“The woman is a matron brought from Jiangnan to accompany Madam, but back in the Yu household, she did not serve directly at Madam’s side. She was instead an old servant in Madam’s aunt’s courtyard.”
Pu Qing was Xiao Xu’s personal attendant, spending most of his time with him—either on the road or in the military camp. In the past, he hadn’t paid much attention to household affairs. But now, with the Yu woman in residence, fearing she might harbor ill intent, he began to keep an eye on even the smallest matters in the estate—especially the comings and goings of those around Mi Yao.
“Madam dislikes this Luo matron. As soon as she arrived, Madam sent her far away. Today, when the household servants came to pay their respects, Nanny Luo was not present. Madam must have intended to use this as a way to discipline her.”
Hearing Pu Qing call her “Madam” so naturally, Xiao Xu couldn’t help but wonder how large the red envelope Mi Yao had given him had been. It had changed his attitude—he no longer guarded against her so much.
Since he had already set down his chopsticks, Xiao Xu had no desire to continue eating.
“Let her in.”
Hearing his master’s command, Pu Qing was even more certain of the Yu woman’s unusual influence. In the past, his master had detested noisy women, yet today he was willing to see Nanny Luo.
Nanny Luo had struggled to slip past the servants watching her, but just as she was about to reach Xiao Xu, she was stopped by a guard who appeared out of nowhere.
The guard’s stern face and sword at his side marked him as no ordinary house retainer but a hardened man. Without anyone laying a hand on her, Nanny Luo’s legs trembled in fear. But thinking that if she failed to see Xiao Xu today, Mi Yao might truly force her into rough labor, she gathered her courage. Seeing the guard had no intent to strike her down, she dared to cry out her grievances. When she heard Xiao Xu was willing to see her, joy lit her face. She patted the dust from her clothes, wiped her tears, and entered the room.
“Commander, you must save this old servant—I have been wronged!”
Unlike Nanny Fan, Nanny Luo had never experienced Xiao Xu’s methods firsthand. Though she feared his imposing presence, she wasn’t so intimidated that she couldn’t speak. As soon as she entered the room, she burst into tears, loudly crying injustice and accusing Mi Yao of mischief.
“You old woman, barging in and shouting like this—such lack of manners! I think you deserve a beating first.” Pu Qing scolded angrily, and Nanny Luo immediately fell silent.
She knelt on the floor, cautiously stealing glances at Xiao Xu’s expression. Seeing his face calm, not as if he intended to drive her out, she wiped her tears and spoke more carefully: “This old servant does know the rules, but I am truly wronged! Commander, I was sent by Madam Yu’s elders to serve Madam, to teach her how to attend to you. Yet Madam finds me meddlesome, ignores my advice, and drives me away. I have been wronged!”
“Teach her to serve me?” Xiao Xu sipped his tea. Hearing this, he knew at once that this old servant had indeed been of no use.
“Yes, my role is to instruct Madam in serving her elders and caring for the Commander. When I heard that on the second day of marriage, you and Madam had already separated rooms, I felt I had failed in my duty!”
Driven away by Mi Yao, Nanny Luo had been frightened. But seeing Xiao Xu’s clear dislike for Mi Yao, unwilling even to share a room with her, she grew bold. “Madam has been spoiled since childhood for her beauty, with a temper to match. I recall once at a poetry banquet hosted by the Prefect’s wife, something was arranged not to her liking, and she overturned the table, disregarding the occasion and the Prefect’s wife’s dignity, nearly causing enmity between the Yu family and the Prefect’s household.”
“Oh.”
The spies had reported this, and when Xiao Xu read it, he thought it was unlike Mi Yao’s behavior. Her temper wasn’t exactly meek, but she wasn’t that foolish. Yet after seeing her attitude toward Madam Pan, he thought she might be capable of such things. She was like a Persian hound, bullying by relying on her backer, barking at anyone she disliked. Foolish, yes—but paired with that face, not entirely intolerable.
