The Yandere Queen's Manual for Training Her Wife - Chapter 78

Xia Mingtang arranged to meet Qin Yan at a park in Sucheng.

The park was bustling with people, and the view was wide and open. If the conversation didn’t go well, she could leave at any time.

Although she had listened to Yang Fan’s advice yesterday—to face the situation bravely and communicate—now that she actually had to face Qin Yan, her heart was still a little uneasy.

The last two times, she had silently vanished without a word, disappearing like a ghost. Looking back, she realized it had been somewhat excessive.

Xia Mingtang arrived five minutes early. Qin Yan was there before her.

Before she even reached him, she saw a tall, slender figure sitting on a park bench.

After some time apart, he seemed even thinner. Though he looked weak, his back remained straight and unbent.

Xia Mingtang paused, planning to quickly run through her speech in her mind one last time.

Halfway through, the person on the bench turned his head. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, capturing her completely.

Xia Mingtang met his gaze, dared not hesitate, and took a few steps to sit next to Qin Yan on the bench, keeping about half a person’s distance between them.

From the moment their eyes met to the moment they sat on the same bench, Qin Yan hadn’t uttered a word, but his gaze was like a dense net, binding her tightly.

“Ahem,” Xia Mingtang cleared her throat, trying to hide her nervousness and muster a serious demeanor.

“Qin Yan, I asked you to come here today primarily to apologize.”

Addressing him so formally, Qin Yan felt quite displeased, but didn’t remain silent.

“Oh? So, Tangtang, what do you think you did wrong to me?”

The tone carried a subtle hint of sourness and grievance. Even Xia Mingtang, usually slow to notice, could clearly feel it from so close.

She fidgeted with her sleeve and decided to speak bluntly.

“The first time… in Yunzhen, I gave you sleeping pills without telling you and disappeared.

“The second time… on the yacht, I faked my death and almost caused you to drown.”

Her voice grew softer as she spoke. Every word made Qin Yan’s eyes redden a little more.

The usually strong and composed person was now like a child, hurt at hearing the one they cared about mention their deepest pain.

Xia Mingtang, rarely seeing Qin Yan like this, felt sympathy outweighing her fear.

She gently patted Qin Yan’s hand on the bench and said sincerely, “I’m sorry.”

Qin Yan clasped her hand in return and offered a forced, gentle smile.

“It’s okay, it’s all in the past. Now come back with me, and we’ll live together as before. Everything else will be forgiven and forgotten.”

“Live together as before…”

Xia Mingtang’s heart jolted. She abruptly withdrew her hand.

“I can’t live with you anymore. This is the second thing I need to apologize for.”

As soon as the words fell, Qin Yan froze for a second.

She lowered her head, hiding the dark, unclear light in her eyes.

The sun was nearing dusk, and the light under the trees was dim.

Xia Mingtang couldn’t clearly see Qin Yan’s expression but knew she was not pleased.

Still, Qin Yan was now a fragile person; even if upset, she couldn’t do much in the moment.

Taking advantage of this, Xia Mingtang poured out all the words she had been holding back.

If she didn’t say them now, it would be even harder in the future.

“You are actually a good person…” Xia Mingtang began, giving him recognition first, then took a deep breath.

“But we’re not compatible. The closeness you desire requires your partner to be completely under your control—their habits, their relationships.

“I prefer a free and unrestrained life, wanting to go to different places, try new things.

“I can’t imagine a life where it’s only one person and all my actions must follow someone else’s will. That would be terrifying.

“So… let’s divorce.”

The last sentence, like a small pebble tossed into a calm lake, sent ripples across the surface.

Before coming to meet him, Qin Yan had considered many possibilities.

Maybe the little fox would explain, maybe pretend to comply, or maybe throw a tantrum to prevent her from leaving.

But she never expected him to apologize so earnestly and analyze his inner needs.

This temporarily stopped her from wanting to confine him.

However, she would never allow a divorce!

He toyed with a fallen leaf from a tree, crushing it in frustration, his mind racing.

She couldn’t agree, but couldn’t force him either. She couldn’t make the little fox dislike her more.

Xia Mingtang saw that Qin Yan kept his head down, silent. She knew it would take some time to process the news.

Perhaps surviving a near-death experience had softened his disposition. Previously, if they were alone at home, she wouldn’t dare speak her mind.

Had she said “divorce” before, he might have gone mad instantly.

Now, he had not lost control, indicating he had absorbed some of it.

