Qin Muye snorted heavily. "You ask him!"
"My Lady," Yi Nuo said with the utmost respect. "The Seventh Prince wishes to install weaponry inside the house. It's very dangerous."
Jiang Qingli turned her head and saw an open case.
It was stuffed to the brim with a huge pile of weapons that glinted with a sharp, cold light. There was also a disassembled small-scale artillery piece, likely the very one he wanted to install in the room.
Jiang Qingli's heart skipped a beat. "Why did you bring weapons?"
"For self-defense," Qin Muye said.
"Seventh Prince, this is Sector S-03 of the Central City. In terms of security, it's second only to the Imperial Palace and the military. You don't need to be so vigilant." Yi Nuo's tone was firm. "I've already told you, you can place them in the storage room or the basement, but you cannot bring them into the bedroom, lest you accidentally harm My Lady."
'With the protection afforded by their marital bond, she wasn't actually afraid of being harmed by Qin Muye.'
Jiang Qingli thought for a moment. "You have a Space Ring, don't you? Just put them in there. Leaving them out is pretty scary."
Qin Muye clicked his tongue in annoyance and put the weapons away.
Jiang Qingli smiled and offered some verbal praise. "Now you're being good."
Qin Muye froze, then scowled. "Watch your wording."
'He was a leopard, not a dog.'
"Alright, you can't take a joke," Jiang Qingli said, waving her hand dismissively as she walked into the villa.
Yi Nuo shot him a glance before following closely behind Jiang Qingli.
Just as they entered, a figure dressed in pure white descended from the upper floor.
"Qingli." Baili Jing, dressed in a white shirt and holding a book, walked over with a warm smile and took Jiang Qingli's hand. "You're back. Did you sleep well last night?"
"It was fine." Jiang Qingli pulled her hand away, her tone a little stiff. "I'm going to my room. Yi Nuo, come help me organize things."
'Jiang Qingli was terrified of revealing any openings that Baili Jing might notice and become suspicious of.'
Thus, she walked away with quick steps.
She didn't look back once.
Baili Jing lowered his eyes in disappointment, looking at his own fingers before sighing.
'She's so guarded around me...'
Qin Muye walked in just in time to see this scene.
He scoffed.
'Qin Muye couldn't stand the sight of this Baili Jing fellow.'
When he arrived here last night, they had run into each other.
Baili Jing had brought over a dozen boxes of clothes, and a bewildering variety of perfumes and skincare products.
After his bath in the evening, he had sat in the living room in just a bathrobe, flipping through a fashion magazine over and over. But anyone could see he was waiting for Jiang Qingli.
Even the Beast Husbands in the Imperial Palace waiting to be called to bed weren't as pretentious as he was.
And this morning had infuriated Qin Muye even more.
Half an hour ago, Qin Muye's servant had delivered the weapons. He had wanted to carry them inside, but Yi Nuo stopped him.
Baili Jing happened to be passing by. Qin Muye figured that since they were all forcibly assigned to Jiang Qingli, they should at least help each other out. So he called Baili Jing over to ask him to mediate.
But Baili Jing had simply smiled and said, "My apologies. Now that we are married, we must listen to our female master in all things. Since our female master hasn't spoken, I dare not make a decision on my own."
Qin Muye was rendered speechless on the spot.
'What era was this? Who still acted out the persona of a virtuous, doting house-husband?'
'The only Beast Husband he'd met so far was this type. Qin Muye dreaded to think how crazy the others would be.'
-
Jiang Qingli entered her room and locked the door from the inside.
Hearing the lock click, Yi Nuo stiffened, and a pair of gray wolf ears popped out on top of his head.
"My Lady." Yi Nuo watched her nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"Don't be scared, I'm not going to do anything to you." Jiang Qingli hadn't expected to frighten him so badly. She touched the tip of her nose and sat on the sofa. "I just want to ask you a few things."
Yi Nuo walked to Jiang Qingli's side and knelt on one knee beside her, bowing his head respectfully. "Please, ask away."
Jiang Qingli asked, "What have those two been up to since they moved in last night?"
Yi Nuo had been observing the two Beast Husbands ever since they arrived at the villa last night, and he now reported everything to Jiang Qingli in detail.
Jiang Qingli stroked one of his wolf ears. "You've worked hard."
The soft wolf ear twitched. The base of Yi Nuo's ears turned a faint red, and his voice took on a spirited tone he himself didn't notice. "It is my duty."
After a moment's thought, Yi Nuo asked, "Miss, when will the other three Beast Husbands arrive? I can prepare their rooms in advance."
