Jiang Qingli stopped in her tracks, looking over in surprise.

She hadn’t expected the high and mighty Prince to actually apologize to her.

But when his past actions flashed through her mind, Jiang Qingli let out a sharp huff. She crossed her arms and turned her face away from him. "What exactly are you sorry for?"

Qin Muye had been miserable from her ignoring him all morning.

Forgetting there were others around, he took a step forward and spoke urgently, "I—I won’t be so forceful anymore. I promise, from now on, whatever you ask me to do, I’ll—MMMPH—"

Before he could finish, Jiang Qingli reached out and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Wh-what are you talking about!"

A blush instantly spread across her face. She raised her voice, glancing nervously at Yi Nuo, who was standing by the car.

The Gray Wolf Butler stood expressionlessly beside the driver’s seat.

Hearing Qin Muye’s outrageous words, he didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow. He remained standing there with his gaze lowered, as expressionless as a silent statue.

But the thought that he had been sent by Jiang Youchen made Jiang Qingli inexplicably nervous.

’He won’t tell Jiang Youchen about this, will he...?’

’Wait, why am I even worried about this?’

’Even if Jiang Youchen has a sister complex, he shouldn’t have any say in my marriage, right? Qin Muye and I are legally bound!’

’Forget just spending the night together; Jiang Youchen wouldn’t have a say even if we had a few kids.’

’I must be traumatized by that villain... ’

In the few seconds Jiang Qingli was lost in thought, her hand was grasped again.

She snapped out of it to see Qin Muye frowning with a wronged expression, his covered lips nuzzling pitifully against her palm.

"Forgive me...?" he mumbled indistinctly.

His handsome face, usually so cold and fierce that the media had speculated he would be a "tyrannical husband," now looked pitifully cautious.

Jiang Qingli sighed. "Let’s talk in the car."

There seemed to be some sort of celebration in a few months, and drones were constantly filming live footage overhead, making it more convenient to drive on the ground.

The car’s interior was narrower than a flyer’s, so Qin Muye naturally took the opportunity to pull her into his lap.

But he didn’t dare to overstep, merely hanging his head like a child ready to be scolded.

Jiang Qingli raised the privacy partition and tugged his ear. "Don’t you dare say things like that in front of Yi Nuo again."

Having spent so much time in the Imperial Palace, Qin Muye was long accustomed to having droves of servants around. Seeing the serious expression on her face, he nodded quickly. "It will never happen again."

"And another thing..."

Jiang Qingli pressed her lips together, the tips of her ears turning red. "Next time... I... It’s just..."

She hemmed and hawed for a moment, having no idea how to bring up such a topic in broad daylight.

Of all people, Qin Muye wasn’t like Baili Jing or Ye Linyuan, who could understand her meaning in an instant.

He truly didn’t understand a thing. After racking his brain, he cautiously asked, "Did I knock your teeth?"

Jiang Qingli: "..."

Jiang Qingli felt her face growing hotter and hotter. She mumbled sullenly, "...N-no."

"Then why did you cry, and curse at me, and tell me to stop? And when I did stop, you got angry, and then this morning you wouldn’t even talk to me..." Qin Muye frowned, looking utterly dejected.

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’Does this man even know what shyness is?’

’And besides, how was I supposed to know that if I yelled for him to stop, he actually wouldn’t dare to do anything else?’

’He just hovered over me nervously, asking again and again what was wrong.’

’The mood was completely killed. I tried to stop him, but he insisted on turning on the light to check if he’d hurt me.’

’I really had to hand it to him. I could only go along with it, and then we somehow ended up dazedly taking a shower and going to sleep.’

’And then he got another nosebleed in the shower...’

Waking up this morning, the more Jiang Qingli thought about it, the angrier she became. She wanted to give him a few pointers, but he was acting like a total blockhead.

’Clueless mutt.’

Jiang Qingli said, displeased, "Ears."

Qin Muye didn’t dare make a sound as ears popped out on top of his head.

Grabbing his fluffy ears, Jiang Qingli’s mood improved slightly. "Next time, let’s watch that treasured collection Yueyue gave me. We can study up together."

Qin Muye had no idea what she was talking about, but from her tone, she didn’t seem to be angry anymore, so he leaned in, fishing for a kiss.

