The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 8

Tan Qianyue had no choice. Whether the Harmony Powder was Jiang Yan’s doing or not, she needed to neutralize it first.

She feigned composure, speaking of the matter as if it were commonplace, while her fingers clenched her sleeves beneath the table. Her expression brooked no argument as she awaited Jiang Yan’s reply.

“Serve you tonight? Do you mean… what I think you mean?” Jiang Yan asked cautiously, glancing up.

“What? You’re not willing?” The Eldest Miss’s tone turned two degrees colder.

“Well… I don’t think there’s any rush. Shouldn’t we get to know each other better first?” Though the Eldest Miss was undeniably beautiful, Jiang Yan felt that such intimacy would be more meaningful with genuine affection.

“I can’t wait!” Tan Qianyue’s patience snapped.

“So urgent?” Jiang Yan was taken aback.

“Yes, I’m very urgent. If you refuse, I’ll find someone else.” Tan Qianyue’s patience had reached its limit after Jiang Yan’s repeated evasions.

“Ah? Is it really necessary?” Jiang Yan asked earnestly again, though… well… any further hesitation would make her seem inhuman.

“Yes, it’s absolutely necessary!” Tan Qianyue closed her eyes tightly, her voice soft and tinged with vulnerability.

At this point, she couldn’t tell if Jiang Yan was truly innocent or merely putting on an act.

“Very well,” Jiang Yan replied firmly, as if she had made a momentous decision. “Tomorrow, I will go upstairs to serve you.”

Tan Qianyue’s eyes flew open, startled, her cheeks flushing slightly.

The next day, Jiang Yan woke up brimming with excitement. Like a peacock preening its feathers, she tried on several outfits, comparing them to decide which looked best.

Finally, she chose a snow-blue, double-breasted ru-yi blouse with auspicious floral patterns, paired with a dark red pleated skirt embroidered with flowering branches. A gray-blue brocade sash cinched her waist, accentuating her slender figure. She even added a mutton-fat jade pendant to give her an air of refined elegance amidst her natural boldness.

Truth be told, her already striking features needed no further embellishment. She was simply too nervous, acting as if tonight were her wedding night. But in a way, it was no different. Last time, she had been unconscious and clumsy, a chaotic and far from normal state. She even suspected that the original host might have been driven out by that treacherous medicine.

Jiang Yan secured her long hair with a simple white jade hairpin, artfully arranging the crown into a voluminous, slightly elevated style. Wisps of hair framed her forehead, subtly enhancing her already stunning features without making it obvious she had put in any effort.

She considered whether to engineer a chance encounter with the Eldest Miss. “Sharpening your spear at the last minute might not make it sharp, but it’ll shine,” she thought. A brief cultivation of intimacy could enhance their interactions later that night.

But her hopes were dashed; the Eldest Miss had no intention of fostering closeness and left the manor early that morning.

Busy with recent affairs, she hadn’t inspected her shops in ages. Her mother, consumed by her political ambitions, had never cared about the manor’s finances. Her own salary went entirely to social expenses, and she often had to draw funds from the manor’s reserves.

Before her death, Madam Tan had foreseen her husband’s incompetence and decisively divided the family assets. The accumulated land, which formed the manor’s estate, was designated to cover all household expenses. The yield remained fixed, dependent solely on the whims of nature.

Her dozen or so shops, however, were entrusted to her daughter, Tan Qianyue. Since Qianyue was five years old, Madam Tan had personally mentored her, ensuring she effortlessly managed these businesses through constant exposure and guidance.

All profits from the shops were earmarked as Qianyue’s dowry, beyond the Tan Manor’s jurisdiction. To safeguard this arrangement, Madam Tan had even enlisted the protection of the Noble Consort.

While a dozen shops might seem insignificant compared to a true merchant’s holdings, Qianyue’s were prime locations, each generating three times the average revenue.

Because the quantities were small, she avoided arousing jealousy among other officials, making it a lucrative business she could secretly profit from.

Initially, Tan Qianyue would gift her concubine mother with jewelry. The concubine accepted everything but rarely wore any of it, sticking to a plain gold hairpin year-round and seldom even wearing pearls. This made Tan Qianyue, the legitimate daughter, appear petty and stingy.

After two such incidents, Tan Qianyue stopped giving the pair anything. Though outsiders called her a “painted tiger,” no one dared gossip about her to her face.

Later, when the concubine once again used her plainness to highlight Tan Qianyue’s extravagance, Tan Qianyue seized the opportunity. She gathered a pile of gaudy, cheap fabrics and gilded jewelry and had her mother present them to the concubine. The concubine had no choice but to accept them with a forced smile.

