Chapter 327: Must Hug a Tail to Sleep
In the spacious, brightly lit garage, the gazes of three men were fixed on the girl, her face still flushed pink.
Jiang Qingli was still reeling from the provocative words of her two childhood friends when her own Beast Husband and butler caught her sitting on another man’s lap, about to force a kiss on him.
An overwhelming wave of embarrassment washed over Jiang Qingli, and she pressed her lips together.
His turquoise eyes narrowed, and he stared at Xie Youchen with disgust.
Yuan Shimo’s voice was icy. "Marshal Xie, how much longer do you intend to hold my wife?"
Hearing this, Xie Youchen sneered, his eyes filled with unconcealed mockery, as if questioning Yuan Shimo’s right to say such a thing.
Yuan Shimo’s brows knitted together.
He instantly understood the implication—
’If Xie Youchen had stopped the Yuan Family when they made the switch, the one standing here now would be my younger brother, Yuan Shiyao, not me.’
’I only got to be her Beast Husband because my own brother didn’t want the position. What right do I have to be so aggressive?’
If this had been back when he had first fallen for Jiang Qingli, Yuan Shimo might have truly felt anxious and backed down on his own.
But now, he no longer cared about any of that.
’So what if I was just picking up what was left behind?’
’Now, Jiang Qingli is my wife, while Xie Youchen and Yuan Shiyao are just outsiders.’
’Only those who can’t have her would hold a grudge and resort to doubt and slander.’
’Besides, Xie Youchen only dares to make these passive-aggressive jabs.’
’Does he dare tell Jiang Qingli how her Beast Husbands were chosen?’
’His desire for control is born from a lack of security. Xie Youchen is terrified of losing Jiang Qingli, so he would never dare tell her the truth.’
Yuan Shimo looked Xie Youchen straight in the eye, a slight smile playing on his lips. "That’s right. Didn’t you know, Marshal Xie? Qingli and I are married in fact."
He emphasized the last four words, his turquoise eyes narrowing behind his gold-rimmed glasses, refusing to back down.
Xie Youchen sensed his intention, and the look in his eyes grew even colder.
"Haha, it really is getting late, and I’m a little tired. You should head back first..."
Jiang Qingli finally found an opportunity to speak, awkwardly changing the subject.
As soon as she finished speaking, she tried to jump out of the car.
But she had barely begun to stand when the large hand on her waist applied gentle pressure, making her sit back down again.
Because of this movement, their legs were pressed even more tightly together.
Jiang Qingli felt her scalp prickle.
The air seemed to freeze. She looked at him, a little confused.
"Don’t move." Xie Youchen held down her skirt hem, then lifted his gaze to Yuan Shimo and said, "She’s in an awkward position."
Jiang Qingli understood.
She was wearing a short skirt today, and it had already ridden up from their kissing. Any larger movement might cause a wardrobe malfunction.
The driver had left long ago, but Yi Nuo...
Jiang Qingli glanced toward the Gray Wolf Butler. The moment Xie Youchen had spoken, the butler had already turned his back, strictly observing propriety.
"Don’t trouble yourself, Marshal Xie."
Yuan Shimo had lost his patience. He strode forward, scooped the girl up into a princess carry, and carefully held her skirt down with his long fingers as he walked slowly back.
After a few steps, Jiang Qingli peeked out from his side, intending to give Xie Youchen a little wave, but before she could move, Yuan Shimo shifted his body to block her view.
"Qingli, don’t squirm," Yuan Shimo said softly. "You’ll make me lose my balance."
’With a cat’s sense of balance, how could he possibly be unsteady?’
’That was so obviously just an excuse out of jealousy.’
Jiang Qingli winked at Xie Youchen, then wrapped her arms around Yuan Shimo’s neck and leaned into his embrace without another word.
As they passed Yi Nuo, Jiang Qingli had wanted to ask him what was the matter, but Yuan Shimo suddenly quickened his pace and disappeared from the spot like a gust of wind.
