Engagement Annulled? Now The Husbands Kneel and Beg for Her Favor

’Well... that attitude flipped fast, didn’t it?’

Qin Shu was speechless.

But Jiang Youchen, with his perpetually blank face, showed no hint of anything resembling embarrassment.

The car door was pulled open from the outside, and a girl’s pretty, smiling face appeared as she greeted them.

Qin Shu noticed that the stoic man sitting diagonally across from her, Jiang Youchen, suddenly had the sharp lines of his face soften. Even his cold, deep voice was tinged with gentleness. ”Morning.”

The girl slipped into the car, and Qin Shu clearly saw Jiang Youchen subtly shift to the side, making more room.

But the next moment, Jiang Qingli sat down next to Qin Shu.

Jiang Youchen glanced at Qin Shu, his lips thinning as he fell silent.

Qin Shu: ”...”

’Why do I suddenly feel so much pressure?’

Jiang Youchen’s secretary turned around from the front seat and greeted Jiang Qingli. He pulled a food container from a storage compartment and asked, ”Miss Qingli, have you had breakfast? We have some food here.”

Jiang Qingli hadn’t eaten that morning, as she had planned to get food after seeing Qin Muye off.

Her face lit up. ”Wow, thank you, Secretary Chen! You’re so thoughtful.”

”I didn’t buy it,” Secretary Chen said, glancing at his boss with exaggerated casualness. ”The Marshal made it this morning.”

Jiang Qingli opened the container, and a rich aroma wafted out. Inside were beautifully colored pastries.

She picked one up and took a bite, her eyes practically turning into stars. ”Thank you, Brother!”

Jiang Youchen smiled slightly, twisting open a bottle of water and handing it to her. ”Don’t choke.”

Now that she was closer, he noticed the faint, dark circles under her eyes. Jiang Youchen’s brow furrowed. He gently brushed his thumb under her eye, his voice growing heavy. ”Did you stay up all night?”

Jiang Qingli started, her dark eyes widening. The pastry nearly fell from her hand.

She lowered her head, feeling guilty. ”Uh, not really...”

”You didn’t sleep at all,” Jiang Youchen stated with certainty, his gaze lowered.

Jiang Qingli: ”...”

The girl shot a furtive glance at Qin Shu, who was staring out the window, pretending she hadn’t heard a thing.

Her face flushed red. Ignoring Jiang Youchen, she grabbed a pastry and began eating it in big bites.

In truth, Jiang Youchen’s cooking skills were average at best; the pastries were even a little undercooked. But he so rarely cooked that Jiang Qingli, who wasn’t picky, ate them with great enjoyment.

As the girl lowered her head, her hair, draped over her shoulders, shifted, revealing the pale skin of her neck and a few tell-tale marks.

Jiang Youchen’s gaze lingered for two seconds before he looked away.

As if he hadn’t seen a thing.

Leaning back, Qin Shu took in their every interaction and rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

Many of the noble families with close ties to the military knew that Xie Qizhen had found Jiang Youchen on a battlefield.

The official story was that Jiang Youchen’s parents had died during a Mutant Beast stampede, but the truth was they were killed in a political struggle involving the Imperial Family.

To protect their son, who was not yet ten years old, they entrusted him to Xie Qizhen before their deaths.

The Emperor, out of guilt, had also helped smooth things over.

As for Jiang Youchen himself, besides feeling some sympathy for him, Qin Shu’s strongest impression was of his composure.

On the battlefield, he always made the most advantageous choice, even when it meant disregarding his own life.

She had assumed he was the same way in his personal life.

But now it seemed... all his composure vanished when it came to one person.

Qin Shu thought of the message Qin Muye had sent her earlier and couldn’t help but smile.

’No wonder Jiang Qingli calls him a puppy.’

’Such a dumb dog.’

’It’s like he’s afraid he doesn’t have enough rivals.’

-

After breakfast, Jiang Qingli, Qin Shu, and Qiao Lan went out for the morning.

Qin Shu wanted her to get some sleep, but Jiang Qingli was past the point of exhaustion and, despite her fatigue, felt wide awake and energetic.

They spent the time at a club owned by Qiao Lan, chatting about the recent festival and the Melt Star Association’s affairs during Qin Shu’s absence.

Qin Shu propped her chin on one hand, leaning languidly against the sofa as she listened to Jiang Qingli’s methodical report.

She had already heard all of this from Qiao Lan’s real-time updates, but she still found it fascinating to hear it again from Jiang Qingli.

