The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 5

Tan Qianyue subtly shifted her body away, casting a sidelong glance at Jiang Yan’s fingers playing at her waist. She wanted to chop them off.

“We’re doing very well, Sister. You’re worrying unnecessarily,” she replied magnanimously to Tan Xue’er’s probing, temporarily setting aside Jiang Yan’s offense.

“Sister, you don’t need to put on a brave face to comfort me. I know about your long-standing affection for our County Princess. It’s understandable that you can’t let go so easily,” Tan Xue’er said, clearly trying to disgust Tan Qianyue. If she truly couldn’t let go, it would give Tan Xue’er a great laugh.

“So what if I can’t let go? Can you switch places with me? Though if you’re sincere, I’d be willing,” Tan Qianyue retorted, her words immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

If Tan Xue’er wanted to disgust her, then she would make Sima Jing constantly covet what she had while yearning for what she couldn’t have. Let’s see who gets disgusted first.

As expected, Sima Jing wavered instantly, her composed face betraying hesitation. Tan Xue’er hadn’t anticipated Tan Qianyue’s directness in front of everyone. Caught off guard, she could only force an awkward smile. But when she saw the eager expression on Sima Jing’s face, her mood soured.

Jiang Yan released the jade pendant she had been stroking and tightened her grip around Tan Qianyue’s waist. This woman truly has no human rights!

“Qianyue, don’t talk nonsense,” the Prime Minister said, waving his hand dismissively. “You young people go take a stroll in the garden. Come back when the banquet begins. Our Prime Minister’s Residence is celebrating two joyous occasions today, so the County Princess must join me for a few extra cups later.” Dressed in a dark red robe embroidered with golden patterns, he ushered everyone toward the garden. The children were too noisy, and he couldn’t be bothered to watch them bicker and pull each other’s hair.

“Then I’ll accompany my sister!” Tan Xue’er declared, strutting like a victorious peacock, never missing an opportunity to flaunt her superiority.

Jiang Yan trailed behind the group, her mind wandering. She still needed time to adjust to this new reality; she wasn’t yet callous enough to disregard everything.

Tan Xue’er wore a pair of new mutton-fat jade bracelets. At every flower or plant she passed, she would lift her sleeve to pluck a stem or two, then coo sweetly, “Sister Jing, I love that peony, but I’m too afraid to go near it.”

Tan Qianyue’s teeth ached with bitterness as she glared at the pair ahead. Her half-sister had always pretended to be demure and obedient, but behind the facade, she was fiercely competitive, constantly striving to outdo others.

Tan Qianyue wouldn’t compromise her own comfort just because Tan Xue’er cared. Madam Lin had given birth to Tan Qianyue only after Xiao Concubine entered the household, making the two sisters just three years apart. But Madam Lin passed away early, leaving Tan Qianyue motherless before she turned ten, with only her mother’s jewelry to keep her company.

From a young age, Tan Xue’er had learned to exploit Tan Qianyue’s vulnerabilities, often flaunting Xiao Concubine’s favoritism toward her, knowing her eldest sister lacked such affection.

Just as she had silently usurped Tan Qianyue’s place in Sima Jing’s heart, successfully stealing her away.

Perhaps life had been too smooth and comfortable lately, Tan Qianyue thought, noticing Tan Xue’er seemed less adept at concealing her true feelings than before.

Tired of watching the two posturing figures, Tan Qianyue turned to find Jiang Yan staring blankly in the direction of her half-sister. Could she actually care about Tan Xue’er?

Tan Qianyue shot Jiang Yan a curious glance, which the latter immediately noticed, their eyes meeting.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Do you want a flower too?” The two ahead were picking blossoms, a popular adornment for women in the city, now playfully tucking them into each other’s hair.

“Who would want to learn from her?” The Eldest Miss shot Tan Qianyue a disdainful glance. None of the three people in the garden pleased her.

“Qianyue, which flower do you like? I can pick it for you,” Sima Jing said, turning to Tan Qianyue with a smile.

“I don’t wear such gaudy things, thank you,” Tan Qianyue replied, refusing to give the pair any courtesy. If her mother hadn’t insisted on the family dining together, she wouldn’t have bothered watching them. Do they really think I’ve forgotten everything?

“County Princess, my sister didn’t mean to spoil the mood. Please don’t be angry with her. Eldest Sister has always loved gold and jade, unlike me, who only cares for elegant, useless things,” Tan Xue’er said softly, her eyes gentle as she linked her arm with Sima Jing’s.

“It’s fine. I know her temperament,” Sima Jing replied, lowering her gaze with a hint of disappointment. It seemed she and Qianyue were no longer friends.

Jiang Yan had always believed that Tan Xue’er’s manipulative behavior was obvious to anyone with eyes. She was surprised to see someone actually falling for it.

“Hmph, even if you like gold and jade, they might not like you,” Tan Qianyue sneered, her crimson-lacquered fingers casually plucking two petals and crushing them.

The red flower juice stained her jade-white fingertips, gleaming luxuriously in the sunlight.

Before Tan Xue’er could speak, Jiang Yan stepped in front of Tan Qianyue, pulled out a fresh handkerchief, and gently took her hand to wipe the red juice from her fingertips.

“It’s nearly time for dinner,” Jiang Yan said, continuing to wipe her fingers. “Let’s go eat.”

Tan Qianyue’s gaze shifted from her fingertips to Jiang Yan’s face. Her long lashes veiled her deep, clear eyes, and the bridge of her nose glowed like translucent jade, its delicate contours alluringly soft.

“Alright,” she nodded softly.

