, and to make matters worse, they were being watched by her friend's family.
She wished the ground would swallow her up.
PS: I've created a leader's group (Xi Xi Dog Parents Group). There is also a leader rebate plan, please inquire with the operator Wildfire or see the top post in the book review section.
(End of Chapter)
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