You Stole My Husband, So I Seduced Your Son - Chapter 49

Whether he stayed at the temple or returned to the Annex, he couldn’t focus on his studies. He turned his horse around and headed straight back to the Annex.

At the Annex, Song Xuwan was idly watching Ningning and Liyue play cat’s cradle in the courtyard when she heard the sound of a horse approaching.

She turned to see Ji Moyang riding a tall, majestic horse, silhouetted against the setting sun as he approached step by step. His eyes were lowered, sweeping disdainfully across the Annex as if a king surveying his domain.

When their eyes met, his gaze lit up momentarily before he casually looked away.

Truly the descendant of dragons and phoenixes, Song Xuwan thought to herself. Even his casual demeanor exudes such astonishing presence.

Hearing the horse’s neigh, Madam Min emerged from the meditation room, and the group exchanged formal greetings in the courtyard.

Ji Moyang glanced at Song Xuwan, his mind brimming with questions. But with so many people present, he could only offer a proper bow and maintain decorum.

Hypocrite, Song Xuwan cursed inwardly before lifting her head with a smile. “Young Master Ji’s horsemanship is truly skilled. Could it be you excel in both literary and martial arts?”

“It’s just riding a horse,” Min Rongxue replied immediately, eager to avoid further discussion. “It hardly qualifies as being both scholarly and martial.”

But now that the topic had been raised, and Song Xuwan wasn’t the only one interested, how could they simply drop it?

Liyue whispered to Ningning, “My brother is amazing! With just a whistle, this horse knows exactly what to do—whether to run or jump!”

“He can even train horses?” Song Xuwan exclaimed in surprise.

Min Rongxue’s expression darkened further. She resented Ji Moyang wasting his energy on anything other than his studies, fearing it would distract him from his academic pursuits.

“It’s getting late,” Min Rongxue said, trying to change the subject again. “Let’s finish our meal quickly.”

But no one paid her any attention. Ningning, especially, jumped up excitedly. “I want to learn to ride too!”

She happily circled the horse, while Song Xuwan, fearing the horse might accidentally kick her, nervously reached out to pull Ningning back.

At that moment, Ji Moyang gently patted the horse. The horse obediently knelt on its front legs, signaling that Ningning could climb on.

“Can I?” Ningning asked eagerly.

Song Xuwan was still pretending to consider when Min Rongxue said coldly, “Mo’er, don’t be ridiculous. Young Miss Zhou is a delicate young lady—how could she possibly ride a horse?”

The atmosphere suddenly turned frosty. Worried about Ningning’s disappointment, Song Xuwan quickly interjected, “It’s too late today, and Young Master Ji should focus on his Imperial Examinations right now. If you want to ride a horse, I’ll take you to your uncle tomorrow and ask him to find you a riding and archery instructor. We can learn properly.”

Ningning finally brightened up, tugging at Song Xuwan’s sleeve. “Really? Will Mother ride with me too?”

“Unfortunately, your grandfather and uncle never let me ride when I was young, so I don’t know how now. What a pity.”

Song Xuwan sighed dramatically, glancing sideways at Ji Moyang. Their eyes met briefly before they quickly looked away.

Ji Moyang’s heart instantly flared with excitement. She doesn’t know how to ride? Then I’ll teach her!

Dinner passed quietly, with only Ningning’s chatter filling the air, occasionally punctuated by Liyue’s soft murmurs.

Ji Moyang ate his meal with focused attention. As soon as he finished, he rose to take his leave, bowing respectfully to both Song Xuwan and Min Rongxue.

“I must take my leave now. Please forgive my early departure, Madam Song.”

“Not at all. Your studies are paramount,” Song Xuwan replied politely, urging him to leave.