Xia Mingtang got up from the bench and patted Qin Yan’s shoulder, her tone measured.

“Take your time to think about it. Contact me when you’ve made up your mind.”

Having finally voiced her true feelings face-to-face, she exhaled deeply, feeling relieved.

It wasn’t as hard as she thought.

She wondered how long it would take him to process it.

Walking along the road, absorbed in thought, she didn’t notice two young people racing bicycles toward her like the wind.

“Watch out!”

The shout brought her back to reality, but before she could react, someone yanked her sharply.

The force knocked her across the ground several times, but a pair of hands protected the back of her head.

Opening her eyes, she saw a familiar gentle face up close. But the eyes, usually unreadable, were tightly closed.

Trembling, she reached out, and blood trickled along her fingertips.

The youths who had collided with them got off their bikes, standing nearby, clueless.

“Stop standing there! Call 911!” Xia Mingtang used her coat to carefully cushion Qin Yan’s head, her voice hoarse with panic.

Sucheng Third People’s Hospital

The surgery light remained on. Xia Mingtang paced anxiously outside, unable to sit still.

Life is unpredictable; who would have thought that someone as agile as Qin Yan could end up in surgery because of a bicycle accident?

She felt especially relieved that she had her ID with her; otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to sign the consent form.

Finally, the red light went out, and the operating room door opened.

“Doctor, how is she?” Xia Mingtang rushed forward.

“The surgery went well. The patient is out of danger,” said the doctor in a white coat, removing his mask.

“But family members should be prepared mentally,” he added.

“Mentally prepared? Isn’t that what they say when preparing for the worst?”

Before the doctor could finish, she followed the stretcher into the ward.

Qin Yan lay quietly on the bed, eyes tightly shut, long eyelashes resembling a fragile porcelain doll.

The strong, domineering persona from before was completely gone.

Xia Mingtang disliked his usual arrogance, but seeing him so vulnerable made her even more uneasy.

A perfectly healthy person, brought down so suddenly—all for saving her.

She had originally planned to settle their issues once and for all today, and then part ways.

Now… all she could do was hope he recovered quickly.

The youths involved waited at the hospital for hours. Xia Mingtang, knowing she was partially at fault, didn’t make a fuss after confirming Qin Yan was out of immediate danger.

A special nurse was assigned to care for him. Xia Mingtang returned home to freshen up.

The next morning, she came to check on him again.

Entering the ward, she found several doctors and nurses surrounding the bed.

Qin Yan wore a light blue hospital gown, her head wrapped in bandages, sitting on the bed with pursed lips.

A sharp-eyed doctor noticed Xia Mingtang and immediately pulled her in.

“Finally, a family member is here. The patient refuses injections and medication, only saying she wants her mother.”

Her mother?

“How old is she?” Xia Mingtang asked, exasperated, walking to the bed.

Qin Yan looked at her, not very enthusiastic but still courteous. “Ten.”

Xia Mingtang: ?

“Doctor, what’s going on?”

The attending doctor pulled her aside and patiently explained:

“You went too fast yesterday. I didn’t even finish speaking. The patient’s brain was impacted, causing damage to neural connections.

“Memory storage has been affected, and we’re unsure what stage of information retrieval she’s at.”

Xia Mingtang was stunned. After a moment, she paraphrased: “You mean… she’s lost her memory?”

“That’s a simple way to put it. The medical principles are actually very complex.” The doctor drew out a pen, preparing to illustrate.

“Wait,” Xia Mingtang interrupted, uninterested in the technicalities. “When will she recover?”

“That’s uncertain,” the doctor said, putting the pen away.

“Such cases have occurred before. Recovery times vary—some in a day or two, some in months, some even years.

“Keeping the patient in a happy mood can help accelerate recovery.”

Xia Mingtang felt hopeless, looking at Qin Yan, sitting like a statue, and thought about the possibility of sending her back to Rongcheng.

But that would be inhumane. The families in Rongcheng, especially the Ji family, harbored intense resentment toward Qin Yan.

Sending a ten-year-old back would be akin to sentencing her to death.

This was a problem she had to deal with.

She sighed and returned to the bed, patting Qin Yan’s shoulder.

“Your mother isn’t here. You’re sick, so you need to listen to the doctor, take your medicine and injections on time.

“If you misbehave again, I’ll throw you out to the wolves, understood?”

Qin Yan looked up at her contemptuously. “Do you think I’m three years old?”

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