When Jiang Qingli finished, Qin Shu clapped her hands, her face full of admiration. ”I knew I could count on you. You certainly didn’t disappoint.”

It wasn’t over-the-top praise, but from that one sentence, Jiang Qingli could feel the other woman’s strong approval and recognition.

She smiled, a little bashfully.

Then Qin Shu asked, ”Qingli, would you be willing to continue serving as President of the Melt Star Association?”

Jiang Qingli froze.

Qin Shu patted her on the head and said with a smile, ”It’s the end of the semester. In another month, I’ll have graduated, so I won’t be able to run the Melt Star Association anymore.”

”You’ve done a great job, and you’ve earned everyone’s trust.”

”I hope you’ll continue as President of the Melt Star Association.”

She said seriously, ”From every angle, I believe you have the ability. You can lead everyone to greater heights.”

Qiao Lan nodded in agreement. ”Qingli, before you became acting president, I thought you were too gentle. But now I see you have your own principles. You’re in no way inferior to President Qin.”

”As it stands, you’re the most suitable candidate.”

As she spoke, Qiao Lan extended a hand to Jiang Qingli. ”I hope you’ll continue to walk with the Melt Star Association toward a brighter future.”

The feeling of being acknowledged made Jiang Qingli’s heart swell with emotion.

Looking back on her time with the Melt Star Association, Jiang Qingli realized she had mostly enjoyed it. She really did like the view from the top.

Jiang Qingli took a deep breath, took Qiao Lan’s hand, and they exchanged a smile.

”Then I look forward to working with you.”

”Of course, President Jiang.”

Qiao Lan immediately informed the other senior members that Jiang Qingli would be officially taking over as president.

No one was particularly surprised by the news.

After all, anyone could see how much Qin Shu admired Jiang Qingli, and Jiang Qingli had certainly proven her capabilities and dedication during her time as acting president.

The group chat flooded with congratulatory messages.

Qin Shu, with a grand gesture, booked out a restaurant and invited everyone to celebrate for the entire afternoon.

-

The moon was high in the sky by the time a still-exhilarated Jiang Qingli returned home.

When she pushed open the bedroom door, Yuan Shimo was already in bed, waiting for her.

Seeing the smile on her lips, Yuan Shimo’s own lips curved. ”Something good happen?”

Jiang Qingli was mysterious. ”You’ll find out in a few days.”

The news wouldn’t be announced publicly until after the holidays; she wanted it to be a surprise for everyone.

Yuan Shimo didn’t press the issue, simply lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the shower.

Seeing how tired she was, Yuan Shimo didn’t try anything. He just held her from behind, and they chatted idly.

As they talked, Jiang Qingli suddenly changed the subject. ”Have you and Yuan Shiyao... had some kind of misunderstanding recently?”

She hadn’t forgotten that Yuan Shiyao had told her they weren’t on good terms, so she decided to take this chance to try and patch things up between the two brothers.

Otherwise, she’d be stuck in the middle every time they bickered, which was an awful position to be in.

Under her gaze, Yuan Shimo pursed his lips uncomfortably. ”Yuan Shiyao and I don’t have any problems.”

”How can you say that!” The girl’s eyes widened as she spotted the inconsistency. ”Look, you’re calling him by his full name! Don’t you usually call him Ah Yao?!”

Yuan Shimo: ”...”

’I’m not magnanimous enough to help my rival confess his feelings.’

After a moment’s thought, he found a tactful excuse. ”I have a family now. My focus should be on our family and on you. Even with a brother, things can’t be as close as they used to be.”

’Focusing on the family...’

Jiang Qingli couldn’t help but wonder, ’Is that what Jiang Youchen is thinking too? Is that why he’s not as close to me anymore?’

’It makes sense. We’ve all grown up.’

’If he gets a girlfriend, I’ll have to accept it and wish them well, no matter how much I might dislike it.’

Before she went to sleep, Jiang Qingli received a message from Xie Qizhen.

Xie Qizhen had sent a photo of a young woman.

Jiang Qingli: [?]

Xie Qizhen: [This is the daughter from your Aunt Qi’s family. Do you think she and Youchen would make a good couple?]

Jiang Qingli stared at the pretty photo, an unwelcome wave of irritation washing over her.

Her finger hovered over the screen for a long while. She typed something, deleted it, and finally sent her honest opinion: [No.]

’Damn it. I can’t bring myself to wish them well at all!’