The Concubine of the Main Wife - Chapter 11

A’Lian arrived late, only to walk straight into what felt like an inquisition.

 

“Explain yourself. Why did you force the new cook to steal my silver case?”

 

Seated high above, Zhen Yao’s delicate brows suddenly sharpened, her gentle demeanor from their earlier intimacy nowhere to be seen.

 

“I—”

 

Under the intensity of their locked gazes, A’Lian immediately faltered. But who was she? One of the top operatives of the Hidden Nightingale faction. In the flicker of an eye, she had already devised a countermeasure. Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes as she covered her face with her sleeve and sobbed, “I was just too angry to hold it in!”

 

Too angry?

 

What kind of act was this now?

 

The sudden turn left both Zhen Yao and the cook utterly bewildered. They were at a loss, unsure what could have possibly upset A’Lian so much.

 

“If you’re upset, speak your mind freely.”

 

As soon as Zhen Yao finished speaking, the cook awkwardly rubbed her hands and chimed in, “Was it the food? Did it not suit your taste, Madam, and that’s why you—”

 

“It has nothing to do with you, sister. I was just throwing a tantrum at Madam. I only made you steal the silver case to get back at her.”

 

“This…” The cook grew even more terrified.

 

Zhen Yao watched her with a meaningful gaze before signaling Qing’er to dismiss everyone else.

 

The door closed softly, and the room fell into silence.

 

“A’Lian, have I made you unhappy?”

 

Though Zhen Yao’s expression remained composed, her heart was already a storm of turmoil.

 

“Mmm, you know exactly why! Why keep asking?”

 

When in trouble, stay calm counter their moves with your own.

 

A’Lian feigned composure, deliberately vague and evasive, her words ambiguous yet bold.

 

As expected, this left Zhen Yao utterly confused. Her deep eyes narrowed slightly as she hesitantly stepped closer.

 

“Could it be that I hurt you?” But A’Lian really shouldn’t have lashed out in front of everyone.

 

“Ah, Madam, your mind is full of indecent thoughts! That’s not what I meant. Figure it out yourself!”

 

A’Lian’s face flushed crimson as her thoughts wandered into secret fantasies. Her bewitching eyes brimmed with temptation, enough to make anyone lose their composure.

 

“Still, no matter what, you shouldn’t have bullied the new cook.”

 

Zhen Yao’s long legs pressed A’Lian firmly onto the edge of the bed, closing the distance between them to mere inches. Her gaze burned like stars as she looked down at A’Lian from above.

 

“Madam—”

 

“A’Lian, I’ve never liked riddles. Tell me plainly, what do you really want?”

 

Her smooth shoulders were suddenly gripped by a pair of delicate hands, and A’Lian hastily explained in a fluster, “The truth… the truth is, Madam, I was just acting on my greedy, vain nature. Back in the cave, you promised me the silver case, but ever since we returned, all I’ve heard are demands, and I’ve yet to see a single coin from you. That’s why I got angry.”

 

Hearing this, Zhen Yao felt an indescribable pang of disappointment.

 

“A’Lian, do we really have to settle everything with silver between us?”

 

In Zhen Yao’s heart, A’Lian was pure and sacred, someone who couldn’t be measured by worldly possessions. Yet now, she had so easily put a price on herself.

 

The mere thought of it made Zhen Yao’s heart ache unbearably.

 

“That’s not what I meant!”

 

At this moment, A’Lian couldn’t care about anything else. Her mind was wholly occupied with how to dodge Zhen Yao’s future interrogations.

 

“You can have the silver case, but never again use others to get to me. A’Lian, your current status ensures you’ll never go hungry or cold, nor will you ever be short of money. If there’s anything you want, just ask me directly.”

 

The words of reprimand swirled in her belly, but what escaped her lips came straight from the heart. Zhen Yao truly pitied her, for she couldn’t fathom how A’Lian had grown up like this.

 

“Madam, my flaws are too deep-rooted. You should just cast me aside!”

 

A’Lian wrapped her arms around Zhen Yao’s waist, her emotions in turmoil as she wept, tears streaming down her face.

 

“A’Lian, you are destined to be mine. Don’t ever speak such discouraging words again.”

 

“But Madam…”

 

Yet sooner or later, they would have to part.

