Chapter 26 026 Silent Night

Chapter 26 026 Silent Night

Upon hearing this, the people in the room stopped talking and looked at her. Yangshi calmly waved her over, and the two aunts also nodded to her, though their expressions were less amiable.

Qiao Wanyue smiled as she walked in, but her heart tightened. She had guessed right—this was a banquet with a hidden agenda.

She sat down gracefully, glanced at the tea by her hand, but had no desire to drink. Then she heard Yangshi say, "You've been cooped up in your room all day, don't let yourself get stifled. Your aunts came by to chat with me, so I thought I'd have you join us to get some fresh air."

Yangshi always spoke in a soft, gentle voice. Qiao Wanyue mischievously wondered if she could maintain that elegance when angry.

"I have nothing to do anyway, I just read in my room. If Mother doesn't mind my bothering her, I'll come every day to keep you company."

She didn't want to come, but politeness required it. After speaking to Yangshi, she turned to the aunts and added, "You two should come too, the more the merrier."

When Yangshi gets a headache from all the commotion, she wouldn't want her to come daily. Good idea—Qiao Wanyue was pleased with her quick thinking.

Before Yangshi could speak, Second Aunt laughed and said, "If you came every day, your elder sister-in-law would tire of us. But since you're a new bride, it's your duty to be filial."

Qiao Wanyue always let unfavorable remarks go in one ear and out the other, so she wasn't offended. She simply nodded along with Second Aunt, "What you say is true, Second Aunt."

Seeing her so obedient, the others didn't know how to respond, thinking to themselves, could she really have no temper? Did she agree with everything and smile at every comment?

The three shrewd women exchanged glances, their expressions awkward and strange. Qiao Wanyue saw but pretended not to—pointing things out would spoil the fun.

Yangshi was the first to recover, picking up her tea and laughing lightly. "What's this about filial duties? I'm not that old yet. Enough talk, try this tea. It just arrived today, I invited you all to taste something fresh. Don't just keep talking, the tea will cool and its flavor will change."

Tea tasting, of all things—Qiao Wanyue's weakest skill. She watched the others drink, then followed suit. She couldn't tell what the tea tasted like, but Yangshi's last words lingered, carrying an underlying meaning.

Second Aunt: "It's indeed fine tea, sweet on entry, with a lingering fragrance."

Yangshi: "Glad you like it. Try the pastries too, how are they?"

Qiao Wanyue had met Second and Third Aunt once before, when she and Qin Yan were walking in the back garden. Because Qin Yan was there, they had acted gently and left after a few words.

Now, Second Aunt struck her as a busybody, probably just like any street gossip. Third Aunt was reserved and quiet—those were the ones to watch, since their exteriors revealed nothing.

The young girl ate while observing, her eyes darting around, her mind wandering.

After a moment, Yangshi asked her, "Wanyue, is the tea to your liking?"

"It's fine, the tea is very fragrant."

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Qiao Wanyue let a bit of tea spill from the corner of her mouth. She quickly wiped it, her lips becoming even redder.

Yangshi sat in the seat of honor. As the elder and mistress of the house, her every word and gesture carried the bearing of someone in power.

After speaking to Qiao Wanyue, she turned to the aunts. "Since you like it, take some home with you. Wanyue, you should take some too. Da Lang loves tea the most."

"Yes, thank you, Mother."

Qiao Wanyue didn't drink anymore tea. She picked up a pastry and took a bite, then her expression shifted slightly. Too sweet—cloyingly so. She quickly drank some tea, swallowed it all, and put back the pastry she had bitten.

She hadn't expected Yangshi's pastries to be this sweet. Next time, she knew better than to eat them.

Yangshi noticed her actions and smiled, asking, "Wanyue, Da Lang is busy with work and may not always have time for you. Be patient with him and care for him."

"I'll remember that, Mother-in-law." She'd send the tea to the guest room as soon as she got back and let Qin Yan drink plenty.

She appeared obedient, flawless. Yangshi remained silent for a while, then, as she drank tea, she glanced at Second Aunt. Second Aunt immediately understood and turned to Qiao Wanyue with a light smile.

"I heard you and Da Lang are sleeping in separate rooms. Is that true?"

Qiao Wanyue's suspended heart dropped. So that was it—making a big fuss over nothing. She knew that Second Aunt and Third Aunt slept separately from their husbands every day. They never worried about themselves, but meddled in others' affairs.

Qiao Wanyue showed no concern, nodded calmly, and said, "Yes. The Marquis is very busy with official duties. He's afraid of disturbing me when he comes back late, so he voluntarily sleeps in the guest room. He's the head of the household, so I naturally respect his decision."

Exactly, just blame everything on Qin Yan. They wouldn't dare boss him around; they only bully the easy targets.

Second Aunt fell silent, glancing sideways at the head seat. Third Aunt remained even more quiet, acting unconcerned.

"Even so, you should still be attentive. Don't let it damage your relationship."

Qiao Wanyue promised with a smile and said no more. If that was all, she couldn't bear to sit any longer—she wanted to return to her room and lie down. She was truly tired.

Yangshi, sharp-eyed, immediately noticed her impatience. She composed herself and said, "Alright, let's talk about something serious."

"Mother, what serious matter do you have to discuss?"

So everything she said before was just nonsense?

Qiao Wanyue sat properly, ready to listen. She turned her head and heard Yangshi say, "I've been managing the household all along. Now that you've entered the family, it's time to hand over the management to you. I'll send the accounts to your courtyard later."