“I don’t know what Madam has done to anger the Commander, but wrongs must be punished. Since you hesitate to speak against the Yu family, this old servant can take on the task!” Nanny Luo hoped that by lodging complaints, she would make Xiao Xu see her as an ally. If he granted her authority, she would harshly discipline Mi Yao and mold her into an obedient, docile wife.
She spoke at length, her mouth dry, but Xiao Xu gave no reply. When she dared to glance up, his expression was still indifferent.
“Commander, if Madam’s temperament is left unchecked, it will only grow worse. She knows you dislike anyone being too close to your sons and daughter, yet she keeps stepping forward—keeping the little girl by her side and now growing close to the second son as well. If this continues, the boy will lose all manliness, becoming tearful and weak, the very sort you despise most.”
These past days in the Xiao household, Nanny Luo hadn’t been idle. Using her status, she pried into everything. Xiao Xu’s coldness toward his three children was no secret, and Mi Yao’s actions directly violated his taboos. If even their own father paid little attention to them, how could he welcome an outsider woman doting on them?
She even believed that the couple had separate rooms right after the wedding because Mi Yao had meddled too much.
Sure enough, when she mentioned Xiao Shan and the others, Xiao Xu finally reacted—his gaze sharp as a blade, his lips pressed tight.
But for the sake of her own future, Nanny Luo pressed on: “Madam is only being willful, deliberately angering you by clinging to the children. If no one restrains her, this will not end well…” She rambled on.
Mi Yao didn’t interrupt, only stepped lightly across the threshold.
Pu Qing looked toward her.
Meeting Xiao Xu’s cold eyes, Mi Yao gave him a silent smile.
Nanny Luo had no idea the very person she was slandering stood behind her. Feeling that talk of the children stirred Xiao Xu’s emotions, she kept pressing the point.
“Madam defended the second son, teaching him that he can rely on family status to disregard others. Won’t he grow into a spoiled wastrel?”
Xiao Xu was already weary of her chatter. He had only refrained from dismissing her because he wanted to see what Mi Yao would do. But now that she had entered quietly, clearly intending nothing, he spoke at last: “If you cannot get used to life in Yizhou, then return to Jiangnan.”
“Commander!” Nanny Luo could hardly believe her ears. After all her words, instead of punishing Mi Yao, he was sending her away?
She refused to believe Xiao Xu had such patience. Perhaps his words weren’t aimed at her. She threw herself to the ground, crying: “Commander, the Yu family entrusted their daughter to you for a lifelong union. How can this marriage be broken so lightly? Even in anger, you cannot send Madam back to Jiangnan!”
“When did I ever say I would send the Yu woman back?”
Nanny Luo was stunned.
“You are a servant sent by the Yu family. Though troublesome, I am willing to give the Yu family some face and send you back the way you came.” Xiao Xu finished speaking without giving Nanny Luo another chance. Pu Qing stepped forward, gagged her, and dragged her out.
“What a pity—we’ve lost one more rough laborer.”
Dragged away, Nanny Luo turned her head. Seeing Mi Yao, her eyes widened as if she’d seen a ghost.
Mi Yao smiled: “My lord took your contract from me and returned it to my uncle.”
With that, she walked up to Xiao Xu. Catching sight of the dishes on the table, she seemed to guess part of the reason he had agreed to see Nanny Luo. Before coming, she hadn’t thought Nanny Luo would actually be allowed to meet him.
Xiao Xu clearly avoided noisy women. Knowing Nanny Luo would only come to complain, how could he possibly grant her an audience?
She had come deliberately, remembering his warning that she must manage the inner household properly or face military discipline. She thought—after eating, with nothing else to do, perhaps she could come and act a little coquettish.
Unexpectedly, she stumbled upon this drama. Since Xiao Xu had already seen Nanny Luo, she didn’t want to take responsibility herself. Better to watch how he handled her, and at the same time test how he felt about her closeness with Xiao Shan and the others.
