Springtime Farming: A Happy Wife At Home

Chapter 2044: Why Are You Here?

Shao Yunduan may have been unfamiliar with Tang Fanghua and her attendant, but he sensed her dubious intentions. He trusted his wife to handle the situation adeptly.

Regarding the debt of saving her life, Shao Yunduan deemed it wise to resolve it promptly. Since Tang Fanghua openly expressed her desire to repay him, he decided to grant her wish swiftly. He didn’t want Qi to be burdened by such an obligation.

“Wife!” Shao Yunduan’s voice exuded warmth and excitement. “Look who’s here!”

A broad grin illuminated Qi’s youthful and handsome face as he eagerly approached. “Fifth Sister-in-law! It’s me. I’ve come to see you and my nephew!”

Qiao Xuan, engrossed in play with her son, was momentarily stunned. Qi was here? It couldn’t be!

Qi’s presence filled her with astonishment and delight. “Qi, you’re really here!”

Qi beamed with happiness and pride. “Fifth Sister-in-law, it’s me!”

Qiao Xuan burst into laughter, moving closer. “Excellent, you’ve returned after all these years! Anan, come greet Uncle Qi!”

Anan, curious, blinked his watery eyes and regarded Qi. Following his mother’s prompt, he obediently chimed, “Uncle Qi!”

Qi’s face lit up with joy as he reached out to embrace his nephew.

Tang Fanghua and her attendant had not been able to survey their surroundings upon entering, thus initially missing the presence of Qiao Xuan and her son. However, as their gazes finally settled on them, their expressions shifted dramatically.

Lvying, who had suffered the most the day before, was now the most shocked. A cry of surprise escaped her lips.

Qiao Xuan, upon noticing their arrival, froze in place.

Qi, sensing a subtle shift in the atmosphere, felt a twinge of unease but brushed it off as mere imagination. Surely, nothing could be amiss.

Realizing his oversight in introducing Tang Fanghua to Qiao Xuan, Qi withdrew his hands from Anan and addressed Qiao Xuan with a smile. “Fifth Sister-in-law, this is Tang Fanghua,

Miss Tang. She’s accompanied by my other two friends.”

Lvying’s complexion turned ashen, fear flickering in her eyes as she trembled involuntarily.

Recalling her altercation with Qiao Xuan the previous day, she regretted her actions deeply. If only she had known Qiao Xuan’s true identity as the Prefect’s wife, she wouldn’t have dared to provoke her, no matter how bored she felt.

Tang Fanghua, too, felt a pang of embarrassment, her face alternating between shades of red and white. This friendly fire… what a predicament.

To realize that the woman before her was the Prefect’s wife explained her arrogance. It also explained— with a sinking feeling—how she had maintained airs of superiority as a relative of the Lord Prefect. The realization burned through Tang Fanghua like a flame.

Tang Fanghua strained to summon a smile, but it eluded her. Her attempts to speak resulted in silence, her throat constricted by tension.

Qiao Xuan offered a wry half-smile in acknowledgment. “So it’s you.”

Ignoring the awkwardness, Lvying hastily interjected, “Indeed, our Miss saved General Shao!”

Though her words felt abrupt, she felt compelled to speak. It was their best and only defense. Perhaps, on the grounds of Tang Fanghua’s deed, the Prefect’s wife would show mercy and exercise decorum…

Qi’s eyes flashed with anger. He cast a cold gaze at Lvying, then turned to Tang Fanghua with a mask of disdain.

His disgust was palpable. And so was his anger.