Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Dishonest Kittens Get Teased

The window wasn’t shut tight. A strong wind, thick with muggy heat, blasted against his face.

Yuan Shimo stood silently, as if he had been transported back to a short time ago.

The dim, cold study.

He was standing before a wide, sandalwood desk.

Du Yushan sat behind the desk, trying to persuade the person on the other end of the call.

"No one could have expected the system to suddenly have an issue. It must have been those two extra Beast Husbands that caused the system to malfunction. That’s why it chose Shimo instead of Shiyao."

"...Actually, I’ve been meaning to introduce you to my older son for a while now. While Shimo’s Superpower can’t compare to his younger brother’s, he’s a truly good kid—filial, obedient, and gentle. He’s been studying how to be a good Beast Husband since he was eighteen..."

Since he could remember, this was the first time Yuan Shimo had heard his father address him so intimately.

It was also the first time he had ever heard his father praise him.

’Though, to Yuan Shimo’s ears, these words didn’t sound like praise. They sounded more like a sales pitch.’

The terminal’s screen flickered, revealing a string of encrypted symbols. The call was from the military district, and the person on the other end was high-ranking.

Yuan Shimo knew who it was. The person on the other end was Jiang Youchen—the eldest son of the Jiang Family and the older brother of his female master, Jiang Qingli, to whom he had been bound just an hour ago.

Both the Jiang Family and the Yuan Family were nobles, but the Jiangs were mostly in the military, while the Yuans came from a long line of scholars. The two families were not close.

However, three months ago, Jiang Youchen had offered the position of dean of the Political Science and Law School at the Imperial Royal Academy in exchange for the Yuan Family arranging for Yuan Shiyao to become Jiang Qingli’s Beast Husband.

In truth, calling it an "exchange" wasn’t entirely accurate.

Given Jiang Youchen’s status and position, even if he had just taken him by force, the Yuan Family would have had no room to refuse.

Jiang Qingli was known for being a "vicious female" and was also a "useless" person with no Superpower. Her future was bleak. Du Yushan was counting on Yuan Shiyao to become the next Family Head, so naturally, he was unwilling.

But he didn’t dare make an enemy of Jiang Youchen. The man was a lunatic who would even kill other nobles. Who knew what extreme measures he might take? So, Du Yushan had no choice but to agree for the time being.

Not long after, Patriarch Yuan was discovered to be pregnant.

Du Yushan, fearing the newborn would be a female, couldn’t sit still any longer.

He spent a fortune to bribe a high-level executive at the Marriage and Fertility Center to switch Yuan Shiyao’s name to Yuan Shimo on the day of the system’s assignment.

Yuan Shimo only found out about this after receiving the system notification that he had been bound.

He had been studying a newly purchased ancient text at the time and immediately used his Shadow Ability to rush back as fast as he could.

Before he could even say a word to Du Yushan, Jiang Youchen’s call came through.

Now, Du Yushan was racking his brain, rattling off every selling point he could think of for Yuan Shimo, but the person on the other end remained silent.

In the quiet room, the muffled sound of thunder could be heard from outside.

The oppressive silence caused Du Yushan’s tone to shift from initial excitement to hesitation, and finally, to meek obsequiousness.

After rambling on, Du Yushan saw that the other side was still silent. He swallowed hard and, not ready to give up, added, "...Shimo is better looking than Shiyao, and he has some minor achievements in academia. I remember you saying that Miss Jiang likes good-looking, intelligent men..."

At the mention of Jiang Qingli, there was finally a response from the other end.

A deep male voice grunted "Mm," his tone unreadable.

Du Yushan looked uneasy. Just as he was about to continue, he heard the man on the other end say, "She likes many things."

Although Jiang Youchen was young, he had held a high position since coming of age. He was perpetually indifferent, as if nothing ever fazed him.

But as he said this, he seemed to be suppressing something, revealing an indescribable strangeness in his voice.

Without another word, Jiang Youchen ended the call.

Du Yushan stared at the terminal, unsure of what Jiang Youchen had meant.

After waiting a moment and receiving no call back, he figured the man had tacitly approved.

Du Yushan relaxed and looked at his older son across from him. "Why are you back all of a sudden? Is something wrong?"

Du Yushan didn’t ask how Yuan Shimo had managed to return so quickly.

In fact, he had never cared about Yuan Shimo’s specific whereabouts, so he had no idea his son was supposed to be in the Lower District.

Yuan Shimo knew this full well and couldn’t be bothered to explain.

