Chapter 270:
At that time, Xie Wanning was drinking ginseng porridge. Upon hearing this, she widened her eyes.
After asking about the situation and learning that the person had already left, the heart she had been holding finally relaxed.
What followed was aftershock fear.
By a twist of fate, that person had actually come on the day she gave birth, even reaching the outside of the delivery room.
He had even waited until the child was born.
But he had not realized that the woman screaming in pain inside was her.
…Was this deep fate or shallow fate?
Inevitably, a bit of disappointment arose in her heart.
At this moment, footsteps came from outside the room. Soon, the voice of the maidservant guarding the door paying respects rang out.
It was three men who, upon hearing she had woken up, had all come over together.
Normally, when a woman is in postpartum confinement, outside men—even direct elder brothers—should not enter.
But the situation now was different. Many matters were too secretive and absolutely could not be discussed through the window pane, lest the servants overhear.
So Xie Yanyu came in. He was dressed in a robe of azure, looking every bit the talented and handsome young master from a prominent family, yet he held a child in his arms, carefully protecting it, which seemed somewhat incongruous.
Besides him, Pei Yuqing and Ji Chengfeng did not come in.
Even her former husband, with whom Xie Wanning had once shared intimate embraces, was stopped by Xie Yanyu from entering.
He could only wait in the hall for now.
Xie Wanning was half-reclining on the bed. Seeing the child, her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly opened her arms. “Quick, let me hold him.”
“Just hold him for a little while; you can’t tire yourself out.” Xie Yanyu bent down and gently handed the child to her.
The infant in the swaddling clothes was sleeping sweetly, smacking his little lips.
He looked fair and adorable, just…
Xie Wanning lowered her gaze and looked for a long time, puzzled. “This doesn’t look like anyone at all.”
“…” Xie Yanyu fell silent, then said irritably, “He hasn’t grown into his features yet. With this little nose and little mouth, how could you tell who he resembles.”
Hearing this, Xie Wanning was not disappointed. She happily looked at her son and, thinking of something, said, “Elder Brother, you are his uncle, and you are the third scholar well-versed in poetry and books. Why don’t you name the child?”
“…” Xie Yanyu fell silent again and said, “Lu Ziyan came. Did you hear?”
Xie Wanning hummed in acknowledgment. “Didn’t they say he already left?”
“He did leave, but he named the child.”
As he spoke, Xie Yanyu recounted all of Lu Ziyan’s outrageous actions one by one.
Finally, his tone unable to hide its complexity, he said, “Could it really be father-son nature? A killing god like him actually showed a bit of tenderness upon seeing the child.”
Xie Wanning had no way to respond to this.
She held the child in her arms a little tighter, silent for a long time, then said, “He… is he doing well?”
Whether it was ruthlessly severing emotions or fearing his own regret.
In any case, this was the first time since reuniting with her brother that Xie Wanning had asked about Lu Ziyan.
“Which aspect do you want to know about?” Xie Yanyu said. “If it’s court politics, he has eliminated rivals, repeatedly earned military merit, suppressed several adult princes, and become the crown prince. He is at the height of his success, with unmatched prestige.”
Xie Wanning touched her son’s hand and said softly, “Elder Brother clearly knows that’s not what I want to ask.”
“…” Xie Yanyu fell silent. He said, “If you want to care about him, does that mean you’ve gone soft-hearted? If you knew he wasn’t doing well, would you change your mind and return to the capital city to find him?”
“Of course not!” Xie Wanning’s tone was resolute.
“Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter,” Xie Yanyu smiled. “You are my younger sister. For whatever you want to do, your elder brother would never make it difficult for you, let alone going to find the child’s father.”
Lu Ziyan was certainly hateful.
But his affection for her own younger sister was indeed genuine and deep.
Compared to his sister living in isolation and hardship, raising the child while hiding in this remote small town, Xie Yanyu was more inclined toward her returning to the capital city.
