Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Covered in the Scent of Others

The music changed to a different track, the psychedelic electronic sound switching to a fast, powerful beat. The drumming was so intense it was hard to breathe.

From a short distance away, two pairs of identical emerald eyes stared at each other, filled with a mutual revulsion and coldness.

Then, a split second before the girl could notice, they averted their gazes.

Yuan Shiyao withdrew his hand, his voice calm as he replied, "Not long."

Yuan Shimo raised an eyebrow, his own gaze hardening.

He hadn’t missed his twin brother’s gaze lingering on her lips.

’It was highly likely Yuan Shiyao had been here ever since they arrived.’

’He’d watched the entire process of their kiss, from beginning to end.’

Yuan Shimo’s lip curled into a smirk as he took Jiang Qingli’s hand and headed for their private room.

As he passed his brother, he left him with a single cold phrase: "Stay away from her."

Yuan Shiyao froze, his hands at his sides clenching into fists.

He parted his lips as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

Yuan Shimo walked briskly back to the private room.

He pushed open the door to find the student council members inside, drinking, chatting, and playing games in a scene of cheerful harmony.

Seeing them walk in, Lin Xiyue waved to Jiang Qingli and pulled her over to tell her something interesting that had just happened.

Yuan Shimo walked silently to a corner and sat down.

The young man’s gaze fell upon Jiang Qingli, and he sat perfectly still, as if lost in thought.

Someone wanted to cozy up to him, but seeing his unapproachable demeanor, they didn’t dare.

"Are you two fighting?" Lin Xiyue asked.

She had just been gossiping with Jiang Qingli about how Bai Yiyi had skipped her evaluation, which meant her rank would be frozen. Apparently, the student council president was so mad he could spit blood, and there were rumors that some members wanted to revoke Bai Yiyi’s position as vice president.

But as she was talking, she kept getting the feeling that Yuan Shimo was staring in their direction. His gaze wasn’t hostile, but it was hard to ignore.

Lin Xiyue assumed that Jiang Qingli and Yuan Shimo had gotten into an argument.

Eager to help her friend resolve the issue, she asked, "So, who started it?"

The alcohol was starting to hit her. Jiang Qingli propped her chin on one hand, her eyes half-closed.

Hearing her friend’s question, she subconsciously licked her lips. "Hmm... I guess I used my mouth first."

Lin Xiyue declared without a moment’s hesitation, "Then it’s definitely his fault! You’re such a nice person, you would never provoke anyone. He must have done something wrong to make you angry!"

Behind them, the door opened.

A dark-haired young man pushed the door open and walked in. Someone shouted, "Secretary-General, come play Ludo with us!"

Yuan Shiyao agreed and walked over, positioning himself, whether intentionally or not, to face Jiang Qingli’s direction.

The person next to him asked in surprise, "Why is your hair a little wet? Is it raining?"

"No," Yuan Shiyao replied, his voice even. "I just washed my face."

The others didn’t think much of it and started the game.

Yuan Shiyao held a Ludo pawn in his fingers, his gaze traveling over the crowd to land on the girl in the corner, his eyes swirling with complex emotions.

Jiang Qingli, completely unaware that she was being watched, just nodded and complained to her friend in an aggrieved tone, "I was really being gentle, but he was too rough. My mouth still hurts..."

Lin Xiyue: "..."

Her gaze fell on Qingli’s flushed lips, and it finally dawned on Lin Xiyue. She burst out laughing and slapped her on the shoulder. "That’s so you!!!"

-

The party didn’t break up until after midnight.

Most of the group was stumbling drunk; only a few people were still steady on their feet.

Jiang Qingli had already fallen asleep, her head resting on Lin Xiyue’s shoulder. When she heard it was time to leave, she groggily opened her eyes and stared blankly at her friend.

Lin Xiyue raised a hand and patted her head. "When you get back, have your Beast Husband make you something to sober up, okay? Otherwise, you’ll feel awful tomorrow."

"Mmm..."

It was unclear if Jiang Qingli understood, but she just nuzzled her face against Lin Xiyue’s shoulder.

"Xiao Li, it’s time to go home."

A gentle-looking young man walked up to them and steadied Jiang Qingli’s body.

Lin Xiyue was about to let go when she caught sight of the two brothers, Yuan Shimo and Yuan Shiyao, walking over.

For a moment, she wasn’t sure who she should hand Qingli over to.

The three men glanced at each other. Baili Jing raised an eyebrow at Yuan Shiyao. "The student council should have activities scheduled for tomorrow. I can take it from here."

