Chapter 386: High-Level Play, Killing Three Birds with One Stone
Hearing Yi Nuo’s voice, the Prince immediately turned to Jiang Qingli, his gaze piercing.
Jiang Qingli’s scalp tingled with dread. She scrambled to salvage her reputation, saying, "I didn’t know he was coming..."
"I know." Qin Muye took a step forward. "I mean, I’ll go deal with him."
He gave off the air of a rightful partner about to tear into a homewrecker. Afraid another brawl would break out, Jiang Qingli quickly stopped him. "Let’s just go together."
Jiang Qingli raised her voice and shouted toward the door, "Just a moment!"
Only after shouting did she remember there was someone else in the room.
"It’s fine. Don’t mind me." The odd man out, Que Feiling, clutched his battered and bruised face. "I know where to go."
With that, he walked behind the curtains and pulled them closed.
His bruised and swollen face looked so pitifully wronged, with a hint of brokenness, that Jiang Qingli couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
Once the curtains stopped swaying, Qin Muye wrapped his arm around Jiang Qingli’s waist, a triumphant look on his face.
At the door, however...
Having apparently not received a response for a while, Yi Nuo’s considerate voice sounded again. "Miss, if this isn’t a good time, we can come back later."
Jiang Qingli seized on a keyword.
’We?’
’There’s more than just Yi Nuo at the door?’
Jiang Qingli rushed to the door.
Through the peephole, she clearly saw a female standing beside Yi Nuo.
It was Doctor Zhou from the hospital.
Jiang Qingli turned back, her gaze sweeping over Qin Muye’s muscle-hugging tank top. After two seconds of silence, she said, "Qin Muye."
Qin Muye had a bad feeling. "What?"
"Yi Nuo and Doctor Zhou are outside," Jiang Qingli whispered. "You need to hide, too."
Qin Muye was not happy. He loomed over her. "And why should I?"
"Because you’re dressed like this, that’s why." Jiang Qingli raised her hand and poked his firm pectoral. "Are you really going to let another female see you looking like this? You wouldn’t dare!"
Although being told to hide annoyed Qin Muye, Jiang Qingli’s possessiveness also sent him to cloud nine.
"Fine." The Prince suppressed the smile playing on his lips and said reluctantly, "Where do I go?"
Jiang Qingli pointed to the curtains. "There’s still room on the left."
Qin Muye: "..."
-
Doctor Zhou had indeed come to see Jiang Qingli on official business.
"The pollution level in the Twelve Cities is significantly higher than in other districts. In the past, females on missions here have often struggled to adapt to the climate and suffered adverse reactions."
"Advisor Jiang, you’ve been in the Lower District for a while now and have performed Spiritual Healing multiple times. Marshal Sun was worried you wouldn’t acclimate well, so he sent me to give you a check-up."
Doctor Zhou skillfully used various instruments to take Jiang Qingli’s readings.
As she worked, she apologized, "I’m so sorry. I was supposed to come tomorrow, but I received a last-minute notice. The East District is short-staffed, so I have to leave tonight to provide support."
Jiang Qingli grew tense. "What happened in the East District? Was it a Mutant Beast attack?"
Xie Youchen was still in the East District.
’He’s always on the front lines. Don’t tell me he also...’
Jiang Qingli’s brow furrowed. "Is there anything I can do to help? My condition is perfect right now."
"Don’t worry," Doctor Zhou said, patting the back of her hand. "It wasn’t an attack. The Ninth Prince has an upset stomach, and he’s having us come over to treat him in shifts."
Jiang Qingli: "..."
’He needs a whole team of doctors for an upset stomach?’
’That Qin Xiangning is such a drama queen.’
’No wonder Qin Muye despises him.’
Jiang Qingli subconsciously glanced at the still, gold-threaded curtains. ’Qin Muye must be rolling his eyes in there right now,’ she thought.
The image made Jiang Qingli’s lips curve into a small smile.
As she looked away, her gaze met a pair of gray eyes.
Yi Nuo was kneeling beside Jiang Qingli to assist Doctor Zhou, but his gaze had never once left her face.
