The morning’s drama ended with Xiao Chu slamming the door and leaving.
Mi Yao had thought Xiao Chu would at least compromise and apologize, but she never expected his character to be so poor that he would simply walk away.
Wiping away nonexistent tears from her face, Mi Yao patted Xiao Shan. “He’s gone now, so let’s stop crying.”
Xiao Shan hadn’t yet mastered the skill of fake crying. Her tears were genuine, born from fear that Xiao Chu would bully Mi Yao.
Seeing Mi Yao’s relaxed and carefree smile, coupled with her words, Xiao Shan seemed to grasp something in her innocence. After a couple of sniffles, she stopped crying, though tears still clung to her face as she looked at Mi Yao with a pitiful expression.
“Alright, alright. Next time I pretend to cry, I’ll give you a signal so you’ll know to join me in the act,” Mi Yao coaxed the little one, completely unaware that teaching a child such a thing might be inappropriate.
The skill of crying should be indulged in during childhood. As one grows older, this trick becomes less effective. Even with her stunning beauty, that brute Xiao Chu could still turn a blind eye.
Xiao Chu hadn’t left immediately after closing the door. He naturally heard how the crying inside ceased abruptly the moment he stepped out.
He restrained himself repeatedly from turning back to kick the door open and see if they would start crying again upon his return.
Mi Yao hadn’t forgotten that Xiao Chu mentioned yesterday they would visit the Jiedushi Residence to pay respects to Zhao Tianhe.
After comforting Xiao Shan, she dressed in under fifteen minutes. Grabbing an osmanthus cake, she ate it while walking to Xiao Chu’s study to invite him out.
Just as Xiao Chu emerged, Mi Yao happened to be taking her last bite. With her mouth closed, she beamed a radiant smile at Xiao Chu, as if the earlier commotion in the room had been an illusion.
Xiao Chu found her smile irritating and strode ahead, his pace quickening noticeably, clearly unwilling to walk alongside her.
Mi Yao was content with the distance, trailing behind him while starting on her second osmanthus cake. It wasn’t until they passed the second gate and saw Xiao Chu heading straight for the stables that she felt somewhat troubled. While she could thicken her skin and suggest sharing a horse with Xiao Chu, he likely wouldn’t agree.
Just as she was pondering this, a coachman drove a carriage over. Once they passed the main gate and Mi Yao heard hoofbeats, she lifted the curtain and flashed a blossoming smile at Xiao Chu. “How thoughtful of you, young master, to have arranged a carriage so early.”
“Sit properly.”
Disliking the attention from passersby, Xiao Chu drew his waist sword and used the scabbard to press down her hand holding up the brocade curtain.
The cold chill from the scabbard seeped through. Mi Yao pouted and shot Xiao Chu a reproachful glance.
Xiao Chu coldly averted his gaze. He initially intended to ride ahead, but his peripheral vision caught numerous commoners gathering on the other side of the carriage, seemingly preparing to follow along.
Noticing a man among them staring blankly with drool dripping from his mouth, Xiao Chu tugged the reins and guided his horse to the other side. Just then, the curtain suddenly dropped, swaying in the wind.
After keeping the curtain down for a while, Mi Yao thought it was about time and lifted a small corner. The moment she leaned forward, her eyes unexpectedly met Xiao Chu’s stern, murderous gaze. Startled, she jerked back and patted her chest.
“What’s wrong, madam?”
Seeing Mi Yao suddenly retreat, Shi Ya quickly steadied her.
What else could it be? She’d seen a ghost.
The carriage window wasn’t level with Xiao Chu’s height, yet he had somehow perfectly timed her curtain-lifting moment to frighten her.
Imagining Xiao Chu likely bending over near the carriage window the entire time just to scare her, a mental picture formed of him awkwardly crouched on his horse with his rear sticking out. Mi Yao chuckled again.
However, her amusement didn’t last long.
The carriage came to an abrupt halt. She thought they had arrived, but the next moment, the tall figure of Xiao Chu parted the curtain and stepped inside. Their gazes met, and the smile on Mi Yao’s face froze.
“Is the young master not riding anymore?”
“No.”
“What about the horse? Just leave it on the road?”
“Unlike you, it is clever enough to know its way and will obediently follow behind the carriage.”
As soon as Xiao Chu finished speaking, he heard Mi Yao let out a heavy huff.
“There are plenty of beauties in the world, but it’s rare to find a foolish beauty who wears her heart on her sleeve and is utterly submissive to her husband. Since the young master knows I’m foolish, you should cherish me all the more in the future.”
What twisted logic.
In this world, fools are plentiful, while the wise are few. Yet in Mi Yao’s words, fools were so rare that they ought to be treasured.
Xiao Chu glanced at Mi Yao’s incessantly moving lips and couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. “Be quiet.”
