The Yandere Queen's Manual for Training Her Wife - Chapter 83

Suzhou was a sprawling city. With communications down, trying to find someone by sheer personal effort was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

But Summer Mingtang had no other option. Missing-person cases couldn’t be filed within the first 24 hours, so she could only retrace all the places Qin Yan had gone after waking up, hoping to get lucky.

Her first stop was the hospital where Qin Yan had been rescued.

At this hour, only a few young nurses were on duty. One of them recognized her as the family member of a recent patient and warmly offered to help search. She even got the security guard to check the surveillance footage.

Soon, the conclusion was clear: Qin Yan hadn’t come back to the hospital all day.

Not unexpected—but still one less possibility.

After thanking the staff, Summer Mingtang hurried off to the next place— the hotel Qin Yan had previously canceled her reservation with.

The hotel front desk, however, was not nearly as accommodating as the hospital. Since Summer Mingtang had only lingered briefly in the lobby before, the night-shift clerk didn’t recognize her. And without proof, asking about a former guest’s whereabouts was against hotel policy.

She hit a wall. Just as she was fretting over how to gain the clerk’s trust, a quarreling young couple stumbled into the lobby.

The girl complained: “Why’d you walk off so fast? I wanted to watch more of the commotion. Such a rare spectacle!”

The boy retorted: “Commotion? Didn’t you see how terrifying that woman was? Silent as a ghost, yet she flattened five grown men like it was nothing. What if you’d been caught in the middle?”

The girl pouted: “But she was precise! She didn’t hurt any bystanders. Skills like that—I thought only existed in TV dramas.”

The boy sighed: “I keep telling you, watch less of those shows.”

By now, the two had stepped into the elevator.

Standing nearby, Summer Mingtang’s mind rapidly strung together the key words: woman, silent, skilled.

She felt like she’d just grabbed onto a lifeline. Sprinting toward the elevator, she shouted, “Wait!”

She jammed her hand between the closing doors, forcing them open, and rushed inside, squeezing herself between the startled couple and bending over to catch her breath.

“What the hell—so reckless!” the boyfriend muttered, rolling his eyes at her back.

Summer Mingtang ignored him, latching onto the girl’s arm.

“The woman you saw—fighting five guys—was she around thirty? Over 170 centimeters? Really beautiful?”

The girl, curious by nature, studied the anxious young woman before her. After a pause, she nodded. “I think so—twenties or thirties, and very pretty.”

That’s her!

Relief and excitement surged through Summer Mingtang. She clutched the girl’s arm even tighter. “Can you tell me where you saw her?”

The girl squirmed at the grip but, seeing the desperate sincerity in those striking features, felt a flicker of pity and didn’t hold back.

“Behind the hotel—at that food stall in the alley, the busiest one.”

“Thank you!”

Summer Mingtang slammed the button for the nearest floor, bolted out, and took the stairs back down.

Behind the hotel lay Suzhou’s famous night market street. At this hour, the stalls were buzzing.

She followed the crowd and easily found the busiest, noisiest food stall.

From afar, it didn’t look like a supper scene at all, but a show—people packed shoulder-to-shoulder, some gossiping, others live-streaming.

“…I’ll come home later, I’m at Liao’s BBQ right now. You wouldn’t believe it—total chaos tonight.

“Some thugs came to make trouble, and just when I thought I’d run, a female hero appeared. Bare-handed, she mowed through them like it was nothing.

“I swear, she was cooler than any wuxia heroine, like Zhou Zhiruo herself—took them all down without blinking.”

…

Squeezing through the crowd, Summer Mingtang finally caught sight of the person she was looking for.

Qin Yan sat calmly at a small wooden table, face expressionless, biting into a skewer of grilled meat. She chewed, swallowed, and chased it with a sip of beer.

If one ignored her foot pinning a blond thug to the ground, she could almost pass for a normal late-night diner.

The tall thug, face bruised and swollen, had been cursing nonstop at first—until each insult was silenced by Qin Yan pressing harder on his back. Within a minute, he shut up.

Four more lay sprawled nearby, groaning weakly, either unable—or unwilling—to get up.

Seeing Qin Yan unharmed, Summer Mingtang finally exhaled in relief.

She strode over, plopped down at the table, and grabbed a skewer to stuff in her mouth.

All because this woman had run off without a word, she hadn’t had a proper meal all day—and here Qin Yan was, feasting like a queen.

Qin Yan glanced at her, still stone-faced, but silently transferred a plate of grilled shrimp to her.

Too hungry to argue, Summer Mingtang wolfed it down until her stomach eased.

She poured herself a cup of beer, took a sip, and grimaced, pushing it aside. How could anyone enjoy this bitter stuff?

Wait. Could a kid even drink alcohol?

Remembering her real purpose, she set down the food and scolded:

“Not answering your phone, pulling a disappearing act, and then picking fights in alleys—real impressive!”

Qin Yan sulked, snatching back the shrimp she’d meant to offer, and stuffed it into her own mouth.

Only after chewing and swallowing did she mutter, “It wasn’t a brawl. It was me against five of them.”

