Chapter 531: Extra: Yi Nuo - Little Wolf Ears (End)

Yi Nuo had hardly ever drunk alcohol, so he had no clear idea of his tolerance.

It wasn’t until his vision started to blur that he realized he was drunk.

At that moment, he felt himself sitting down with someone beside him.

Yi Nuo remembered he was supposed to be taking care of a drunk Jiang Qingli, so he blinked hard, trying to stand up.

But before he could even rise an inch, a firm force pushed him back down.

“I never knew you were such a lightweight. Running around is one thing, but now you’re trying to act like a crazy drunk…” Jiang Qingli held him down, reaching out to pinch his cheeks as she spoke. “Open up, open up. Sobering-up medicine.”

Yi Nuo recognized Jiang Qingli’s voice and blinked, a little dazed.

The young man’s eyes were still hazy with confusion, making him look very easy to tease.

Jiang Qingli couldn’t resist pinching his face a couple more times. She only let go after hearing a soft sound from his throat. “Can you take the medicine yourself?”

Yi Nuo nodded. He took the sobering-up medicine, sniffed it, and wrinkled his brow. But when he realized Jiang Qingli was watching him, he silently drank every last drop.

“Such a good boy.” Jiang Qingli patted his head, praising him with a beaming smile.

Almost as soon as Jiang Qingli said this, a pair of wolf ears suddenly popped out from amidst his gray hair.

The fluffy wolf ears twitched, as if extending some sort of invitation to her.

‘He couldn’t hold them in again.’

Used to this, Jiang Qingli didn’t hesitate to reach out and pinch them.

Normally, Yi Nuo would be blushing and half-kneeling at her feet by now, letting her do as she pleased—he had grown accustomed to it over time.

But right now, under the influence of alcohol, the young man seemed to have forgotten that he’d been touched all over before. His ear tips turned bright red.

The Gray Wolf Butler leaned his upper body back, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the bedsheet. He managed to say, “Miss…”

Jiang Qingli hummed lazily in response.

‘She’s so close. She smells so good.’

His grip on the bedsheet tightened. The young man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, struggling to find his voice. “Y-You can’t do this…”

“Can’t do what?”

Jiang Qingli leaned closer, her slender fingers freely kneading the wolf ears into various shapes, rubbing and pinching them.

Yi Nuo didn’t dare look at her, his long, lowered lashes trembling. “…Touching ears… it means *that*.”

After drinking so much, his memory seemed to be failing him too.

Jiang Qingli found this amusing and played dumb. “What does it mean?”

Yi Nuo pressed his lips together. “…Nothing.”

‘He didn’t want her to know anymore.’

‘That way, they could spend a little more time together.’

The young man’s gaze darted away. His face and ears looked like they were on fire, flushed a vibrant pink.

It was a completely different kind of allure from the prim and proper act he usually put on for her.

At the same time, it sparked a certain curiosity.

‘It makes one wonder if other places are just as beautiful.’

Jiang Qingli let go of his ear and pinched his chin, lifting it to make him look at her.

“Yi Nuo.”

“I know what touching a Beastman’s ears means now, so…”

Her eyes curved into crescents, and her smile was utterly innocent, but her next words made Yi Nuo’s eyes fly open in disbelief—

“Are you going to take them off yourself, or should I?”

“But as the butler, you shouldn’t tire out your lady, right?”

“Sigh, and you probably don’t want anyone to know that you’re actually quite derelict in your duties, do you…”

…

A soft touch landed on his lips.

Yi Nuo’s eyes snapped open, meeting Jiang Qingli’s slightly surprised ones. “Having a nightmare?”

Her fingers were resting on his lips, seemingly toying with them.

It must have been the next day. A narrow band of sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains.

Yi Nuo stared at the strip of light for a few seconds, steadied his breathing, and shook his head. “No.”

“Then what were you dreaming about?” Jiang Qingli grabbed his tail. “It was wagging so happily.”

Yi Nuo: “…”

A hint of embarrassment appeared on the young man’s face.

