The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 32

“If you do that again, I’ll break your legs!”

The tech fabric was incredibly lightweight. Jiang Yan carefully rolled up the tent, binding it into a tofu-like block and securing it to her back. The wooden frame, though sturdy, added considerable weight. All her belongings combined weighed around twenty pounds.

After a two-day stay in Yixian County, the exile caravan resumed its journey. This time, the County Magistrate provided twenty days’ worth of rations. Beyond Yixian County, settlements became scarce, requiring nearly a month’s travel to reach the next habitable area. Thus, they carried almost a month’s worth of supplies—the maximum the horse-drawn carts could bear.

Moreover, as October approached, the weather deteriorated rapidly. By mid-October, rain and snow were common occurrences.

Jiang Yan, burdened with her large and small bundles and carrying the tent frame, struggled to keep up at the rear of the caravan. Despite the biting wind, she was drenched in a fine sweat. Tan Qianyue and Ying Hong, supporting each other, could only manage a few steps before gasping for breath. The entire group moved forward like living corpses, their minds numb and their bodies weary.

The water stored in the carts had run out, forcing them to halt and rest only when they found a water source. Fortunately, while Yixian County lacked villages to the north, locating small streams proved relatively easy. However, these uninhabited areas were teeming with wild animals.

The terrain grew increasingly desolate, and a palpable tension settled over the group.

When they left Yixian County, each person had been given a coarse steamed bun. After nearly ten hours of marching, Jiang Yan’s sweat had soaked through her clothes multiple times. Though the bun itself wasn’t heavy, carrying it all day was no joke.

The added weight of the iron manacles made it feel like torture. At that moment, she desperately missed her little cart.

“We’ll set up camp here!” Captain Lu shouted to the officers as dusk fell. “There’s a small river two kilometers ahead. Anyone who’s not too lazy can go catch fish and roast them for dinner!”

The officers cheered, but the prisoners were too exhausted to even think about food. Besides, there probably wouldn’t be any dinner tonight anyway.

Jiang Yan quickly sat down on a nearby rock to rest.

“I’ll go fetch some water,” Tan Qianyue offered, though it was dark, she could still see that Jiang Yan looked unwell.

If I weren’t here, she’d be much better off, Tan Qianyue thought, feeling a pang of guilt. But then again, without me, she wouldn’t have been exiled in the first place. Her mood darkened.

After a full day’s march, her feet ached fiercely, her thighs felt numb and stiff, and each step felt like treading on cotton, utterly drained of strength.

“No need, I just need to rest for a bit. We’ll start working after they finish setting up the tents,” Jiang Yan said, deliberately staggering her timing to avoid drawing attention to her tent. Though she had disguised its appearance, a curious glance could easily reveal its true nature.

She had intentionally chosen a spot near Sang Yu’s tent, which housed twenty officers, including Sang Yu herself. Similar to the prisoners’ tents but with an extra set of blankets, Jiang Yan recognized several familiar faces among them, which would provide a measure of security.

As most people retreated into their tents, Jiang Yan began setting up her own.

Untying the hemp rope, she shook out the tangled fabric and carried the support poles inside, propping up the four corners to give the tent its basic shape. After carefully securing the poles and interlocking the joints, a neat little tent stood before her.

The 1.8-meter-wide, 2.2-meter-long tent was spacious enough for three people to stretch out comfortably and store all their belongings.

Su He had gone to Lord Miao’s tent to care for Afei, who was feeling unwell, while Su Jing and Concubine Sun were staying in a makeshift shelter surrounded by straw mats.

Jiang Yan planned to exchange for more fabric later to build a proper shelter for the Su Family. Beyond their friendship, she also wanted to avoid standing out too much. After all, the more “oddballs” there were, the less strange she would seem.

Tan Qianyue and Ying Hong trudged into their new home, their steps heavy. Though they couldn’t make out the details in the dim light, the immediate warmth was palpable.

They hadn’t discarded the grass mats, spreading them across the tent floor. After setting their bundles aside, the three women squeezed inside. It was cramped, but having a small shelter against the wind and rain brought immense joy. Finally, they could stretch out and sleep properly.