Summer Mingtang nearly laughed from sheer exasperation. That’s what you’re focusing on?

She wanted to keep reprimanding her for this whole “running away from home” act, but with so many eyes on them, she held back. They’d settle this at home.

“Finished eating? Then let’s go.”

Qin Yan wiped her mouth with a napkin, still displeased. “I’m full, but we can’t leave yet.”

“…Why not?”

“Waiting for the police.”

No sooner had she spoken than one of the thugs sprang up, snatched a beer bottle, and swung it at Summer Mingtang.

She toppled off her stool with a yelp—but Qin Yan caught the bottle mid-swing and smashed it over the thug’s head, dropping him back to the ground.

Hauling Summer Mingtang upright, Qin Yan’s eyes flashed dangerously. She grabbed another unopened bottle, about to strike again, but Summer Mingtang clutched her arm.

“Stop, stop! I’m fine. Didn’t you say you’re waiting for the police? Just…sit and eat a little longer.”

Rubbing her sore backside, Summer Mingtang couldn’t help but think: How did I go from scolding her… to talking her down like some peacemaker?

Qin Yan grudgingly sat back down, opened another beer, and muttered darkly, “They’re so slow.”

In truth, the police had arrived within twenty minutes—remarkably efficient, considering the crowded night streets.

An officer in blue cap cleared the crowd and asked, “Who called the police?”

“I did.” Qin Yan wiped her mouth, at least showing respect by speaking without food in it.

The officer studied her. “We were told there was a fight. Who were the participants?”

Qin Yan pointed one by one: “Him, him, him, him, and him.”

The officer glanced down. Well, well—old troublemakers, all of them. She ordered her team to haul the five onto the police van.

Then she turned back. “You’ll need to come along too, miss, to give a statement.”

Summer Mingtang followed Qin Yan to the station.

She thought it’d be routine paperwork. But of course, Qin Yan had to complicate things.

“Cause of dispute?” the officer asked, pen poised.

Leaning back casually, Qin Yan replied, “I was eating skewers. They were too noisy. I quieted them down.”

The officer froze mid-stroke. “…So you struck first?”

“Yes,” Qin Yan said, without hesitation.

The officer scratched out her notes, glanced from Qin Yan to the thugs, and prompted gently: “Were they harassing you?”

“No,” Qin Yan said firmly. “They’re not capable of that. Just…too loud.”

The officer: …

Summer Mingtang: …

Of all the things to say, you pick the one that makes you look guilty!

The thugs jumped at the chance: “See, officer? We told you we’re innocent! We were just drinking a little loud, and she went off on us!”

The police knew what kind of scum these men were, but with both parties giving the same story, they were bound by procedure.

By law, Qin Yan could be held for a few days. The thugs, ironically, looked like victims.

The officer sighed. “In that case, then—”

“Wait!” Summer Mingtang cut in, panicked.

“She’s my wife. She’s been unwell—her testimony can’t be trusted. I can provide a medical certificate tomorrow.”

The officer brightened, as if seeing salvation, and gestured for her to continue.

But Qin Yan cut her off coldly: “I’m perfectly sane. I stand by every word.”

Summer Mingtang: !

Are you trying to get yourself locked up?!

Just then, a timid young woman entered—the key witness.

“I was eating at the stall too,” she said softly, glancing at the thugs with hatred. “They harassed me. This lady defended me.”

She looked at Qin Yan, hesitated several seconds, then continued. “I was terrified, so I ran. But when I heard they’d been brought here, I felt I had to come forward.”

With her testimony, the case turned around instantly.

The officer recorded her statement, comforted her, then turned to the thugs.

“You, you, you, and you—you’re charged with harassment, disturbing the peace, and repeated offenses. Stay put.”

Then to Summer Mingtang: “Your wife acted bravely. But patients with mental health issues shouldn’t be left alone. Wishing her a speedy recovery.”

Crisis averted.

Summer Mingtang thanked the police and witness, then dragged Qin Yan out of the station.

But instead of relief, Qin Yan stayed grim-faced.

Irritated, Summer Mingtang let go once they were alone, folding her arms.

“Running away, switching off your phone, nearly getting yourself arrested—don’t tell me this is some teenage rebellion phase.”

Qin Yan shot her a glance, muttered, “Fine. Just think of it that way.”

“…What?”

Perplexed, Summer Mingtang caught up and tried a clumsy joke.

“Thing is, ten years old is a bit early for a rebellious phase. At your age, you should be celebrating Children’s Day.”

She laughed at her own joke, looking at the “giant child” before her.

But Qin Yan’s eyes darkened. “Actually…I remembered more today.”

Summer Mingtang’s heart leapt. “How much?”

This—this was what mattered most.

Qin Yan, realizing what her recovered memory truly meant, deliberately downplayed it.

“Sixteen. The year my mother remarried.”

Moonlight gilded her jade-like profile in melancholy silver.

Summer Mingtang’s chest tightened. Linking today’s odd behavior with those words, a wild yet oddly plausible thought struck her.

“…You…haven’t mistaken me for your mother, have you?”

Qin Yan: ……

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