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

The moment he saw the message, Ye Linyuan’s brow furrowed even tighter.

’None of the five Beast Husbands would ever call her that.’

And yet, not long ago, he had heard Xie Youchen call Jiang Qingli that over the surveillance feed.

But...

Ye Linyuan raised an eyebrow, typed out a reply, and switched off his terminal.

The sound of dripping liquid came from behind him.

Besides Ye Linyuan, two other people were in the dimly lit room.

The sinister-looking young man glanced up. The man standing in the corner immediately reported with utmost respect, ”City Lord, Ying Wang still refuses to talk...”

As the man spoke, he glanced at the collapsed form of Ying Wang at his feet.

Ying Wang had been around since the City Lord first came to power. Many had tried to kill the City Lord and usurp his position, but Ying Wang had always remained loyal, serving in a place as crucial as the Twelve Cities.

He hadn’t even wavered when the old City Lord tried to poach him a few months ago.

But now he had actually defied the City Lord’s will to go after Jiang Qingli!

The City Lord had thrown the man over to him for interrogation, but even after being beaten to a bloody pulp, Ying Wang refused to say anything.

The man was truly at a loss.

Ye Linyuan coldly uttered a single letter: ”Y.”

The blood-soaked, mangled figure on the floor suddenly widened its eyes.

A chilling understanding flashed in his golden, slitted pupils.

Ye Linyuan lifted a finger.

A thick black mist lunged at Ying Wang, enveloping him. It dispersed a few seconds later, leaving Ying Wang lifeless.

The man standing to the side shivered violently.

’I’d long heard the City Lord’s Superpower was strange, but I never imagined I wouldn’t even be able to make out a single move from this close!’

’No wonder the old City Lord and the others used to call him a monster...’

”Clean it up.”

A cold, sharp voice sounded from overhead.

The man agreed profusely. By the time he looked up again, Ye Linyuan had already vanished.

He looked out the window and could just faintly make out a cloud of black mist flying away at a speed nearly impossible to track with the naked eye.

’The direction... seemed to be deep into the forest.’

-

The evening glow of sunset was already painting the sky when Jiang Qingli woke again.

Sleepiness still clung to her, and she struggled to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt as if they were glued shut; after a long moment, she only managed to pry them open a crack, her lashes trembling uncontrollably.

A soft chuckle came from beside her.

”What are you laughing at...” Jiang Qingli mumbled, turning over to face away from Gu Nian.

Gu Nian wisely refrained from cooing about how ”cute” she was. Suppressing his laughter, he said, ”I’ll go get you some clothes. What would you like to wear?”

”Something comfortable is fine,” Jiang Qingli said. ”I have to go see Yi Nuo later, and then write a mission report... also, I need to check on Que Feiling’s condition. I wonder if they’ve developed an antidote yet.”

”Why do you have so many things to do?” Gu Nian muttered, helping Jiang Qingli sit up. ”You do so much for the Empire every single day. They should just make you the Emperor.”

”Nonsense.”

Jiang Qingli raised her hand, and Gu Nian expertly guided his own face into her palm, letting her give his cheek a couple of squeezes.

Gu Nian absolutely loved it when Jiang Qingli got physical with him, so happy he was practically seeing pink bubbles.

He leaned in to give Jiang Qingli a quick kiss on the cheek, then darted away before she could raise her hand again, heading to the walk-in closet to grab a simple T-shirt and skirt.

He held them up for her to see, continuing, ”If you were the Emperor, the entire Empire would be unbelievably happy.”

Gu Nian said it with such seriousness, as if he could really find a way to make her Emperor if she just agreed.

Jiang Qingli took it as a joke and gave a lazy yawn. ”If I were the Emperor, the number of Beast Husbands in my harem would be out of control.”

”Let me think... our current Emperor, His Majesty, has a relatively small court with only sixteen Beast Husbands. The previous Emperor had over thirty, and before him... mmm...”

Before she could finish, Gu Nian covered her mouth.

”Let’s get you dressed.” He had her lift her arms and slipped the T-shirt over her head.

Once dressed, Jiang Qingli was completely awake.

