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

The air seemed to freeze at his words, the only sound the continuous echo of running water.

One of the two males stood while the other sat. Their expressions were different, but the looks they exchanged were both filled with hostility.

Baili Jing sized up the disheveled boy, then suddenly turned, closed the door, and walked straight to the sofa to sit down.

"Don’t you understand, old man?" Gu Nian blinked his big, beautiful eyes. "Qingli is staying with me tonight. Don’t get in the way."

"Some lies are fine for deceiving others, but you shouldn’t deceive yourself."

The young man lifted his gaze, his voice light. "Your body is injured, but your face is perfectly clean. The wounds are deep, yet they precisely avoid any arteries—far too neat and clean. Also, the perfume Yi Nuo wears is exclusive to the Jiang Family’s servants. You forgot to air yourself out."

"Your disguise is too clumsy. If you were on a film set, you’d be fired by the second day."

"She’s soft-hearted, but she’s not an idiot." The elegant and dignified young man curved his lips, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. "If she knew your true colors, she wouldn’t just avoid getting close to you; she probably wouldn’t even want to look at you."

As he said this, Baili Jing was completely composed, as if this were his home turf.

Gu Nian hated his effortless poise.

’He’s only been by Qingli’s side a little longer, so where does he get this superiority complex?’

’The fact that he hasn’t managed to get rid of Jiang Youchen after all these years is proof enough of how pathetic he is.’

’And now he’s here, putting on airs like he’s the main consort, trying to put me in my place?’

’Just because Qingli took pity on him and showed him a little concern, he can’t possibly think he’s her first love, can he?’

’What a joke.’

’When in reality, Qingli and I are the ones who—’

"Hm? What are you doing here?"

The sound of running water from behind them had stopped at some point, and the girl’s voice rang out.

The two males, who had been glaring at each other just moments before, now simultaneously dropped the subject and looked toward Jiang Qingli behind them.

She had changed into a cute, cream-yellow bubble skirt with puff sleeves, which made her look like a little girl.

Gu Nian’s lips curved, and just as he was about to praise her, a tall, slender figure blocked his view.

Baili Jing rose and walked to the girl, taking her hand. His eyes were full of gentle affection. "I got the gift. I heard you were here, so I came to see you."

"I see." Jiang Qingli gently caressed his cheek. "I got my clothes dirty earlier, so I went to take a shower. Were you and Gu Nian just chatting?"

Baili Jing smiled.

Before he could speak, Gu Nian lowered his light-colored eyelashes and said softly, "Yes... Mr. Baili was just telling me a lot of things."

He bit his lip, glanced timidly at Baili Jing, then lowered his head again as if recalling something terrifying. His voice trembled. "I... I learned a great deal."

He said he "learned a great deal," but he looked as if he’d been terribly wronged.

"What did you two talk about?" Jiang Qingli walked over to Gu Nian, gently taking his wrist to look at his wounds.

"Nothing much. I was just asking him what happened earlier." Baili Jing’s eyes turned a little cold, and his lips curled in a slight sneer. "He was perfectly fine a moment ago."

Jiang Qingli leaned closer to Baili Jing and said in a low voice, "He might be in shock. Someone attacked him earlier... It’s my fault, too. I was too late."

She felt a little guilty as she spoke of it.

"It’s not your fault." Baili Jing placed a hand on her shoulder, stroking it lightly. "Let’s head back first. Don’t keep Ye Linyuan waiting. You know he has a short temper."

Behind them, Gu Nian almost scoffed out loud upon hearing this.

’He was taking his sweet time putting me in my place just now, not mentioning anyone else. But now that he doesn’t want Qingli to stay with me, he’s using other people as an excuse and even managed to drag Ye Linyuan down by calling him short-tempered.’

’That old fox is such a two-faced bastard.’

’But of course, Jiang Qingli is completely oblivious to all this.’

She nodded, turned, and bent down to say to Gu Nian, "Let’s go home first, okay?"

