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

The young man’s knuckles rested against her ankle, their faint warmth making Jiang Qingli recall the scene at the auction when he had gently wiped it for her.

Before Jiang Qingli could react, she heard Yuan Shimo say, "Ah Yao, I’ll do it."

As he spoke, he knelt on one knee on Jiang Qingli’s other side and took hold of her other ankle.

Yuan Shiyao narrowed his eyes. "Brother, you’re frail. I should do it."

Yuan Shimo looked back at his brother, his gentle tone laced with a hint of chill. "Thanks to our female master’s care, my health has improved considerably. It is my duty to serve her." The cat-like eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses narrowed. "There is no need for anyone to overstep their bounds."

If his professors at the academy or the other members of the research institute were to see this side of Yuan Shimo, they would surely be astonished.

Most of the time, he gave off the air of being interested in nothing but his studies, always wearing a gentle, detached smile. He rarely revealed such a sharp edge in public.

Yuan Shiyao, however, knew this was his older brother’s true nature.

’His possessiveness... sometimes it’s even stronger than that fox’s.’

’Especially when it’s directed at me.’

Yuan Shiyao smiled. "You’re joking, Brother. I’m not overstepping. I’m Qingli’s friend. Shouldn’t I help her?"

"Besides..." He leaned in slightly. "This isn’t the first time."

’Not the first time?’

A ripple of emotion disturbed the jade-green eyes at his words.

Yuan Shimo’s brow furrowed. He was just about to speak when the ankle he held slipped from his grasp.

’Jiang Qingli really didn’t understand how they could find so much to say over just putting on a pair of shoes...’

’Incongruously, the classic line from her drama club president popped into her head: "If one person wastes a minute, ten people waste ten minutes..."’

She suppressed a smile, quickly slipped on her shoes, and held her hands out to them. "Alright, you two can get up now. Old Qin is here with the drinks."

Yuan Shiyao stared at the hand before him, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

’This was the first time she had ever taken the initiative to hold his hand.’

The young black cat took a deep breath. He nervously raised his hand, and just as he was about to take hers, Yuan Shimo reached out, took both of Jiang Qingli’s hands, and used them as leverage to stand up.

Without a single glance at Yuan Shiyao, he simply smiled and said, "Thank you, Qingli."

Yuan Shiyao pressed his lips into a thin line, stood up, and sat beside Jiang Qingli, maintaining a distance appropriate for a friend.

The butler, Old Qin, drew near, chattering away. "The young miss always loved my sparkling water. This is our Qin family’s secret recipe, you know. It used to be passed down only to the women, but since I’m the only son of my generation, it was passed to me..."

Hearing his familiar ramblings, Jiang Qingli couldn’t help but smile.

Old Qin’s mother had been the family’s housekeeper, and his whole family had always worked for the Jiangs.

When they were children, the elders of the family were always busy, so Old Qin was the one who looked after her and Jiang Youchen.

Well, he mostly looked after her. Ever since he was small, Jiang Youchen had always tried to act cool, too proud to accept help from anyone, just like a little adult.

Smiling nostalgically at the memory, she handed the sparkling water to her Beast Husband and her friend.

Old Qin watched from the side, his ears pricked as he waited for their compliments.

Yuan Shimo obliged with a few words of praise. He spoke with a scholarly elegance that Old Qin clearly enjoyed.

Not to be outdone, Yuan Shiyao chimed in with some praise of his own.

Showered with praise by the two cats, the butler grinned from ear to ear.

After praising Old Qin, Yuan Shiyao took the opportunity to update Jiang Qingli on the progress of the Moon Festival preparations.

Qiao Lan had actually been giving Jiang Qingli constant updates over the past two days.

But Yuan Shiyao was involved in aspects that Qiao Lan wasn’t, so his account was more detailed.

Jiang Qingli listened intently. The ceremony was only three days away, and this was her first time being involved in such a major project. She even had to give a closing speech, so she was taking it very seriously.

As the two of them huddled together in discussion, Yuan Shimo, who was left out, narrowed his eyes, his mood visibly darkening.

As night fell, Jiang Yi and the Yuan Family Head, Yuan Zhi’an, emerged from the study, followed by several Beast Husbands.

