Chapter 20: Good Doggy

A blindingly bright light filled his vision.

He was awake, yet he felt as though he weren't.

Qin Muye's mind was still in a state of chaos.

He tried to prop himself up with one hand, but his hand met only empty air, and he rolled off the sofa onto the floor.

The dull thud and the sensation of the wool carpet beneath his hand left him momentarily dazed.

He looked down, and he was instantly, fully awake.

Qin Muye: "..."

At this moment, the silence was deafening.

A muffled female voice drifted from behind him: "What's wrong?"

Jiang Qingli wasn't fully awake yet; her voice was soft, light, and slightly slurry.

Qin Muye's head went *boom*. He lunged for a throw pillow and pressed it firmly between his thighs.

"Nothing!" he said dryly.

But there was no reply.

Qin Muye took several deep breaths and looked back. Jiang Qingli had fallen back asleep, her breathing steady.

Qin Muye: "..."

Her sleep quality was certainly excellent.

Qin Muye looked down, pinched the bridge of his nose, and felt an uncontrollable surge of irritation.

*Damn it!*

*What the hell is going on!*

In the past twenty-one years, Qin Muye had never had a dream like that.

What felt even more absurd was that in the dream, Jiang Qingli had been high and mighty like a queen, commanding him at will, and even calling him—

"Good puppy"?

It was utterly ridiculous!

That wicked female—she must have done something to him while he was asleep. He had heard that some companies were now producing devices that could alter the content of dreams.

Comforting himself with this thought, Qin Muye felt much better.

His terminal vibrated once.

His first instinct was to press down on the device and look back to see if Jiang Qingli had been woken up.

The female, wearing a water-blue camisole nightgown, rolled over. The silk slid off her snow-white skin like water, making his breath hitch.

Qin Muye's Adam's apple bobbed, and he abruptly turned his face away.

This hateful female—she was even restless while sleeping.

Once the three-year term was up, he absolutely had to divorce her!

Qin Muye imagined the carefree life of a single man after the divorce, which finally allowed him to calm down. He tapped open his unread messages.

A user with the handle "AAA Plumbing Master Lu" had sent a message: [I didn't change the contract? I sent it to you for review after drafting it.]

Qin Muye: [...]

Just looking at the words annoyed him. Review my ass.

With a sour expression, Qin Muye replied: [Remove that part about mental healing.]

AAA Plumbing Master Lu: [Bro, find some time to read a book. Once this contract is signed, it can't be changed.]

Qin Muye: "..."

AAA Plumbing Master Lu: [That female of yours wants to do mental healing for you? How do I remember her reputation being terrible, and she doesn't even have mental powers? Did she undergo a secondary awakening? What's her level? Can she actually heal you?]

Qin Muye: [None of your damn business.]

AAA Plumbing Master Lu: [Man, I don't even want to talk about your pollution levels. I can't fix it for you every time there's a checkup. If you keep suppressing it like this, you won't be able to maintain your human form. If His Majesty finds out, you're finished.]

Qin Muye: [So what if she knows?]

Without waiting for a reply, he tossed the terminal aside.

Closing his eyes, dark and suffocating images continued to swirl before him. Qin Muye's hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists, his veins bulging.

Countless negative emotions spiraled in his mind. He felt like a ferocious beast in a bloody world, wanting to tear something apart to relieve the violence in his heart.

"Qin Muye..."

Footsteps sounded behind him.

Qin Muye's self-control had reached its limit.

He lunged backward, grabbing Jiang Qingli and pinning her against the sofa. He clamped one hand over her wrist, his eyes cold and fierce.

Caught completely off guard by being slammed onto the sofa, Jiang Qingli's sleepiness vanished instantly.

Because she was facing away from the light, she couldn't see Qin Muye's expression clearly, but she saw the snow leopard ears that had suddenly sprouted from the top of his head.

They were furry and soft.

Under her gaze, the ears twitched slightly, as if waiting for her to touch them.

Involuntarily, Jiang Qingli reached out and gave them a gentle squeeze.

