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

The sun was rising.

Morning light streamed through the glass into the room. Jiang Qingli squinted, opened her mouth to eat the food Baili Jing offered, chewed a couple of times, and then closed her eyes again.

She looked so exhausted that when Old Qin brought the food, he couldn’t help but glance over worriedly several times, his gaze eventually landing on Baili Jing with a hint of reproach.

’What is wrong with this Mr. Baili? He usually seems so gentle and devoted, a model husband. But now he doesn’t know any restraint. Look how tired he’s made our young lady!’

’The young lady is the Jiang family’s only female! Their most precious, one-and-only treasure!’

’If she indulges in men at such a young age and weakens her body, how could he ever face the Jiang family!’

Baili Jing, of course, noticed Old Qin’s disapproving gaze and could only offer a helpless smile.

They really hadn’t done anything last night.

Jiang Qingli had been up late reading through files. Before bed, she opened a chat app, just as Lin Xiyue happened to be sharing lots of photos from a holiday resort in their group chat, asking when she was free to go.

The mention of a vacation immediately dispelled Jiang Qingli’s sleepiness. She chatted with her friend for a long time, and the topic eventually turned to her mission target.

When Lin Xiyue heard her friend was performing a healing for Fang Chi, she dumped a mountain of gossip about him into the chat. She said the kid used to talk a big game, claiming he’d get married the moment he turned eighteen and never turning down anyone who asked for his contact info. But when he finally came of age, he announced he was ”marrying the Empire” and promptly ran off to a military academy, infuriating a legion of females who called him a total poser...

Jiang Qingli agreed that he did indeed sound like a poser, then listened with great interest to all his phony antics. It wasn’t until the latter half of the night that Baili Jing finally coaxed her to sleep.

As a result, she got a call from the Supervisory Office at six in the morning, telling her that Fang Chi was about to wake up and requesting her presence around nine a.m.

Jiang Qingli’s sleep schedule had been a mess for the past two days, and she hadn’t adjusted yet, leaving her drowsy and ready to nod off.

After breakfast, Jiang Qingli tilted her face up, letting Baili Jing wipe her lips. She felt someone standing behind her, gently caressing her cheek.

Jiang Qingli managed to crack her eyes open a sliver, meeting a pair of dark eyes that were watching her with gentle affection.

Their gazes met. Xie Youchen’s eyes curved into a smile. ”Good morning, Ah Li.”

”Brother,” Jiang Qingli murmured, resting her head against his chest. ”Are you here to take me to school?”

’She was so tired she was even getting the time mixed up, thinking it was like when they were kids.’

Xie Youchen’s gaze was tender as he asked, ”I’d like to accompany you to the Supervisory Office for your mission. Is that okay?”

It was unclear if Jiang Qingli understood, but she nodded and held her arms out to him in an intimate gesture, asking to be held.

’Such a big girl, and she still wants her brother to carry her.’

Like a parent spoiling a child, Xie Youchen put on an expression of feigned helplessness that was actually filled with immense relief and satisfaction as he bent down and scooped her up into his arms.

Jiang Qingli was wearing a short skirt today, and Xie Youchen was careful to hold down the hem.

The young man’s embrace was broad and warm. Jiang Qingli wrapped her arms around his neck, rested her head on his shoulder, and mumbled clingingly, ”I’m going to sleep for a bit... Wake me up when we get there...”

”Alright,” Xie Youchen said. ”Go to sleep.”

Reassured, Jiang Qingli’s breathing gradually evened out.

”What are you doing here?” Baili Jing asked, picking up a towel to wipe his long, slender fingers. ”Is the military really that free?”

Xie Youchen adjusted the girl in his arms, hoisting her up a little. His voice softened unconsciously. ”Not as free as you.”

Today, Xie Zhengliu had, from god-knows-where, invited several of the Xie Family’s living elders over, supposedly to discuss the redistribution of family assets.

Xie Youchen had ignored it. As soon as he received news that Jiang Qingli had accepted a mission, he came over.

The memory of Jiang Qingli’s last mission with Que Feiling was still fresh in his mind.

Xie Youchen couldn’t rest easy knowing she was going to such a dangerous place.

