Chapter 291: Scheming Fox
Wen Sen’s eyes darkened imperceptibly when he heard this. Wen Te’s expression, however, remained unchanged, a faint smile on his face. "Yes, Xiaxia has always been so lucky. He even managed to meet a rare S-level female."
Jiang Xia glanced at Shi Lan, shy and blissful, not refuting the statement. "I really am lucky."
A sweet smile bloomed on his face, making it obvious to anyone that he was truly happy.
Shi Lan couldn’t stand how adorable he looked. Her hands started to itch, and she couldn’t resist giving the soft flesh of his palm a little squeeze. If there weren’t so many people around, she would have loved to bury her hands in his long, soft hair.
Wen Te’s gaze swept almost imperceptibly over their interaction, the smile on his lips never wavering. "In that case, my father and I won’t stay any longer. Once again, we wish you a happy marriage."
"If you’re free, Xiaxia, you should bring Miss Shi Lan over to visit."
Jiang Xia was completely absorbed in the interaction with Shi Lan’s hand in his. She had accidentally squeezed a ticklish spot, and he bit his lower lip with his canine tooth, not quite hearing what Wen Te was saying. He gave a somewhat perfunctory and absentminded nod.
"Got it, big brother."
Seeing this, Wen Sen and Wen Te quickly took their leave.
As soon as the two had left, Jiang Hua ordered a robot to dispose of the two glasses of plain water. He then sat down on the sofa, looking pleased and utterly vindicated.
’He wasn’t a fool.’ Although Xiaxia possessed 2S Spirit Power, his poor health and bad temper had earned him a rather poor reputation among the noble females who knew of him.
Just like the things Jiang Yan had told Shi Lan before.
Wen Te, in contrast, only had A-level spiritual power, but he made significant contributions to the family, knew how to handle people, and was gentle and courteous toward females, which had always made him quite popular.
Jiang Hua was well aware that many people said nothing to his face but were likely mocking his son behind his back. Especially after Jiang Xia was imprisoned on Black Star due to his spiritual power collapse, he had often been on the receiving end of gazes filled with pity and veiled sighs.
But now, ever since the proposal went viral online a few days ago, everyone knew Jiang Xia had married an S-level female. People who hadn’t spoken to him in ages were suddenly trying to cozy up to him.
You can imagine how smug Jiang Hua felt.
That was why he, as the boy’s father, was determined to protect his son’s marriage at all costs. He absolutely could not let him ruin it.
So, when Yan Huoshui arrived to pick Shi Lan up and Jiang Hua saw his son clinging to her, unwilling to let go, he decisively dragged his son back to the study for a stern lecture. That very night, he produced two hefty books, *On How to Be a Good Beast Husband* and *The Proper Mindset of a Beast Husband Before His Wife*, and pressed them into his son’s hands.
Jiang Xia was still listless over Shi Lan’s departure. He sighed from time to time, his expression dejected. The moment he thought about Lanlan doing those "happy things" with Yan Huoshui at night, the smile vanished completely from his face.
This lasted until Jiang Hua placed the two heavy books in his hands. "Son, I want you to study these well tonight."
Jiang Xia snapped out of his thoughts, his face still sullen. "Dad, I’m already a grown-up. Why do I still have to read books? I haven’t even finished the ones you sent me this morning."
"You don’t understand!"
"Son, do you know why, despite being the second Beast Husband your mother married, I became the primary husband? The answers are in these books."
"Think about it. Haven’t your mother and I had a great relationship all these years? When we go out, she always stands up for me and brings me along to all sorts of events. That’s the kind of treatment you only get when you’re the favored husband."
As Jiang Xia listened, he fell into deep thought, his eyes lighting up. "Really?"
"Of course! Would I, your own father, lie to you?"
"Son, you have to understand, as Beast Husbands, our first duty is to protect our wife’s reputation. We must be considerate and magnanimous, and never put them in an awkward position. You need to be more careful about things like how you tried to stop Lanlan from leaving today."
"After all, she is a female. She has several Beast Husbands and must treat them all equally. But for us Beast Husbands, if we want to earn more affection, it’s not impossible to tip the scales a bit. You just have to be mindful in public. In private, well, if you work a little harder and make her think more about your good qualities, over time, you’ll occupy a bigger and bigger place in her heart, and she’ll unconsciously start to dote on you more..."
Mr. Jiang pleaded earnestly, and Jiang Xia listened with a focus he had never before dedicated to studying, soaking in his father’s experience.
’His dad was right.’ Love needed to be nurtured. Even if Lanlan liked him and indulged him now, he really shouldn’t be so unreasonable in front of everyone and unconsciously wear away at their affection.
While Mr. Jiang’s little class was in session for Jiang Xia, Yan Huoshui had already taken Shi Lan elsewhere.
He didn’t take her straight home. Instead, he said, "Lanlan, you’ve probably never been to an amusement park at night, have you?"
"This time, why don’t we experience it together?"
His eyes crinkled with a smile, his long, narrow fox-like eyes tilting up slightly. He looked down at her, and though his tone was conversational, his gaze seemed to hold a tempting allure.
Besides, he had already acted first and reported later.
’What a schemer,’ Shi Lan thought. They were already at the entrance to the amusement park. How could she possibly have the heart to refuse?
Besides, she really did want to go.
So, even though she knew he had done it on purpose, she still nodded happily. "Okay."
An amusement park at night should have been even more bustling than during the day, but Shi Lan noticed that while the park was brilliantly lit and all the rides were powered on, there were no other visitors besides the staff and the piped-in music.
She tilted her head and looked at Yan Huoshui in confusion. A faint, pleased smile remained on his lips. "I forgot to tell you, Lanlan. I booked the entire park. This way, you won’t have to wait in any lines, and I can enjoy some exclusive time for two with my dear wife."
He delivered the last sentence leaning in close, his warm breath ghosting across the shell of her ear. His lips were so close they seemed to brush against her as he spoke.
Shi Lan’s ears couldn’t help but turn red. Listening to his low, magnetic, and elegant voice, she felt like they were melting.
"You cunning fox..."
This time, she finally couldn’t stop herself from muttering it aloud.
Yan Huoshui’s eyebrow twitched slightly. His red lips curved upward as he accepted the "compliment" with a beaming smile. "Lanlan really does know me so well. You’re my wife, after all."
Shi Lan couldn’t take it anymore. ’Does this fox have to be so smooth?’
Her face flushed redder and redder. Overcome with embarrassment, she quickly changed the subject, pointing to the vertical-drop roller coaster up ahead. "Let’s go on that one."
"Alright."
Yan Huoshui wasn’t afraid of heights. At his core, he was just like He Hanshi—someone who didn’t particularly care about his own life. The number of extreme things he’d done in the past was countless.
Of course, things were different now. They both had someone to cherish and a reason to want to live, no longer holding on to those old, nihilistic thoughts.
The two of them got on the roller coaster.
This amusement park was different from the last one; that one didn’t have a vertical-drop roller coaster.
After sitting down, Shi Lan belatedly started to feel a little scared. After all, a 90-degree roller coaster was practically the same as being dropped from a great height. Still, with the thought that ’we’re already here,’ she didn’t back down.
Yan Huoshui carefully checked both of their safety harnesses. Seeing her staring straight ahead in a daze, he held her hand tightly and soothed her in a gentle voice, "Don’t be afraid. I’m here."