Brother Youchen?

Qiao Lan froze.

She thought hard for a moment before recalling that the Jiang Family and the Bai Family had once been joined by marriage.

Bai Yiyi’s side of the family had split from the main branch hundreds of years ago and they were no longer related by blood. However, she was doted on by the elders and had always addressed relatives on this side of the family familiarly, so it wasn’t out of line for her to call Jiang Youchen "brother."

There had been rumors that the Jiang Family intended to have Bai Yiyi marry Jiang Youchen, renewing the marital ties of their ancestors, but that Jiang Qingli had ruined it.

Gossip also had it that they had fought over Bai Yiyi.

But yesterday, when Jiang Qingli fell into the water, before they could even react, Baili Jing and Jiang Youchen—who had appeared out of nowhere—had jumped into the lake together without even taking off their jackets.

Even when Mutant Beasts had invaded the border and Jiang Youchen was interviewed on the news, he hadn’t seemed this anxious or worried.

And after Jiang Qingli was carried out of the water, the way she nestled against her brother, and the way Jiang Youchen soothed her with such nostalgia... it all seemed completely subconscious.

No matter how you looked at it, the two didn’t seem to be at odds.

But just now, when Jiang Qingli saw Bai Yiyi walk toward Jiang Youchen, she hadn’t said a word?

As this thought crossed her mind, Qiao Lan glanced uncertainly at the girl beside her.

Sensing Qiao Lan’s gaze, Jiang Qingli pulled her eyes away from the direction the pair had gone and asked calmly, "Where is the hospital room?"

Qiao Lan looked over. The girl beside her had a blank expression, but anyone could tell that the atmosphere around her was much heavier than it had been at the academy.

She even glanced down at the time to hide her emotions.

But when she raised her wrist, she suddenly realized she wasn’t wearing her watch. Her hand faltered in mid-air before she pulled her terminal from her pocket, glanced at it, and put it away, her expression tense.

A small smile touched Qiao Lan’s lips.

She suddenly found that this young, acting chairman had a surprisingly amusing side.

Though she was in a bad mood, the moment she stepped into the hospital room and saw Ai Bin and Yuan Shiyao standing by the bed, Jiang Qingli immediately switched into professional mode. She went forward to check on the patient and discuss solutions with the two men.

Qiao Lan stood to the side, found a good angle to snap a few photos, and immediately edited them on the spot to post on the official social media account.

BING—

The terminal vibrated.

Jiang Youchen stopped in his tracks and opened his terminal to look.

A system notification popped up: [The account you have on special alert, ’Melt Star Association’, has just posted an update. Come and see~]

The young man tapped on the update and saw the new photos.

His gaze lingered for a few seconds on the standing girl. He tapped the screen with his thumb, long-pressed, and saved the image.

While saving it, he also cropped out the other three males, his movements so practiced they suggested he’d done this many times before.

"Brother Youchen, you finally decided to wait for me."

A delicate female voice came from behind him.

Jiang Youchen put away his terminal and turned to see Bai Yiyi clutching her chest as she jogged up to him. She looked up at him, the corners of her eyes red. "Brother Youchen."

She moved closer and closer, stepping past the boundaries of normal social distance.

As a Dragon, Jiang Youchen’s keen sense of smell picked up her scent.

It was a scent very similar to Jiang Qingli’s.

The young man frowned. "What is it?"

"Yesterday, Sister Qingli and I fell into the water. Thanks to you noticing us, we were alright. I wanted to thank you..." Bai Yiyi lowered her head, her hands clutching the hem of her skirt. "Will you come to see our performance again? I’ve recently learned how to make pastries, and I’d like you to try them."

Jiang Youchen scoffed. "Is Yu Chenglan your Beast Husband?"

Bai Yiyi let out a small "ah" and nodded. "Yes, he is."

The moment she finished speaking, the System’s voice suddenly sounded: [Jiang Youchen’s favorability toward you has decreased.]

[But there’s good news. Since the Host has not yet selected Jiang Youchen as a guidance target, there is temporarily no penalty for the drop in favorability.]

Bai Yiyi was at a loss for words.

Seeing the resistance and rejection flash in Jiang Youchen’s eyes, Bai Yiyi was a little confused.

’I cashed in a ton of points I farmed from my two out-of-town Beast Husbands to redeem the "Heroine’s Exclusive Sweet Body Fragrance" before coming here,’ she thought. ’This should be exactly his type.’

’Not only is he not captivated, but why did he suddenly bring up Yu Chenglan?’

’Could it be because he saw Yu Chenglan with me yesterday, and he’s jealous?’

’Just as I expected! Like my other Beast Husbands, Jiang Youchen is following the novel’s script. He’s destined to fall in love with me!’

