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

The apology was spoken softly.

Jiang Qingli paused, a little puzzled. ”Sorry?”

His knuckles, resting on the thin blanket, clenched so tightly they turned white.

The young man repeated himself. ”I’m sorry, Miss.”

”I have those...” He paused for a few seconds, then summarized his dreams and his secret love with two words: ”Disgusting fantasies.”

Not daring to see the condemnation in Jiang Qingli’s eyes, he kept his gaze lowered. His dark lashes cast long shadows on his pale face, making him look as if he would shatter at the slightest touch.

Jiang Qingli stepped closer and was about to speak, but Yi Nuo spoke again.

As if he had made up his mind, he said earnestly, ”I will leave the Jiang Family.”

”If you don’t wish to see me, Miss, I will disappear from your sight forever.”

”But please, Miss... at least for the duration of our time in the Twelve Cities, allow me to protect you from nearby.”

”I won’t appear in your line of sight. I won’t do anything to displease you.”

After speaking, Yi Nuo lowered his head and fell silent.

Like a condemned man awaiting his sentence.

SCRAPE—

The sound of a chair being pulled out echoed beside the bed.

Jiang Qingli sat down next to him and let out what sounded like a small laugh. ”Housekeeper Yin, you’ve thought this through quite well. And then what?”

Hearing this, Yi Nuo’s heart trembled violently.

’Is she tacitly approving my plan?’

’This is how it should be.’

’Anyone who found out their live-in housekeeper harbored improper feelings and fantasies about them would probably be disgusted.’

’I’ve been derelict in my duties.’

’The Miss didn’t let the Weaving Nightmare Beast kill me in the dream; she saved my life. That’s a testament to her kindness.’

’What more could I possibly ask for?’

’Am I supposed to take what she said to provoke the Weaving Nightmare Beast in the dream seriously?’

’The dream is over. It should all be over now.’

Yi Nuo took a deep breath and continued, ”I have some savings. It’s not much, but if you wouldn’t mind...”

Yi Nuo picked up the terminal at his side, brought up an interface, and projected the screen in front of Jiang Qingli.

030, perched on Jiang Qingli’s shoulder, craned its head over to join the fun, counting the digits. [Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands, hundred-thousands, millions, ten-millions, hundred-millions... Holy crap! My man!]

Jiang Qingli was also a little surprised.

The Jiang Family paid Yi Nuo about the same salary as Old Qin. And while Yi Nuo had received a death benefit after his parents passed away, it shouldn’t have been enough to save this much.

slapped its thigh. [Did this guy embezzle funds?!]

Jiang Qingli knew Yi Nuo better. [He refused a raise at the beginning of the year, and he helped me audit the account books honestly last time. Where would he have gotten the chance to embezzle anything?]

Noticing Jiang Qingli’s surprise and worrying she might think the money came from a dubious source, Yi Nuo explained earnestly, ”After my mother passed away, the military district provided a very large death benefit. Marshal Yuan helped me open an account and deposit most of it. I used the rest to buy some property, and I occasionally play the stock market.”

Jiang Qingli nodded and pushed the projection back toward him. ”You should keep it for yourself.”

Yi Nuo’s heart tightened, his voice laced with anxiety. ”Miss—”

”Stop.”

Jiang Qingli raised her hand and gently pressed her index finger to the center of his forehead.

It was as if a pause button had been pressed on Yi Nuo. He instantly held his breath, not daring to move an inch. He only dared to nervously turn his head and cautiously lift his eyes to look at her.

This was the first time Yi Nuo had looked at Jiang Qingli since the dream ended.

From the moment he woke up three hours ago until Jiang Qingli had stepped into the room just now, Yi Nuo had imagined their meeting countless times.

He had imagined her sneering, getting angry, or looking at him with disgust. He never imagined she would be like this—her eyebrow slightly raised, a smile playing in her eyes.

After all this time, Yi Nuo thought he understood Jiang Qingli well enough, but he realized he still couldn’t predict her thoughts or actions.

