The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 27

Chapter 27

It was an ordinary morning, and yet it was not an ordinary morning at all.

Song Yao took two steps toward the small room and nearly fell. Xu Kaicheng had sharp eyes and quickly rushed over to carry him into the adjacent room. After a moment's thought, he asked Song Yao's permission and gave him a dose of the same knockout incense that had been given to Xu Kaixuan the night before

The pale-faced man slipped into a deep, dark slumber while, in the neighboring bedroom, Zhao Momo frantically fabricated evidence.

Fortunately, someone really had consummated the marriage the night before, so the unmade bed and the scene were all genuine. Though Xu Kaixuan hadn't been on the wedding bed, the drugs he'd taken were real. Presumably, once he woke up, even if he wasn't sure whether the marriage had been consummated, he could still tell how many times his body had reacted.

Before Song Yao fell asleep, Xu Kaicheng slipped out of the bridal chamber. He'd originally intended to go out the back door and return to the West Courtyard. But when he accidentally glanced at his golden finger panel, he was so shocked he froze in place.

He'd gained Affection Points several times last night, all added together, but he hadn't had time to notice.

But now, seeing that +10000 notification staring him right in the face, Xu Kaicheng nearly collapsed from shock.

Looking at the timestamp and thinking about what had happened last night, it turned out to be when he'd agreed to let Song Yao do as he pleased.

One wedding night, ten thousand Affection Points!

No—to be precise, just going along with Song Yao's wishes had earned him ten thousand Affection Points!

Song Yao, you are my God of Wealth!

He was marveling inwardly, but that didn't stop Xu Kaicheng's mind from racing. That ten thousand points converted directly into ten points of Luck, all allocated to his Luck stat.

A mysterious sensation circulated through his body, and Xu Kaicheng felt the boulder pressing on his chest seem to lighten a little.

His footsteps, which should have gone straight out the back door, turned and circled around to the side.

Xu Kaixuan's residence was nothing like his small courtyard—just the one courtyard alone was more than three times the size of his. Coming out of the main house, there was a covered walkway, and directly ahead of the walkway was a small pond.

In the center of the pond stood a massive rockery made of Mount Tai stone, which, together with the walkway walls, gave the entire courtyard excellent privacy.

Originally, the courtyard should have had two young servants and four maids attending to it, plus sweeping old women and gate guards—altogether a dozen or twenty people in service.

But last night, not a single one of his usual servants was here.

Xu Kaicheng stood at the side gate for a while and saw Biyun hurry out from inside with a panicked look in her eyes. He just stood there, letting Biyun get a good, clear look at him.

Biyun quickly looked around, confirmed no one else was there, and uncharacteristically grabbed Xu Kaicheng by the sleeve and pulled him along as she ran.

They came out the side gate and took a small path that was usually deserted. Before long, they arrived to find Yang Wanhe waiting inside.

At that moment, Yang Wanhe's face was also somewhat pale. Yesterday she'd guessed at some of what was going on, but only a little—she never imagined her son would be so bold as to do such a thing.

The servants in Xu Kaixuan's courtyard, especially those who could get near the main house last night, were almost all people from Yang Wanhe's side. Xu Kaicheng didn't know how Yang Wanhe had managed it, but he knew that at this moment, he wanted to be honest with her.

"Mother, that was my person," Xu Kaicheng pressed his lips together, but his eyes didn't waver.

Yang Wanhe clutched her chest and gasped, but before Xu Kaicheng could figure out how to explain, she quickly calmed down. "Was it just last night, or... will it be from now on too?"

"..." This time it was Xu Kaicheng's turn to be stunned. His neck stiffened and his face burned red. Looking at this woman a head shorter than him, he felt like some outdated feudal bumpkin. "From now on too. He's mine alone."

"Alright, Mother understands. Hurry back now."

Pushed a few steps, Xu Kaicheng turned back wanting to say something more. But Yang Wanhe, already calmed down, her expression even turning indifferent, raised her hand to smooth the hair at her forehead and waved him off lightly. "Go on back. I won't let my daughter-in-law suffer."

"..." With a core this strong, she makes me look like an idiot.

Biyun was still pushing him from behind. Xu Kaicheng's expression shifted several times, but in the end he let himself be pushed along by Biyun, who was old enough to be his mother.

Marriage was never just about two people. It wasn't in the twenty-first century, and it certainly wasn't in ancient times.

Xu Kaicheng went back and tidied up briefly, then without even bringing Dongzhu, practically ran all the way to the East Courtyard.

On the second day of the wedding, the new bride was supposed to serve tea to her mother-in-law. Though the old madam still couldn't get up, the old marquis was already "able" to. Even people from the second branch like Yang Wanhe and Xu Kaicheng had to hurry over early this morning to wait for the new bride to be introduced to the family.

In the main room, Xu Gandang sat in the master's seat. Wei Cai'e sat in the first seat below, her eyes glaring with undisguised malice at the person sitting beside her. Yang Wanhe kept her head down, timidly perched on only a third of her stool.

Xu Kaicheng, the second branch's son, arrived even later than the elders. Under a glance from Xu Gandang above, he shrank back, touched his nose, and stood behind his mother.

A flicker of disappointment passed through Xu Gandang's eyes. Wei Cai'e glared at him with the ferocity of someone facing her father's killer.

