Chapter 271: On-Site Teaching

“This…” Su Yingman’s heart skipped a beat the moment she saw Qin Xuange’s face, a phantom grip tightening around her chest.

Seeing that face following behind Jiang Huai triggered a flood of memories.

The images of the past seemed to overlap with the present.

The tall figure, the gently swaying black-scaled dragon tail, the cold and beautiful face, and that assertive temperament—every point of resemblance struck Su Yingman’s memory like a hammer.

‘She returned? How could I not know?’

A slight sense of loss welled up in her heart as if her emotions had briefly malfunctioned.

However, Su Yingman quickly regained her composure. Her breathing hitched slightly, but she soon wore a faint smile.

Zhu Siyao observed Su Yingman’s reaction in silence, her lips pursed as she fought back a giggle.

She had successfully bluffed her.

“You’re back from the Red Dragon Clan? Siyao told me everything,” Su Yingman spoke in a soft, gentle tone as she looked at Jiang Huai.

“How did it go?”

Jiang Huai shook his head, helplessly explaining that he hadn’t even seen the Chihong Clan Leader’s face.

He had delivered the gift but had no idea when he would receive a reply.

Hearing this, Su Yingman knit her brows and sighed.

“If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have chased those two away that day. I should have just gone with the flow.”

“What ‘seclusion’? She simply doesn’t want to see you. Everyone would have known long ago if she were actually in seclusion.” After saying this, she turned her gaze back to Qin Xuange and smiled.

“This must be the Saintess of the Black Dragon Clan, Qin Xuange, whom Siyao mentioned, right?”

While Su Yingman smiled and spoke to Qin Xuange, her other hand reached for Zhu Siyao’s waist, giving it a sharp pinch.

“Ow, that hurts…” Zhu Siyao cried out, looking at Su Yingman with indignation.

Su Yingman’s charming, peach-blossom eyes glared at Zhu Siyao, her gaze practically screaming, ‘Since she looks so much like her, you still claim you don’t know why Jiang Huai kept her as a maidservant? Were you trying to see me make a fool of myself?’

Zhu Siyao felt a pang of guilt.

She lowered her head to sip her tea, gently rubbing the tender skin Su Yingman had just pinched.

“Yes. I am the Saintess of the Black Dragon Clan, Qin Xuange,” Qin Xuange replied to Su Yingman with neither arrogance nor humility. Afterward, she fell silent and stood behind Jiang Huai.

“Do you intend to go back? Even as a maidservant, you don’t need to follow him every second. It’s getting late; you can return to the Black Dragon Clan to rest or engage in cultivation,” Su Yingman suggested.

Qin Xuange answered immediately, “I am not going back.”

She thought for a moment before adding, “Furthermore, I am not a maidservant. I am a slave maid. A slave maid cannot simply leave as she pleases.”

Su Yingman’s lips twitched. she could hardly believe someone wearing the same face as Qin Qingyue would say something so self-deprecating.

She grumbled inwardly, ‘Does this child not understand subtext? Doesn’t she know we have some family business to discuss?’

‘And why does she need to make such a clear distinction? Is this something to be proud of?’

In this world, there was a subtle difference between a maidservant and a slave maid.

A maidservant was simply a woman who served others; they were technically free individuals.

For example, Chi Lian had been Chihuang’s maidservant, and Tang Zhaoxue had been Jiang Huai’s maidservant.

Their relationship was one of service and nothing more.

However, a slave maid carried a slave bond.

The relationship with Jiang Huai was that of a slave and a master.

Their status was extremely low, as their treatment was entirely at the master’s whim.

“Then… do you plan on staying here? How long do you intend to stay?” Su Yingman asked, maintaining a polite smile.

Just as Qin Xuange was about to answer, Jiang Huai interrupted nonchalantly.

“Slave, maid… it’s just a title. She can leave whenever she wants.” Jiang Huai paused.

“But I still want to exchange some insights on cultivation with her, so she probably won’t be leaving so soon.”

Qin Xuange’s eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this.

She said nothing more and remained behind Jiang Huai with a faint smile in her eyes.

It was as if the two of them understood something they weren’t saying out loud.

Su Yingman’s lips twitched again. Her expression became subtle as a hint of ambiguity drifted through the air.

“Fine then. Since the Dragon Chant Hall is in Jiang Huai’s hands, I’ll move in after a few days…” She stood up slowly and patted Zhu Siyao on the shoulder. She spoke in a sour tone. “Come, let’s go inside and talk for a bit.”

“We have some family matters to discuss. Miss Qin, please wait here a moment.”

Qin Xuange replied, “I am currently only a slave maid.”

“Heh…” Su Yingman responded with a forced smile.

Zhu Siyao stood up, her red dress swaying. She turned to glance at Jiang Huai and gave his wrist a firm squeeze as she walked toward the inner room. “Come in. We need to have a word.”

Jiang Huai gave Qin Xuange a look before following the two women inside.

Outside, the spring breeze continued to blow, fluttering Qin Xuange’s hair and her black dress.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, she tilted her head toward the sunset.

The dim, yellow light of the setting sun bathed her face, outlining her exquisite features.

“Senior Qin, what am I exactly?” Qin Xuange stared at the sunset and asked softly.

Inside, Zhu Siyao and Su Yingman sat together on the Bed of Soft Jade.

Both had their legs crossed and arms folded, their toes swaying gently.

Their beautiful eyes were focused on Jiang Huai, who stood by the bed.

“Confess. What are your intentions?” Su Yingman asked with a light huff.

“Confess! What are your intentions!” Zhu Siyao repeated, mimicking her.

Jiang Huai kept his head down, only then realizing that Su Yingman’s dress today was slit on both sides.

As she sat with her legs crossed, he could see the black silks wrapping around her shapely thighs. It was soul-stirring.

The black silks stretched all the way up the slits of her dress, disappearing near the curve of her plump, rounded hips.

She had unbuttoned the top of her dress and crossed her arms, pressing her white, snowy peaks together until they looked as if they were about to overflow.

Beside her, although Zhu Siyao was mimicking Su Yingman’s posture, she looked like a young girl lacking mature charm by comparison—somewhat thin.

Zhu Siyao seemed to realize this as well.

She stole a glance at the silk stockings on Su Yingman’s legs, making a mental note of it.

Then, she looked at the squeezed, fair mountains of her companion before looking down at her own chest, feeling a sense of deep dejection.

“I don’t have any specific intentions. If she insists on the bet, then we’ll just have to accept it,” Jiang Huai answered while looking down at the two women.

He looked up and added, “Besides, I’m clearly the Husband Lord here, right? What’s with this attitude?”

Logically, his Main Wife was in the Immortal Realm. These two women should technically be considered concubines.

Su Yingman ignored his deflection and simply said, “Right now, I am exercising the authority of the Main Wife. You are not allowed to talk back.”

“You say you don’t have intentions, but I can see you have plenty.”

“Now, stand still and don’t move.”

She used her small foot to gently rub against Jiang Huai’s calf while taking out a Small Porcelain Bottle.

She poured some lubricant onto her jade-like palms and rubbed them together.

Then, she turned to Zhu Siyao.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t stop him last time you helped?”

“Now, I will teach you. Go and undress him.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huai turned to run, only to find his feet were stuck.

Su Yingman’s small foot continued to rub against his leg, keeping him in place.