So it was about managing the household. Qiao Wanyue frowned, her mind beginning to race uncontrollably.

Second Aunt said, "Sister-in-law has managed the household for years, keeping everything inside and out in perfect order. Wanyue is still young and lacks experience. What if something goes awry? Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon—gifts for various families and rewards for the servants. They seem small, but you can't mess up the amounts."

Then Second Aunt turned to Third Aunt. "Why aren't you saying anything? All you do is drink tea."

"You've already said it all. Wanyue is young and inexperienced. Better she first learn from Sister-in-law, get familiar with household affairs, then take over."

At this point, Qiao Wanyue could see their intentions clearly. Yangshi couldn't say it herself, so she used the aunts as her mouthpieces. Especially Second Aunt—she was a troublemaker. No wonder Qin Yan and Qiao Yingxin's marriage had fallen through, no doubt she had a hand in it.

"Enough, why talk about this? It's part of my duties anyway."

Qiao Wanyue listened quietly. If she took over the household management, she'd have no peace. Why bring trouble on herself? Let Yangshi manage. If she's busy, she won't watch me all the time. If she's free, she'll definitely summon me daily.

Besides, it's also a question of whether the household accounts are in order.

Thinking this, Qiao Wanyue immediately said, "Second Aunt and Third Aunt are right. I've just entered the family and am not familiar with household affairs. For now, I'll trouble Mother to continue managing. Once I'm more familiar, I'll take over."

She agreed without hesitation. Then she added, "The Marquis feels the same way."

Yangshi narrowed her eyes at her for a long moment, her gaze scrutinizing and probing, as if confirming the truth of her words. Qiao Wanyue blinked, her eyes honest and pure. She was telling the truth, so she wasn't afraid of her staring.

After a moment, Yangshi gave a relaxed smile. "In that case, I'll work a little harder."

Seeing Qiao Wanyue decline so readily, Second and Third Aunt had nothing more to say, and Yangshi's smile became more sincere. After sitting a while longer, Qiao Wanyue rose to take her leave. Yangshi didn't stop her but said with great concern, "Go back and rest well."

Caring about her now. Qiao Wanyue nodded in acknowledgment.

Not long after she left, Second Aunt said doubtfully, "Why was she so easygoing? Could there be a trick?"

Third Aunt said, "What trick could there be? She seems smarter than Qiao Yingxin."

Second Aunt rolled her eyes at her but said nothing.

Now, with a stern expression, Yangshi said, "Alright, you two go back. You're tired too."

After the two left, Madam Yang sat quietly for a moment, lost in thought.

-

After an hour or so, Qiao Wanyue had lost the desire to go out. She wrote a letter to Su Su and asked Zhu Qing to deliver it.

Then she waited in the courtyard for Qin Yan to return. It wasn’t until dusk that she saw his figure. There are no secrets between husband and wife; she had to tell Qin Yan about today’s events.

“Marquis, come here.”

After several days of sleeping apart, Qiao Wanyue took the initiative to call him over for the first time. For some reason, Qin Yan felt in a good mood and responded as he walked toward her.

“What is it?”

“Sit down, sit down.”

Qiao Wanyue glanced at the man in his neat official robes, then recounted the day’s events. After hearing her out, Qin Yan was silent for a moment, his gaze burning as he looked at her. “Why don’t you want to manage the household?”

She told him honestly, “I’m afraid I wouldn’t do well. Besides, Mother doesn’t want to give up control. Calling me over today was just for show.”

When she spoke of Madam Yang this way, she expected Qin Yan to scold her for disrespecting her elders, but he only hummed in acknowledgment and said nothing more.

After a moment, Qiao Wanyue, not one to let sleeping dogs lie, asked him, “Did you and Sister Lin sleep in separate rooms? Did Sister Lin manage the household before?”

At the mention of Lin Aizhen, Qin Yan’s expression became visibly uncomfortable. “Why bring up Ah Zhen all of a sudden?”

“I’m curious. I want to know.”

Qin Yan didn’t want to talk about it, so he stood up and left, saying, “We’ll talk another time.”

On a quiet night, Qin Yan came to fetch his clothes. As he reached the corridor, he heard someone humming a light, cheerful tune that was pleasant to the ear. He didn’t need to guess—it was his unruly wife.

Qin Yan stopped in his tracks, turned around, and walked back. After a few steps, he felt uneasy. Qiao Wanyue was in a good mood, and although they were sleeping apart, she didn’t seem concerned at all. She even asked him about Ah Zhen.

Did she really not care at all?

Qin Yan couldn’t help but ask Chang Sheng, “Has the lady asked about me these past few days?”

“No.”

“What does she do in the residence every day?”

Chang Sheng observed his expression and replied, “In the morning, she pays respects, then comes back to sleep. After waking up, she eats and reads. After lunch, she naps. In the afternoon, she takes a walk in the back garden. In the evening, after returning to her room, I don’t know.”

Qin Yan’s face fell. “You seem to know an awful lot.”

Chang Sheng let out an “ah.” Was the Marquis angry?

-

Qin Yan pushed open the door and entered her room. As soon as the door closed, he heard Qiao Wanyue calling from inside, “Zhu Qing, you didn’t put out the scented oil! Bring it over quickly!”

The man turned and strolled to her dressing table to fetch the scented oil. Bottles and jars everywhere—which one was it?

Qin Yan didn’t know, so he had to rely on his nose. Finally, he picked up a very fragrant bottle and walked toward her.