Chapter 222 Call Him Father
Minglu looked up: "Ah, this..."
Meeting Zhan Xingzhuo's gloomy eyes, he quickly replied, "It was Marquis Zhongyong. He had someone put poison in the food..."
He glanced quickly at Zhan Xingzhuo, and seeing that he had no reaction, he continued, "But the young mistress seems to be perfectly fine, which is why this servant finds it strange."
Zhan Xingzhuo was so angry at these idiots that he almost laughed.
Yao Qingling almost died while giving birth; how could someone who values her life so much not be on guard?
She acknowledged the Marquis of Zhongyong as her uncle not because she cared about blood ties, but because she had no choice but to stay in the Marquis's residence and did not want to fall out with him.
Zhan Xingzhuo stretched out a finger and poked Minglu's forehead. "Why do you think she came to this meal with only that mute female doctor and that female nurse, without any other maids?"
Minglu was hurt by the poking and covered his forehead: "Master, this servant understands, please stop poking me..."
He truly understood.
Yao Qingling had made two preparations: the female physician would test for the poison, catching the guard off guard; if the medicine wasn't detected and Yao Qingling was poisoned, the guard's skills would allow him to get her out of trouble in time.
Minglu rubbed his forehead and muttered, "Master, she's getting more and more difficult to deal with. I'm so angry when I hear what she says outside. It's only because you have a good temper that you keep tolerating her."
“If it were Miss Zhou, she would never have said such vulgar and offensive things.”
"In her current state, even if she were to return to being the young mistress, she would only embarrass you. It's one thing if people laugh at her, but if she offends someone with her mouth, that would be terrible!"
"Master, why don't we just give up? Look, the Wang family didn't want Xiao'er either, did they?"
Zhan Xingzhuo's eyes immediately flashed with a fierce light, and he said angrily, "You're comparing me to Wang Xuan? That piece of trash can't compare to me?"
Is Wang Xuan even a man? He's nothing but a lecherous glutton, a good-for-nothing who beats women. If it weren't for his powerful father, he would have starved to death on the roadside long ago.
Minglu said aggrievedly, "Master is naturally a hundred or a thousand times better than Wang Xuan. This servant is just worried about Master. You said you suffered so much in Luozhou, and Miss Zhou was the one who shared your hardships. Speaking of which, wasn't it Yao Qingling who caused your trip to Luozhou?"
"Why are you now humbling yourself to go see her?"
Zhan Xingzhu remained silent.
He didn't know why either.
Because she gave birth to his son?
Or is it because... he's unwilling to accept something? Unwilling to be abandoned by her, unwilling to be looked down upon by her, and he's determined to prove her wrong?
The carriage traveled for a long time before returning to the new residence.
The night was dark, and the snowflakes continued to fall, seemingly without end, and the snow on the ground grew even thicker.
A woman was holding a little boy's hand, waiting under the eaves.
"Zhi Ning." Zhan Xingzhuo saw her and jumped down before the carriage even stopped.
"What are you doing here in this cold weather?" He touched Zhou Zhining's hand, which was as cold as an ice block.
I felt a pang of heartache and gently warmed her hands by holding them in my palms and breathing on them.
He exhaled, and a rich aroma of wine wafted out.
Zhou Zhining's expression changed slightly, then instantly turned into a gentle smile. She looked down at the child and said, "Xiao'er said she would only sleep when you came back, and I can't do anything about it."
She subtly nudged Xiao'er, and the child opened his mouth and called out, "Daddy."
The soft, sweet, childlike voice startled Zhan Xingzhuo.
Although Xiao'er practically grew up with him, she never called him "father." He and Zhou Zhining addressed each other as brother and sister, and the child called him "uncle."
Moreover, at that time, Zhou Zhining had not yet been divorced by Wang Xuan, and the child had a real father, so it was inappropriate for her to call him "Dad".
After that, Zhan Xingzhuo left the capital. In the past six months or so, as the child grew up, he had become estranged from Zhan Xingzhuo.
Zhou Zhining looked surprised, ashamed, and bewildered. She hurriedly covered the child's mouth, as if trying to stuff the word "Daddy" back into the child's mouth.
"I...I didn't know he would call you that..." Zhou Zhining glanced at Zhan Xingzhuo in a panic, then looked down and scolded Xiao'er, "This is your uncle, what's wrong with you, how can you call him that?"
Looking up again, she hurriedly explained to Zhan Xingzhuo, "The child is older now. He might have seen other children with fathers at school, and he... sigh, I don't know what to say anymore. You have your own child now... Brother Xingzhuo, I will ask Xiao'er to change it back."
