Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 326 - 189 Mengniang Around the Column

Chapter 326: Chapter 189 Mengniang Around the Column

What was supposed to be a half-day journey ended up taking a day and a half for the man and the snake to reach Qingzhou.

The process doesn’t need to be mentioned.

After all, comrade Jiang had thrown up several times.

By the time they arrived at Qingzhou City, it was sunset; the afterglow poured down like melted gold, blending into the street hustle and the evening colors, especially tranquil.

Mengniang had concealed herself as usual.

But this time, the method of concealment was different—Mengniang turned into a small snake and hid in his embrace.

According to Mengniang, she planned to temper his body with her unique Mysterious Yin Cold Qi by using the Taoist River Map and harmonizing yin and yang... Over time, his kidney would also improve.

Jiang Shouzhong initially resisted, but the prospect of strengthening his "kidney abilities" convinced him to relent.

Using Mengniang to train his body was vital for his future happiness.

When the time came to deal with Xia He and Yelü Miaomiao, he could face them alone rather than employing the disappointing "turn of cards" approach, which would help maintain harmony among his consorts.

Upon arriving in Qingzhou, Jiang Shouzhong located Qingzhou’s Liushan Division and presented his Identity Token to announce himself.

Ran Qingchen was reviewing documents in the study when her maid Jinxiu hurriedly trotted in, her voice crisp as she exclaimed, "Miss, your husband has arrived!"

The young girl was bounding with joy.

So was the pair of large milk teas, bobbing along with her elation.

Jiang Mo had come?

A hint of astonishment flashed across Ran Qingchen’s beautiful face, promptly replaced by a bright surprise.

"Where is he?"

"In the council hall..."

Jinxiu didn’t finish her sentence before the woman had already stepped briskly away.

That damn Jiang Mo, he’s finally here... Ran Qingchen grumbled inwardly, striding along the corridor, her lotus-like embroidered shoes crisscrossing, intermittently visible beneath her fluttering skirt.

Approaching a corner, the young lady suddenly paused.

Seems I may have been a bit too eager... Ran Qingchen frowned.

Jinxiu, following close behind, reacted too slowly, and like a rudderless boat, she collided with the other woman.

The maid let out a yelp, quickly rubbing her sore forehead with her delicate fingers, her voice plaintive, "Miss..."

Ran Qingchen knit her brows but didn’t respond. After some hesitation, she purposefully lingered for a moment before slowing her pace, approaching the council hall with a poised and leisurely gait, exuding a meticulously dignified air.

Inside the hall, Jiang Shouzhong held a celadon tea cup, sipping lightly, looking relaxed.

With a subtle shift of light and shadow at the door, the sound of light footsteps approached. Following that, a graceful figure came into view—caught in the waning glow of sunset, as if the hues of twilight had been gently poured over her by a master artisan, she resembled a celestial fairy descended from the heavens, untainted by worldly chaos.

Seeing the stunning silhouette outside the door, Jiang Shouzhong momentarily lost himself.

Was it because he hadn’t seen her for many days?... He thought his wife was becoming more beautiful by the day.

"You’re here."

As Ran Qingchen entered the hall, the surrounding light seemed to retreat quietly, ceding its place, leaving only the soft afterglow defining every inch of the woman’s delicate cheeks.

Her snow-white flawless face, under the subtle play of light and shadow, appeared even more coldly elegant.

Jiang Shouzhong stood up, apologizing, "Sorry to have kept you waiting. I got delayed on the road by some matters."

Ran Qingchen smiled slightly, her little finger tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her tone casual, "I didn’t think you would come to Qingzhou, so I wasn’t really waiting. Whether you come or not doesn’t matter to me, it’s good to wander outside more. I’m not concerned about it."

Jiang Shouzhong responded with a smile, "I really wanted to wander a bit more, but I was mainly worried about the boss, so I made haste to come here."

Worried about Li Nanshuang?

Hearing his words, Ran Qingchen’s smile seemed a bit forced.

Jiang Shouzhong didn’t notice her expression and asked, "Qingchen, if there’s nothing else here, I’ll go see the boss now. Can you tell me her current address?"

"Her... I don’t know where she is."

