The Yandere Queen's Manual for Training Her Wife - Chapter 69

Qin Yan heard the camera click on the phone. She waited for several seconds, but there was no response from Xia Mingtang.

Suddenly, she remembered something, and in a flustered panic, she closed the blue notebook she had been pretending to browse and called out urgently, “Tangtang!”

“Hmm.” Xia Mingtang looked up, her beautiful brows furrowed slightly. “Don’t rush me. I’m editing photos.”

Qin Yan took a couple of steps closer, looking down at the phone screen.

The photo had captured her in a perfect, slightly lowered glance — the composition looked artistic.

Xia Mingtang was currently selecting filters using the phone’s built-in camera editing function.

“Wow, I didn’t expect you to have this skill, Tangtang. You took such a good photo. Amazing.”

Although choosing a filter isn’t exactly a high-level skill, flattery is always welcome.

Xia Mingtang picked a natural light filter, saved it, and handed the phone back to Qin Yan, looking adorably proud. “If you want to praise yourself for looking good, just say it. No need to be so subtle.”

“Of course, the model also contributed a little.”

Holding the phone, Qin Yan offered help, “Do you want me to send this to you now? WeChat or QQ?”

Xia Mingtang shook her head with slight disdain. “No need. I was just playing around. No one asked to keep your photo.”

Qin Yan had long been familiar with Xia’s contradictory words and intentions, but she wasn’t foolish enough to call her out. She decided to find a chance to send it later secretly.

The two casually bought a book at a stall and continued wandering through the lantern market.

It was Xia Mingtang’s first time visiting such a place, and she showed a young person’s curiosity, stopping to check out anything that looked novel.

Qin Yan patiently followed behind. She opened the Penguin app and noticed the top row of avatars each had an unread notification, seemingly untouched.

K had sent her several messages, the latest being: [This quarter’s report has been sent to your email], which made her quietly relieved.

Next to Chang’an Lantern Market was a section themed on mythical love stories. Even from a distance, they could hear the mingled sound of flutes and suona.

Xia Mingtang paused and looked. Two parade floats slowly approached from opposite ends of the street.

One float held a gracefully dressed fairy, and the other a farmer in simple clothing.

One played a flute, the other danced with flowing sleeves, gradually approaching each other with the floats.

“This is a character performance parade,” Qin Yan explained.

“The two on the floats are playing the Cowherd and Weaver Girl. They fall in love across the mortal and celestial worlds. Forbidden by heaven, they’re punished to the opposite ends of the Milky Way, only able to see each other once a year on the Magpie Bridge.”

This story was universally known and hardly needed explanation.

But Qin, usually sparing with words, felt compelled to speak in front of the one she loved.

Xia Mingtang watched the floats and let out a disdainful snort. “Hmph, serves him right!”

“Ah?” Qin Yan looked at her, confused.

Xia Mingtang’s small mouth was deadly sharp. “I mean the cowherd deserves it. The Weaver Girl was happily living as a fairy in the heavens, but he stole her clothes to force her to be his wife — isn’t that harassment?

“A relationship built on calculation and threats is no kind of love. The fact that heaven allows it is unbelievable. And in the end, he still plays the victim, and people call it a tragic love story. From start to finish, only the Weaver Girl suffers.”

Qin Yan looked at her little wife, so righteously indignant about a legendary love story, that she opened her mouth but didn’t dare say a word.

“See? I’m right, aren’t I?” Xia Mingtang stared at her, clearly implying: if you dare to disagree, I won’t talk to you anymore.

“Yes, yes, you’re right. I’ll have someone remove the two performers!” Qin Yan nodded emphatically, promising resolutely.

Time flew as they wandered through the amusement park, and soon night fell.

The two walked to the artificial lake at the west end of the lantern market, watching hundreds of sky lanterns rise, illuminating the night sky.

“These are wish lanterns, Tangtang. Want to light one?” Qin Yan held Xia Mingtang’s hand and led her to a lantern stall.

“Sure.” In fact, since taking photos earlier that afternoon, Xia Mingtang had lost interest in sightseeing, but she forced herself to appear cheerful and curious.

At the lake, it was natural to light a lantern.

Qin Yan scanned the QR code to buy two lanterns, handing one with a brush to Xia Mingtang.

“The lantern has a wish paper attached. You can write your wish on it.”

“Tch, thousands of years and people still can’t escape superstition,” Xia Mingtang said ambiguously, but bent over the lantern, writing carefully, shielding it with her hand to prevent Qin Yan from peeking.

Qin Yan smiled indulgently at her caution, and wrote her own wish on the paper.

They lit their lanterns almost simultaneously and released them by the lake.

