CHAPTER 155: CHAPTER 149: THANK YOU FOR WAITING

The tavern was not far from the tea house.

When the Eldest Princess and Father Wen arrived, the Prince Consort had already ordered the dishes and was standing by the window. Upon hearing from the household guards that the Eldest Princess had arrived, the concerns on his face gradually faded away. He turned to look at the two entering the door, smiling slightly at the corners of his mouth, "Sit down."

Father Wen didn’t rush to sit down. He waited for the Eldest Princess to sit first and then chose a seat opposite her, leaving the nearby empty seats for Lu Xingzhou.

Lu Xingzhou picked up the wine jug, filled all three of their cups, and then raised his cup, looking at Father Wen, "I’ll drink this first as a sign of respect."

Right after, he poured a second cup, "Unnecessary words we won’t say, everything is in the wine."

Father Wen was initially going to ask when they planned to reunite with Wan Niang, but hearing this, he immediately gave up the idea, smiled, and returned the toast with Lu Xingzhou.

Previously at the tea house, what should and shouldn’t have been said was mostly discussed, so this meal was basically just casual conversation.

The Eldest Princess proactively brought up Wen Shun, asking if he studied. Their family had two quotas for the Imperial College, and now one was left. If Wen Shun wanted, she could find a way to transfer the quota to him, enabling him to study well for a few years, and later pass the imperial exams wouldn’t be an issue.

Father Wen shook his head, "That son of mine, he’s been a troublemaker since childhood. Previously, when the Third Son was around, he even sent him to the town school. Unfortunately, he wasn’t cut out for it, and after a few days, he ran back home."

The Eldest Princess and Lu Xingzhou exchanged a glance.

It seemed that Lu Yanqing and Wen Shun were indeed biological brothers, sharing some surprisingly similar traits.

"But it’s Yuanbao from the Third Lang’s family," Father Wen said, "That child is impressive in his studies, just like his father when he was young. If Fanghua wants this quota, it wouldn’t hurt to give it to him. He might even surpass his father in the future."

"Yuanbao? The child from the Third Lang’s family?" The Eldest Princess frowned slightly.

No matter how she counted on her fingers, she couldn’t calculate how Wanwan, who got married at sixteen and was eighteen this year, could have a child already in school.

Father Wen, fearing her misunderstanding, hurried to explain, "Not the Third Son’s biological child, from the First Son’s family. Alas, speaking of it, the First Son and his wife also weren’t that fortunate. The child was only a few months old when both his parents passed away. The Third Son couldn’t bear it and raised his nephew as his own, and ever since Yuanbao had memory, he’s been calling him ’father.’

This had been such a relief for her that the Eldest Princess was nearly scared out of her wits, "That’s good, that he’s not his biological child."

Being a stepmother was not easy, and she didn’t want Wanwan to be wronged by her in-laws for life.

"So, are her parents-in-law good to her?" the Eldest Princess asked again.

When it came to this, Father Wen hesitated, "There’s something, I’ve never known how to tell you."

The Eldest Princess’s just relieved heart hung up again, "It’s fine, whatever it is, Second Brother Wen, just say it."

"Wan Niang... can’t speak."

The Eldest Princess’s face froze, "How is that possible... I taught her to speak personally back then, and she spoke very well."

Father Wen lowered his head, "It was the Third Son who told me. He said the year you left, he took Wan Niang in, and the little girl was chasing after the carriage and accidentally fell into an ice hole. When he pulled her out, the little girl was already unconscious. She later had a never-ending fever, which cost her the memory of you, her mother, and damaged her voice."

Upon hearing this, the Eldest Princess broke down mentally, tears uncontrollably falling down, "It’s my fault, all my fault."

"Ah Yin." Lu Xingzhou held her clenched fingers, gently comforting, "You were forced to leave back then, you can’t be blamed for this. Once we return to the capital, I’ll find a way to treat her."

The Eldest Princess looked at him with teary eyes.

Lu Xingzhou nodded, "I have already met Wanwan."

The Eldest Princess was overwhelmed by the barrage of news.

Lu Xingzhou said, "I mentioned before that I wanted to hire a scholar to tutor Yanqing at our house, and that scholar is Song Wei."

Father Wen was relieved, "It seems you’ve already been in contact beforehand, so there’s nothing for me to worry about."

The Eldest Princess stopped her tears.

The Prince Consort had met her without knowing, so how could she, as a mother, sit still?

She wished she could sprout wings and fly back to the capital to see her daughter immediately.

Lu Xingzhou, sensing her urgency, comforted, "Don’t be anxious, didn’t Second Brother Wen say they’ll return in August? It’s only January now, there’s still time! When we return to the capital, there will be plenty of opportunities."

The Eldest Princess reached out and pressed the corner of her teary eyes.

For more than ten years, she had managed not to meet Wanwan or even inquire about her, but now knowing that Wanwan had lost her ability to speak because of her, her already guilty heart felt like it was burning over an open flame, making her restless.

Lu Xingzhou estimated that his wife wasn’t in the mood to focus on anything else now, so he instructed the household guards to escort her back to the inn first, intending to have a few words alone with Father Wen.

