Free Web NovelChapter 189: Chapter 189: That’s Not Very Appropriate, Brother-in-law
Jiang Qingli looked up, meeting the fox’s smiling, crescent-shaped eyes.
Baili Jing hooked a stray strand of her hair from her cheek, intending to tuck it behind her ear, but she dodged him. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
The girl took a few steps back, raised an eyebrow, pushed him away, and turned to leave.
The soft hair slipped from his grasp. Baili Jing froze for a moment, a flicker of panic flashing through his usually composed eyes, and he hurried after her.
Jiang Qingli got into the car before him and pressed the close-door button with one hand, pretending not to see him.
However, when only a narrow gap remained, Baili Jing thrust his hand inside as if he hadn’t seen the closing door. The door clamped down on his fingers without mercy.
Jiang Qingli hadn’t expected him to do that. She jumped in fright and frantically mashed the open-door button several times.
The door slid open, and she snatched Baili Jing’s hand.
But as she turned his slender fingers over and over, she couldn’t find a single mark. They were still as long and perfect as jade.
Only then did Jiang Qingli remember that Baili Jing’s Superpower was "Barrier." Even if it wasn’t a high-level one, he wouldn’t be so easily injured by a car door.
’That fox is definitely doing this on purpose.’
Jiang Qingli tried to fling his hand away, but he caught hers in his warm, dry grip.
The young man wrapped his fingers around hers, placed a peck on the inside of her wrist, and whispered, "I’m sorry, baby."
"I wasn’t there for you right away."
Jiang Qingli didn’t say a word. She tugged her hand again, and this time she pulled it free.
"What are you sorry for?" She crossed her arms and turned her face away from him. "You’re a very busy man, after all."
But this was indeed part of the reason Jiang Qingli was angry.
Yesterday, she had fallen into the water and Jiang Youchen had saved her. After she woke up, her friends and several of her Beast Husbands had come to see her. Even her friend Yuan Shiyao had shown up to check on her. Yet Baili Jing, who was usually so close to her, was nowhere to be seen all morning.
At first, Jiang Qingli had only been a little displeased, thinking that if he was just too busy, she would forgive him just a little.
But as it turned out, Baili Jing actually knew why she was angry!
’He knew and he still didn’t come!’
Jiang Qingli let out a dry laugh.
For the next few minutes, no matter how Baili Jing kissed her fingers and cheeks, she kept a straight face, like a stoic wooden monk unfazed by the seductions of a fox spirit using all its charms.
Baili Jing wasn’t the least bit annoyed. He watched her expression, shifting from holding her hand to pulling her into his arms. His movements remained gentle, as if he could never grow impatient with her.
Seeing her expression soften a little, he finally asked slowly, "Do you want to try my Superpower?"
"Hm?" Jiang Qingli glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
Baili Jing told her to hold out her hand.
He curled his long fingers and tapped the center of her palm lightly.
Jiang Qingli saw a faint glimmer of light slide over her wrist, as if something had enveloped it for a moment before vanishing without a trace.
"What was that?" Jiang Qingli asked.
"A Barrier," Baili Jing said. "If another emergency occurs, like falling into the water, it will activate and protect you if it senses danger. But for now, it can only be triggered three times."
’Baili Jing gave his Superpower to her?’
’It sounds more like a copy of it?’
It was the first time Jiang Qingli had ever heard of such a thing. She couldn’t help but ask in surprise, "You... How did you do that?"
"I found a way to do it in some old records. I was experimenting with it this morning."
Baili Jing lowered his head, gently rubbing his cheek against her forehead. "I’m sorry, baby. I promise I’ll protect you next time. I was too useless this time, and I let you suffer... You can punish me however you want, but please don’t ignore me, okay?"
Jiang Qingli glanced sideways at him and only then noticed the faint, dark circles under his eyes and a weariness in his expression that he couldn’t quite conceal.
This was a rare sight on the Baili Actor, who always presented a perfect image to the public.
’Was he researching this thing?’
Jiang Qingli frowned and said in a small voice, "I never said you were useless, and I never said I was going to punish you... I was just a little upset."
Baili Jing’s lips curved into a smile.
’Mhm, that means her anger has mostly faded. I just need to coax her a bit more and give her a way to make up.’
Baili Jing skillfully pulled the girl into his arms, kissing her on the side of her face and whispering in her ear.