“Commander, you treat me so well—solving such a big problem for me.” Mi Yao sat herself on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gazed at him with eyes like silk.
“Let go.”
“No, there’s no one else here.”
Pu Qing, unsure whether he counted as “no one,” froze in the doorway. He had hurried back after sending Nanny Luo away, eager to see how his master would scold the Yu woman. But in just a moment, she was already seated on his lap. His master said, “Let go,” yet she didn’t—and he didn’t push her away either.
Pu Qing silently retreated, abandoning the idea of entering.
Xiao Xu’s hearing was sharp. Mi Yao didn’t notice, but he was well aware of his attendant’s steps in and out. He frowned. “Do you have no bones?”
Unable to sit on her own, she insisted on clinging to his embrace.
“The moment I see you, my bones go soft. Otherwise, how could I be called a pampered wife?”
Today, she had changed her wording—not “delicate flower,” but “pampered wife.”
Though it still grated on his ears, it was better than her constantly using his own words as a shield.
Mi Yao hadn’t expected it—she was so used to calling herself “pampered wife” in her thoughts that she accidentally said it aloud.
Seeing the tight line of Xiao Xu’s mouth, her fingers itched to stroke the embroidery on his collar. With a playful smile, she said, “I am the Commander’s little pampered wife.”
The words struck her as so amusing that she buried her face against his neck, muffling her laughter. After two breaths, she continued: “So the Commander must protect me, spoil me, and when I encounter insolent servants like that, you must stand on my side.”
Her warm fragrance surrounded him, and Xiao Xu felt the dampness at his neck where her laughter had left traces of saliva. He pressed his fingers against her forehead, pushing her back a little.
“What are you laughing at?”
Mi Yao’s face was radiant with mirth. Beyond her coquettishness, she was clearly laughing for other reasons—but he couldn’t understand them.
“Of course I laugh because I’m happy to be spoiled by the Commander.”
“Don’t play the fool. You know well why I drove that old woman away.”
He had no intention of indulging her. Before dismissing Nanny Luo, he had deliberately mentioned the Yu family patriarch—reminding them not to overreach by stuffing people into the Xiao household.
He had spoken plainly enough. He didn’t believe she failed to understand.
“Xiao Lang is truly good. If it were someone else, they would gladly accept praise for winning a beauty’s favor without doing anything. But Xiao Lang does the deed and still refuses to acknowledge it—such duplicity makes my heart ache.”
Xiao Xu lowered his gaze to her chest. With so much flesh between, he doubted it could ache so easily.
“Xiao Lang does it all for me! Since my lord is so attentive to me, I will be attentive to him in return.”
Originally, Mi Yao hadn’t been skilled at coquettishness. Because of her looks and poverty, in her past life, she avoided speaking too much with men—lest they think she was flirting. Everyone knew a gentle‑tempered poor beauty was the easiest prey for men.
But after entering this story, only with Xiao Xu did she discover the fun of teasing a man. Even though they had shared the intimacy of the bridal chamber, Xiao Xu’s touch had been far from proper. Yet once out of bed, his cold distance made her realize the delight of a woman’s playful charm.
Mi Yao blinked her eyes. “My lord, coax me—say that I am in your heart.”
She shook his arm, but Xiao Xu didn’t indulge her. Instead, he stood, lifted her, and set her down on the stool farthest from him, then returned to his seat.
“How much of that old woman’s words did you hear?”
“Only the few sentences you spoke when you saw me.”
She knew he meant to speak seriously with her. But sitting on a hard chair without cushions felt uncomfortable, so as she answered, she rose again and perched on one of his parted thighs. She had thought that sitting in his arms would make her behave, keep her hands from being annoying. But meeting his cold gaze, she feared he might push her away, so her arms softly circled his neck.