He pulled his tail out of Jiang Qingli’s hand and mumbled, “Just some things from the past.”

With that, he hastily got up and went to the washroom.

After splashing his face with cold water, Yi Nuo braced his hands on either side of the sink and looked at the person in the mirror.

The young man was handsome. The experience of the past few years had added a mature charm he hadn’t possessed before. When his face was expressionless, he could be quite intimidating; many students at the military academy were afraid of that side of him.

In reality, he just wasn’t very good at making expressions.

Yi Nuo’s gaze traveled up to his ears.

He closed his eyes, trying to retract the pair of wolf ears, but he couldn’t control them whenever Jiang Qingli touched him.

‘So derelict in my duties…’

The sound of conversation came from outside the door.

It seemed a doctor and some others had arrived and were asking about Jiang Qingli’s condition.

The wolf ears on Yi Nuo’s head perked up as he carefully tried to identify the visitors.

When he heard it was Assistant He, he breathed a small sigh of relief.

After they left, footsteps approached, and there was a knock on the door.

Jiang Qingli’s voice followed. “Okay, they’re gone. Qiao Lan is in the First District, so you can relax.”

Yi Nuo pressed his lips together, a little embarrassed.

The night they got drunk, Qiao Lan couldn’t drive and had stayed over at the Jiang Family’s home with Qin Shu.

The next morning, Jiang Qingli had been teasing him in the dining room right when Qiao Lan and Qin Shu came out looking for food.

The four of them made eye contact, and the air fell silent for a moment.

Qin Shu smiled with great appreciation.

Qiao Lan’s eyes were wide, their mouth slightly agape.

Their gaze toward Yi Nuo was filled not only with shock, but also a distinct condemnation that screamed, “Aren’t we supposed to be colleagues from different fields?! How could you go behind my back trying to seduce the boss to get ahead?!”

Yi Nuo was mortified.

After that, he did his best to avoid Qiao Lan, lest they think he wasn’t doing his job properly.

He thought he had been quite subtle about it, but he didn’t expect Jiang Qingli to have noticed.

Yi Nuo touched his face.

It was getting hot again.

–

Yi Nuo had nothing scheduled for the next few days, so he stayed in the Sixth District to take care of Jiang Qingli.

Thanks to his round-the-clock care, Jiang Qingli was fully recovered by the third day.

The other officials were still sick, and with no events scheduled, Jiang Qingli dragged Yi Nuo along to see the autumn leaves with her.

With the flu running rampant and it being a weekday, there was hardly anyone in the mountains.

The two of them walked hand in hand slowly up the steps. They occasionally passed other hikers, but no one recognized Jiang Qingli.

As far as the eye could see, the red maples were as captivating as burning flames, swaying gently in the wind. Occasionally, a few leaves would drift down, ever so slowly.

Everything was quiet.

But Yi Nuo felt something in his heart taking root and sprouting, growing more vibrant and unrestrained.

“It’s so beautiful,” Jiang Qingli said with a smile as she gazed into the distance. “This was well worth the trip.”

Yi Nuo looked at her profile and curled his lips into a slight smile. “I think so, too.”

Jiang Qingli asked, “I have to go to the Seventh District in a few days. Are you going back to teach your classes?”

“Yeah.” Yi Nuo nodded, then added, not entirely reassured, “I could also take time off. I still have vacation days I haven’t used…”

“You’re so love-struck.” Jiang Qingli shot him a glance, then suddenly frowned in mock panic. “Oh no! Your ears popped out again! Quick, hide them before someone sees!”

Startled, Yi Nuo quickly reached up to cover them, only to grasp at empty air.

Jiang Qingli burst out laughing. “Just kidding! You’re so dumb! HAHAHAHA!”

She was laughing happily, and Yi Nuo laughed along with her, his eyes filled with joy.

–

‘I’ve seen a bigger world now,’ Yi Nuo thought.

‘But my ambition…’

‘has only ever been for this one warm corner of the world where she exists.’

‘For the rest of my life, it will be the same.’