She glanced at Sima Jing across the table, not with lingering affection, but with appraisal. The County Princess would be twenty-five this year. Comparing her to the seventeen-year-old beside her, Tan Qianyue suddenly felt a sense of detachment.

During the meal, the Prime Minister was unusually warm, his recent closeness with the Prince making him visibly amiable toward the County Princess.

Jiang Yan received no such treatment. To the Prime Minister, she was merely an afterthought, occasionally summoned to pour wine for the County Princess and him under the guise of “family.”

If they’re going to treat me like a servant at every meal, she thought, I might as well dine alone in my own quarters.

Just as the Prime Minister called for Jiang Yan again, Tan Qianyue finally snapped. Even when beating a dog, one must respect its master!

“Mother, I have a slight headache. I’d like Jiang Yan to escort me back first. Please enjoy your meal.” Tan Qianyue swayed slightly as she stood up and beckoned to Jiang Yan.

Hearing this, Jiang Yan quickly returned to Tan Qianyue’s side to support her.

“Then I’ll accompany my wife to rest. Mother and the County Princess, please continue enjoying your meal.”

“Should I have a servant fetch a physician?” Madam Tan asked.

“No need. A good night’s sleep will do the trick.”

“Alright, then go ahead.”

Jiang Yan smiled apologetically as she and Tan Qianyue slipped away.

Tan Qianyue had been feeling unwell since morning, making this a convenient excuse.

“I’ll have Ying Hong bring you some food later,” the Eldest Miss said, noticing Jiang Yan hadn’t eaten much. A sudden wave of sympathy washed over her.

“Thank you so much!” Today’s family banquet had completely soured Jiang Yan’s appetite.

Without another word, the two retreated to their respective rooms for some peace and quiet. Seeing that the Eldest Miss seemed to be in good spirits, Jiang Yan wisely refrained from following her further.

Back in her storage room, Jiang Yan carefully closed the doors and windows.

Mentally activating the command “Open,” a shimmering holographic screen materialized before her. She meticulously checked the number of intruders: still zero.

At the bottom of the screen, the familiar icons remained unchanged, showing no signs of activity.

Knock, knock, knock! Ying Hong arrived with lunch.

Jiang Yan suddenly had a risky idea. Since this thing had followed her here, it couldn’t be useless. Why not let the “locals” try to interact with it?

Even though the large, colorful screen was right in front of her, Jiang Yan could sense that the device was actually inside her mind, not a floating screen projected through the air.

So outsiders shouldn’t… be able to see it!

“Miss Jiang, my master ordered me to bring you lunch,” Ying Hong said, setting down the meal and leaving briskly.

As Ying Hong came and went, Jiang Yan kept an eye on the livestream. The viewer count in the upper right corner finally flickered to life, a solitary “1” standing alone before dropping back to zero.

But the chat box had finally come alive.

“Welcome to the Time-Space Recorder. You are this Robot’s tenth and final Master,” two lines of bright yellow text appeared on the screen.

“The System can still answer sixty-six questions. Please speak cautiously,” another line of glowing yellow text added.

“Oh, what’s this? Is it a defective model?” Jiang Yan groaned, feeling overwhelmed.

“This Robot is nearing the completion of its mission and is not a ‘defective model’ as you claim. You have sixty-five questions remaining. Please speak cautiously.”

“Does this count as one?” Jiang Yan immediately covered her mouth, her eyes darting warily at the large screen.

“Then I’ll ask my first question: What’s your purpose? What can you give me? What do I need to do? What happens after you complete your mission? If you malfunction, will it affect me?” Jiang Yan fired off a barrage of questions, throwing out every concern that came to mind.

Lines of text scrolled across the screen:

“1. This Robot’s purpose is to record life, record truth, record emotions, serve as the eyes of Blue Star citizens, and alleviate their fatigue.”

Jiang Yan glanced at the screen, thinking she might as well have it do live streams. It was second nature to her anyway.

“2. 3. You must showcase the clothing, food, housing, and transportation here. When the viewership reaches 100, the reward mechanism will activate, allowing viewers to exchange Gold Coins for gifts.”

“4. 5. After this Robot successfully completes its mission, it will be destroyed. There are still 100 years remaining until mission completion. We hope Master can live to 120 years old, so this Robot can be destroyed alongside you. In your words, it would be called ‘finishing what you started.'”

“Heh, you dream bigger than I do. I wish you success!” Jiang Yan chuckled wryly at the screen.

“This Robot has never experienced a malfunction mid-operation. All nine previous Masters lived to their natural ends. Even in cases of accidental death, this Robot bears no responsibility.”

“Master, you have sixty-four questions remaining. Please speak cautiously.”

“Then… what rewards can I exchange Gold Coins for? What happens when I use up all my questions?”

“Your rewards will be drawn from the accumulated inventory of previous Masters. The exact contents are unpredictable.”

“What? It’s a blind box?” Jiang Yan’s eyes widened in surprise.

Well, something’s better than nothing, she thought, her spirits lifting at the prospect of a potential surprise.

“Once all questions are exhausted, you will be unable to summon this Robot again. You have sixty-three questions remaining. Please speak cautiously.”

“Alright, I understand. Goodbye!” Jiang Yan waved cheerfully at the screen.

“Goodbye, Master. May all go well with you.” The text disappeared, and the screen reverted to its original state.

Livestreaming? That’s my old game. Easy to get back into.

But there was a problem: her streams seemed to have no viewers. Only “locals” like Ying Hong could activate the screen.

Does that mean I have to start a stream every time I see someone?

These thoughts cycled through her mind all afternoon. As dusk approached, she grabbed her water bucket and headed to the neighboring pool.

Pushing open the door, she found the room shrouded in mist, with the faint sound of water echoing within.