The carriage, adorned with emerald canopies and pearl tassels and drawn by two horses, was spacious enough, but Xiao Chu’s large frame took up as much room as two Mi Yaos.
So, when he boarded, Shi Ya discreetly stepped out to walk alongside the carriage.
Mi Yao had no desire to walk, but neither did she wish to remain in the confined space with Xiao Chu, sitting in awkward silence with their eyes locked.
Instead, she leaned into him, settling into his embrace.
Xiao Chu had expected some trick from her, but she remained still. Glancing down, he saw she had already closed her eyes to rest, clearly using him as nothing more than a cushion.
He wondered if she had behaved this way with her former lover.
Surely, it must have started like this. Otherwise, back in Jingzhou, even after she had cursed that scholar as a coward, he still clung to her desperately, insisting on taking her away.
She wasn’t exactly clever, but neither was she entirely foolish. She knew how to assess a situation and choose what was most advantageous for herself.
A woman with a mind she seldom used—one who could be bought with gold and jewels in exchange for her docile, charming demeanor.
It seemed she truly fit her own description of a “foolish beauty.”
After inhaling Mi Yao’s fragrance throughout the journey, Xiao Chu strode ahead upon arriving at the Jiedushi’s residence, hoping to clear the scent from his nostrils.
But within a few steps, he was met with the overwhelming, complex aroma of face powder—far less pleasant than Mi Yao’s warm, musky fragrance.
“Ninth Brother, Ninth Sister-in-law.”
Pan bowed slightly in greeting. “Father knew you were coming and has been waiting in the main hall since early today, eager to see you both.”
As she spoke, Pan naturally positioned herself beside Xiao Chu. “The other day, when Hutou and Second Lang got into a fight, I looked into the matter carefully. Second Lang told the truth—Hutou has been spoiled rotten by his grandmother. He refuses to admit his mistakes even when he’s in the wrong. I’ve already given him a stern talking-to.”
Xiao Chu responded with a noncommittal hum, clearly uninterested in the rights and wrongs of the matter.
Seeing this, Pan lowered her gaze and dabbed the corner of her eye with a handkerchief. “Though Hutou is my own flesh and blood, borne after ten months of pregnancy, Mother Ma is so stubborn. Whenever I discipline Hutou, she scolds me and has even raised a hand against me. I had no choice but to seek Father’s help to move out of the Ma residence and stay temporarily here at the governor’s mansion. If only I had chosen Ninth Brother back then, I wouldn’t have been widowed within a year and suffered such humiliation…”
Realizing she had let her words run away with her, Pan quickly covered her mouth and glanced cautiously at Xiao Chu’s expression.
Seeing no change in his demeanor, she couldn’t tell whether he failed to grasp her hint or was deliberately maintaining composure because they were in public.
With that thought, she turned to glance at Mi Yao.
Compared to Xiao Xu, Mi Yao, who was walking behind the two of them, was much more enthusiastic about playing along. She listened attentively to Pan, and when Pan glanced back at her, she put on an appropriately surprised expression.
“I shouldn’t be saying all this. It’s just that seeing Ninth Brother get married has made me nostalgic for the past. When we were young, Ninth Brother treated me better than anyone else.”
Although Xiao Xu had no idea when he had ever treated Pan particularly well, he still replied, “If you don’t wish to stay with the Ma family, you can simply divorce him. Father will find you another suitable husband.”
Hearing Xiao Xu speak, Pan was thrilled inside, but her face remained sorrowful. “Father has brought it up before. I’m just afraid I’ll make the wrong choice again. Ninth Brother, if you happen to know a good man like yourself, you must introduce him to your little sister.”
Pan gazed at him expectantly. Xiao Xu paused, his eyes lingering on her face for a moment before shifting to Mi Yao, who was dawdling behind them.
“Even someone without legs walks faster than you.”
“That’s because someone without legs has a mobility cart [1]a wheeled mobility aid jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1423767_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1423767_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. Naturally, wheels move faster than people on foot. Besides, between someone with no legs and someone with beautiful legs, which would Your Lordship prefer?”
As she spoke, Mi Yao trotted a couple of steps forward. Once she had stopped at Xiao Xu’s other side, she reached out and caught the edge of his sleeve, teasing him. “Have you finished looking at other women, my lord? Now you want to have a look at me?”
Mi Yao tilted her head back, trying to imitate Pan’s expression. But before she could quite manage it, Xiao Xu had already turned away and stopped looking at her.
Seeing that Pan had failed to keep her expression under control, her gaze carrying a hint of resentment, Mi Yao realized that after losing face in their previous encounter, Pan no longer felt like wasting her energy pretending in front of her. Mi Yao gave her a little wink.
They were both women aspiring to be cherished wives [2]娇妻 carries a slightly mocking implication here: both women want to be the favored, pampered woman in a man’s household jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1423767_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1423767_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. Neither was any better than the other, so there was no point in the pot calling the kettle black.
