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

Chapter 225: Chapter 225: Punishment

「The afternoon sun was brilliant.」

Jiang Qingli was nestled in a comfortable seat in the library, leaning against the shoulder of the boy beside her as she reviewed some files.

After a dozen or so pages, she pushed the screen away, a little tired.

It was just a subtle movement.

But in the next second, a pair of hands enveloped her from behind, gently massaging her temples.

The boy’s deliberately softened voice sounded by her ear. "Qingli, would you like to take a break? You just finished eating, you should rest a little."

Jiang Qingli closed her eyes and let him massage them for a moment before sitting up to continue reading. Her voice was languid. "I’m almost done."

A lot of documents had piled up over the past two days. Although Qiao Lan had helped her process them, Jiang Qingli had a strong sense of responsibility in this area and needed to look over everything herself.

So, she had simply come to the library with Gu Nian after lunch.

This time, she’d learned her lesson and came to a two-person cubicle in the library instead of the public area.

The spacious room was brightly lit, furnished with a sofa and a coffee table. A robot stood by, ready to serve afternoon tea and dessert.

Jiang Qingli calculated that after she finished the documents, she could watch the physical training regimen Xie Qizhen had sent over.

The soul that had previously occupied her body hadn’t liked to exercise, so her physical fitness was much worse than it had been three years ago.

She was now shouldering the responsibility of saving this plane of existence, so she had to train hard and stay vigilant against the unknown.

was deeply moved, chattering away with a torrent of praise that nearly deified Jiang Qingli.

It also introduced a bunch of items in her mind, saying they could help her train.

Jiang Qingli patted the system’s doggy head. ’Thanks.’

Then she immediately blocked it.

’The system shouldn’t see what might happen next.’

After finishing the documents, Jiang Qingli glanced up, as if nonchalantly.

The boy beside her didn’t have time to pull back his adoring gaze. After a second’s delay, he hurriedly lowered his head to look at the book in front of him.

Jiang Qingli’s eyes swept over the book page.

It was page 323 before they came, and it was still page 323 now.

She put away her screen and asked, "Are you a little bored?"

"Not at all." The boy’s pink, glass-like eyes crinkled with a smile. "As long as I’m with you, I’ll love doing anything."

"Really?" Jiang Qingli tilted her head back and blinked, looking unconvinced.

Gu Nian nodded. "Really."

Every word he spoke was docile.

Usually, when he answered like this, Jiang Qingli would pat his head and praise him for being good.

But strangely, Jiang Qingli didn’t do anything today. She just kept staring at him.

It was as if she wanted to see right through him, from head to toe, inside and out.

Gu Nian was very unused to holding her gaze. After being stared at for less than a minute, he lowered his lashes and looked away.

But Jiang Qingli wouldn’t let him go. She covered the back of his hand with her own and leaned in close.

The boy’s knuckles curled by his side. He wanted to retreat, unable to bear it, yet he craved the warmth of her palm. He remained frozen, his spine tensing into a handsome line.

"Such a coward," Jiang Qingli muttered. "Who was it that nearly bit my ear off last time?"

Those words seemed to flip some incredible switch. The tips of the boy’s ears turned so red it was as if they might bleed. An unnatural blush spread across his pale neck, even tinting his fingers pink.

As if in surrender, Gu Nian hunched over, pressing his forehead against her shoulder.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. The boy’s normally soft and pliant voice was now tinged with hoarseness. "Qingli, please stop teasing me..."

"You don’t like it when I tease you?"

Her fingertips trailed up his arm and stopped at his Adam’s apple, loosely encircling his neck as if catching a mischievous rabbit.

The moment she grasped his neck, Gu Nian’s breathing grew heavy.

As if he couldn’t control himself, he raised his head, nuzzling her cheek and forehead with his chin.

Gu Nian bit his lip. Under the girl’s clear gaze, he thought in shame, ’I’m getting aroused at the wrong time again.’

He wanted to say he was sorry, but when he opened his mouth, his voice trembled uncontrollably:

"I like it."

"Qingli, you can do whatever you want to me... Tease me more..."

His head was patted. Jiang Qingli seemed to sigh with feeling. "Always an honest little rabbit."

The somewhat familiar tone was like an invisible hand, plucking a string in Gu Nian’s mind.

