The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 33

Jiang Yan had a padded jacket draped over her legs and another wrapped around her body. Tan Qianyue clung to her like a living hot pack, her freshly washed, long hair cascading down in a waterfall, still carrying a faint fragrance.

Qianyue unbuttoned her jacket, removed the chest covering, and pressed herself against Jiang Yan without any barrier. Jiang Yan was so stunned she couldn’t speak, only pulling the oversized padded jacket to envelop them both.

Feeling this wasn’t enough, Jiang Yan squeezed Qianyue tighter. The movement made Jiang Yan’s mind reel, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Qianyue’s lower back, the two women pressed tightly together within the jacket.

“Don’t ever do something like this again,” Jiang Yan warned, her tone devoid of any tenderness despite the intimate embrace. “Or I’ll break your legs.”

“Mhm, mhm, mhm! I’ll never do it again!” Jiang Yan rested her chin on Qianyue’s shoulder, secretly tightening her hold.

Qianyue, nearly breathless from the embrace, shifted uncomfortably. Jiang Yan’s fingers tightened on her waist, pinching her side with more force.

“You’re holding me too tight! I can barely breathe!” After a long moment, Tan Qianyue couldn’t take it anymore. If I’m already exhausted, where did you get this strength from? It feels like you’re trying to snap my waist in half!

Jiang Yan brushed aside her loose hair and whispered seductively in her ear, “Just adjust your position a little.”

Her low voice, like an electric current, traveled from Tan Qianyue’s ear straight to her heart.

“What’s there to adjust? Aren’t you cold? Moving around will let the draft in,” Tan Qianyue said, confused.

“I am cold, which is why I want you to move. There’s no draft inside the tent,” Jiang Yan replied, her tone surprisingly serious.

“Really?” Tan Qianyue asked, half-believing.

Obediently, she gently swayed her hips twice. Jiang Yan’s slender fingers sank another half-inch into her skin.

A strange sensation surged from below, and Tan Qianyue finally understood why this scoundrel had asked her to move.

“You… you’re awake again, aren’t you?” She pounded her back with a small, pink fist.

“Don’t blame me! You came here yourself. I’m not made of wood, you know,” Jiang Yan retorted, spouting a string of excuses.

“Now that you’ve recovered, let go of me,” Tan Qianyue said, sitting in Jiang Yan’s lap with her robe open. She felt a little embarrassed, her thin cotton undergarment still lying discarded nearby.

“Why didn’t you think about Ying Hong seeing us when you boldly approached me?” Jiang Yan refused to release her, her hand sliding from Tan Qianyue’s lower back to her front. Tan Qianyue’s brow furrowed, and she bit her lip. She tried to pull away, desperate to escape Jiang Yan’s grasp.

Just as the atmosphere grew heated, they heard footsteps outside. Jiang Yan quickly closed Tan Qianyue’s robe and fastened two buttons on her own padded jacket.

Tan Qianyue, slightly breathless, went to open the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Miss!” Ying Hong’s voice called from outside. About half an hour had passed since she left.

Tan Qianyue hastily tied her robe sash, her long hair still loose, and opened the door.

Jiang Yan casually hid Tan Qianyue’s undergarment.

“Miss, Mistress Jiang’s clothes are dry and ready to wear. Sang Yu said the ginger soup is ready and asked me to bring it over,” Ying Hong said before whirling away like a small whirlwind.

Jiang Yan lowered her gaze slightly, grabbed Tan Qianyue by the waist, and pressed a deep kiss onto her lips.

“Mmm… uhn…!” Tan Qianyue gasped, startled by the suddenness of the kiss.

The forceful embrace pressed Tan Qianyue, who was kneeling on the grass mat, further downward, arching her back into a graceful curve as her long hair cascaded across the ground.

Jiang Yan held her waist, preventing her from collapsing, yet took advantage of her weakened state to tease her relentlessly.

Soon, footsteps approached from outside the tent. Tan Qianyue grew frantic, twisting her body in protest.

Jiang Yan only released her after leaving a few lingering marks on her collarbone.

“Miss! Miss!” Ying Hong’s voice called from outside the tent.

“Mm, coming!” Tan Qianyue replied, composing herself before opening the flap.

She accepted the ginger soup from Ying Hong and turned to glare at Jiang Yan with bitter resentment, silently cursing her a hundred times over.

“Drink it quickly!” Tan Qianyue snapped, her eyes burning daggers.

“Feed me,” Jiang Yan purred, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “I don’t want to reach out. It’s cold!”

Tan Qianyue held her breath, her eyes narrowing slightly as she approached Jiang Yan. She pinched Jiang Yan’s chin, preparing to force-feed her the ginger soup.

“Be gentle!” Jiang Yan chuckled, amused by Tan Qianyue’s fierce, lion cub-like demeanor.

