Chapter 361: Dropping the Act, Big Brother
"Need?"
Qin Muye laughed out of sheer anger. "Butlers like you are a dime a dozen in the First District! You’re hardly irreplaceable."
Yi Nuo’s lips thinned into a line, and the hand at his side tightened stiffly.
But his expression remained as placid and impenetrable as ever. "Whether I stay or go is hardly for the Prince to decide."
Qin Muye had long suspected that Yi Nuo had ulterior motives concerning Jiang Qingli.
But in the past, Yi Nuo had at least acted like a proper butler, even being cautious about so much as glancing at Jiang Qingli, so Qin Muye hadn’t thought much of it.
Now, however, Yi Nuo wasn’t even bothering to act anymore!
’One after another, do they have no sense of propriety or shame?!’
’And what could have happened between them while I was away?!’
’Qingli wouldn’t have secretly taken him, keeping him around to... play with when she’s bored... No, no, no, Qingli would never do something like that. If she took Yi Nuo, she would definitely take responsibility.’
’But... why does it feel like Yi Nuo is so much more confident than before?’
’The last time I got this sense of déjà vu was after that damn bird, Que Feiling, was healed by Jiang Qingli.’
With that precedent, alarm bells instantly went off in Qin Muye’s head, and his mind flooded with countless palace-intrigue scenarios.
He was just about to speak when he heard footsteps behind him. Jiang Qingli had finished washing her hands and was walking out.
As she approached, the two males simultaneously stopped their sarcastic jabs, their expressions turning neutral as if nothing had happened.
After Jiang Qingli sat down, Yi Nuo opened the food container and placed the dessert in front of her.
He had made a matcha chocolate mousse cake, garnished with a few fresh strawberries.
The dessert had been chilled in the refrigerator, giving it a cool, silky texture that wasn’t overly sweet.
Jiang Qingli took one bite and looked at her butler, not hesitating to praise him. "This is delicious!"
The girl’s eyes curved into crescents, her pupils seeming to hold a galaxy of stars, momentarily dazzling the person looking at her.
The tips of Yi Nuo’s ears grew slightly hot, and he felt a bit embarrassed. But looking at her sparkling eyes, he couldn’t help but want to respond.
He took a slow breath and put on a perfect butler-style smile. "I’m glad you like it, Miss."
"I love it!"
Compared to nutrient solution, this was countless times more delicious.
On the way here, Jiang Qingli had been so worried about Qin Muye that she had barely eaten anything. After arriving last night, she had only drunk half a tube of nutrient solution, and from this morning until just now, she’d only had one more tube.
Because of this, the matcha chocolate mousse cake, a treat she was used to, now tasted exceptionally delicious.
Seeing her happy smile, Yi Nuo couldn’t help but feel a sense of self-reproach. He said in a low voice, "I’m sorry."
"Why the sudden apology?" Jiang Qingli blinked in confusion. "Does this mean there won’t be any more in the future?"
"There are enough ingredients for another half-month’s worth of cake, and they won’t spoil in the refrigerator." Yi Nuo knelt beside her. "I was just thinking that I should have made this last night. To have let you suffer so much, Miss... it was my dereliction of duty."
"I’m sorry, Miss."
He had intended to make dessert last night, but when he took out his knives, a water-delivery robot saw him and sent an alert to the military district. The military personnel confiscated the knives and only returned them this morning.
The Gray Wolf Butler kept his head down, feeling a heartfelt sense of guilt.
Jiang Qingli reached out and patted the top of his head, reassuring him with a smile. "It’s fine. I was prepared for hardship before I came. Your dessert was a pleasant surprise. I’m very happy, so there’s no need to blame yourself."
Yi Nuo lifted his gaze and said solemnly, "Thank you, Miss."
Jiang Qingli nodded. Seeing Yi Nuo stand up and start to step back,
She thought about how Yi Nuo had stood guard by her side the entire time on the flyer, and how he must have been busy making dessert for her since they arrived. Her heart softened, and she patted the spot next to her. "Sit here with me. Don’t just stand there."
