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

The fog of sleep dissipated in an instant.

Jiang Qingli’s eyes flew open. She wondered if staying up all night was making her hallucinate.

As if sensing her thoughts, Gu Nian said softly, "You heard me right, Qingli."

He pulled back slightly to observe her reaction.

Seeing the shock in her eyes, Gu Nian lowered his long, light-colored lashes. They trembled heavily, like a butterfly’s wings drenched in a downpour.

A few seconds later, he looked up again.

As if he had made some kind of decision, Gu Nian spoke again with the utmost solemnity:

"Qingli, I like you."

"I’ve liked you since the first moment I saw you."

A torrent of affection swirled in his beautiful eyes.

Years of longing had found an outlet, threatening to burst forth like a flood. He wanted to crowd in front of her, to take every declaration of love, give it form, and present it to her, begging for her affection. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

But he was afraid of scaring her, so he could only freeze in place, his breathing a ragged mess.

The car entered a tunnel, and the light was cut off.

But even in the darkness, Jiang Qingli could feel his gaze fixed on her.

Scorching, obsessive, and impossible to ignore.

It was as if she were the last god in existence, and he could only find salvation by looking at her.

A flash of familiarity passed through her, but she couldn’t quite grasp it.

Jiang Qingli was actually a little bewildered. ’We haven’t known each other for very long. It’s normal to have good feelings, but how could they be this intense?’

The car exited the tunnel, and sunlight poured in—a brilliant, blinding gold.

Gu Nian took Jiang Qingli’s hand and lowered his head to kiss her fingertips, as devout as a believer.

"You’re the one who pulled me out of the mire, Qingli."

"You are my female master, but more than that, you are my savior."

"Liking you, loving you... it was destined to be."

Gu Nian knew he should have held back a little longer.

She was such a gentle person. If you stuck by her side, even a dog would grow attached to her.

He should have been patient, like boiling a frog in slowly warming water. He should have earned her pity, let her gradually get used to him, and let her develop some feelings for him.

He was capable of waiting.

To get to her side, he had already endured decades hidden away underground, away from the light of day, where he had witnessed the deepest darkness.

He was an Assassin, a master of endurance and lying in wait. He was also a hunter, skilled in setting the perfect trap.

But seeing her get close to other men, seeing her act playful with them, calling them "hubby," "puppy," "fox"... Gu Nian was dying of jealousy.

She was surrounded by a pack of wolves. Besides her few Beast Husbands, there were other men on the outside...

They were all secretly watching her, each with their own ulterior motives.

Amidst the daily torment of anxiety, Gu Nian’s greed grew ever larger.

He realized that more than her pity, he wanted her love.

"Qingli, I’m not trying to force you to like me."

The young man pressed his face into her palm and, as if terrified of being rejected, carefully stated his request.

"I just hope you won’t see me as a child, but as a member of the opposite sex—a grown male, a man who could be chosen by you."

"I’ll do whatever it takes to make you realize I’m a male worthy of your affection..."

"Can you do that? Qingli."

Meeting his sincere, scorching gaze, Jiang Qingli’s fingers trembled. "Okay," she said.

Gu Nian smiled. He started to open his arms, then suddenly pulled back.

The young man asked timidly, "Qingli, can I hug you? Would that be... unpleasant for you?"

This well-behaved demeanor was a far cry from the night he’d come back from the auction, when he’d panted softly while nuzzling against her.

Jiang Qingli’s lips curled into a slight smile. "A hug won’t be unpleasant."

"Thank you, Qingli."

Gu Nian reached out and hugged her.

His arms tightened around her, and he breathed in the scent of her hair, almost trying to merge her into his own body.

Her ear was pressed against Gu Nian’s chest. Listening to his heartbeat through skin and muscle, Jiang Qingli found her own heart starting to beat a little faster.

A strange feeling welled up in her chest, a bizarre sense of déjà vu.

It was as if a long, long time ago, she had been needed this intensely by someone else.

...

She had stayed up too late last night, and soon, Jiang Qingli fell asleep in his arms.

When she woke up again, she was lying in bed. Slender fingers were wrapped around her ankle, creating a faint, ticklish sensation.

Something felt off. She looked down and saw Gu Nian taking off her socks. A neatly folded set of clothes was laid out beside him.

It seemed he also planned to help her change into her pajamas.

Jiang Qingli yanked her foot back.

Gu Nian looked up and smiled at her. "You’re awake, Qingli?"

"I can do it myself." Jiang Qingli took off her own socks and slipped her bare feet into her slippers.

Gu Nian’s eyes fell to her ankle. "You are my female master. It is only right and proper for me to serve you."

Jiang Qingli had heard similar words from Yuan Shimo before.

But unlike Yuan Shimo’s faintly mocking tone, Gu Nian’s voice was firm and resolute.

It was as if serving Jiang Qingli without a shred of dignity was the most natural thing in the world.

Jiang Qingli averted her gaze, feeling a little uncomfortable.

After spending this time with them, she knew all five of her Beast Husbands felt something special for her, to varying degrees.

But Gu Nian was the first Beast Husband to clearly confess to her, to say the words "I like you."

Before he’d said that, she had always seen him as a poor little kid.

But now, that perception had been forcibly "corrected" by his confession, and she wasn’t quite used to it yet.

"I’m going to take a shower. I’ll give you your Spiritual Healing later," Jiang Qingli said before disappearing into the bathroom.

That night, after performing the Spiritual Healing for Gu Nian, they lay in bed together. Jiang Qingli scooted to the side, maintaining a sense of distance.

Although she had agreed to give him a chance, she still hadn’t figured out how to act around him.

Fortunately, Gu Nian didn’t press his advantage. He treated her just as he always had.

The night was dark. He lay a short distance away from Jiang Qingli, quietly watching her back.

He waited until her breathing became steady and even, then slowly reached out, carefully pulling her into his arms.

Pressing his face against her shoulder, Gu Nian sighed softly.

A moth that has seen the light will fly into the scorching flame, even if it means death.

「Sunday morning.」

Jiang Qingli received a message: a pop quiz had been added to her morning spiritual power class.

Gu Nian offered to take her, but she refused. "No need. It’s the weekend, and you worked so hard on Friday. You should rest."

"Taking you isn’t hard work, Qingli. I like being with you." The young man broke into a sweet smile, his eyes sparkling.

After his confession yesterday, he had stopped holding back and was always like this.

Jiang Qingli found his directness a little hard to handle. She averted her eyes. "Anyway... Yi Nuo can take me."

Yuan Shimo, who was sitting across from them, glanced at the atmosphere between the two, his brow furrowing slightly.

After Jiang Qingli ate the fried egg Gu Nian had placed on her plate, Yuan Shimo spoke up. "Female master, I can pick you up."

"You’ll pick me up?" Jiang Qingli was a little surprised. "Don’t you have a meeting?"

She felt like Yuan Shimo was in meetings six and a half days a week.

"There are no seminars today."

"Besides..." Yuan Shimo’s gaze drifted away. "It’s on my way."

"But Senior Yuan, don’t you have your meetings in Zone C?" Gu Nian asked, blinking curiously. "Qingli’s class is at the Spiritual Power Research Center in Zone A. That’s several streets away from you... When did that become ’on your way’?"

Yuan Shimo: "..."

Jiang Qingli thought of something. "Oh, I know. Are you going to see your brother?"

Yuan Shimo paused. His jade-green eyes narrowed, and his voice held a hint of a chill. "Ah Yao is in Zone A today too?"

"That’s right." Jiang Qingli nodded. "Starting today, he’s the teaching assistant for our class."