Chapter 481: Coincidence

The hospital room was thick with the bitter smell of medicine.

But to Qin Muye, even that couldn’t cover up the reek of a certain shameless dragon!

The thought of Jiang Qingli spending the night here with Xie Youchen made his teeth ache with anger. He didn’t want to stay in this damned place for another second!

"I’ll wait for you outside," Qin Muye said before turning and striding away.

Jiang Qingli didn’t even have time to make a sound.

She glanced at Xie Youchen in her arms, gently laying him back on the bed. Looking at the nurse, who immediately said, "Advisor Jiang, my apologies. I thought you had already left... I’m here to give Marshal Xie a recovery injection."

As he spoke, he handed the medicine to Jiang Qingli for her inspection.

The medication was specially formulated, and the screen next to the bed displayed a long list of incomprehensible terms.

"Let me see."

A well-defined hand took the vial. Baili Jing’s voice was gentle as he read the label carefully.

Jiang Qingli’s gaze followed the movement and settled on his face.

"Don’t look at me. Go find Muye. Yi Nuo and I will stay here," Baili Jing said with a small smile. He raised his other hand and ruffled the top of her head. "Darling, Muye is a bit slow on the uptake. He probably doesn’t understand your situation yet. I’ll have to trouble you to explain it to him first. If he throws a tantrum, leave him to me."

Jiang Qingli nodded. "I’ll go to him, then."

"Alright."

Baili Jing smiled and stepped aside to let her pass.

But in that instant, he noticed the brooch pinned to Jiang Qingli’s clothes.

Last night, when Jiang Qingli left, she didn’t seem to be wearing this accessory.

Baili Jing froze for a moment.

Realization dawned, and he looked down at the young man sleeping on the bed.

On Xie Youchen’s previously bare ring finger, there was now a flash of silver.

A ring.

A matching ring, at that.

"..."

Baili Jing took a deep breath, the smile no longer reaching his eyes.

He handed the medicine back to the nurse, his long, narrow eyes narrowing with displeasure.

’He hasn’t even entered the family, and he’s already learned how to demand special treatment from his female master.’

’So unruly.’

’But no matter. Tonight, Jiang Qingli won’t be staying in this hospital room.’

’I’ve already prepared many surprises for our female master.’

’Surprises that will make her forget all about Xie Youchen for the entire night.’

-

Jiang Qingli searched the residence and finally found Qin Muye in a corner of the garden.

The young man was sitting on one side of a wicker chair, leaving an empty spot for her beside him.

As Jiang Qingli sat next to him, he captured her hand, lacing their fingers together tightly, as if that was the only way to feel at ease.

Jiang Qingli didn’t pull her hand back. Instead, she asked, "Why did you run so far away?"

"This is a surveillance blind spot," Qin Muye said. "No one will know what we talk about here."

"Our Prince is becoming more and more thoughtful," Jiang Qingli said, swinging their joined hands. "Go on, what did you want to ask me?"

Qin Muye pressed his lips together, momentarily unsure where to begin.

He had been furious for a long time after discovering that Xie Youchen liked Jiang Qingli.

Then he was furious for a long time again when he found out Jiang Qingli was with him.

Yesterday, hearing that the shameless bastard actually wanted to join the family, he was so angry he barely slept. The more he thought about how he used to call him ’big brother-in-law,’ the more enraged he became.

But Xie Youchen had indeed helped Jiang Qingli many times, taking on thankless tasks and making real contributions. Besides, he was on the same side as him.

So, Qin Muye’s feelings were particularly complicated right now.

On one hand, he felt that Xie Youchen, that bed-warming whore, was shameless. Seducing Jiang Qingli wasn’t enough; he had to crawl into the Jiang Family to become a legitimate Beast Husband!

On the other hand, he had to admit that Xie Youchen was more qualified than any other homewrecker trying to climb the ladder, not to mention he was also Jiang Qingli’s childhood friend.

A storm of emotions crossed Qin Muye’s face, his expression shifting from pale to flushed. After holding it in for a long while, he gave up resisting.

He knew he couldn’t stop it.

Qin Muye rested his head on Jiang Qingli’s shoulder, his voice muffled. "...Will you still want me... in the future?"

His voice was a little faint.

In truth, while the existence of other Beast Husbands annoyed Qin Muye, he never wanted to get rid of them.

He was a Prince, so he understood the matriarchal hierarchy better than anyone.

But it was also because he was a Prince that he had seen too many of the Emperor’s romantic dalliances and the many servants who were cast aside. He was afraid he would be forgotten, too.

A gentle hand stroked the top of his head.

The girl sighed. "Where is your head at?"

Jiang Qingli had no idea how his mind had taken such a turn. She cupped Qin Muye’s face and said earnestly, "Qin Muye, you are my little puppy, and I am your master. How could a master ever abandon their puppy?"

’The way she said that...’

Qin Muye’s face grew a little hot.

But he also loved it when Jiang Qingli spoke to him like this. He loved being her possession.

Snow leopard ears popped out on top of his head, and Qin Muye did what he had been wanting to do to her since last night—

he pushed his ears into her hands for her to knead, his tail wrapping around her fingers and wagging excitedly.

Jiang Qingli kneaded his ears. "Ask whatever else you want to ask. I don’t want you getting the wrong idea again and throwing a fit."

"Who’s throwing a fit!"

The Prince snapped, but the next second, a tug on the tip of his ear made him go soft. He pulled her onto his lap to cuddle.

He rested his face against her chest and, after a moment, asked, "I can ask anything?"

Jiang Qingli said, "Anything."

"You won’t get mad?"

"I’ll get mad if you don’t hurry up and ask."

Qin Muye huffed, his ears twitching. He tried to keep his tone calm. "So... how far have you two... gone?"

Jiang Qingli: ?

Jiang Qingli was silent for a moment.

’The Prince... really is unbelievably dense.’

She thought for a moment, deciding it wouldn’t be right to just brush Qin Muye off.

So, she earnestly and concisely told Qin Muye the story of how she and Xie Youchen got together.

As for "how far they had gone"...

The tips of Jiang Qingli’s ears grew hot. She said evasively, "Uh... compared to our relationship, we’re still one step away."

’They were still one step away from getting registered.’

Hearing this, Qin Muye’s eyes lit up, and a smile instantly broke across his face.

’Heh, so he’s a failure who hasn’t even managed to climb into her bed yet.’

’I knew it! A male with such low morals offers no real competition!’

The thought that Xie Youchen had tried so hard for so long, nearly giving his life in the process, and still hadn’t succeeded, made Qin Muye feel a mix of pity and contempt.

’Looks like Jiang Qingli’s feelings for him are more familial than romantic. He won’t be much competition once he joins the family.’

Qin Muye’s lips curled, but then he suddenly frowned. "By the way, has that damn bird been bothering—"

He didn’t finish his sentence before his snow leopard ears suddenly twitched.

"Someone’s coming," Qin Muye muttered with a displeased frown, glancing around.

The approaching footsteps were hurried. This place was a dead end, walled on three sides.

With no other choice, Qin Muye grabbed Jiang Qingli and leaped up into a tree overhead.

Just as he helped Jiang Qingli get settled on a branch, two figures arrived below, one after the other. They furtively put their heads together and began whispering.

’Spies passing intelligence?’

Instantly on high alert, Qin Muye perked up his ears and craned his neck to look down.

But Jiang Qingli grabbed the back of his neck, pulled him back, and covered his eyes.

Just as confusion bubbled up, he heard a rustling sound, as if something had fallen to the ground.

A few minutes later, an indescribable sound that would make one’s ears burn and heart race echoed from below...