WBSGVS Chapter 158 V2

This wasn’t even the first courtyard—this was the third one. Third time’s the charm, right? He wasn’t about to back down now.

“Open up!” he shouted again when there was no response inside.

Qingli finally arrived, and what she saw was a drunken man, flushed red and swaying, propped up by a servant. He looked just like some street drunk people would avoid on sight.

She frowned deeply and snapped, “Xie Rongyun, what are you doing in the middle of the night?”

He turned lazily, forcing a flirtatious smile as he slurred, “Just enjoying the concubines you bought for me. What’s wrong? Jealous?”

The mess with Mu Lan’er? She was the only one who’d gotten hurt. He knew Qingli wasn’t willing to do anything to him.

So if he was miserable, he sure wasn’t going to let Qingli have peace either.

He was trying to get at her the same way he’d used to get at Mu Lan’er—by stabbing at what hurt most.

Too bad Qingli wasn’t Mu Qingli. Not only did it not hurt—she almost wanted to laugh. Her voice was icy: “I’m not jealous. But since you know I bought those women, you should also understand—they’re mine.”

Xie Rongyun’s expression shifted. The arrogance in his face faded just a bit.

Qingli’s voice turned cold and sharp. “That means you only touch them when I allow it. If I say no, you keep your hands to yourself. Got it?!”

Xie Rongyun exploded. “Mu Qingli! Those were concubines you bought for me!”

“Oh? Who said they were for you? Did I give them to you? Is their contract of sale in your possession?” Qingli shot back.

Xie Rongyun: “…”

He had never said otherwise. All he ever mentioned was that he bought a few concubines and settled them in the courtyard. The deed papers were in Mu Qingli’s possession, and she was the one who picked them. For a while, she even arranged for them to take care of his needs every day.

Mu Qingli’s words felt like she had stomped his face right into the ground. Xie Rongyun, who had never suffered such humiliation in his life, was livid.

The Mu family!

Fine. This bandit suppression mission—he would use it to strategize. Climbing the ranks was now more urgent than ever. There was no room for delay.

The day he rose to power would be the day the Mu family met their end!

A thousand thoughts rushed through his mind, but on the surface, Xie Rongyun gave a cold laugh. “Fine, fine. I’m not that desperate to touch them anyway.”

Though the alcohol had already worn off, his anger only intensified from the humiliation.

He turned and left, but he didn’t go to his study or Mu Lan’er. Even if he couldn’t touch Mu Qingli’s concubines, he still had that maid given to him by Xie Yuning. That would work just as well.

He hadn’t touched her before, mainly because Mu Qingli had him scheduled so tightly that he didn’t even have a free night. If it weren’t for the constant supplements she gave him, he wouldn’t have been able to keep up at all.

After that night, there was one more concubine in the household.

He’d done it to spite Qingli—but instead of upsetting her, the news reached Mu Lan’er within a couple of days. Her already fragile health took a turn for the worse, leaving Xie Rongyun in a frantic panic.

The Xie household had been in absolute chaos lately. With the two masters constantly at odds, the servants had all become extra cautious and obedient.

Luckily, the day to set off on the bandit suppression campaign arrived soon enough.

When the group assembled, Xie Rongyun finally understood why the Fourth Prince had been so furious.

Among those accompanying him was the Second Young Master of the Nie family. That name might not ring a bell at first, but anyone who thought about it would realize—

The man had been selected for the Jinyiwei (Imperial Secret Police) at just thirteen years old. Since then, he’d vanished from public view in the capital. And now? He was a deputy commander in the Jinyiwei, joining them on this mission as Xie Rongyun’s second-in-command.

With someone like that at his side, how could suppressing the bandits possibly be difficult?

The danger level had just dropped significantly.

No wonder the Fourth Prince had been so angry—the Nie family supported the Sixth Prince. But when had he joined the Sixth Prince’s camp?

Even though the man wore all black and carried himself with a coldness that made Xie Rongyun look warm by comparison, he didn’t mind one bit. With a gentle smile, he said, “Master Nie, I’ll be in your care.”

This gave Xie Rongyun even more confidence that he’d return to the capital with honors.

And if the Sixth Prince was treating him so favorably, perhaps it was because he recognized his talents. At first, Xie Rongyun hadn’t wanted to support the Sixth Prince—he didn’t want to help create another wise and capable ruler. But now that he’d already offended the Fourth Prince, aligning with the Sixth was the smarter move.

Nie Xiao glanced at him and suddenly smiled—a cryptic, knowing smile. “Of course.”

Xie Rongyun followed him away, feeling completely at ease.

Over a month later…

News came back to the capital: the bandit suppression mission was a success. While it hadn’t been a full-on war, eliminating the bandits was a big win, especially for merchants traveling between the capital and other regions. It meant safer routes, and that alone was worth celebrating.

Mu Qingli and the others soon heard the news.

After two months of recovery, Mu Lan’er—who had been carefully tended to by the Xie household steward, was finally doing better. Though much thinner, her sharper jawline made her look even more delicate and pitiful.

She remained in the manor under the name Lan’er, officially becoming one of Xie Rongyun’s concubines. Without family or background, she was like a floating weed on the water, drifting wherever the current took her.

Even though the steward took care of her and she had two attentive maids, the rest of the household had already fallen under Mu Qingli’s control.

The other concubines deeply resented Lan’er for being favored by Xie Rongyun. Anytime they crossed paths, it was always Lan’er who suffered.

If she hadn’t carefully avoided Xie Yuning’s notice, things could’ve been even worse.

These struggles made her long for Xie Rongyun’s return more than anything.

That longing became her one source of strength.

As long as he came back, she’d have her footing again. Even if she couldn’t compete with Mu Qingli, at least no other concubine would dare to bully her anymore.

So every single day, Mu Lan’er watched anxiously from the pavilion, staring out toward the city gates, waiting.

Until today, her maid ran back excitedly. “Master has returned! He’s at the city gate already!”

Mu Lan’er’s heart fluttered. She grabbed her skirts and ran outside, determined to be the first to greet him. But before leaving the house, she paused to apply a bit of makeup—bright lip rouge, something to stand out.

She refused to be outshone by the other concubines.

But when she arrived at the gate, all dolled up, she found it empty.

Where were all those concubines who usually fawned over him the moment he got back?

Mu Lan’er felt a strange sense of unease. She waited a bit longer, hearing movement at the gate—but no Mu Qingli, no concubines showed up.

She pursed her lips. Fine. If they didn’t come, that just meant fewer people to compete with.

She couldn’t win against those women from the pleasure houses anyway.

At that moment, several men approached, carrying a stretcher. The man lying on it had his head wrapped in bandages. Blood stained his forehead. His eyes were shut, his lips pale, and both legs were wrapped tight like giant rice dumplings—both legs.

Mu Lan’er froze in shock, unable to speak.

No. That couldn’t be Xie Rongyun.

Then the man leading the group spoke up: “Lord Xie pushed ahead recklessly to claim credit and was gravely injured. His Majesty, sympathizing with his youth, has decided not to punish him. Now—someone from the Xie household, come take him!”

Those words were like a funeral bell ringing out—“Thump—”—sounding deep in Mu Lan’er’s heart, rattling her brain until she could barely stand.

Was this what Third Sister meant… when she said she was giving this man to her?

Was this… how she was being given to him?