The Yandere Queen's Manual for Training Her Wife - Chapter 9

Qin Yan, with her good-natured patience, let the rattled young woman cling to her arms, whimpering and sobbing.

In an extremely awkward position, she struggled to reach for a handkerchief in her pocket, teasing, “If you keep crying like this, your makeup is going to run, and you’ll turn into a little calico cat.”

Xia Mingtang buried her head in Qin Yan’s neck, sniffling and mumbling in a muffled voice, “Wah… no it won’t. My makeup was expensive, it’s waterproof.”

Pfft!

Qin Yan finally got the handkerchief out. When the girl in her arms finally let go a little, Qin Yan reached out to wipe the “little pearls” from her face. She then examined the handkerchief and concluded, “Hmm, it really is waterproof.”

Actually, Xia Mingtang wasn’t that scared anymore after getting off the horse; she was just feeling purely wronged.

Now, seeing Qin Yan teasing her like a child, she belatedly started to feel a bit embarrassed.

Perhaps because she had just been crying, Xia Mingtang’s perky nose was red, and her pretty face was also flushed.

Watching the girl’s pitiful yet adorable expression, Qin Yan, on a whim, took out her phone, aimed it at the red cheeks, and went “click.”

Xia Mingtang froze for a full three seconds, then reacted, “Qin Yan, you took a picture of me.”

“Yep, I did.” Qin Yan put her phone away, answering with complete candor.

No…

Her brain, still recovering from the scare, was a bit slow. Xia Mingtang rebooted for five seconds before a look of indignation appeared on her face. “I was just crying like that, I must have looked terrible. You’re not allowed to keep the photo!”

Before Xia Mingtang could lunge at her, Qin Yan had already stood up, looking down with a gentle and warm smile. “No, Xiao Hua, you are always pretty. And don’t forget, your makeup is waterproof.”

Xia Mingtang was speechless.

Just as she was about to continue her argument with Qin Yan, Old Yang, the stable manager, trotted over with Wūzēi, the horse, and apologized profusely. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It was our stable’s oversight that the two of you were startled.”

Qin Yan crouched down to look at Wūzēi’s forelegs, which were still stained with some broken firecracker paper. She comforted him, “It’s not your fault. It must be some kids from the alley over there setting off firecrackers. Some duds must have been blown to the edge of the field, and Wūzēi got spooked when he stepped on them.”

Old Yang saw that this was indeed the case and was enlightened. “No wonder. I was thinking, Wūzēi is usually such a good kid.”

Xia Mingtang, who was currently staring wide-eyed at Wūzēi, heard Old Yang’s words and thought to herself: You must have some misunderstanding about the word “good.”

“I have to go and thoroughly clean the edges of the stable right away, so no other horses step on them!” Old Yang was a man of action. He turned to leave but was pulled back by the reins in his hand.

“Go ahead. We’ll take Wūzēi back to the stall,” Qin Yan said, taking the reins.

After Old Yang left, Qin Yan and Xia Mingtang each held a horse, walking along the lake towards the stable.

Xia Mingtang, still holding a grudge over the horse’s spooking, took advantage of Wūzēi being quiet and angrily rubbed its ears.

“Hmph, I’ve seen dumb horses, but I’ve never seen one as dumb as you.”

Wūzēi didn’t lose its temper this time, just snorted two big puffs of air from its nostrils.

Qin Yan chimed in, “This is a bad horse. We won’t ride it again.”

“No, I’m going to specifically ride it from now on!” Xia Mingtang’s stubbornness flared up, and she patted Wūzēi’s head in declaration.

Qin Yan was speechless.

After leading the horses back to the stable, the two were about to head home when Qin Yan received a call.

“Yes.”

“Okay, I understand.”

When Qin Yan was on the phone, she seemed to transform into a different person, speaking concisely with an expression that was impossible to read.

A minute later, she hung up the phone and looked at Xia Mingtang with an apologetic expression. “Sorry, Xiao Hua, I have to go for a bit. Can you make it back to the inn by yourself?”

Xia Mingtang was a grown woman, but when Qin Yan asked if she could get back to the inn two streets away by herself, she really wanted to say no.

At this moment, Xia Mingtang was acting a little out of character. Looking at the departing Qin Yan, her first reaction wasn’t to ask what the other person was going to do, but to find out when she would be back.

“I’ll be back at the inn for dinner tonight. We’ll get to try Yi Yi’s best squirrel-shaped mandarin fish.”

Qin Yan seemed to have read Xia Mingtang’s mind. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and answered on her own.

It was just a very ordinary gesture, but Xia Mingtang’s heart inexplicably started to beat faster.

She nodded dumbly, and it wasn’t until she saw Qin Yan’s retreating figure in the distance that she turned back towards the inn with a sense of bewilderment.

She was a little absent-minded. When Yang Fan came up to greet her, she acted much more reserved and quiet than usual.

It’s strange. Why has my mind been filled with Qin Yan the whole way back?

Back in her room, she casually picked up a book to distract herself. It was 36 Ways to Chase Love, written by Yang Fan himself.

She flipped open a page half-heartedly.