Jiang Yi called Jiang Qingli over to head to the dining room.

The moment she saw her mother, the girl latched onto her, hugging her arm and refusing to let go.

Yuan Zhi’an remarked wistfully from the side, "I really envy you, Director Jiang. You have such a wonderful relationship with your daughter. I wish the one I’m carrying was a girl, too."

She said this while stroking her swollen belly.

Jiang Yi smiled at her. "As long as it’s your own child, there’s nothing not to love."

Behind them, Du Yushan shot a glare at his two sons. When he saw that neither of them paid him any mind and were instead staring at Jiang Qingli, he became instantly irritated, yet there was nothing he could do.

After dinner, Jiang Yi and Jiang Qingli walked them to the garage.

On the way, Yuan Shimo’s hand, hanging by his side, found the girl’s. He wrapped his fingers around the back of her hand and began to caress it gently.

Jiang Qingli squeezed his fingers and gave his hand a little swing. "I’ll miss you, too," she whispered.

Yuan Shiyao, walking on Jiang Qingli’s other side, heard every word distinctly.

But he deliberately kept his eyes fixed forward.

"Oh, my."

Old Qin, the butler who had followed them out to see the guests off, clutched at his heart, a fond, knowing smile spreading across his face.

He sighed contentedly. "It’s been so long since I’ve seen the young miss this happy!"

Yuan Shiyao: "..."

-

After the Yuans had left, Jiang Qingli took a shower and returned to her room.

’She really wanted to sleep with Jiang Yi tonight. It was so comforting to snuggle up in her mother’s arms.’

But Zhou Yanli had said that her second father hadn’t been feeling well and needed treatment, so she could only return to her own room and visit in a few days.

Today was Sunday, so no Beast Husband was scheduled for duty.

Jiang Qingli washed a strawberry and took a bite. As she was looking down at the messages on her terminal, she suddenly sensed another person in the room.

She looked up to see Yuan Shimo standing at the edge of the shadows, watching her in silence.

’When did this guy appear from the shadows?’

Jiang Qingli clutched her chest, her tone playfully reproachful. "You scared me!"

Yuan Shimo put on an apologetic expression as he walked to her side. "I didn’t mean to scare you," he said in a low voice. "It’s just..."

He trailed off, pressing his lips together in a way that seemed almost shy.

Jiang Qingli leaned closer. "You just missed me?"

Yuan Shimo pinched his earlobe, not daring to meet her gaze. "Mm."

Under the bright lights, the tips of his ears slowly flushed pink.

’Suddenly, the strawberry in Jiang Qingli’s mouth didn’t seem so sweet anymore.’

’She wanted a taste of something sweeter.’

Yuan Shimo lowered his gaze to look at her, his peripheral vision catching sight of the chat screen on her terminal.

The profile picture of the person she was chatting with was a pitch-black cat.

’Was she just chatting with Yuan Shiyao?’

Sensing his mood darken, Jiang Qingli asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Qingli, I have no intention of interfering with your friendships."

His voice was soft, but beneath its calm, gentle surface was an indescribable undercurrent of exclusion and jealousy.

"It’s just... one must be on guard against certain males."

"For example—"

He gracefully removed his gold-rimmed glasses.

Then, he reached out, clasped her wrist in one hand, and gave it a gentle tug, pulling her toward him.

Caught off guard, Jiang Qingli stumbled toward him.

The distance between them closed in an instant. He tilted his head and pressed his lips to hers.

The fresh taste of strawberry passed between them, sweetening the air they shared.

He lifted her up and set her on the table. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, her legs hooking around his waist for support.

Yuan Shimo didn’t release her until the taste of strawberry had faded, finally giving her a chance to catch her breath.

The girl’s cheeks were flushed pink, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. It was a sight that inspired both protectiveness and a deeper desire.

Yuan Shimo stared at her, unmoving, for a long moment before leaning in to find her lips once more.

"If you let your guard down, this is what happens."

A trail of soft, fleeting kisses landed on her cheeks and neck. His long fingers suddenly pressed into the small of her back, pulling her flush against him.

Yuan Shimo lowered his gaze, his hot breath ghosting over her ear.

"It can even go much further—"