Between men, there were always some words that were inconvenient to say in front of women, and the Eldest Princess understood.

Furthermore, as the Prince Consort thought, she indeed at this moment, her mind was full of Wanwan, with no mood left for anything else.

So she didn’t refuse, following the household guards back to the inn.

In the private room, only Lu Xingzhou and Father Wen were left, and the atmosphere seemed subtly awkward again.

Father Wen picked up his chopsticks to eat, trying to conceal his unease.

Lu Xingzhou adjusted his expression, "I kept Second Brother Wen behind alone because I wanted to tell you something and also discuss it with you."

Upon hearing this, Father Wen put down his chopsticks, "Go on."

"When Ah Yin returned to the capital for our wedding, she was already pregnant."

The father of the child was self-evident.

Father Wen suddenly felt a mess in his head, and whatever Lu Xingzhou said next, he couldn’t take in.

Rubbing his face with his hand, Father Wen spoke, "That child..."

"Is a son," Lu Xingzhou said. "His name is Lu Yanqing. After returning to the capital, Ah Yin has always lived with the contradiction and guilt between you and me, unable to untangle the knot in her heart. Even though we have been married for many years, I’ve never touched her."

Having said so much, Father Wen understood completely, "I understand. From now on, that child will be regarded as your and Fanghua’s biological son. I won’t seek him out, nor will I acknowledge him, but I have one request that you and your wife must agree to."

"Please go ahead, Second Brother Wen."

Father Wen said, "Wan Niang is a daughter I raised since she was young. In my heart, whether or not she can speak, she will always be my daughter. I can choose not to recognize my son, but you must let me recognize this daughter and not sever the ties between us."

"As you wish," Lu Xingzhou readily agreed.

These two children have been entangled for so many years, the idea of "biological parents" is deeply ingrained. Wen Guangping would never actively acknowledge Yanqing, and even he, as the biological father, could not suddenly appear before Wanwan claiming to be her father.

Sometimes, one sentence, one truth, can destroy a person’s life.

Lu Xingzhou has no doubt about this.

It appears that Wanwan is a simple-minded little girl. In her heart, Song Wei is her husband, Wen Guangping is her father, and her mother has been deceased for many years.

If at this time someone stood up to claim to be her biological parents and revealed the truth from back then, she would surely collapse.

Even just a passerby wouldn’t have the heart to shatter the purity in the little girl’s eyes, let alone him, her biological father.

There are many ways to protect Wanwan, and to him, recognizing her would be undoubtedly the most foolish.

With words spoken openly, there was less distance between them. The two drank a few more cups back and forth before Lu Xingzhou arranged to have Father Wen sent back.

Before leaving, he prepared to give him some silver coins.

Father Wen refused, saying that matters regarding children shouldn’t involve money, as it taints the sentiment.

Lu Xingzhou had already heard from the Eldest Princess about the Wen family’s humble living conditions. After thinking for a moment, he said, "If Second Brother Wen doesn’t want money, then I’ll set up a shop for you in the county town. You can venture into whatever business you wish. Consider it just a small token from me, and if you even refuse this, it would make me feel guilty."

In fact, Father Wen had long thought of opening a shop to do some small business, but he lacked the capital. The few pieces of jewelry Wan Niang had left behind were all hidden away, untouched.

Hearing Lu Xingzhou say so, he could only smile and accept.

Once Father Wen left, Lu Xingzhou didn’t linger in the restaurant either and quickly returned to the inn.

The Eldest Princess was tidying up when he entered. She looked up and asked, "How did the conversation go?"

Lu Xingzhou stood still, pressing his lips lightly while looking at her, not replying for a moment.

"Prince Consort?" the Eldest Princess called him again.

Suppressing his surging emotions, Lu Xingzhou stepped forward and directly held her in his arms.

The Eldest Princess somewhat sensed his "oddness," and she embraced his sturdy waist, resting her cheek against his chest.

After a long silence in the room, Lu Xingzhou suddenly spoke, "Maybe Ah Yin will let go of her heart’s knot in the future?"

The Eldest Princess tightened her grip on his arm, her eyes, which had cried once before in the teahouse, began to heat up again.

"It’s Ah Yin’s fault for making you wait so long."

This sentence, which Lu Xingzhou had waited nearly fifteen years to hear since the wedding, finally spoken by her, touched him deeply. Yet, he was past the age of being easily overjoyed, merely using his broad palm to gently stroke her back.

Some feelings need not be conveyed through words. A glance, a small action, can make the other feel that warmth different from any other’s.

Perhaps the passage of time made them slightly unaccustomed to this sudden opening of hearts. The delayed bridal chamber felt like a shameful experience for newlyweds, hard to express.

Thinking about returning to the capital to handle Wanwan’s affairs, despite the reluctance, Lu Xingzhou didn’t go overboard, holding her in his arms to let her sleep well.

Lu Xingzhou efficiently arranged the shop matters, and after handing things over to Father Wen, didn’t linger in Ningzhou. He took his wife and eagerly hurried to the capital.