Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Yuan Shimo Came Back, but Didn’t Tell Her

When Jiang Qingli came to her senses, she was already standing in front of the sink.

Through the mirror, she saw Qin Muye hugging her from behind. He kept his head down, not daring to look at her, his ear tips so red they looked like they could bleed.

Qin Muye turned on the faucet, and with a clear gush, cool water flowed over her fingers.

His long, broad fingers carefully worked up a lather, washing her hands.

Her knuckles were slender, her skin delicate and soft, and her fingertips had a healthy, pretty pink hue.

The white foam between her fingers made Qin Muye’s mind flash back to the scene in the study. Her words echoed in his ears again, and a dizzying sensation left his mouth dry.

He increased the water flow to rinse off the foam.

After he dried them with a soft towel, her hands were clean and white again, as if they had never touched anything sticky or filthy.

Qin Muye stared for a few seconds, then reached out and placed his palm against Jiang Qingli’s.

"What’s wrong?" Jiang Qingli raised an eyebrow. "Still savoring the moment?"

’Wha-what does she mean, still savoring the moment?!’

The lake of Qin Muye’s heart, which had just begun to calm, was shattered by her words as if a giant boulder had been dropped into it.

Violent waves churned as a deep blush spread across the young man’s face and neck.

"Don’t talk nonsense," Qin Muye retorted dryly. "I just think your hands are small."

Feeling embarrassed, the little puppy tried to pull his hand back, but Jiang Qingli shifted her grip to interlace her fingers with his and started walking out with him.

Before leaving the study, she didn’t forget to grab the book she hadn’t finished.

Qin Muye didn’t ask where they were going. His heart was pounding too loudly for him to have any room to think.

The study was on the fourth floor, and Qin Muye lived on the third.

When he first chose his room, he had wanted to be a little farther from Jiang Qingli, so he’d picked the one furthest away.

Now, looking back, all he felt was regret. So much regret!

’I should’ve picked Baili Jing’s room. At least then I could’ve stopped him from seducing Jiang Qingli every day...’

Just as he was thinking this, a figure in white suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

Baili Jing had appeared at the top of the stairs.

The handsome and gentle young man had one hand on the railing, seemingly about to head upstairs. When he saw them, his lips curved into a smile. "Good evening. What are you two up to?"

As he walked toward them, Jiang Qingli suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, like a child who’d brought a stray puppy home and been caught by their parents. She subconsciously tried to hide her hands behind her back.

But the moment Qin Muye sensed she was about to pull her hand away, he tightened his grip.

Not only that, but he deliberately tugged her forward a little, making sure Baili Jing got a clearer look.

Sure enough, in the next second, Baili Jing’s smile stiffened slightly.

Qin Muye raised a triumphant eyebrow, finally answering in the posture of a victor, "That’s between her and me."

"I wasn’t asking you." Baili Jing didn’t even glance at him, instead asking the girl softly, "Baby, what are you going to do with him?"

The young man’s smile was gentle, yet it carried an intangible sense of grievance and pressure.

Beside her, Qin Muye squeezed her hand even tighter, posturing as if he’d bite her to death if she dared to brush him off.

Caught in the middle, Jiang "the-ham-in-a-man-wich" Qingli was speechless. "..."

Steeling herself, Jiang Qingli averted her gaze and said, "Tonight... it’s Qin Muye’s turn."

"Ah, so that’s how it is." Baili Jing smiled. "Our Xiao Li is the most responsible female master, but you must take care of your health, too."

He raised his hand, his long fingers gently stroking the girl’s cheek as he reminded her in a warm voice, "I remember you have an online test for your Basic Spiritual Power course tomorrow night."

Jiang Qingli: !!!

Her eyes widened. She had almost forgotten about that!

Because Jiang Qingli and two other females hadn’t taken the basic course before, they had fallen way behind. Professor Lin had sadistically added a quiz for them on a Saturday!

Seeing the panic on her face, Baili Jing considerately patted the top of her head. "Don’t worry. I organized the notes for you yesterday. It’s not much, but it should be enough if you read through it."

"Thank you..." Jiang Qingli was so moved her eyes turned to stars.

"Easing my female master’s worries is my duty." Baili Jing lifted her chin and planted a light kiss on her cheek. "I’ve sent the files to your terminal. Go to bed early. You need to rest up to face it properly."