The small paper lanterns flickered as they rose, carried farther and farther by the wind.

“Hey, what did you write just now?” Xia Mingtang nudged Qin Yan’s elbow while gazing at the night sky.

Qin Yan smiled. “You wouldn’t let me see your wish, yet you ask me about mine now? That’s a bit unfair.”

“Hmph, forget it.” Xia Mingtang patted her hands and turned to walk back.

“Going back already?” Qin Yan hurried to catch up, fearing she might upset her.

“Actually, I can tell you a little. My wish… to fulfill it, I’ll need your cooperation.”

Xia Mingtang slowed down, thinking for a few seconds. “Hmm, actually, my wish also needs your cooperation.”

“Okay.” Qin Yan held her hand, eyes shining with delight.

The two lanterns drifted along the sky, almost colliding for a moment but quickly separating onto their own paths.

One lantern read: “Grow old together, never apart.”

The other: “Fly high and free.”

They returned to the West Well Villa after finishing at the amusement park.

The delicate Xia Mingtang, exhausted from the day, collapsed onto the bed like a ragdoll after bathing.

Qin Yan, in deep blue silk pajamas, knelt on the bed massaging her.

Xia Mingtang looked at the pillow, recalling the message she saw on Qin Yan’s phone earlier, and fell silent in thought.

“Ah~”

Qin Yan’s massage was tantalizing, sending tingles through her body, scattering her thoughts.

“Massage properly.” Xia Mingtang nudged her smooth, slender legs impatiently.

“Mm, I’ll massage properly,” Qin Yan replied, but her hands, roughened by calluses, circled around to the front.

Xia Mingtang: !

What followed naturally escalated. Soon, she was stripped bare, body flushed like a boiled shrimp.

Knowing she couldn’t think clearly tonight, she arched her knees and warned, “Don’t take too long. I still have work early tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Qin Yan held her close, kissing her tenderly.

Xia Mingtang’s good treatment all day had excited Qin Yan immensely.

Even during intimacy, Qin Yan spoke more than usual, showering her with affectionate words as if they were free.

“Tangtang, you’re so cute. I love you, I want to hold you close all the time.”

“I want to see you every moment, hug you, kiss you.”

“Today, you treated me so well. I’m so happy. For you, I’m willing to do anything.”

Hearing the last words, Xia Mingtang suddenly opened her eyes in the haze of passion.

With a soft, hoarse voice, she asked, “Willing to do anything… but… would you… lie to me?”

“I naturally wouldn’t. I can’t bear to lie to you.”

Qin Yan kissed her most tender, vulnerable place.

From then on, Xia Mingtang could think of nothing else.

The next day, after breakfast, Xia Mingtang accepted Qin Yan’s offer to be driven to the company.

She had just shown some goodwill yesterday, so if she suddenly changed her attitude, it would seem capricious.

What she didn’t know was that she had long been accustomed to capriciousness.

Even if she did show sudden displeasure, Qin Yan would only reflect on what she had done wrong to upset the lady.

At the company, Xia Mingtang locked herself in An Ran’s office and made an international call.

There was a time difference between the U.S. and China, so it was evening there.

“Tangtang?” An Ran answered, sounding surprised and somewhat happy.

“Senior, have you finished work there?” Xia Mingtang asked, hearing a noisy background.

“Finished early. I’m at the supermarket now.”

“Got it. I saw your birthday photos. They’re beautiful. I’ve prepared a small gift, left with the company security.”

Why not give it before leaving? Xia Mingtang’s mind flickered with doubt, but that wasn’t the main point. She had another matter to inquire about.

“Okay, I’ll pick it up later. Senior, which company are you working at? My grandmother also has business in the U.S., maybe I can provide some information for you.”

She had learned to probe indirectly instead of asking straight about An Ran’s reasons for going abroad.

An Ran paused two seconds. It wasn’t exactly a secret, so she replied truthfully. “Flying Group. We even studied their products together before.”

“Flying? That’s good. You should know the company better than me, so I won’t pretend to know more.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries and hung up.

Xia Mingtang opened a web page and searched Qin Yan’s résumé in the U.S. As luck would have it, Qin Yan had worked as COO at Flying Group for two years.

She looked at the Penguin icon on her desktop and double-clicked it on impulse.

This computer had An Ran’s login info saved, allowing password-free access for a period.

The snow mountain avatar wasn’t at the top this time, so she searched for a while to find it.

Opening the chat window, she found one more synchronized message.

[Now you can communicate normally with her, but forbidden topics are off-limits]

Normal communication with “her” was allowed.

So, An Ran had indeed sent her a birthday gift.

Once or twice could be coincidence, but now, Xia Mingtang realized she could no longer make excuses for Qin Yan.

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