You Stole My Husband, So I Seduced Your Son - Chapter 45

Ji Moyang, of course, remained oblivious to these hidden thoughts. Leading his horse back to the Annex, he was completely absorbed in Song Xuwan’s admiration for him.

Looking at the horse, he suddenly felt he couldn’t betray Song Xuwan’s feelings. He tried to imitate the way he’d seen others ride, but was immediately thrown off.

His youthful pride refused to admit defeat. Combined with his martial arts training, he avoided injury, repeatedly falling and climbing back onto the horse.

By the time he reached the Annex, Ji Moyang was riding steadily atop the tall steed, looking as majestic as a Top Scholar parading through the streets.

Upon arriving, Min Rongxue couldn’t ignore the horse. Her face darkened as she demanded, “Where did this horse come from?”

After personally tethering the horse to a tree, Ji Moyang replied calmly, “It belongs to Xia Yongyan. With the Imperial Examinations approaching, they’re staying at an inn in town to be closer to the examination hall.”

“This horse is the one he rode from his hometown. He didn’t want to leave it at the temple, so he asked me to ride it back to the Annex and care for it for a while.”

Min Rongxue’s expression turned icy. “When did you learn to ride?”

“I picked it up gradually on the journey here from our ancestral home, traveling with Xia Yongyan and the others.”

Madam Ma, fearing Min Rongxue’s temper might flare again, quickly interjected, “The Young Master is truly gifted! He learned to ride so quickly and easily!”

Her words subtly reminded Min Rongxue that her son had already mastered riding, making any further anger futile.

Min Rongxue’s chest heaved with anger for a long moment. With only half a month until the Autumn Provincial Exam, she wanted to give Ji Moyang a proper scolding.

But precisely because there were only two weeks left, what good would a scolding do? Any misstep could unsettle her son and jeopardize his performance in the Imperial Examinations.

She stared at Ji Moyang for a long while before finally sighing, forcibly suppressing her dissatisfaction.

“Serve dinner.”

The next day, when Song Xuwan learned that Min Rongxue harbored no suspicions whatsoever, she nearly stormed over to the Annex, ready to crack open Min Rongxue’s skull to see what was inside.

After staring blankly out the window for half the day, Song Xuwan resolved that she couldn’t let this horse go to waste. She quietly instructed Baizhi to set something in motion.

Baizhi immediately made arrangements. By afternoon, as Min Rongxue strolled through the Annex, she overheard two servants whispering.

“I heard Young Master Ji traveled here from his ancestral home in Young Master Xia’s carriage. There were four people in total, but only one carriage?”

The other servant chuckled. “Of course not! They had luggage too. I heard they arrived in two carriages.”

“Then why did they only bring one horse to the Annex for care? Is it because Young Master Ji didn’t want to trouble our household and only agreed to care for one horse?”

Min Rongxue’s suspicions deepened. The horse’s sudden appearance was indeed peculiar.

She immediately sought out Feng Shi and instructed him, “Go to the temple and find out what Young Master Xia and his group are doing. Are they staying at an inn in the city? How are they handling their carriages and horses? Remember to be discreet.”

Feng Shi was efficient. He arrived at Fuyun Temple and quickly located the stable. With his unassuming demeanor, he soon learned the movements of Xia Yongyan and his party.

“Our Young Master Xia won’t be heading to the city for a few days,” the groom explained, scratching his head with a grin. “Staying at an inn there is expensive, you know. Every day we delay saves us money, right?”

“Exactly! That makes sense. So, what are your plans for the carriages and horses?”

The groom chuckled, “I’m not sure about that. The Young Master might take them into the city, or they might stay here at the temple. Either way, I’m free to stay and look after them.”

After a brief chat, Feng Shi had gathered all the information he needed. He didn’t linger and immediately returned to report to Min Rongxue.

Min Rongxue couldn’t sit still now. She had initially suspected a maid in the courtyard, but it now seemed the culprit was someone from outside.

After all, a horse was a valuable gift—few maids could afford such a thing.

If it wasn’t Xia Yongyan and his group, who else could it be?

Ji Moyang rarely spoke to young women, let alone interacted with students from other academies.

Who could be behind this?

Completely at a loss, she dared not ask Ji Moyang directly, fearing she might alert the culprit or uncover something she didn’t want to know.

Instead, she sought counsel from Madam Ma. “Who do you think it could be?”

Madam Ma muttered, “A set of clothes for the Young Master, and now a horse?”

“Wait, Madam, the horse wasn’t a gift. They said it’s being boarded here.”

Min Rongxue waited for Madam Ma to elaborate on the difference between a gift and boarding. Madam Ma, feeling Min Rongxue’s intense gaze, racked her brain, trying to grasp the distinction.

“Perhaps Young Master Xia’s carriage is drawn by two horses. Since they’re not using them at the temple anyway, they offered one to make it easier for the Young Master to travel back and forth.”

Min Rongxue nodded. Maybe she was overthinking things. Xia Yongyan had simply sent a horse, and the temple already had horses available.

But something still felt off.

“Mo’er has been traveling to the temple for so long. If Young Master Xia wanted to give him a horse for convenience, why only now?”

Madam Ma said slowly, “Yes, ever since Young Master started wearing Young Master Xia’s clothes, Young Master Xia has been exceptionally kind to our young master. I’ve seen him smiling while reading books several times.”

Something exploded in Min Rongxue’s mind. Her eyes widened in shock, and she struggled to breathe. Could it be what she feared?

Ever since she suspected Ji Moyang might be interested in women, she had subtly warned him to stay away from young ladies and avoid speaking to them.

Ji Moyang had been remarkably obedient, giving her no cause for concern. She had even felt relieved, believing that his lack of interest in women would allow him to go far in life.

But who could have foreseen that things would gradually develop to this point? Ji Moyang’s indifference to women had apparently turned into an interest in men.

Heavens, why must you torment me so? Having lost her husband and father in her youth, she had endured countless hardships to raise Ji Moyang to adulthood. He was on the verge of achieving great success, and now this scandal threatened to ruin everything.

No, absolutely not. I cannot let this continue. I must do something.

“Madam Ma, which of the maids in the courtyard do you think the young master might be interested in?”

Madam Ma looked puzzled. “What do you mean, Madam?”

“Wash her thoroughly and send her to the Young Master’s bed,” Min Rongxue said, her eyes cold and resolute.

Madam Ma was even more confused now. Just two days ago, Min Rongxue had been fiercely protective, yet today she was sending a girl directly to the Young Master’s bed.

“The Autumn Provincial Exam is just around the corner. Won’t introducing the Young Master to matters of the flesh at this crucial time affect his performance in the Imperial Examinations?”

Min Rongxue closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and forced out the words: “He already knows.”

Not only did he know, but he had also strayed down the wrong path. If she didn’t correct him immediately, she feared it would be too late.

But Madam Ma didn’t understand. She asked, “How do you know the Young Master already knows? Please don’t wrongly accuse him. He has always avoided women and maintained impeccable conduct.”

“Precisely because he avoids women, he has turned to men.”

Meeting Madam Ma’s shocked gaze, Min Rongxue said calmly, “You yourself said that ever since he returned wearing Young Master Xia’s clothes, his demeanor has been strange. The two of them have likely already consummated their relationship.”