Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Teach Me Tonight

The sound of the rain outside was as restless as the frantic beating of his heart.

Yuan Shimo was quite accomplished academically, but he was no mere bookworm. His presentation skills at seminars were often praised.

But right now, faced with the girl’s soft question, it was as if he’d suddenly lost his eloquent tongue, unsure how to respond.

All he could do was let her pull him down into a seat and gently dry the water from his hair with a soft towel.

The ears hidden beneath his bangs were so red they could have bled.

The atmosphere was exceedingly quiet, but it lacked the strained awkwardness of their initial encounters.

Without realizing it, the distance between them had closed significantly.

As Jiang Qingli was drying his hair, she suddenly asked, curious, "By the way, can your shadow help you blow-dry your hair?"

She was standing behind Yuan Shimo, and as she spoke, she leaned down slightly to ask the question by his ear.

The girl’s warm breath tickled the base of his ear, and her unique, sweet scent instantly enveloped Yuan Shimo.

The white fur on his head stood on end. He could almost imagine those beautiful crimson lips opening and closing, so close to his skin...

The young man’s turquoise eyes constricted. His thin lips, which had been pressed tightly together just a moment ago, unconsciously parted, as if he wanted to do something.

His breathing grew heavy. Yuan Shimo snapped back to his senses and said in a very slow voice, "It can."

Yuan Shimo lowered his gaze to the shadow at his feet.

The dark shadow rose, picked up the hairdryer sitting to the side, and showed it to Jiang Qingli.

Jiang Qingli was even more envious now. "That’s amazing. What other surprises do you have that I don’t know about?"

Beside her, Yuan Shimo had been observing her expression the entire time.

Seeing that she didn’t seem repulsed, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It can also do this."

As Yuan Shimo’s words fell, the shadow put down the hairdryer, transformed into a translucent white kitten, and leaped gracefully onto Jiang Qingli’s shoulder, nuzzling its head against her cheek.

This little cat looked a lot like Yuan Shimo’s Spiritual Body. Jiang Qingli thought it was adorable and was about to pet it, but the kitten suddenly leaned in and licked her lips.

Jiang Qingli’s eyes widened in surprise.

Yuan Shimo’s finger twitched, and the kitten vanished with a WHOOSH, turning back into the shadow at his feet.

Although the shadow had solidified, its touch was incredibly light.

Jiang Qingli touched her lips, finding the sensation magical.

Looking up, she saw Yuan Shimo watching her nervously and couldn’t help but laugh. "I was just a little surprised. I know you didn’t do it on purpose."

’Yuan Shimo is weak and often sick, so his actual Superpower Level probably isn’t very high. It’s normal for him to lose control.’

Jiang Qingli put away the towel and picked up the hairdryer to dry Yuan Shimo’s hair.

The girl’s slender fingers ran through his hair with gentle movements.

The warm air drifted across his cheeks, causing Yuan Shimo, who hated getting his hair dried, to narrow his turquoise eyes slightly, like a contented kitten being petted.

After his hair was dry, Jiang Qingli sat back down at the desk to read her textbook.

Yuan Shimo sat beside her, lost in thought as he recalled the call with his twin brother.

Ever since he could remember, Du Yushan’s attitude toward him and Yuan Shiyao had been completely different.

Because of this favoritism, the servants at home followed suit and treated him poorly as well.

’I should hate my younger brother.’

But when the servants spoke ill of him, Yuan Shiyao would stand up for him. When their father publicly berated him, Yuan Shiyao would speak on his behalf. When he was too sick to attend a seminar, Yuan Shiyao would disguise himself as him, attend in his place, and record the important parts...

They were twins, connected by one umbilical cord, sharing the same face—inseparable twins.

Even if Yuan Shimo deliberately avoided it, he knew that the person who understood him best in this world was Yuan Shiyao, and vice versa.

Growing up, he had never hesitated to share anything precious he had with his brother.

’But now—’

His fingers under the table accidentally brushed against the back of the girl’s hand beside him, interrupting his thoughts.

He froze, about to pull away, but she took his hand without a second thought.

It was like a natural, affectionate reaction.

Jiang Qingli asked softly, "What’s wrong? Your fingers are so cold."

"Probably because of the rain." Yuan Shimo’s lips curved slightly. "Your hand is very warm."

