Chapter 018: Secretly Keeping a Male Favorite

Chapter 018: Secretly Keeping a Male Favorite

"Who knows? Our son has a stubborn temper just like you. If he were more like me, he wouldn’t dare talk back to you."

Meng Suqiu: "..."

It was supposed to be a serious matter, but his way of speaking made it hard to hold back laughter, leaving her both angry and helpless. "At your age, can't you act a little more serious? We only have one heir in this family, and I need a grandchild."

Seeing that his wife was truly worried, He Qizhang coaxed her, "Alright, alright. I'll sound out An'er when he returns this afternoon."

Only after he said this did Meng Suqiu let him leave the residence.

In the garden, Meng Suqiu sat in the lake pavilion, watching the fish, but her mind was still on the events from the previous night.

How angry must An'er have been to leave the house with Jiang Ming and the others in the middle of the night?

She suspected her son was intentionally avoiding her; today, Jiang Ming and the others were nowhere to be found, leaving her without anyone to inquire for information.

Chen Po poured her a cup of tea. "Madam, don't worry. Young couples quarrel and argue; it's normal."

"I know that, but shouldn't we at least know why?" Meng Suqiu shook her head. This marriage had been arranged with some reluctance, and she still harbored doubts.

Just as she was pondering, faint voices could be heard from outside.

"Don't dare to say such things again. If you keep talking nonsense, I'll punish you."

"Miss, I’m not making things up. I saw it with my own eyes. Haven't you noticed that recently, the master has been in a bad mood? Maybe he already knows about this."

"You… this mouth of yours."

"Miss, I'm just standing up for the master. In a prestigious family like the Prime Minister's residence, if this matter about the young madam gets out, wouldn't the master become a laughingstock in the entire capital?"

From beyond the garden wall, Liu Yueru's voice could be heard, as if she had just returned. Meng Suqiu caught the gist of the conversation, realizing that Liu Yueru was talking about something important.

After they had walked away, Meng Suqiu looked up at Chen Po. "What do you think?"

"Ever since Miss Liu entered the Prime Minister's residence, she has been constantly scheming. Madam, you probably already have a decision in mind."

Meng Suqiu watched as a leaf drifted into her teacup, spoiling the taste, rendering it undrinkable.

Her worried expression now turned to annoyance.

However, although Liu Yueru wasn't particularly likable, her brother was indeed a loyal and brave official, with a deep brotherly bond with An'er. It was only natural to take care of Liu Yueru to some extent.

The only regret was that she had made a vow earlier: once her son was married, she would go to the temple to pray and give thanks. If she had been in the residence at that time, she would never have allowed Liu Yueru to stay in the Prime Minister's residence; at most, she could have been arranged to live in a separate villa.

That way, there wouldn't be this troubling situation now.

Other people's sons were becoming fathers around the age of twenty, yet her own son, at twenty-six, had finally gotten married after much effort.

In the entire capital, apart from He An, there was only Ji Lingchuan.

Neither of them was easy to handle.

"Go and investigate Liu Yueru. Find out what she's been doing recently, and let her know that I'm looking into Qing Huan."

Chen Po understood. "Yes, Madam."

Back in the guest room, Liu Yueru laid out the small items she had bought—rouge, face powder, hairpins, and jewelry. Though these things were beautiful, spending so much silver made her feel a twinge of regret.

"Man, things in the capital are so expensive!"

The maid warned, "Miss, be careful, but timing is everything. Once Ruan Qinghuan is kicked out of the Prime Minister's residence, you'll need to dress even more carefully. If you can win the Prime Minister's favor, you'll enjoy endless wealth and prosperity for the rest of your life."

Liu Yueru nodded. "Keep an eye out. We spoke in front of Madam just now, and she must have overheard. Once she catches Ruan Qinghuan in a mistake, it'll be more effective than anything we could say."

When He An eventually found out about Ruan Qinghuan's scandal, he might be so furious that he'd throw her in a pig cage. Just thinking about it made Liu Yueru feel smug.

**

He An stayed at the Crown Prince's estate until late at night, discussing the relief efforts for the disaster in Lu City. Even though they had a plan in place, neither of them seemed eager to leave.

The Crown Prince glanced between the two, noticing Ji Lingchuan lounging with his legs crossed. Realizing from Ji Lingchuan's signal that the issue lay with He An, he said, "How about you two stay for dinner?"

Ji Lingchuan: "..."

The Crown Prince's offer lacked sincerity.

But He An didn’t seem to notice the tension. "Alright."

Wasn't it obvious?

The Crown Prince had promised the Crown Princess he would listen to her play the qin, and now he was running late.

On the surface, the Crown Prince kept his composure, but behind closed doors, he spoiled his wife rotten. He An pretended not to care about his new wife, but who knew why he had gone to the training ground in the middle of the night to blow off some steam.

Ji Lingchuan pulled He An out of the Crown Prince's estate, feeling a rare moment of sympathy. "Hey, don’t say I’m not a good friend. Come on, let’s grab a drink."

In a private room on the second floor of the Baizhen Pavilion, a table full of good food and wine awaited. Ji Lingchuan had even arranged for a girl to play the qin. The melodious music, accompanied by fine wine, made for a pleasant atmosphere.

Ji Lingchuan poured the wine, and He An drank, his face expressionless and silent.

Ji Lingchuan teased, "Look at you. I’ve heard of bitter wives, but never bitter husbands—until today."

He An downed the wine in one gulp, and Ji Lingchuan refilled his cup. "Spill it, what's really going on?"

He An looked up, stared at Ji Lingchuan for a moment, then swallowed the words he was about to say. "It's nothing."

"Between us, you don't need to pretend. After all these years of friendship, if you have something embarrassing, I promise I'll keep it a secret."

He An remained silent, drinking one cup after another, his mind filled with the image of Ruan Qinghuan.

Just then, the music cut off, and voices drifted in from outside. "Have you heard? The new madam of the Prime Minister's residence dares to keep a lover outside."

"Nonsense. We've heard of princesses keeping lovers, but never officials' wives."

"It's true. They say he even has a separate residence bought for him, right on East Street in Osmanthus Lane."

Holy crap?

Ji Lingchuan and He An both looked up simultaneously, but their expressions were different. Ji Lingchuan’s eyes softened with sympathy, while He An’s blazed with anger.

Someone needed to say something before He An lost it and did something drastic. "Uh, these are just rumors without evidence. Don't get too worked up."

But He An thought, Is Ruan Qinghuan resisting intimacy with me because she has someone else in her heart?

Ji Lingchuan regretted his decision so much that he could feel it in his gut. He shouldn't have brought him here, especially after what just happened.

How did a simple drink turn into such a mess?

He An grabbed Ji Lingchuan by the arm and snapped, "You remember where it is, right? East Street, Osmanthus Lane."

"Got it. I’m on my way. Don’t you worry—I’ll figure it out. Just stay cool, okay?"

He An shoved Ji Lingchuan toward the door, his voice sharp with frustration. "Get going!"

His anger, stoked by the alcohol, was boiling over. Qin Niang stepped forward to offer some comfort, but He An roughly shoved her aside, clearly not in the mood for any sympathy. Without another word, he stormed off, heading straight for the Prime Minister's residence, clearly still fuming.