Yang Wanhe reached back and pulled him to sit in the third seat beside her. Mother and son both kept their heads down, silent as two quails. Xu Gandang closed his eyes to rest. In the entire hall, only Wei Cai'e's increasingly heavy breathing could be heard.

"Are we waiting for death? I've never seen such a lazy daughter-in-law—the sun's already high in the sky and she still hasn't gotten up to serve tea. Is this how she shows respect for me, her mother-in-law? Is this how she shows respect for the entire Marquis of Jing'an household?" With a sharp crack, Wei Cai'e slammed her hand on the table.

Xu Gandang opened his eyes and looked over. Wei Cai'e stuck out her neck, refusing to back down. Yang Wanhe quickly rose and trotted outside to call for someone to check—she called for both Biyun and Zhao Guangming.

Watching Yang Wanhe's movements, Wei Cai'e's eyes grew even redder. "Oh, so you really think you're the lady of the house now."

Yang Wanhe kept her head down, making herself look even smaller and thinner. Xu Kaicheng bit his lip, eyes red, only daring to glance cautiously at Yang Wanhe without speaking. Seeing the mother and son's spineless appearance, the hatred in Wei Cai'e's eyes deepened. Just as she was about to cause more trouble, the person in the master's seat finally spoke.

"Enough. If you were at all capable, you wouldn't need the second branch's wife to clean up your messes!"

Xu Gandang didn't roar. He spoke quietly. But the look in his eyes — like he was staring at a dead woman — made Wei Cai'e shrink back and fall silent.

Xu Kaicheng lowered his head, mentally mapping out the emotional dynamics among the people in this room. That short sentence from Xu Gandang seemed to be defending Yang Wanhe, but in reality it was helping Wei Cai'e.

It made clear that Yang Wanhe's previous management of the household was just helping out and that she wouldn't really be given power, while emphasizing that Yang Wanhe belonged to the second branch.

Perhaps because he wasn't really from this world, Xu Kaicheng heard another layer of meaning in that brief warning—Xu Gandang wanted to fully and completely establish Yang Wanhe as belonging to the second branch.

People say that the things you care about most are the things you emphasize. Why was Xu Gandang so fixated on the "second branch" matter? Probably because Xu Gandang also knew about the wife-swapping that happened back then.

Such a terrifying conclusion, yet Xu Kaicheng felt no ripple of emotion inside. Having seen too much film, television, and fiction, a person's tolerance always improves.

The hall fell silent again. No matter how Wei Cai'e's expression changed, she didn't dare say anything more. This time the wait was longer—a full half hour.

Xu Kaicheng was picking at his fingers, about to pull out a hangnail, when there was finally movement outside.

Zhao Guangming had gone personally, and now he was personally supporting Xu Kaixuan all the way to the entrance of the hall. When Zhao Guangming let go, Xu Kaixuan's legs buckled and he staggered. Wei Cai'e shrieked in fright and flew over to him.

"My son, what's wrong with you!"

Xu Kaixuan's face flushed red. Being shouted at by Wei Cai'e like that, he wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. Seeing the others still waiting inside, he could only pretend to be calm and pull Wei Cai'e's hand away. "Mother, I'm fine. Let's go in first."

To her son's words, how could Wei Cai'e not comply? Full of worry, she wanted to support him again, but Xu Kaixuan quickly stopped her. The two entered the room. Wei Cai'e sat back down, her eyes anxious. Xu Kaixuan first bowed to Xu Gandang, and at the latter's nod, took a seat across from him.

"That wretch—where's that Song Yue? It's been so long and she still hasn't come! Qian Momo, go check for me—what kind of wealthy young lady has such a delicate constitution!" With her son here, Wei Cai'e's confidence grew.

Seeing no sign of Song Yao outside the door, she froze for a moment before launching into a tirade. If Xu Gandang hadn't been right there, she would have cursed far filthier.

Qian Momo, standing before her, curtsied and was about to leave. Biyun came hurrying in from outside with the household physician, blocking her way.

"Reporting to the Marquis, the First Madam, and the Eldest Young Master — the Eldest Young Madam, ahem, is of weak constitution and cannot get out of bed."

Seeing Wei Cai'e's face turn vicious, about to curse again, Biyun quickly glanced at Xu Kaixuan, closed her eyes, and with a red face shouted out, "The Eldest Young Madam has fainted! The physician has examined her—she likely won't wake up today."

"..." The room fell into an eerie silence once more.

Xu Kaicheng and Yang Wanhe continued to keep their heads down like quails. But Xu Gandang, from his seat above, followed Biyun's gaze to the slightly weak-kneed Xu Kaixuan and understood.

Xu Kaixuan had first been given a strange look by Biyun, then a look from Xu Gandang. Seeing Biyun's red face and the physician's admiring expression, he also realized what was going on.

In an instant, he felt like he was on fire.

"Can't get out of bed on the second day of marriage? Are the young ladies of the capital really this delicate?" Having her face slapped repeatedly, Wei Cai'e's chest heaved with fury. "Qian Momo, come with me to see. Let me, as her mother-in-law, see just what kind of useless thing the Song family has sent over!"

"Enough!" Xu Kaixuan, seeing the increasingly ugly and strange looks from everyone else, flushed red and blocked Wei Cai'e's path. "Mother, just give it a rest. I already said Song-shi can't get out of bed, so let her rest. Are you really short that one cup of tea?"

[宋氏 (Sòng shì): a traditional way of referring to a married woman by her maiden.]