Chapter 460: A Stable Triangle

The night was deep and still.

Yuan Shimo gently placed the child sleeping in his arms back onto the bed. He rose slowly and tiptoed out of the room.

Seeing his older brother get up, Yuan Shiyao, who was nearby, realized what he was about to do and immediately moved to follow.

But as soon as he stood up, the two children in his arms grabbed his clothes, their mouths downturned, looking like they were about to cry.

He had been quite adept at coaxing the children earlier. After Baili Jing left on an errand, the two most difficult children had been transferred to him.

The two little males were still young, only two or three years old, and couldn’t be left alone for a moment.

They were two Wolf Dog Beastmen. Even on a normal day, they were destructive. It had taken a lot to get them to sleep, and if they woke up now, they would probably tear the house down.

For the sake of the welfare home, Yuan Shiyao could only sit there, one child in each arm, and watch helplessly as his brother went to find his sister-in-law.

Yuan Shiyao suppressed the urge to chase after him. ’Forget it,’ he thought.

It was better for his sister-in-law to be with his brother than with that fox.

Besides, after the welfare home event was over, Yuan Shimo would have to leave the Twelve Cities with Meng Xian. Once he was gone, Shiyao could try his luck again.

With that thought, Yuan Shiyao managed to console himself. He patted the little boy in his arms, trying to cultivate the air of a doting father.

As Yuan Shimo returned to his room, he ran into Meng Xian and Yuan Liang, who were also coming back.

The welfare home had limited rooms. Aside from a few females who had single rooms, everyone else shared.

Yuan Liang, Meng Xian, and Yuan Shimo were sharing a triple room. Next door were Baili Jing and two other staff members.

Yuan Shimo remembered these two had gone up to the roof after dinner, singing loudly and reminiscing about old times. ’Why are they back so early?’

He smiled at them. Meng Xian chuckled and said, "We were just having a drink when Baili mentioned the temperature difference here is quite large. He had someone send over some warm water for us, so we came back early."

Yuan Liang said, "Hey, Shimo, we were just talking about you guys."

Yuan Shimo gave a polite smile. Although he wasn’t the least bit curious, he played along and feigned a questioning look.

Yuan Liang said, "Well, it’s like this. Your younger brother is nineteen now, isn’t he? Is he seeing anyone?"

Older males were always enthusiastic about matchmaking for the younger generation. Yuan Shimo smiled. "Not yet."

"Isn’t that perfect?" Yuan Liang slapped his thigh. "A colleague of mine has a daughter. She’s just turned twenty-two and is already the City Lord’s Secretary for the Sixth District. A limitless future ahead of her!"

Meng Xian added, "Shimo, didn’t your father ask me to keep an eye out for your brother before we left? It just so happens Old Yuan knows someone. You could ask your brother what he thinks."

Yuan Shimo fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "Thank you both for your consideration, but... I think Shiyao already has someone he likes."

"Oh, that’s great!" Yuan Liang laughed heartily. "So which family’s young lady has your brother taken a fancy to? I know a lot of people; I can help him build a bridge."

This time, Yuan Shimo’s silence was even longer.

After a long pause, he finally said, "He probably has his own ideas."

Hearing this, Yuan Liang sighed with a little regret but still offered his blessing. "Alright then. We’ll wait for your brother’s good news."

Yuan Shimo: "..."

’There’s no need for any good news.’

After washing up, Yuan Shimo stood before the mirror, meticulously fixing his appearance. Then, he passed through the shadows and entered Jiang Qingli’s room.

The light in the room was also old, flickering occasionally.

The soft patter of water was exceptionally clear in the dimness, but Yuan Shimo had no mind for such things now. His gaze was fixed on the area beside the bathroom door.

Baili Jing and Gu Nian stood on either side of it, separated by the width of the door, both eyeing each other warily, neither willing to back down.

Gu Nian must have come straight after his internship shift ended. His clothes were wrinkled, and a few stray blades of grass were tangled in his snow-white hair.