 

A’Lian didn’t see this as deceit. Their passion was mutual, and when the time came to say goodbye, they could raise a glass and part with smiles.

 

“Don’t lie to me, don’t play with me, and don’t abandon me.”

 

For the first time, Zhen Yao felt utterly helpless, as if A’Lian were about to slip away from her. In her turmoil, she pressed fiercely against that softness, her emotions in disarray.

 

“Ah, I truly adore you, Madam!”

 

A’Lian’s arms half-opened, her whisper weak and trembling. Yet when faced with Zhen Yao’s questioning, she could never give a firm answer.

 

The thorny storm seemed to dissipate in their brief embrace.

 

“Madam, we should freshen up now.”

 

Perhaps sensing the complexity of the moment, A’Lian seized the chance to divert Zhen Yao’s probing.

 

Zhen Yao was not one driven by lust or beauty. She had only sought solace in that way. But as she pulled away, she knew with painful clarity that it had all been futile.

 

“Qing’er, fetch some warm water,” A’Lian called softly by the window, smoothing her hair.

 

Soon, the copper basin reflected their faces, each lost in their own thoughts.

 

By then, the heat of passion had cooled, and reason, once clouded by emotion, began to reassert itself.

 

Zhen Yao pondered carefully and soon sensed something amiss.

 

Even if A’Lian were greedy for money, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to act so recklessly. If she truly coveted the silver box, she had plenty of opportunities to scheme in daily life. Why target a newly arrived kitchen maid?

 

Unless she had ulterior motives!

 

With this thought, Zhen Yao waited until A’Lian was washing her face and discreetly signaled to Qing’er.

 

“Go quietly and find out what exactly the concubine discussed with the kitchen maid this evening. Keep an eye on her movements. Report back immediately if anything seems off.”

 

Qing’er nodded obediently, then mentioned something trivial.

 

“The old mistress is still worried about you. I heard she’s sent Matron Liu to fetch an outside physician.”

 

“It doesn’t matter!”

 

Zhen Yao rose and turned toward the inner chamber, but as she lifted the curtain, her body stiffened in shock.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“This humble one knows Madam’s heart is troubled. I can never repay your kindness, but tonight, I wish to offer all I have to comfort you.”

 

A’Lian knelt gracefully on the bed, her dark hair cascading like a waterfall, her beauty radiant as spring blossoms.

 

Her slender waist, adorned like a delicate willow, left Zhen Yao utterly defenseless. With a sidelong glance, Zhen Yao tossed a robe firmly at her feet.

 

“Put it on!”

 

“Madam despises me.” A’Lian’s face burned with shame.

 

Zhen Yao’s jade-like face was cold, her tone distant. “Tell me, how much is this night of passion worth?”

 

At these words, A’Lian trembled violently. Her small fists clenched the robe as she clumsily dressed, her movements shaky and awkward.

 

“This lowly one knows her place. Must Madam wound me with words?”

 

The sight of her pitiful state twisted Zhen Yao’s heart. The cruel words had spilled from her lips, and now regret gnawed at her insides.

 

“A’Lian, my heart is in chaos!”

 

So chaotic her mind was blank, so chaotic she wanted to tear off all pretenses. Heaven help her, what was she to do with her?

 

A’Lian, of course, knew nothing of Zhen Yao’s thoughts.

 

“Madam, I’m sorry.”

 

“What fault is yours to apologize for?”

 

A’Lian lay unusually still on the soft pillow, a clear tear suddenly slipping from the corner of her eye.

 

“Something unworthy of the grand stage, after all.”

 

“Enough!”

 

Zhen Yao erupted in fury, her delicate features dark and icy.

 

Self-deprecation, self-pity, even unwarranted belittlement!

 

Outside the window, the autumn wind howled desolately, rustling the window frames.

 

Inside the canopy bed, fire and water clashed.

 

“Madam is scolding me?” It was the first time A’Lian had seen her so unhinged.

 

Zhen Yao curled her lips in a cold smile, her tone laced with sarcasm. “More than that!”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

A’Lian instinctively shrank back, her entire body recoiling uncontrollably.

 

“I intend to show you personally whether you are worthy of the grand stage or not.”

 

“Shameless!”

 

Zhen Yao seized her slender, pale arm, her expression chillingly severe. “Thanks to the excellent teachings of your virtuous mentor.”

