Chapter 288: I Just Do (3^rd Update)

She couldn’t help but stare at Madam Yu. Madam Yu acted as if she hadn’t noticed, but after saying those words, she fell silent. The female merchant also didn’t continue to argue, seemingly still contemplating what Madam Yu had said.

The other merchants, seeing the awkward atmosphere, began chatting about lighter topics to ease the tension.

Ye Wenxin didn’t say much either, and she quietly reached out towards Madam Yu. Madam Yu looked warily at Ye Wenxin, clearly disliking her overstepping, and quietly warned, “Miss Wenxin, please behave yourself.”

“No, I’m just going to check your pulse,” Ye Wenxin explained briefly, injecting some Qi to assess Madam Yu’s physical condition.

Madam Yu couldn’t afford major emotional fluctuations; the conversation just now might have disturbed her Qi.

Strangely, Madam Yu’s pulse was steady, but it started to become erratic only after Ye Wenxin held it, making Ye Wenxin feel that perhaps, she was being overly concerned.

Thinking about this, Ye Wenxin withdrew her hand and continued chatting with the others.

Madam Yu also seemed to think she had overreacted. She remembered how Ye Wenxin had reacted last night when she threw herself at her, and knew full well that Ye Wenxin wasn’t one to play around with emotions. Yet, she still found herself overreacting every time.

She wondered if it was because Ye Wenxin was the child of that esteemed person, that caused her to overreact. Madam Yu couldn’t help but look at Ye Wenxin’s profile again.

From the front, Ye Wenxin didn’t look like that person at all, but from the side, there was a striking resemblance, making her inevitably recall that year, that day, and that night.

Sadly, she had missed her chance in this life. Madam Yu, after thinking this, wished even more for Ye Wenxin and Qiao Ni to be together, to accomplish what she couldn’t.

The carriage continued along the road, and Madam Yu’s mood ebbed and flowed like the wheels of the carriage…

“Madam, we’ve arrived at Green Isle Manor.” Ye Wenxin’s voice broke through Madam Yu’s thoughts at some point. She turned to Ye Wenxin and, in a moment of distraction, managed to summon a smile.

However, immediately, Madam Yu remembered she wasn’t supposed to be smiling at Ye Wenxin, fearing Qiao Ni might misunderstand. She quickly straightened her face, nodded without expression, and was the last to step down from the carriage.

As soon as Madam Yu got off, Qiao Ni, who had been sent home first, came out to greet her with a hug. Shortly after, Qiao Ni hugged Ye Wenxin as well. But this time, her face showed a rare hint of shyness.

Ye Wenxin found it somewhat amusing. “What’s wrong? You finally know how to feel shy now?” She had always thought Qiao Ni was fearless, but seeing her shy was quite unexpected.

“Hehehe, we had a breakthrough last night after all,” Qiao Ni said, blinking innocently, which made Ye Wenxin’s expression stiffen. She instinctively glanced at Madam Yu, who had already moved ahead with other guests, sighed with relief, and began lecturing Qiao Ni on proper speech.

“Ni Ni, please don’t speak recklessly.”

“But I’m only stating facts,” Qiao Ni pouted, unable to hide her jealousy towards Madam Yu. She had noticed that her own crush paid more attention to her mother and cared deeply about Madam Yu’s opinions.

Ye Wenxin was speechless and added, “There’s no need to be so deliberate. I won’t return your feelings, let alone steal your mother.”

She felt even more helpless, realizing Qiao Ni had misunderstood again. But strangely, the peach blossom aura hadn’t left an impression on those female merchants in the enclosed carriage. Could this peach blossom luck be selective?

Ye Wenxin’s mind was filled with new questions. Qiao Ni, noticing Ye Wenxin’s distraction, became even more dissatisfied and grabbed her arm. “It’s not that I’m afraid you’ll steal my mother, it’s that I’m competing with my mother for you!”

Ye Wenxin let out a dry, emotionless laugh, recalling how Madam Yu always treated her with caution, which made her believe that Madam Yu could never possibly have any favorable feelings towards her.

“Don’t worry, we’re impossible even in the next life,” Ye Wenxin said with a quickened pace, leaving Qiao Ni standing dumbfounded at the door alone.

Qiao Ni paused, as if remembering the words of her aunt, Liu Churan, who had tried to sow discord.

“Your mother, she loves to seduce others’ crushes,” Liu Churan had said through gritted teeth. Qiao Ni could feel Liu Churan’s bitterness clearly, but couldn’t understand why such a capable person like her aunt had spent over a decade chasing someone without success.

Unable to resist, Qiao Ni asked Liu Churan, “But I still don’t understand. Although my mother is very beautiful, why would you lose?”

Liu Churan’s eyes dimmed. “Because I’m a coward, I suppose.” Qiao Ni didn’t understand at the time, but now she felt a bit uneasy.

In matters of love, no matter how outstanding one might be, once fear set in, the very things Liu Churan had feared might indeed play out in Qiao Ni’s life.

Watching Ye Wenxin grow further away, Qiao Ni hurriedly ran to catch up, then held her hand.

Ye Wenxin’s expression remained resigned, but she shifted slightly and continued, “I really don’t understand why you like me so much.”

Qiao Ni tilted her head in confusion. “I just do; there’s not much reason for it.”

Ye Wenxin chuckled at her words, but for some reason, she suddenly felt a twinge of envy towards Qiao Ni.

“Yeah, but I’m someone you can’t have.”

“I don’t believe that. In a few years, I’ll definitely be more beautiful than Mother,” Qiao Ni replied confidently. She had indeed inherited Madam Yu’s good looks, and given time, she would surely amaze the world.

Thinking of how Madam Yu, despite her beauty, wasn’t on the Unparalleled Beauties List, Ye Wenxin teased, “Even if you become prettier than your mother someday, you still won’t make it to the Unparalelled Beauties List.”

Ye Wenxin had just been teasing Qiao Ni, but unexpectedly, Qiao Ni shook her head, looking even more displeased. “That’s because Mother had rejected it back then. Otherwise, even someone like Fairy Fengya would have to bow to her.”

“Huh, so you can actually refuse to be in the rankings?” Ye Wenxin was hearing this for the first time.

“I only found out later. I asked Mother why she’s so beautiful, but doesn’t show herself to the world, and she said in that strange tone of hers, ‘If he doesn’t look at me, what does it matter if I’m the most beautiful in the world?’ I hate that person who makes my mother act so strangely every time!” Qiao Ni vented, subconsciously thinking that this person was the man Madam Yu secretly admired.

Ye Wenxin recalled Madam Yu’s words in the carriage. Despite being so open-minded about Qiao Ni, Madam Yu seemed trapped when it came to herself.

Thinking about this, she smiled and said, “You’d better not dislike that person too much.”

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TL: Wait, Madam Yu thinks Wenxin is the Demon Lord’s bio child, and she still wants Wenxin to be with Qiao Ni? Does that mean Qiao Ni is not the Demon Lord’s child after all?? Or is Madam Yu willing to approve half-sibling incest between Qiao Ni and her hypothetical half-sister, as long as Qiao Ni is happy? I’m so confused.