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

’He has something to tell me?’

Jiang Qingli was puzzled. ”What is it?”

Xie Youchen’s brow furrowed slightly, and he pressed his thin lips together, seeming to find it hard to speak.

Jiang Qingli felt even more that something was wrong. She had never seen this expression on Xie Youchen before.

’This looks quite serious.’

Jiang Qingli stood beside him, giving his fingers a little squeeze and a shake, as if to encourage him.

Xie Youchen said slowly, ”Ah Li, I’ve gained initial control of the Xie Family, but Xie Zhengliu’s influence can’t be completely eliminated in a short period of time...”

His voice trailed off, but Jiang Qingli still understood what he meant. ”So, you’re saying we shouldn’t go public for now?”

Xie Youchen’s grip on her fingers tightened.

Jiang Qingli asked, ”But I saw in the gossip news that the Xie Family wants a marriage alliance with the Jiang Family? That rumor must have been spread by Xie Zhengliu, right? My third father has shares in Feiyu Media, and he didn’t stop it, which means Mom and Dad don’t object either. So why are you saying this?”

”Xie Zhengliu doesn’t actually want us to have a marriage alliance,” Xie Youchen said. ”It’s just her...” He paused, the tips of his ears turning an unnatural shade of red. ”It’s an excuse to make me lower my guard.”

”Oh, so Xie Zhengliu knew you liked me even before I did,” Jiang Qingli leaned in and complained, a little unhappily. ”How unfair.”

Xie Youchen said apologetically, ”I’m sorry.”

’It was my fault for not hiding it well, giving Xie Zhengliu an opening.’

Of course Xie Youchen wanted to marry Jiang Qingli, but he had just dealt with Xie Guanqi last night, and the Xie Family’s internal conflict had fully erupted.

Xie Zhengliu was merely a spent force and wouldn’t be difficult to handle, but Xie Youchen didn’t want to give Jiang Qingli any chance of falling into danger.

Even the slightest possibility was not allowed.

”Ah Li,” Xie Youchen said softly. ”Wait for me.”

The man who had stood before her as a protector since they were children was now looking up at her like a believer praying to a deity, his eyes filled with a fragile worry, a fear of being abandoned.

He looked into her eyes, his voice so soft it was as if he were afraid of making her angry, afraid of shattering a phantom dream. ”Okay?”

Xie Youchen knew he should have handled everything before professing his love to her.

But last night, when she threw herself into his arms, looked up at him with sparkling eyes, and whispered that she liked him with a beet-red face, Xie Youchen didn’t know how to refuse.

How could he ever refuse Jiang Qingli?

Even if Jiang Qingli wanted to kill him, he would have no reason to refuse.

”Of course.”

They had been together for so long that even if Xie Youchen didn’t spell it out, Jiang Qingli could guess what he was thinking.

It wasn’t that Jiang Qingli was afraid of the Xie Family, but Xie Youchen’s protective streak had always been strong.

Besides, she had an idea of her own.

”I can agree, but...” Jiang Qingli drew out the last word. ”You have to promise me one thing, too.”

Xie Youchen agreed out of habit. ”Okay, what does Ah Li want me to do?”

Jiang Qingli cleared her throat, lifted his chin with one hand, and looked down at him imperiously as she stated her demand. ”During this time... I’ll have to trouble you, Marshal Xie, to be my underground lover. Hmm?”

Jiang Qingli had intended to act like a domineering CEO, but she couldn’t help but start laughing halfway through, her eyes curving into crescents like a cunning little fox.

She still hadn’t forgotten last night’s ”underground lover” joke.

Xie Youchen naturally played along with her. ”Okay.”

”You said it! No take-backs!”

”I won’t.”

Jiang Qingli curved her lips into a smug smile and said with a straight face, ”An underground lover has many duties. One of them is...”

Meeting the young man’s earnest gaze, Jiang Qingli’s cheeks grew hot. She felt like she was taking advantage of his predicament, and the two words ”sleep together” got stuck in her throat, unable to come out.

Finally, she had no choice but to clear her throat and force a serious expression. ”Never mind, we can talk about this later. Let’s go to the Xie Family estate first.”

Xie Youchen felt guilty about not being able to make their relationship public right away, but Jiang Qingli clearly found the situation very amusing.

Jiang Qingli had been in a secret marriage with her Beast Husbands before, so she didn’t mind this situation, given the circumstances. In fact, she was rather happy to have an opportunity to put the squeeze on Xie Youchen.

Before leaving, Jiang Qingli asked, ”Oh, right, should I wear a wig or put on a disguise?”

”No need.” Xie Youchen’s lips curved into a smile.

Xie Guanqi was still locked up and wouldn’t be released for some time. As for Xie Zhengliu, her health was already poor, and she had exhausted herself running around, so she was currently in the hospital.

The Xie Family estate was now full of his people.

Hearing this, Jiang Qingli was a little disappointed. ”Alright then. I was hoping to recreate my pink-haired look. You haven’t seen it yet...”

’Actually, I have. At the underground auction. But that’s something I’ll never admit.’

Xie Youchen’s lips curved up slightly. ”Should I call a stylist over?”

”Nah, it’s too hot for that in this weather.” Jiang Qingli waved him over. ”Let’s go.”

Just as Xie Youchen stood up, the girl took his hand, her slender fingers lacing through the gaps between his, their hands tightly clasped.

Their eyes met, and Jiang Qingli let out a deliberate sigh, giving him a doting look that seemed to say, ’Oh my, you’re so eager and clingy. I knew it. Fine, fine, I’ll indulge you.’

Xie Youchen looked down at their intertwined hands, and his breathing calmed.

Jiang Qingli blinked.

Xie Youchen’s lips curved. ”It’s nothing.”

He just suddenly felt very happy.

-

Chen Mi had been waiting in the Xie Family’s garage for a long time. When the two arrived, he led them to the separate courtyard where Bai Yiyi was being held.

As they drew near, they saw a figure frantically trying to leave.

”That’s Lin Xiao, the one guarding Bai Yiyi,” Chen Mi explained to Jiang Qingli before calling out to him, ”Lin Xiao, what’s wrong?”

Seeing the two of them, the male Beastman hurried forward and said in a panic, ”It’s bad, Marshal! It’s bad, Secretary Chen! Bai Yiyi has escaped!”

”What?!” Chen Mi was utterly shocked. ”How could she have escaped?! We’re using state-of-the-art technology! A fly or mosquito would die trying to get out, so how did she run away?! Don’t tell me she vanished into thin air! This isn’t some magic trick!”

”Just listen to me, it really was like a magic trick!” Lin Xiao was speaking incoherently. ”It’s... Bai Yiyi is gone, and a strange female has appeared in her place!”

Chen Mi’s eyes widened. ”What do you mean, a strange female...”

As he said this, he suddenly looked at Xie Youchen and Jiang Qingli. Seeing that they weren’t surprised, he abruptly remembered the interrogation report.

Last night, it was Chen Mi who had interrogated Bai Yiyi. He naturally remembered Bai Yiyi saying that her current appearance was given to her by a ”system” in exchange for points.

She had to ”capture” males and complete missions to earn points, and if a mission failed, she would revert to her original appearance.

At the time, Chen Mi had just assumed Bai Yiyi had read too many novels and her brain was fried. When he was writing up the report, he even felt that the Marshal would hold him accountable for writing down such nonsense.

Who knew something like this would happen today!

’Could what Bai Yiyi said be true? Did she really change back to her original self?’

Chen Mi quickened his pace, rushed to the courtyard where Bai Yiyi was being held, and threw the door open.