Mi Yao had seen Zhao Tianhe during the wedding ceremony when the couple performed their formal bows.
At the time, she had thought he was a refined-looking, slightly weathered, handsome older man.
Seeing him again now, she still found him refined and handsome, but he looked considerably more haggard. With half his hair visibly white and no hat to conceal it, he looked at least ten years older than his actual age.
According to the novel’s timeline, Zhao Tianhe was already little more than a man running on borrowed strength, plagued by an old illness and dependent on precious medicine to keep himself alive.
After decades of peace, Yizhou [3]a historical administrative region in ancient China, roughly corresponding to parts of present-day Sichuan and surrounding areas jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1423767_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1423767_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); was on the verge of descending into chaos once again.
But none of that had anything to do with her. As long as she didn’t go looking for trouble, Xiao Xu’s household would always be the safest place for her.
To avoid any appearance of impropriety, Zhao Tianhe didn’t speak to her for long. After giving her a meeting gift, he told her to live harmoniously with Xiao Xu and take good care of Xiao Xu’s three children. He then led Xiao Xu to the study, leaving Pan and his concubine to keep her company.
The novel had said that after Zhao Tianhe’s first wife and children died, he never remarried. Mi Yao had assumed he was a rare example of a devoted husband. Who would have thought he actually had a concubine?
Zhao Tianhe’s concubine, Fang, was around thirty. Her looks were nothing particularly remarkable, but her attire was exceptionally lavish. She wore two thick gold ruyi hairpins, while another ruyi-patterned comb, gilded and adorned with jade and floral embellishments, was tucked into the front of her coiffure [4]ruyi is a traditional Chinese motif symbolizing good fortune and the fulfillment of wishes jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1423767_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1423767_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. The fabric of her dress was also of excellent quality, almost on par with the finest Shu brocade [5]a prestigious silk brocade traditionally produced in Sichuan, renowned for its intricate patterns jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1423767_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1423767_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); she had tried to order in bulk from the fabric merchants the previous day—a grade so expensive that even having the money didn’t guarantee she could get her hands on large quantities.
Although they were supposedly there to keep her company, the moment Zhao Tianhe left, the two women tacitly began playing their little exclusion game. They deliberately avoided looking at her, immersing themselves in conversations that only the two of them could participate in.
If they didn’t want to include her, she was more than happy to stay out of it. So when Xiao Xu finally finished talking with Zhao Tianhe and came looking for her, she immediately got to her feet, hurried over to him, and tugged at his sleeve, urging him to leave.
Xiao Chu nodded to the two people in the room before stepping out of the courtyard, then turned to Mi Yao and asked, “What is it?”
“Your childhood sweetheart failed to win your favor and took her frustration out on me.”
With a serious expression, Mi Yao lodged a complaint against Pan: “You mustn’t get involved with her. She clearly isn’t an honest sort. If she were beautiful enough, having schemes might be considered part of the romantic games between a man and a woman, something worth Xiao Lang’s attention. But her looks aren’t worth it. If Xiao Lang gets involved with her, it will only bring turmoil to the household.”
Xiao Chu lowered his gaze to glance at her, recognizing that she was indirectly praising herself again.
Since his youth, when Zhao Tianhe had warned him that women could distract from important matters, he had never paid much attention to them.
Pan was slightly different. Back when Zhao Tianhe mentioned marrying Pan to him, he had taken some notice. In his eyes, Pan wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but compared to the women around her, she stood out.
Yet in Mi Yao’s words, Pan’s appearance became not worth mentioning.
Xiao Chu’s gaze rested on Mi Yao’s face. He understood her standards, but he didn’t want to hear her belittle others while elevating herself, praising herself as the queen of flowers—scheming yet adorable and pleasing.
“Afraid Pan will compete with you, what about Fang Shi?” Xiao Chu noticed her mood had suddenly sunk after learning Fang Shi’s identity.
“I thought the lord was deeply devoted, never imagining he had a concubine.”
Under Xiao Chu’s scrutinizing gaze, Mi Yao couldn’t be bothered to lie and spoke honestly.
“Fang Shi only manages the rear courtyard for Father; she isn’t truly his woman.”
Seeing her eyes brighten after his explanation, Xiao Chu disliked how she meddled in everything. The moment she learned his adoptive father was truly devoted, she wore an expression of admiration and emotion.
He opened his mouth and said, “Have you found the woman you mentioned the day before yesterday? I’m not like Father, devoted to my wife. If you can’t tolerate it, find me someone who can.”
Pausing, Xiao Chu swept his eyes over Mi Yao’s lotus-like face. “Her looks must be better than yours, not worse.”
Their eyes met, and Mi Yao looked utterly innocent. Wasn’t this making things difficult for her, the epitome of a perfect wife?
References[+]