Jiang Qingli: "..."
’I feel like I’ve just been caught red-handed.’
She rubbed the tip of her nose, took a sip of tea from the cup on the table, and, feigning nonchalance, asked Doctor Zhou, "How are my readings?"
"Excellent." Doctor Zhou, having already checked several metrics, moved the monitor in front of Jiang Qingli. "All your vitals are healthy, outstanding even. It’s just that your heart rate is a little elevated..."
"Probably because I just took a bath," Jiang Qingli said, forcing the excuse.
"Try not to soak for too long next time, you can get dizzy. It’s also best to keep the water level below your heart."
Doctor Zhou was a thoroughly conscientious physician, and her tone was gentle and reassuring.
After finishing all the tests, Doctor Zhou advised Jiang Qingli to get plenty of rest and then departed with her equipment.
Jiang Qingli watched Yi Nuo see the doctor out and breathed a sigh of relief. She went to shut the door, only to see Yi Nuo turning back toward her.
Unable to see what was happening behind her and terrified the two men in her room had emerged, Jiang Qingli blurted out, "Why are you back?"
"I won’t come in... I just wanted to say goodnight to you, Miss." Yi Nuo lowered his gaze to her. "May I?"
Jiang Qingli paused, her voice softening. "Of course."
"Thank you, Miss." Yi Nuo’s gaze passed over her shoulder and into the room.
He looked for only a few seconds before pulling his gaze back.
As if recalling something, he said slowly, "By the way, Miss, on our way here, I heard Doctor Zhou say that Mr. Que Feiling was talking in his sleep while he was unconscious."
At the mention of his name, Jiang Qingli’s fingers tightened. "What did he say in his sleep?"
"Something about a wedding, I believe," Yi Nuo said. "Doctor Zhou mentioned his beloved is a noble from the First District. When we return to the First District, shall I prepare a wedding gift for you to give?"
This was the first Jiang Qingli had heard of it.
’So Que Feiling has a sweetheart.’
’No wonder. Marshal Sun and the others must have been mistaken about something.’
She paused for a moment. "Yes, please. I’ll leave that to you."
Yi Nuo watched her, seemingly gauging her reaction.
A few seconds later, the Gray Wolf Butler knelt on one knee before Jiang Qingli. He took her slender hand and, bowing his head, gently kissed her fingertips.
Caught off guard, Jiang Qingli stumbled a step back, only to meet his gaze as he looked up.
He was being much more direct now than he ever was before.
He didn’t even try to hide the smile in his eyes, laying it bare for her to see.
"Goodnight, Miss."
...
After Yi Nuo left, Jiang Qingli took a few deep breaths to compose herself, then closed the door.
When she turned around, she was met with the two men’s sullen faces.
Que Feiling in particular looked as dark as a thundercloud.
’Before, I was so focused on fighting Qin Muye that I underestimated the Jiang Family’s butler.’
’Only now do I realize he’s in a completely different league!’
’Yi Nuo must have realized long ago that Qin Muye and I were in the room.’
’That short speech before he left... it hinted to Qin Muye that I was dreaming of marriage, worsening our already hostile relationship; it also implicitly suggested to Jiang Qingli that I have a sweetheart, guaranteeing she’ll distance herself from me from now on; and it even made me watch as Jiang Qingli personally blessed my "wedding," forcing me to give up hope.’
’It was killing three birds with one stone!’
’Que Feiling’s heart ached. His visit tonight hadn’t deepened his relationship with her at all. Instead, he’d gotten beaten up and had his spirit utterly crushed...’
’He had suffered a catastrophic loss.’
Fearing that Jiang Qingli would offer him congratulations next, Que Feiling gritted his teeth, bid a hasty farewell, and fled the apartment.
The door closed, and the last unsightly figure was finally gone.
All his previous irritation gone, Qin Muye hugged Jiang Qingli from behind, his lips brushing against her ear. "Can I kiss you now?"
As he spoke, his wandering hands began to untie the belt of her bathrobe...