The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 20

In Doctor Lu’s clinic, Tan Qianyue sat upright and composed.

Lu Yin’s slender fingers pressed against her wrist, her expression no longer grave. Observing Tan Qianyue’s porcelain-white complexion, now faintly flushed with a rosy hue, she smiled. “By tomorrow, the poison will be completely purged from your system. Your beauty will remain timeless, even after a decade.”

“A blessing in disguise, I suppose!” Doctor Lu withdrew her hand, her smile filled with relief.

“Who wants such a blessing? If you’re so envious, go drink Harmony Powder from the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. I’ll cover the cost. You’re always idle, playing with cats and dogs anyway,” Tan Qianyue retorted, her tense nerves finally relaxing, though she still disapproved of Doctor Lu’s lifestyle.

“Nonsense! I’d never stoop that low!” Doctor Lu protested, trying to salvage her image.

“However, I do have a favor to ask of you today,” Doctor Lu added.

“Oh? What is it?” Tan Qianyue regarded her warily.

“Ahem, it’s a personal matter… Oh, not a personal matter between us,” Doctor Lu clarified, choosing her words carefully.

“There’s nothing personal between us,” Tan Qianyue said dismissively.

“Tonight is the Lantern Festival. I’d like to invite you to join me in winning the Lantern King. You know it requires two participants,” Doctor Lu said, her expression turning serious.

“Two people are required to participate. What use is a married woman like me?” Tan Qianyue asked, genuinely puzzled.

“Don’t you know the lantern shopkeeper has a weakness for beautiful women? Every year, the Lantern King is won by a stunning Kunze. With your looks, I’m afraid she’ll just hand you the Lantern King outright. Our chances of winning are excellent,” Doctor Lu explained earnestly.

“Why do I need the Lantern King anyway?” Tan Qianyue asked, feigning disinterest.

“It’s not for you, it’s for me. I’ve always been at your beck and call. Surely you can’t refuse such a small favor?” Doctor Lu countered, his expression disapproving.

“Fine, then tell me—what do you want the Lantern King for?” Tan Qianyue’s curiosity was piqued.

“I… I want to give it as a gift,” Doctor Lu finally confessed.

“A gift? To whom?” Tan Qianyue’s interest surged.

“Aiya, just don’t ask!” The usually carefree Doctor Lu suddenly became uncharacteristically reserved.

Tan Qianyue didn’t press further. It couldn’t possibly be for her, after all.

Doctor Lu had helped her countless times. This small favor was the least she could do.

Jiang Yan, bored, went to Jiang Manor. Madam Yu didn’t treat her with the same warmth she had shown Tan Qianyue, but she did prepare two delicious dishes, remembering that Jiang Yan was still her own flesh and bl00d.

Madam Jiang was pleased to see her daughter home and, after a few words of caution, left her to her own devices. With nothing to do, Jiang Yan decided to bother her younger sister, Jiang Xun.

“What are you doing? Why are you studying so diligently every day?” Jiang Yan’s teasing earned her a glare from Jiang Xun.

“If you’re so bored, why don’t you go check on that clumsy girl at the Embroidery Workshop?” Jiang Xun said, her face stern as she looked at her sister.

“Clumsy girl? Jiaojiao? What’s wrong?” Jiang Yan suddenly remembered the girl.

“Everything seems normal at the Embroidery Workshop, but… but her family is in turmoil. I heard that her mother went back to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion to find Miss Jiaojiao, hoping to get money for her younger sister’s medical treatment. After leaving the pavilion, she caused a scene at the entrance, claiming Miss Jiaojiao had been killed by the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. When the pavilion inquired among Miss Jiaojiao’s close friends, they learned her current whereabouts. And now, I hear they’ve gone looking for her again!” Jiang Xun’s serious little face as she gossiped was quite amusing.

“How did you find out all this? You usually don’t pay attention to such trivial matters,” Jiang Yan said, chuckling.

“Well, Miss Jiaojiao came to Jiang Manor looking for you!”

“Oh? Then why didn’t she go to Tan Manor?” Jiang Yan asked, puzzled.

“She said she was just trying her luck,” Jiang Xun relayed, like a human microphone. “If she didn’t find you, she wouldn’t mind.”

