Chapter 317: A Conversation Between Males
Mortified by her own shamelessness, Jiang Qingli’s pale face instantly flushed scarlet, her eyelashes fluttering erratically.
Under the intense gazes of her two Beast Husbands, Jiang Qingli felt like she was about to spontaneously combust. She simply lowered her head and started eating, pretending to be busy.
Her avoidance was a silent admission of guilt.
Baili Jing, however, remained perfectly composed. He patted Jiang Qingli’s head and, with a gentle smile, told her to eat slowly.
But the atmosphere around Ye Linyuan, who sat on her other side, was chillingly oppressive.
Jiang Qingli couldn’t ignore it. Halfway through her meal, she whispered, "Could you please stop staring at me..."
His gaze was so resentful, so fierce, that she was losing her appetite.
Before her words even faded, Ye Linyuan rose to his feet, his face expressionless.
Jiang Qingli reached out and grabbed him. "I didn’t tell you to leave."
Ye Linyuan huffed before sitting back down, his posture ramrod straight.
This time, he turned his face away, refusing to even glance in her direction.
’This snake...’
’He’s acting like a sulky, immature little kid.’
She recalled how Ye Linyuan had brought pastries over last night. Despite knowing Xie Youchen was with her, he had actually waited all this time. Compared to his previous habit of appearing in her room without any warning, this was a huge improvement.
Noticing the faint dark circles under his eyes, Jiang Qingli studied him and asked, "You... you haven’t been waiting for me since last night, have you?"
Ye Linyuan froze for a moment before his lips twisted into a smirk. "Still not fully awake?"
’Good, as long as he wasn’t.’
Jiang Qingli breathed a sigh of relief. She took hold of his finger, swaying it gently. "Ye Linyuan, don’t be angry anymore..."
Her ability to placate someone was pathetic; that one sentence was all she had.
But the gloom on Ye Linyuan’s face visibly lifted.
He glanced at her, then curled his finger to hook hers. With his eyes half-lidded, he waited for her to continue.
Seeing his attitude soften, Jiang Qingli promised, "I just overslept and lost track of time. Next time, I’ll pay more attention—"
Before she could finish, Ye Linyuan’s brow tightened. He grabbed her hand and yanked her toward him.
The distance between them closed in an instant. Ye Linyuan stared her down.
When he spoke again, his voice was even colder than before, thick with resentment. "Overslept?"
"What, you’re addicted? Is he smeared with opium or studded with jewels?"
Jiang Qingli: "..."
’Wait, why is he even angrier now?’
’What was wrong with what I said?’
Before she could speak, a pair of hands guided her shoulders back until she was leaning against a warm, sturdy chest.
"Linyuan, let’s talk this out. No need to get physical," Baili Jing said gently. "This isn’t Xiao Li’s fault, so why are you taking your anger out on her?"
Ye Linyuan had been sitting here since yesterday evening without a single drop to drink. He was already irritable, and seeing this damned fox meddling only made it worse. "Which eye of yours saw me getting angry at her?"
Baili Jing: "Both of them."
Ye Linyuan: "Then close them."
Despite the jab, Baili Jing just smiled gently, putting on the air of a magnanimous partner. "Come now. Since Xiao Li has already said she’ll be more mindful in the future, you should calm down. Why don’t we have dinner together?"
"So magnanimous," Ye Linyuan retorted coldly. "Then why didn’t you stop Xie Youchen from leaving and offer him your day instead?"
Baili Jing raised an eyebrow. "Linyuan, must you be so passive-aggressive and misplace your anger on me?"
"’Misplaced anger’ again," Ye Linyuan sneered. "You’re quite good at pinning labels on things."
"Are you not tired of playing the part of the head wife? As if you weren’t the one outside this morning chain-smoking a pack of cigarettes."
The smile on Baili Jing’s face slowly vanished, clearly not expecting to be called out so suddenly.
Afraid they were about to fight, Jiang Qingli raised her free hand to intervene, but Baili Jing caught it and squeezed it reassuringly. "Baby, this next part is a conversation between males."