As soon as Ji Moyang had left, Song Xuwan leaned closer to Min Rongxue and said, “Your esteemed son is truly exceptional in both talent and appearance. I’ve heard that many young ladies at Fuyun Temple are enamored with him, tossing embroidered pouches to seek their fate with him. In my opinion, after the Autumn Provincial Exam, you’ll have no shortage of marriage proposals. By then, Madam Min, you’ll have double the joy to celebrate.”

She pointed to the wide sash Ji Moyang always wore around his waist and continued, “He probably even has pouches hidden there, gifts from those young ladies.”

Despite Song Xuwan’s elaborate schemes, Min Rongxue remained completely oblivious. This frustrated Song Xuwan immensely, especially since a simple touch of the sash would reveal its hidden mechanism.

Since Min Rongxue showed no signs of noticing, Song Xuwan felt compelled to drop a direct hint: “Your son’s heart is stirring with youthful passion.”

To her surprise, Min Rongxue’s previously smiling face immediately turned serious.

Under normal circumstances, Min Rongxue would have responded with polite pleasantries to such flattery. But now, Ji Moyang… he liked men!

It wasn’t just a passing fancy; something had actually happened between them. They were seeing each other daily at Fuyun Temple. If others were to discover any hint of their relationship, Min Rongxue couldn’t even imagine the consequences.

Therefore, she had no intention of exchanging polite words with Song Xuwan. Her mind was consumed by a single thought: I can’t let Song Xuwan ask any more questions.

If Song Xuwan got the idea to play matchmaker and started secretly inquiring about Ji Moyang, their secret would be impossible to keep.

Without even a hint of a smile, Min Rongxue said coldly, “Madam Song, please be mindful of your words. My Mo’er is focused entirely on his studies and has never considered matters of love. Besides, he’s still young, and I have no intention of arranging an early marriage for him. Please refrain from mentioning such things again.”

Song Xuwan was utterly bewildered by Min Rongxue’s reaction. What had she said? She had merely teased that a young man of marriageable age could take a wife. Why was Min Rongxue acting as if her tail had been stepped on?

Does she really think her son is some rare treasure, like a highly sought-after maiden? Besides, even if she were a proper young lady, a little teasing wouldn’t hurt. Min Rongxue is just being overly sensitive about her reputation.

Her expression turned cold as she retorted sarcastically, “Could it be that Madam Min looks down on the young ladies at Fuyun Temple?”

Min Rongxue snorted coldly. “Madam Song, you misunderstand. Our family doesn’t care about social status. But a woman who chases after men? Such character is utterly unacceptable in our household. Our Mo’er would never lower himself to such a girl.”

“Let me be clear, Madam Song: our Mo’er may have his flaws, but his character and talent are beyond reproach. He would never defy his parents’ wishes with any secret affairs. Please refrain from such frivolous jokes in the future.”

Song Xuwan nearly burst out laughing. Ji Moyang’s character beyond reproach? If that were true, the world would be full of saints and sages.

Seeing how firmly Min Rongxue believed in Ji Moyang, even if Song Xuwan confessed to having an affair with him, Min Rongxue would likely dismiss it as Song Xuwan having lost her mind, trusting her son implicitly.

Fine, Song Xuwan thought. I’ll let Min Rongxue witness Ji Moyang’s debauchery with her own eyes. That will be far more satisfying.

Back in her room, Song Xuwan whispered to Baizhi, “Arrange for someone to inform Madam Min’s personal maid, Madam Ma, that Ji Moyang plans to meet someone in secret at Fuyun Temple today.”

Given Madam Min’s reactions these past few days, she wouldn’t be able to sleep after hearing this news. Even if she did fall asleep, her own maid would wake her. And if that failed, she’d realize she’d been drugged upon waking.

No matter which link in the chain aroused her suspicion, she’d become more vigilant. Since Song Xuwan had been staying at the annex these past few days, she’d have plenty of opportunities to expose the affair to Min Rongxue.

The only downside was that Madam Ma would also discover the affair, which could tarnish Song Xuwan’s reputation to some extent.