Catching the faint aroma of food, Jiang Qingli asked, ”Did you cook?”

Gu Nian led her to the dining table and sat her down. He took out dishes from a nearby insulated container, setting them on the table with a shy smile. ”While you were sleeping, I went home and made a little something. I was short on time, so it’s a bit simple. Please, have a taste.”

As he spoke, he laid out one, two, three, four, five... a full six dishes and a soup on the table.

For Jiang Qingli, who had been subsisting on nutrient solution in the Twelve Cities, it felt like she had arrived in heaven.

She suddenly felt that the book her little rabbit was always reading, *One Thousand and Eight Gourmet Dishes Every Househusband Must Know*, was truly a wonderful book.

Having been hungry for a full day and night, Jiang Qingli couldn’t help but eat a little quickly.

Gu Nian rested his chin on his hands, watching her from the side, his heart aching.

’He mentally cursed Yi Nuo and Xie Youchen over and over again.’

’What a pair of useless fools. They can’t even provide her with the most basic care.’

’She’s already doing them a favor just by toying with them.’

Just as Gu Nian finished his internal tirade, Jiang Qingli finished eating and set down her bowl and chopsticks.

He quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her lips and sighed. ”Let me come over every day from now on, okay? Otherwise, I’ll be too worried...”

Jiang Qingli said, ”It’s fine. I’m not that fragile.”

”But you do.” Rabbit ears popped up on the boy’s head, their snowy-white fur brushing gently against the girl’s cheek. ”I’m very useful! I won’t go out. I’ll just help you cook, help you organize your clothes, and warm your bed at night...”

”...That last part is your real goal, isn’t it.” Jiang Qingli gently tugged one of his rabbit ears. ”You pervy rabbit.”

Gu Nian didn’t deny it.

Actually, he hadn’t planned on staying at first, afraid he would just get in Jiang Qingli’s way.

But the moment he recalled the provocative message from Ye Linyuan that morning, he felt uneasy all over, wishing he could just stick to Jiang Qingli and never leave her side.

He subtly tried to put down the others to build himself up, attempting to persuade her. ”It’s probably because the older males here are such a handful. I’m worried about you...”

”You’re one of the biggest handfuls.”

Jiang Qingli patted his forehead and stood up to leave. ”I’m going to report on my mission. You should head back early, okay? Don’t get caught.”

-

After leaving the lounge area, Jiang Qingli went to find Yuan Liang first.

She had already written a simple report on the way, so she just had to sign and submit it when she arrived.

When Yuan Liang saw her, he rose to greet her, showering her with praise.

Jiang Qingli asked, ”Has Yi Nuo woken up?”

”He’s awake, yes... but...” Yuan Liang sighed. ”Miss Jiang, you and Yi Nuo are close. When you go see him later, please be gentle with him. I’m asking you this as a favor.”

[The way he says that, it’s like you loved him and left him,] 030 chuckled. [What’s with him? Is he so desperate to be officially part of the family that he needs the Marshal to play matchmaker for him?]

Jiang Qingli ignored 030’s usual snark, agreed to Yuan Liang’s request, and headed for the hospital.

Yi Nuo had no major physical injuries, but his mental state was shaken, requiring a three-day hospital stay for observation.

The inpatient ward was quiet.

Jiang Qingli found Yi Nuo’s room and pushed the door open.

Yi Nuo had been looking out the window at the scenery.

Hearing the sound, his back instantly went rigid, as if facing a great enemy.

As Jiang Qingli approached, he didn’t look over, keeping his head down in silence.

His posture was clearly avoidant.

”What’s wrong?” Jiang Qingli stepped forward and asked with concern, ”Does something hurt?”

Feeling her approach, Yi Nuo’s lips pressed into a thin, tight line.

Though she was right there, he held his breath, his eyelashes lowered, not daring to look at her.

He wasn’t good at hiding his emotions. Jiang Qingli softened her voice and asked again, ”What is it?”

A long silence followed.

Yi Nuo’s knuckles tightened. He finally spoke, his first words since waking up sounding utterly dejected—

”I’m sorry.”