At that moment, however, Gu Nian suddenly hunched over and began to cough violently without any warning.

He turned his back to them, his thin spine looking especially fragile and pitiful.

Jiang Qingli quickly reached out and patted his back.

Baili Jing poured a glass of warm water and handed it to Gu Nian with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Have some water."

The boy leaned against Jiang Qingli, took the glass, and slowly drank the water with his head lowered.

After drinking, he patted his chest and gave Baili Jing a small smile. "Much better, thank you, Mr. Baili."

Baili Jing raised an eyebrow. "Don’t mention it."

Now that she had Gu Nian with her, Jiang Qingli didn’t want to linger. She found a large coat for him to cover his clothes and helped him walk out.

The attendant waiting by the door heard they were leaving and escorted them all the way to the exit.

The path to the exit was a different one, winding and hard to remember.

Near the entrance, Baili Jing patted Jiang Qingli’s head and said with a smile, "My flying vehicle is in a different parking area. Let’s meet up at home."

"Okay," Jiang Qingli said. "We’ll watch a movie when we get back!"

"You still remember." Baili Jing’s heart melted.

If not for the obnoxious male standing between them, Baili Jing would not have been able to resist cupping her face and kissing her right then and there.

After they parted ways, she and Gu Nian walked a few more steps and saw Ye Linyuan in the distance.

The young man was turned sideways to them, his features grim and severe. Behind him was a vibrant, neon-lit cityscape, but it only served to highlight a certain loneliness about him.

He was like a drop of asphalt in clear water, completely out of place with his surroundings.

Jiang Qingli slowed her pace, and the next second, Ye Linyuan looked in her direction.

The moment their eyes met, the young man’s cold, desolate eyes seemed to ignite, filling with a host of different emotions.

He took a step forward, as if wanting to get closer to her.

But his peripheral vision caught sight of the boy beside her.

A beautiful boy, a good half a head taller than her, was leaning on her shoulder, his frame almost completely enveloping hers.

His golden, slitted pupils narrowed.

The rabbit-eared boy blinked weakly and took the initiative to greet him. "You must be Uncle Ye, right? I heard Mr. Baili mention you earlier..."

Hearing the fox’s name, Ye Linyuan sneered, not bothering to reply. He took Jiang Qingli’s hand. "Let’s go."

Jiang Qingli ducked into the back seat first, while Gu Nian slowly guided himself in, holding onto the door.

Just as Ye Linyuan was about to get in, an attendant suddenly ran out and whispered in his ear.

As the attendant spoke rapidly, the young man’s expression darkened, and he glanced at the boy leaning weakly against Jiang Qingli.

The attendant finished speaking and stepped back.

Ye Linyuan held the door with one hand and leaned in to tell Jiang Qingli, "Something’s come up. You head back first."

"Okay." Jiang Qingli reached out and patted the back of his hand. "Be safe."

Ye Linyuan’s gaze dropped, his eyes softening.

He gently squeezed the girl’s slender, pale fingers and said in a low voice, "I will."

The door closed, and silence fell.

The driver Ye Linyuan had arranged drove smoothly and proactively raised the partition.

The back seat became an enclosed space where every breath was clearly audible.

Before long, Jiang Qingli felt the pressure on her arm growing heavier.

A searing arm wrapped around her waist, while a soft touch nuzzled into the crook of her neck. It rubbed against her, ingratiating yet invasive, its scorching heat almost enough to melt her skin.

Jiang Qingli froze for a few seconds before she realized what was happening.

Gu Nian was kissing her neck.

And not just that; his entire body was pressing against hers.

"Qingli..."

His docile, beautiful eyes lifted to glance at her before quickly dropping again.

The boy opened his mouth, and just as Jiang Qingli was about to raise her hand to push him away, he suddenly let out a muffled groan and grabbed her hand in confusion.

"It’s so hot... I think there was something in the water..."