Chapter 529: Extra: Yi Nuo - Little Wolf Ears (2)

Jiang Qingli opened the door and was met by a pair of concerned, gray eyes.

“Yi—ACHOO!”

The sound made the hallway’s voice-activated lights turn on.

Jiang Qingli touched the tip of her nose, a little embarrassed. “Er… I’ve got a bit of a cold. What are you doing here?”

She was only halfway through her sentence when Yi Nuo reached out, pulled her coat tighter around her, and carried her inside with one arm.

By the time she finished her question, he was already at her bed.

The gray-wolf youth sat her down before answering, “I came to bring you some autumn clothes.”

Only then did Jiang Qingli notice he had brought a suitcase.

Yi Nuo took a long-sleeved nightgown from it and started helping Jiang Qingli change. His voice was tinged with self-reproach. “I’m sorry. I should have finished packing your luggage last night before I went to sleep.”

“It’s not your fault. Who could have predicted a cold snap?” Jiang Qingli held her arms out straight to let him change her clothes. “But how did you know I didn’t bring… hey, did you snoop in my closet again?”

Stung by the word “snoop,” the tips of Yi Nuo’s ears turned a little red.

He avoided her gaze and said in a low voice, “I just wanted to confirm whether Miss had packed enough clothes.”

“What audacity.” Jiang Qingli adopted a scolding posture. “You dare to inspect my things now? What’s next, are you going to be climbing on top of me?”

Yi Nuo’s fingers trembled, and the ribbon he was tying slipped through his fingertips.

It tickled a little.

He paused, then picked up the ribbon again. He tried his best to keep his tone normal as he corrected her, “The actual situation is the complete opposite of what you’re describing.”

Jiang Qingli huffed out a laugh. “If this keeps up, it’s not like you wouldn’t dare. You tried to sneak a kiss on me last time.”

Yi Nuo: “…”

He wasn’t a man of many words to begin with, and Jiang Qingli’s teasing left him completely defenseless. He could only press his lips together and lower his head, busying himself with the ribbon to look preoccupied.

Jiang Qingli sat up straight, watching him slowly tie the ribbon, the back of his ears flushed crimson. She suddenly felt as if she were bullying a virtuous, stay-at-home husband.

‘Heh.’

Jiang Qingli refuted the thought in her mind.

‘An illusion.’

‘He’s no well-behaved boy.’

Last time, Yi Nuo had secretly sniffed her clothes.

When she caught him, Yi Nuo’s face had flushed beet red, as if he were about to die of shame and indignation.

Then, not long after, he tried to sneak a kiss on her fingers while she was taking a nap.

‘Is this really a wolf’s nature?’

Jiang Qingli stared at his face, her thoughts wandering. When she came back to her senses, she realized his face was completely red. He was half-kneeling by the bed, his eyes darting away from hers.

‘It’s this side of him that makes me want to tease him.’

Jiang Qingli’s lips curved into a smirk. “What are you hiding from?”

“I’m not…”

Yi Nuo’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He changed the subject abruptly. “I’ll go get you a glass of warm water.”

He scrambled to his feet to find a cup and pour some water.

He placed the water on the nightstand, right where Jiang Qingli could reach it with her hand outstretched.

Jiang Qingli picked up the water and took a few sips. Thinking about how she had been teasing him for so long, her heart softened, and she mercifully decided to stop her verbal jabs.

Yi Nuo hung the clothes he brought in the walk-in closet, one by one, and tidied up the suite at the same time.

Only after he finished did he sit down on the edge of the bed.

Jiang Qingli tugged on Yi Nuo and leaned against him, asking lazily, “When did you set out?”

“After lunch.” Yi Nuo’s body went rigid as he answered earnestly. “I discovered that Miss…” He trailed off after the word, meeting Jiang Qingli’s reproachful gaze. Remembering that she was always trying to correct his phrasing, he started again. “I discovered that you hadn’t packed enough clothes, so I drove over.”

Travel between the Upper City District and the Central District wasn’t strictly regulated. For a truck, the journey from noon would take about this long.

Yi Nuo had done all that just to deliver a few pieces of clothing to her.

‘Sigh, this guy.’

‘He could be so stubborn about these things.’

Jiang Qingli wrapped her arms around him. “Do you have to be so dedicated? It’s not like anyone’s paying you a salary…”

Yi Nuo said, “I don’t need a salary. I’m doing this voluntarily.”

“Good wolf,” Jiang Qingli praised, leaning her full weight into his embrace. She paused for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, “You smell so good. Did you take a shower before you came?”

“…” An embarrassed and flustered look appeared on Yi Nuo’s face. But after a few seconds of silence, Jiang Qingli didn’t change the subject, so he had no choice but to admit, “I showered after I got home.”

Jiang Qingli took a moment to identify the scent, then said slowly, “The body wash you’re using seems to be the new one I just switched to. Copying me again.”

Exposed so bluntly, Yi Nuo’s face grew redder and redder. He said dryly, “Ah… um, sorry.”

“I didn’t say you did anything wrong.” Jiang Qingli’s hand slipped inside his jacket. “Take your jacket off. Lie down next to me so I can get a good sniff.”

–

Yi Nuo had been driving all afternoon and for half the evening, so he was actually quite tired.

Hearing her words now, his brain almost short-circuited.

But an excellent butler would never contradict or refuse his master.

‘Besides…’

‘On the surface, he was respectful.’

‘But inside, he was a complete mess. The moment he got close to her, all sorts of images would flash through his mind—nothing innocent at all.’

‘It was less about being forced by my miss and more about looking forward to being ravaged by her.’

‘I’m simply… a derelict butler.’

‘And yet, she indulges me like this.’

‘How could I possibly control myself?’

…

There was a large bathrobe in the walk-in closet. Yi Nuo took a shower, changed into it, and lay down next to Jiang Qingli as requested.

He lay ramrod straight.

Like an attendant from the Imperial Palace, sent to the Emperor’s bedchamber for the first time.

Amused, Jiang Qingli tugged on his bathrobe from under the covers. “Have you forgotten what I taught you last time?”

‘Last time…’

‘Qingli had been drunk. Not only did she let me hold her, she even… to me…’

Yi Nuo’s face flushed red again.

‘I can’t think about it anymore.’

‘If I keep thinking about it, things will get weird.’

‘Miss is still sick right now. This isn’t right.’

With restraint, Yi Nuo reached out and pulled Jiang Qingli into his arms.

She let out a satisfied hum, found a comfortable position, and rested her hand against his abs.

A wolf’s body temperature is much higher than a human’s.

‘It’s so comfortable.’

Jiang Qingli felt like she was hugging a giant, personal heater—one that was especially docile and would let her do whatever she wanted with it.

She couldn’t help but push her luck. “Your tail. Let me use it as a pillow.”

A few seconds later, a wolf tail appeared, its tip brushing against her chin.

Jiang Qingli smiled. “Looks like you really like my body wash. Your tail is covered in the scent.”

At her words, Yi Nuo wanted to retract his tail in a fluster, but she anticipated his move and hugged it tight along with his arm.

“So warm…”

The familiar scent and warmth made Jiang Qingli feel at ease.

Sleepiness washed over her again, and she drifted off to dreamland in Yi Nuo’s arms.

Jiang Qingli slept soundly, but the “pillow” she was hugging wasn’t having such an easy time.

Even though it wasn’t the first time they had been this close, or the first time he had lain in bed with her, he still felt nervous.

At such a close distance, their scents mingled together, becoming indistinguishable.

On this similar night.

Yi Nuo once again found himself uncontrollably recalling that night last month, when Jiang Qingli had been drunk—