In a daze, he seemed to realize something, but in the next second, the girl turned her head, and her soft lips pressed against his, forcing his words and all his thoughts back down.

That string snapped again.

He had eaten candy earlier, and a sweet flavor was exchanged as their breaths mingled.

Gu Nian tilted his face up, letting her taste him.

The girl’s fingers trailed down from his neck, hooking a button on his shirt.

Gu Nian’s eyes flew open, his breath nearly stopping. He felt like a beggar who had suddenly been hit with a million-dollar prize on the street, afraid that the slightest movement would shatter the surprise.

However, her fingers only toyed with it for a moment before pulling away, just as he was anticipating the next step.

Jiang Qingli slowly stood up, putting distance between them.

The setting sun sank behind her.

Gu Nian pressed a hand to his heart, realizing she was deliberately toying with him.

He didn’t mean to blame her. He just pursed his lips and asked in a crestfallen tone, "Don’t you want me?"

Jiang Qingli’s gaze traveled down from his flushed face, sweeping over his wretched state. A mischievous, devilish smile played on her lips. "This is your punishment."

"Punishment?"

Gu Nian blinked in a daze.

Sharing a room with her, smelling her pleasant scent, even being kissed by her... Was this what she considered punishment?

’In that case, I could use a lot more of this punishment.’

He even thought Jiang Qingli could be a little more excessive, like stepping on him, or sitting on his face...

Outwardly, however, Gu Nian played along, feigning confusion. "Why are you punishing me? And until when?"

Jiang Qingli bent down and patted his cheek:

"It’ll end when you figure it out."

-

「Night fell.」

After spending some quality, clingy time with her mother, Jiang Qingli returned to her bedroom, satisfied. She sat cross-legged on the sofa, signing various documents.

After signing a few documents, a familiar, cool sensation suddenly wrapped around her waist.

She looked down and, sure enough, saw a jet-black snake tail coiled around her waist.

Her back pressed against a solid chest.

Jiang Qingli felt it. The bathrobe was hanging loosely; he’d clearly come over right after a shower.

The young man’s deep voice sounded by her ear. "When will you be done?"

"Can you not always pop up out of nowhere? At least say hello." Jiang Qingli tugged his long hair. "Ye Linyuan."

"You left me on read. I thought you were ready."

Ye Linyuan let out a low hum from his throat, hugging her from behind.

He pulled her tightly into his arms, and in the cramped space, he tilted his head and captured her lips, holding her by the chin.

They hadn’t seen each other for a while, but he was still as forceful as ever.

After so long without contact, Ye Linyuan’s breathing grew heavy. But when he touched her, his movements became restrained and gentle.

Their breaths intertwined languidly. Infatuation filled his vertical golden pupils, as if he would never tire.

It was Jiang Qingli, however, whose jaw started to ache first, and she pushed him away.

Ye Linyuan wasn’t annoyed. He leaned back against the sofa, the tip of his snake tail winding around to gently brush against her calf.

Jiang Qingli was a bit tired from being held and kissed by him. Too lazy to bother with his little movements, she draped herself over him.

It had been a while, but he didn’t seem to have changed. His gaze was still full of aggression, like a top-tier Hunter always ready to tear apart and devour its prey.

Her gaze traveled down the young man’s long neck to his pale, cool collarbones.

She had always scratched and bitten that patch of skin, leaving many marks.

The constitutions of High Level Beastmen were always excellent. Coupled with Ye Linyuan’s healing ability, which was even stronger than a normal person’s, the skin had healed completely after their time apart.

But looking at that almost morbidly pure white skin, Jiang Qingli felt it was very unfamiliar.

When the pad of her finger caressed that skin, Jiang Qingli clearly felt his muscles tense.

As she touched him, Jiang Qingli had a wicked thought. "I really want to sign my name on it."

"Just sign here?" He raised an eyebrow, looking as if he was smiling. "You are the female master. You don’t need my consent to do something like this."

Jiang Qingli glared at him. "What are you smiling at? Is here not okay? Then where should I sign?"

Ye Linyuan sat up straight. His snake tail gently coiled around her calf, pulling her closer, while he simultaneously grabbed the wrist of her right hand, which was holding the pen.

"If you want to sign, then sign right here."

He guided her fingers downward, to touch a more chiseled, more hidden patch of skin...