Her mother, preoccupied with official duties, never realized that all the gifts combined weren’t even worth one piece of Tan Qianyue’s jewelry.

Through several rounds of covert maneuvering, Tan Qianyue finally convinced her mother that the concubine was simply naturally plain and disliked gaudy gold and silver. Tan Xue’er, influenced by her mother, deliberately avoided whatever was fashionable.

Sometimes, Tan Qianyue truly couldn’t understand what the concubine was after. Of course, everything she owned had been left to her by her late mother, and even her mother couldn’t expect her to subsidize the concubine and her sister for nothing.

Xiao Concubine was a truly fascinating figure. She had been an orphaned girl rescued by Tan Qianyue’s mother during her tenure as an official. After that, she remained by her side as a loyal maidservant, diligent and respectful, always showing proper deference to Madam Tan. For two years, Tan Qianyue’s mother couldn’t accompany Madam Tan to her new post in Lingnan, so Xiao Concubine continued to serve her there.

Later, it was said that Madam Tan had once been on the brink of death in Lingnan, and only Xiao Concubine’s tireless care had saved her life. When Tan Qianyue’s mother still couldn’t conceive, the old matriarch decreed that Xiao Concubine be elevated to the status of concubine. Madam Tan, mindful of her contributions, couldn’t object.

Yet, contrary to expectations, Tan Qianyue’s mother gave birth to her that very year, while Xiao Concubine, to avoid suspicion, waited three years before bearing Tan Xue’er. Anyone who knew this story praised Xiao Concubine’s loyalty and righteousness.

Tan Qianyue, a child long-awaited, was naturally spoiled and pampered. Her willful nature was plain to see, and with the Noble Consort as her backing, she continued to act as she pleased even after Madam Tan’s departure.

Xiao Concubine never restrained Tan Qianyue’s spoiled and domineering behavior, often praising her for her capabilities instead.

But Tan Qianyue, who had been helping her mother manage the family’s estates since she was five, was hardly truly domineering. She only acted that way in front of Xiao Concubine.

There’s no chance of corrupting her.

After collecting debts with Ying Hong, Tan Qianyue noticed it was time for dinner, but she didn’t want to return home. Despite her firm words yesterday, accepting a stranger she’d only known for five days was proving difficult, let alone the thought of spending the next thirty days in intimate contact. The mere thought made her feel utterly hopeless.

“Let’s dine at Fortune Inn,” Tan Qianyue suggested, calculating the timing. “Summon all the managers and tell them it’s the owner’s treat.” She figured they’d be back at the manor just before dark.

“This servant will see to it immediately,” Ying Hong replied, summoning the nearest manager to relay the message. She then returned to Tan Qianyue’s side to order the dishes at Fortune Inn.

“Don’t hold back, everyone,” Tan Qianyue said, raising her cup of water in place of wine to toast the dozen or so managers. “Eat your fill. And when you leave, take two good dishes home for your families. Have the innkeeper put it on my tab.”

“What a treat! Thank you for the generous meal, Owner. We’ll certainly serve you with utmost loyalty,” one quick-witted manager chimed in, already currying favor with their boss.

The atmosphere at the table was lively but not rowdy. When it came to managing her businesses, Tan Qianyue either didn’t act at all or acted ruthlessly. She had long since secured these establishments firmly in her grasp, leaving no room for anyone to interfere.

The appointed hour had arrived. No matter how much Tan Qianyue tried to avoid it, she couldn’t escape. She tidied herself up and took the carriage back to her residence.

Jiang Yan, having spent the entire day showing off like a peacock, finally stripped off her clothes, undid her hair, and plunged into the pool to stew in silent frustration. She couldn’t even pinpoint what was bothering her.

It was the Eldest Miss who had insisted on being intimate, yet Jiang Yan felt like an ant on a hot pan, left dangling all day.

After her bath, she threw caution to the wind, slipping into a pure white cross-collared robe. She let her long hair dry naturally, draping straight down her back. When the sky darkened, she burrowed under her covers, leaving the front and back windows open to let the draft clear her head.

Back at her residence, Tan Qianyue soaked in the pool. Today had passed without incident, almost making her forget about the rare poison coursing through her veins.

After another hour and a half, she completed her bathing and perfuming ritual, even styling her hair into a cloud-like bun. She applied fragrant hair oil and secured the updo with a few simple jade hairpins, forgoing any other adornments. Dressed in a thin silk nightgown the color of lotus leaves, Tan Qianyue exuded a gentle, dignified aura that made her seem more approachable than she had during the day.