With that, he raised his hands and covered her ears.
A Barrier instantly enveloped Jiang Qingli’s hearing, shielding her from all outside noise.
Baili Jing looked up.
Out of Jiang Qingli’s line of sight, the young man’s eyes turned glacial as he spoke in a calm voice:
"I would have thought that someone from your background would know the rules."
"Ye Linyuan, the schedule is meant to set rules for us Beast Husbands, not to restrain the actions of our female master."
"If she wants to spend an entire month with the same Beast Husband, or even with some random male off the street who has no official status, that is her right. You have no qualification whatsoever to interfere."
"If you want to remain by her side, you should learn from Gu Nian. At the very least, you need to maintain a peaceful facade with us in front of her."
The air fell silent.
Ye Linyuan’s face remained impassive, making it impossible to tell if he had taken any of it to heart.
Not that Baili Jing cared whether he had. He simply continued:
"Direct your grievances to the right person. Don’t bring your petty jealousy before her. It’s an ugly sight."
"You said it yourself—today is my day. So now, please leave."
He made a gesture of invitation—"please"—that was both gentlemanly and glacial.
Ye Linyuan glared at him coldly for several seconds before dissolving into a cloud of black mist and vanishing from the spot.
At that exact moment, the Barrier over Jiang Qingli’s ears deactivated.
She hadn’t heard their conversation, only seen the storm of emotions on Ye Linyuan’s face. Just as she turned to ask Baili Jing about it, there was a flash of black mist, and Ye Linyuan reappeared.
"I’m leaving," he said, standing a short distance away, his face shrouded in shadow. After a pause, he added, "I wasn’t blaming you earlier."
"Then when will you come back?" Jiang Qingli asked. "I’ll spend the weekend with you!"
"Mm."
Ye Linyuan’s voice and figure vanished in unison.
Jiang Qingli asked Baili Jing, "What did you two talk about just now?"
Baili Jing replied with a smile, "I was just imparting some wisdom a Beast Husband ought to know."
"Really?"
"Of course. There’s no need to look for him; just let him think things over." Baili Jing caressed her cheek. "You must be hungry after being so busy these past two days. Let’s get something to eat, shall we? Dinner should be ready."
’The way he said that... it was as if she’d been occupied with some momentous task for the past two days.’
Jiang Qingli’s cheeks flushed, but she forced a calm expression and went with him to the dining room.
The dinner was a sumptuous spread. Baili Jing had cooked most of the dishes himself, while Yi Nuo had prepared the soup.
Baili Jing ladled a bowl of soup for Jiang Qingli. As he handed it to her, he asked, "Have you been... eating well these past two days?"
Jiang Qingli tensed up, but his expression was so gentle and nonchalant—as if he were merely commenting on the weather—that she knew it would be odd to make a fuss.
After a sip of soup, Jiang Qingli replied stiffly, "We... um... had nutrient solution."
At her words, Baili Jing’s brows knitted in disapproval. "How could you just have nutrient solution?"
Yi Nuo, standing to the side, also frowned.
But then, Baili Jing continued, "Next time, I’ll have the butler prepare a meal and send it up. No matter how busy you get, you mustn’t forget to eat." He shot a sidelong glance at Yi Nuo, his lips curling. "Yi Nuo used to be one of Youchen’s subordinates, so I’m sure he’s excellent at maintaining confidentiality."
Yi Nuo: "..."
The Gray Wolf Butler’s lips twitched.
’This Baili Jing... he acts all magnanimous, but he takes every chance to hold Xie Youchen over my head, finding creative ways to warn me not to cross any lines.’
’If he knew that the young lady had already entered my Spiritual Domain and caressed every last inch of my Spiritual Body, I wonder if he’d still be smiling?’
The butler in question remained perfectly composed. Jiang Qingli was just about to change the subject when her terminal vibrated.
She opened her inbox and saw an email from the Healing Association.
[Dear Miss Jiang, a new mission is available. Please review! ~]