Animal-eared Girl Era: Start by Forming a Contract with an SSS-Class School Belle

City Lord's Wife, Song Xi'Er, sounded a little better, but she was still dissatisfied as she said, "Xue'Er, what we want to see is your beloved, not just a shield."

Xiao Ye's mouth twitched, *Was it going to end before it even started?*

*But then again, he and Mu Qingxue had only known each other for a few days, not even a week. Anyone with half a brain could tell—he'd just been brought here as a human shield!*

Although the truth had been revealed, Mu Qingxue wasn't flustered at all. *She'd already expected this reaction from Mu Cheng and Song Xi'Er.*

Confidence glimmered in Mu Qingxue's beautiful eyes. She put her hand, the one she was holding with Xiao Ye under the table, on top of the table, gripping his tightly, and said,

"You're both wrong, Xiao Ye isn't a shield, he's my beloved!"

Mu Cheng snorted, "Holding hands isn't anything special."

"Don't rush." Mu Qingxue opened a tablet, activated a virtual projection, and cast image after image into the air.

The images were all intimate photos she and Xiao Ye had taken together.

Matching couples' outfits, princess carry, soaking in a hot spring.

Each photo made it obvious that the two of them had a close relationship, clearly a couple in the midst of a passionate romance.

Mu Qingxue said smugly, "Did you see that? Xiao Ye isn't just a shield!"

"Uh…" Faced with photo after photo, Mu Cheng and Song Xi'Er were momentarily stunned.

Those intimate photos showed them shopping together, buying clothes together, eating together, even soaking together in a bath!

The first few seemed kind of normal, but what was up with sharing a bath? Surely no one would pay that high a price just to be a shield!

In this era of monogamous Beast Girls, the two of them, wearing barely-there undergarments, alone in a closed space—a single man and woman in a bath together—now that was something really ambiguous!

Because of this, Mu Cheng and Song Xi'Er couldn't help but second-guess themselves. *Was it possible Xiao Ye truly wasn't just someone Mu Qingxue had found to be a shield?*

Seeing the two waver, Mu Qingxue played her trump card, showing her Moments feed to both of them, smiling as she said,

"I've already made my relationship with Xiao Ye official."

"All the major families, relatives, friends, even the circle of prodigies know that Xiao Ye and I are together now!"

As the top family in Shanghai Base City, the City Lord's Mansion cared a lot about reputation.

The City Lord's Daughter posting about them as a couple on Moments, plus those pictures…pretty much everyone would take it as real that those two were dating.

Mu Cheng's face darkened; he pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.

"Sigh!"

*Whether they were a real couple or not, Xue'Er's post had already told the world—she had found her match, she had a partner now.*

If the Ye Family came to propose marriage tomorrow, and he, Mu Cheng, agreed, he'd become the laughingstock of the world, and all kinds of nasty rumors would circulate, tarnishing the City Lord's Mansion's reputation.

For example, "Demon Capital City Lord's Mansion really is pathetic, forcing their precious daughter to marry just for a political alliance."

Besides, folks from the Imperial Capital's Ye Family would also find it unacceptable. If Mu Qingxue really did marry over there, chances are, she'd be mistreated out of spite.

Mu Cheng said helplessly, "I'll dodge the Ye Family's proposal tomorrow." This chapter was first seen on MV^LEM^PYR.

Mu Qingxue was overjoyed, her brows arching in delight, extremely happy!

Mu Cheng's face changed as he said, "But before that, we have to confirm—is Xiao Ye really not a shield? Xue'Er, I hope you'll be honest with me. Don't lie!"

Still riding her high, Mu Qingxue said, "How many times do I have to say it? He's not a shield."

*Since the engagement hadn't officially been canceled, of course she wouldn't blurt out the truth.*

*Besides, she and Xiao Ye had already agreed to pretend to be a couple for life, and she'd promised to give him the title and power of Prince Consort.*

Song Xi'Er's eyebrows pinched together as she said, "Xue'Er, we know you really don't want to marry into the Ye Family, and we've agreed to turn down their proposal."

"We mean what we say."

