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

“How am I supposed to ‘manage’ you…?”

Jiang Qingli sat up, wrapping her arms around Xie Youchen’s shoulders.

She looked down at him, her gaze raking over every inch of his skin as the index finger of her other hand traced down his jawline.

Feeling the man’s Adam’s apple bob, she curved her lips into a smile and whispered, “I want to lock my dear brother in a gilded cage, so he can only see me every day. He’ll be used by me and still have to give himself to me, doing whatever I say… How does that sound?”

Her sweet breath was inches away. Her cool fingers slid slowly over his skin, and her deliberately softened breaths caressed his earlobe and cheek, carrying a dizzying scent.

Xie Youchen tensed instantly.

Jiang Qingli squinted at him for a few seconds, her lips slightly parted as she tilted her head up and leaned in.

The man’s fingers, resting on her waist, instinctively tightened, pulling her closer in response.

The second before their lips touched, Jiang Qingli couldn’t hold it in anymore and collapsed into his arms, laughing.

The girl’s soft, dark hair fanned out across his arm. It tickled him as it shifted with her trembling laughter.

Xie Youchen held her arm to keep her from sliding off him. His deep, magnetic voice was tinged with helplessness, but more so with affection. “Having fun?”

“So much fun.” She stopped laughing and looked up at him, her eyes still curved into crescents. She teased him deliberately, “To think Marshal Xie is into this sort of thing. You react the moment I mention it. How scary…”

‘I’m really starting to enjoy teasing him.’

Xie Youchen gently rubbed her earlobe, careful not to use any force. “What short videos have you been watching now?”

“One Yueyue shared with me. It’s called *The Sickly Female Master’s Forceful Love: No Escape for the Stand-in*.” Jiang Qingli was a little embarrassed as she said the title. “Have you seen it? The plot is actually not bad. The actor who plays the stand-in…”

Before she could finish, Xie Youchen pressed his thumb against her lower lip, rubbing it gently. Before she could react, he cupped her face, tilted his head, and captured the bow of her lip, silencing any further talk of other men.

…

Before coming to see Xie Youchen, Jiang Qingli had worked around the clock for three days and was physically and mentally exhausted.

Now, nestled in his arms, being gently caressed and kissed, her exhaustion gradually melted away amidst the tender intimacy, replaced by a warm sense of peace.

Drowsiness washed over her, and Jiang Qingli fell into a comfortable sleep nestled in Xie Youchen’s embrace.

When she woke up, it was already past eight in the evening.

The night was hazy, and the scene inside the room was reflected on the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Jiang Qingli could clearly see her own reflection, her head pillowed on Xie Youchen’s lap. The young man was looking at a screen filled with text, but his peripheral vision was focused on her, his left hand gently patting her back.

She blinked, thinking the scene looked like he was soothing a child, and couldn’t help but smile.

Xie Youchen finished the last page of the document, marked his edits, and pushed the screen away. He looked down at Jiang Qingli. “You’re awake?”

Jiang Qingli nodded. When she lifted her chin, he reached out to support it, his long fingers straightening her hair.

Xie Youchen asked, “Want to sleep a little longer or get some dinner?”

Jiang Qingli thought for a moment. “Dinner.”

Xie Youchen: “What do you want to eat?”

Jiang Qingli said, “Yueyue recommended a restaurant. Let’s eat there. We can make it a date.”

“Alright.”

Xie Youchen lowered his head and sent the restaurant’s name to the new butler, adding a detailed and practiced list of her dietary restrictions.

Jiang Qingli couldn’t help but laugh again. “I was just thinking it while you were holding me as I slept. Xie Youchen, you’re becoming more and more like a husband.”

It was an offhand tease.

After saying it, Jiang Qingli went to the walk-in closet to change.

She didn’t notice that the young man behind her had paused, his fingers typing the wrong word. He calmly deleted it and typed again, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.