“Alright, I understand.” Jiang Yan paced around her home before unexpectedly heading to the Embroidery Workshop. Bored and frustrated by news of Tan Qianyue’s outing with someone else, she felt both irritated and dejected.

Jiaojiao likely hadn’t dared to visit Tan Manor, either out of fear of disturbing Jiang Yan’s married life or for some other reason.

From the Original Host’s memories, Jiang Yan sensed that Miss Jiaojiao was no scheming girl. While she naturally relied on the Original Host, she never overstepped her boundaries, fully aware of her subordinate status.

Jiang Yan returned to the Brocade Workshop, where the owner was an old acquaintance of the Original Host. Using the Original Host’s connections, Jiang Yan had arranged for Jiaojiao to work there.

“Is your boss here today?” Jiang Yan asked as she entered, scanning the workshop and noticing that Tian Yuniang, the workshop manager, wasn’t present.

“Miss Jiang! The manager isn’t here today. Is there anything I can help you with? Shall I send someone to fetch her?” A young embroiderer greeted Jiang Yan warmly.

“Oh, no need. I just came to see Jiaojiao. Is she here?” Jiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Last time had been unavoidable, and she’d been terrified of slipping up while interacting with the Original Host’s friends.

The Jiang Family was the same. Having grown up alone, Jiang Yan felt a deep longing for family when she saw them.

“So you’re here for Jiaojiao? I’ll go get her right away,” the servant said, hurrying upstairs.

Moments later, Jiaojiao descended the stairs, dressed in simple, clean clothes, her eyes sparkling as she saw Jiang Yan.

“Sister Jiang, are you here to see me?” Jiaojiao ran to Jiang Yan, her face beaming.

“Yes… I came to check on you. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well, thank you, Sister Jiang,” Jiaojiao replied gratefully.

Seeing her genuine gratitude, Jiang Yan felt her efforts hadn’t been in vain.

“I heard your family found work at the Embroidery Workshop?” Jiang Yan asked, settling into a nearby chair.

“Yes… Mother did find work there,” Jiaojiao said, lowering her head and gently biting her lower lip.

“What do you think about that?” Jiang Yan frowned. Having no family of her own, she understood a child’s yearning for kinship.

But the idea of draining one child to save another disgusted her.

“Mother said that if my younger sister can take a ginseng-based medicine, she’ll recover. But I haven’t saved enough money at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion to afford ginseng,” Jiaojiao said, her voice tinged with helplessness.

“But Mother said I only need to save half my monthly allowance to buy medicine for my sister. I can keep the rest for myself,” Jiaojiao said, her spirits lifting slightly as she looked up.

“The problem is, I’m still just an apprentice, so my monthly allowance isn’t much. Madam Tian allows me to embroider handkerchiefs to sell at the shop, which helps me save a little,” Jiaojiao added with a smile.

“Madam Tian seems like a good person,” Jiang Yan replied with a smile.

“Yes, Madam Tian and Sister Jiang are both kind people.”

“Are those handkerchiefs behind you the ones you’re going to sell?” Jiang Yan asked, gesturing to the basket behind Jiaojiao.

“Yes, I embroidered all of these myself. Sister Jiang, feel free to pick out a few if you like!” Jiaojiao seemed to brighten up.

“Alright, I’ll choose two for my wife,” Jiang Yan said, actually selecting two handkerchiefs embroidered with orchids.

When Jiaojiao heard the word “wife,” a flicker of curiosity flashed in her eyes.

“Since I’ve accepted your handkerchiefs, I’ll treat you to something delicious today. Come on, grab your basket of embroidered handkerchiefs, and let’s deliver them to the shop together!” Jiang Yan gestured toward the basket behind Jiaojiao.

The basket was lined with soft cloth to protect the delicate handkerchiefs from damage.

Jiang Yan couldn’t control Jiaojiao’s life; she had to handle her own affairs. All Jiang Yan could offer was advice and support.

When Jiaojiao heard that Jiang Yan would accompany her to sell the handkerchiefs, she was overjoyed.

She quickly picked up the basket and followed Jiang Yan.

As they passed a restaurant, Jiang Yan ordered two meat dishes, a treat for the thin, petite Miss Jiaojiao.

Living in crowded quarters, it must be rare to enjoy a piece of meat alone. Having grown up in such circumstances herself, Jiang Yan understood the hardships all too well.

