Chapter 435: By Your Husband’s Side, Did You Ever Think of Me?

The moment the words left his mouth, the room fell instantly silent.

The dozen or so doctors all wore subtle expressions.

After all, outside of his amnesia, Fang Chi had always presented himself to them with a casual, devil-may-care attitude.

Just ten minutes ago, someone had been gossiping about his relationship with Jiang Qingli.

He had turned his face away, his tone calm. "What relationship could there be? I’m just her mission target."

Jin Li, who was nearby, had frowned. "Please refrain from discussing matters unrelated to the patient’s condition."

The person had sheepishly fallen silent, and the other gossipers didn’t dare ask any more questions. They all assumed the two weren’t actually close.

But who would have thought that the moment he saw Jiang Qingli, the same young man who had just adamantly insisted they weren’t close would be the first to call out, "Big Sis."

His voice even cracked a little.

Jin Li’s expression was also a bit strange.

He looked at his younger brother, his gaze holding a hint of condemnation.

Fang Chi hung his head. Though he was still sitting there physically, he had died a little inside.

Seeing how impossibly stiff the atmosphere had become, the attending physician cleared his throat. "We’re pretty much done here. We’ll go have a discussion. Advisor Jiang, you and Fang Chi can catch up."

The group left in a flurry, even grabbing the dumbfounded Jin Li on their way out.

Once the door was closed, someone said to Jin Li, "Hey, Colonel Jin, you’re not very perceptive, are you? Your brother is obviously interested in Advisor Jiang..."

He was only halfway through his sentence when the person next to him nudged him in the shoulder.

The man was confused, but seeing his colleague’s meaningful glances, he finally realized something—

’Good heavens, Advisor Jiang is the Colonel’s ex-fiancée!’

’And here I am, talking about how his brother likes Miss Jiang. So awkward...’

He quickly covered his mouth and laughed it off, changing the subject.

Jin Li just smiled and didn’t pursue the matter.

But before he left, his gaze passed through the glass window. Seeing Jiang Qingli sitting in front of Fang Chi with a concerned expression, a flash of regret still crossed his eyes.

’If I hadn’t agreed to the divorce back then, would things be...?’

’Never mind.’

Jin Li closed his eyes.

’What am I thinking?’

’This is a completely impossible hypothetical.’

Now that Fang Chi had recovered, most of his own assets had been transferred to Jiang Qingli as payment. Once things with the military district were settled, he would keep his promise, resign his commission, and dedicate the rest of his life to public service to atone for his mistakes.

-

「Inside the hospital room.」

Jiang Qingli sat in the chair by the bed and asked, "Have you felt any discomfort recently?"

Fang Chi kept his head down, his voice softer than a mosquito’s buzz. "...No."

Jiang Qingli acted as if she hadn’t heard clearly. "What was that?"

"N-no."

Fang Chi raised his voice and looked up at her.

But after a single glance, he quickly lowered his head again, his hand clutching the blanket so tightly he looked like he wanted to bury himself in it.

Jiang Qingli gave him a friendly smile. "What’s wrong?"

Fang Chi: "..."

He didn’t know what to say.

His mind was filled with memories from his amnesia, of how he had clung to her like a nine-year-old child, whining and calling her "Big Sis."

Fang Chi didn’t dare to look her in the eye. After a long while, he finally managed to force out, "I’m sorry... for all the trouble I caused you."

Jiang Qingli smiled and patted his shoulder. "It’s alright. You were pretty cute as a nine-year-old."

Fang Chi felt like steam was about to come out of his ears. The man who once bragged to his teammates about being a natural with the ladies now wore a rakish face but stuttered, "Th-that... did you need me for something?"

"Nothing major. I just wanted to see how your recovery is going," Jiang Qingli said. "And to ask if there’s anything unusual with your Spiritual Body. I’m returning to the First District next month, so I can still help you with Spiritual Healing until then."