After they left, Xie Youchen’s gaze fell on Yi Nuo. His voice was low. "Why are you here?"
Yi Nuo retracted his gaze from their departing figures and answered calmly, "Mr. Baili called just now. He said the young lady might have eaten something unclean and asked me to prepare a glass of warm water for her to rinse her mouth."
Xie Youchen: "..."
-
The night was thick.
After washing up, Jiang Qingli snuggled into bed, finding a comfortable position in Yuan Shimo’s arms.
After a moment of cuddling, she felt something was missing and started making requests. "Cat Teacher, I think I need a tail to hold. What do you think?"
Yuan Shimo, naturally, wouldn’t refuse.
A few seconds later, a fluffy cat tail landed in Jiang Qingli’s arms.
She hugged the cat tail and nuzzled it with her cheek.
She had only been holding it for a moment when Yuan Shimo arched his back slightly, as if trying to hide something.
Jiang Qingli keenly sensed the change in him and teased with a smile, "You really are just a kitten."
"Don’t tease me..." Yuan Shimo buried his face in the crook of her neck, his breath hot against her skin. He pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "I won’t do anything. I know you’re tired today. I just want to hold you."
Spiritual Healing was already incredibly draining, especially on an S-rank, highly-polluted beast-type with a low Match Value. Although Jiang Qingli had used a Repair Gemstone after returning, the exhaustion was still visible in her features.
How could Yuan Shimo possibly tire her out even more for his own selfish desires?
It was just... sometimes, he couldn’t control himself, either.
Letting out a sigh of slight defeat, Yuan Shimo held her and changed the subject. "How was Fang Chi after the healing session today?"
"He’s recovering well, but his mental age is now only that of a nine-year-old." Jiang Qingli recounted the day’s events to Yuan Shimo, then thought for a moment before asking, "Professor Xu said he might have suffered more than just mental trauma—it could also be physical or drug-induced. Do you know any experts in that field?"
Yuan Shimo pondered for a moment, then said, "A friend of my mentor researched a similar topic. I think they mentioned something about effects on intelligence. I’ll look into it tomorrow."
"Okay!" Jiang Qingli nodded and buried her face in his chest, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Cat Teacher."
Yuan Shimo kissed her on the cheek, his smile gentle. "I’m happy that I can help you."
Jiang Qingli thought of how wary he used to be, a stark contrast to his current tenderness and tolerance. The smile on her lips widened uncontrollably. "Did you ever think you’d be helping me like this back then?"
Mentioning the past few months made Yuan Shimo feel like he was looking at his own cringey past. He pursed his lips and fell silent.
The cat ears on top of his head twitched unnaturally.
Yuan Shimo didn’t want to answer the question, but under her gaze, he finally relented. The tips of his ears flushing red, he said, "...No."
’If I had known I would fall in love with her, I would have definitely come back sooner, gotten closer to her sooner, and been with her sooner.’
「A peaceful night’s sleep.」
Jiang Qingli woke up to find it was already past nine o’clock.
Yuan Shimo had gone out to find the information, leaving her a message not to forget to eat breakfast.
In the dining room, Gu Nian was setting the table.
Hearing the sound, the young man looked up and gave her a sweet smile. "Good morning, Sister."
"Good morning." After sitting down, Jiang Qingli saw the sumptuous breakfast and patted his head. "Thanks for all your hard work."
"I like doing this." Gu Nian kissed the palm of her hand and stood up to head to the kitchen. "Now that you’re up, Sister, I’ll go get breakfast. Would you like red bean porridge or pumpkin porridge?"
"Red bean porridge."
After Jiang Qingli replied, Gu Nian quickly left.
While waiting, Jiang Qingli picked up her terminal and replied to a few messages.
A gentle breeze brushed a stray lock of hair against her cheek. Jiang Qingli glanced around and suddenly felt that something was missing.
’It seems too quiet in here.’
She instinctively looked toward the corner and realized what was missing.
’Where’s Yi Nuo?’