Baili Jing had also served on the student council back when he was a student, so strictly speaking, he was Yuan Shiyao’s senior.

But what stung Yuan Shiyao even more were his twin brother’s words: "You should head back first."

Yuan Shiyao pressed his lips together. He looked at the girl’s dazed profile and said in a low voice, "I’ll be going now."

"See you~" Jiang Qingli raised a hand and gave him a little wave.

The young man’s lips curved into a faint smile, the turmoil in his heart instantly smoothed away. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Enduring the needle-like glares of the other two men, he let a small smirk grace his lips. "See you."

Baili Jing bent down and scooped the girl up into his arms.

The feeling of being lifted off the ground made Jiang Qingli instinctively wrap her arms around his neck. Noticing the smile playing on his lips, she shot him a glare. "You scared me."

"I promise, Xiao Li, I really didn’t mean to this time." Baili Jing’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, bid farewell to the others, and strode away.

With a dark expression, Yuan Shimo followed them.

When they reached the parking garage, a slender young man with a sinister expression was standing by a car.

His golden, slit-pupiled eyes fell upon them. Ye Linyuan’s voice was low and cold. "Give her to me."

Baili Jing narrowed his eyes, not moving.

"Where are you taking her?"

Afraid of waking the sleeping girl, he kept his voice gentle, but his eyes were sharp, like an elder protecting his young.

Ye Linyuan didn’t deign to explain, only repeating coldly, "Give her to me."

The sight of Jiang Qingli depending on that fox demon was an eyesore to him.

After a moment’s stalemate, Baili Jing remembered that the other man also bore a mark and wouldn’t harm Jiang Qingli. He relented, carefully placing her in the back seat of Ye Linyuan’s car.

He pulled a thin blanket over her, instructing in a low voice, "She can’t hold her liquor. Make sure she takes something for the hangover. She has a class at ten tomorrow morning, so don’t let her be late."

Ye Linyuan hated all these fussy instructions, but his gaze fell on the girl, and he still replied with a single, cold syllable: "Mm."

The car door closed, and the vehicle sped away.

Jiang Qingli had already been dozing off in Baili Jing’s arms, and once inside the car, she fell into a deep sleep.

The back seat was spacious, and she curled into a ball.

A moment later, she felt herself being pulled into a cool embrace. A slightly bitter liquid trickled down her throat, and she frowned in displeasure. A thumb gently smoothed the space between her eyebrows.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before she groggily woke up, met by a pair of golden, slit-pupiled eyes gazing down at her.

"Ye Linyuan?" Jiang Qingli rubbed her eyes, realizing she was curled up in his lap.

"Mm." Ye Linyuan pulled the blanket up over her. "You’re awake."

"Where have you been the last few days? You didn’t answer my messages," Jiang Qingli complained. "You’re always appearing and disappearing without a trace."

Hearing this, Ye Linyuan scoffed. "You’re covered in the scent of other men, and you have the nerve to question me?"

Feeling a little guilty, Jiang Qingli pursed her lips. "Do you have a dog’s nose or something...?"

He pinched her cheeks, making her mouth pucker like a little goldfish. He always loved pinching her face like this.

The young man’s eyes narrowed in amusement.

Jiang Qingli looked around and realized they weren’t at home, but in an unfamiliar, wild area.

She asked, confused, "Where are we?"

"The outskirts," Ye Linyuan said.

"What are we doing here?"

The fingers pinching her cheek tightened slightly. Ye Linyuan grunted, "Last week, someone pointed at a meteor shower on TV and said she wanted to see one, too."

Jiang Qingli looked up. The sky was already turning the pale white of dawn. She could only vaguely make out the light of a few stars, let alone any meteors...

’I can’t believe he actually remembered something I said so casually.’

Jiang Qingli felt a little embarrassed, but also very touched.

"Then can we come watch this weekend?" she asked in a soft voice, sitting on his tail and wrapping her arms around his neck.

’She’s good at picking a weekend that doesn’t belong to the other Beast Husbands.’

Ye Linyuan raised an eyebrow. "No."

Jiang Qingli thought for a moment. "Next weekend, then?"

The young man raised a hand to toy with her earlobe, his voice unhurried. "I’ll be busy."

"What could you possibly be busy with—"

Before she could finish, Ye Linyuan’s expression changed drastically.

A sound of something slicing through the air echoed. Jiang Qingli’s wrist was yanked away, and a bullet shot through the car window, grazing past her cheek!