Leng Mingde sat in his study, frowning and staring blankly at Leng Yue's photo.
Leng Yue gently pushed open the door and went in, timidly calling out "Father".
Leng Mingde thought he was hallucinating. He hugged Leng Yue's photo and cried, "My Yue'er, how could you be so heartless? Ever since your mother left, it's been just the two of us, father and son, relying on each other. How could you abandon your father for some pretty boy? Waaah, my Yue'er, where are you? Father misses you, please come back!"
"Father!" Leng Yue called out again, but seeing that Leng Mingde didn't turn around, she could only continue, "Father, I'm back, I'm really back..."
Leng Mingde wiped away his tears, turned around and looked at the door. "Am I dreaming again?"
"It's not a dream, Father, I'm really back." Leng Yue slowly walked towards Leng Mingde.
Leng Mingde rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Am I really not dreaming this time?"
Leng Yue laughed for a moment, then burst into tears, and whispered, "No, it's true, Father, Yue'er is really back. Father, I'm sorry." As she spoke, Leng Yue knelt down.
This was what the original owner most wanted to say in her previous life, and this kneeling was what she most wanted to do. However, throughout her entire life, the original owner was never able to say sorry to Leng Mingde, nor was she able to be by his side to fulfill her filial duties for even a single day.
Leng Yue wanted to fulfill the regrets of the original owner's life.
Leng Mingde squatted down, staring intently at Leng Yue. He tremblingly touched Leng Yue's face, "Yue'er, has my Yue'er really returned?"
"I'm back, Father, your daughter is back." Leng Yue said, tears streaming down her face, reflecting the original owner's emotions.
This is a natural feeling of grievance that children feel when they see their parents, a kind of affected behavior that comes from having someone to rely on.
It's like a child who falls down. When no parents are around, he'll dust himself off and get up without crying or making a fuss. But as soon as his parents are around, he'll inevitably have a good cry and need to be comforted.
Leng Yue felt this way; in that instant, she had something to rely on, and all her grievances no longer needed to be suppressed.
"What's wrong? Who bullied my good Yue'er? Tell your father, and I'll avenge you! Don't cry, be good, don't cry." Leng Mingde tried to comfort her helplessly, seemingly oblivious to the pungent smell emanating from Leng Yue.
Leng Yue cried for a while, then felt better. Suddenly, she remembered the smell on her body and couldn't help but smile shyly. "Father, don't you find your daughter smelly? I can hardly stand it myself."
Leng Mingde smiled and said, "I don't mind at all. What's there to mind about my own daughter?"
"But I can't, I want to wash up." Leng Yue was almost driven crazy by the torment. She hadn't showered or changed her clothes for half a month, which was a record.
"Alright, alright," Leng Mingde exclaimed, "Zhang Ma."
"They've arrived," a middle-aged woman dressed in gray cloth walked in at this moment, stood respectfully to one side, and looked at Leng Mingde. "What is it, sir?"
"Miss is back. First, prepare her toiletries, then tell the kitchen to make more of her favorite dishes." Leng Mingde was overjoyed. After thinking for a moment, he added, "Oh, right, bring out my treasured foreign liquor too. I'm going to have a good drink today."
Only then did Zhang Ma notice Leng Yue. "Young Miss? Where have you been? Why are you in such a disheveled state?"
Leng Mingde coughed unhappily, and Zhang Ma realized she had spoken out of turn. She then said happily, "It's really Miss, it's so good that you're back. I'll go prepare right away, right away!"
Leng Yue kept watching Zhang Ma, feeling that her movements seemed somewhat stiff. She didn't know why, but Zhang Ma hadn't seemed happy when she heard the news of her return.
Zhang Ma has worked at the Leng Mansion for twenty years, even before Leng Yue was born. Logically, she should have a very deep bond with the family, right?
"Miss, please wait a moment, I'll go prepare right away." Seeing that Leng Mingde and Leng Yue were both looking at her, Zhang Ma quickly made an excuse to leave.
A short while later, Zhang Ma returned. "Miss, the washroom is ready. Please come over."
Upon hearing this, Leng Yue quickly ran towards the washroom.
While Leng Yue was taking a bath, Zhang Ma stayed by her side, attending to her. Leng Yue asked, seemingly casually, "Zhang Ma, where's Wan'er? I haven't seen her in so long, I miss her terribly."
Zhang Ma smiled, this time with genuine joy, "Miss Wan'er has returned home, with the master's permission."
"Why? Why does Zhang Ma call Miss Wan'er?" Leng Yue turned to look at Zhang Ma.
"Oh, hasn't the master told you yet? Because of your elopement... no, because you suddenly disappeared, the young marshal's side... so the master had Miss Wan'er take your place." Zhang Ma's words were ambiguous, but the smugness in her eyes was obvious.
"Oh, I'm back now, so I don't need Wan'er anymore. I'll tell Dad I've thought it through. Don't worry, Aunt Zhang, I won't let Wan'er marry someone she doesn't like." Leng Yue continued in her usual naive and clueless way of speaking.
Zhang Ma stared at Leng Yue, speechless, for a long while before finally speaking, "Miss... actually... you don't need to force yourself. Miss Wan'er... she's still very willing to share your burdens."
"How can that be? Wan'er is my good sister. How can I push my good sister into a fire pit?" Leng Yue pretended not to understand. "This time I understand everything. Wan'er is so delicate. I can't push her to that murderous maniac. This is my own destiny, and I will bear it myself."
As Leng Yue spoke, she looked at Zhang Ma with an expression that seemed to say, "Aren't I great?" Zhang Ma was naturally extremely anxious. "Oh dear, Miss, you are a woman of noble birth! How can you jump into that fire pit yourself?"
“Zhang Ma! You don’t need to try to persuade me anymore,” Leng Yue said righteously. “I’m completely heartbroken now. Let Wan’er have the chance to pursue happiness! I’m fine, I’m perfectly fine!”
Leng Yue said she was fine, but buried her head between her knees, her shoulders trembling. Zhang Ma wanted to say a few more words in He Wan's defense, but didn't know where to begin.
Seeing Leng Yue like this, Zhang Ma was so anxious she was scratching her head and cheeks. He Wan had treated her very well, even like a mother, and now that she was finally going to be the young marshal's wife, how could she not be happy for her?
But just when things seemed to be going well, who could have imagined that the young lady would actually come back? Isn't this... isn't this like the cooked duck being snatched away by the wolf again? Zhang Ma was very anxious; she wanted to inform He Wan as soon as possible.
"Miss, I just remembered I have something to do in the kitchen. Should I have Aunt Li come and serve you?" Zhang Ma tried to slip away.
Leng Yue pretended not to hear, "Aunt Zhang, do you know how much I suffered on this trip? I will never go against my father again. From now on, I will definitely be a good son to him."
Seeing Leng Yue staring at her, Zhang Ma forced a smile, "Miss, it's so good that you think that way. Master can rest assured now."
In reality, what Zhang Ma was thinking was, "No matter what you become, I won't benefit from it!" But He Wan was different. She didn't have a biological mother. Once she became the young marshal's wife, perhaps her whole family could benefit from it.
After taking a bath, Leng Yue kept making Zhang Ma do this and that, not giving Zhang Ma a chance to inform her, and even claimed that she missed Zhang Ma and didn't want to be separated from her.
Aunt Zhang had a look on her face like she was being rude, but she couldn't refuse.
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