Chapter 25: The Truth (Part Two)

Chapter 25: The Truth (Part Two)

She knew she was attractive, otherwise she wouldn't have been forced to leave the Xie family compound.

But how difficult it had been to survive on the road, scavenging for food like a beggar, and how hard it was for a widow and her orphaned son to withstand bullying...

She understood that she needed to find another man to rely on; and she knew that only a man like him could provide that support.

Her desires were modest. As long as they could have enough to eat, and as long as her son could attend the clan school to learn, she would be willing to become his concubine, a servant, or even work tirelessly like an ox or a horse.

For several days, he gave no indication of his intentions. Just when she thought all hope was lost, a small sedan chair arrived in front of her house.

Overjoyed, she put on the new clothes handed to her by a servant and entered the sedan chair, which carried her all the way to the main courtyard.

He was waiting inside the room.

She approached silently and knelt before him, speaking from the bottom of her heart, "I will fulfill my duties and serve you well, Sir."

Silent, he reached for the nape of her neck, deftly unfastening the buttons...

Between a man and a woman, there was but one matter.

She had pondered this thoroughly on her way here.

If he was cold, she would be warm; if he was aloof, she would be proactive; if he spoke little, she would draw out his words...

"Mother!"

Xie Daozhi couldn't help but cry out in shock, her heart roiling with emotions. "You... You actually..."

"Son."

The elderly lady knew what he was about to say. "In this world, there are not many paths for women to tread. A daughter obeys her father at home, her husband when outside, and her son when her husband is gone. But you were still too young then, and I had no other choice."

"But..."

"Why did you keep it from me?"

A tear trickled down the old lady's cheek.

"You must understand that no mother in this world wants her child to look down on her. If you know that I shamelessly schemed against him, you'll never be able to hold your head up high in front of Yan Xing for the rest of your life.

"Huh!"

An ill-timed scoff echoed through the room, and it was clear without guessing that it came from Yan Sanhe.

Had this happened a quarter of an hour ago, Xie Daozhi would have slammed the table in anger. But at this moment, he gritted his teeth and held back.

"Miss Yan, this old woman has made a fool of herself before you."

"I don't make fun of anyone."

Yan Sanhe didn't voice out the latter part.

If not for wanting to alleviate my grandfather's torment, do you think I'd willingly listen to these infuriating old stories?

It was you who plotted against others, yet in the end, you let your son misunderstand that my grandfather forced you. Your son may now hold his head high, but what about my grandfather?

What about his reputation? !

"Madam, please continue," Yan Sanhe said, his dark eyes gleaming with a different light.

Xie Zhifei observed him clearly; that light had just ignited after listening to the old madam's words.

What a resolute character!

He was quite firm in his stance!

Madam Xie stared at Yan Sanhe, her gaze unwilling to shift even a fraction of an inch.

His face bore no resemblance to his father's, but his temperament was strikingly similar!

"After becoming his, even without any official status, our mother-son duo would rise in the ranks within the Yan family."

"And what about the betrothal certificate?" Xie Zhifei asked.

Madam's expression flickered through a gamut of emotions, revealing her concealed sadness.

As his intimate companion, even without an official title, both she and her son would hold a different status within the Yan family.

They would change residences, acquire more servants, new clothing, and jewelry...

She had become Madam Yang, and her son, Young Master Yan.

The Yan estate now had an additional young master, albeit one with a hint of arrogance and a burden to bear. Few in the household genuinely respected him, with whispers behind his back, hidden obstacles, and open acts of bullying happening under her watchful eye every day.

She dared not mention these matters before him. Instead, at night, after he had fallen asleep, she would turn away and silently shed tears.

When he noticed and asked what was wrong, she clenched her teeth, refusing to speak.

A woman's tears were the most potent weapon against a man, especially one as proud as he, with arrogance ingrained in his bones.

True to form, a few days later, he commanded their son to take the Yan surname.

Upon hearing this news, the entire Yan family was shaken to its core.

Xie is an outsider, while Yan is a family member. If this child were a daughter, she would at most bring a dowry when marrying out, but being a son, he would be competing for the family estate with the Yans.

Everyone in the Yan residence was afraid of him, dare not utter a word of criticism in his presence. However, his deceased wife's family was not pleased, and several of her elder brothers came to confront him.

Without a word, he coldly presented the marriage contract she herself was unaware of.

With a kengti, that signifies a remarriage - she would be the legitimate and rightful Madam Yan. Upon seeing this, her several brothers-in-law tactfully fell silent, all on the same wavelength.

There's a reason for silence.

After his first wife passed away, he lived alone for five years without even a chambermaid to warm his bed.

The woman he remarried was brought into the household in a small sedan chair, without so much as a single banquet to celebrate the occasion.

She was of lowly birth, without the support of her own family.

A powerless and unloved woman, how could she possibly contend for the family assets on behalf of her stepson, an unwanted child?

And what about her?

She didn't even have the courage to lift her head in his presence, wishing she could find a hole to bury herself in.

"In my bed, you belong to me. I can tease my own, but others cannot," he said with an icy arrogance.

"This marriage certificate isn't for you, but for your son. He has a talent for scholarly pursuits and wishes to attend the Yan family's academy. To do so, he must take the Yan surname."

She abruptly raised her head, gazing steadily at him.

Yet, his character is too rigid, vulnerability comes with excessive rigidity, he needs to be tempered through countless trials to truly flourish. A doting mother often spoils her child, hence in the future, I won't be showing him any leniency. As for you...

A mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

In a marriage of convenience, hearts are never fully aligned. Whether you scheme against me or exploit me, it makes little difference, so long as your intentions aren't too deeply concealed – for when they are, humanity fades away. And don't be overly insincere, for that only invites disdain.

She finally understood what the Yan family truly fears about him.

Not his coldness, not his arrogance, nor his eccentric disposition, but his exceptional cleverness and profound insight.

Your petty thoughts and actions can never escape his keen eyes. If you scheme, he'll respond with transparency; if you calculate, he'll show you his disdain.

Ashamed beyond words, she scrambled over on all fours, burying her face in his black boots.

"Master, from now on, I will not plot against you even the slightest bit, I swear!"

As Lady Xie spoke, something suddenly occurred to her, and she regained her composure.

"When you entered the Yan family's academy, it was his decision from the start. The reason I knelt was both to show you and to show the Yan family."

Xie Daozhi looked at her, his expression dazed.

"You were troubled by the name change and dared not express your anger towards him. He saw all of this. He believes that hatred can fuel one's ambition. With such drive, you can go further and climb higher. As for the Yan family..."

Lady Xie sighed.

"I went from being a servant to his bedside companion in a short time. No matter how resentful the Yan children might be, they have to call me 'Mother' in public. You were unwilling to take the Yan surname, but I took their birth mother's place. How could they willingly let you study in the family academy? The more miserable I am, the more pleased they will be, and the more they will tolerate you."

Xie Daozhi's expression was beyond mere ashen-faced; it was as if life itself had deserted his body, leaving him kneeling there in a withered, listless state.

"The Matriarch, how did you and your family end up being expelled from the Yan clan? And why did you tear up that divorce document?"