Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Being a Mistress Is Not a Glorious Thing

On an early summer afternoon, the cicadas buzzed noisily as sunlight, like crushed gold, poured down. It landed on the girl’s black hair and white dress, forming a dazzling halo.

It was the kind of moment that should have inspired pleasant daydreams, but Yuan Shiyao felt nothing but irritation.

His gaze drifted to the man’s large hand wrapped around Jiang Qingli’s waist, and his brow furrowed unconsciously.

Baili Jing’s gaze grew even colder.

After a moment, Yuan Shiyao retracted his gaze. His voice was remarkably calm. "You’ll have to ask your female master."

He took a few slow steps forward, looking at Jiang Qingli with a placid expression. "The professor said you were looking for me."

Jiang Qingli started to speak, but then she remembered he still looked like Yuan Shimo and glanced back at Baili Jing.

"I’ll wait for you over here." Baili Jing leaned down and gave her soft, fair cheek an affectionate pinch. "Go on."

He was being so considerate that Jiang Qingli felt a pang of guilt and gave his hand a little squeeze.

Baili Jing simply smiled and stroked her hair.

However, before Baili Jing turned away, Yuan Shiyao clearly saw him narrow his long eyes at him.

The warning was unmistakable.

Yuan Shiyao sneered inwardly, only stopping as Jiang Qingli walked up to him.

"I just wanted to ask what’s wrong with your brother," Jiang Qingli said, tilting her head up to look at him. "Is it serious? Should I go see him? Or maybe give him Spiritual Healing?"

As she drew closer, her skirt swayed gently.

Yuan Shiyao found himself recalling the scene in the storage closet earlier. ’She was so close... I didn’t dare look anywhere, so I just looked down and saw her plaid skirt rippling like beautiful waves as it swayed.’

When he registered what she’d said, Yuan Shiyao stiffened, his fingers balling into fists at his sides.

Just moments before, the professor had stopped him, a wide grin on his face. "That young lady was looking for you," he’d said. "Look at you, always so busy. Your family is important, too! Go on, go spend time with her. You’re newlyweds, after all."

His head had spun at those words. He’d rushed downstairs after Jiang Qingli, wanting to grab her wrist and ask what she wanted with him.

But when he got downstairs, he found her wrapped in another man’s arms.

The sweet, gentle smile she gave that man was a piercing sight.

’And now she’s come to me, only to ask about Yuan Shimo.’

’She’s that desperate to see my brother.’

The cool and reserved young man frowned, his rejection laced with distance. "It’s not serious. There’s no need."

"Then... is he coming to my place tomorrow?" Jiang Qingli asked, blinking.

Tomorrow was Thursday, which meant it was Yuan Shimo’s turn.

This was the real question Jiang Qingli had been leading up to.

Baili Jing had introduced her to some new ’activities’ last night, and her back was still sore. Tonight, she still had to deal with the energetic Qin Xiaogou.

If Yuan Shimo wasn’t coming, she could just happily lie in bed, play games, and watch the new movie Lin Xiyue had sent her.

Her hopeful expression must have been too obvious, because Yuan Shiyao’s frown deepened. "Probably not."

"Okay, thanks!" Jiang Qingli didn’t press further. She just waved at him. "See ya~"

With that, she bounced off cheerfully to find Baili Jing.

Baili Jing effortlessly took her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Didn’t you have work today?" Jiang Qingli asked. "How come you’re picking me up so early?"

"All done." Baili Jing said with a grin. "Picking up my darling is a Beast Husband’s duty, after all."

"So if you weren’t my Beast Husband, you wouldn’t have come for me?" Jiang Qingli said, feigning discontent to tease the fox.

She always showed her childish side around him.

Baili Jing laughed, his expression full of blatant adoration and affection.

He leaned in close to her ear, his voice a low, magnetic, and bewitching whisper.

"If I weren’t Xiao Li’s Beast Husband, then you’d have to be careful."

"Because being the other man is hardly a noble affair. Your husband might just decide to eliminate the competition..."

As he said this, Baili Jing glanced over his shoulder.

Yuan Shiyao was still standing there.

The cool and self-possessed young man stood frozen to the spot.

He had heard every single word Baili Jing said, and his expression was grim.

’That damn fox clearly recognized that I’m not Yuan Shimo.’

