Chapter 289: Learning
The morning light slanted in.
Ye Linyuan quietly watched Jiang Qingli, who was sitting on his lap.
The girl was bathed in bright light, her hair gilded with a golden edge, and her beautiful, dark eyes were clear and bright.
Coincidentally, the sunlight stopped between them, its edge like a warning line, clearly separating them.
It seemed to emphasize that they were not from the same world.
Ye Linyuan’s long lashes drooped, hiding the emotion in his eyes.
"What?" Jiang Qingli tilted her head, trying to see his expression.
Ye Linyuan’s voice had been too quiet just now; she hadn’t heard him clearly.
"It’s nothing." Ye Linyuan turned his face away, not letting her see.
’Wow, now he’s getting all shy.’
"You look like you have something on your mind."
As Jiang Qingli spoke, she pulled him a little closer, cupped his chin, and forced him to look up at her.
Because of her movement, the sunlight shone on Ye Linyuan’s face, causing his golden, slitted pupils to narrow slightly.
Ye Linyuan instinctively tried to shy away. The place where he grew up had always been dim, so he hated the sun.
But Jiang Qingli’s eyes were like magic. When they made eye contact, they seemed to spin fine, invisible threads that wrapped around him, pulling him down. He couldn’t resist. He could only instinctively draw closer until he was completely ensnared.
While Ye Linyuan was stunned, Jiang Qingli leaned in, her eyes darting around playfully. "I know what you’re thinking. You want to... do it, don’t you? I’m not against the idea."
As she spoke, her mischievous fingers slipped through a gap in his clothes...
Normally, the moment she showed the slightest hint of interest, Ye Linyuan would have already pounced on her.
But for some reason, he was different today. He caught her wrist, his voice restrained. "Get up. It’s time to practice."
Jiang Qingli turned his face back toward her, expressing her desire plainly. "But I want to."
It was finals week, and she was determined to get first place. Her Beast Husbands had been remarkably cooperative and restrained. Even when they came to keep her company at night, they would only kiss her at most, absolutely refusing to be the "bad guys" who distracted their female master from her main focus.
Jiang Qingli found it hard to voice her needs to the others, but with Ye Linyuan, she was very direct.
Perhaps because her relationship with Ye Linyuan had always been one of mutual satisfaction, she could be much more frank.
’After all, that sort of thing is all this snake ever thinks about anyway.’
Ye Linyuan took a deep breath and, for the first time, rejected her in this manner. "I don’t want to."
’Is he playing hard to get?’
’Just like a snake to be an expert at this kind of thing.’
With that thought, Jiang Qingli cooperatively wrapped her arms around his neck. Her voice softened as she said, a bit unpracticed, "Hubby..."
"It’s still early, so be a good boy." Jiang Qingli raised a hand and tapped his lips. "Just play along, hmm?"
Her soft lips were already pressing against his.
Ye Linyuan instinctively played along, pulling her into a deeper kiss.
As their breaths tangled, Baili Jing’s words suddenly flashed through his mind—
’The most you have is physical attraction.’
Ye Linyuan’s eyes shot open.
Jiang Qingli looked up, a little confused, and mumbled, "What’s wrong?"
Ye Linyuan leaned back slightly, staring intently at her.
His sudden, jarring movements killed the mood for Jiang Qingli. "So, do you want to or not?"
She was no longer scared of him like before. Without any hesitation, she reached out and tugged his ear.
Ye Linyuan closed his eyes, then lifted her and set her aside before standing up and walking straight toward the bathroom.
Knowing he was going to wash up, Jiang Qingli, her goal achieved, fell back onto the sofa laughing and clutching a pillow. She purposely put on a cutesy voice, "Thanks for your hard work, hubby~"
Ye Linyuan walked into the bathroom and braced his hands on either side of the marble sink, the tips of his ears burning slightly.
Her laughter came from outside the door. The sunlight now covered more of Ye Linyuan’s body, and his naturally cool, reptilian body temperature seemed to heat up just for her.
-
Despite the small interruption, Ye Linyuan still carried Jiang Qingli into the bedroom, where they spent a wonderful time together.
After changing into a new training outfit in the walk-in closet, she came out to find Ye Linyuan sitting on the sofa. He was resting his chin on one hand, his unfocused gaze resting on her.
In high spirits, Jiang Qingli walked over, sat down beside him, and offered him a cup of tea. "Was it hard work, Professor Ye?"
Ye Linyuan didn’t take it. His gaze traveled up from her slender fingertips to her face, his brow furrowed slightly as if he were deep in thought.
After being stared at for a few seconds, Jiang Qingli felt a little uncomfortable. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Ye Linyuan didn’t answer. Instead, he placed his hands on her waist and lifted her up. "Someone’s here."
Jiang Qingli ran to the window and looked down. Sure enough, she saw Lin Xiyue and Ai Li’s aircraft approaching, one after the other.
She hurried downstairs. As she neared the first floor, she felt something was off. Looking back, she saw Ye Linyuan holding the teacup, slowly descending the stairs.
Jiang Qingli’s cheeks flushed as she saw his glistening lips. "What are you still doing up there?"
The great villain raised an eyebrow, his thin lips parting slightly. "Savoring the memory."
Jiang Qingli: "..."
Visibly, Jiang Qingli’s face turned completely red, right down to her pink fingertips.
’He did that on purpose!’
But she didn’t have time to be angry. Behind her, Yi Nuo was already guiding the guests inside, so she quickly turned to greet them.
The moment Ai Li saw her, she puffed up her cheeks and complained, "Let me tell you, the traffic today was awful..."
After listening to her, Jiang Qingli glanced back guiltily, but Ye Linyuan was no longer standing where he had been.
’He comes and goes like a ghost.’
Her arm was poked. Ai Li nudged her conspiratorially and whispered, "Look at him, so clingy."
Jiang Qingli turned around and realized Lin Xiyue’s Beast Husband had come as well.
The tall male Beastman stood beside the slender girl. He was wearing a backpack and holding a hair tie, gently tying her hair into a ponytail.
When he finished, he took a cup of milk tea out of his backpack and handed it to Lin Xiyue.
"I’m heading back to work now. Don’t wander off tonight; I’ll come pick you up." The White Tiger Beastman bent down, his movements practiced. "Honey, give me a kiss."
"How old are you?" Lin Xiyue glanced at her friends and refused.
"Don’t you know how old I am?" the White Tiger Beastman looked at her pitifully. "Yueyue, you’ve been spending so much time with them lately, you don’t even pay attention to me anymore. Do you even remember I’m your Beast Husband?"
"Oh, honestly," Lin Xiyue sighed, then cupped his face and gave him two kisses, one on each cheek. "Alright, go on, go on."
"Make sure you wait for me to pick you up!" The White Tiger Beastman left, looking back every few steps.
Ye Linyuan, hidden in the shadows, observed the lovey-dovey couple. He realized that he and Jiang Qingli had never shared a moment like that.
His gaze fell on Jiang Qingli’s profile, and he grew thoughtful.
After the White Tiger Beastman left, the three girls walked side-by-side toward the training room.
Halfway there, Jiang Qingli remembered she had left her terminal in the bedroom. She asked Yi Nuo to take her friends ahead while she went upstairs to get it.
Just as she passed the turn in the staircase, her arm was suddenly pulled gently, and she fell into someone’s embrace.
Immediately after, a cool touch landed on her cheek.