“Ayan, wouldn’t you like some hot water? Ying Hong and I can fetch some from the river. I saw others heading there already,” Tan Qianyue offered, knowing Jiang Yan was exhausted and wanting her to rest and rehydrate.

“It’s too late for you to go alone. I’ll check it out later,” Jiang Yan replied, sitting on a grass mat and rubbing her aching arm.

“But you need to rest! Maybe we should just forget about it,” Tan Qianyue insisted, not wanting Jiang Yan to exert herself further.

“Come here and massage my arm. I’ll handle the rest,” Jiang Yan said, unable to lift her arm.

“Okay!” Tan Qianyue moved closer, groping blindly in the pitch-black tent until Jiang Yan guided her hand to her arm. Tan Qianyue began kneading gently.

Ying Hong sat awkwardly beside them, unsure whether to stay or leave, her presence a jarring note in the intimate moment.

Ying Hong shrank back, pressing herself against the side of the tent.

Jiang Yan rose and pulled down a curtain from the tent’s ceiling, dividing the small space into roughly thirds. This would provide some privacy when they used lamps later.

“Ying Hong, the partitioned area will be your room from now on,” Jiang Yan said with a smile. “No need to hide in the corners anymore!”

“Thank you, Mistress! Thank you, Miss!” Ying Hong finally relaxed. Though it was just a fabric partition, it was her own independent space. Her grin stretched from ear to ear.

“Put some strength into it,” Jiang Yan said. “I’ll go get us some food in a bit.” In the darkness, Jiang Yan’s hand brushed against Tan Qianyue’s smooth, delicate chin, her tone ambiguous.

Considering Jiang Yan’s exhaustion from the day, Tan Qianyue ignored the wandering hand and focused on kneading her arm with deliberate force.

After about fifteen minutes, Jiang Yan sat up.

“I have something special for you!” she whispered mysteriously, leaning close to Tan Qianyue’s ear.

“What is it?” Tan Qianyue asked, curious.

“Look!” Jiang Yan produced a black cloth pouch, opened it, and revealed a pink “Crystal Stone” inside. About half the size of a chicken egg, it glowed with a soft light.

In the pitch-black night, a faint pink glow emanated from the stone, casting a rosy hue across Tan Qianyue’s features.

“What is this? How does it glow?” Tan Qianyue asked, her eyes wide with wonder as she gazed at the “large gem” in Jiang Yan’s hand.

“It’s a type of stone that absorbs sunlight during the day and releases it as light at night,” Jiang Yan explained, her explanation half-truth, half-fabrication. She held the pink Energy Stone up to Tan Qianyue’s face.

Jiang Yan had only discovered the stone’s purpose by chance. It made a surprisingly good makeshift lamp, and she figured it would glow even brighter after a full day in the sun.

“Such a precious treasure! It’s practically a Luminous Pearl!” Tan Qianyue exclaimed, taking the beautiful gem from Jiang Yan’s palm.

Tan Qianyue’s interpretation was spot-on—after all, wasn’t it essentially a Luminous Pearl?

Whatever Jiang Yan wanted to use, she simply needed to concoct a plausible origin story.

The pink light bathed Tan Qianyue’s exquisite face in a bewitching glow. She carefully set the stone aside, treating it as a makeshift candle.

“I love this stone! Where did you get it? How do you always have so many strange and wonderful treasures?” Tan Qianyue asked, unable to resist picking it up again to examine it. Who wouldn’t adore a sparkling, luminous gem?

“Uh… you’ll find out later!” Jiang Yan, having run out of excuses, resorted to stubbornness.

Tan Qianyue glanced up at her, but her attention was mostly focused on the glowing gem. Assuming Jiang Yan was deliberately being secretive, she didn’t press the matter further.

She’s right, Qianyue thought. I’ll find out eventually.

Ying Hong, separated by a curtain, was curious about what the Miss was discussing but diligently suppressed her curiosity, refraining from eavesdropping.

Having rested sufficiently, Jiang Yan prepared to go outside and investigate.

“Stay in the tent. I’ll go take a look around,” Jiang Yan said, rising and exiting the tent.

“Okay, we won’t go out!”