 

This time, it was A’Lian’s turn to be utterly dumbfounded.

 

“I—you… don’t you dare!”

 

“Why is it that you can set fire to the governor’s mansion, yet I cannot harm the innocent fish in the pond?”

 

A’Lian visibly panicked, desperately shielding her chest. “If you insist on this, I will resent you.”

 

Zhen Yao had only meant to frighten her, but these words struck a nerve.

 

“Just now, it was you who openly invited me, and now it’s you who pushes me away. A’Lian, what do I mean to you in your heart?”

 

A’Lian couldn’t answer, for she carried a sorrow too painful to voice.

 

“If Madam truly desires it, how could I refuse?”

 

A fleeting beauty, hardly worth a mention!

 

The canopy bed was spacious, yet Zhen Yao found no place to rest.

 

When Qing’er entered to extinguish the lamps, she sensed an eerie tension in the air tonight, though she thought little of it.

 

“Madam, are you asleep?”

 

It was unusually early to retire for the night. Qing’er carefully set down the teacup, puzzled.

 

After a pause, Zhen Yao cleared her throat lightly and replied, “Mm. Unless it’s urgent, don’t come in tonight. I’m exhausted.”

 

“Yes!”

 

A single curtain separated them, yet it felt like two different worlds.

 

In the darkness, A’Lian trembled with unease, while Zhen Yao tossed and turned.

 

She truly hated that this wasn’t the cave. If it were, all the unspoken words and inexpressible love could have poured out in the endless, lonely rain.

 

“A’Lian, why must we quarrel?”

 

The silver box, the doubts compared to the chasm between them now, they were trivial matters.

 

“It’s all my fault…”

 

A’Lian hesitated repeatedly. Even with the words at the tip of her tongue, she couldn’t bring herself to bare her heart.

 

“I’m at fault too!”

 

Since her mother’s passing, Zhen Yao had never yielded to anyone—A’Lian was the sole exception.

 

“Madam doesn’t understand. I don’t enjoy belittling myself. But all these years, the foundation of my survival has been shamelessness.”

 

Once a person develops a sense of shame, every action becomes shackled.

 

“Now that you’re by my side, the past is but fleeting clouds. A’Lian, stay here with me, steadfast.”

 

Zhen Yao, moved by emotion, conceived a hope she had never dared to dream of before.

 

Yet A’Lian could not stay nor was she meant to.

 

“The Su family’s wealth and glory. How many would claw their way in for a taste? My fake pregnancy sooner or later, the truth will come out.”

 

“I told you I’d help you. Why won’t you believe me?”

 

Faced with Zhen Yao’s helpless sigh, A’Lian fell silent.

 

Even if the other could give her a child, life in the household would remain fraught with hardship. The old Madam Su harbored malice, and Chen Rong pressed closer with each step. How long could their love alone sustain them?

 

Moreover, Madam had even requested a chastity arch. Under the scrutiny of the public, unless she were a peerless heroine, how could she possibly shield this forbidden love?

 

“Madam, hold me.”

 

When exhaustion offers no solace, one can only drown in indulgence.

 

A’Lian inched closer until their skin touched, reigniting a fiery heat.

 

Indifference was no longer an option. Zhen Yao’s crimson lips parted as she suddenly fought back.

 

Their long hair entwined, their bodies melded, blurring the lines between love and hatred.

 

At first tender, then tumultuous, then tearful, and finally, a sobbing climax.

 

The sturdy canopy bed stood firm, yet it could hardly withstand the repeated storms of passion.

 

Qing’er, on night duty, was startled awake by the commotion. She immediately sat up like a carp leaping from water and called out anxiously toward the inner chamber, “Madam?”

 

For a long while, there was no response only a faint glow revealing the trembling of the bed curtains.

 

Fearing the concubine harbored ill intent, Qing’er couldn’t help but peer toward the bed. “Madam—”

 

“Don’t overthink it. I was merely playing with the concubine.” The usually cool voice carried a hint of huskiness.

 

But Qing’er failed to notice. Just as she was about to turn and leave, she heard the madam calmly instruct, “Bring a pot of tea and place it on the side table, then fetch two damp towels. We worked up a bit of a sweat from the play-fighting.”