You Stole My Husband, So I Seduced Your Son - Chapter 30

Min Rongxue neatly arranged the breakfast dishes. “Madam Song is staying at the Annex, and men and women are kept separate. You should eat in your room.”

“The rain outside hasn’t stopped. After breakfast, focus on your studies. Wait for the weather to clear before visiting the temple.”

Ji Moyang lowered his head in acknowledgment, silently taking his seat.

Since the last whipping, the already strained relationship between mother and son had grown even colder.

Min Rongxue glanced around the room, frowning. “When you returned last night, your clothes were only half-wet. How did they get completely soaked overnight?”

Naturally, from sneaking into Song Xuwan’s room, Ji Moyang thought, his expression remaining impassive. “I woke up early to check if the rain had stopped. When I opened the window, a sudden gust of rain drenched me completely.”

Min Rongxue had only asked casually, making conversation. With that, she left with Madam Ma.

Ji Moyang stared at the breakfast laid out before him: a plate of jujube paste cakes, a bowl of millet porridge, two boiled eggs, and two steamed buns.

He disliked sweets, and they were rarely served at home. But today’s plate of jujube paste cakes, he guessed, had been prepared at the Annex for Song Xuwan.

He picked up a piece of the date paste cake and put it in his mouth. The sweetness was overwhelming, a sweetness he had never tasted before, flowing through his mouth. He quickly took a sip of the millet porridge, its smooth, creamy texture only intensified the sensation, conjuring inappropriate images in his mind.

Reaching for an egg, he peeled it. The warm, tender egg white slid smoothly down his throat as he closed his eyes and swallowed it whole. He no longer dared to look directly at the two steamed buns.

My heart has become a demon!

Soon after, Madam Ma came to clear the dishes and reported back to Min Rongxue, “Our young master is such a good eater! He finished everything so cleanly.”

Min Rongxue was surprised. “Doesn’t he dislike sweets?”

She had sensed Ji Moyang’s deep thoughts these past few days and had deliberately sent him the date paste cake to gauge his reaction. Now that he had finished the entire plate, it was clear his mind was so preoccupied he didn’t even notice what he was eating.

Madam Ma disagreed, smiling knowingly. “That just shows how filial our young master is. When we were short on money, he’d say he didn’t like sweets to save them for you and Miss. Now that we’re at the Annex, where food and clothing are plentiful, he doesn’t need to be so frugal.”

Could that be true? Min Rongxue thought. Perhaps. My son is naturally virtuous and filial in every way.

By mid-afternoon, the rain that had been falling for a day and a night finally paused. Song Xuwan, still groggy from her late sleep, was awakened by Baizhi.

“Madam, Master Zhou has arrived.”

Why would he venture out in such torrential rain, on such treacherous roads? It couldn’t possibly be for me, Song Xuwan thought, her frustration reaching its peak.

Suddenly, she realized she couldn’t let Min Rongxue discover her affair with Ji Moyang. Letting Zhou Minghai find out first, and letting him suffer, would be far more satisfying.

As soon as Zhou Minghai entered the room, Song Xuwan immediately unbuttoned her collar, revealing the marks of recent passion on her neck.

As expected, Zhou Minghai frowned, even leaning closer to examine the marks. “How is it that everyone else is fine, yet you’ve been bitten so badly by mosquitoes? You’re so delicate.”

Song Xuwan was dumbfounded. Doesn’t this man suspect anything?

Unfortunately, she couldn’t voice her suspicions directly, lacking any evidence. To truly plant doubt, she needed him to investigate himself—that would be the most devastating blow.

“Master Zhou, you’ve braved the rain to come here. It must have been exhausting. Why not stay the night?”

Zhou Minghai desperately wanted to stay, but where would he sleep? Sharing a room with Song Xuwan? That would only further damage his chances of reconciliation with Min Rongxue.

If they didn’t live together, people would assume their marriage was strained, inevitably leading to gossip and speculation.

“No, I have to go to the yamen tomorrow. I just came to check how you’re settling in.”

He glanced around the room, unwilling to spare even a moment to sit down for tea. “I’ll go see if Ningning has been slacking off today,” he said.

Hearing that Ningning was sharing meals and lodging with Liyue, he figured he might run into Min Rongxue if he went to check on them.

Worried Song Xuwan might follow, he turned back and said solicitously, “It’s muddy outside. You should stay here. I’ll be back after checking on Ningning.”

Song Xuwan’s gaze burned holes into Zhou Minghai’s retreating figure.

Since Zhou Minghai couldn’t understand her hints, she would have to focus her efforts on Min Rongxue.

That evening, she summoned Nanny Yun. “Nanny, I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I keep hearing whispers in my ear.”

The words drained the color from Nanny Yun’s face. She gripped Song Xuwan’s hand. “Madam, I noticed you seemed tired today. I thought it was just the long spell of rain making you weary.”

“Now that I think about it,” Nanny Yun said suddenly, her voice tense, “it might not be just fatigue. There could be something unclean in this annex.”

Song Xuwan paled dramatically, playing along. “What should we do?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Nanny Yun pondered anxiously. “It’s too late to return to the city tonight. Perhaps we should send for a Master from Fuyun Temple to chant sutras?”

After a moment’s thought, Song Xuwan frowned. “This annex isn’t just occupied by us. Madam Min and her family are also staying here, and Young Master Ji is about to take the imperial examinations. If we make a big show of exorcising ghosts, we’ll disturb them. If we accidentally delay Young Master Ji’s studies, Madam Min will surely blame us.”

“Besides, I’m just feeling a little tired. If we make a fuss, the old and young in this annex won’t have a moment’s peace.”

“Madam is right,” Nanny Yun said, chastising herself. “I hadn’t considered that.”

After a moment’s thought, Nanny Yun suggested, “Then I’ll stay with Madam tonight. I won’t let any demons or ghosts harm you.”

Song Xuwan clasped Nanny Yun’s hand, touched. “What about Ningning?” she asked. “I’m even more worried she won’t sleep well tonight. It’s best if you keep a close eye on her.”

“This won’t work, and that won’t work either,” Nanny Yun fretted, beads of sweat forming on her brow. Song Xuwan finally suggested, as if casually, “I heard Madam Min is devoutly Buddhist. Why don’t we wait until midnight and have her come over to chant scriptures and ward off evil spirits?”

“Good idea! I’ll go speak to Madam Min right away.”

“Wait.” Song Xuwan quickly stopped Nanny Yun, adding, “My point is, we shouldn’t let anyone know about this. If Madam Min learns about the haunting, she’ll be terrified when we leave tomorrow and she has to stay here alone. Besides, she was living peacefully before we arrived. I think this thing is targeting me specifically, so let’s keep it quiet to avoid alarming everyone.”

“Why don’t you chat with Madam Min tonight, Nanny? Then, around midnight, bring her over to take a look?”

Watching Nanny Yun hurry off, Song Xuwan’s lips finally curved into a smile after a day of forced composure.

I refuse to believe she can sleep soundly with Nanny Yun watching Min Rongxue.

As night deepened, Ji Moyang arrived under the moonlight. Recalling the previous night’s frenzy, Song Xuwan shrank back into the corner of the bed, a flicker of fear in her eyes.

Ji Moyang paused, wondering if he had been too rough the night before. I’ll try to be gentler today.