In the next moment, the bowl of ginger soup was pressed against Jiang Yan’s lips, the warm, spicy liquid pouring into her mouth. Jiang Yan quickly opened her mouth to cooperate, realizing the Eldest Miss was serious about force-feeding her.

“Miss Jiang, it’s Sang Yu,” a voice called from outside the tent.

“Sister Yu, what is it?” Jiang Yan asked without opening the door.

“I’ve brought you some hot soup,” Sang Yu whispered, pressing close to the tent.

Jiang Yan opened the tent flap, positioning herself to block the view of the others inside. Tan Qianyue quickly placed the Crystal Stone back into its light-blocking black pouch.

“Miss Jiang, we’ve stewed some fish soup. We’re so grateful for your help tonight, so we specially ladled this bowl for you. Please take it.” A bowl overflowing with fish meat was handed through the opening.

Jiang Yan swiftly accepted the large bowl and turned to offer it to Tan Qianyue.

“Thank you all for your thoughtfulness. What a treat this evening!” Jiang Yan accepted the gift with genuine delight.

“Then I’ll be going now. Enjoy your meal,” Sang Yu said before departing.

Jiang Yan, drawn in by the rich aroma of the fish soup, called Tan Qianyue over to grab the steamed buns. Though it was late, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep on an empty stomach.

After securing the tent flap, she lit a Crystal Stone for illumination and retrieved the wooden chopsticks. They divided the buns and prepared to eat.

“Eat slowly, everyone. Watch out for bones,” Jiang Yan cautioned, eyeing the pink, atmospheric “little lamp.” The glow always reminded her of certain mysterious, unspeakable professions. Everything else was fine, though the soup’s red and white swirls created an indescribable color.

But it didn’t matter—she was hungry.

Sang Yu had picked out two large fish with thick, tender meat and few fine bones.

The three women ate in silence, focused solely on their meal.

“What’s this? I’ve never had it before,” Tan Qianyue asked, intrigued by the fried chicken pieces. They were fragrant and delicious.

“It’s the chicken cakes they made for Lord Miao. If you like them, I’ll learn to make them for you later,” Jiang Yan replied, chewing on a bun.

“They’re like fried food. The cooks here really know their stuff,” Tan Qianyue thought, marveling at the luxury of eating such delicacies on the road.

Jiang Yan smiled but didn’t respond.

The perfectly cooked fish, seasoned with ginger slices, was tender and flavorful, leaving all three women thoroughly satisfied. When Ying Hong returned the empty bowl to Sang Yu, she also asked for hot water to refill their water pouch.

Back in the tent, Jiang Yan retrieved three wooden cups, shaped like small ladles with handles. She had carved them during her rest periods using a knife she had traded for—a blade that cut through iron like mud, making woodworking effortless. This had ignited Jiang Yan’s passion for crafting kitchenware, though she had to keep her activities discreet.

She arranged the wooden cups on the grass mat, dropped three large red dates into each, and filled them with hot water. She lifted a cup to her nose and inhaled deeply. Ah, the aroma of hot water mingling with wood.

The three women quietly sipped their drinks. After their satisfying meal, this “tea” made their harsh exile suddenly feel a little less bleak.

“We still have plenty of hawthorns,” Jiang Yan said, grinning sheepishly after having just irritated Tan Qianyue. “I’ll make hawthorn preserves for you in a couple of days, Wife.”

Tan Qianyue raised her head and stared at her silently.

“What are preserves?” she finally asked.

“Hawthorn preserves, of course! They’re sweet and sour, and if you freeze them overnight, the syrup becomes incredibly delicious,” Jiang Yan began painting a rosy picture.

Tan Qianyue smiled faintly but remained silent. In a time when even drinking water required caution, could they really afford to hope for anything more?

After finishing her “tea,” Ying Hong discreetly slipped away. The lovey-dovey atmosphere next door left her nowhere to hide. She had endured enough of this hellish existence—she needed to find someone to marry too!

One end of the curtain was tied to the tent’s side wall, ensuring it wouldn’t accidentally open. Jiang Yan changed into her inner robe and a black outer robe, and the two women draped their padded jackets over their legs and bodies. As the weather turned colder, it was best not to sleep directly in thick clothes; otherwise, the next day’s north wind would penetrate the cotton padding, making you doubt you were even wearing more than a single layer.

With the tent, sleeping was truly comfortable. The space remained warm, yet they could still hear the howling wind outside, creating an eerie sense of peace.

Lacking a pillow, Tan Qianyue grabbed Jiang Yan’s arm and lay down comfortably with her back to her. Suddenly remembering Jiang Yan’s sore arm from earlier, she quickly lifted her head and gently returned the arm to its place.

Exhausted, Jiang Yan fell asleep almost immediately. Tan Qianyue secretly turned around and nestled her head against Jiang Yan’s chest, drifting off to sleep.

