Chapter 450: Even When Married, You Can Still Have an Affair

Jiang Qingli met those vertical pupils for two seconds, then silently turned back to look out the window, pretending nothing had happened.

But Ye Linyuan wasn’t about to let her have her way.

A cool breath brushed against the side of her neck. His arms circled around her from behind, his hands planted on either side of the windowsill. His thin lips traced the slender, elegant line of her neck, slowly moving upward toward her own.

But just a moment before he turned his head to kiss her, Jiang Qingli suddenly ducked and slipped out of his embrace.

The kiss landed on empty air.

Ye Linyuan turned, raising an eyebrow. "What’s wrong?"

"There’s a security camera!" Jiang Qingli pointed to it in the distance.

Ye Linyuan said, "I took control of the surveillance system before I came."

Jiang Qingli: "..."

’Tomorrow, I have to suggest to Yuan Liang that they strengthen the military district’s surveillance and security. Otherwise, this place will be as porous as a sieve.’

She cleared her throat. "We should still be careful outside. Besides, Yuan— he knows you. You can’t just run around out in the open. It’ll be hard to explain if you’re discovered."

He leaned against the windowsill, his gaze fixed on her.

The night was like still water.

A chill laced his nonchalant voice. "Then I’ll just kill him."

Jiang Qingli’s eyes widened, her pupils trembling.

"You were friends before, so I couldn’t kill him," Ye Linyuan said methodically. "You’re not anymore."

Jiang Qingli: ???

Seeing him straighten up, as if poised to act, Jiang Qingli grabbed his wrist. "We haven’t broken off our friendship!"

Ye Linyuan looked down at her, a coldness swirling in his eyes. "You didn’t reject him? Do you like him?"

Jiang Qingli: "..."

Ye Linyuan rarely beat around the bush. If he wanted to know something, he asked directly.

Therefore, his words were always as sharp as a moonlit blade.

Jiang Qingli paused for a few seconds. "...I haven’t made up my mind about it yet. In any case, just don’t kill him."

"Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s get some rest."

Glancing at the sky outside, Jiang Qingli decided to end the conversation there. She took Ye Linyuan by the hand and led him toward the room.

Before leaving, Ye Linyuan glanced down out the window.

The young man in the neat suit was still standing under the streetlight, looking in this direction.

He must have seen everything.

But Yuan Shiyao didn’t seem angry or humiliated, nor was he heartbroken.

He just stood under the streetlight, his gaze intense.

He looked like... a drowning man who had just seen someone else wash ashore, alive. A desperate, do-or-die flame flickered in his eyes.

Ye Linyuan: "..."

...

Tonight, Ye Linyuan had presented his spoils of war to Jiang Qingli in public. Then, in front of everyone, he had left a signal for a secret rendezvous, wanting her to come and find him.

His plan was to do things that would make her happy in a private room just one wall away.

’Ye Linyuan’s reasoning was actually very simple.’

’She can have a secret tryst with Xie Youchen.’

’So why not with me?’

’Even though we’re married, we can still have a tryst.’

’Having a secret rendezvous while married is even more thrilling.’

Ye Linyuan had personally made many preparations and had even calculated the timing perfectly.

’Not too long, nothing too excessive, or she’ll get angry. Twenty minutes is just right.’

But then that whole incident with Qin Xiangning happened.

Ye Linyuan caught the waiter and, while he was at it, dealt with the other disloyal people in the Snake Barrel.

Tonight, Baili Jing had been busy and had called Ye Linyuan, telling him to take good care of Jiang Qingli and not let any males with ulterior motives get close to her.

Baili Jing’s credibility was in the negative, but Ye Linyuan paid it no mind.

After washing up, he waited in Jiang Qingli’s room for her to come in so they could continue their "tryst."

But when he opened the curtains, he saw the two figures standing under the streetlight.

Fireflies danced around them, the scene dreamlike and youthful.

It was just like one of those illogical, sappy romance dramas that W-103 loved to watch.

