The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 21

“Would you like to hear what you were calling out just now…?”

“We’ll participate!” Jiang Yan’s voice drew the attention of the others.

Tan Qianyue turned to look as well. When she saw Jiang Yan carrying the girl in his arms, her expression shifted from surprise to a hint of discomfort.

Jiang Yan glared at the couple ahead, his face undoubtedly dark with anger.

However, in the dim light, only their silhouettes were visible. No one noticed the subtle nuances of their expressions.

“Another pair of friends! Once we have everyone, we’ll begin the game. Let’s see which lucky couple will take home Xiyue Tower’s Lantern King this year!” The female Qianyuan busied herself preparing for the game to start.

Tan Qianyue whipped her head away, refusing to look at Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan, unwilling to lose face, straightened his back, adopting a battle-ready stance.

So that’s why she vanished early this morning. She was so eager to replace me?

Not even a word? Jiang Yan’s anger flared, causing the stray strands of hair on his forehead to bristle. In the multicolored night, he stared intently at the Eldest Miss’s retreating figure.

Tan Qianyue followed Doctor Lu distractedly, feeling a pang of guilt the moment she spotted Jiang Yan. Though she hadn’t done anything wrong, strolling through the lantern festival after dark with someone other than her wife, only to be caught in the act, felt undeniably improper.

But Doctor Lu rarely asked for favors, and Qianyue had agreed to repay some of her kindness. She hadn’t expected to run into Jiang Yan here.

Seeing that Qianyue wasn’t alone, Jiang Yan’s expression darkened, as if she believed in the double standard of “officials can set fires, but commoners can’t light lanterns.”

The two women stubbornly ignored each other, locked in a silent standoff.

The game required teams to pass three rounds, with the final winning pair earning the title of Lantern King.

The first round pitted four players against each other in a game of danqi, a type of Chinese billiards. Two players used black pieces, while the other two used white pieces. The first team to knock all their pieces into the opponent’s home zone won.

Sixteen participants were divided into four teams, with half advancing to the next round.

Excited onlookers crowded around the game table, cheering and laughing as they rooted for their favorites.

Jiaojiao, unfamiliar with the game, initially reacted slowly. But Jiang Yan, a master of leisure activities, proved quick-witted and nimble-handed, more than making up for her partner’s hesitation.

Moreover, Jiang Yan’s martial arts training gave her exceptional striking power, allowing her to send opponent’s pieces flying back to their starting positions.

They won the round swiftly, Jiang Yan watching coldly as the Eldest Miss and that Fox-Eye scurried through the crowd.

Tan Qianyue stopped paying attention to Jiang Yan. Having agreed to help Doctor Lu win the lantern competition, she was determined to give it her all.

Seeing Tan Qianyue and Fox-Eye working together so seamlessly, Jiang Yan felt a knot of frustration tighten in her chest. Remembering the maid’s words about them being childhood friends, she felt like a pufferfish about to burst with anger.

The second challenge required two people. One partner had to sit in a basket, which the other would carry on their back without letting their feet touch the ground, to the other end of the course. There, they had to light ten lanterns before returning to the starting point to win.

Tan Qianyue grinned at the sight of the basket, thinking how difficult it would normally be to teach Doctor Lu a lesson like this.

“Which Miss are you trying to impress, enduring such hardship?” Tan Qianyue teased, settling into the half-person-high basket with a smile.

Jiang Yan’s eyebrows furrowed in anger as she watched Tan Qianyue’s radiant smile.

“Jiaojiao, can you do me a favor? Let’s secretly switch places later. Just help Sister Jiang out,” Jiang Yan whispered to Jiaojiao.

“Sure! Is that Miss Tan? Jiaojiao will help Sister Jiang get her Wife back!” Jiaojiao replied eagerly.

“Good girl. I’ll buy you a big pork knuckle later.”

Jiaojiao climbed into the tall basket, even pressing her head down inside.

While Tan Qianyue wasn’t paying attention, Jiang Yan swiftly swapped her basket with Tan Qianyue’s. Tan Qianyue felt a dizzying spin before landing on her feet, groggily clutching her forehead. She was about to unleash a torrent of curses when she opened her eyes and met Jiang Yan’s gaze—a mix of anger, hurt, and innocent bewilderment. The words died in her throat.