Not far away, Su He sat awkwardly in Lord Miao’s carriage. The medium-sized carriage contained only essential items and a single quilt, leaving little room after the addition of two adults and a child.

An oil lamp hung quietly to one side, its flickering flame illuminating the cramped space.

Afei, feeling slightly unwell, had been coaxed to sleep. Miao Fengqing entered, bringing with him a gust of cold air.

“Since my younger sister is asleep, I’ll take my leave now,” Su He said, lowering her head and preparing to dismount without even glancing at Miao Fengqing.

In her panic, Su He accidentally bumped into Lord Miao.

“Am I a tiger? Why are you so terrified?” Miao Fengqing blocked the exit, standing motionless. “Besides, if you leave, who will soothe this little one when she wakes up in the middle of the night?”

Su He nervously clutched her sleeve, still refusing to meet her gaze.

Unexpectedly, Lord Miao reached out and pushed her toward the bed. Su He lost her balance and fell back onto the mattress.

Her first instinct was to glance back at Afei, relieved that there was enough distance to avoid crushing her.

“Are you crazy?” Su He glared up at Miao Fengqing, muttering under her breath.

“Heh, finally dropping the act? Showing your claws now?” Miao Fengqing reached for her hand.

Su He jerked her hand away, refusing to let her touch it.

As Miao Fengqing persisted in trying to take her hand, Su He slapped the back of her hand with her other hand. Her pure eyes, now tinged with displeasure, regarded Miao Fengqing with a stubborn, lily-like beauty—fragile yet defiant.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s too cold to sleep outside tonight,” Lord Miao said, her usually cold expression now softened by a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

“It’s improper for me to stay here,” Su He insisted, still trying to rise.

But Miao Fengqing wrapped both arms around her, trapping her between them. She leaned closer, her breath ghosting over Su He’s neck and shoulder, paralyzing her with fear.

“Does it violate propriety? Miss Su, you’ve hardly been one to adhere to propriety, have you? Would squeezing together with your brother back home be considered proper?” Miao Fengqing’s clear, cold eyes fixed intently on Su He under the lamplight.

She leaned closer, leaving Su He nowhere to retreat. Behind her lay the child, just drifting off to sleep.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Get out of my way! I need to go back,” Su He said, pushing Miao Fengqing away with small, restrained movements, only to have her wrist seized in a firm grip.

“If you leave, and that little one wakes up in the middle of the night, I won’t lift a finger,” Miao Fengqing declared, refusing to release her.

After all this time, Su He had been treating her like air. Miao Fengqing had finally had enough.

“You won’t let me go? Fine, I’ll stay.” Su He yanked her hand free, kicked off her shoes, and lay down beside the child. She pulled the child into her arms, closed her eyes, and fell silent.

Miao Fengqing felt like a villain forcing an innocent woman into prostitution. But after a month of polite advances yielding no progress—and even a hint of growing distance—how could she possibly maintain her courtesy?

Miao Fengqing blew out the lamp and squeezed in behind Su He. Sensing her closeness, Su He’s eyes snapped open. She’d expected Miao Fengqing to move to Afei’s other side—what shamelessness!

The familiar yet foreign scent of plum blossoms, cool and crisp, filled the air. This time, Su He couldn’t possibly fall asleep.

Lord Miao, having squeezed behind Su He, settled down contentedly. Ignoring the cramped space, he pressed himself against the edge of the wooden bed, unconcerned that even the slightest movement might send him tumbling off.

After a while, Su He, showing a rare moment of compassion, shifted the child inward, finally allowing the man to sleep without half his body hanging off the edge.

A bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a cold, white glow.

How long had passed? The north wind howled against the tent, jolting Tan Qianyue awake.

Then came something even more terrifying.

“Awoo! Awoo!”

“Awooo! Awooo-ooo…!” Eerie howls echoed from the distance, growing steadily closer. They sounded like wolves—and more than one.

Jiang Yan’s eyes snapped open. In an instant, she was on her feet, scanning the surroundings.

“Miss, Miss! What’s that noise?” Ying Hong’s voice trembled, on the verge of tears.

“It sounds like wolves,” Tan Qianyue said. Though she had never heard a wolf howl in person, books described it as a low, drawn-out cry, piercingly resonant and slightly mournful, sending shivers down one’s spine.

“Wolves? What do we do? Will they eat us?” Ying Hong curled into a ball, terrified.

“They’re even calling for their pack,” Jiang Yan said, not particularly worried. With over two hundred people and the officers armed with swords, what could a pack of wolves possibly do?

But the next moment, the tent was under attack.

A massive, vicious wolf lunged straight at their tent, only to be sent flying back by a single punch from Jiang Yan.

The wolves didn’t know how many people were inside; they only knew there was flesh to be had.

“Ahhh! What’s that?!”

