Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Looking for Sister-in-law

When he opened his eyes again, it was nearly noon.

Yuan Shimo’s first instinct was to look down.

Jiang Qingli was still there.

At some point, she had rolled back into his arms.

This was even worse than when he’d woken up a little while earlier.

Her arms and legs were wrapped around him, her head resting on his chest. She was treating him like a giant stuffed animal.

Yuan Shimo raised his hand, intending to move her off him.

But when his hand brushed against her nightgown, he remembered what had happened last night.

He lowered his hand.

’Forget it.’

’She did take care of me last night. Being her stuffed animal isn’t so bad.’

Yuan Shimo had thought all he had to do was lie there quietly and wait for Jiang Qingli to wake up. Then, he would see her off to find her other Beast Husbands.

But after only a few moments, he couldn’t stand it any longer.

Jiang Qingli was a truly restless sleeper.

Her fingers, which were resting on his waist, traced up the smooth lines of his torso. They gave him a little squeeze before moving down again, touching here and there.

As her fingers began to explore below his waist, Yuan Shimo could no longer remain calm. He seized her wrist and pinned it between them.

Once restrained, the sleeping girl settled down.

Yuan Shimo, however, found himself even more agitated.

Her scent, the touch of her skin, and her leg pressed against his were all causing an undeniable physical reaction.

Yuan Shimo couldn’t bear it any longer.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and mentally recited the materials for his afternoon meeting, forcing himself to calm down.

After mentally reviewing a mountain of literature, Yuan Shimo’s heart rate finally returned to normal.

Just then, Jiang Qingli, who had been wrapped around him, rolled over to the other side of the bed, clutching the blanket.

Yuan Shimo sat up and quietly watched her back.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Yuan Shimo raised a hand to press the soundproofing button, then got out of bed and walked to the door.

Throughout it all, the cat-like young man’s steps were unconsciously light.

-

When he opened the door, he found the Prince standing outside with a dark expression, accompanied by the poised Gray Wolf Butler.

"Is she awake?" Qin Muye took a step forward, his gaze boring into the room.

Yuan Shimo calmly blocked his line of sight. "No."

"Not yet?" Qin Muye frowned, instinctively lowering his voice. "It’s almost eleven. She’s usually up by eight."

"Perhaps she was too tired last night," Yuan Shimo said, his tone flat. "Does Your Highness need the female master for something? I can pass on a message for you when she wakes."

At those words, Qin Muye’s expression soured.

’Damn it!’

’He’d said that exact same line to that damn fox!’

’However satisfying it had felt to say it then, it was just as infuriating to hear it now!’

"I’m going to the academy with her this afternoon," Qin Muye said, his face cold. "She has a class."

This was the legitimate reason Qin Muye had come up with after thinking for a while.

Yuan Shimo paused for two seconds. "Your Highness’s afternoon class is at the physical education institute, isn’t it? She’s at the Spiritual Power Research Center. They’re on two different campuses. That’s not exactly on the way."

Qin Muye was taken aback. "Why the hell are you looking at my schedule? You got a problem?"

"I wasn’t particularly interested," Yuan Shimo said. "I just happened to see it when I was looking at the female master’s schedule." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

’Qin Muye didn’t buy it. A photographic memory? No way. This was obviously a premeditated attack!’

For a moment, Qin Muye had the urge to tear him limb from limb.

’This damn cat is just like that bastard brother of his. Neither of them is any good.’

He couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words on someone like him and simply turned and walked away.

’I’ll come back when Jiang Qingli wakes up.’

’The two of us are always together. This damn cat can’t change that.’

After he left, Yi Nuo stepped forward to ask Yuan Shimo for his lunch preferences. Upon receiving the reply, "I’m not a picky eater," he departed.

But Yuan Shimo had the sharp sense that this servant, for all his deferential appearance, was not as benign as he seemed.

While he and Qin Muye were talking, the Gray Wolf Butler’s gaze kept subtly, almost imperceptibly, trying to peer into the room.

He’d noticed something was off about Yi Nuo yesterday.