…

Jiang Qingli changed into a long dress and was about to walk to the mirror to take a look when she looked up and saw Xie Youchen pushing open the closet door.

“How do I look?” Jiang Qingli twirled in front of him, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

“Beautiful.”

Xie Youchen didn’t hold back his praise. He walked up behind her, lowered his gaze, and carefully tied the sash of her dress.

His long, lightly calloused fingers hooked the soft silk ribbon, folding, weaving, tightening, and arranging it…

Methodical and focused.

Jiang Qingli shamelessly enjoyed his service. When he finished, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging off him as she praised him with a grin, “Darling, you’re so domestic.”

Xie Youchen pinched her cheek and carried her downstairs.

…

Xie Youchen drove on the way back from their date.

Jiang Qingli sat in the passenger seat. She rolled down the window and leaned back against the headrest, letting the wind blow on her face.

The wind, mixed with a fine spring rain, felt cool against her skin.

Jiang Qingli squinted her eyes in comfort.

Halfway there, the rain started to fall harder. The window was rolled up, and Xie Youchen said, “Don’t let the wind blow on you for too long. You’ll catch a cold.”

“I know, I know.” Jiang Qingli gave him a nickname, “Mr. Hubby.”

Xie Youchen: “…”

‘It’s not wrong, I suppose.’

‘I am Ah Li’s brother, and I am also Ah Li’s husband.’

Jiang Qingli still had work to do, so after spending a day at the Xie Family’s home, she returned to the Jiang Family’s.

Although she had given Xie Youchen full authority to handle the wedding, she was still very curious. She tried to probe for details several times, but Xie Youchen would only smile without saying a word, remaining completely tight-lipped.

Moreover, the people under Xie Youchen’s command were impeccably discreet. Every time Jiang Qingli asked Chen Mi, he would either say something like, “You’ll definitely love the wedding dress; it’s in your favorite color scheme,” or remark that the scenery was beautiful and the view was excellent… It was all just useless fluff that amounted to saying nothing at all.

After a few fruitless attempts, Jiang Qingli gave up.

Who else could she blame? She was the one who’d told Xie Youchen to prepare everything from the start. She had to commit to being the hands-off boss, whether she liked it or not.

After that, Jiang Qingli stopped asking.

Time flew by amidst her busy schedule, and soon it was the day before the wedding.

Jiang Qingli finished her work and was walking downstairs while on the phone with Lin Xiyue. As she passed a window, she glanced down and froze.

Lin Xiyue asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re getting wedding jitters?”

Jiang Qingli laughed. “It’s not that dramatic. I just saw Xie Youchen’s car. I didn’t expect him to get off work so early. I thought his meeting would last until tonight.”

“The wedding is tomorrow! Of course he has to postpone any meetings!” Lin Xiyue was even more excited than she was. “Besides, he even rearranged his schedule!”

In this round’s lottery, the day before the wedding was scheduled for Qin Muye, the wedding day itself was empty, and the day after was for Baili Jing.

Xie Youchen had switched his time with Qin Muye. Baili Jing, on the other hand, had said he had work and couldn’t return to the First District anyway, magnanimously stating there was no need to switch. However, at Xie Youchen’s insistence, they switched as well.

Lin Xiyue had a good long laugh over this schedule rearrangement.

The two chatted for a few more moments. By the time Jiang Qingli reached the car, she had just hung up with Lin Xiyue when she got another call from a subordinate. She slipped into the passenger seat while still on the phone.

After hanging up, Jiang Qingli finally noticed that Xie Youchen was wearing an exceptionally formal suit, and the road they were on didn’t lead to the Xie Family’s home.

She found it a bit strange. “Where are we going?”

Xie Youchen stared at the traffic ahead, his fingers tightening and relaxing on the steering wheel in a barely perceptible show of nervousness.

“To the wedding venue,” he said in a low voice, his gaze falling to the ring on his ring finger.