Tan Qianyue fastened the tent flaps shut. She and Ying Hong remained quietly inside, the Energy Stone emitting a faint glow. Tomorrow, she planned to expose it to sunlight to enhance its nighttime luminescence. Carefully placing the stone beside her, Qianyue used it as a makeshift nightlight.

The blackout fabric of the tent was remarkably effective, revealing no light from the outside. Ying Hong, separated by a half-drawn curtain, could only detect the faintest glimmer.

“Miss, what’s glowing?” Ying Hong finally couldn’t resist asking after a long silence.

“It’s a stone like a Luminous Pearl,” Qianyue replied. “From now on, we’ll be able to see clearly at night. It’s quite beautiful.”

“I’ve never seen a Luminous Pearl, but I imagine it must be an incredibly rare treasure,” the maidservant said.

“Me neither. I’ve only heard about them,” the other replied.

The two women continued their conversation in hushed tones.

Jiang Yan stepped out of the tent and saw that the officers were indeed preparing to fish. Since they often camped near rivers, the Mess Cooks kept small fishing nets handy, occasionally catching a few fish to make soup for the Lord and supplement their own meals.

Three or five officers had gathered a pile of firewood, waiting for their companions to return with fish to roast over the flames. Though exhausted from the day’s march, the allure of grilled fish proved irresistible.

Whenever the Mess Cooks prepared a special meal, they always sent portions to Captain Wei and Captain Lu. This ensured that even if the other officers harbored any resentment, they couldn’t complain. If they wanted fish, they’d have to catch it themselves—every man for himself.

“Sister Yu, what are you doing?” Jiang Yan asked, feigning curiosity as she sidled up to Sang Yu.

“Waiting for those guys to come back,” Sang Yu replied, casually roasting her hands by the fire. “They said this river is teeming with fish. Everyone passing through here always catches a few for a treat.” Though the night was pitch-black, Jiang Yan estimated it was only around seven o’clock.

Remembering how Tan Qianyue gasped for breath after just three steps, Jiang Yan’s interest in the river’s fish grew. However, wading into the cold water herself was out of the question. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the officers who had gone fishing.

Calculating her own plans, she followed them to the riverbank. A dozen officers, holding torches, cast their fishing nets into the water. Jiang Yan stood nearby, watching the commotion with amusement.

Officer Song glanced back and noticed Jiang Yan had slipped to the riverbank to watch the spectacle. He said nothing, and some of the officers, undeterred by the cold, even waded into the shallow water.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the officer who had entered the water vanished without a trace.

“Chen Lan? Chen Lan?” The remaining officers panicked when they realized she was gone. The river water was bone-chillingly cold; falling in would surely lead to hypothermia!

Despite the torchlight, they dared not jump into the river to search for her—none of them could swim. The once-shallow river now seemed like a monstrous maw, ready to devour them whole.

“I told her to just cast the net from the bank! But she insisted on wading in to cast it farther,” one officer grumbled anxiously.

“What do we do now? Still no sign of her?” The others grew increasingly agitated. If they had caught fish without incident, their superiors might have turned a blind eye to their unauthorized fishing trip. But now that disaster had struck, they faced severe punishment. Misfortune never comes singly.

“Anyone know how to swim? Go check underwater!” Officer Song demanded, his brow furrowed with worry.

The officers shook their heads, their faces grim. Even the large fish trapped in the net lost their appeal.

“Chen Lan? Chen Lan?” Officer Song prepared to remove his shoes and wade into the river, which didn’t appear deep at all.

“Chen Lan must have wandered into deep water. Be careful, or we’ll all have to go in to search for her,” someone suggested, proposing they enter the water together, holding hands for safety.

“Could those bastards have tricked us?” another officer questioned.

The abundance of fish in this river had been revealed by Captain Wei’s men. Miao Fengqing’s team was escorting prisoners to the Northlands for the first time, relying solely on a map with little familiarity with the route. Captain Wei’s group, having traveled this path several times, might be playing them.

“Save her first. Let’s all go in and check.”

By this point, two minutes had passed since Chen Lan, the female Qianyuan, fell into the water. Jiang Yan mentally calculated the time; if they didn’t find her soon, it would be too late.

