TRWSB – Chapter 16 So-called Husband and Wife

Yi Fan returned to the side courtyard and saw a pretty maid standing at the door with her hands on her hips, looking impatient.

“Young Master Fan, where have you run off to again?” Xiangyun sneered coldly, then added, “Going out this late and returning in the middle of the night—you must have been messing around in some brothel, right?”

Yi Fan glanced at Xiangyun and said, “That’s right! You guessed it. You’re really clever.”

Xiangyun angrily retorted, “You already have Miss, yet you’re still sneaking off to a brothel?”

Yi Fan replied indifferently, “Your Miss is all looks and no use. What good is beauty? Besides, she’s pretty, but always wearing that sour face like a stepmother—just looking at her makes me lose my appetite.”

Xiangyun glared at Yi Fan, clearly irritated. “Young Master Fan, with your weak abilities, how dare you criticize Miss? Instead of wasting time at brothels, why don’t you learn from your two brothers and work harder? If you showed a bit of ambition, maybe your father wouldn’t ignore you like he does.”

Yi Fan scoffed, “Little girl, if you like either of them so much, go seduce them yourself. Why bother me?”

Watching Yi Fan’s back as he walked away, Xiangyun angrily stomped her foot.

Yi Fan ignored her and walked straight ahead. As Mu Xuelan emerged, Yi Fan gave her a cold glance and entered his room.

Xiangyun turned to Mu Xuelan and said, “Miss, look at him!”

“You’ve known him for a while now. Just let it go,” Mu Xuelan replied.

Xiangyun was still upset. “That guy has no skills but such a big temper! Who does he think he is? He even dares to give you the cold shoulder, Miss!” Xiangyun had been trained to be Mu Xuelan’s personal maid. She thought that, if lucky, she might get to share a husband with Mu Xuelan. Even if she wasn’t as high-ranking as Mu Xuelan, she’d still be better off than most women.

Mu Xuelan was a rare beauty, and Xiangyun had always imagined that she would marry a hero among men. However, after Mu Xuelan fell out with the Second Prince, she married Yi Fan instead. The Yi Fan family boasted two renowned cultivators, Yihuo and Yibing, ranked fifth and sixth on the capital’s Seven Elite list—true paragons of men. But as for Yi Fan…

“Enough, stop talking,” Mu Xuelan sighed deeply.

Back then, the Second Prince had married Shen Manwu, and in her anger, Mu Xuelan had married Yi Fan.

Mu Xuelan had thought she wouldn’t regret it. In fact, she did. After marrying Yi Fan, she set three rules: Yi Fan couldn’t touch her, and he readily agreed. She had thought that this unloved member of the Yi Fan family would be easy to control.

But in truth, Yi Fan despised her. Yes, Mu Xuelan hadn’t expected Yi Fan to loathe her, but he did. She looked down on him, and he looked down on her.

“Miss, look at him! He has no talent, no drive. No wonder Yixun only focuses on Yihuo and Yibing and doesn’t care about him. He drags you down with him,” Xiangyun muttered discontentedly.

“Enough. Let him do whatever he wants,” Mu Xuelan said.

“If only he had half of Yihuo and Yibing’s abilities, you wouldn’t be mocked for being with him,” Xiangyun grumbled.

“It won’t be long now anyway,” Mu Xuelan said. The Second Prince had told her that once the political situation stabilized, he would take her back. After years of ridicule, Mu Xuelan had long since lost her youthful pride.

“Miss, what did the Second Prince say?” Xiangyun cautiously asked.

Mu Xuelan gave Xiangyun a glance. “Why are you so curious?”

Xiangyun bit her lip in frustration. “I’m just worried about you, Miss.”

…

At the Evil Doctor’s estate.

“Young Master, you’re awake?” Qi Heng asked as he looked at Qi Shaorong.

Qi Shaorong rubbed his forehead. “A bit of a headache.”

“Yesterday, you stayed up late drinking and chatting with Young Master Hao,” Qi Heng explained.

Qi Shaorong squinted. “No wonder my head hurts.”

Qi Heng, curious, asked, “Young Master, what do you think of Young Master Zhuang Hao?”

Qi Shaorong narrowed his eyes. “What can I say? He’s a real looker, but still a bit young. You can tell he hasn’t fully matured yet.”

Qi Heng held his forehead. “Young Master, you’re not much older than him. In fact, you’re even younger.”

Qi Shaorong shot him a look. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Though I may be young, I’m mature beyond my years,” Qi Shaorong said.

Qi Heng: “…”

“Evil Doctor! Evil Doctor!” A voice shouted from outside.

Qi Shaorong rubbed his temples. “Zhuang Hao’s little brother is full of energy, isn’t he?”

Qi Heng: “…”

“Qian, what brings you here?” Qi Shaorong asked as Zhuang Qian cheerfully entered the room.

“My brother’s going on a mission. He wanted to ask if you’d like to join him. Evil Doctor, if you go with him, you’ll get to see him in action,” Zhuang Qian said excitedly.

Qi Shaorong: “…”