"So, there's no need for you to keep lying or hiding anything."

Mu Qingxue felt helpless. "I'm really not lying! What the heck do I have to do for you to believe me?"

Song Xi'Er thought for a moment, her eyes lighting up as she said, "If you two kiss each other, mouth-to-mouth, right here, then we'll believe you."

Mu Cheng clapped and said, "Yeah, do that and I'll believe it!"

Given what they knew about Mu Qingxue, her proud nature, and her complete contempt for men—she'd sooner kill a guy for taking advantage of her than let it go.

A princess carry or shared hot spring photo could be photoshopped and faked.

Holding hands was nothing, worthless as proof.

But kissing right here, that's the real deal—no faking it.

If they were just play-acting as a couple, there was no way Xue'Er would pay that high a price!

Kiss?

At those words, both Mu Qingxue and Xiao Ye's eyes went wide.

Xiao Ye looked at her and asked, "Do you want to?"

Mu Qingxue answered with action. She puckered up and leaned in with her eyes closed.

*Back in the Holy Spirit Secret Realm, Xiao Ye had seen her naked; in the Underground Crystal Ore, he'd taken her virginity; so a kiss now didn't stress her out at all. Without even thinking, she went in for it.*

"Mwah!" They broke apart the instant their lips touched.

It was short, but it counted as a real kiss.

Mu Qingxue's pretty face turned slightly red, blossoming like a vivid flower, exquisite and beautiful.

Xiao Ye frowned and muttered, "What did you eat? Why do you taste like pickled cabbage leaves?"

Mu Qingxue's gorgeous eyes glared, "What's wrong with pickled cabbage? I happen to love it!"

"!!"

Mu Cheng and Song Xi'Er stared at each other, shocked inside.

*Damn, they actually kissed!*

They kind of believed these two were a couple now, but not completely!

Song Xi'Er's eyes glinted with mischief as she said, "Xue'Er, that was just a quick peck. That doesn't prove anything. Do it again and then we'll believe you!"

Mu Cheng's face darkened. He sent a private voice transmission to Song Xi'Er, "My dear, that's enough. Watching my precious daughter making out with someone else is more painful than death itself. Let them make out in private, that's enough!"

*It was like seeing the cabbage he'd carefully raised, suddenly getting snatched up and kissed by some guy—and right in front of him, too.*

Song Xi'Er rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Mu Qingxue and said, "What now? Too scared? You two really are just pretending to be a couple."

*Mu Qingxue hesitated for a moment, but finally resolved to go all in.*

Then she took the initiative, hugging Xiao Ye and pulling him in for a real kiss.

Xiao Ye was stunned—a little fish slipped right past his teeth and into his mouth.

Not one to suffer a loss, Xiao Ye quickly counterattacked, seized the initiative, reclaimed lost territory, and then invaded and captured all enemy ground.

With zero experience, how could Mu Qingxue possibly hold her own against a pro like Xiao Ye? She quickly lost ground, forced to respond passively, her pretty face reddening all the way to the tips of her ears.

*And yet, all this only stoked Mu Qingxue's competitive spirit—she couldn't lose, no matter what kind of battle it was!*

"!!"

"!!"

Watching the two get completely lost in it, Mu Cheng's face turned pitch black, while Song Xi'Er stared wide-eyed, her mouth forming a perfect O!

After several minutes, they still didn't seem ready to stop.

"Ahem!" Mu Cheng couldn't take it anymore—his defenses were about to break. He interrupted their spellcasting, forcibly separating them so no more making out could happen.

"Enough, we believe you're a couple. The City Lord's Hall is a serious place, not somewhere for that sort of indecent behavior! Hmph."

Mu Qingxue shot Xiao Ye a sharp look—earlier, she'd lost, and lost badly, forced to be passive the whole time.

Xiao Ye muttered, "So sour. Qingxue, next time you eat pickled cabbage, remember to brush your teeth. Seriously sour!"

Mu Qingxue said, "I won't brush!"

Mu Cheng's mouth twitched.

*Was that a veiled jab, calling him 'sour'? He really did feel sour inside. Only bitter and sour left for him.*