Chapter 276: Chapter 276: The Jealous Beast Husband
The boy’s nose twitched, moving between the girl’s slender fingers.
Yuan Shimo hooked her finger, pulling her closer. He leaned in, his nose brushing against the side of her neck, sniffing like a little cat on patrol, checking its owner for the scent of other species.
His warm breath was a bit ticklish. Jiang Qingli curled a finger and scratched his chin, whispering, "What are you sniffing at?"
Yuan Shimo’s voice was soft, laced with a hint of condemnation. "Is my female master feeling guilty?"
Jiang Qingli’s fingers trembled. She knew she’d been found out.
Nowadays, her Cat Teacher only called her "female master" when he was angry.
And just as she thought, the next second, Yuan Shimo’s usually calm, jade-green eyes narrowed. "I have a witness and physical evidence."
’Physical evidence?’
As Jiang Qingli was wondering, the boy raised his hand, gently plucked something from her shoulder, and held it out in his open palm.
It was a strand of gray hair.
Jiang Qingli was speechless.
’He actually managed to pinpoint an inconspicuous strand of hair, barely half a finger long...’
’As expected of the most educated male in the family. He really isn’t easy to fool.’
Jiang Qingli blew the gray strand of hair away, then rested her chin in his palm and blinked. "Alright, I admit it. I went to heal Yi Nuo. Don’t be mad, okay?"
"I’m not angry," Yuan Shimo said, though he didn’t mean it. Seeing her disbelieving eyes, he pursed his lips. "I’m not angry *at you*."
A few seconds later, he corrected himself again. "I’m just a little upset."
"He was losing control of his partial Beastification, so..." As Jiang Qingli explained, she found the situation rather strange herself.
When she entered Yi Nuo’s Spiritual Domain earlier, she’d found his Spiritual Pollution level was at 35%, a very safe number for a male.
What’s more, Yi Nuo’s Spiritual Body, a little wolf, was in excellent condition. The moment it saw her, it had rushed over, enthusiastically tackling her to the ground. Then it started licking her hands and nuzzling her face, its tail spinning like a propeller. It didn’t look like there was anything wrong with it at all...
’Then why did his wolf ears pop out uncontrollably?’
"Still thinking about those ledgers?"
The tip of her ear was pinched, and the boy’s cool voice, laced with a hint of resentment, deliberately brought up her excuse.
Jiang Qingli hugged him, applying a bit of force with her arms. Yuan Shimo was pushed forward by her strength until she finally toppled him onto the sofa.
The boy propped himself up on one hand. He saw the girl look up at him and say earnestly, "Today really was an emergency. Please don’t be upset, okay?"
"I’m not upset that you were healing him." The boy’s fingertips gently hooked her chin, as if scratching a kitten. "It’s..."
He pursed his lips, not finishing the sentence.
Being honest about his true feelings was a huge challenge for Yuan Shimo.
But she was draped over him, eager to know. "What is it? Tell me, Cat Teacher..."
They were so close that his cat tail unconsciously wound around her calf, absorbing her warmth.
Yuan Shimo averted his gaze and said in a low voice, "...I don’t like it when you lie to me for someone else’s sake."
For Yuan Shimo, saying something like that was an immense challenge.
He kept his head down, the tips of his ears flushed crimson. His snow-white cat ears trembled anxiously.
’The experienced males had warned him many times before: a jealous Beast Husband would be rejected by his female master.’
’So... would she do that to me?’
The girl was silent for a long moment. Yuan Shimo peeked up at her, only to see her looking at him in surprise before breaking into a smile.
Yuan Shimo’s fingertips felt hot. For once, he was at a loss for words. Feigning composure, he asked, "...What’s so funny?"
"So you do get jealous! I thought my Cat Teacher was always so calm." Jiang Qingli leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "A reward for being honest."
The soft touch was fleeting.
Before he could rationally process her words, his body had already moved—
Yuan Shimo cupped the back of the girl’s neck, blocking her retreat. He pulled her toward him, tilting his head and capturing her lips with his own.
Their breaths mingled as he stormed her defenses.
He now knew exactly how to make her melt in his arms.
His kisses trailed up her thigh. The boy’s voice was hoarse, his jade eyes gleaming faintly. "Qingli, there’s a lot more I know how to do..."
The night was long, with plenty of time for exploration.