She ordered braised pork knuckle and Dongpo pork, both nourishing dishes perfect for a growing girl like Jiaojiao, who likely lacked meat in her diet.

When the two steaming meat dishes arrived, Jiaojiao’s eyes lit up, forgetting Jiang Yan entirely. The meat was so tender it fell off the bone with a gentle nudge of her chopsticks.

Jiaojiao ate contentedly, bite after bite. Jiang Yan, however, had little appetite, still preoccupied with wondering where Tan Qianyue had gone and where she was enjoying her freedom with that man.

“Sister Jiang, are you worried about something?” Jiaojiao asked, looking up from her half-finished meal.

“Hmm… maybe,” Jiang Yan replied evasively.

“Is it about Miss Tan?” Jiaojiao asked, her cheek puffed out with curiosity.

“How did you figure that out?” Jiang Yan countered.

“Because your expression is different from usual, and nothing else has changed except for Miss Tan,” Jiaojiao suddenly turned into a little clever fox.

“What kind of expression?”

“It looks… a little wronged?”

“Just eat your meat. It won’t taste good when it gets cold,” Jiang Yan said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

They delivered the handkerchiefs to the shop. Priced at five wen each, Jiaojiao had made forty-two. After giving two to Jiang Yan, she sold the remaining forty for a total of two hundred wen.

“Sister Jiang, I haven’t forgotten about the money I owe you. I’ll just need a little longer to repay it. Once I can embroider wedding dresses, I’ll be able to pay you back quickly,” Jiaojiao promised.

“No rush. Just take care of yourself,” Jiang Yan replied, not wanting Jiaojiao to send all her earnings home.

As they strolled, dusk began to fall. Lanterns lit up one by one in the distance. Jiang Yan suddenly remembered her wife, who was out “dating” someone else.

Just as she was about to find a carriage to take Jiaojiao home, a familiar figure flashed before her eyes.

It was Tan Qianyue!

Jiang Yan, acting like a thief, secretly followed behind the two women, leaving Jiaojiao no choice but to continue following Jiang Yan.

In the distance, the sounds of music and singing grew louder, accompanied by the increasing strains of silk and bamboo instruments.

More and more colorful lanterns were lit, gradually illuminating the scene with dazzling brilliance. The interplay of light and shadow transformed people’s attire into magnificent, ethereal garments.

The entire street seemed to have entered a dreamlike fairyland, with hydrangeas, fans, jade pendants, silk flowers, and countless other dazzling items lining both sides of the road.

Jiang Yan followed Tan Qianyue’s figure until they stopped before a three-story pavilion.

Xiyue Tower, a shop specializing in palace lanterns, remained closed most of the year, only opening on the Lantern Festival to sell its exquisite lanterns. The finest Lantern King was reserved for a destined individual.

“Another year, another Lantern Festival!” a cheerful Female Qianyuan announced from the entrance of Xiyue Tower, surrounded by a dazzling array of lanterns. “Who will claim this year’s Lantern King? The rules remain the same: three rounds of games to determine a lucky pair of friends who will take our Xiyue Tower’s Lantern King home!”

Her gaze swept across the crowd below, carefully selecting participants.

The pair of Lantern Kings hung prominently on the second floor. Their canopies, bodies, and tassel-draped curtains were meticulously carved with intricate patterns and painted with vivid stories, adorned with pearls and gemstones that dangled like shimmering fringes. When lit, the candle-lit bodies would slowly rotate, resembling a luxurious palace, while the figures depicted on them seemed to come alive with lifelike realism.

Suspended high above like celestial palaces, the lanterns allowed everyone to admire their exquisite details.

“Victory or defeat hangs in the balance today,” Doctor Lu urged anxiously. “I’m asking you this one time—please take this seriously.”

Tan Qianyue nodded slightly, guessing that some young lady had set this challenge for her.

“We already have seven pairs of friends competing for this year’s Lantern King title. We need just one more pair! Are there any friends willing to join the competition?” the Female Qianyuan called out, stirring the crowd’s excitement once more.

“We’ll participate!” Jiang Yan declared loudly, grabbing Jiaojiao from behind and pushing her forward.

Hearing a familiar voice, Tan Qianyue turned to see Jiang Yan standing there.