Chapter 93 -
The garden was full of noise as servants walked around carrying heavy silver trays of food and wine. Around the tables, everyone started splitting up into their own small groups to talk.
Zi Han gracefully stood up and smoothed his neat white robes. "Lady Lanyin, General Xi," he said, bowing politely. "I see some old scholar friends over by the pavilion. I’m going to go say hi to them."
"Of course," Lanyin said with a gentle smile.
As Zi Han walked away to talk to Young Master Han and Young Master Li, Wenzhe took a quiet sip of his tea. His dark eyes moved over to the far side of the garden.
Young Master Song was talking to his fiancée, Lady Liu Mingzhu. But even while talking to her, Young Master Song kept staring over at the empty seat next to Wenzhe.
Wenzhe leaned closer to Lanyin, keeping his voice super low so no one else could hear.
"Lanyin," Wenzhe asked, his face cold and serious. "Who is this Young Master Song guy? Why did he jump in to defend my wife so easily earlier?"
Lanyin looked at her brother’s angry face and hid a small smile behind her fan.
"Oh, Brother," Lanyin whispered back. "He’s the Governor’s future son-in-law. But before Yueqing married you, Brother, Young Master Song was totally in love with her at least that was the rumor I heard. He followed her around for a whole year, sending her love letters and even coming with her to this same party last year."
Wenzhe’s hand squeezed his teacup so hard the glass almost snapped in half.
"Is that so?" Wenzhe muttered, his eyes turning ice-cold. "And how did Yueqing treat him?"
"You know Sister In-law," Lanyin sighed softly. "She played with his feelings, took his gifts, and then completely ignored him when she got bored. He must have been heartbroken when you two got married, Brother."
Wenzhe felt a sharp, annoying sting of jealousy in his chest. He came here with her last year? He wrote her love letters?
Then, Wenzhe suddenly stopped thinking.
He looked down at the empty chair beside him. The seat where Yueqing was sitting two minutes ago was totally empty. Her half-eaten plate of sweet cakes was just sitting there on the table.
Wenzhe blinked and tried to listen in his mind, expecting to hear her loud, crazy inner voice complaining about someone.
Silence. Total, quiet silence. She was too far away for him to hear her thoughts.
Wenzhe looked at Lanyin, his face turning pale with pure panic. "Lanyin... where is Yueqing?"
Lanyin looked at the empty seat, her smile disappearing fast. "I... I thought she just went to get more tea, Brother?"
Wenzhe slowly stood up, his heart beating super fast.
If a normal wife walked away for a few minutes, it just meant she went to the bathroom or took a walk. But this was Su Yueqing.
Su Yueqing sneaking away silently without saying a word, especially with a packet of laxatives in her pocket meant big, big trouble was about to happen somewhere in this house.
"She disappeared," Wenzhe said, holding his head as cold sweat broke out on his neck. "That is definitely not good."
Wenzhe didn’t waste a single second. He stood up from his seat, his eyes looking everywhere in the crowded garden for a flash of pale pink and green silk.
Beside him, Lanyin stood up too, looking worried. "Brother, should I help you look for her?"
"No, stay here where it’s safe," Wenzhe said softly, his dark eyes narrowing. "If she is out there alone, she is probably already causing one sort of trouble."
Leaving Lanyin behind, Wenzhe walked quickly down the stone paths, his heavy boots making loud, firm sounds against the floor.
Before he could reach the back courtyard, someone stepped out and blocked his path.
It was Zhao Mingyuan.
Zhao Mingyuan was holding a cup of wine. Seeing Wenzhe walking alone, he tried to put on a polite smile and bowed slightly.
"General Xi," Zhao Mingyuan said. "Are you looking for Young Madam Xi? I saw her walking toward the eastern side of the estate a moment ago..."
Wenzhe stopped. He gave Zhao Mingyuan an ice-cold stare. Wenzhe didn’t have the time or patience for this man right now.
"Get out of my way," Wenzhe said. His voice was so deep and scary that Zhao Mingyuan’s fake smile vanished instantly.
Zhao Mingyuan swallowed hard and quickly stepped aside. Wenzhe walked right past him without a second look, heading straight toward the eastern side of the house.
Back near the main tables, Zhao Mingyuan stood there feeling totally embarrassed. Looking for a way to save his pride, he walked over to where Lanyin was sitting alone.
Because their relationship was completely secret and no one knew they were lovers, Zhao Mingyuan couldn’t make a big scene in public. But he leaned in close to Lanyin’s table, pretending to just talk quietly, his face filled with fake anger and jealousy.
"Lanyin," Zhao Mingyuan whispered, acting hurt and annoyed. "What are you doing? How could you let the Top Scholar escort you here? Do you know how angry I was seeing you walk in beside Zi Han?"
Lanyin slowly turned her head. She looked at his fake angry face and saw right through him. Instead of getting upset, she hid a small smile behind her silk fan.
"Oh, Mingyuan, please do not be angry," Lanyin lied smoothly, her voice sweet but dripping with heavy sarcasm. "I only brought Master Zi Han as a simple escort because you were not there to pick me up. It is not like Master Zi Han is way better, smarter, and more formidable than you, right?"
Of course, she was being completely sarcastic. Zi Han was way better than him in every single way. Everyone in the capital knew Zhao Mingyuan was absolutely nothing compared to the Top Scholar!
Before Zhao Mingyuan could get over that insult, Lanyin tilted her head, her smile turning sharp as she reminded him of his own hypocrisy.
"Besides," Lanyin whispered softly, her eyes glinting, "why are you questioning me about Zi Han? Didn’t you just arrive at this very banquet escorting Lady Pei on your arm?"
Zhao Mingyuan choked on his breath, his face turning bright red as he remembered that he was the one who had ditched her first to bring Lady Pei. He opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn’t find a single word to say.
Lanyin just turned her head away, completely ignoring him and taking a calm, quiet sip of her tea.
Meanwhile, on the eastern side of the estate, Wenzhe was walking quickly down a dark, quiet hallway near the Governor’s main kitchens.
The air was super quiet until Wenzhe suddenly stopped walking.
A familiar voice echoed from around the corner, followed by a soft ding! inside his head.
[Nine, is this the main wine jar meant for the Governor’s big toast?] Yueqing’s inner voice suddenly shouted in Wenzhe’s mind, full of evil joy.
[Yes, Host,] Nine’s robotic voice answered. [If you drop the laxative powder in there right now, you will gain +50 Villain Points the second the Governor and his guests drinks it!]
[Perfect!] Yueqing’s thoughts cheered. [Let’s make this party unforgettable!]
Wenzhe’s right eye twitched really badly. He quickly stepped around the corner, his heart beating fast.
There, standing in the dim light right next to a huge table full of wine jars, was Su Yueqing. She was holding a tiny paper packet of laxatives right over the open jar, smiling like a total villain.