Chapter Fifty-Eight: The First and Second Mistresses

Yang Jiekai returned home reeking of alcohol once again, but as soon as he stepped through the door, a chill ran down his spine and the intoxicating effects of Maotai vanished in an instant. He rubbed his eyes, pinched his arm hard to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, and then stammered, “Wife… today… did you take the wrong medicine or something?”

What greeted Yang Jiekai was Han Ning’s gentle, smiling face—the first time he’d seen such an expression from her since moving into this house. Had she acted as cold and indifferent as usual, he wouldn’t have thought anything was amiss. But today, this girl was sitting on the sofa, turning her head and smiling at him!

“Don’t you like it when my sister smiles at you?” Han Wei, too, was grinning as she looked at Yang Jiekai.

He waved his hands quickly, “No, no, I do, I do…”

In truth, Han Ning hadn’t smiled at Yang Jiekai out of any deliberate kindness; she was simply in a particularly good mood. Her negotiations with Wang Gang of Yongcheng Group had gone far better than expected, securing both investment and cooperation. When Yang Jiekai opened the door, her face was already smiling, and she looked over at him automatically.

“The project’s settled,” Han Ning realized she’d been out of character, turned her head aside, and resumed her usual icy demeanor. Her words clarified to Yang Jiekai that her smile was due to the project’s success, not because of him.

“Oh, oh, that’s good, that’s normal, haha…” Yang Jiekai finally breathed a sigh of relief. His former instructor had once warned him: there’s no hatred or love without reason. If someone’s attitude toward you suddenly changes without explanation, beware—strange things are afoot!

Han Ning was usually cold and distant, barely giving him the time of day. Her sudden “friendly” smile was suspicious. After her explanation, he relaxed—it was just the project.

“Son-in-law, I’ve kept your dinner for you. Let me bring it out,” Aunt Wang called, her mood evidently lifted. Her feelings always seemed tied to Han Ning’s; if Han Ning was happy, so was she.

“Oh, no need, Aunt Wang. I ate outside,” Yang Jiekai replied, then retreated to his room.

His daily life was dull: after work, he either ate or went online in his room, watching boring movies or searching for wanted notices, seeking suitable targets. As the next change of seasons approached, his anxiety grew; he still hadn’t scraped together the enormous sum needed for medicine and had no idea how he’d manage when the time came.

After searching online fruitlessly for a suitable target, he tossed aside the mouse and frowned, pondering how to get the money before the next calamity.

Perhaps the earlier drinking had left him thirsty. Yang Jiekai left his room to grab a drink from the fridge. The Han sisters were still excitedly discussing the launch of their project, while Aunt Wang watched her favorite TV drama.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong—

“Who’s there?” Aunt Wang called out warily. It was past nine at night; normally, no one would visit at this hour.

Ding-dong—

The bell rang again, followed by urgent knocking.

The Han sisters stopped talking, both looking toward the door with wary faces.

Who could possibly be knocking at this hour?

Suddenly, Han Ning and Han Wei exchanged uneasy glances, as if recalling something. Could it be another troublesome relative from the Han family come to stir up trouble?

“Ning, this…” Aunt Wang didn’t dare decide for herself and looked to Han Ning for guidance.

Han Ning furrowed her brows and calmly said, “Open the door and see who it is.”

She knew that if those relatives really were at the door, avoiding them wouldn’t work; what had to be faced must be faced. She wouldn’t let herself lose her composure in front of those disgusting kin.

Han Wei glanced at Yang Jiekai, “Don’t go back to your room yet. Stay here. If anything happens, remember, you’re the only man in this house.”

Yang Jiekai was about to return to his room but, hearing Han Wei, sat down on the sofa with his drink. He didn’t really mind—if things got lively, he could always stretch his muscles and give a few people a lesson.

Aunt Wang walked over and cautiously opened the door.

“Where’s my master?”

Before Aunt Wang could react, a young man in martial arts attire burst in, carrying a gleaming broadsword on his back.

The sight startled the Han sisters—was this guy here to chop someone up?

Yet before they could recover, the man in martial arts clothes suddenly knelt down with a thump, banging his head three times on the floor and shouted, “Master, please accept your disciple’s respects!”

“What… what are you doing?” Han Wei gazed at this lunatic in confusion. He knelt so suddenly—was he a runaway from a mental hospital?

