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

The rain pattered against the clear surface of the umbrella with a dull thud.

Everything around them was soaked, leaving only the warm, dry space beneath the umbrella untouched.

Jiang Qingli could clearly feel the pulse beating beneath her palm.

The boy, who was usually as silent as a shadow, had just confessed his true feelings to her, one word at a time.

Meeting the tense emotion in Yi Nuo’s eyes, Jiang Qingli’s heart instantly softened.

At the same time, a sense of apology welled up inside her.

”I’m sorry. I didn’t ask for your opinion and just went on and on,” Jiang Qingli squeezed his hand and apologized in a low voice.

”You were only thinking of me, Miss.” Yi Nuo lowered his gaze again.

The heartbeat under her palm seemed to quicken.

Jiang Qingli raised her hand, and Yi Nuo lowered his head, allowing her fingers to brush against his hair.

She stroked it gently and asked, ”So, are you still going to participate in the capture of the Weaving Nightmare Beast?”

”I’ll do what little I can,” Yi Nuo explained. ”Marshal Yuan just contacted me again. He’s a friend of my mother’s.”

Besides, although Yi Nuo couldn’t stand Que Feiling, he had seen how much Que Feiling’s family cared for him and didn’t want to see another family fall apart.

Jiang Qingli ruffled his hair, unable to help but feel a sense of pride. ”That’s my boy. So responsible.”

The praise must have embarrassed him, because the tips of Yi Nuo’s ears turned a faint red, and he made a soft sound in his throat.

The rain gradually lessened.

Jiang Qingli asked, ”Should we head back? Or sit a little longer?”

Yi Nuo glanced at his watch and stood up. ”It’s almost lunchtime.”

”Oh, okay.”

Jiang Qingli was about to get up when he suddenly crouched in front of her, presenting his broad back and holding his hands behind him, clearly intending to carry her.

”You don’t have to,” Jiang Qingli said. ”The rain has let up. We can just walk back.”

”Miss, the rain in the Lower District is corrosive. Your sneakers have a mesh upper, so water will seep in easily.” Yi Nuo’s tone was insistent. ”It’ll be more convenient if I carry you.”

The reason was flawless, so Jiang Qingli had no choice but to climb onto his back and let him carry her home.

Yi Nuo’s hands were clenched into fists at his sides, very properly avoiding any contact with her.

He walked very slowly.

A breeze rustled the leaves on the trees overhead.

Suddenly, the tip of his ear was brushed by something soft.

Yi Nuo paused for two seconds before realizing it was a strand of Jiang Qingli’s hair.

Jiang Qingli leaned forward, seemingly wanting to say something to him but hesitating.

Yi Nuo asked, ”Is there something you want to tell me, Miss?”

The arms around his neck tightened slightly.

The girl’s voice was very soft. ”Yi Nuo, you’re important to me, too. Don’t worry, we won’t be separated in the future.”

She thought for a moment, as if feeling her words were a bit hollow and grandiose, and added a condition, ”Well... unless you get married and go live with your female master.”

”I won’t. I’ve never thought about... marrying someone else.” Yi Nuo’s voice was like a sigh, yet also a promise. ”I will only ever stay by Miss’s side.”

”As long as you still need me, Miss, I won’t leave.”

Even though she knew Yi Nuo’s feelings for her were familial, Jiang Qingli’s heart still skipped a beat.

The playful, gossipy words she had been about to say were suddenly stuck in her throat.

It seemed like something had changed.

Lying on his back, Jiang Qingli shifted the umbrella before replying slowly, ”...Then that’s up to you.”

-

No one in the military district was surprised by Yi Nuo’s decision to participate in the capture of the Weaving Nightmare Beast.

After all, back in the military academy, he had been the most outstanding cadet of his year.

The mission was scheduled for that evening.

Yi Nuo and the other participants trained for an afternoon to familiarize themselves with the basic procedures before heading to the assembly point.

Jiang Qingli went to see Yi Nuo off.

When she arrived, she saw Yuan Liang speaking into his phone with a displeased expression.

As she got closer, she vaguely heard Yuan Liang say ”Third Prince” a few times and realized he was talking to Qin Yu.

A waiting team member looked impatient and said to his companion, ”This Third Prince, she goes back on her word. She’s just messing with us on purpose!”

His companion curled his lip. ”What a coincidence, feeling unwell right as we’re about to leave? You don’t need to be a genius to figure it out. She doesn’t want to help Que Feiling. The Que family is close with the Second Prince, so rescuing him does her no good.”

”I can’t stand these people who have to connect everything to their power struggles.”

The situation was grim. Most of the High Level male Beastmen were fighting on the front lines. Furthermore, the Weaving Nightmare Beast was notoriously elusive, making the chances of capture low. As a result, not many people could be approved for this operation. Including Yi Nuo and the volunteer Lü Xin, there were only five of them.

Yuan Liang’s plan was to search in teams of two. Once the Weaving Nightmare Beast was found, they would call the others to take it down.

Originally, Qin Yu had agreed to join to make up the numbers, but when it was time to depart, she was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t until Yuan Liang called that she languidly claimed to be feeling unwell.

How could a search-and-capture mission with a low probability of success be allowed to inconvenience the health of one of the Empire’s most precious females?

Therefore, even though Yuan Liang knew she was doing it on purpose, he could only bite the bullet, apologize, and send a doctor over to look after her.

After hanging up, Yuan Liang heaved a heavy sigh.

He was about to reorganize the teams when a clear female voice sounded beside him. ”Marshal Yuan, if it’s alright, could I join you?”

Yuan Liang looked to his side and met Jiang Qingli’s earnest expression.

He was pleased at first, but then immediately waved his hand. ”No.”

Jiang Qingli asked, ”Why not?”

”Miss Jiang, I’m very grateful for your offer to help, but while the risk factor for this mission isn’t high, there’s still a chance of getting hurt.” Yuan Liang said grimly. ”You are our special consultant for this, a precious female, and... your Superpower isn’t combat-oriented. How can we let you go?”

Yi Nuo also disagreed. ”Miss, I can be a team of one.”

Amidst the chorus of objections, Qin Shu stood out. ”I, for one, agree to let Jiang Qingli go.”

She put an arm around Jiang Qingli’s shoulders and raised an eyebrow. ”Don’t you all forget, her physical fitness is excellent, she’s sharp, and she’s my successor.”

Yuan Liang put a hand to his forehead. ’When will these members of the Imperial Family ever tone down their baffling self-confidence?’

While they argued, Jiang Qingli secretly asked 030, ’The items you mentioned, are they ready?’

’This old servant has had them ready for a while!’ 030 chuckled, pulling out a huge pile of items with a RATTLE. ’This is a shield, this is a sonic attack horn... They might not be invincible, but they can block a simultaneous attack from ten S-rank combat types!’

’There’s also a teleportation item here. If you get hurt, you can instantly return to a designated location! But the range is limited to one hundred kilometers.’

With 030’s guarantee of full support, Jiang Qingli was reassured and earnestly promised she could handle it.

Besides, her Match Value with Yi Nuo was decent. If Yi Nuo encountered the Weaving Nightmare Beast, she could provide timely assistance.

Jiang Qingli’s words were reasonable and well-argued. Given the lack of manpower and Qin Shu’s complete trust in her, Yuan Liang finally nodded.

Before they left, however, he gave Jiang Qingli more than ten signal flares and went over how to use them a dozen times, telling her to set one off immediately if she was in danger. He was terrified of anything happening to her.

Before entering the forest, the group didn’t have high hopes.

But to their utter astonishment, Jiang Qingli soon came face-to-face with the legendary Weaving Nightmare Beast.