Chapter 97: Revenge on the Wife – Part Two

Xiao Yun’er saw her hair bristling with anger, clearly ready to give him a good scolding, and instinctively said, “I’m not coming out.” Ninth Miss, seeing his stubborn defiance, was infuriated and shouted, “If you dare not come out, watch out, I’ll hit you!”

Xiao Yun’er, secretly pleased by her furious state, thought to himself, “These days you’ve been making me practice martial arts till I’m exhausted, like I’ve been through a mountain of blades and a pool of oil. This time, I’m smart—I’ll make this woman furious.”

He felt a surge of delight and replied nonchalantly, “I’m a real man. If I don’t want to come out, I won’t. If you’ve got the guts, come in and get me.”

Ninth Miss, seething with rage, reached under the bed, trying to grab the scoundrel, but her hand wasn’t long enough. Being a noble lady of refined temperament, she was unwilling to crawl under the bed herself. Helpless, she grabbed a wooden stick, intending to drive Xiao Yun’er out.

Though the stick struck him, Ninth Miss dared not hit too hard, fearing she might truly hurt him. Moreover, Xiao Yun’er was wrapped in a quilt, so the blows landed on the thick fabric, causing him no pain.

Thus, Xiao Yun’er remained hidden under the bed, locked in this standoff. Just then, Little Red entered and said to Ninth Miss, “Miss, Miss Xing and Miss Feiyu and Miss Feihong have come looking for you.”

Ninth Miss felt embarrassed at the thought of Han Xing and the others witnessing this awkward scene. She stood up and said, “Little Red, please take the three ladies to the study to wait for me.”

Little Red nodded but cast a curious glance toward the spot under the bed where Xiao Yun’er was hiding.

Blushing, Ninth Miss said, “A mouse ran under the bed just now; Young Master Yun went in to catch it.” “Oh,” Little Red replied with a strange smile and quickly left.

After Little Red had gone, Ninth Miss, pressed by urgent matters, softened her tone and said, “Come out now, I won’t harm you.” Xiao Yun’er doubted her, “You’re not lying?” With Xing’s arrival, she had no time to argue and said firmly, “I’m not lying.”

“Are you serious?” Xiao Yun’er asked again. Seeing he still showed no sign of emerging, Ninth Miss’s anger flared once more. She scolded, “You bastard, are you ever going to stop?”

Their quarrel was interrupted by Xiao Jing’s call from outside: “The three ladies have arrived.”

Ninth Miss was startled, unable to tend to Xiao Yun, and hurriedly stood to usher Xing and the others to another room. But Han Xing pushed open the door before she could do so.

Not wanting Han Xing and especially the younger Feiyu and Feihong to witness this embarrassing scene, Ninth Miss, distressed, sat on the edge of the bed, using her long skirt to block the space under the bed, hiding Xiao Yun’er from view.

Because of her close relationship with Ninth Miss, Han Xing couldn’t wait and strode in first.

Seeing Ninth Miss rising then sitting again anxiously, Han Xing didn’t immediately notice what was under the bed but spotted the wooden stick in her hand. Curious, she asked, “Ninth Sister, why are you holding a wooden stick?”

Ninth Miss was embarrassed but quickly smiled, “A mouse came in earlier, I’m using this to chase it away.” Feiyu and Feihong greeted Ninth Miss and began chatting amongst themselves.

Xing first reported to Ninth Miss the successful resolution with the Wild Wolf Gang. The gang was now obedient to the Long family; they could almost save the yearly silver tribute. The matriarch was very pleased with her handling of the matter.

Then Xing inquired about how Ninth Miss had managed to rescue Xiao Yun’er. Ninth Miss replied vaguely, merely saying she had taken the opportunity to bring him back, omitting the details of her exchange with Bai Xuehua.

Hidden under the bed, Xiao Yun’er felt too embarrassed to come out and bored stiff. Suddenly, he noticed Ninth Miss’s beautiful jade-like legs shielding him, swaying gently.

His mischievous thoughts stirred. He couldn’t help but reach out to stroke them lightly. Ever since touching Bai Xuehua, he’d felt the urge to touch Ninth Miss’s legs but never found the chance—now was a rare opportunity.

Ninth Miss felt both shy and enraged but, with Xing, Feiyu, and Feihong present, she dared not move away. She endured the ticklish and uncomfortable sensation, inwardly wishing she could grab Xiao Yun’er and give him two hard slaps.

Seeing she remained still, Xiao Yun’er grew bolder. He thought, “This woman has grabbed my ears several times. Now it’s only fair I touch her legs a little, right?” Recalling the hardships he’d suffered recently, his mischievous streak flared, and he twisted her leg harder.

Ninth Miss, overwhelmed by the ticklish discomfort, couldn’t help but shake her feet involuntarily.

Xing and the others exchanged puzzled glances, watching her trembling feet. Feihong couldn’t help but ask, “Could there be a ghost under the bed?”

Ninth Miss snapped irritably, “Don’t be ridiculous!” Blushing, she instinctively flicked her foot backward, hitting Xiao Yun’er squarely on the nose.

Xiao Yun’er cried out in pain, now truly angry. Remembering how Ninth Miss had pricked him with pine needles days before, he vowed to retaliate. Though he lacked needles, he still had the silver hairpin given by Xie Xiaoyan, sharp at one end. He jabbed fiercely at Ninth Miss’s jade leg.

Caught off guard, Ninth Miss nearly cried out in pain, her feet jumping instinctively before she quickly put them down.

Xing asked with concern, “Ninth Sister, are you alright?”

Ninth Miss replied vaguely, “Maybe a mouse bit my foot again.”

Xing smiled, “Ninth Sister, shall we help you catch it?”

“No… no need,” Ninth Miss hurriedly declined.

Anger and frustration surged within her. She called out, “Little Red, Little Jing, please take the three ladies to rest in the sitting room.”

Little Red, understanding the situation, said, “Ladies, please follow me to the sitting room.”

Though puzzled by Ninth Miss’s earlier behavior, they had been instructed to leave and naturally did so.

Once they had gone, Ninth Miss hurriedly jumped up and moved away from the bed. Turning back, she caught sight of Xiao Yun’er peeking out, sticking out his tongue and making a face. Xiao Jing, standing nearby, almost burst into laughter but was silenced by Ninth Miss’s glare, making her cover her mouth hastily.

Rubbing the foot Xiao Yun’er had jabbed, Ninth Miss realized she hadn’t used her internal energy just now, which was why she felt pain.

She said to Xiao Jing, “Keep an eye on this little mouse. Don’t let him escape. When I return, I’ll make sure to teach him a proper lesson.”