"Right? Yueyue and the others always say I have good circulation and a strong constitution." Jiang Qingli raised an eyebrow, a little smug, and rubbed his hand between hers. "Let me warm you up."

Under the warm light, every strand of her hair seemed to glow with warmth.

The young man’s gaze softened, his eyes surging with deep emotion and possessiveness.

’Her gazes, her touches, her smiles... I want to possess everything about her.’

’Not even for my brother. I won’t back down.’

Outside, the rain gradually stopped. The dark clouds dispersed, revealing a dreamlike, pink-and-purple sunset.

There was a knock at the door, and Yi Nuo’s voice followed. "Miss, dinner is ready."

Jiang Qingli answered and led Yuan Shimo downstairs by the hand.

The dining room was brightly lit. The new tablecloth had a pretty, cute lace trim—a style Jiang Qingli liked.

Qin Muye, who had just returned from the palace, walked into the dining room and saw Gu Nian sitting alone at the table.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

’Looks like that rabbit spirit didn’t seduce Jiang Qingli while I was gone.’

But the next second, his brow furrowed tightly.

’If Gu Nian is sitting here, then who’s with Jiang Qingli?’

Frowning, Qin Muye spoke coldly, "Hey, is Baili Jing back?"

"No." A cold glint flashed in Gu Nian’s eyes. "Yuan Shimo is upstairs reading with Sister."

"Why aren’t you joining the fun?" Qin Muye sat in the seat farthest from Gu Nian, gloating. "Can’t you read?"

Gu Nian was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with a milky-blue, academy-style sweater over it. He looked very well-behaved, but his tone was sarcastic. "If the Prince is curious about my level of education, you can go look up my entrance exam scores."

"But I wonder, do you even know what an ’A’ means?"

Qin Muye’s brow tightened. He was about to retort when he heard the sound of leather shoes on the floor.

He couldn’t be bothered to bicker with this rabbit, his gaze fixed intently on the doorway.

Soon, the girl’s figure appeared in his line of sight.

Jiang Qingli sat in the middle, with Yuan Shimo at her side.

Qin Muye was about to get up and go over when he saw the rabbit, who had been looking so hostile just a moment ago, quickly occupy the other spot next to her.

"Sister~" The boy blinked his pink eyes. "I made several dishes today, Sister. You have to try them!"

’What dishes did this thing learn to make now?’

Qin Muye gritted his teeth, pulled out the chair opposite Jiang Qingli, and sat down, eating his dinner in sullen silence.

After dinner, Gu Nian followed Jiang Qingli like a little tail, and Yuan Shimo, losing his usual tact, also followed her at a leisurely pace.

It wasn’t until Jiang Qingli had escorted them to the third floor and pushed them into their rooms that things quieted down.

She hurried up the next flight of stairs, only to find Qin Muye lying in wait for her at the landing.

The silver-haired young man was wearing a simple t-shirt today, which made him look more approachable than his usual trendy clothes, though the dozen or so silver studs in his ear reflected a cold light.

He grabbed the girl’s wrist, pinned her against the hallway wall, and stared at her with his gray-blue eyes.

His overly intense gaze made Jiang Qingli want to look away.

"My etiquette exam today... I got a 79."

Qin Muye blurted out, looking down, a little embarrassed.

He quickly added, "I didn’t do anything wrong. The instructor said if he gave me too high a score, I’d get arrogant."

’Aren’t you already proudly begging for a reward right now?’

Jiang Qingli couldn’t help but laugh to herself.

’But a good little puppy deserves a reward.’

She raised a hand to pat his head and praised him aloud, "That’s amazing. What kind of reward do you want?"

’A reward...’

Qin Muye stared at the glistening curve of the girl’s upper lip, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

"Last time, you said you’d teach me more..."

His voice was hoarse, and he couldn’t help but swallow.

As he spoke, he impatiently tilted her chin up and lowered his head to press his lips against hers. "Teach me tonight—"

"Pardon me, Muye."

A gentle voice interrupted Qin Muye’s words.

As footsteps approached, a handsome, gentle face appeared in the dim yellow light.

Baili Jing took Jiang Qingli’s hand and said with a smile:

"Xiao Li already has plans with me. Tonight is our time."