Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 27

Yan Mingge taking a concubine?

Lin Chu’s eyebrows twisted into a frown. The original villain of the story was known for his unwavering self-discipline and sole focus on grand ambitions of empire-building.

In the years when he held power over the imperial court, countless ministers sent him stunning beauties to win his favor. Yet not once did Yan Mingge accept any of them. So what was going on today?

Shi Liu mistook her reaction for sadness and quickly tried to comfort her, “Sister-in-law, don’t be upset…”

Lin Chu cut him off.

“When did this happen?”

Caught off guard by Lin Chu’s calm demeanor, Shi Liu stammered,

“T-today…”

Lin Chu began to speculate. Could it be that the General of Yao City, impressed by Yan Mingge’s exceptional martial skills, wanted to win him over by offering him a beauty?

“Explain the situation in detail. What exactly happened?”

Lin Chu tucked the little bun, Han Junye, tightly in a blanket before stepping into the carriage with him.

Shi Liu, driving the carriage from outside, launched into the story with some irritation in his tone.

“It’s a bit of a mess. Fifth Brother got promoted today and was in high spirits, so he went to the teahouse near the south city gate. There, he saw the gate captain bullying the teahouse owner. Fifth Brother couldn’t stand it and beat the man black and blue. Who would’ve guessed that the guy turned out to be the nephew of the general of Yao City?”

Lin Chu was puzzled. “How did the teahouse owner get involved in this?”

Shi Liu explained, “The gate Captain said he was interested in a woman who’s close friends with the teahouse owner. He wanted to get information about her whereabouts through the owner. And, well… who knows what his taste is like, but I heard the woman he’s after is as dark as coal!”

Lin Chu: “!!!”

She suddenly had a sinking feeling that she knew who that “dark” woman might be.

Shi Liu continued, “When the general of Yao City heard about the incident, he figured that the fierce personality of that ‘dark woman’ might help keep his nephew in check. So, he had the idea of matchmaking them. But who would’ve thought Brother Yan would suddenly declare that the dark-skinned woman was his concubine!”

Lin Chu: “…”

She quickly pieced together the situation.

It seemed likely that Li Jianye, the south gate captain, sought revenge against her and implicated Madam Qin. Given his reputation as a scoundrel, he probably took advantage of Madam Qin assuming she’d be vulnerable as a widow. Wang Hu, who harbored feelings for her, likely caught Li Jianye in the act and gave him a sound beating.

When the matter reached the general of Yao City, Li Jianye couldn’t very well admit that he was trying to exact petty revenge on a woman—it would make him lose face. So, he spun a tale about pursuing a romantic interest.

Though his behavior was despicable, he was still the general’s nephew. Even if the general didn’t openly take his side, he’d likely harbor some resentment toward Wang Hu for attacking his relative.

By claiming that the “dark-skinned woman” was his concubine, Yan Mingge accomplished two things. First, it cut off Li Jianye’s excuse for further pursuit. Second, it gave Wang Hu a stronger justification for his actions.

If Li Jianye had coveted Wang Hu’s sister-in-law, Wang Hu’s reaction could be seen as a matter of honor and principle. This would make it harder to pin the blame on him.

Wang Hu, though brave on the battlefield, lacked the subtlety for these kinds of schemes. Without Yan Mingge’s intervention, he would likely have found himself in serious trouble.

As Lin Chu reflected on the chain of events, a mix of emotions swirled within her. Yan Mingge was notorious for his ruthlessness towards outsiders, but he had always stood by his brothers-in-arms.

However, when he suffered a crushing defeat and nearly lost everything, it was those very same brothers who betrayed him, abandoning him to his fate.

Recalling the original story and the betrayal that Yan Mingge will suffer later, Lin Chu couldn’t help but feel a chill in her heart.

Before she could think more deeply, the carriage arrived at the residence awarded by General An.