"No, no, he's my dad, he's my dad!" Xiao'er broke free from Zhou Zhining's hand, rushed forward and hugged Zhan Xingzhuo's leg, tilting her little head up and calling his name again and again, "Daddy, Daddy, Xiao'er missed you, why did you only come back now..."
"Xiao'er, why won't you listen to me!" Zhou Zhining looked like she had failed to persuade him, biting her lip and lowering her eyes, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in her eyes.
Isn't Zhan Xingzhuo going to bring Yao Qingling's son back to his family?
She made her son call him "Dad," and that's how she got a son.
The child burst into tears: "Daddy, don't you want Xiao'er anymore? Why won't you hug me?"
Zhan Xingzhuo's expression was complicated. He bent down and picked up Xiao'er, gently wiping away his tears: "Silly boy, Dad just went out on some business. Whoever told Xiao'er that Dad doesn't want you anymore, see how Dad will punish him!"
He deliberately put on a stern face and asked Zhou Zhining, "It's you?"
Then, looking at Minglu, he asked, "Is it you?"
Minglu smiled ingratiatingly: "Second Master, what are you saying? This servant has always regarded Xiao'er as a young master."
Zhou Zhining was overjoyed to hear Zhan Xingzhuo call himself "father".
She knew she had made the right move. In the future, regardless of whether Zhan Xingzhuo brought Yao Qingling's child back to the mansion, her son's position would be irreplaceable.
"Stop talking, it's cold outside, come inside."
She urged him gently.
Zhou Zhining's gentleness and Xiao'er's dependence filled Zhan Xingzhuo's lost and empty heart.
How can Yao Qingling compare to Zhou Zhining? In this world, there will always be only Zhou Zhining waiting for him.
Late at night, Minglu stood in the courtyard, wiping his nose and rubbing his hands together to warm them.
Zhou Zhining tiptoed out of the room, and Minglu stepped forward: "Miss Zhou."
"Shh—" Zhou Zhining interrupted him, glancing into the room. "Xiao'er is asleep with him. Let's talk over there."
The two went to an empty room. Zhou Zhining lit an oil lamp, sat down, and asked with a cold and arrogant expression, "Did Second Master suffer over there?"
Minglu: "That's right. Yao Qingling has a terrible temper. She gave Second Master a really nasty scolding, it was really awful."
Zhou Zhining frowned slightly: "What did she say?"
Minglu shook her head: "I don't want to say it, for fear of offending your ears, young lady."
Zhou Zhining took off the jade bracelet from her wrist, and Minglu immediately accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Miss Zhou."
"When Yao Qingling called you and Second Master 'a pair of dogs,' calling you male thieves and female prostitutes, wasn't that awful? I wanted to rush in and slap her right then and there!"
Zhou Zhining sneered, laughing at Minglu's overestimation of his abilities: "You dare to hit her? She is a young lady from the Marquis's mansion, and you are nothing but a servant."
Minglu said awkwardly, "That's right..."
Zhou Zhining glanced at him sideways: "What was Second Master's reaction? Did he hit her?"
Minglu shook his head: "No, Second Master left in a huff."
Zhou Zhining didn't say anything, but stared intently at a gold brick in front of her.
Yao Qingling used such vile language, and Zhan Xingzhuo just left in anger?
When has he ever been so tolerant of others, especially now that he is the powerful Vice Minister of Revenue!
To put it bluntly, he still wanted Yao Qingling and couldn't bear to part with her!
Zhou Zhining bit her lip viciously, clenched her fist, and slammed it heavily on the table.
Minglu glanced at her and said hesitantly, "Miss, I still cherish you and Young Master Xiao'er the most."
"This servant heard with his own ears that Yao Qingling forced Second Master to make a choice, saying that she had to choose between her son and Young Master Xiao'er. Although Second Master did not say it explicitly, his attitude was clear: he chose Young Master Xiao'er."
"However, he is, after all, the Second Master's own son. The Second Master only wanted to acknowledge his son because of a momentary infatuation and external pressure."
“The Censorate is watching him closely. If the Second Master ignores his own son, he will always be criticized. Miss, you have always been the Second Master’s virtuous and generous wife. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind having another child in the household.”
"Why don't you think of a way to help Second Master, Miss? If Yao Qingling won't return to the manor, let that child come back to acknowledge his ancestors. Second Master will be at ease then, won't he?"
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