Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Why Did You Stop Petting?

Qin Muye was 1.89 meters tall, but he bent down to be eye-level with the girl who was over twenty centimeters shorter than him.

His brows were furrowed, and his gray-blue eyes held none of the annoyance or anger from their first meeting, but rather a faint unease.

It was the same expression a large dog makes after doing something wrong, afraid its owner will hate it.

For some reason, Jiang Qingli felt he was a lot like the docile little snow leopard from the spiritual world, and she couldn’t resist reaching out to pat his head.

This Prince might seem arrogant on the surface, but his hair was soft and felt wonderful to the touch.

Jiang Qingli couldn’t resist stroking his hair again. "Her who?" she asked.

Qin Muye looked instantly guilty and avoided her gaze. "...Bai Yiyi."

The air grew suspiciously still for a few seconds.

Jiang Qingli paused, a hint of confusion in her voice. "What happened between you and her?"

"Nothing happened!" The question stung Qin Muye, sending him into a panic. His voice rose without him realizing it. "That day, she tricked a servant by saying she needed to apologize to me—that’s how she got into my chambers! We exchanged fewer than ten sentences before I kicked her out!"

After he finished speaking, Jiang Qingli was silent for several seconds.

Qin Muye’s irritation only intensified. His heart felt like a stone plunging into the depths of the ocean.

He suddenly remembered something that happened when he was five.

Back then, Qin Muye had just been adopted by his foster father. When the shopkeeper next door lost some food, they grabbed him and threatened to chop off his hands.

He struggled and cried that he didn’t do it, but no one believed him.

Later, his foster father rushed over, paid the shop owner back, and rescued him.

Qin Muye followed behind his foster father, whispering that he hadn’t done it. But his foster father just smiled and said it was okay, that "our little Muye will be better in the future."

In that moment, Qin Muye realized that explanations were useless.

Everyone thought he was a bastard with a rotten nature.

No one would ever believe him.

After so many years, Qin Muye had actually gotten used to it. He never bothered to clarify any rumors or scandals.

He’d always felt he didn’t need to be understood.

He didn’t care if people cursed him; he had long since built an impenetrable, invisible shell to withstand all the insults.

But perhaps it was because she had seen his sordid past firsthand, yet never questioned him, and her attitude toward him never changed.

In front of Jiang Qingli, the defenses Qin Muye was so proud of were starting to crack.

Qin Muye grabbed her wrist and asked through clenched teeth, "You don’t believe me?"

He unconsciously held his breath, staring at the face he’d been thinking of for days. His gray-blue eyes held a tension and a sense of being wronged that even he hadn’t noticed.

Suddenly, her other hand patted the top of his head.

"I believe you." Jiang Qingli ruffled his hair, offering her reason before he could even ask. "I know you’re a good kid."

’An idiot like Qin Muye wore his heart on his sleeve; he couldn’t hide anything.’

’Besides, in that memory of his, she had seen with her own eyes how he’d rummaged through trash heaps.’

’He was starving and rail-thin, but he never stole or robbed.’

Feeling her gaze soften on him, Qin Muye’s face grew hot. "What’s all this about a ’good kid’? You... watch your wording!"

His voice trailed off toward the end.

His handsome face was so red it looked like it could bleed.

Jiang Qingli tactfully changed the subject. "By the way, what did Bai Yiyi want? When did she come looking for you?"

"I don’t know what she wanted. I ignored her and told her to get lost." Qin Muye hesitated. "It was a few days ago, when I video-called you... You didn’t hear anything?"

Jiang Qingli thought for a moment and finally recalled hearing a soft female voice on Qin Muye’s end right before the video call was disconnected that day.

"Oh, so that’s what you were talking about," Jiang Qingli explained. "I didn’t actually see her. I just heard her call you ’Prince,’ so I thought it was a servant..."

’Besides, Baili Jing had pounced on her right after the call, so she had no time to dwell on it...’