Sigh, all this trouble just because we’re hungry. This exile duty was truly grueling, both for the officers and the prisoners. Everyone suffered from hardship and exhaustion, except for the two captains who profited from the prisoners’ rations.

Throughout this journey, they’d amassed a considerable sum of silver and enjoyed better meals than the others. For now, they were content with food and drink, but Jiang Yan worried that once their “business” dried up, they’d start causing trouble.

These thoughts flashed through Jiang Yan’s mind as she turned her attention back to the officers gathered by the riverbank.

“I can swim,” she finally spoke up after a long hesitation. “I can help search the deeper waters.”

Officer Song glanced at Jiang Yan and immediately ordered, “Unlock this Miss’s chains.”

There was no time for hesitation. The sisters who had fallen into the water couldn’t afford to wait!

The officers on the shore quickly unlocked Jiang Yan’s chains.

Jiang Yan immediately shed her prison uniform and padded jacket, diving into the river wearing only her long black robe. The moment her feet touched the water, she felt an icy chill. How could Chen Lan endure this temperature? She’s truly a brave woman.

She activated her phone, maximizing the screen brightness, and used its light to guide her toward the spot where Chen Lan had disappeared.

As she waded deeper, the sand beneath her feet grew softer, and the water level rose steadily. Several officers, holding hands, stood in the water not far from her.

Jiang Yan used the screen’s light to clearly see her surroundings. This was the exact spot where Chen Lan had last been seen.

The officers behind her watched as Jiang Yan’s figure grew smaller, her chest and lower body submerged in the river. Then, she plunged completely underwater, causing them to gasp in unison.

They tried to follow, but the water reached their waists, stopping them in their tracks.

Enduring the bone-chilling cold, Jiang Yan swam vigorously in circles beneath the surface. Fortunately, her phone was displaying the brightly lit “Golden Chest Opening” interface, illuminating the murky depths.

Within two minutes, she spotted the officer who had lost his footing. She quickly swam over, hooked her arm around Chen Lan’s waist, and began pulling her back to shore inch by inch.

Her hand waved unconsciously, making it impossible to tell if Chen Lan was conscious.

From the moment she fell into the water, to the others hesitating to enter, to Jiang Yan freeing her from the chains, and then finding her underwater—four or five minutes had already passed. They had to act fast.

Jiang Yan pulled her forcefully upward, finally surfacing.

Seeing that she had indeed found her companion, the others cautiously approached to help. Working together, they dragged Chen Lan to the shore.

After getting ashore, Jiang Yan began pressing hard on the officer’s chest, continuing relentlessly. After about fifteen minutes, the officer finally showed signs of life. Jiang Yan let out a sigh of relief, but her soaked body, exposed to the cold wind, was shivering violently.

She quickly put her padded coat back on and joined the others by the fire to warm up.

Sang Yu jumped in surprise when she saw them return drenched.

“What happened?” she asked sternly.

“Chen Lan wanted to cast the net farther, so she went into the water to pull it. She didn’t realize the river’s depth varied, and she accidentally stepped into a deep spot and nearly drowned. Luckily, Miss Jiang here knows how to swim. After bringing her ashore, she performed resuscitation until the officer revived,” Officer Song recounted the harrowing events.

“Is everyone alright? This was our oversight. Let’s keep this quiet and have some ginger soup brewed to ward off the chill.” Sang Yu rose, directing the group to quietly return to their tents. The thought of word spreading that someone nearly drowned while fishing was too embarrassing.

“Miss Jiang, you should return to your tent and rest as well!” Wearing wet clothes in this weather, even by the fire, would be worse than drying off with a cloth inside the tent.

“I’ll send someone with ginger soup as soon as it’s ready. Thank you so much!” Sang Yu looked at Jiang Yan with a mix of apology and gratitude.

“No need for thanks. We’re all traveling together; helping each other is only natural,” Jiang Yan replied with a nod.

After exchanging a few more words with Sang Yu, Jiang Yan remembered that the two people back at her tent hadn’t eaten dinner yet. She retrieved four steamed buns and a packet of fried chicken from the “storage” area and hurried back to her tent.

She had considered taking two duck legs, but worried Tan Qianyue might recognize the familiar taste of home…

“Open up, it’s me!” Jiang Yan’s voice trembled.

