Free Web NovelChapter 188: Chapter 188: As Expected of My Daughter
A smile unconsciously touched Jiang Qingli’s lips as she looked at the few lines of dialogue.
Lin Xiyue leaned over to look, clicking her tongue. "I never knew Marshal Jiang used to pass notes with you when you were kids. His handwriting is so nice. And babe, you were so cute! Your handwriting looks like a little caterpillar, hahaha!"
"Who are you calling a caterpillar?"
Jiang Qingli closed the card and gently tapped Lin Xiyue on the forehead.
But the smile on her face slowly faded.
’This was a conversation between the original owner and Jiang Youchen. It’s a beautiful memory between them as brother and sister, but it has nothing to do with me.’
As she thought this, a dull ache bloomed in her chest.
Jiang Qingli suppressed the strange feeling and asked, "Where did you find this?"
Lin Xiyue pointed to the glass coffee table inside the sunroom.
Seeing that Jiang Qingli didn’t seem pleased, she spoke cautiously, "I wasn’t snooping, I swear. It was just sitting over there with the card tucked underneath... I got curious, so I took a peek."
"I’m not blaming you." Jiang Qingli patted her head, choosing her words carefully. "It’s just... my relationship with him now... it might not be... um... the same as it was back then."
Lin Xiyue’s heart dropped as she saw the dejected look in Jiang Qingli’s eyes when she placed the card back on the coffee table.
’So what that subordinate said was true! They’re not actually going to try and kill each other on sight, are they?!’
’Please, please, please let Jiang Youchen not be home today! How could Jiang Qingli’s small frame possibly stand up to a big shot from the military command!’
Lin Xiyue quickly changed the subject. "The weather is gorgeous today! Let’s go take pictures outside, okay? It’s not often we get to come here. I’m going to take hundreds of photos, post them slowly when I get back, and make everyone else die of envy!"
Jiang Qingli’s lips curved. "Okay, let’s go."
The two girls left, arm in arm.
The sunroom door closed, and the wind chimes swayed gently.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating a young man’s sharp, handsome features.
Directly above the garden, a young man in a black military uniform stood on the balcony. With his hands braced on the railing, he looked down, his gaze fixed on the figure among the flowers.
The girl knew very little about posing for photos. All she could do was flash a peace sign, tilt her head, and smile.
Her friend beside her roared with laughter, teasing her while directing her into various poses before raising the camera and snapping away.
A smile touched Jiang Youchen’s lips as he watched the girl twist herself into a pretzel, trying her best to cooperate for her friend’s photos.
A plaintive male voice sounded beside him. "I feel like Xiao Li has gotten thinner... Sigh, has that child been skipping meals again? Youchen, that butler you found—can he even cook? I never even got to taste his food before you sent him over to Xiao Li. I’m so worried..."
Jiang Youchen turned his head.
The man was devastatingly handsome, his long, dark-blue hair swaying elegantly in the wind. Yet, the stream of worries coming from his mouth was completely at odds with his image.
This was Jiang Qingli’s biological father, Xie Qizhen.
Xie Qizhen was Jiang Yi’s first Beast Husband, a rare and powerful Blue Dragon Beastman of high standing. He was also Jiang Youchen’s adoptive father.
Jiang Youchen straightened up slightly, his tone respectful. "Yi Nuo is downstairs right now. He can cook for you anytime, if you wish."
"Let’s not. It’s better if Xiao Li doesn’t know we’re home. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her this happy." Xie Qizhen watched the figure in the garden, a hint of melancholy in his smiling eyes. "I wonder when she’ll remember..."
Jiang Youchen’s gaze fell on the sunroom nearby, and his eyes darkened.
The two men fell silent at the same time, their attention focused on the girl in the garden.
A light breeze rustled their hair, carrying the sweet, gentle fragrance of roses.
As Xie Qizhen watched, a smile lit up his face. "This young lady from the Lin Family is quite nice. She gets along well with Xiao Li. Next time I see her father, I’ll have to have a good chat with him and get on his good side."
"It’s so hot out, aren’t those two worried about getting sunburnt after being out there for so long? Our Xiao Li’s patience is really improving. She’s my daughter, after all."