It was just like their first meeting.

Back then, when he had just arrived at the Jiang Family estate, he thought she would be like the other nobles he’d seen at the military academy—looking down on him with disdain.

But instead, she had smiled and asked for his name.

Just like that time, Yi Nuo was stunned, unsure of how he was supposed to react.

A smile tugged at Jiang Qingli’s lips.

”Why are you in such a daze?”

She said something she often used to say.

But it wasn’t an accusation; it was more like teasing.

”Yi Nuo.”

She called his name.

Then she bent down, leaned in, and looked into his eyes, saying earnestly, word by word, ”I... never said you had to leave.”

Those simple words.

Yet they struck Yi Nuo like a bolt of lightning, leaving him unable to react for a long time.

His breathing grew ragged.

’He wanted to confirm it, but he was afraid of shattering the moment.’

’But he was even more afraid she would lose her patience.’

Yi Nuo mustered his courage and looked into her eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed a few times before he managed to ask in a hoarse voice, ”Really?”

”Can I really... stay by your side, Miss?”

”Of course,” Jiang Qingli said, smiling as she ruffled his hair. ”As long as you want to, you can stay... Besides, didn’t you just tell me last time that you didn’t want to leave?”

Her words seemed to be a tacit approval.

”But...”

Yi Nuo knew he should be satisfied.

The Miss wasn’t holding his transgression against him. She was willing to let him stay with the Jiang Family, willing to even see him. This was already an immense blessing.

’But why did he still feel unsatisfied?’

The overly sweet dream had torn away the hazy veil that had existed between them.

Jiang Qingli didn’t seem to be affected.

But Yi Nuo belatedly realized that he could no longer pretend he didn’t have feelings for her.

’How were they supposed to interact from now on?’

’Staying by her side while harboring this swelling desire would only make him feel like he was despicably taking advantage of her kindness.’

Seeing his inner conflict, Jiang Qingli asked, ”But what?”

”I still have feelings for you, Miss.” Yi Nuo suddenly looked into her eyes. ”And that won’t change in the future.”

”If I stay by your side, Miss, it will be... very dangerous for you.”

Yi Nuo forced out the words, baring his own baseness for her to scrutinize and judge.

’This was not a good time or place for a confession.’

But having said it, Yi Nuo felt a great sense of relief.

He stared at Jiang Qingli’s face, not wanting to miss any flicker of emotion.

’Perhaps, after this, they would never see each other again.’

Before sadness could even surface in his heart, he saw the girl freeze, the tips of her ears flushing a faint red.

She raised a hand to her forehead, seemingly at a loss for words. She opened her mouth, but it took a moment for any sound to come out. ”You... Why are you so dense?”

Yi Nuo didn’t understand what she meant and thought he had troubled her. He said in a low voice, ”I’m sorry, Miss.”

”There’s no need to apologize.”

Jiang Qingli bit her lip, trying to explain. ”What I mean is... I don’t dislike you, but... these things have to be taken step by step... Do you understand ’step by step’?”

She muttered under her breath, ”Do I have to kiss you for you to get it?”

Yi Nuo didn’t speak.

But Jiang Qingli knew he understood.

Because his face was visibly turning redder and redder, and a pair of wolf ears uncontrollably popped out from the top of his head, their soft fur trembling in the air.

Yi Nuo’s knuckles twitched. His voice was even softer than when he had apologized. ”...I’ll listen to whatever you say, Miss.”

His lips, which had regained their color, pressed together.

He looked fragile and sickly, completely at her mercy.

’It was as if... he was really hoping she would kiss him.’

Jiang Qingli’s heart stirred, and she bent down, leaning closer.

The distance between them suddenly closed. Yi Nuo instinctively shut his eyes, his eyelashes trembling.

But before their lips could touch, the door behind her was suddenly thrown open.

A young man’s excited voice rang out, ”Miss Jiang!”

The girl jumped in shock and pitched forward—