Chapter 494: My Marriage Can Wait

Chapter 494: My Marriage Can Wait

Mrs. He glanced in the direction of the kitchen, ensuring the distance was enough so that Lan'er wouldn't overhear her conversation with He Ziming before she slowly spoke.

"Ziming, tell your mother the truth. Is there something going on between you and Lan'er that you're hiding from me?"

He Ziming had thought that after Lan'er left, his mother would continue discussing why he didn’t want to return to the Imperial City. But instead, she asked about this.

He instinctively glanced in the direction of the kitchen, momentarily unsure how to respond.

You're the child I raised myself—how could Mrs. He understand anything less?

"You're not a boy anymore. If it weren't for the situation with Lady Jade, your father and I were planning to find a suitable match for you this year."

"Mother..." He Ziming interrupted his mother.

"My marriage can wait. The matter involving the Nine Princes' Mansion hasn't been resolved yet. It's not appropriate to talk about this now."

Right after He Zhiran had given birth, Lan'er was asked by Old Madam Mo to stay in Mo Jiuya's courtyard to specifically take care of He Zhiran's daily needs.

Although there were many rooms in the courtyard, Lan'er's frequent visits meant she ran into He Ziming quite often.

At first, nothing seemed amiss. He Ziming would often prescribe prescriptions for tonics for Lan'er to prepare.

Lan'er, lacking Yu'er's culinary talent, would ask He Ziming whenever she was confused.

Their interactions gradually increased.

He Ziming began to notice that Lan'er's natural grace and dignity were on par with, if not surpassing, those of the noble ladies in the Imperial City.

She was dignified but lacked the pretentiousness and arrogance of those noble young ladies.

This was the type of wife he had always dreamed of. Moreover, Lan'er was beautiful. No matter from which aspect, she was the type of woman he wanted to marry.

As time went on, He Ziming realized that he had likely fallen for this girl.

Lan'er, too, thought that the He family's eldest young master was not only handsome but also extremely knowledgeable, rumored in the Imperial City to be a miraculous doctor for women's ailments.

A man with both looks and talent—how could she not be moved?

However, Lan'er was well aware of her own status. Moreover, she had once secretly sworn before Fourth Princess that she would live only to see the day her great revenge was fulfilled. As for romantic relationships, she felt she didn't have the qualifications.

Both of them had feelings for each other. However, they were both acutely aware of the societal and class barriers between them. Neither of them had the courage to admit their feelings to each other.

Until today, Lan'er knew that the day He Ziming would return to the Imperial City was approaching. To prevent herself from getting more entangled, she tried to avoid times when they might run into each other.

He Ziming, similarly, didn't know if his parents would accept him marrying a maid whose identity cannot yet be revealed. He didn't dare to make any promises to Lan'er.

These past few days, he had also stayed in, minimizing the chances of running into her.

He only appeared in the courtyard today because he wanted to discuss his return to the Imperial City with his mother.

He had originally planned to test the waters with his mother. If he could get her understanding about his wish to resign from his official post and stay in the Northwest, he could then proceed with his plan and slowly communicate with his family.

Who knew that, coincidentally, his mother had noticed the signs much earlier.

A child she had raised herself—Mrs. He could tell whether he was telling the truth or not.

"You're the child I raised with my own hands. How could I not see what's in your heart, my son?"

"You have always been different from those wealthy young masters. While they indulged in romantic pursuits, there wasn’t even a concubine in your household. I know you want to find a girl you truly love and spend your life with."

Seeing that his mother had gone this far, He Ziming knew he couldn’t hide his affairs any longer.

Since that was the case, he decided to lay out his thoughts completely.

"Mother, I find Miss Lan'er to be both beautiful and intelligent, dignified and courteous, without the affectations of those from noble families..."

Mrs. He couldn’t help but notice Lan'er’s grace and dignity.

However, in her deeply ingrained beliefs, her future daughter-in-law should be a girl from a family of equal social standing with the He family. She never imagined that He Ziming would fall for someone of lower status, like a maid.

Though He Ziming didn’t directly admit his feelings, Mrs. He, having been through similar situations, understood perfectly.

Having spent time in the Northwest, she had grown accustomed to the local customs and appreciated the lack of rigid social hierarchies.

For a moment, Mrs. He was caught in a dilemma.

She wanted her son to marry into a prestigious family, but she also wished for him to be with the girl he loved.

He Ziming could see his mother’s inner conflict.

"Mother, think about the eldest son of the Wang family. Because he liked a girl from a lower-class family and wasn’t approved by his family, he was eventually forced to marry the daughter of the Minister of Personnel. What was the outcome?

Also, the young heir of the Marquis of Jingyuan fell in love with the daughter of a merchant family. To obstruct their relationship, the Marquis’s wife immediately arranged for him to marry the granddaughter of Minister Xue. Their marriage became a chaotic mess and a laughingstock in the capital.

And..."

"Enough, let me think about it."

Mrs. He was aware of all the stories He Ziming mentioned.

The eldest son of the Wang family, heartbroken over his lost love, turned to alcohol, which ruined both his career and his studies.

The young heir of the Marquis of Jingyuan, unhappy with the granddaughter of Minister Xue and not daring to offend the powerful Xue family, lived a life filled with melancholy and passed away from depression before he reached thirty.

"Ziming, are you saying that only by being with Lan'er will you be happy?"

He Ziming nodded solemnly.

"I had no beloved girls before. If you had chosen someone for me, Mother, I would have had no objections. But now, I have someone in my heart. If I were to marry someone else, I fear I would never be able to let go."

To justify Lan'er’s worth, He Ziming continued, "Although Lan'er is a maid, if she were in the palace, those who personally serve the princess are high-ranking ladies-in-waiting. Her speech and conduct are measured, and her dignity and etiquette are no less than those of noble ladies.

Father always taught me not to act like those spoiled nobles and to treat everyone with respect.

I see Lan'er as someone who maintains such an ordinary heart, and I have never felt that she is beneath me in status."

"Mother, I agree with Big Brother’s view." The mother and son’s conversation wasn’t overheard by Lan'er but was caught by He Zhiran, who had just come out of the room.

Recently, her energy had been focused on Zhu'er and Mingzhu, so she hadn’t noticed anything unusual between He Ziming and Lan'er.

Hearing their conversation, He Zhiran realized that there was indeed something unusual between the two.

For example, at mealtimes, Big Brother preferred light flavors, and Lan'er always placed the lighter dishes in front of him.

Also, Big Brother was very particular about cleanliness. At home, there were matrons who helped clean his clothes and the room.

Here, Lan'er would clean his room when he wasn’t around and would take away his soiled clothes when she came out.