The Fifth Method, The Bridge Effect: Place your target in a tense and exciting environment, and their heart rate will involuntarily quicken. At this moment, if someone appears in front of them, they will misattribute the cause of their rapid heartbeat to feelings for that person. Below are some examples of scenarios that can produce the Bridge Effect…

As she read, Xia Mingtang let out a sigh of relief and laughed.

So that’s it. Her unusual reactions earlier were just the Bridge Effect, a very normal psychological response.

But wait a minute, this was supposed to be a technique she used to “win over” Qin Yan. How did she almost fall for her own trap instead?

Xia Mingtang closed her eyes and silently repeated, “It’s just the Bridge Effect, don’t forget the main goal,” twice. When she opened her eyes again, her expression had become clear and focused.

Her phone rang at just the right time. Xia Mingtang saw the name “An Ran” on the screen and answered.

“Tángtáng, Happy New Year’s Day.” An Ran was not much older than Xia Mingtang, but her voice sounded much more mature, with a deep, slightly hoarse quality.

Xia Mingtang glanced at the calendar next to her and realized what day it was, replying, “Senior, Happy New Year’s Day. From the sound of it, are you still at the office?”

“Just finished, about to head off. It seems Jishi National Agency has some experts helping them out, but don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” An Ran stood up and closed the window, blocking out the background noise.

“I have a million percent confidence in your abilities, senior. But you also need to remember to rest and not work too hard.” Xia Mingtang’s concern for her company’s top asset was sincere.

“If you know I’m working hard, then when are you coming back? What kind of boss is a hands-off manager like you?” An Ran’s tone was playfully chiding, but she wasn’t truly blaming her.

“I’m still in exile, you know. Grandmother won’t give the word, so there’s nothing I can do.” Being a clever and compliant girl was something Xia Mingtang was an expert at.

“You little rascal, I know what you’re up to. Fine, go and play for a few more days, but you absolutely have to be back next month.”

“Okay, I promise to be back next month.”

After a brief chat, they ended the call. Xia Mingtang then called the Xia family home to check on her grandmother’s health.

From the tone of the conversation, her grandmother wasn’t planning on letting her return to Róngchéng just yet, which was exactly what she wanted. She didn’t want to go back either.

Two calls later, it was nearly dusk, and Xia Mingtang’s stomach began to protest.

She remembered the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish that Qin Yan had mentioned, and her actions preceded her thoughts as she headed downstairs.

The inn’s guests, with the exception of Xia Mingtang, had all been staying there for at least two months, treating the place as a second home.

Today was New Year’s Day, and Qin Yan had long ago instructed Yi Yi to prepare. They were inviting the guests to a simple get-together in the evening.

When Xia Mingtang arrived downstairs, the inn had been tidied up. A row of small red lanterns hung from the eaves, and red spring couplets had been pasted on the doors and windows, adding a festive touch.

The main hall table had been moved to the small courtyard and set up with a variety of delicious-looking and fragrant dishes.

Besides Yang Fan, the inn was also home to a young artistic couple and a tired office worker on an extended vacation.

“You’re just in time. Come sit here.” Yang Fan, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot Xia Mingtang and beckoned her over.

Xia Mingtang came to the table, helping to set out the bowls and chopsticks while greeting the other guests. But her mind wasn’t really on the dinner table.

She said she would be back for dinner.

The dishes were all served, but the inn’s owner was nowhere to be seen.

Yi Yi took a phone call and then announced to the guests, “Sister Qin has something she needs to take care of. She said for us to go ahead and start. Please, everyone, enjoy yourselves.”

The other guests were already accustomed to the mysterious busyness of their boss, Qin Yan. Facing Yi Yi’s wonderful cooking, everyone was ready to dig in without any formality.

They had been living together for a few months and none of them were socially anxious. They chatted about their lives and experiences, and the atmosphere quickly became lively.

Xia Mingtang, in the midst of this lively atmosphere, felt a little down.

Normally a meat lover, she was now uncharacteristically refined in the face of a table full of delicacies.

Yang Fan, thinking she was a bit shy since she was new, took good care of her. He tipped a small porcelain bottle and filled her empty cup. “This plum wine was brewed personally by Boss Qin. It has a particularly mellow taste. You should try it.”

Xia Mingtang was originally disinterested, but as soon as she heard the words “Boss Qin,” she picked up the glass and gulped it all down.

Yang Fan was stunned and reached out to stop her. “Hey, even if it’s just fruit wine, you shouldn’t drink it like that.”

“It’s good!” Xia Mingtang put the glass down, her beautiful foxlike eyes shining brightly, as if they held stars.

Seeing her like this, Yang Fan didn’t want to be a spoilsport. He simply pushed the whole bottle of fruit wine in front of her. “Boss Qin brewed a lot of this, but drink it slowly.”

“Okay!” Xia Mingtang nodded, picked up the bottle, poured herself another full glass, and downed it in one go.

Yang Fan was speechless.

After a few bottles of fruit wine, even Xia Mingtang’s breathing carried the scent of plums.

The figures around her gradually became blurry. She looked up at the sky, which was so dark and vast, with so many, many stars.

One star, in particular, was exceptionally bright. It rushed towards her from a distance, its blurry outline gradually becoming clear. In the night sky, it grew facial features and eventually transformed into the likeness of Qin Yan.

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