After all, Fang Chi was her mission target, and he had been a great help in capturing Lü Xin. Jiang Qingli wanted to help him more during this time to prevent any lingering side effects.

Hearing this, Fang Chi’s lips pressed into a thin line.

A wave of shame threatened to drown him.

Like many others, Fang Chi had once looked down on Jiang Qingli, feeling she wasn’t good enough for his brother. Although he’d never said it out loud, he had been disdainful in his heart.

But during their time together recently, Jiang Qingli had shown no impatience toward him. On the contrary, she had been gentle and attentive. Even though she was younger than him, she had taken care of him like an older sister.

The thought of his past narrow-mindedness made Fang Chi want to crawl into a hole and disappear. He was utterly mortified.

He tried to sound calm as he told her he was fine and that she didn’t need to waste her spiritual power on him.

"It’s okay. We’re friends, aren’t we?"

Fang Chi froze.

His amber pupils quivered, and the lynx tail behind him swayed unconsciously.

His voice was filled with intense, pleasant surprise. "Big S—"

He stopped himself abruptly, his tone shifting to a cautious one. "Can we... be friends?"

’I’ve caused her so much trouble, and I’m the brother of the man she hates.’

’Can I really be her friend?’

"Of course." Jiang Qingli’s eyes curved into a smile. "From now on, just call me Qingli. That’s what my friends call me."

Her terminal vibrated twice. Jiang Qingli glanced at it, then stood up to leave. "I have to go to a meeting. Let’s exchange contact info. Just message me online if you need anything."

After they were added as friends, Fang Chi’s hands were trembling.

"Here, have some fruit."

The girl thrust something into his hand, and with that, she was gone.

Fang Chi buried his face in the blanket and let out a sigh of relief.

A moment later, he remembered the fruit.

Fang Chi hadn’t eaten fresh fruit in a long time; the last time was at Jiang Qingli’s house.

He looked down at his palm in anticipation.

Then he fell silent, staring at the "Mixed Fruit Flavor" label on the nutrient solution. "..."

-

The morning’s meeting focused primarily on the subsequent protection and development of the Roaring Forest.

Jiang Qingli had previously proposed establishing official contact with High Level Spiritual Mutant Beasts to help them control and pacify the Low Level Mutant Beasts.

If the Low Level Mutant Beasts were emotionally stable, they wouldn’t randomly rampage into the Empire’s territory.

This also aligned with the Empire’s principle of harmonious coexistence.

The military district found this method feasible, but they first needed to devise a foolproof plan to prevent the Spiritual Mutant Beasts from rebelling or being exploited by malicious parties.

The researchers and high-ranking officers produced various proposals, each stubbornly sticking to their own opinion and arguing fiercely.

Seeing that some were about to resort to fists, Yuan Liang quickly played the peacemaker, calming both sides down.

While they argued incessantly, Jiang Qingli propped her chin on one hand and read through her documents.

Suddenly, her other hand, which was resting on the table, was grasped.

She looked up and met Xie Youchen’s eyes.

"Have you been resting well these past few days?" Xie Youchen asked in a low voice. "Is he still around?"

Jiang Qingli’s mind was stuffed with all sorts of voices, and it took her a few seconds to realize the "he" Xie Youchen was referring to must be Ye Linyuan.

She nodded. "He’s doing very well now, no need to worry."

"I’m not worried about him."

His long fingers slipped between hers, interlacing with them.

Xie Youchen seemed to completely ignore the arguing crowd, daring to interlace his fingers with hers right there in the conference room.

He lowered his eyes, his voice very soft. "Ah Li, I’m only worried about you."

After a pause, he looked into her eyes and asked bluntly, "These past few days, have you thought about me?"

"In your husband’s arms."

Jiang Qingli froze, unsure how to respond, when she suddenly felt a prickling stare on her back.

She turned her head.

Outside the conference room’s glass wall, Ye Linyuan was coldly staring at their intertwined hands.

And beside him, Baili Jing was watching with a smile.