Ran Qingchen, who knew Li Nanshuang was in the bamboo courtyard, clenched her fists slightly, an apologetic expression coming over her face, "Although Li Nanshuang has been here before, she... didn’t tell me where she stays in Qingzhou."

"I see."

Jiang Shouzhong looked somewhat disappointed, then his handsome face brightened with a smile, "No worries, I’ll find her myself."

"You don’t need to go find her yourself; she’ll come to Liushan Division in a few days."

Ran Qingchen felt a pang of discomfort as it seemed he was truly only interested in Li Nanshuang, she added indifferently, "There’s an important case that requires your investigation, and it can’t be delayed, so don’t go running off."

The man looked puzzled.

Didn’t you say it doesn’t matter whether I come to Qingzhou or not? Why am I now needed to investigate a case?

Jiang Shouzhong curiously asked, "Assigned by whom?"

"Yes."

Ran Qingchen nodded slightly.

I wasn’t told to investigate any cases when leaving the capital... Jiang Shouzhong scratched his head, then asked, "Which superior? When was this assigned to me?"

"Me, right now."

She appeared every inch the commanding CEO.

"Uh..."

"Your Wind Thunder Hall is now under the jurisdiction of the new institution, and I’m your immediate superior, so there’s nothing wrong with me assigning you a case."

Ran Qingchen’s beautiful eyes stared at the man, her tone leaving no room for doubt, "In any case, I’m above you right now, got any problem with that?"

"No."

Jiang Shouzhong gave a wry smile, shaking his head.

Great, I should have known better than to come straight to Liushan Division and get conscripted on the spot.

Ran Qingchen said expressionlessly, "Go to my study, I’ll explain the case to you."

"Can I go get something to eat first? I’m a bit hungry after traveling all day," Jiang Shouzhong touched his stomach... mainly because spending so much energy with Mengniang, after all, that was purely physical work.

Ran Qingchen only then noticed that the man was exuding a sense of exhaustion, and he even had dark circles under his eyes.

She couldn’t help feeling a bit remorseful inside.

The man had come from far away, and she had taken him to investigate a case before he had hardly had a sip of tea, which was indeed excessive.

Ran Qingchen hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "It just so happens I haven’t eaten either. There’s a bun shop nearby that’s quite good. I’ll treat you to it." Fearing the man would refuse, she turned to Jinxiu and said, "Go reserve a private room. If there isn’t one, spend money to clear one out."

"Yes, miss."

Jinxiu nodded and ran off.

...

Ran Qingchen led Jiang Shouzhong to the bun shop.

The business inside was still booming, and there were quite a few customers. The entrance of Jiang Shouzhong and Ran Qingchen, a handsome man and beautiful woman, instantly drew the attention of everyone, and they couldn’t help but inwardly praise the pair as a perfect "Golden Boy and Jade Girl."

Jinxiu had already found a private room ahead of time, located in a quiet corner away from the noise.

The two entered the private room.

Seeing that Jinxiu was following them, Ran Qingchen gave a slight cough and asked casually, "By the way, Jinxiu, have you had dinner yet? If not, sit down and eat with us. If you’ve eaten, then you can head back first."

"Oh, oh."

Jinxiu, who had been starving all day following the young miss, was already growling with hunger at the fragrant meat buns. Hearing the young lady’s words, she didn’t think too much and immediately sat down on a stool.

Ran Qingchen raised her brow and said, "If you’ve eaten, don’t force yourself, don’t overstuff yourself."

Just as Jinxiu was about to say she hadn’t eaten, she looked up to see her young lady squinting and smiling at her. Realizing a moment too late, the girl sheepishly said, "Miss, did I... already eat?"

Ran Qingchen scolded with a laugh, "How would I know if you’ve eaten or not?"

"Actually... I did eat already."

Jinxiu quickly got up and smiling shyly said, "Sir, miss, you go ahead and eat. I’ll head back first."

"And bring back a basket of buns for me. I’ll want a late-night snack."

Ran Qingchen suddenly said.

"Understood, miss."

Realizing that Ran Qingchen was intentionally letting her eat, Jinxiu nodded her little head and thoughtfully closed the door as she left the private room.