Ye Linyuan had only met Yuan Shiyao a few times.

But every time, the way the young man looked at Jiang Qingli made Ye Linyuan want to gouge his eyes out.

The thought of this shameless thing using every trick in the book to seduce Jiang Qingli while he was away made Ye Linyuan’s irritation flare.

But what irritated him even more was the way Jiang Qingli had looked at Yuan Shiyao just now.

Ye Linyuan knew that Jiang Qingli liked him.

So, of course, he also knew what kind of look she had in her eyes when she had feelings for someone.

...

「Back in the room.」

Ye Linyuan seemed to have given up on the idea of killing Yuan Shiyao. He sat on the sofa and took out his daily dose of the medicine the military district had provided.

The military district had equipped him with a year’s supply of the medicine, and for the first few months, it was imperative that he remain calm and composed.

Ye Linyuan stripped off his clothes and went straight into the bathroom to take a cold shower.

The door closed, and Jiang Qingli threw herself onto the sofa. She flipped over and flopped out like a pancake, then let out a long sigh.

’How did it come to this...’

From Jiang Qingli’s perspective, he had always acted like a considerate and good friend. Even their occasional physical contact had never crossed any lines.

She had never expected him to actually have feelings for her.

Jiang Qingli had never been confessed to by a friend before, and she immediately felt the situation was very tricky.

Inside the bathroom, water SPLASHED.

Jiang Qingli peeked in the direction of the bathroom, then pulled her head back.

’Xie Youchen is still in a meeting. I can’t discuss this with Ye Linyuan; if I annoy him, he might actually kill someone, and that would be a mess. The same goes for Qin Muye and Gu Nian.’

’Yuan Shimo is calm, but he’s related to Yuan Shiyao by blood. What if he takes his brother’s side? That wouldn’t be fair at all!’

Jiang Qingli thought for a moment, then pulled out her terminal and sent a message to Baili Jing.

Jiang Qingli: [Beep beep beep.]

Baili Jing replied quickly: [I’m here, baby. What’s up?]

Jiang Qingli asked: [Is it a good time to call?]

The next second, a call from Baili Jing came through.

Answering the call, Jiang Qingli lowered her voice and told Baili Jing all about the confession.

Jiang Qingli clutched a throw pillow and sighed softly, "What am I going to do now..."

Before, their relationship had been framed within the box of "friendship," and over time, that boundary had become more and more solid.

Jiang Qingli didn’t dislike Yuan Shiyao’s touch. For a moment there, she had even wondered if she should give it a try.

But she couldn’t help but worry—what if crossing that boundary ended in a complete mess?

After returning to the First District, the Student Council and the Melt Star Association had been collaborating frequently, and Yuan Shiyao was the secretary-general.

At the same time, he was also the younger brother of one of her Beast Husbands.

And most importantly...

Jiang Qingli cherished the people around her, regardless of the nature of their relationship.

She didn’t want them to end up not even being able to be friends.

"It’s okay, Xiao Li," Baili Jing said gently from the other end of the line. "This was very sudden. You don’t have to give him an answer right away."

"Do you remember a few years ago, when you confessed to me?"

Jiang Qingli said, "I remember."

Back then, Baili Jing had been worried that it was just a whim on her part, or that she couldn’t distinguish between dependence on an older childhood friend and actual love, so he suggested they just spend more time together first.

They spent three months figuring things out, although she had actually stolen Baili Jing’s first kiss on the second day...

Jiang Qingli was reminiscing about the past when her terminal suddenly vibrated.

She glanced down and saw a message from Yuan Shiyao.

[Qingli, I’m so sorry if I startled you.]

[I have a question for you, if that’s okay.]

The message was quickly marked as "Read."

Jiang Qingli couldn’t pretend she hadn’t seen it, so she forced herself to reply calmly: [Okay, go ahead.]

Yuan Shiyao: [Can I start pursuing you tomorrow?]