Xie Qizhen made a call and had a servant bring them some cold drinks.
After watching them take a few sips, he added in frustration, "I forgot to have someone bring down some lipstick, too. It’ll be my fault if their makeup gets smudged and ruins the photos."
Jiang Youchen said, "She’s probably not wearing any makeup."
Xie Qizhen slapped the railing. "She’s this beautiful without makeup! Ah! Truly the fruit of my love with your mother!"
Just as he was marveling, his phone rang.
Xie Qizhen answered it with a few brief words, then glanced at his watch.
"It’s getting late. I have to head back. There’s a banquet tonight, and if I’m late, your mother and the other fathers will nag me to death." Xie Qizhen sighed. "Sigh... I used to worry about how I’d find time to spend with my daughter. Now I don’t have to worry about that, since she doesn’t need me around at all... I suppose, in a way, that makes her considerate."
Before leaving, Xie Qizhen patted Jiang Youchen’s shoulder. "For the time being, I’ll have to count on you, her older brother, to look after her."
Hearing those two words, "older brother," the young man’s fingertips twitched at his side.
On his face, however, he skillfully put on the reliable smile of an older brother. "Of course. Don’t worry."
-
After taking a mountain of photos, both Jiang Qingli and Lin Xiyue were exhausted.
When they returned to the living room, Yi Nuo had already prepared lunch.
The table was laden with dishes, a feast for the senses that immediately whetted their appetites.
Jiang Qingli took a bite and nodded again and again. "Delicious! What made you decide to cook today?"
Yi Nuo had no idea why Jiang Youchen had suddenly told him to cook.
But he quite enjoyed cooking for the young miss. There was a chef at the villa, so he never got the chance. Today was a rare opportunity.
The Gray Wolf Butler gave a prim smile. "It is my duty. I am glad it is to the young miss’s liking."
Jiang Qingli took a sip of juice, her eyes glancing over the top of his head.
’My hands are getting itchy. There’s nothing on Yi Nuo’s head, but I keep feeling like he’s perking up his ears, begging to be petted...’
...
After lunch, Jiang Qingli went back to her room.
She had intended to see if there were any clothes in the closet she could wear.
However, when she walked into the closet and pulled open the wardrobe doors, she found it packed full of seasonal high-fashion clothing, all neatly arranged and in styles she loved.
’That butler, Yi Nuo, is so thoughtful. And he has such good taste.’
With that thought, Jiang Qingli changed into a light, comfortable maxi dress.
When she got downstairs, Lin Xiyue was still sprawled on the sofa, editing photos to post on social media.
A look of awe flashed in Lin Xiyue’s eyes when she saw her coming downstairs, quickly followed by confusion. "Where are you going? I thought you were on break. You almost caught a cold again yesterday, shouldn’t you rest for a few days?"
With the Moon Festival approaching, the Empire had a mandatory holiday. The academy had also started its half-month-long break today.
But Jiang Qingli still had to go to the Melt Star Association to handle some business.
Lin Xiyue couldn’t get into the Melt Star Association, so she couldn’t go with her. She just pinched Jiang Qingli’s cheek and said her goodbyes. "I’ll send you the pics once I’m done editing them, ’kay?" freewebnøvel.com
"Thanks for all the hard work! The more you can do, the more you must do~" Jiang Qingli said, swinging her friend’s hand. "Text me when you get home!"
"Roger~" Lin Xiyue pinched her cheek again, then remembered something else. "When you’re at the academy next, remember to push the student council to issue Bai Yiyi’s punishment. I asked them yesterday and they didn’t even reply. They’re just playing dead, it’s so disgusting."
"I know, I know."
Jiang Qingli waved goodbye to her friend and walked toward the garage.
For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.
Unlike the sinister gaze she’d felt at the villa, this feeling was complex and heavy.
’Is it one of the servants?’
As she walked on, footsteps sounded behind her.
Jiang Qingli deliberately stopped by the door.
As the person drew near, she spun around and threw an elbow strike behind her.
Her arm connected with something solid, and at the same moment, she was pulled into a warm embrace.
The young man wrapped his arms around the girl’s slender waist and chuckled in her ear:
"Be gentle, Baby."
