The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

His voice seemed to come from the bottom of a deep valley, echoing, yet incredibly gentle, like a piece of fine silk, gently brushing past her ears, stirring up numbing shivers. However, behind this gentleness, there was an unquestionable power hidden, like a towering mountain, indestructible, making her unable to resist. Cen Jiexiao stared at him in a daze, her mind blank. Only his voice, his eyes, and his warmth occupied all her senses. Her heart, as if tightly grasped by an invisible hand, was beating violently, as if it would burst out of her body in the next second. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't say anything. She could only stand there in a daze, letting his voice and his breath surround her.

"Okay... okay, be careful." With great difficulty, she finally found her voice, but it was as soft as a mosquito's, as if it could be blown away by a gust of wind. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him, afraid that he would see the panic and worry in her eyes. The bitterness that spread from the depths of her heart made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Chen Zigui looked at her, the smile on his lips like the warm sunshine on a winter day, melting away all the anxiety and fear in her heart. He reached out and gently stroked her hair, that gentle gesture, as if treating a treasure, carefully, yet full of pity.

"Don't worry, I will come back safely." His voice was low and firm, like a reassurance, which gradually calmed her originally panicked heart.

Chen Zigui looked at Cen Jiexiao. His usually tense lips curved into a gentle arc, and his eyes, usually as deep as a lake, now rippled with gentleness. He spoke softly, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, a hint of tentativeness, and a hint of nervousness he wasn't even aware of: "Sister Cen..." He paused, as if weighing his words, "You and Xia Chenghao...are you just playing around?"

Cen Jiexiao was stunned at first, then she realized what the eldest brother meant. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and then she answered in an affirmative tone: "Elder brother, of course he and I are just playing around!" She frowned slightly, seeming a little confused.

Chen Zigui realized that Cen Jiexiao had misunderstood him and quickly explained, "No, no, don't misunderstand me, Sister Cen. I know who you are and what you stand for, and I believe you wouldn't do anything to betray us or damage your reputation." He paused, seeming to find it difficult to speak. "It's just...it's just that I heard..."

He was a little hesitant, not knowing whether he should tell the rumor he had heard.

"I heard?" Cen Jiexiao looked at Chen Zigui in confusion, not understanding why he was hesitating.

"But I heard that Xia Chenghao... seems to be interested in you... and... he even publicly expressed his love to Li Lingxuan, the niece of Empress Dowager Li..." Chen Zigui finally said it, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

He looked at Cen Jiexiao with a hint of worry in his eyes.

"This person is so frivolous. Sister Cen, you can cooperate with him, but don't get too close to him to avoid complications."

He didn't say the rest of the words, but Cen Jiexiao understood what he meant.

Chen Zigui's slightly hurried words were like a stone thrown into Cen Jiexiao's calm heart, causing ripples.

She was slightly startled, then realized that the senior brother was... jealous?

Realizing this, Cen Jiexiao's originally flustered heart surprisingly calmed down. A faint joy quietly crept into her heart, spreading a shy blush on her cheeks.

She feigned composure and defended herself, "Big Brother, what are you talking about? How could he and I possibly be together? If it weren't for the need to catch the mastermind behind this, I'd have to put on a show for those people."

She turned her face slightly to avoid Chen Zigui's burning gaze, and her tone was a little angry and a little shy, as if she was complaining about his wild thoughts.

"Besides, weren't you and Yu Lan present that night when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and I discussed this matter? You both agreed to it."

"Cough..." Chen Zigui coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment. He couldn't say that he was so focused on the interaction between Cen Jiexiao and Xia Chenghao that night that he didn't even listen to what they were saying, right?

"I just heard that Xia Chenghao seemed to have some feelings for you, so I overthought it. Anyway, Sister Cen, you must not get too close to him."

Chen Zigui spoke sincerely, his eyes full of worry, as if he was really just worried that Cen Jiexiao would be deceived by Xia Chenghao's sweet words.

Sister Cen Xiao laughed secretly in her heart. Chen Zigui was obviously jealous, but he still had to pretend to be a caring brother. He was so awkward and cute.

She decided to tease him, so she feigned surprise and said, "Really? Xia Chenghao is showing his affection to Li Lingxuan? How come I didn't know?"

"It's normal that you don't know. How could such a thing be publicized before it's made public?"

Seeing that she seemed indifferent, Chen Zigui couldn't help but want to pry into her thoughts, "Sister Cen, what do you think of Xia Chenghao?"

"Him? He looks like a decent human being, but it's a pity..." Cen Jiexiao pretended to be in deep thought, but secretly observed Chen Zigui's expression out of the corner of her eyes.

"What a pity?" Chen Zigui's heart rose to his throat as she spoke.

"It's a pity that he is not my type." Sister Cen Xiao deliberately prolonged her tone, with a hint of ridicule and cunning in her voice.

"Not your cup of tea?" Chen Zigui was a little confused. What kind of evaluation was this?

"Yes, you know my criteria for choosing a partner. First, she has to be good-looking. Second, she has to be talented. Most importantly, she has to be wholeheartedly good to me. Don't you agree, Big Brother?"

Sister Cen Xiao looked at Chen Zigui with a smile, her clear eyes seemed to be filled with starlight, dazzling and eye-catching.

Chen Zigui's heart skipped a beat when he was looked at by her. He subconsciously avoided her gaze, but a suspicious blush crept up his ears.

"Ahem...you're right." He coughed lightly to cover up his gaffe. "It's just that there are not so many perfect people in this world."

"Why not?" Sister Cen Xiao asked relentlessly.

"I think you're perfect, Big Brother. You're handsome, talented, and kind-hearted. You're nice to everyone. You're the epitome of a perfect man!"

Sister Cen Xiao became more and more excited as she spoke. In the end, she almost whispered into Chen Zigui's ear. Her warm breath sprayed on his earlobe, making him feel distracted.

Chen Zigui felt a buzzing sound in his head, as if something had exploded. He stood up suddenly, trying to distance himself from Cen Jiexiao, but he moved too much and accidentally knocked over the teacup on the table.

With a crisp "pop" sound, the teacup shattered and the tea splashed all over the two of them.

"Ah!" Sister Cen Xiao exclaimed and subconsciously reached out to pat the tea off her body, but she didn't expect that this movement would bump into Chen Zigui's arms.

"Be careful!" Chen Zigui quickly reached out and put his arm around her waist, bringing her into his arms.

With the sweet and soft beauty in his arms, Chen Zigui felt that all the blood in his body rushed to his head. He lowered his head to look at the person in his arms. Her cheeks were slightly flushed with fright. Her big watery eyes were looking at him innocently, and her red lips were slightly open, like a frightened little rabbit, so adorable.

When their eyes met, time seemed to stand still, everything around them disappeared, and only the sound of each other's heartbeats remained, clearly audible.

"Sister Cen..." Chen Zigui's voice was hoarse and low, with a bit of suppressed restraint.

"Big Brother..." Sister Cen Xiao's voice was soft and trembling, like a feather gently brushing against the tip of the heart, bringing a tingling sensation.

The atmosphere grew ambiguous at this moment. Meanwhile, Yu Lan and Xiao Zhi, who had pretended to be out, were quietly crouching on the windowsill, peeking in and laughing. Their gossipy natures were now on full display.