The Qin Muye pinning her froze. The violence in his eyes receded rapidly, replaced by clarity.

"Do you like having your ears rubbed that much?" Jiang Qingli smiled languidly. "Wanting them touched first thing in the morning... is this the little hobby of His Highness the Prince...?"

"What hobby?!" Qin Muye abruptly released her and stood up. "Shut up!"

As he straightened up, he realized Jiang Qingli was lying there motionless, her gaze seemingly inquisitive.

Qin Muye felt inexplicably guilty and asked dryly, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Jiang Qingli reached out toward him. "I'm out of strength. Help me up."

Looking at the hand reaching toward him, Qin Muye was inexplicably reminded of last night's dream.

In the dream, he had knelt on the ground, holding this hand with utmost devotion, and then...

He abruptly cut the thought off. Qin Muye took Jiang Qingli's hand and pulled her up.

Just as they stood steady, there was a knock at the door.

"Is something wrong?" Jiang Qingli asked loudly, assuming it was Yin Nuo.

"Qingli, I heard a noise inside. Are you alright?" Baili Jing's worried voice drifted through the crack in the door.

Qin Muye let out an impatient click of his tongue.

What could possibly happen while being with him? He acted as if Qin Muye were a criminal.

Had this vixen been waiting at the door the whole time? Coming over at the slightest disturbance.

Even a dog wouldn't be this eager to show its loyalty.

"I'm fine," Jiang Qingli replied.

"That's good then." Baili Jing breathed a sigh of relief, his voice carrying a gentle smile. "I've already made breakfast. It's in the dining room—your favorite century egg and pork congee."

*So the original owner liked eating this for breakfast.*

*It's quite similar to my own preferences.*

Jiang Qingli mused to herself and gave a verbal acknowledgment.

The bedroom only contained Jiang Qingli's toiletries; Qin Muye didn't linger and left.

Pushing the door open, the person at the entrance looked up.

Baili Jing was wearing a light blue striped shirt today, with two buttons undone, revealing his pale collarbones and a silver necklace.

His hair was meticulously styled, every strand exuding refinement.

Even his standing posture revealed a calculated intent.

Hearing the door open, Baili Jing looked up in surprise. Upon seeing it was Qin Muye, his gaze turned cold, and he gave a faint nod as a greeting.

Qin Muye had no good feelings toward this vixen who considered himself the "first wife" either, and he turned to leave.

As he passed Baili Jing, Qin Muye caught a whiff of a very refreshing perfume.

It was similar to the scent on Jiang Qingli.

To go as far as intentionally using the same perfume as Jiang Qingli—what a pathetic simp.

He could never bring himself to do something that disgraced his masculinity.

***

Ten minutes later, in the dining room.

Jiang Qingli sat in the head seat, with Qin Muye and Baili Jing sitting on either side of her.

Yin Nuo stood diagonally behind them, like a shadow.

It was rare for there to be so many people in the dining room, yet it was so silent that Jiang Qingli's eating pace slowed down.

The congee Baili Jing made was delicious. After Jiang Qingli finished a bowl, he handed her freshly squeezed juice.

As Jiang Qingli took it, Baili Jing's fingers lightly brushed against the back of her hand.

Her hand jerked, and she failed to hold the juice steady, causing it to spill onto the table.

The juice spread rapidly, but just as it was about to drip off, it hovered mid-air.

Immediately after, the juice seemed to be controlled by an invisible hand, ceasing its flow.

Yin Nuo stepped forward at that moment and wiped the juice clean.

Jiang Qingli couldn't help but feel it was magical. "Is that your ability?"

She remembered Yin Nuo's ability seemed to be gravity; she hadn't expected him to use it like this.

Yin Nuo nodded. "Yes."

Jiang Qingli reached out to pat his head, her fingers sliding up to his ear, and praised him with a smile: "Well done, good puppy."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Qin Muye snapped his head up and stared intensely at Jiang Qingli.

(End of Chapter)