Engagement Annulled? Now The Husbands Kneel and Beg for Her Favor

Chapter 223: Chapter 223: I’m Back

Brilliant sunlight fell on the side of the girl’s face.

The delicate-featured, white-rabbit-like boy was clearly much taller than her, yet he kept his eyes lowered, humbling himself like a well-behaved pet.

It was a very pleasing sight, but Yuan Shiyao just wanted to sneer.

’A special admission student with nothing to his name. What can he do besides leeching off others with that passable face of his?’

However, turning slightly, he keenly noticed something others couldn’t see. The girl gently patted Gu Nian’s arm and whispered, "Hurry up and go to your seat. I already promised to have lunch with you."

"Just you and me, right, Qingli?"

Gu Nian was sitting perfectly still, but his fingers followed the pressure of her touch, hooking her fingertip coquettishly.

Jiang Qingli subconsciously glanced across the table.

The white-fox-like young man was resting his chin on one hand, his crescent eyes fixed only on her, as if he hadn’t noticed a thing.

As if sensing her distraction, Gu Nian tightened his grip on her finger and tilted his head. "Qingli?"

"Alright, alright." The tips of the girl’s ears grew slightly hot. She put on a stern face and urged him, "Hurry up and go."

Gu Nian smiled and obediently agreed. As he stood up, he glanced at Yuan Shiyao, who was walking past them.

The moment he looked up, the boy’s smile vanished. His expression instantly shifted from cloyingly sweet and docile to cold and hostile. As his gaze swept over the gauze on the other’s face, his lips curled into a mocking arc, as if he had seen right through his act.

That look made Yuan Shiyao extremely uncomfortable.

But when he remembered the intimate tone in Jiang Qingli’s voice as she turned to speak to Gu Nian—a tone he had never heard directed at himself—his chest tightened painfully.

But unlike Baili Jing, he was in no position to show his displeasure.

Yuan Shiyao gritted his teeth, even thinking—

’If I hadn’t told Jiang Qingli about Gu Nian being auctioned off back then, would this galling scene even be happening?’

’Would she have spared even a little of her attention for me?’

’Or if I had tried to understand the real her sooner, would these other males have even had a chance to get close to her?’

Before he could dwell on it, the remaining members filed into the room.

Yuan Shiyao walked to the table and found that the nameplate at his usual seat wasn’t his own, but Baili Jing’s.

His seat had been moved to the very end of the table.

"Is something wrong?" An arrogant female voice sounded from behind him. "Secretary Yuan, please take your seat. Don’t keep us all waiting."

Yuan Shiyao turned to meet the gaze of Xie Guanqi, who stood with her arms crossed.

A few snickers seemed to echo from the corner.

Yuan Shiyao understood.

Their student council president had always seen the Melt Star Association as her mortal enemy. Having to cooperate with her rivals was already annoying enough.

The highly popular vice president, Bai Yiyi, had been involved in a scandal at the Jiang Family estate a few days ago, forcing them to expel her and cut all ties. Now, she was missing.

And now he, the secretary, was growing closer and closer to Jiang Qingli.

’So, of course, she’s taking her anger out on me.’

It was also a clear message to the other student council members: even though Xie Guanqi was about to graduate, she still had the power to punish her subordinates.

Yuan Shiyao silently sat down at the end of the table, two seats below even Gu Nian, the special admission student who was just there to make up the numbers.

He could clearly feel the girl in the main seat looking at him, but he didn’t raise his eyes. He just hunched over slightly, coughed softly, and occasionally pressed his fingers to his wound, his lips pursed tightly as his face grew paler.

This was the final meeting before the festival, and both sides took it very seriously.

After confirming the schedule and the final speeches, the senior members of both councils stood up and headed for the theater. They were going to watch the final rehearsal today.

Before entering the theater, Jiang Qingli made an excuse to get some water and fell a few steps behind the others to approach Yuan Shiyao, who was at the very back.

The boy was moving very slowly. When she stopped him, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. "Miss Jiang? What is it?"

"Are you alright?"

The lighting inside the theater was dim. Jiang Qingli leaned in to look at his face, her brow furrowed. "I heard you coughing throughout the meeting... Your wound hasn’t gotten infected and given you a fever, has it?"

As she spoke, she raised a hand to feel his forehead.

