Otherworldly Companions: Every Handsome Man is Extraordinary

Women were only required to participate in the annual mate selection ceremony during their coming-of-age ceremony; from the following year onwards, the Empire no longer made it mandatory.

However, it requires women to have at least five partners during their reproductive years.

Jiang Yu had just overcome her psychological barriers and begun to accept Fan Qingyin and Lin Yi, and the relationship between the couple was slowly starting to improve. Of course, she had no intention of participating in the partner selection conference.

So she carefully considered her words and wrote a reply.

Jiang Yu's parents also invited her to come back for a short stay in their letter, but she planned to wait until the lord returned to the capital to report on his duties before going back together.

Jiang Yu is not close to her parents in this world, even though she is their most valued child due to her gender and physical condition.

The mother's energy is focused on her vibrant social life and enjoying the love of her husbands, while the father is busy with work and rarely at home.

Aside from their comfortable material lives, the spiritual support they provided was still less than what A'duo received.

But she knew they loved her, and that was enough.

As for returning to the capital to report on their duties, this was something that noblewomen who had just received their fiefdoms in the first year had to do. From the second year onwards, they no longer needed to return to the capital to report on their duties; they only needed to submit a report to the emperor.

The emperor would also send specially appointed nobles to inspect various territories, and only those who were particularly outstanding or who had problems would be recalled to the capital.

The time for returning to the capital to report on one's duties is after submitting the information on choosing a partner each year.

Just thinking about those tedious performance review materials made Jiang Yu's head spin, and he started to miss those high-tech modern methods.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Jiang Yu handed the letter to a servant, instructing him to send it away, and then went downstairs to find Fan Qingyin and Lin Yi.

Only Fan Qingyin was in the hall. He was sitting in front of the fireplace reading a book, so quiet that he almost blended into the large, high-backed chair.

"What are you looking at, Qingyin?" Jiang Yu walked to the chair and put his hand on Fan Qingyin's shoulder.

“Some boring books.” Fan Qingyin took Jiang Yu’s hand and turned the cover over to show her.

"Spectrum Commentary," a must-read for God's messengers, is one of the Bibles that requires a lifetime of study.

Jiang Yu discovered that Fan Qingyin didn't actually have many hobbies. Apart from handling affairs of his territory and parish, he would quietly stay there reading.

Although he loves things related to flowers, such as fresh flowers, flower tea, and flower-based foods, he never makes or cooks anything related to flowers himself.

Could it be that territory affairs are taking up too much of his time? She often felt very guilty, as if she was always keeping Fan Qingyin tied to this place, preventing him from freely doing things he liked.

"Qingyin, are you very tired? You always seem to have a heavy burden. Do you have too many things to do?" Jiang Yu said with concern.

Fan Qingyin had just shown a slight smile when she suddenly stopped as if she had thought of something.

Then Jiang Yu saw Fan Qingyin looking at her with a strange gaze and said, "Will Xiao Yu find someone to help me with these things?"

"Huh? Who are you looking for?" Jiang Yu didn't immediately understand what Fan Qingyin meant, but she quickly realized it.

She sat on Fan Qingyin's lap like a spoiled child, snuggling into his arms, wrapping her arms sweetly around his neck, and said playfully,

"Would Qingyin worry about this too?"

“Of course.” Fan Qingyin didn’t hesitate at all, looking down at her. As dusk approached, the warm rays of the setting sun slanted through the window, bathing the two of them in the afterglow of the sunset.

Jiang Yu's full lips also had a honey-like sheen, looking incredibly alluring. Fan Qingyin unconsciously swallowed, her Adam's apple bobbing, and couldn't help but lightly kiss her.

Fan Qingyin was not the only one who became instantly addicted.

It wasn't just a fleeting kiss; after a long and passionate exchange, the two nestled together, calming their slightly erratic breathing.

Fan Qingyin lowered her head and buried her face in Jiang Yu's hair, not letting her see her expression.

“I know that new people will always join, which is perfectly normal. But I am neither plant nor god, I have my own desires.”

"I won't participate this year, Qingyin. I can't guarantee the future, and I can't fight against the order, but definitely not now." Jiang Yu felt her promise was weak. But she received an exceptionally enthusiastic response from Fan Qingyin.

He had never held her so tightly before, and his feelings were rarely so openly expressed, except in bed.

"Thank you, Xiaoyu. I am so glad that I chose you and you chose me."

Jiang Yu nuzzled Fan Qingyin's chin and heard a slightly annoyed voice from the other party.

"If only I were more capable, I could balance work and spending time with Xiaoyu. Would Xiaoyu feel that I don't have enough time for you?"

As she spoke, she gently bit her lip. Although it was an unconscious action, the way she did it, from a cold and aloof person, struck Jiang Yu's heart like a heavy punch.

Even that didn't seem enough, he continued.

"Or is my personality too dull and boring? Will Xiaoyu get tired of me, or even dislike me?"

"I know I'm not as likable as most people."

Jiang Yu was stunned; she didn't know how to respond to this self-deprecating remark.

She really wanted to grab his ear and ask him, "Are you alright?" But she also really liked this rare display of his coquettishness and the contrast between them.

"Qingyin, do you have a poor grasp of your own position? Do you even have a clear understanding of yourself?"

"If you're not considered capable, then who is?" Jiang Yu certainly wouldn't pinch his ears. Instead, she placed her hands on his cheeks and used a little force to deform the soft flesh on his face.

They look so cute.

"Xiao Yu, have you forgotten? I only ranked fourth," Fan Qingyin said sullenly. "There are many people who are more outstanding than me."

"What does it have to do with me?" Jiang Yu pinched his cheeks even harder. "I don't care what others do. Qingyin, you are the best and the most outstanding to me!"

"If you say that again, I'll bite you." Jiang Yu pretended to be angry, but she said what she really wanted to say.

"Qingyin, everyone's personality is different. I like you because you are you, not because you are compared to anyone else."

"I understand." Fan Qingyin reached out and touched Jiang Yu's hair, as if the coquettish and weak-willed man from just now had vanished instantly. The girl he was holding in his arms was the one he cherished most, the one who truly deserved to be cared for and pampered.

"What would you like to eat tonight? Tell the kitchen to make it. A new batch of fruit arrived, the kind that's juicy and sweet. I had them make pudding, so we can have it later."

"Oh, it's almost time for dinner!" Jiang Yu got up from Fan Qingyin's arms, only then realizing that someone was missing from the house.

"Where's Yi? Has he gone out?"