“What are you doing?” Tan Qianyue finally asked, her voice softening after a moment.

“You have time to play games with others here, yet you’ve abandoned me at home for days without a word. My wife is truly a busy woman,” Jiang Yan said, her face radiating displeasure as she leaned closer to Tan Qianyue.

“You have the nerve to accuse me? Who was that woman?” Tan Qianyue retorted, her voice low and sharp. She hadn’t intended to argue, but once the topic was broached, she couldn’t hold back.

Jiang Yan was momentarily speechless. She’d been strolling alone for days, and now the Eldest Miss had caught her. It was a twist of fate.

“Ready, start!” The competition began before they could finish their exchange.

Jiaojiao glanced back at Jiang Yan and gave her a quick wave. Doctor Lu, however, was so fixated on the Lantern King that she didn’t even notice the switch behind her.

Four people hoisted half-person-tall baskets onto their backs and sprinted toward the lanterns, shouting for the Kunze behind them to light each lantern in the row one by one.

Jiang Yan glanced at the Lantern King before dashing toward her team’s lanterns, outpacing even the sprinting Doctor Lu by a full two points.

Tan Qianyue, seated in the basket, quickly adjusted her gaze and began to cooperate. We need to secure the Lantern King first, no matter what. We can settle our scores later.

Jiang Yan’s taller stature made carrying the basket with a passenger relatively effortless. On the other side, Doctor Lu, determined to win the Lantern King, pushed herself to her limits in pursuit.

The dimly lit streets transformed into a breathtaking spectacle as red lanterns flickered to life one by one.

Doctor Lu, panting heavily, finally secured second place.

But the Qianyuan who claimed first place caught her attention. Despite appearing physically unremarkable, he showed no signs of exertion, leaving Doctor Lu feeling threatened.

Yet why did the Kunze in the basket behind him look so familiar?

Doctor Lu took two steps closer for a better look.

“Qianyue!” she exclaimed in shock.

She immediately turned to her own basket, only to find an unfamiliar young girl…

Doctor Lu hastily moved toward Tan Qianyue, reaching out to take her away.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Yan shoved her hand away, glaring at her. Daring to steal my wife? This is outrageous!

“Miss, the person behind you is with me! There’s been a misunderstanding!” Doctor Lu had no idea where things had gone wrong, but somehow she’d lost Eldest Miss Tan.

Tan Qianyue, pinned in the basket by Jiang Yan, could only watch the spectacle unfold.

“Who are you calling ‘with you’? The person behind me is clearly my wife!” Jiang Yan’s loud voice drew a crowd of onlookers.

Tan Qianyue buried her face in shame.

Jiaojiao struggled out of the basket and moved behind Jiang Yan.

Doctor Lu, assuming Jiang Yan was as clueless as Jiaojiao, tried to explain again. But when she saw Tan Qianyue sitting calmly with her face covered, she suddenly realized something was amiss.

“You’re Jiang Yan?” she finally exclaimed, her realization dawning.

“So what?” Jiang Yan glared at her, clearly annoyed.

“Then will you help me win the Lantern King?” Doctor Lu was desperate, willing to take either of the women as long as they could help her win.

Jiang Yan felt like she’d punched a wad of cotton, her face darkening with frustration.

Tan Qianyue gave Doctor Lu a reassuring glance, and the doctor tactfully stepped back.

As if sensing her gaze, Jiang Yan turned around to see Tan Qianyue exchanging flirtatious glances with Fox-Eye!

He immediately wanted to grab the Eldest Miss and drag her home, ready to quit this whole charade.

“I’m just repaying a favor,” Tan Qianyue whispered soothingly into Jiang Yan’s ear. “We don’t even need that lantern.”

“Hmph!” Jiang Yan still wore a dark expression, but the word “we” miraculously calmed his anger.

He reached out and pulled Tan Qianyue into his arms, drawing curious stares from the surrounding onlookers, who found their relationship too tangled to unravel.

“Next up is the final round of our game: lantern riddles!” the female Qianyuan running the lantern shop announced from the high platform, waving a small lantern.

Only these four remained in the finals.

Jiang Yan wasn’t good at riddles, and Tan Qianyue had quietly slipped back to Doctor Lu’s side.