Her unique, sweet fragrance enveloped him in an instant.

Yuan Shiyao’s breath hitched. His breathing became shallow, yet the frequency visibly quickened, as if he wanted to inhale every trace of her scent in the air, to sear it into his very bones.

Her soft, slender fingers were very proper, moving away after just a few seconds.

Jiang Qingli said, "It does feel a little warm. Should you go see a doctor?"

Yuan Shiyao pinched his earlobe, his voice sounding a little distant. "I’m fine. Thank you for your concern, Miss Jiang. I’ll go to the infirmary after the performance."

Jiang Qingli nodded and gestured for Yuan Shiyao to head inside.

After a few steps, she didn’t hear his footsteps behind her. She turned back to see Yuan Shiyao still standing there, a somewhat dazed look on his face.

’Did the fever fry his brain?’

Jiang Qingli was a little worried, but she also had to admire Secretary Yuan’s dedication.

Worried about delaying their official business, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along a few steps.

The moment she touched him, Yuan Shiyao tensed up even more. He even glanced down at his own waist and abdomen, pursing his lips with some difficulty.

Jiang Qingli didn’t notice his strange reaction and asked in a low voice, "Um... I was wondering, did your president or the other senior members get into an argument with you because you’ve been getting close to me?"

Anyone could tell something was off with Xie Guanqi’s attitude earlier.

Yuan Shiyao snapped back to his senses and said softly, "Of course not. I just wasn’t paying attention after a shower and slipped."

He looked at the side of her face and lowered his voice. "Many members of the student council are unhappy with you because they don’t understand your capabilities. Once the festival is held successfully, they’ll be won over by you, just like I was."

Jiang Qingli waved her hand dismissively. "That’s an exaggeration..."

"It’s the truth." Yuan Shiyao smiled at her. "You’re a truly good person."

Not far away, the stage lighting was being adjusted.

Amidst the flickering lights and shadows, Yuan Shiyao’s voice was very soft, steeped in regret and apology:

"I didn’t understand you well enough before, and I said a lot of things that hurt you. I’m sorry."

Jiang Qingli hadn’t expected him to apologize to her.

He gave a small, hoarse-sounding laugh. "Actually, it was only after I truly got to know you that I realized the real you is different from before. Sometimes, it even feels like you’re two different people."

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’She and the previous soul really were two different people.’

Jiang Qingli turned her head.

The boy’s eyes were downcast, his long lashes trembling slightly, as if he was afraid of being disliked and didn’t dare to meet her gaze.

"It’s okay. We had some misunderstandings before, but we can still be good friends from now on!"

Jiang Qingli swung his hand, her tone light and cheerful.

Her terminal vibrated twice. Someone was probably rushing her. Jiang Qingli quickly grabbed his hand and hurried inside.

In her haste, she thought she heard a very faint sigh from the boy behind her.

...

Neither Jiang Qingli nor Xie Guanqi wanted to sit next to the other, so they simply had Baili Jing, the chief producer, sit in the very center, with the two of them on his left and right.

She hurried back to her seat just as the performance was about to begin.

A group of costumed actors stood on the stage as the head of the drama club introduced them one by one.

In the end, Bai Yiyi was absent from the role of the Great Divine Servant, which was taken over by an upperclassman from another year.

There were a few minutes to prepare before the show started.

Jiang Qingli remembered the message she had received from Que Feiling that morning and opened her terminal to glance at it.

Que Feiling: [Sorry, Miss Jiang. The military has been here the last few days to monitor my data, so I haven’t been able to message you.]

[What are you up to right now?]

Que Feiling was, after all, one of the top students at the military academy and had successfully completed many missions in the past.

Once his pollution value was completely under control, Que Feiling would return to the academy and resume his duties.

’His missions are usually in the Lower District. Will he run into Qin Muye?’

’The two of them can’t stand each other. They won’t start fighting if they meet, will they?’

With her Beast Husband puppy on one side and her little bird mission target on the other, Jiang Qingli felt a little worried.

The next second, the curtain across from her was drawn, and light flooded her vision.

A low, magnetic male voice sounded by her ear. "Darling, pay attention."

Jiang Qingli hurriedly replied to Que Feiling’s message and looked up at the stage.

The moment her screen went dark, she missed a message that had just arrived from an unknown number—

[I’m back.]