As she stepped out of the carriage with Han Junye in her arms, Lin Chu took in her surroundings. The buildings here were well-maintained and neatly constructed, a stark contrast to the run-down south alleys of Qiang City. It was clear that this area was reserved for the affluent.

General An had been thoughtful.

Little Grey tumbled out of the carriage, rolling like a fluffy ball before scrambling to its feet. It wagged its tail enthusiastically, rubbing against Lin Chu’s legs while whining. But since Lin Chu was holding Han Junye, she had no free hand to pet it. Feeling ignored, Little Grey took a few steps forward, glancing back pitifully before waddling along with its stubby legs.

Shi Liu led her to a door and pointed it out. “General An placed all of us in this area. That two-courtyard residence is Big Brother Yan’s.” Then, glancing at Lin Chu nervously, he added, “Sister-in-law, if you meet the dark-skinned girl inside, please don’t get angry…”

Lin Chu: “…???”

Wait. There really is a dark-skinned girl? Could it not be what she imagined?

Shi Liu knocked on the door, and shortly after, Tang Jiu came to open it. Seeing Lin Chu, he froze for a moment, his smile turning into a look of confusion.

“Is it just too dark tonight, or does Sister-in-law look way fairer than before?”

Tang Jiu had never met her before, so earlier in the day, when Lin Chu had darkened her face with charcoal, he hadn’t recognized her. Now, seeing her clean face, he was genuinely baffled.

Shi Liu shot him a glare, muttering in his head about how inappropriate it was to joke around at a time like this.

Tang Jiu, thoroughly confused by Shi Liu’s reaction, scratched his head awkwardly.

Once inside, Lin Chu took a quick glance at the courtyard. It was much more spacious than their previous one. Though not overly luxurious, the brick walls gave it a sense of security. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about thieves sneaking in at night.

There was a pomegranate tree in one corner of the yard, bare of leaves in the winter. A single lantern hung from its branches, swaying gently in the cold wind.

Surprisingly, Yan Mingge and the others weren’t inside the house but had moved a table to sit under the pomegranate tree, braving the chill.

As soon as he saw Lin Chu arrive, Yan Mingge stood up and strode over, taking Han Junye from her arms. In a low voice, he asked,

“Are you cold?”

The big villain cares about others now?

Lin Chu raised her brows in surprise and looked up at him.

“Not particularly.”

Her gaze shifted to the dark-skinned girl in the courtyard, and she fell into an odd silence.

The girl was indeed dark-skinned, but that wasn’t the most notable thing about her. She was also robust, with a tall and muscular frame that rivaled that of an average man.

Noticing Lin Chu’s gaze, Yan Mingge beckoned to the girl, who promptly walked over. He addressed her,

“This is my wife. From now on, you’ll serve by her side.”

The dark-skinned girl immediately dropped to one knee, fists clenched in a military salute.

“I will protect Madam with my life!”

Yan Mingge nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Lin Chu.

“I found you a martial artist servant. You can call her Jing He.”

Lin Chu studied the girl, noting her extraordinary poise. Even the salute she performed was unmistakably military. Her identity was likely not simple.

But wasn’t this development heading in a strange direction? Lin Chu felt a bit bewildered.

“Didn’t Shi Liu say you took in a concubine?”

Yan Mingge shot a sharp glance at Shi Liu, who immediately shrank back, trembling. Stammering, he explained,

“I… I heard Big Brother say something about a dark-skinned girl and assumed he meant Sister-in-law. When I got back and saw the girl in the courtyard, I thought…”

Realizing he had made a fool of himself, Shi Liu wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Tang Jiu slapped him on the back of the head. “You assumed? You blockhead! You took half-heard words to Sister-in-law. Are you planning to marry a woman as dark and rugged as you?”

The dark-skinned girl shot Tang Jiu a fierce glare, making him shiver involuntarily. Her stare was downright intimidating!

