Chapter 041: Feigned Jealousy

Today, Master Yu was in unusually high spirits. Normally, he would have retired early, but tonight, even as the hour grew late, he remained awake, insisting on enjoying himself to the fullest. No one dared dampen his mood; all they could do was muster their strength and accompany him. At this hour, Ning Qian would have long since fallen asleep, yet tonight she could only sit there absentmindedly.

The dishes on the table remained untouched; Master Yu was occupied with drinking and watching the opera, having entirely forgotten to eat. Since he made no move to pick up his chopsticks, how could anyone else dare to eat? Of course, there are exceptions to every rule—Yu Ziqi was that exception. He ate and drank merrily, utterly unconcerned with the glances of others.

Even Ning Qian felt somewhat embarrassed, but saying anything would be improper, so she simply lowered her head, pretending not to notice the looks cast her way. What troubled her even more was Yu Ziqi’s hand, which would occasionally reach over to squeeze hers, refusing to let her sit idle and dejected.

Ning Qian understood he was doing it deliberately, merely wishing to shift her attention and spare her boredom. This man, she thought, had his advantages from time to time.

At that moment, the performance of "The Tale of the White Snake" had just concluded. Before Master Yu could call for rewards, Second Young Master Yu Zihao raised his voice, “Servants, see to the rewards! Give ten taels of silver to Xu Xian!”

Master Yu’s expression changed dramatically. “Hmph, you insolent child.”

The old lady quickly glared at Yu Zihao, “Zihao, what are you doing? The master is still here—how dare you speak out of turn? Do you not know your place? Hurry and apologize to the master!”

Yu Zihao had only cried out in a moment of excitement, and now, regaining his composure, he regretted it. Rising, he bowed deeply to Master Yu. “Father, I was wrong. I simply thought Xu Xian sang well—it’s rare to hear such a fine opera, so I called out without thinking. Father, you won’t blame me, will you?”

“That’s enough. Do you think I don’t know your character? Servants, see to the rewards.” With that, Master Yu rose, glancing around before saying, “It’s late. You should all go and rest.” By this time, the guests had already departed, leaving only members of the Yu family. Hearing his words, each one was visibly relieved. They were exhausted, and if they’d waited any longer, someone might have nodded off right there.

The old lady hurriedly instructed Madam Yu Chen to help Master Yu back to his room; it seemed he would spend the night in Madam Chen’s quarters. After ordering the servants to tidy up, she dismissed everyone.

Ning Qian and Yu Ziqi returned to their courtyard. Before leaving, Ning Qian had already instructed Yu Zhi to prepare hot water. She was clever enough to anticipate a late night, making preparations in advance so as not to be caught off guard.

“My lord, shall I attend you in your bath?”

“No need. You’re tired as well. Let Xiao Liu serve me.” Yu Ziqi was considerate.

“I am not tired, let me do it.” In truth, she had no desire to, but she didn’t want to give others anything to gossip about.

“Very well, you may serve.” Yu Ziqi made no issue of it. Once Yu Zhi had everything ready, he entered the room set aside for bathing.

Lying in the large wooden tub, Yu Ziqi let out a contented hum. “Wife, my back feels itchy—could you scratch it for me?”

Ning Qian’s mind was still occupied with Yu Ziqi’s praise for Lady White at the banquet, so she merely went through the motions, scratching his back a few times before stopping, then taking a towel to rub him haphazardly.

A faint smile appeared on Yu Ziqi’s closed face; how could he not know what Ning Qian was upset about? He deliberately refrained from explaining, letting her stew in her anger. He found it amusing to tease her from time to time, and he understood her temperament well—she would not endure it for long before speaking up.

Indeed, she could not hold back for long before blurting out, “My lord, do you… do you truly think Lady White is beautiful? Is she more beautiful than I am?” Any woman would care about such things.

“Mm.” Yu Ziqi kept his eyes closed, giving only a perfunctory reply.

Her hand clenched the towel tightly; if looks could kill, Yu Ziqi’s back would have been pierced through. She twisted the cloth fiercely, cursing him inwardly—damned man, he’d just married her and was already thinking of other women. Men are all the same, she thought, the saying was true.

“Scratch my back again. What’s wrong with me tonight? Why does it itch so much?”

“Is it really your back that itches? I think it’s your heart that’s itching.” Ning Qian responded sourly.

“What? What did you say?” Yu Ziqi didn’t quite catch her words, but he knew from her tone it was nothing good.

“Nothing.” Ning Qian would never be foolish enough to tell him. She scratched his back again without saying another word. When Yu Ziqi finished bathing and it was her turn, she couldn’t help muttering, “If you ever dare to have another woman, I’ll make sure you can never be a man again.”

Ning Qian could not accept sharing her husband with another woman. Not only was it because she was from another world, but after arriving here, Ning Qian herself had only ever had one woman—Ruan Qi—which made it even harder for her to reconcile with such a prospect.

All evening, she sighed and moaned, until Shuni laughed, “Madam, you’ve been sighing all night.”

“Do you think I want to sigh? Isn’t it all his fault? Shuni, let me ask you something—what do you think of Lady White’s looks? How do I compare?”

Shuni was a simple soul, not given to noticing such things. Hearing Ning Qian’s question, she answered honestly, “Madam, that woman is very pretty. But how could she compare to you? You’re a noble lady, born to wealth. She’s just an actress—how can there be any comparison?”

“Don’t make me laugh. Didn’t you hear my lord praise her all night long?”

Shuni chuckled, realizing her mistress was jealous—that explained the sour face all evening. “Madam, you’re upset over that? It was just a joke from the young master.”

“It was not! How could it be a joke? He talked about her all night, and I even asked him myself. I asked if she was more beautiful than I was—guess what he said? He said ‘mm’!” Ning Qian wasn’t jealous, exactly. She just couldn’t stand the thought of being outshone by an opera singer; it made her feel stifled. It wasn’t that she looked down on actresses, but men are fickle, she thought, and she feared Yu Ziqi would soon bring home more sisters for her.

“Madam, I’m certain the young master would never fall for that woman.”

“That’s not up to you.” Ning Qian replied, still in a bad mood. Unable to relax, she wiped herself carelessly, threw on her clothes, and prepared to go to bed.

Water dripped from her hair, soaking her clothes. As she entered the inner chamber, she froze in surprise. “This…”