After speaking, Baili Jing’s narrow eyes swept lightly over the stiff-faced Qin Muye before he walked away with elegant steps.

Qin Muye: "..."

’That damn sly fox!!!’

The arrogant Prince now felt the urge to kill Baili Jing.

But when he returned to the bedroom and saw Jiang Qingli sitting at her desk studying, he couldn’t bring himself to disturb her.

He could only sit by her feet and take out his game console.

Qin Muye played his game on mute, but most of his attention was actually on the girl beside him.

In her serious state, Jiang Qingli had shed the playful air she had when teasing him. She was focused on the screen, her soft, dark hair falling over her shoulders, her profile quiet and earnest.

Qin Muye suddenly felt that this wasn’t so bad either.

He even started to wonder if perhaps he shouldn’t be taking up her time.

’She’s already so busy...’

For the first time ever, the Prince was actually engaging in self-reflection.

Suddenly, a finger hooked his chin.

"What are you thinking about?"

He looked up and met Jiang Qingli’s smiling eyes.

"Nothing," Qin Muye said sullenly. "Weren’t you studying for that stupid basic course?"

"I finished," Jiang Qingli said.

Qin Muye didn’t quite believe her. ’There was so much. She finished it all in less than two hours?’

"I really did finish. Time for bed."

Jiang Qingli didn’t bother explaining, simply launching herself onto Qin Muye’s soft bed.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the young man’s uniquely crisp and pleasant scent.

She opened her arms and smiled at Qin Muye. "Come on, time to sleep."

Qin Muye huffed, but he quickened his pace, copying her by pouncing onto the bed and rolling over with her in his arms.

He leaned in to kiss her, but Jiang Qingli raised a hand to block him.

"You’re too rough." She tilted her face up. "I don’t want to go out with swollen lips tomorrow and get laughed at by Yueyue and the others."

"Got it."

Qin Muye’s tone was cocky, but when he leaned down to kiss her, his movements were clumsily gentle.

After a bit of clingy cuddling, Jiang Qingli’s eyes drooped, feeling so comfortable she was getting sleepy.

Qin Muye wanted more, but without permission, he didn’t act rashly.

Holding the girl in his arms, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, his breathing quickening.

After a moment, he suddenly said, as if making a declaration, "I don’t want a divorce anymore."

Jiang Qingli gave a mumbled reply.

’Sure enough, a man will say anything when he’s feeling good.’

-

Thanks to Baili Jing’s notes, plus her own brilliant mind (and that’s the important part), Jiang Qingli passed the next day’s quiz with a high score.

A quiet, uneventful week passed.

On Wednesday afternoon, there was a lecture.

It was said to be given by a very prominent expert in their field.

Most people weren’t very interested, but attending the lecture would earn them participation points.

For a "poor student" like Jiang Qingli, who was on the verge of failing, every little bit helped, so she had to give up on signing up for the outing.

But Lin Xiyue was a true friend. Instead of going to have fun by herself, she brought one of her Beast Husbands to keep Jiang Qingli company.

Lin Xiyue’s Beast Husband was a White Tiger Beastman nearly two meters tall. His muscles were powerful, but his personality was surprisingly domestic.

He had gone early to save them a spot in the corner. When they arrived, he took out drinks and snacks, then tactfully sat off to the side, not disturbing them at all. He only moved to wipe Lin Xiyue’s fingers after she finished a snack.

When he handed Jiang Qingli a pack of tissues, he politely averted his gaze.

A perfect model of male virtue.

Lin Xiyue, already used to it, patted her Beast Husband’s head and huddled together with Jiang Qingli to gossip about the professor giving the lecture.

"...Professor Wang used to be our dean. He was a tutor to Her Majesty the Empress, and he has a whole pile of medals..."

The lecture was about to begin. Jiang Qingli looked toward the stage, but her attention was first caught by a figure adjusting the equipment.

The young man’s posture was ramrod straight. His pale golden hair was tied at the ends with a white ribbon. Beneath gold-rimmed glasses, his long lashes were lowered, half-hiding a pair of emerald green eyes.

Yuan Shimo?

’When did he get back? Why didn’t he tell me?’

’Then again, we don’t know each other well. Maybe I should just pretend I didn’t see him?’

Just as Jiang Qingli was about to look away, the young man seemed to sense her gaze and lifted his eyes, looking in her direction.