“Without holding onto Xiao Lang, I feel as if I can’t sit at all. I really am so foolish.” Mi Yao pretended to knock her head with a fist.
“This kind of strength won’t knock out the water in your head.” Xiao Xu caught Mi Yao’s fist in his hand, suddenly tightening his grip. Startled, she shrank into his arms, afraid he might smash her skull with one blow.
“Xiao Lang’s hands are so big.” Mi Yao loosened her fist, turned her palm, and slipped her fingers into his, intertwining them.
“Just like that place of mine.” Xiao Xu shifted his leg, and Mi Yao’s hips tilted inward, pressing through the fabric against the heated, hardening shape beneath.
Mi Yao: “…”
Teasing him was only fun when he resisted. If he accepted everything and turned it into something carnal, she felt disgusted.
Seeing her release his hand and retreat to a chair at the side, Xiao Xu gave a cold laugh. He had discovered a way to cure her mischief—but it was a method that harmed himself almost as much.
“That old woman saw clearly enough. You should know without me reminding you. Just manage the household affairs. You don’t need to keep Xiao Shan by your side.”
“Isn’t the business of Tingsong Courtyard part of the household affairs?”
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t manage Tingsong Courtyard. I mean, you don’t need to curry favor with them, pretending to be a doting mother.”
At these words, she ought to have been delighted, then acted coy, saying he was sparing her trouble and treating her well.
But the memory of Xiao Shan’s wailing cries and Xiao Liang’s trusting eyes rose in her mind. Mi Yao smoothed the smile from her face. “I’ve never been a mother, so I don’t know what a mother should look like. But if the little girl clings to me, I won’t push her away.”
“You don’t need to pity them. They have no need of your pity.”
“They have such a good father like the Commander—why would they need pity?” She matched every word of his with a retort. Her expression was composed, but her tone carried a trace of anger.
Xiao Xu not only grew impatient, but a faint hostility stirred within him. The Xiao children had nothing to do with her. What was she angry for?
“Since you understand, then measure the boundaries yourself—what should be managed and what should not. Xiao Shan cries because she thinks crying is useful. If you make crying useless, she will naturally stop sneaking into the inner rooms.”
“Why must a three‑year‑old girl with a powerful father be taught that crying is useless?” Mi Yao knew the children were Xiao Xu’s, and if he didn’t want her to interfere, it spared her trouble. Yet a fire burned in her chest, and she couldn’t help but argue with him. Her delicate lotus‑like face flushed with a thin red, dazzlingly beautiful.
Xiao Xu thought Mi Yao should be grateful she had such a face. Men always had more patience with beautiful women—even knowing she was foolish, shallow, and unruly, he too was not immune. With anyone else, he would have no interest in debating right or wrong. He would simply lock them away until they learned obedience. He looked at her steadily for a long moment, seeing she refused to yield.
Xiao Xu said coolly: “No matter her age, crying is useless. How long can you pity her—one day, two? Once she has your favor, she will no longer be pitiful. And when you tire of her, she will cry again.”
He shouldn’t have said so much, but since he had begun, he finished with one last line: “As for her so‑called backing—what reliance is there in a soldier who licks blood from the blade?”
His pale, narrow eyes glittered with sharp ice. Mi Yao was startled, realizing he had revealed genuine emotion before her.
Xiao Xu spoke the truth. Much of her care for Xiao Liang and Xiao Shan came from pity. If one day they no longer seemed pitiful, she wasn’t sure she would still be close to them. She knew Xiao Xu was the male lead—his backing would not collapse. Yet to him, even with an official post, he was still just a blade wielded at Zhao Tianhe’s command.
With him saying this, what more could she argue?
If the children were pitiful, it was not for lack of food or clothing—they had never gone without since she met them. It was only that those around them neglected them, and Xiao Xu refused to indulge them like an ordinary father.
This was Xiao Xu’s own way of raising his children. As an outsider, what right did she have to interfere?