...
The next day, when Yuan Shimo groggily "dug" Jiang Qingli out from under the covers, her body was sore and limp. He, on the other hand, was clearly in a great mood, even helping her get dressed one piece at a time.
Yuan Shimo had the day off, so he could go to the library with Jiang Qingli to keep her company while she studied with her friends.
When they reached the first floor, they ran into Baili Jing.
Jiang Qingli was surprised. "What are you doing here? Didn’t you say you had to work today?"
"Just came to pick something up," Baili Jing said with a smile as he waved them off.
Not long after they left, Housekeeper Qin carried in a huge package.
At the same time, Zhou Yanli called.
"Jing, did you get the package?" Zhou Yanli asked gently. "It’s some specialties from the Three Cities that I bought."
"I got it, Uncle Zhou."
Baili Jing opened the packaging and found two gift boxes inside, one large and one small.
The young man paused, his brow furrowing slightly.
Zhou Yanli said, "You should see there are two sets. One is for Xiao Li, and the other is for Youchen."
"I understand, Uncle Zhou." Baili Jing curved his lips into a perfect smile. "I actually have a photoshoot later near the Xie Family’s estate. I’ll take the gift to Youchen when I pass by."
"I’ll leave it to you, then," Zhou Yanli said with a smile. "You and Youchen are both good boys I watched grow up. You have your whole lives ahead of you. If you help each other out, things will go more smoothly in the long run."
"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Zhou."
Baili Jing finished speaking with a smile and hung up.
He took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
He knew it. Zhou Yanli wouldn’t have called him for no reason, especially not for something as trivial as a package delivery.
Zhou Yanli wasn’t ignorant of the Xie Family’s address, nor was he unaware that Jiang Qingli was out studying with friends today.
He wanted him to play wingman for Youchen.
’Honestly... Do I really seem like that much of a pushover?’
Baili Jing gave a resigned smile and picked up the gift boxes.
When Baili Jing arrived at the Xie Family estate, Xie Youchen was reviewing documents.
Baili Jing recognized the pen in his hand. It was the fountain pen Jiang Qingli had given him.
That was the year Xie Youchen was discovered to have the Time Stop Ability. This Superpower was an invincible weapon on the battlefield, and the military academy sent representatives to recruit him early.
The day before he left also happened to be his birthday.
Though Xie Youchen had a cold personality, he had many followers. A group of his younger followers saw him off in the banquet hall, and the females who admired him came along as well, bringing a huge pile of gifts.
But Jiang Qingli didn’t produce a gift the entire time and looked thoroughly dejected.
The party was winding down, the banquet hall a mess thanks to the rowdy crowd of young people. Baili Jing noticed two people were missing and stepped out.
In the hallway, he saw the young boy and girl standing in the moonlight.
The girl shoved a long, slender gift box into the boy’s arms, her voice sullen. "Here."
"Is this..." The boy took the gift box, twirling it between his fingers and examining it in the moonlight. "My birthday present?"
"You’re asking a question you already know the answer to." Unhappy with his feigned ignorance, Jiang Qingli reached for it. "If you don’t want it, then give it back—"
"Of course I want it."
Xie Youchen sidestepped her hand, slipped the gift box into his suit pocket, and reached up to pat her on the head.
"When have I ever refused anything you’ve given me?"
His tone sounded resigned, but it was laced with the familiar intimacy and indulgence they shared.
Jiang Qingli huffed. "That’s more like it!"
After giving him the gift, she turned to leave.
Just as she turned, the boy behind her suddenly spoke. "Ah Li."
"Hm?" She turned back, tilting her head in confusion. "What’s wrong?"
She was standing right in front of him, yet he kept his head down, staring at her shadow.
After taking a few deep breaths, the boy slowly asked, "Will you miss me?"
"It’s alright." He reached out and pulled the girl into his arms, his voice very soft. "Brother will miss you..."
After a pause, he added, "...and the others."
The moonlight cast a silvery glow on their profiles, a scene as beautiful as a picture book illustration.
And it became Baili Jing’s nightmare for a long time to come.
The white-fox youth pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a soft sigh.
Xie Youchen had noticed his presence long ago but couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge him.
Only when he heard the sigh did he look up. "What is it?"
Baili Jing got straight to the point. "What are your intentions?"
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