But he had ignored it, figuring it had nothing to do with him.

Now, however, it was grating.

The terminal vibrated again. The young man glanced at the two words on the screen—"Yuan Shiyao"—and tiptoed to the balcony to take the call.

-

「Student Council.」

「Secretary-General’s Office.」

Yuan Shiyao saw the word "Brother" displayed on his terminal. He stared at it for several seconds before he finally spoke.

"Yes?" Yuan Shimo responded. "What is it? You’re calling early."

Yuan Shiyao couldn’t tell if it was his imagination, but his brother’s voice sounded hoarse and exhausted.

’As if... he hadn’t rested, and had been... overexerting himself.’

His brow furrowed, and he couldn’t stop himself from asking, "You two last night—" He stopped short, changing tack. "Is your throat bothering you?"

"Don’t beat around the bush," Yuan Shimo’s voice was tinged with mockery. "You want to ask what happened between her and me last night, don’t you?"

Yuan Shiyao froze, as if he’d been struck.

He opened his mouth. "I..."

He wanted to deny it, but Yuan Shiyao had to admit that his first reaction upon learning of Gu Nian’s capture was to use it as an excuse to fish for information from Yuan Shimo.

’Did they spend the night together? How far did they go? How many times?’

Yuan Shiyao didn’t really understand why he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it.

But the mere thought of the girl pinned beneath his brother in bed tormented him, leaving him sleepless with frustration.

On the other end of the line, his brother—who had always been so indulgent with him—spoke coldly. "If that’s what you’re asking, then I have no comment."

After a pause, he added, "Ah Yao, I hope you remember that she is your sister-in-law, and nothing more."

With that, Yuan Shimo hung up.

The room was suffocatingly silent.

Yuan Shiyao abruptly stood up, staring at the terminal, his mind buzzing.

Just as Yuan Shimo understood him, he also understood Yuan Shimo.

He knew, therefore, that with that one sentence, Yuan Shimo was subconsciously binding himself to Jiang Qingli.

’Yuan Shimo clearly detested the arranged marriage and despised Jiang Qingli. So why, after just one night, was he indirectly acknowledging their relationship?’

’What in the world happened between them last night?!’

The question jabbed at Yuan Shiyao’s nerves relentlessly.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to believe that his frustration was only due to Yuan Shimo’s change in attitude, that it had nothing to do with Jiang Qingli.

’Right. It had nothing to do with her.’

’She was just his sister-in-law. Nothing more.’

Yuan Shiyao took another deep breath and sat back down, transforming back into the calm, top-tier student, seemingly unruffled by anything.

An insistent knock pounded on the door.

"Come in," Yuan Shiyao said, his voice level.

"Secretary-General." His subordinate entered and hesitated upon seeing Yuan Shiyao’s dark expression.

"Well? Are you waiting for an invitation?" Yuan Shiyao asked coldly.

The subordinate had never seen him so angry. Steeling himself, he said, "Um... we found out where Gu Nian is."

At those words, Yuan Shiyao pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

’Jiang Qingli again.’

’At this moment, an absurd thought even crossed his mind.’

’Does the entire world revolve around Jiang Qingli?’

’Why is she everywhere?’

’If she isn’t in my thoughts, she’s appearing in my life?’

Seeing his boss’s vexed expression, the subordinate said quietly, "Gu Nian was sold to the black market in the First District. If our intel is correct, he’ll be auctioned off this weekend."

The black market auctions were open to all social classes. Many nobles would go in disguise to bid on males to keep as pets.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shiyao’s first reaction was one of disappointment.

’Why hasn’t he been sold off already?’

’Why does that lowlife from the Twelve Cities still have a chance to get back to Jiang Qingli?’

He suppressed the extreme emotions swirling in his mind and rose to leave.

His subordinate asked, "Secretary-General, where are you going?"

Yuan Shiyao stopped, his jade-green eyes gleaming with a strange light.

"Go inform my..." He slowly uttered the word, his cool voice laced with a hidden fervor. "Sister-in-law."