But Yi Nuo didn’t sit down immediately.
He took a step back, looking somewhat troubled. "Thank you, Miss, but... that would be against the rules."
"It’s not like you haven’t sat next to me before," Jiang Qingli said, looking up at him strangely.
But then she noticed the Gray Wolf Butler’s lips were pressed together. He glanced at Qin Muye, who was staring daggers at them from the bed, then lowered his gaze, becoming a silent statue once more.
Jiang Qingli sighed. "Qin Muye, you should rest your eyes."
Qin Muye was already furious. Now, seeing her complete lack of awareness, he grew so angry that he pulled the blanket over his head, turned his back to them, and became a big, sulking lump.
’So childish. And such a sourpuss.’
’I’ll tease him a bit after I finish eating.’
Jiang Qingli smiled silently, patted the spot next to her again, and said simply, "Sit."
This time, Yi Nuo didn’t refuse. He cautiously sat down beside Jiang Qingli.
The gray wolf boy sat obediently with a ramrod-straight back, his posture so proper it could have been used as a textbook example.
His gaze, however, strayed improperly to the master beside him, his eyes hiding a repressed and restrained yearning to be closer.
Jiang Qingli was looking down at her device, replying to a message from Lin Xiyue.
Before leaving, Jiang Qingli had told Lin Xiyue and Ai Li about her decision. They were shocked but respected her choice.
They had wanted to see her off, but time was tight, so Jiang Qingli didn’t let them.
Lin Xiyue had read many exaggerated news stories about the Lower District in gossip magazines. Like other noble females, her impression of the Lower District was that it was filthy, chaotic, and dangerous, with terrifying Mutant Beasts that could break through a window at any moment.
Therefore, she had strongly insisted that Jiang Qingli message her every day to confirm she was safe. If anything happened, she could ask her cousin in the Eleven Cities to go and help.
The network in the Twelve Cities was exceptionally bad. Lin Xiyue’s message took several seconds to load before it popped up: [Honey, I heard last night about a type of Spiritual Mutant Beast that can control people’s minds and kill them in their dreams! They also peep on you in the middle of the night! You have to be careful! Lock your windows, you hear me!]
Jiang Qingli had actually already told her that it was very safe inside the military district.
Lin Xiyue’s reply had been: "Even if it’s safe, you still need to be careful! You’re the highest-level female in our Empire! If you get hurt, the whole Empire gets hurt!"
Given her friend’s tendency to be overly nervous about her, Jiang Qingli quickly replied: [I promise, I’ll lock my doors and windows at night and definitely won’t wander around.]
Lin Xiyue warned again: [There’s also another type of Mutant Beast, they’re a hybrid type...]
Jiang Qingli had no idea where she’d heard so many things or where she’d searched for so many folk remedies, but she was pouring them all out at once.
Reading the long-winded warnings that loaded every few moments, Jiang Qingli felt a warmth spread through her chest.
As she was replying, she suddenly felt an intense gaze on her.
More than one.
She looked up and, caught off guard, met Yi Nuo’s eyes before he had a chance to look away.
The boy’s eyes rippled with intense emotion, which he hastily concealed the moment their gazes met, lowering his head in an almost flustered manner.
Jiang Qingli was a little confused. "What’s wrong? You keep staring at me."
A disdainful snort came from the bed.
Yi Nuo took a deep breath to compose himself and said, "What would you like to eat tomorrow, Miss?"
"Anything you make is delicious. I’d like a blind box," Jiang Qingli said, enjoying surprises.
Yi Nuo knew what she liked to eat, and the ingredients he had brought were all her favorites. His lips curved. "Alright."
Seeing the increasingly harmonious atmosphere between the two, Qin Muye nearly ground his teeth to dust.
’If I hadn’t promised Jiang Qingli I’d stay in bed and not move, Yi Nuo would be in two pieces right now!’
’Dammit, can’t something happen to stop them!’
He took a few deep breaths and was about to interrupt them when there were two knocks on the door.
The door opened.
Seeing who it was, Qin Muye’s eyes lit up, and he immediately called out:
"Big Brother."