Shi Liu rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and mumbled to Lin Chu, “Sister-in-law, I shouldn’t have spoken carelessly before understanding the situation…”

Realizing it was all a misunderstanding, Lin Chu laughed it off.

“It’s fine. We’re all family here.”

Honestly, even if Yan Mingge had taken a concubine, she wouldn’t have been particularly bothered.

Meanwhile, Wang Hu, who was usually bold and brash, seemed uncharacteristically downcast today. Bowing his head slightly, he murmured, “Big Brother Yan, Sister-in-law, I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

These soldiers may have harbored reservations about Lin Chu before, but after today’s battle on the city wall, they had come to truly respect her as their sister-in-law.

Yan Mingge, not one for sentimental words, gave Wang Hu’s shoulder a gentle pat. “We’re brothers,” he said. “Don’t speak like that.”

Lin Chu echoed, “Exactly. We’re family. Don’t be so formal.”

As night began to fall, Yan Mingge ordered, “Shi Liu, Tang Jiu, escort Fifth Brother home.”

Shi Liu, whose name had just been called, immediately shivered all over. Upon realizing that Yan Mingge only wanted him to escort Wang Hu back, he visibly let out a sigh of relief.

But was it just his imagination? He couldn’t shake the feeling that Yan Mingge’s casual glance at him was icy cold, sending shivers down his spine.

Shi Liu felt miserable inside—he vowed never to run off with half-heard information again.

As the group left, only Lin Chu, Yan Mingge, and the dark-skinned girl remained in the courtyard.

“Jing He, go to the kitchen and check if the food is still warm,” Yan Mingge ordered.

The dark-skinned girl, Jing He, promptly nodded and withdrew.

Lin Chu was pulled by one hand into the house by Yan Mingge. She looked around and found that everything inside had been tidied up and was ready for them to move in.

In such a short time, even the kitchen was set up. Remembering what Yan Mingge had just said to Jing He, she glanced at him.

“You haven’t eaten yet?”

“No time to eat,” Yan Mingge replied flatly, throwing her a casual look before leisurely heading to the inner room to lay the still-unconscious Han Junye on the bed.

Earlier, Lin Chu had wrapped Han Junye in a blanket to protect him from the cold wind and prevent his condition from worsening. Now that they were home, she planned to replace it with a proper quilt since keeping him bundled up like that would be uncomfortable for the child.

She followed Yan Mingge into the bedroom and glanced around. The room was just as neatly organized as the rest of the house. Though the furniture was sparse, it was arranged thoughtfully, giving the room a clean and cozy feel.

Could it be that while Shi Liu went to fetch her, Yan Mingge stayed behind to tidy up?

A man who did housework—how rare in this era!

“Come here.” Yan Mingge’s voice brought her back to her senses.

Lin Chu looked up and saw him leaning against a chair, his eyes half-closed, his posture exuding an unusual laziness.

Unlike the languid, boneless manner of the Sixth Prince, Yan Mingge’s casual demeanor carried a dangerous allure. It was the kind of magnetism that warned of danger yet made it impossible to resist getting closer.

“Did you tidy all this up?” Lin Chu couldn’t guess what he was up to and tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.

Yan Mingge raised an eyebrow. “I tidied the master bedroom. Jing He took care of the outer rooms.”

It seemed he saw through her attempt to change the topic. His sharp, narrow eyes suddenly narrowed further as he smirked. “Do you think you can avoid me forever?”

Lin Chu: “…???”

Avoid him? What kind of nonsense was he talking about?

Before she could process his words, Yan Mingge suddenly stood up from the chair, his long legs closing the distance between them in just a few steps.

“Still so disobedient,” he murmured.

For reasons she couldn’t explain, Lin Chu’s first instinct was to run.

But she didn’t even have time to act on it before she was scooped up in one swift motion and pressed against the wall. Her chin was firmly grasped, and before she knew it, a solid, deep kiss landed on her lips!