At that moment, a quiet voice sounded from the side, “Get up.”

“Thank you, Master!” The young man sprang to his feet, standing ramrod straight.

Han Ning watched in amazement, utterly baffled by what was unfolding.

“Yang Jiekai, what’s going on?” Han Ning asked, her tone sharper than usual, rattled by the situation.

Just then, the young man drew his bright broadsword and pointed it at Han Ning, shouting angrily, “Who the hell are you to speak to my master like that? Believe me, I’ll cut you down!”

He advanced toward Han Ning, brandishing his blade.

Han Ning had never seen such a threatening gesture and screamed, clutching a pillow to her chest, “Don’t come any closer!”

Han Wei grabbed a fruit knife, watching the young man in terror.

Aunt Wang was pale with fright, rushing to shield Han Ning with trembling arms, “Don’t… don’t do anything rash, let’s talk this out…”

“Stop!” Yang Jiekai looked on, nearly in tears from the chaos. He pointed at Han Ning and said, “Wang Xiang, what are you doing? She’s your master’s wife!”

“Ah!” Wang Xiang yelped and immediately knelt with a thump, “First mistress, forgive me, I didn’t know you were the master’s wife.”

Then Wang Xiang turned to Han Wei, “Second mistress, please forgive me as well, I didn’t know you were the master’s wives. Please don’t hold it against me.”

Yang Jiekai spat out his drink in shock. First mistress? Second mistress? If only!

“Who’s your mistress?” Han Wei blushed and pointed at Han Ning, “I’m not your mistress, she is!”

“Oh, so you’re not?” Wang Xiang shot Han Wei a glance, “Then step aside, don’t get in my way.” He turned to Han Ning, “Please accept my respects, mistress!”

“You—” Han Wei was about to protest when she suddenly realized something. “Are you Wang Xiang? Which Wang Xiang?”

Wang Xiang stood up and gave Han Wei a scornful look, “Is there another Wang Xiang in Tianhai City? If so, tell me, and I’ll break his legs for daring to share my name!”

Han Wei ignored his rudeness in her surprise, “You’re Wang Gang’s son, the CEO of Yongcheng Group?”

Wang Xiang lifted his head proudly, “That’s right, my father is Wang Gang!”

Without another glance at the astonished Han Wei, he turned to Yang Jiekai and smiled respectfully, “Master, I’ve completed the task you gave me. Last night, I pestered my old man, crying, making a scene, threatening to hang myself, until he agreed to cooperate with… what was it? Oh, Ziyu Company. The contract was signed this morning. Master, you’ll keep your promise and accept me as your disciple now, right?”

Yang Jiekai had called Wang Xiang last night, hoping he might help after seeing Han Ning so anxious. Unexpectedly, the boy’s words worked wonders—clearly, Wang Gang doted on his wayward son.

Since he’d given his word, Yang Jiekai had to keep it. Sitting upright on the sofa, he put on the air of a master and nodded, “Yes, since you’ve succeeded, I officially accept you as my disciple from today onward!”

“Really!” Wang Xiang leaped up in delight, waving his broadsword and shouting, “Haha, that’s fantastic! Master, when will you teach me martial arts?”

“Stop!” Yang Jiekai, afraid Wang Xiang might accidentally hurt someone with his blade, quickly asked, “Why are you carrying a broadsword?”

Wang Xiang replied, “To practice martial arts! I’ve decided, from now on I’ll train with the sword. If anyone gets on my nerves, I’ll cut them down!”

“Nonsense!” Yang Jiekai rebuked him sternly, “Do you think martial arts are just for cutting people? As martial artists, we must cultivate inner peace and harmony. If you’re always itching to fight, how can you ever master the art?”

“If I can’t cut people, what’s the point of learning martial arts?” Wang Xiang was genuinely puzzled.

“You can’t just wave a blade around everywhere. What if you hurt a child? Or even flowers and plants—it’s not right…”

After a rambling lecture, Yang Jiekai finally stopped and said, “Alright, go home for now. Keep practicing as I instructed. When the time is right, I’ll teach you myself.”

“Yes, Master!” Wang Xiang replied respectfully, slung his broadsword over his shoulder, and strode out. At the door, he turned to the stunned Han Ning, “Mistress, I’m off. I’ll visit you another day.”

“Ah, oh, take care…” Han Ning responded, but Wang Xiang was already gone.