Chapter 446: I Was Just Playing With Others, But With You, It’s for Real

Qin Xiangning was kicked several meters away. His back slammed into a sofa, sending both him and the furniture tumbling to the floor.

BOOM—

As the massive crash echoed through the room, a hand suddenly gripped Jiang Qingli’s shoulder.

She turned and met a pair of emerald eyes filled with concern.

Yuan Shiyao rushed to her side, his eyes scanning her back and arms, terrified she might have been hurt.

After a quick check to confirm she was unharmed, the young man let out a sigh of relief and apologized, "I’m sorry, I’m late..."

"Don’t apologize. I could have handled it myself," Jiang Qingli said, glancing over. "Did you climb in through the window?"

Yuan Shiyao touched the tip of his nose, a little embarrassed. "Yeah."

He had felt something was wrong, so he’d climbed over from the window next door to check.

His movements were lithe and silent—one of the advantages of being a cat-type Beastman.

Jiang Qingli nodded in understanding, then pulled out a hair tie and gathered her hair into a ponytail.

The red wine in her hair made it stick uncomfortably to her neck.

The movement revealed the skin that her hair had been covering.

Yuan Shiyao caught a single glimpse before hastily averting his gaze. He took off his suit jacket and handed it to her. "Uh... it’s a little cold. I—I’ll call a waiter to get you some clothes..."

Jiang Qingli had changed before coming. Her black casual shirt didn’t look much different soaked in red wine, but for some reason, the tips of Yuan Shiyao’s ears were bright red, and he even started to stutter.

The jacket, still warm from his body heat, settled on her shoulders. Jiang Qingli accepted the kind gesture. "Thanks, but we have more important things to do right now."

Only then did Yuan Shiyao remember the other person in the room.

Just as he was about to speak, his expression sharpened. With lightning-fast reflexes, he grabbed her shoulder and yanked her toward him.

A wine glass grazed Jiang Qingli’s hair and smashed against the wall. With a sharp crack, it disintegrated into dust, a testament to the force behind the throw.

"Bitch."

Qin Xiangning stared at the black-haired young man beside Jiang Qingli, his bloodshot eyes practically burning with rage. "Yuan Shiyao! It’s you again, you bastard!"

The kick had nearly knocked Qin Xiangning unconscious. The moment he came to, he was hell-bent on revenge.

He scrambled out from behind the overturned sofa and lunged at Yuan Shiyao with a roar, like a mindless beast.

Yuan Shiyao stepped forward, shielding Jiang Qingli.

But a hand suddenly gripped his wrist.

"Let me."

Jiang Qingli said in a low voice, pulling Yuan Shiyao behind her.

Yuan Shiyao frowned slightly.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her abilities.

It was that their opponent was Qin Xiangning.

The man was utterly vindictive. If Jiang Qingli was the one to handle him, she would definitely face his retaliation later.

It would be better for him to take the lead and deal the punishment for her.

Besides, he and Qin Xiangning already had bad blood. He’d suffered the man’s retaliation several times growing up; one more wouldn’t make a difference.

But the instant Jiang Qingli’s fingers wrapped around his...

Yuan Shiyao froze as if a spell had been cast on him, unable to utter a single word.

Fireworks exploded in his mind at the most inopportune time, all screaming a single phrase—

’She took my hand...’

-

Jiang Qingli stepped forward and faced the frenzied Qin Xiangning, her voice calm. "Qin Xiangning."

Still in his frenzied state, Qin Xiangning suddenly froze.

Upon hearing Jiang Qingli call his name, the clarity in his eyes struggled for a moment before turning cloudy and vacant. He stared blankly at the girl before him.

Yuan Shiyao sensed something was wrong. "What’s with him? He looks like he’s under a Spiritual Attack."

"Something like that. He tried to drug me, but I gave the drug to him instead." Jiang Qingli briefly explained the drug’s effects.

’Isn’t that always the trope in novels? When the villain picks up a glass, you know there’s something in it.’

The moment Qin Xiangning took out the drug, 030 had identified it.

While Qin Xiangning was eavesdropping on Yuan Shiyao and Yuan Liang, Jiang Qingli had swapped their two glasses of wine.