’Every single word he just said was a jab at me!’

’The other man? As if!’

’I, Yuan Shiyao, could go my whole life without marrying or even finding a female, but I would never, ever stoop to being someone’s side piece!’

-

Back at the Yuan Family estate, the first thing Yuan Shiyao did was find his brother.

He pushed open the door to find Yuan Shimo sitting among a pile of scattered book pages. Framed by the dense greenery visible through the floor-to-ceiling window, he sat with his eyes downcast, as quiet and striking as a priceless emerald on black velvet.

Yuan Shiyao faltered, suddenly feeling a strong aversion to approaching him.

"Why are you just standing there?" As his slender fingers turned a page, Yuan Shimo set the book down and coughed a few times into his fist.

Yuan Shiyao walked in, closing the door behind him.

He took off the jacket—Yuan Shimo’s jacket—and draped it over the back of a chair. This way, the servants wouldn’t find it in his own room and report back to their father.

His gaze swept across the floor, where he noticed several used vials scattered about.

Yuan Shiyao frowned. "Why so many? Is it... that bad this time?"

Yuan Shimo had suddenly gone into his mating season yesterday.

Yuan Shimo’s health had been poor since childhood, and his mating seasons were far more difficult to endure than an average male’s. Each time, he had to inject large doses of powerful sedatives for relief.

Last night, Yuan Shiyao had overheard the doctor suggesting that Yuan Shimo seek relief with his female master.

But Yuan Shimo had refused, coldly demanding a higher dosage instead.

Yuan Shiyao knew that unlike him, who was being groomed as the family heir, his brother had lost his freedom the moment he was identified as having an F Level Superpower.

No matter how great his academic achievements, he couldn’t escape being treated as a pawn for a marriage alliance, to be picked over and judged.

’I should have tried to convince him.’

’I should have told him to at least meet with Jiang Qingli and accept her Spiritual Healing, if only for his own health.’

But for some reason, when the words reached his lips, all that came out was a simple, "Get some rest."

"Mm." Yuan Shimo clearly didn’t want to discuss it and changed the subject. "Today, the professor—"

He didn’t finish his sentence. Catching an unusual scent in the air, his green, slitted pupils contracted.

Yuan Shimo stared hard at his younger brother, his eyes ice-cold. "You’ve been with a female."

A flash of guilt crossed Yuan Shiyao’s face. He looked away, his lips pressing into a thin line.

He remained silent, but Yuan Shimo had already guessed. "It was Jiang Qingli again, wasn’t it?"

Yuan Shiyao froze.

He should have been used to his twin’s cold tone by now, but this time, the implicit accusation in his voice felt unusually grating.

A strange restlessness stirred within him.

’So what if I saw her?’

’We barely exchanged a few sentences before she left with that fox. Is there really any need to be this concerned?’

But reason—and a strange sense of guilt—won out. Yuan Shiyao stated calmly, "She figured out I was impersonating you and was curious how I faked the hair color."

He subconsciously omitted the part where Jiang Qingli had asked about Yuan Shimo’s well-being.

"Is that all?" Yuan Shimo asked, his voice soft.

An oppressive aura emanated from his brother. Yuan Shiyao straightened his spine, meeting his brother’s gaze with his own identical eyes.

"Yes. That’s all."

The young man’s tone was firm.

Yuan Shimo set his book aside and used a bookshelf to steady himself as he rose. He walked over step by step until he stood directly in front of his brother.

The two young men were the same height. Face to face, it was almost like looking in a mirror.

Suddenly, Yuan Shimo smiled.

This young academic prodigy was always gentle with others, but he rarely showed his true feelings.

Even Yuan Shiyao, most of the time, found it difficult to guess what his brother was really thinking.

But right now, Yuan Shiyao could feel Yuan Shimo’s emotions with perfect clarity.

He was furious.

Their overlapping shadow on the floor seemed to tremble as Yuan Shimo slowly reached out. His pale, slender fingers plucked a single, soft black hair from his brother’s collar.

Yuan Shimo stared at his brother, his face a blank mask. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

His voice, stripped of its usual feigned warmth, was sharp and piercing as he questioned him, one word at a time—

"Is a normal talking distance close enough to get her hair on your clothes?"

"Ah Yao, tell me."

"What exactly did you do with Jiang Qingli—my female master?"