Yuan Shimo’s brow furrowed slightly. He recalled that the internships the academy arranged for special-intake students were all cushy, useless desk jobs. ’Why does he look like... he got into a fight with a colleague?’

The next second, Yuan Shimo’s eyes swept over to Baili Jing and noticed the same blades of grass stuck to his pant leg. Understanding dawned.

It wasn’t a fight with a colleague. It was a fight with a "colleague."

Hearing footsteps, Gu Nian glanced at Yuan Shimo and sneered, "You can go back. There’s no place for you here."

Yuan Shimo replied coolly, "The person who shouldn’t be here most of all... seems to be you."

Baili Jing added with a gentle smile, "Xiao Gu, you really should go back. If anyone finds you here, you’ll cause trouble for our female master."

Gu Nian nearly rolled his eyes. "You’re the one who causes her the most trouble, you old thing."

"Is that so?" Baili Jing’s eyes curved into a smile. "But... our female master doesn’t seem to think so. If you didn’t see clearly just now, I can reenact it for you."

Gu Nian cursed inwardly once again. ’This damn fox is so thick-skinned.’

’While I was too busy to be in two places at once, he copied my Superpower and ran to the Twelve Cities to take all the credit.’

’And that’s not even the worst of it.’

What really pissed Gu Nian off was this:

He had arrived earlier and was hiding in a corner, planning to give Jiang Qingli a surprise.

But who would have known that Baili Jing, despite clearly sensing his presence, deliberately kept the lights off, cupped Jiang Qingli’s face, and kissed her again and again, murmuring a mountain of sickeningly sweet nothings until the tips of her ears turned red.

After Jiang Qingli went to take a shower, the fox immediately changed his tune and leisurely told him to leave.

Gu Nian was practically fuming.

The two of them had gone out and fought using their Space Ability. When they returned, they still weren’t satisfied, convinced the other had ill intentions. So, they each took up a position on one side of the door, guarding against the other.

And now, with Yuan Shimo’s arrival, they had another person to be wary of.

The three males traded sarcastic, passive-aggressive barbs, countering each other’s verbal jabs, yet not one of them moved an inch. Their eyes remained glued to the door.

They were like rival servants vying for favor, waiting to be chosen for the night.

When Jiang Qingli opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of a solid triangle.

’So many people...’

Jiang Qingli felt the urge to go back in, shower a little longer, and only come out after they had decided a winner.

But the three males’ gazes were so intense that she slowly stepped out anyway.

She took a step, and the three males took a step with her.

She sat on the single armchair, and they stood opposite her.

The scene was somewhat comical.

Before anyone could speak, Baili Jing’s terminal began to ring.

He glanced at the screen and stepped away to answer the call.

And then there were two on the battlefield.

Yuan Shimo’s shadows stirred restlessly, but he forced them back down.

And while he was suppressing his shadows, Gu Nian seized the opportunity to squeeze past him. He took a towel and began drying the tips of Jiang Qingli’s hair, which were still beaded with water.

Jiang Qingli pinched his ear. "Don’t think this will convince me to let you stay. Didn’t you promise Marshal Yuan last time not to come to the Twelve Cities whenever you please?"

"Qingli, I didn’t just come here on a whim." Gu Nian hooked her finger with his, blinking pitifully. "Things have been tense lately. I want to stay by your side..."

"What situation is so tense that it would make our dear Nian rush over in the middle of the night?" Jiang Qingli assumed he was joking. "If you can’t answer, you have to go home like a good boy."

"Didn’t Uncle Baili tell you, Qingli?" Gu Nian blinked, feigning surprise. "I thought he didn’t keep secrets from you."

’It’s related to Baili Jing?’

Jiang Qingli was slightly surprised. But seeing no real tension in Gu Nian’s eyes, she knew the matter wasn’t urgent. She just pinched his cheek and urged him, "Stop trying to throw shade and just tell me."

Gu Nian didn’t keep her in suspense. A smile touched his lips as he said directly:

"The Baili family... is plotting how to get rid of Uncle Baili."