Jiang Qingli asked Yuan Shiyao to search the private room for any surveillance devices. She herself sat on the sofa in front of Qin Xiangning, turned on her recorder, made him look her in the eyes, and asked, word by word:

"Qin Xiangning, this whole thing—kidnapping me, trying to drug me—was this your idea, or your family’s?"

Qin Xiangning’s mind was addled by the drug, but when faced with a question like this, he still hesitated.

’Looks like the drug hasn’t taken full effect yet.’

Jiang Qingli changed the question. "Then let’s talk about what you’ve been doing in the Twelve Cities."

This time, dazed and confused, Qin Xiangning held nothing back and spilled everything.

It included how he’d hired an Assassin to deal with Qin Muye right after he arrived, how he’d contacted other military officers, and how he’d used his status as a Prince to provide cover for Lü Xin to transfer funds...

After confessing everything, Qin Xiangning looked at Jiang Qingli with reverence. "I’m yours from now on... Those six females before were just for fun! I’ll only be with you from now on!"

"Six?" Jiang Qingli’s fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest. "The military seems to have only found three. Who are the other three?"

"They’re from the Upper City District. Their connection to my family is rather secretive." Qin Xiangning began to squirm. "My father won’t let me say, but if you’ll be with me..."

Jiang Qingli stood up, her expression blank. "Are you looking for another beating?"

"I was wrong, I was wrong—"

Panicked, Qin Xiangning scrambled on his knees before her, groveling at her feet in an ultimate display of sycophancy.

"I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you! Just please, don’t leave my sight..."

...

Jiang Qingli stopped the recording on her terminal and sent a message to Xie Youchen, telling him to come over with Yuan Liang to handle things.

From the side, Qin Xiangning watched with pleading eyes. "I told you everything, so can you be with me..."

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’Is it because of what he was thinking about before he took the drug? He’s still fixated on it.’

She was about to give the man a beating before Xie Youchen arrived, but the stick figure 030 appeared in front of her. [I can’t take it anymore! Let me!]

had been holding back for a long time.

Taking advantage of a moment when Yuan Shiyao wasn’t looking, 030 rushed over and began furiously slapping Qin Xiangning across the face.

Qin Xiangning could only feel a powerful force striking him again and again, and in moments, his face was red and horribly swollen.

There was still some red wine on the table. After finishing its assault, 030 poured the rest of it all over Qin Xiangning, then insisted that Jiang Qingli take a few pictures.

As the camera flash went off, Qin Xiangning saw Yuan Shiyao walking toward him.

A flash of clarity cut through his muddled thoughts.

Qin Xiangning looked down at his current state and suddenly realized—

He’d been played by Jiang Qingli!

This female, who seemed so weak, had never been under his control. She had deliberately played along, swapping the wine and using the very drug he’d prepared to turn the tables on him!

Taking down Qin Yu wasn’t enough for her; now she was going to use him to deal a heavy blow to his family!

How could such a vicious female exist?!

Qin Xiangning’s last shred of sanity burned away. Wind gathered from all directions, stabbing straight toward Jiang Qingli!

However, before the Wind Blade could reach Jiang Qingli, it was forcibly stopped in midair.

A Light Blade collided with the Wind Blade in midair, and the impact sent Qin Xiangning flying. He crashed to the ground like a rag doll.

The drug’s effects surged again. He suddenly yelled, "Imperial Sister-in-law!" his eyes locked on Jiang Qingli.

"Ignore him." Yuan Shiyao retracted his Superpower, shielding the girl behind him. "Qingli, you should go. I can handle this."

"Qingli?"

Qin Xiangning repeated the name. His eyes swiveled to stare at the young man before him.

After scanning him up and down for a long moment, Qin Xiangning suddenly grinned.

Yuan Shiyao frowned, watching him warily.

The wind died down, and a dead silence fell over the room.

Qin Xiangning’s eerie laughter echoed through the room.

Blood trickled from his nose, staining his teeth red. He stared fixedly at Yuan Shiyao’s face and spoke in a low, haunting voice:

"You bastard. You want to make a move on our sister-in-law too, so who are you trying to fool with this act?"