Chapter 173: What exactly do you wish to confirm?
His words were laced with mockery, but Hua Jing detected the underlying sharpness in them, a subtle but unmistakable edge that revealed his true intent.
Her eyes flitted once more over the men who surrounded her. Their stances were not that of mere guards, nor even common assassins.
No—these were trained killers. Their patience, their silence, the way they barely shifted even as the Prime Minister spoke—it all pointed to something far more disciplined. A faction, a secret force under his control.
Her lips curled into a smirk, one that did not reach her eyes. "My Lord Prime Minister, I was under the impression that you were a man of dignity, one who engaged in politics with words rather than blades."
She tilted her head slightly. "Yet here I stand, and here you are, surrounding a lone woman with armed men. A rather unsightly image for a man of your stature, don’t you think?"
The Prime Minister merely smiled, as if her taunt was nothing more than a passing breeze. "Oh, Lady Hua Jing, do not mistake this for crude intimidation." He gestured vaguely toward his men. "This is merely a precaution. After all, you have already proven yourself quite capable of... surprises."
Hua Jing’s gaze did not waver, but inwardly, her mind worked swiftly. She had expected something like this, but even she had to admit—he had prepared well. He had deliberately drawn her out, isolated her, and ensured that she was surrounded before she had even realized it.
A dangerous man indeed.
But danger was nothing new to her.