She wasn’t doing this specifically for Jiang Yan; she simply refused to treat herself carelessly.

Just as she had on their wedding night, she sat on the edge of the bed, waiting. But that damned Jiang Yan remained utterly silent.

Tan Qianyue gritted her teeth and rose to find him downstairs. How dare this useless, pleasure-seeking, commoner who had married into her family treat her with such disregard? It was utterly outrageous.

If he refused, she would make him.

The Eldest Miss draped a beige cloak over her shoulders and left her embroidered chamber, heading toward Jiang Yan’s side room.

Hearing the knock, Jiang Yan feigned deafness and made no response.

Tan Qianyue pushed the door open, moonlight illuminating her way. The cold wind from the windows on either side billowed her cloak.

“Jiang Yan? Jiang Yan? Are you asleep?” Despite her simmering anger, Tan Qianyue couldn’t bring herself to vent her frustration on anyone over this matter.

Even opening her mouth to speak felt like pushing herself to the limit.

“Asleep!” Jiang Yan’s muffled voice came from beneath the covers.

“Have you forgotten what I told you yesterday?” Tan Qianyue stood by the bed, her gaze filled with resentment.

If there were any other way, she wouldn’t be begging him like this.

“Get up!” Tan Qianyue’s voice carried an unmistakable command.

Jiang Yan emerged from the covers, his long, ink-black hair cascading around him like a silken waterfall, thick and lustrous as it draped over his shoulders.

“What are your orders, Eldest Miss?” Jiang Yan asked lazily, lounging on the bed.

“You know perfectly well. Come upstairs with me,” Tan Qianyue said, turning to leave. She couldn’t bring herself to say another word.

Jiang Yan forcefully brushed her long hair away from her eyes, but the silky strands immediately slipped back into place. She reluctantly got up, put on her shoes, and obediently went to the second floor.

In the spacious room upstairs, two lampstands cast a dim, yellowish glow around the canopy bed. The curtains were drawn, revealing Tan Qianyue’s silhouette huddled beneath the covers.

Jiang Yan floated toward the bed like a ghost, clad in white robes, her long black hair cascading down, her large eyes wide, and her lips rosy and delicate.

Hearing the door close, Tan Qianyue slowly opened her eyes, meeting Jiang Yan’s gaze as she approached the bed.

Jiang Yan forced a smile.

Tan Qianyue’s expression remained solemn.

It wasn’t yet time for her heat cycle, and Tan Qianyue couldn’t feign it. As Jiang Yan drew closer, she nearly bolted, but reason told her she couldn’t delay any longer. This matter needed to be resolved swiftly to restore normalcy as soon as possible.

Better not let her find out who’s behind this, Tan Qianyue thought. Otherwise, they’ll pay dearly.

Tan Qianyue was seething with resentment, but she couldn’t afford to dwell on it now.

Seeing Jiang Yan looking so pure, clean, and beautifully radiant, Tan Qianyue’s anger subsided slightly.

Under the lamplight, Tan Qianyue gazed at Jiang Yan, determined not to show her nervousness.

Jiang Yan smirked. “Miss, I’m here to serve you.”

“Stop talking and hurry up,” Tan Qianyue snapped, unable to bear Jiang Yan’s intense stare. Her heart raced, and she found herself breathing heavily, unsure how to react.

Her marriage had been delayed by the County Princess. Though twenty was considered a woman’s prime, she still found herself drawn to Jiang Yan’s youthful, vibrant looks.

This face would certainly rank among the most handsome in Qianyuan Lane, she thought. But the moment she recalled Jiang Yan’s dissolute lifestyle, her interest withered like a wilted vegetable, leaving her feeling slightly nauseated.

The woman who had clung to Jiang Yan’s sleeve that day clearly wasn’t a first-timer. Tan Qianyue didn’t expect any deep affection between them, only that Jiang Yan would remain clean until she discarded her.

Jiang Yan remained oblivious to the Eldest Miss’s growing desire to “seduce and abandon” her.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Didn’t you call me here, Miss?” Jiang Yan felt uneasy, touching her face as if to check for something amiss.

Yet her gaze kept drifting back to Tan Qianyue, drawn to the elegant green of her robes—a color she particularly loved.

But Tan Qianyue’s expression showed no hint of intimacy. Her face was tense, like a virtuous woman ready to resist at any moment.