He was all smiles, as if there had never been any discord between them.
Watching his practiced movements, Jiang Qingli felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was... missing...
From the driver’s seat, Yi Nuo suddenly spoke up. "Miss, it’s time to go."
He glanced at Baili Jing, his tone less than respectful. "Mr. Baili, where are you headed? Are you on our way?"
The pair of pale golden eyes seen in the mirror narrowed slightly. The next second, he turned back to Jiang Qingli, his voice low. "Baby, I happen to have some business to take care of near the theater today. Can I go to the academy with you?"
Jiang Qingli nodded.
The car pulled out of the garage.
A faint sound was heard, and Baili Jing glanced to the side.
In his peripheral vision, another car silently pulled out, quickly matching their speed and driving parallel to them at a close but not-too-close distance.
’That dragon... he’s like a lingering ghost.’
Baili Jing kissed the girl’s forehead, turned the windows opaque, and raised the partition in the car, blocking the view from the front seat.
As he pulled his hand back, Jiang Qingli suddenly said, "Tail."
Baili Jing paused. "Here?"
Jiang Qingli was confused. "Since when are you so particular about that?"
The man who would dare to show his ears and tail to seduce her in any old break room was now acting all shy?
Baili Jing pursed his lips, but under his Xiao Qing Mei’s gaze, he slowly let out his tail for her to play with.
Jiang Qingli lay in his arms, and only when she felt the fluffy tail wrap around her did she feel like everything was complete.
She ran her hand along his fur a couple of times but felt that something was off.
She sat up to look and discovered that the middle of Baili Jing’s tail... had several bald patches.
It looked like the fur had been ripped out, and there were scabbed-over wounds.
His normally perfect, fluffy tail, missing these few patches, looked as strange as a handsome man with a thick head of hair who suddenly develops a bald spot.
Jiang Qingli reached out and gently touched a scabbed area, her heart aching a little. "What happened?"
Baili Jing was silent for two seconds before answering honestly, "...I got into a fight."
"A fight with who?" Jiang Qingli frowned. "Don’t tell me Baili Chengyan and his group were bothering you again."
"I’m not in contact with the Baili family anymore. The fight was with..." Baili Jing avoided her gaze and paused. "...someone I don’t get along with."
Seeing that he didn’t want to say more, Jiang Qingli didn’t press him and leaned over to look at the wounds.
Not wanting her to see the ugly spots, the fox tail tried to shrink back, but Jiang Qingli grabbed it by the base, forcing it to stay still.
There was a residue of spiritual power on the wounds. They must have been caused by a male using his Superpower.
The moment she let go, the fox tail was withdrawn.
Jiang Qingli said, amused, "Is your celebrity image that important to you?"
"It’s really nothing, baby. After hugging you for a little while, it’s already much better."
"That fast?" Jiang Qingli was surprised. "I haven’t even kissed you yet, and it’s already had such a big effect?"
Baili Jing’s expression froze. "’Kissing me’ means?"
Jiang Qingli sat on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him toward her. "Doesn’t kissing make wounds caused by Superpowers heal faster?"
The young man followed her lead and drew closer, his lips hovering near hers, his eyes dark and intense.
A monstrous wave of jealousy churned inside him, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking, "Who told you that? Jiang Youchen?"
Jiang Qingli’s eyes widened. "H-h-h-him? Why would he tell me that?! It was Ye Linyuan who told me!"
After she said it, she realized. "Wait, so it’s not true?!"
She recalled all the times Ye Linyuan, whenever he was injured, had pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. Sometimes she had even initiated it herself. A wave of heat washed over Jiang Qingli’s face, and she wished she could grab Ye Linyuan’s tail and tie it in a knot right this second!
She reached into her pocket, grabbed her terminal, and was just about to give that wretched snake a piece of her mind when her face was cupped in his hands.
The handsome young man tilted his head, gently taking the delicate curve of her upper lip between his, his smile tender.
"Then let’s make our act real, baby."
The moment the girl closed her eyes, Baili Jing glanced to the side and saw the other car had drawn closer.
He sneered inwardly and sent a message from his terminal to a certain number: [Getting so close. Are you trying to spy on a legally married couple being intimate?]
[That’s not very appropriate, is it? Brother-in-law.]