The young man lowered his gaze to stare at his father, his eyes dark and his thin lips pressed into a tight line. He said nothing.

It was a silent gesture of defiance and resistance.

Du Yushan waved his hand dismissively. "I didn’t expect the switch to actually work. I was just about to tell you, but then Jiang Youchen called to demand an explanation, and it got delayed."

His tone was casual. He didn’t care what his older son thought, and he knew he wouldn’t tell anyone.

Because Yuan Shimo, just like him, did not want Yuan Shiyao to find out about this.

"If you have nothing else to do, go learn some housework and cooking. You’ll be moving in with Jiang Qingli in a few days." Du Yushan leaned back in his chair, offering a placating remark. "The family has raised you all this time. You should make a contribution, shouldn’t you?"

His gaze shifted down, landing on the shadow at his feet.

Yuan Shimo’s fingers clenched into a fist, his aura turning cold and grim.

After a long silence, Du Yushan grew impatient. "What’s done is done. It’s useless no matter how much you resist. Countless people are begging for a chance to join the Jiang Family and can’t even get in!"

With a final clap of thunder, the rain began to beat relentlessly against the glass, creating a harsh, deafening noise.

Yuan Shimo’s thoughts snapped back to the present. His blurred vision cleared, refocusing on the back of the figure under the light.

From the other end of the phone, his younger brother’s ragged breathing, laced with anger and indignation, echoed in his ear.

Yuan Shimo gazed at the slender figure and spoke slowly, "So what?"

He enunciated each word in an exceedingly cold voice, "What’s done is done."

"Even if you expose this now, it will only become fodder for the gossip rags. It won’t change a single fact."

"Ah Yao, I’ve told you before."

"She is your sister-in-law. She is now, and she always will be."

On the other end, Yuan Shiyao was silent for a long time.

His breaths were filled with indignation, vexation, and regret...

But in the end, it all dissolved into a dejected sigh. "...I understand."

Yuan Shimo hung up the phone and walked toward the figure.

But when he was just a few inches behind her, he suddenly stopped.

A moment ago, in front of his own brother, he had issued a cold warning.

Now, standing behind Jiang Qingli, he felt a flicker of cowardice.

’He couldn’t help but think of the rumors about how she used to pursue Yuan Shiyao.’

’Bringing him breakfast, picking him up from school, even running to the bathroom to sneak a peek at him...’

Because he wasn’t allowed to make public appearances, Yuan Shimo rarely attended gatherings and had only ever seen the Jiang Qingli of the past from a distance.

Back then, when he heard the rumors and listened to Yuan Shiyao complain about how clingy she was and how she didn’t act like a noble, he had simply laughed it off.

But now, he couldn’t stop himself from wondering—

’Had she too wished that her marriage partner was Yuan Shiyao, not him?’

’Compared to his brilliant, dazzling brother, he always seemed to be an unnoticed shadow...’

’No one would ever choose him over his brother.’

Outside, the rain poured in sheets, but the temperature indoors was comfortable.

But amidst his chaotic thoughts, Yuan Shimo felt a piercing, needle-like chill.

A drop of water rolled off the tip of his hair and hit the floor, sending up a tiny splash.

He looked down at the damp spot on the carpet, his long lashes lowered.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle touch on the ends of his hair.

A girl’s voice, full of curiosity and concern, rang out, "Why is your hair wet? Didn’t you dry it?"

Without waiting for his reply, Jiang Qingli, wearing fuzzy slippers, padded to the bathroom to get a towel and a hairdryer, then came to stand before him.

"Let me dry your hair for you." Jiang Qingli pointed to the seat she had just been in. "Sit there."

Yuan Shimo lowered his gaze and reflexively refused. "Thank you, female master. I can do it myself."

Not wanting to be a bother, he reached for the items in her hands.

The girl didn’t let go. Instead, she blinked and said, "You actually want me to help you, don’t you?"

Yuan Shimo froze.

As he watched with a nervous and confused expression, the girl’s pretty eyes curved into a smile. She stood on her tiptoes to pat his head, her voice cheerful.

"Otherwise... why did your cat ears pop out when I suggested it?"

"Teacher Kitty, you’re not being honest at all."

Yuan Shimo’s head snapped up to look at her, the snow-white cat ears atop his head trembling slightly.

Meeting her smiling, star-like eyes, the young man was instantly at a loss for words.

’His heart hammered out of rhythm, no longer his own.’