Bai Yiyi suppressed the smile threatening to curve her lips and put on a troubled expression. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Jiang Youchen say—

"Your Beast Husband, Yu Chenglan, used his Superpower on a female, which violates Article 82, Chapter 3 of the Imperial Law. In ten minutes, officers from the court will arrive to arrest him. You can inform him to prepare for prison."

The young man’s voice was deep and pleasant, the kind of rich baritone adored by countless females across the Empire.

But his words were like a pile of weights, crashing down on Bai Yiyi so hard her face turned deathly pale and she nearly lost her footing.

What?!

P-Prison?!

She panicked and reached for Jiang Youchen’s sleeve, but was frozen by a single look from him.

Pulling her hand back, Bai Yiyi looked utterly wronged. "Brother Youchen, what are you talking about? I... I don’t understand what you mean..."

His dark eyes, which were fixed on her, narrowed slightly, resembling a bottomless abyss. The intense pressure they radiated was enough to make one’s heart race with panic.

Jiang Youchen didn’t explain. He simply turned and left.

Bai Yiyi panicked. ’Yu Chenglan was so discreet yesterday, even Jiang Qingli didn’t notice! How did the court find out... What do I do... Jiang Youchen’s favorability is definitely going to plummet now!’

System: [I told you to be prepared at all times! To stuff the Charming Fruit into the pastries and give it to him! Now look, his favorability is about to drop to negative one hundred.]

Ever since Jiang Qingli fell into the water yesterday, the System had been rushing her to make progress.

Its usually calm, mechanical voice was now filled with frustration and impatience.

Bai Yiyi was already annoyed, and now she was even more so. She pouted. ’Then what do you suggest I do?’

The System was silent for a moment: [The medication Jiang Youchen was just carrying consisted of sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and medicine for recovering from Superpower-related injuries.]

Bai Yiyi asked, ’He was hurt by a Superpower? Who did it?’

System: [I’m a Guidance System, not a security camera.]

[All you need to know is that Jiang Youchen was injured by a Superpower and needs a female. In a few days, the Jiang Family is hosting a banquet. You can use that opportunity to give him the Charming Fruit. I’ll grant you permission that day to restore your healing Superpower for 24 hours. You need to hurry up and heal him to grind favorability.]

Bai Yiyi had never thought the System could be this clever. ’You’ve suddenly become so much more human.’

The System paused for a moment, then only urged her: [It must be done as soon as possible!]

...

By the time Jiang Qingli finished her visit, the sun was setting.

This wasn’t a major incident to begin with. As long as it was handled properly, it would blow over. Not that many people would cling to it.

As they walked out of the hospital room, Yuan Shiyao suddenly spoke up. "Chairman Jiang, I have a few questions I’d like to ask. Could we speak in private for a moment?"

Beside them, Ai Bin looked confused and shot Yuan Shiyao a look, trying to signal with his eyes: ’What other questions could there be, Mr. Secretary-General? Didn’t we solve everything we discussed? We need to hurry back and report!’

However, Yuan Shiyao acted as if he hadn’t seen the frantic gesturing, his gaze fixed intently on Jiang Qingli.

And yet, his expression remained perfectly serious.

Jiang Qingli glanced around. "Alright. Let’s go talk on that terrace over there."

She assumed Yuan Shiyao wanted to talk about the theater, or perhaps about Bai Yiyi.

But as soon as they stepped onto the balcony, she heard the young man ask in a low voice, "Do you like the color pink?"

’This was the question he needed to ask?’

Jiang Qingli blinked in confusion, then nodded. "I’m quite fond of it."

A smile touched Yuan Shiyao’s lips. He raised a clenched fist and held it out in front of her.

Then, he opened his fingers, revealing a pink crystal bracelet.

Words were carved on the surface of the crystals, faint blessings for peace and safety.

Yuan Shiyao watched her expression and said softly, "I went to the Beast God Temple this morning. This bracelet was personally blessed by the Great Divine Servant. It’s said to bring peace and safety."

Jiang Qingli was surprised.

’There’s only one Beast God Temple in the First District, and it’s out in the suburbs. It takes over two hours by flier, and with the current no-fly order, it’s a nearly four-hour drive. A round trip... what time did he even leave?’

Yuan Shiyao was a truly good friend.

Jiang Qingli’s heart softened, and she thanked him earnestly.

Just as she reached for the bracelet, a shadow darted past.

A cat that had appeared out of nowhere meowed, snatched the bracelet from an impossibly awkward angle, and dashed off.

Jiang Qingli was caught completely off guard. Once she recovered, she quickly gave chase.

As she ran down the stairs, however, she collided with a slender chest.

Her nose filled with a faint fragrance mixed with the slight bitterness of medicine.

Jiang Qingli looked up and met a pair of turquoise eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses.

Yuan Shimo had one arm wrapped around the girl’s waist. A faint smile played on his thin lips as he held something up. "Looking for this?"