Jiang Qingli had actually created a group chat for the five Beast Husbands on her way back, but she hadn't had a chance to ask yet.
She took out her terminal and opened the group chat, only to find they were already talking.
Baili Jing had started the conversation.
Baili Jing: [@Ye Linyuan @Yuan Shimo @Gu Nian, gentlemen. This is Baili Jing. I and another Beast Husband, Qin Muye, have already moved into Qingli's home. I was just wondering when you all might be arriving?]
Yuan Shimo: [I'm currently in the Ninth District on a research expedition with Professor Li and his team from the Royal Empire College. I expect to return to the First District next month.]
'Jiang Qingli recalled that this Yuan Shimo was one of the sons of the president of the Royal Empire College. He was her age, twenty, and his beast form was a white cat.'
'Perhaps his intelligence was maxed out at the expense of his physical health; he had always been frail and sickly. His Superpower was a Wind Ability.'
'The body's original owner had once tried to pursue his younger brother, Yuan Shiyao, an S Level Black Cat Beastman. Yuan Shiyao was arrogant, so of course, she had failed…'
'It was good that Yuan Shimo wasn't here now. It would save them from an awkward meeting.'
Another new message popped up on her terminal.
Gu Nian: [So sorry, I'm still in transit. There's a lot of paperwork to get from the Twelve Cities to the Central City. It'll be a few more days before I arrive.]
Jiang Qingli hadn't heard of Gu Nian, and there was no impression of him in the original owner's memories either.
His file stated that Gu Nian was a Rabbit Beastman who had just turned eighteen a few days ago. He had awakened a Wind Ability and was a native of the Twelve Cities.
The Twelve Cities belonged to the Lower District, a notorious slum with poor security where criminals gathered in droves. People from the Upper City District would cover their noses and mouths at the mere mention of it.
Baili Jing replied: [No worries. It must be a long and tiring journey. Take care.]
Jiang Qingli followed up with a sticker expressing anticipation.
BEEP BEEP.
Her terminal chimed.
Jiang Qingli opened the message and found that Gu Nian had sent her a private message.
Gu Nian: [I'm so sorry, Sister. It's all my fault for holding everyone up QAQ]
Gu Nian: [Ah, is it okay for me to call you Sister?]
Jiang Qingli was indeed two years older than him, so she replied: [You can.]
Gu Nian: [I brought you some local specialties from the Twelve Cities, and I washed them all really clean! I don't know if they'll be to your liking, Sister.]
Gu Nian: [[Image]]
It was a selfie.
A delicate, handsome boy faced the camera, holding a carrot next to his cheek.
A pose like that might look contrived on others, but he had a pair of beautiful, glass-like pink eyes. Soft, white, choppy bangs fell across his forehead. He pursed his lips slightly as he looked at the camera, appearing very innocent and pure.
'The system had pretty good taste, at least,' Jiang Qingli thought. 'None of the ones it assigned were ugly.'
'But since when were carrots a specialty of the Twelve Cities?'
-
「Amidst a continuous mountain range, a train entered a tunnel.」
Inside a dim train car.
The white-haired youth stared at the dimly lit screen, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.
He pursed his lips and carefully typed: [Why aren't you saying anything, Sister? Am I... ugly?]
Just after he sent the message, two sharp bayonets suddenly pierced through the wall of the car!
The sharp, gleaming blades, one on each side, stopped just millimeters from the youth's delicate face.
"Found him! He's in here!"
"Hand over the goods!"
The door was pounded thunderously as dozens of male Beastmen roared in unison, the pressure immense.
The next second, the youth's figure appeared outside the car.
The men turned, gasping in unison. "He has a Space Ability!"
They realized their intel was wrong. Frantically raising their guns, they lunged forward as a mad, dense volley of gunfire erupted.
But in less than ten seconds, the shouts and curses turned into the deathly wails of the dying.
The car fell silent once more. Gu Nian tossed aside the gun in his hand, raised a bayonet, and delivered a finishing blow to each person on the ground.
Scarlet liquid spattered, but his expression remained calm, as if he were used to it.
His terminal vibrated. Gu Nian eagerly checked the message.
Jiang Qingli: [No, you're very good-looking. o(￣▽￣)ｄ]
The moment he saw those words, the train happened to exit the tunnel, and brilliant sunlight flooded the car through the windows.
The youth's eyes curved as a blissful smile spread across his face.
Gu Nian: [I'm so happy. I can't wait to see you, Sister. ^^]