Sounds erupted outside as well, as the wolves clawed and tore at the tent fabric.

Hearing the claws scratching against the canvas, Tan Qianyue froze in terror.

Jiang Yan rose to investigate. She wasn’t about to let her new home, barely a day old, be torn to shreds by wolves.

“Let the officers handle it! Don’t go out there!” Tan Qianyue grabbed Jiang Yan’s arm, refusing to let go.

Before she could finish speaking, an aggressive wolf slammed into the tent, its weight bending the canvas until something struck Tan Qianyue’s head.

“Ahhhhhh!” she screamed in terror, but she wasn’t the only one.

“They’re probably too busy to worry about us here,” Jiang Yan said, pulling out her iron wok from her luggage. She slammed the wok against the wolf through the tent fabric.

“Awoo! Awoo!” The vicious wolf howled as it fell from the tent’s peak.

One by one, the officers emerged with their swords drawn. Twenty to thirty wolves emitted low growls, their round eyes glowing with an eerie green light in the pitch-black night.

Seeing the officers emerge, the wolves lunged at them with frenzied ferocity. Their powerful jaws and swift attacks could easily overwhelm an adult human. The officers, terrified by the wolf pack, panicked and could only dodge and parry for the first few rounds before remembering to swing their swords.

More people poured out of the tents, and the timid ones began to scream, creating utter chaos.

Perhaps realizing the growing number of humans, the gray-black Wolf King, who led the pack, threw back its head and howled. The wolves slowly began to retreat.

They had finally realized that the humans were too numerous to handle and that retreat was their only option.

“Don’t chase them. Let them go,” Miao Fengqing said, watching the retreating wolves. While dealing with a few wounded ones was manageable, slaughtering a large number of wolves would likely draw the entire pack’s wrath. These creatures held grudges, and with a month’s journey still ahead through this wilderness, being hunted by them would be disastrous.

“Yes.”

The two sides faced off, the group wielding broadswords watching the wolf pack slowly retreat until they had all fled. Only then did they dare to breathe deeply.

Hearing the commotion, Jiang Yan emerged to assess the situation. Fortunately, there were more people than wolves; otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain.

She cautiously made her way to the edge of the group.

“Whimper.” Suddenly, her foot sank into something soft beneath the grass.

Thinking a wolf might be lurking in the dry grass, she froze in terror. But after a long moment, nothing emerged—only faint whimpering.

Intrigued, Jiang Yan mustered her courage and parted the grass by moonlight. There, she found a snow-white puppy, no bigger than two palms put together, curled up like a ball. Its leg appeared broken, dangling limply, and it trembled as it gazed up at her, whimpering softly.

Bending down, Jiang Yan gently picked up the puppy. The delicate leg was indeed broken, hanging lifelessly. The whimpering continued.

After a moment’s thought, she tucked the puppy into the hem of her robe and carried it away.

“Pack up! We’re moving camp!” Captain Wei announced, ordering everyone to dismantle their tents and continue onward.

Startled and frightened, everyone reluctantly began packing up their belongings to continue their journey.

No matter how unwilling they were, they dared not remain in the area attacked by wolves. They lit torches and hurriedly set to work.

Jiang Yan and her companions swiftly gathered their belongings and dressed. Jiang Yan neatly coiled her long hair into a single bun with a tree branch before dismantling the tent frame.

She tossed the White Puppy into the large inner pocket of her padded coat.

Tan Qianyue checked her bundle, ensuring nothing was missing, and stuffed everything back inside. Ying Hong rolled up the straw mats and secured them into a cylindrical shape with vines.

Jiang Yan carried the tent on her back and the frame in her hand, while Ying Hong hung the straw mats over her shoulder. Tan Qianyue carried her bundle. The group quickly prepared and blended into the middle of the caravan as they set off.

The moon’s faint light was insufficient for navigating the mountain paths at night. Torches were lit every twenty meters to barely prevent people from falling into pits.

“Wuwu, wuwu, wuwuwu,” a faint sound came from Jiang Yan’s coat.

Tan Qianyue turned to look at her.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Yan returned her gaze.

“What’s that sound?” Tan Qianyue asked, her senses on high alert.

“What sound? It’s just a puppy,” Jiang Yan replied, patting her pocket.

“A puppy? Where did you get a puppy?” Tan Qianyue asked, puzzled.

“Look!” Jiang Yan lifted the inner flap of her coat, revealing a fluffy white ball nestled in her pocket.

“What is that?” Tan Qianyue stared at Jiang Yan in disbelief.

“Creditor, I accidentally stepped on its leg earlier. It’s probably limping now,” Jiang Yan explained, leaning closer.

“Let me see it again,” Tan Qianyue said, reaching for Jiang Yan’s inner pocket.

“Wait, let’s talk about it when we get to the resting place,” Jiang Yan said, taking her hand and leading her forward through the pitch-black night.