Chapter 291: The Kitten Doesn’t Know Better, My Turn
After Chen Mi finished speaking, the expressions of the two Beast Husbands, who had been fighting amongst themselves moments before, turned cold.
The moment Chen Mi appeared, their hostility had unanimously shifted to another male who wasn’t present.
Standing beside them, Jiang Qingli wasn’t too surprised.
Xie Youchen had always meddled in every aspect of her life, worrying about her with a stern face even more often than Housekeeper Qin.
She took the carrying case and weighed it in her hand. It had some weight to it; she figured it probably contained matching shoes and jewelry.
A fluffy sensation wrapped around her arm.
Xiao Xue rolled over in Jiang Qingli’s arms, its paws hooking onto her arm in a protective gesture. Its big eyes darted from Chen Mi to Ye Linyuan.
Perhaps because it had been raised by Yuan Shimo, the little creature’s personality was just like his. While it loved to show Jiang Qingli its belly, it was always very wary of outsiders.
Jiang Qingli didn’t know why it was so afraid yet so vigilant around Ye Linyuan, though. ’Maybe villains just have a naturally intimidating aura?’
Chen Mi stood opposite them. While Jiang Qingli was looking down at the cat, he gave Ye Linyuan a faint smile, indicating he had something to say.
Gu Nian, who was standing to the side, leaned in and brazenly wrapped an arm around Jiang Qingli’s waist. He spoke in a soft voice, "Qingli, I think Xiao Xue is hungry. Why don’t we go back to our room? I’ll get it something to eat, and you can try on the dress to see if it fits or needs any alterations."
"Then I’ll be on my way," Chen Mi said, watching her go.
The cat was clinging to her tightly. With the carrying case in one hand and the cat in the other, Jiang Qingli bid farewell to Chen Mi and headed upstairs.
After the young woman’s figure vanished, only Ye Linyuan, Chen Mi, and Yi Nuo remained in the living room.
Chen Mi knew Yi Nuo’s identity and allegiances, so he didn’t beat around the bush. He directly took out an invitation and handed it to Ye Linyuan.
His smile was polite. "Mr. Ye, the email address you have on file with the system hasn’t been accessed in a long time. I had to take the liberty of visiting you in person. Please forgive the intrusion."
Ye Linyuan apathetically lifted his gaze and shot him a look. "What makes Xie Youchen think I would grant him this favor?"
Before he arrived, Xie Youchen had anticipated a refusal, so Chen Mi wasn’t surprised. The Marshal had even taught him how to handle such an unpredictable beast.
"The Marshal said some of your old acquaintances will be at the banquet." Chen Mi mentioned two names. "I think you’ll be very interested."
Ye Linyuan’s apathetic expression turned sinister and chilling.
A few seconds later, the young man let out a cold sneer, took the invitation, and then dissipated into a cloud of black mist, vanishing from sight.
-
Jiang Qingli returned to her bedroom and first placed Xiao Xue in the soft cat bed beside the bookshelf.
Xiao Xue loved Jiang Qingli’s scent. As soon as it was in the cat bed, it lay down comfortably, squinted, and let out a soft cry.
"There’s a good girl, Xiao Xue. Daddy has lots of treats for you." As if by magic, Gu Nian produced a variety of snacks for Xiao Xue to choose from.
Xiao Xue was surprisingly affectionate with Gu Nian, likely fooled by the rabbit’s adorable appearance.
Jiang Qingli smiled and carried the case to the walk-in closet.
The case had a combination lock. Jiang Qingli paused.
She was about to message him to ask for the combination, but since he hadn’t told Chen Mi, it probably meant it was a number she already knew.
Jiang Qingli tried entering four digits.
CLICK. The lock sprang open.
She let out a sigh of relief.
The numbers she had just entered were a combination of her and Xie Youchen’s birthdays. He used to use it as the password for his terminal, and it had taken her a long time to guess it. She couldn’t believe he was still using it.
A ticklish warmth spread through her chest. Jiang Qingli pinched her earlobe and looked inside the case.
The dress from Xie Youchen was pure white, with a silky texture. ’Probably another replica from some ancient civilization,’ she thought. ’For someone so young, his taste is surprisingly old-fashioned.’
The matching jewelry was made of pearls—large, perfectly round, and of the highest quality.
Beastmen were all influenced to some degree by the nature of their animal side. Just as the legends said, Dragons were the most avaricious clan in the entire interstellar community; several famous capitalists were Dragon Beastmen.
The inheritance left by Xie Youchen’s parents was enormous, and it all transferred to his name when he came of age, handled by a team of professional managers. A financial magazine had once speculated about his assets, concluding that whichever female married Xie Youchen would never have to worry about money a day in her life.
The thought made Jiang Qingli a little annoyed.
The magazine had followed up with photos of several noble females who were of a suitable age for him, complete with a serious analysis of their compatibility.
It was just ridiculous.
After a full day of training, Jiang Qingli was too lazy to try it on. She just held it up to herself for a moment before putting it away.
’Besides, Xie Youchen has invested in the brands I usually wear, so the designer wouldn’t get my size wrong.’
When she walked out of the closet, Gu Nian was feeding the cat.
The young man was half-squatting, holding a creamy cat treat. He tore a small opening, squeezed a little out, and offered it to Xiao Xue’s mouth. Xiao Xue opened its mouth to accept it, looking for all the world like the venerable head of a great household from a bygone era.
Watching them, Jiang Qingli couldn’t help but smile. "Doting fathers really do spoil their daughters," she teased.
"So you think I’m a doting father, Qingli?" Gu Nian’s lips curled into a playful grin. He deliberately moved his face next to Xiao Xue’s. "So, do our daughter and I look alike?"
He was so serious about it that Jiang Qingli laughed even harder. "You’re a rabbit. How could you possibly look like a cat?"
"I can be a kitten, too."
Gu Nian swiped his fingertip through the air, and a rift in space tore open. He reached in, rummaged around for a moment, and pulled out a cat-ear headband. He put it on, blinked at her, and let out a soft "meow."
Jiang Qingli: "?"
It was a little strange, but the young man’s delicate features paired with the white cat ears really did make him look like one of the pretty boys from the mature comics Lin Xiyue was always reading.
Gu Nian flashed a triumphant smile.
’When it comes to props, who could possibly have more than an underground auction house?’
’We’re a veritable treasure trove. We have everything.’
The young man then pulled out a cat tail and dangled it from his hand.
Xiao Xue looked up and saw this. The poor thing was so startled it leaped straight into Jiang Qingli’s arms, staring at Gu Nian with wide eyes as if it had just seen a wicked hunter.
Gu Nian hadn’t expected his props to frighten Xiao Xue. He quickly took off the cat ears and tail and tossed them back through the rift, then raised a hand to soothingly pet the cat’s head.
Under the warm light, the little cat stared at him warily, snuggling uneasily into Jiang Qingli’s arms. It took a good deal of coaxing before it finally calmed down.
"Just focus on being a rabbit. We already have a kitten in this family." Jiang Qingli patted Gu Nian on the forehead. She felt a prickling sensation on her palm and looked down to see the cat licking the back of her hand.
Gu Nian reached out and lifted the kitten’s chin, leaning in close. His fingers slid from the cat to her own, then traced a path up her arm and slipped inside the collar of her shirt.
The young man’s clear pink eyes stared into hers. He smiled, then shamelessly blew a breath of warm air against her ear.
"Qingli," he whispered, "the kitten doesn’t know any better. How about I lick you instead?"
"My tongue isn’t rough."