’She hadn’t expected Qin Muye to remember that she’d said she disliked Bai Yiyi and go out of his way to explain.’

Jiang Qingli’s heart softened.

Beside her, however, Qin Muye’s mood—which had just gone from stormy to clear—instantly turned overcast again.

’Fuck.’

’He’d been tossing and turning with worry for two or three days, and it was all for nothing.’

’She didn’t even remember!’

’And he’d finally managed to get out, but Jiang Qingli didn’t even ask what he’d been doing inside.’

’It was like they were strangers...’

Jiang Qingli’s terminal beeped a few times. She glanced down. "Professor Lin from my spiritual power theory class just sent me a message. I need to reply."

Qin Muye grunted in acknowledgement, but his gray-blue eyes remained fixed on her.

The arrogant Prince had completely forgotten how, not long ago, he’d been so resistant to his female master that he had specifically stipulated non-interference in their contract.

’His mind was filled with the gloomy thought, ’Why doesn’t she care about me at all?’’

’And... why did she stop petting me?’

After replying to the message, Jiang Qingli looked up and found Qin Muye staring at her hand.

"What is it?" Jiang Qingli asked.

Qin Muye’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He looked away, his tone stubbornly casual. "Nothing. When is that spiritual power class of yours?"

"This afternoon, there’s a basic..."

Jiang Qingli trailed off, her words stopping abruptly.

Because she saw a pair of fluffy snow leopard ears pop up on Qin Muye’s head. They twitched, as if greeting her.

"Basic what?" Qin Muye turned his head. The moment the words left his mouth, he saw Jiang Qingli reaching for him.

The next second, her fingers closed around one of his ears.

’Wait, when did these pop out? Who told them to pop out?!’

Qin Muye was utterly mortified, but as her soft fingertips gently kneaded his ear, a dizzying sense of pleasure washed over him.

’It was as if his very soul was being held in her palm, kneaded and lost in her gentle caress...’

A pleasant tingling sensation spread through his body. Qin Muye’s eyes narrowed, and a soft, contented hum rumbled in his throat.

In the silent private cabin, the soft hum was extremely conspicuous.

Hearing the strange sound he’d just made, Qin Muye startled. He only then realized he had rested his head on Jiang Qingli’s shoulder, letting her stroke him, while his tail—which had appeared without him noticing—was now curled around her other hand, swaying gently.

His mind went blank for a few seconds.

Qin Muye scrambled to sit up, but just then, the flying vehicle braked hard. He lurched forward, and something soft brushed against the side of his face.

Qin Muye froze, the spot that had been touched burning like fire.

But the culprit, oblivious to his reaction, lowered the partition and asked, "What’s wrong?"

From the driver’s seat, Yi Nuo turned to glance at the back. His eyes swept over Qin Muye, then stopped short.

The young man’s cheek was flushed red, and a glaringly obvious lipstick mark stained his skin.

After a pause, Yi Nuo lowered his gaze and said apologetically, "My apologies, Miss. Another vehicle just hit us. I’ll go take care of it."

Jiang Qingli frowned. Before she could speak, someone tapped on the driver’s side window.

Yi Nuo turned back and met a pair of delicate-looking eyes.

Bai Yiyi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, pursing her lips shyly. "I’m so sorry. This is my first time flying by myself, I didn’t mean to..."

She looked up mid-sentence, feigning surprise as if she’d only just recognized Yi Nuo. "Yi Nuo, what are you doing here? What a coincidence."

"Miss Bai." Yi Nuo leaned back expressionlessly, putting some distance between them. "It’s no coincidence. You hit our vehicle on purpose."

A blush appeared on Bai Yiyi’s face. "I’m sorry, it really wasn’t on purpose. I pressed the wrong directional button..."

She bit her lip. "You don’t think I’m clumsy, do you?"

Yi Nuo furrowed his brow and was about to speak when an icy voice came from the back seat: "If you know you’re an idiot, then get lost."