Very hungry, Jiang Shouzhong did not stand on ceremony and started eating the hot meat buns.

"By the way, where are Xia He and Qiuye? What about the girl named Er Liang and Zhang Que’er? Did you leave them in the capital?"

Ran Qingchen only then noticed that the man had come alone.

Jiang Shouzhong shook his head and did not tell the whole truth, "Zhang Que’er has been sent to her relatives’ house, and Er Liang is at a friend’s place. She should be coming to Qingzhou in a few days. As for Xia He and Qiuye, they left with Jiang Yi, as it seemed they had some business."

"What? Qiuye didn’t want to follow you?" Ran Qingchen teased.

Qiuye had said in front of her that she wanted to be Jiang Mo’s little wife, which truly frightened her at the time.

Although she later found out it was just to provoke her in order to complete Jiang Yi’s mission, in Ran Qingchen’s heart, this girl called "Qiuye" was still a significant threat that could not be taken lightly.

As for the girl called "Xia He," who was chilly and aloof, Ran Qingchen wasn’t worried at all.

Jiang Shouzhong, while eating his bun, said vaguely, "They are devoutly loyal to Jiang Yi; they certainly won’t stay by my side. Even if I wanted to keep them, they wouldn’t want to stay."

"Oh."

Ran Qingchen took a bite of her bun, her lips curving slightly upward.

Indeed, the buns today tasted really good.

Jiang Shouzhong suddenly remembered that he and Xia He had already consummated their marriage and hesitated over whether or not to inform the woman in front of him.

Just then, Ran Qingchen suddenly said, "Jiang Mo, let me update you on the current case now. Have you heard about the murder at Mengyao Pavilion a while ago?"

Jiang Shouzhong nodded, "I’ve heard about it."

More than just heard; he was practically on fraternal terms with the murderer, Jin Ao.

Ran Qingchen picked up her tea cup and took a sip, speaking softly,

"At first it was just a standard murder case, but I’ve been informed by someone from the Wanshou Mountains and Rivers that there’s a person orchestrating a conspiracy behind the Mengyao Pavilion murder. It seems they are performing a sacrifice for the purpose of investigating the resurgence of demon energy."

"A sacrifice?"

Jiang Shouzhong raised his head to look at her flawless visage, frowning slightly, "Are there any other clues?"

Ran Qingchen shook her head and shared everything she knew with him.

Upon hearing about the second sacrifice, Jiang Shouzhong’s face changed and he said gravely to Ran Qingchen, "To be honest, the passenger ship I was on to Qingzhou sank. And, unsurprisingly, it seems to be the doing of this mysterious organization."

"What!?"

Ran Qingchen was shocked and eagerly asked him about the incident.

Jiang Shouzhong did not conceal anything and briefly described the sinking of the ship.

As for the thing with Mengniang, he chose to omit it... after all, having liaisons with a snake demon was not exactly a glorious affair, and Mengniang herself did not wish to be mentioned.

And just at that moment, for some reason, the little snake demon quietly started to wriggle her flexible body, slithering slowly out from the man’s arms.

By the time Jiang Shouzhong realized what was happening, she had already slipped into his robes.

Feeling the chilly touch on his skin, Jiang Shouzhong’s face took on a strange expression. He instinctively wanted to grab it but she deftly avoided him. Plus, with his wife sitting right across from him, he couldn’t make too big a movement.

Ran Qingchen, unaware of her husband’s expression, was just relieved that the man had been lucky enough to survive.

She knew the situation he described must have been extremely perilous, a moment’s carelessness could have cost him his life, and here she was, upset about him being late.

The woman couldn’t help but feel extremely guilty.

"It’s all my fault, I should have kept you by my side at that time," Ran Qingchen said with a tone full of remorse.

Seeing the man’s uneasy expression, Ran Qingchen furrowed her brow, "What’s wrong?"

Jiang Shouzhong straightened up and couldn’t help shivering. Facing his wife’s concerned eyes, he forced a small smile and said, "Nothing, just... two snakes fighting."

At that moment, the man recalled a saying—King of Qin winding around the pillar.

No, now it should be Mengniang winding around the pillar.