”If you want to come, then come,” Baili Jing said, stroking Jiang Qingli’s hair. He didn’t seem displeased.

’Xie Youchen has a unique Superpower. With him around, there would be one more person to protect Jiang Qingli, making things much safer.’

Watching the three of them interact, Old Qin couldn’t help but smile with relief.

’He had watched the three of them grow up together. He used to worry that if the young lady chose one of them, the other would surely be heartbroken.’

’But there was no need to worry now. The young lady had accepted them all!’

’As expected of our young lady.’

’Look at them, so harmonious!’

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Xie Youchen frowned at the young man still stroking Jiang Qingli’s cheek, his eyes darkening slightly. ”Have you touched her enough? You’re driving today.”

”I’m touching my own female master. Do I need to report to you?” Baili Jing raised an eyebrow. ”Assigning me work with a single sentence... Isn’t Marshal Xie’s authority getting a little too big?”

Xie Youchen said coldly, ”Don’t delay important matters.”

He was holding Jiang Qingli and couldn’t easily bat Baili Jing’s hand away, so he simply turned and left.

He walked so briskly that the hair of the girl in his arms fluttered slightly.

Baili Jing followed him. ”Youchen, I’ve told you before, you don’t know how to take care of people. What if you walk so fast you jolt Xiao Li awake?”

Xie Youchen slowed his pace, his voice low and laced with impatience. ”I don’t need you to teach me.”

Old Qin: ”...”

Hmm...

’This... should also count as a form of harmony, right...?’

’As long as they don’t cause a scene in front of the young lady, it’s fine.’

Old Qin clasped his hands behind his back, intending to call someone to clear the dining room. But when he turned, he saw the Gray Wolf Butler standing frozen in place. His fingers were clenched, and his gaze, fixed on the direction the others had left, was filled with unconcealable concern and worry, as well as a faintly simmering unwillingness to accept the situation.

Sensing Old Qin’s gaze, Yi Nuo quickly lowered his eyes.

But Old Qin was no spring chicken; he had seen all sorts of people in his time. Just now, Yi Nuo had been so worried about Jiang Qingli that he hadn’t hidden his emotions at all, and Old Qin saw right through him.

For a moment, Old Qin was overcome with complex feelings.

Yi Nuo was a young man Xie Youchen had brought back several years ago.

At the time, Yi Nuo seemed to have suffered some major trauma on the battlefield. He was completely numb, like a robot, doing whatever he was told without any extraneous emotion...

In the first few months after he arrived, before the young lady’s accident, she would occasionally come to watch while Old Qin was teaching Yi Nuo his duties.

The young lady had always had a wonderful personality, like a little sun, bringing warmth wherever she went.

Yi Nuo would just stare at her blankly without speaking, but she didn’t mind. On the contrary, she would tell him interesting things and treat him like a friend.

The household servants were very afraid of Yi Nuo at first, but under Jiang Qingli’s influence, they gradually let down their guard, began to accept him, and got along with him well.

Jiang Qingli didn’t visit often, but perhaps due to a kind of fledgling’s imprinting, whenever she appeared, Yi Nuo’s gaze would be fixed on her, unmoving.

He wouldn’t speak, just stare. It was actually quite creepy.

Jiang Qingli wasn’t scared at all. Sometimes she would even joke, ”Yi Nuo, the way you look at me reminds me of a little puppy.”

”I am a gray wolf,” Yi Nuo would reply, seriously correcting her, enunciating every word.

Jiang Qingli would just smile. ”See? You can talk after all, my little Gray Wolf Butler.”

Later, after Jiang Qingli’s accident, Jiang Yi and several of the Beast Husbands had to leave town for missions. Most of the household staff were dismissed, but Yi Nuo, surprisingly, stayed behind.

Sometime after that, Yi Nuo was sent to protect Jiang Qingli.

Old Qin would deliver things to the Jiang family estate from time to time. During those visits, Yi Nuo acted like a normal person and didn’t constantly stare at Jiang Qingli.

But now...

The more Old Qin thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. His brow furrowed, and he asked directly, ”Yi Nuo, do you have improper thoughts about the young lady?”