Tan Qianyue, kneeling on the ground, fumbled with the tent’s clasps.

Jiang Yan entered, closed the flap, and bent down to remove her wet clothes near the entrance.

Feeling the dampness on her, Tan Qianyue picked up the Crystal Stone and shone its light on Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan stood dripping wet, her long robe clinging tightly to her body. Even in the pinkish glow, her face looked unnaturally pale.

“What happened to you?” Tan Qianyue sprang up and touched Jiang Yan’s upper body.

“N-nothing… nothing… nothing. Someone fell into the river. I jumped in and pulled them out. Just a bit… cold… cold!” Jiang Yan’s words came in disjointed, stuttering bursts.

“That was too dangerous! What time is it? Why would you jump into the river now?” Tan Qianyue’s voice carried a note of scolding.

“Help me get out of these wet clothes first. I won’t do it again. Here, take these steamed buns and chicken pieces. You two can eat them first.” Jiang Yan stuffed the food into Tan Qianyue’s arms.

“I won’t eat them. If you risked your life for these buns, I’d rather starve.” Tan Qianyue set the food aside and began helping Jiang Yan remove her wet clothes.

Ying Hong, sitting in the adjacent tent, pretended to be asleep, unable to offer assistance.

All the wet clothes were tossed outside the tent. Jiang Yan, wearing only her undergarments and shorts, wrapped her padded jacket around herself and huddled shivering on the straw mat.

Tan Qianyue hurriedly took off her own padded coat and wrapped it around Jiang Yan, then helped her stretch out her legs and sit down.

“Miss, Mistress’s outer garments need to be dried by the fire. How else will we travel tomorrow?” After a long silence, Ying Hong finally found something to do.

“Ah? Drying them would be ideal, of course, but is it safe for you to go out alone?” Tan Qianyue hesitated.

“Before we entered the tent, I saw Sang Yu starting a fire. I’ll be fine drying them there,” Ying Hong replied.

“Then go check first. If it’s not them, come right back.” After careful consideration, Tan Qianyue agreed to let Ying Hong go. Otherwise, the clothes would never dry on their own, and they’d be truly stuck tomorrow.

“Okay, I’ll be careful!” Ying Hong said, clutching Jiang Yan’s two long robes as she hurried out.

Tan Qianyue leaned closer to Jiang Yan and touched her face. It was icy cold.

She removed the scarf binding her hair and used it to wring out Jiang Yan’s long, dripping strands, section by section. Jiang Yan had plunged into the river, her hair soaked to the roots.

The Crystal Stone lay nearby, illuminating Jiang Yan’s features. Her face seemed more angular than when they had married, yet even more striking.

For the past month, Jiang Yan’s face had never been truly clean. Each time she emerged from the water, she was like a pearl wiped free of dust, gleaming with renewed brilliance.

Jiang Yan sat motionless like a meditating monk, shivering even wrapped in two layers of clothing. Tan Qianyue touched her cheek and felt it trembling.

“We can’t light a fire here. What do we do?” she fretted, scratching her head in panic.

Jiang Yan was in no mood for conversation with the Eldest Miss. She simply buried her chin deeper into her padded coat, revealing only half her face.

Exhausted from a day’s labor and now freezing through the night, she was beginning to regret jumping into the river.

Seeing her silence, Tan Qianyue assumed she was frostbitten. With no hot water or fire, how could she warm up her perpetually icy body?

Jiang Yan hunched over, clutching herself, when suddenly her clothes were yanked open. A warm body pressed against hers, soft hands unfastening her chest wrap.

Tan Qianyue leaned closer, straddling her, her slender legs hooking around Jiang Yan’s waist.

Jiang Yan stared in stunned disbelief. What is she doing?

Then she felt two warm jade-like surfaces pressing against her, their smooth, heated skin clinging tightly to her icy body. Unlike the bulky padded coat, this direct contact transferred warmth directly to her.

“I’ll hold you for a while, and you won’t be cold anymore,” Tan Qianyue said through gritted teeth, her warm upper body pressed tightly against Jiang Yan’s. “Next time you pull a stunt like this, I’ll break your legs!”