Their breaths mingled in the cramped space.

His senses were filled with her sweet, soft scent, and Qin Muye thought with no small amount of regret, ’If only tonight could be mine too...’

’A pity that annoying stray cat had to compete with him for it.’

-

"Yuan Shimo?"

A knock on the desk brought Yuan Shimo back to his senses. He looked up at the middle-aged male before him—his father, Du Yushan.

Du Yushan leaned back in his chair, his face devoid of expression. "Then repeat it for me. What did I just ask you?"

Yuan Shimo lowered his eyes, his posture respectful. "I have been in the study for eleven minutes. Father asked about my studies and my relationship with my mentor, and I answered each question. Just now, Father asked me about the state of my recent relationship with my female master."

’Or rather, that last question was the only one his father truly wanted to ask.’

Du Yushan nodded. "Correct. Have you been serving her well?"

Displeasure flashed in Yuan Shimo’s eyes. He clearly disliked the phrasing, but he was used to it. He still answered, "I have."

"’I have’—what is that supposed to mean?" Du Yushan frowned in dissatisfaction. "Has she spent the night with you recently? Did you put what you learned to good use? Also, has she contacted Jiang Youchen lately? How is their relationship?"

Jiang Youchen hadn’t returned to the First District in several years, and no one knew what his current relationship with the Jiang Family was like.

Du Yushan asked question after question, but what he really wanted to know was whether this tool of his, this marriage alliance, had served its purpose.

’I’ve heard this speech so many times my ears have grown calluses,’ Yuan Shimo thought with utter boredom. ’The family must be so disappointed I wasn’t born a female. Then they could have tied me directly to Jiang Youchen, instead of having to go through his sister.’

At his father’s insistence, Yuan Shimo only answered the last question. "My female master has not contacted Jiang Youchen. I do not know the state of their relationship."

Hearing this, Du Yushan slammed his palm on the mahogany desk. "Idiot! Can’t you act as a go-between for them?!"

"They grew up together, how bad could their relationship possibly be? All you have to do is mediate between them, whisper a few things in her ear during pillow talk, and that’s that!"

Du Yushan stood up and walked closer, anxiety marring his perfectly maintained face. "Have all those books you read turned you into an idiot? The one in your mother’s belly is already five months along! If it’s a female, and it inherits your mother’s Superpower, what will happen to your younger brother?!"

Birth rates are low these days, and the Yuan Family had only produced a single heir for many generations. When Patriarch Yuan was found to be pregnant with twins twenty years ago, the entire family was jubilant.

Unfortunately, not only were they both males, but neither of them pleased the Family Head.

But when one son was later discovered to have the potential for an S Level Superpower, Du Yushan’s own status rose with his son’s, soaring to new heights.

Now that Patriarch Yuan was pregnant again, Du Yushan couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Yuan Shimo lowered his eyes. "I understand."

He turned to leave, but he heard Du Yushan ask discontentedly from behind, "By the way, your younger brother has been getting very close to that Jiang Qingli recently. Did you know?"

Yuan Shimo’s fingers stiffened. He said in a low voice, "I don’t understand what you mean, Father."

"Don’t play dumb." Du Yushan stared at him. "Is she having one of her little crushes again? She used to be obsessed with pestering Shiyao. You look identical to your brother, so why couldn’t you hold on to her? Why did you let her go back to him?"

"She may have had a second awakening, but how high can her Superpower Level be? Without the Jiang Family, she’s nothing. A person like that will only ruin your brother’s future—"

Yuan Shimo took a deep breath, interrupting his father for the first time. "She’s not."

He stared at Du Yushan, his jade-green eyes filled with a chilling cold.

For a fleeting moment, Du Yushan felt a cold, sharp intent.

He glanced down and saw the shadow at his feet twitching uncontrollably, as if it might spring up and devour him at any second.

"Yuan Shimo!" Du Yushan raised his voice, his face a mixture of disgust and fear. "How many times have I told you? You are forbidden from using that disgusting Superpower of yours! If the Jiang family finds out—"

"I’m leaving."

Yuan Shimo pushed the door open and left.

He had only taken a few steps from the study when he nearly collided with someone at the corner.

Yuan Shimo looked up and saw a face identical to his own.