Jiang Yan said nothing, his eyes narrowed as he watched her. Tan Qianyue felt caught between a rock and a hard place. Without a partner, Doctor Lu might not win the Lantern King, making the entire evening a waste of time. And Tan Qianyue never engaged in losing ventures.

Next time, she’d rather just give Lu Yin gold ingots. She wouldn’t wade into this murky water again.

As expected, Doctor Lu’s days of studying lantern riddles finally paid off. The shopkeeper personally delivered a pair of palace lanterns to her and Tan Qianyue.

Doctor Lu beamed, clutching the heavy lanterns, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

Jiang Yan abruptly pulled Tan Qianyue over, ordered Jiaojiao to follow, and climbed into Tan Qianyue’s carriage.

Tan Qianyue’s wrist ached from Jiang Yan’s grip, but she resigned herself to following. Jiaojiao, sensing the tense atmosphere, barely dared to breathe.

Inside the pitch-black carriage, Jiang Yan sat on one side, her arm around Tan Qianyue’s waist, while Jiaojiao huddled on the other.

“Take her home first,” Jiang Yan said, referring to Jiaojiao.

Tan Qianyue remained silent, pressed into a corner by Jiang Yan in the darkness.

“Alright, you can get out now. I’ll visit you again when I have time!” Jiang Yan swiftly helped Jiaojiao out of the carriage.

With only the two of them left, the air grew heavy with silence. Neither spoke first.

“Miss is back? Would you like dinner?” Chunhua asked eagerly as Tan Qianyue entered the Embroidered Chamber.

“No, just prepare water for a bath,” Tan Qianyue replied, her mind racing. Having angered Jiang Yan, this night will likely be difficult.

The mere thought of having to be intimate tonight gave her a headache and made her want to cry…

Two hours later, Jiang Yan entered the room, still dripping wet and utterly expressionless.

Tan Qianyue stole a glance at her. A white, open-front robe hung loosely over her long, strapless dress, her long hair secured atop her head with a jade hairpin, two strands framing her forehead. With her aloof, detached demeanor, she looked like she could renounce the world right then and there if someone handed her a whisk…

Jiang Yan glided over to the Eldest Miss’s bedside with an ethereal, otherworldly grace.

“What do you want?” Tan Qianyue’s heart pounded as she took a step back, her luminous eyes gazing at Jiang Yan with timid apprehension.

“What do you think I want?” Jiang Yan replied with a lifeless glance.

“Enough already! I’m not even mad at you anymore!” Tan Qianyue’s temper flared.

“My feelings for that girl are no different than my feelings for a stray cat or dog. I simply took pity on her and lent a hand—there was no ulterior motive whatsoever. If it bothers you, I’ll avoid her in the future.” Jiang Yan had only intended to do a good deed; if she didn’t help, someone else would.

During their farewell today, most of their words were polite formalities.

Tan Qianyue could sense that Jiang Yan harbored no ulterior motives, but if she didn’t bring up Jiaojiao now, she would lose the upper hand.

“Only you know what’s truly in your heart!” Tan Qianyue said, turning her face away to avoid Jiang Yan’s gaze.

“If you don’t trust me, then divorce me after tonight!” Jiang Yan declared, seizing Tan Qianyue’s foot.

Tan Qianyue recoiled as if electrocuted, leaning forward. Her long lashes trembled, her heart pounding in her throat.

Suddenly, she pressed her foot onto Jiang Yan’s collarbone, her jade-white toes pressing precisely into the hollow.

“Divorce it is, then!” Tan Qianyue sneered. “Your face is the only thing you have going for you. What else can you do besides eat, drink, and play?”

Tan Qianyue kept her foot pressed against Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan’s eyes darkened. Slowly and deliberately, she gripped Tan Qianyue’s delicate, jade-like foot in her hand, a smirk playing on her lips. “You weren’t saying that a few days ago, were you?”

Jiang Yan draped Tan Qianyue’s slender, shapely legs over her arm, pressing her against her own radiant and beautiful wife.

Leaning close to her ear, she whispered, “Want to hear what you were shouting earlier?”

Tan Qianyue’s face flushed crimson with fury. “No! No! Shut up!” she snapped.

She twisted her body, trying to shove away this shameless rogue, but her legs were pinned against Jiang Yan’s shoulder, leaving her powerless.

In desperation, she bit down hard on Jiang Yan’s chin…