Chapter 828 – My Son Has a Crush (Part 1)
“You two can take your time to chat.”
Wan Xuan glanced at Li Yun, noticing how much he resembled the young Xie Qian, yet his delicate features leaned toward his mother.
Thinking this, Wan Xuan couldn’t help but sigh silently. If it weren’t for that incident, Xie Qian and his wife would surely be an envious couple.
Li Yun quickly had a servant lead the way, bringing Wan Xuan to the guest room.
Seeing his son busy, Xie Qian chuckled, saying, “After not seeing you for two to three years, you’ve grown quite a bit.”
Li Yun perked up, as this compliment from his father meant he was now seen as an adult capable of standing on his own!
Even though his heart was bursting with joy, he still maintained his habitual “aloof” demeanor.
Changing the topic, Xie Qian addressed Li Yun, “By usual customs, you should have been betrothed by now.”
At this point, his brows uncontrollably furrowed.
Had Xie Qian not been secretly disowned by the Xie family, Li Yun would have naturally been their legitimate grandson.
Arrangements for marriages were typically made around the ages of thirteen or fourteen, traditionally selected by the matriarch.
“Too bad your mother passed away early. Otherwise… she might have even attended her grandson’s birthday banquet.”
Family rules were as numerous as the stars, with marriages arranged at thirteen or fourteen and actual weddings by eighteen or nineteen.
Considering Li Yun’s age, he should have been married and starting a family by now.
Now it felt a bit awkward, stuck in a limbo where he was neither here nor there.
Born into a prestigious family, Xie Qian didn’t obsess over lineage like a madman, but deep down, he didn’t see himself as a commoner either.
For his son’s marriage, the girl should ideally come from a noble background. Not that he required a powerful family, but she must be smart.
Key point—she absolutely must be intelligent!
There was no choice; Xie Qian’s nerves were frayed by that bizarre anomaly.
He feared his son marrying the wrong woman and ruining three generations.
Mentioning Li Yun’s birth mother brought a slight calm to the excited chaos in Li Yun’s mind.
He had never heard Xie Qian mention anything about his mother growing up.
Cautiously, Li Yun asked, “Father, I’ve heard Liu Xi speak of how Mother was originally from the Langya Wang family?”
Both of his parents came from the Four Great Families, making Li Yun’s lineage even more venerable than that of the royal family in this era focused on bloodlines.
Xie Qian sighed, nostalgia evident in his features, “Indeed. Your mother’s surname was Wang, her given name Huijun, the legitimate daughter of the Langya Wang family. She was siblings with the current head of the Wang family. Sadly, heaven did not favor her; she was frail and tragically passed away due to childbirth complications…”
Li Yun listened attentively, and when Xie Qian mentioned his mother’s name “Huijun,” his eyelids twitched.
Xie Qian didn’t miss this reaction and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Li Yun shook his head, saying, “Nothing, just feels like Mother’s name is similar to someone I know.”
I mean, it’s not surprising—there are plenty of people with the same name out there. Xie Qian didn’t think too much of it.
Li Yun went on, “Mother… I heard from Liu Xi that she was one of the rare talented women…”
With pride, Xie Qian replied, “She was not only a talented woman! Compared to Liu Zhi, your mother’s intellect could crush him without breaking a sweat.”
Li Yun: “…”
Father, how much beef do you have with Liu Xi?
However, after hearing that, Li Yun found himself longing to admire the mother he had never met, feeling a little dejected.
According to Father, she had died giving birth to him.
“Father, do you have a portrait of Mother?”
Li Yun had heard Liu Zhi say that Xie Qian was a versatile talent, adept at poetry and painting, and able to wield a sword.
If so, wouldn’t he have made a portrait of his mother as a memento?
“Of course I do.”
Xie Qian had been a hermit in the wild for over a decade. He may have appeared disheveled to others, but his upbringing was ingrained in his bones—living in a thatched cottage didn’t stop him from radiating the charm of a carefree hermit.
As a father raising his son alone, he hadn’t neglected his skills; his calligraphy and painting were still quite impressive.
To prevent the memories from fading, he had carried numerous portraits with him.
Excitedly, Li Yun opened the portrait and froze upon seeing the face depicted.
Had he not known that Hui Jun was a few months younger than him, he would have suspected this was his mother!
“This isn’t… Hui Madam, is it?”
He muttered, almost knocking his head against the wall.
“Outrageous!”
Not calling her “Mother” but “Hui Madam”—was this kid plotting a rebellion?
After hesitating for a moment, Li Yun confessed, “Father, I’ve met the person in the portrait.”
Xie Qian’s heart leaped into his throat. His son had met that anomaly?!
“When did that happen?”
“Just yesterday,” Li Yun explained, “There’s a lady in the back courtyard of the lord’s residence who looks strikingly similar to the one in the portrait, though her aura is completely different.”
The lady in the portrait, Wang Huijun, exuded an air of elegance and grace.
She wore splendid attire amidst a sea of flowers, her right hand resting gently on her slightly protruding stomach, a faint smile on her face, radiating the warmth of “motherly love.” Upon seeing the portrait, others were first captivated by her aura, soon noticing her beauty. Even if just a painting, one could tell she was an educated talent—such demeanor could only come from years of immersion in the arts.
As for the Hui Madam Li Yun had met, though she was dazzlingly beautiful, her type of beauty was flamboyant.
One was reserved, the other was flamboyant.
Upon hearing this, Xie Qian instantly became wary of the woman who resembled his wife.
Before Xie Qian could collect his thoughts, Li Yun carefully put the portrait away and shyly said, “Father…”
“What is it?”
“Son… has someone he admires.”
Li Yun did not want his father to take charge of his marriage arrangements.
To avoid complications, it was best to confess openly first.
Xie Qian: “…”
While he reluctantly lowered his standards for a potential daughter-in-law, Xie Qian truly did not want his son marrying a rustic, illiterate woman with a mouth full of insults!
Immediately, Xie Qian’s mind conjured an image of a woman with yellowed teeth, spitting as she spoke, dirt embedded in her nails, noisily chomping her food, snoring like thunder while sleeping, and throwing punches in quarrels. He felt faint, his breath catching.
Son, please don’t give me a heart attack!
With a shaking heart, Xie Qian asked, “Which family is she from?”
He didn’t care if it was love or not; he just wanted to know which family it was.
Even if it was a peasant girl, he would accept, as long as she possessed some education.
“The Shangguan family from Hejian, I don’t know if you’ve heard of them?” Li Yun said somewhat shyly. “Her name is Shangguan Wan.”
The Shangguan family from Hejian?
Xie Qian was aware of them, having already braced himself for the worst, yet Li Yun surprised him positively.
“The lady from the Shangguan family is quite acceptable.”
“Does this mean you agree, Father?”
Li Yun was over the moon, feeling luckier than ever today, as good fortune came one after another.
