Chapter 19: Do you really want to kiss me?

Ears are extremely sensitive organs for feline beasts.

Qin Muye had been enduring it at first.

But the girl's fingers were soft, gently kneading along the rise and fall of his veins. Tiny, electric jolts of numbness kept exploding through him, leaving his mind in a state of chaotic haze.

His breathing grew heavy involuntarily. Qin Muye leaned his upper body back, trying to avoid this trembling sensation.

Yet, the other party had no intention of withdrawing her hand.

What frustrated Qin Muye even more was that while Jiang Qingli was touching his ears, there wasn't a hint of courtship intimacy; instead, she was grinning mischievously.

Was she playing with a dog?!

"Enough." Unable to bear it any longer, Qin Muye grabbed her wrist, his breathing heavy. "Have you had enough?"

"Almost?"

Jiang Qingli squeezed the springy, plush leopard ears with a hint of reluctance.

She cleared her throat and said seriously, "Then let's begin."

Qin Muye froze.

Begin?

Begin what?

His gaze slid down from Jiang Qingli's collarbone, but he jerked his eyes away the moment they touched the edge of her bath towel.

"Don't be afraid." Jiang Qingli grabbed his collar, pulling him toward her. "In your case, it should be very quick..."

"Jiang Qingli!" Qin Muye interrupted her, losing his patience. "We have a contract! Don't forget what you promised me!"

"And who exactly is going to be 'quick'?!"

The last sentence was practically hissed through his teeth, sounding incredibly ferocious.

"Your pollution level is under 20%, so the mental healing will be very fast. It can be done in half an hour." Jiang Qingli blinked. "That's what it says in the brochure from the Marriage and Procreation Center."

Qin Muye: "..."

It felt as if his head had been struck by a heavy object. Qin Muye suddenly realized.

What Jiang Qingli had just said was actually about mental healing.

Being a prince who cared deeply about his image, he naturally refused to admit he had misread the situation. His face darkened instantly. "Who told you to perform mental healing on me? Mind your own business!"

Jiang Qingli was speechless. "...Didn't you write it in the contract?"

As she spoke, she pulled up the contract they had previously signed on her terminal, flipped to the remarks section at the end, and pointed it out to him.

There, in very small font, was a clear supplement

【...Party B is responsible for performing mental healing on Party A at least once a month. Failure to complete this task will result in a 10% deduction from the monthly fee...】

Qin Muye: "..."

Qin Muye had spent most of his life growing up in the Lower City—a dark and chaotic place. He had learned how to fight there, but he hadn't learned much academic knowledge.

When he came to the Upper City, he could barely read a few words. He had once misread his own cousin's name in public, making the front page of the *Imperial Daily* and triggering a nationwide wave of sentiment that the Royal Family was doomed...

Though his literacy had improved later, he didn't know much about laws and regulations.

Consequently, this contract had actually been written by a buddy he had commissioned to help him.

Who would have thought the guy would... add a clause like this...

Qin Muye cursed inwardly. Keeping his face composed, his expression remained stiff. "I forgot. I don't need it right now."

"You really don't?" Jiang Qingli asked, maintaining a sense of responsibility.

After all, until the system returned, she would be living with several beast husbands. It was inevitable that she would have to perform mental healing for them.

Her terminal system was linked to the husbands' wristband data, allowing her to see their pollution levels.

Ye Linyuan had definitely used technology; his was showing around 10%.

Among the remaining beast husbands, Qin Muye had the lowest mental pollution level.

She had noticed this when the contract was signed, and just now, she had thought of using Qin Muye to practice her healing techniques.

Qin Muye stared at her, squeezing out every word: "I. Don't. Need. It!"

Jiang Qingli didn't force him. "Alright then."

She stood up. "I'm going to change into pajamas. You'll sleep on the sofa tonight."

"Wait." Qin Muye reached out and grabbed her wrist.

The moment he touched her skin, it felt as if he had been burned, and he jerked his hand back.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Qingli didn't notice his abnormality. She looked down at Qin Muye, who was leaning against the sofa.

The light fell upon her profile, gilding every strand of hair in gold.

Qin Muye couldn't help but think of the expression Jiang Qingli had when she defeated the mutant beast today.

Indifferent, nonchalant, with a slight mocking curve at the corner of her lips, as if nothing in the world mattered...

His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

It took a few seconds for Qin Muye to snap out of it. His tone was unnatural. "You—just now, why were you touching my ears?"

"This?" Jiang Qingli's tone was casual. "To help you relax. The manual says you can help a beast husband relax by stroking his physical traits. Your tail was hidden behind you so I couldn't reach it, so I went for your ears."

Qin Muye: "..."

What kind of bullshit manual is that? It doesn't teach anything useful!

Just as he frowned, Jiang Qingli suddenly leaned in close with her hands behind her back.

The distance between them shrank abruptly.

Qin Muye froze as that faint fragrance enveloped him again.

"Hey." The girl raised an eyebrow, her eyes filled with undisguised teasing. "You didn't think I was going to do something to you, did you?"

Qin Muye instinctively straightened up and roared indignantly, "Who the hell wants to taste your saliva?!"

"Why are you so worked up?" Jiang Qingli chuckled. "Did I say anything about kissing?"

Qin Muye: "You—"

He wanted to argue, but as his gaze fell upon the girl's rosy lips, his brain turned into mush.

By the time he regained his senses, Jiang Qingli had already turned to go to the walk-in closet to change.

"Damn it..."

Qin Muye slumped heavily onto the sofa, cursing under his breath.

The room was exceptionally quiet.

Because of this, Qin Muye could clearly hear the rustling sounds coming from the closet.

It was Jiang Qingli changing her clothes.

Qin Muye suddenly felt a surge of heat.

He rolled over and covered his beast ears with his hands, feeling incredibly irritated.

After a moment of thought, he pulled out his terminal, found a specific number, and sent a scathing message

【Who the hell told you to change the contract?】

As soon as the message was sent, footsteps sounded behind him.

Qin Muye squeezed his eyes shut, yet his mind was piercingly clear.

After an unknown amount of time, he heard the girl's soft, steady breathing.

Qin Muye listened quietly for a while, gradually drifting into a dream...

***

So fragrant...

Qin Muye smelled a very sweet scent.

In the next moment, a hand grabbed his hair, forcing him to lift his head.

As bright light flashed past, Qin Muye realized he was kneeling.

Before him, Jiang Qingli was wearing a form-fitting gown, her legs crossed. She was looking down at him with lowered eyes, like an empress judging a criminal.

The candlelight flickered, blurring the girl's profile, making it impossible to distinguish reality from a dream.

"Qin Muye."

"How did I teach you? You don't even know how to serve people?" The female's voice was light and cold. She extended two fingers and pinched his chin. "Idiot."

She was high and mighty, her eyes filled with undisguised disdain.

Yet, her rosy lips and the slight upward tilt of her eyes made it impossible to truly hate her; instead, one wanted to be scolded by her even more.

Qin Muye opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself.

However, in the next second, a beautiful Mary Jane shoe stepped on him, pressing down hard.

Qin Muye let out a muffled groan, but as if by reflex, he cupped her hand.

"Please don't be angry." He respectfully kissed the back of her hand and submissively lowered his head. "Master."

She seemed to smile slightly, gently stroking the top of his head. "Good boy."

Hearing that praise, Qin Muye's heart raced wildly, and his blood boiled.

In the swaying candlelight, she leaned down, her red lips parting slightly.

The moment a soft sensation touched his lips, Qin Muye snapped his eyes open.