Chapter 79 May I ask, Mother... what have you done recently...?
After bidding farewell to everyone in Zhaoyu Hall, Ji Yun took Ji Ming back to the Ji residence.
He escorted Ji Ming, who was already yawning, back to his courtyard to rest, carefully tucked him in, and watched the little guy drift off to sleep before quietly leaving.
Leaving Ji Ming's courtyard and entering the corridor of the Wutong Courtyard, he found himself surrounded by silence. However, at the corner, he encountered Ji Hongye and Li Wan, who had been waiting for him.
Ji Yun bowed to the two men.
Li Wan seemed to be in a very good mood. She quickly helped him up, a bright smile on her face, and asked, "Yun'er, where did you come from tonight? Did you have a good time?"
Ji Yun remained calm and casually replied, "I took Ming'er for a walk around the streets."
Ji Hongye, who was standing to the side, pulled him over, looked him up and down, and suddenly asked, "Did you give away that purple jade hairpin that you painstakingly carved before? Did you give it to that girl from the Meng family?"
Ji Yun was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Seeing that his father's gaze was knowing, he no longer concealed his intentions and nodded frankly: "Yes. My aunt's birthday is approaching, and she has invited her to the mansion. I remember that both my mother and grandfather have instructed me to take good care of her. I fear that she may not have prepared a gift that suits my aunt's taste, so I am presenting this hairpin on her behalf as a token of my good wishes."
Princess Jingfu had a penchant for vibrant red, a fact that was no secret in the city. With Ji Yun's astute mind, how could he not know?
This hairpin, it wasn't prepared for Princess Jingfu at all! It was clearly something he specially crafted for that Meng family girl!
Ji Hongye saw through his intentions but didn't say anything. He simply patted his son's shoulder and said earnestly, "Yun'er, your feelings are like a fragrant orchid in a secluded valley. No matter how deeply hidden they are, they still need a gentle breeze to reach the nose of someone with a discerning heart. You are reserved and have never been one for words, as your father knows."
"However, when getting along with a young woman, the key is to communicate honestly and consider her feelings and understand her heart. Many things cannot be fully understood by others just because you do them silently. If you make decisions on your own and do not ask questions, you may create a rift."
Ji Yun keenly sensed that his father's treatment of him seemed to have changed subtly lately.
In the past, my father's thoughts were mostly on my mother. Although he cared for him, he only hoped that he would be safe and well, and never inquired about the details.
Ever since he last took the initiative to ask for advice on carving techniques, his father has often asked him about his relationship with Meng Yutong.
This is definitely not the way my father used to be.
These words tonight were quite different from usual, carrying an indescribable depth of meaning, which made him ponder them.
Ji Yun turned to look at Li Wan beside him. Now his mother was much more open-minded and no longer as isolated as before. Therefore, he had the confidence to ask her some of the questions that had been weighing on his mind.
He turned to Li Wan and bowed solemnly: "Mother, I have a question in my heart that has been lingering for a long time. I hope that you can answer it for me."
Seeing his solemn expression and unusually serious demeanor, Li Wan couldn't help but feel a hint of surprise. She subconsciously turned her head to look at Ji Hongye beside her, wondering what her son intended to do.
Ji Hongye nodded, indicating that she should listen attentively.
Ji Yun straightened up, his gaze sharp, and asked directly, "Since the preparations for Mother's birthday banquet began, your temperament and actions have been quite different from before, especially your concern for Meng Yutong, which is beyond what is usually the case, unlike Mother's usual style."
"If I may be so bold as to ask, Mother... have you had any unusual dreams lately?"
Upon hearing this, Li Wan gasped. She had only mentioned the dream to her husband in private; why would Yun'er suddenly ask about it? Could it be… that he had a similar dream too?
Ji Hongye took her hand at the opportune moment and gently pressed the back of her hand to comfort her. Then he looked at Ji Yun and continued the conversation: "Why did you suddenly ask about this? Did you have a dream about something?"
Ji Yun took in his parents' subtle reactions, a fleeting thought crossing his eyes, before replying, "It wasn't our son. It was Ming'er. He said he had a strange yet incredibly real dream. In the dream, Meng Yutong and I didn't break off our engagement, and shortly after our marriage, Meng Yutong passed away."
As he spoke, his gaze was calmly fixed on his parents, lingering more on Li Wan's face.
Upon hearing this, Li Wan's expression changed drastically. Her usually gentle eyes were suddenly filled with shock and disbelief, mixed with a barely suppressed tremor. Her lips parted slightly, but she could not utter a sound immediately.
“I find this matter quite bizarre, so I would like to ask you, Mother, have you ever had a similar dream? If so,” he said calmly but firmly, “could you tell me about the dream?”
Since this bizarre dream excluded him entirely, leaving him with no way of knowing about that possible "past" entanglement, asking those who had experienced the dream was currently his only way to uncover the truth.
Ji Ming is still young, and the details of his dream would be vague, making it difficult to ascertain the truth. So why not directly ask Meng Yutong?
He knew perfectly well that once things came to light, the relationship between the two of them, which had been painstakingly maintained and was showing signs of improvement, would likely crumble immediately and be impossible to salvage.
Then, the only person left to ask is the mother.
Li Wan's fingers clenched slightly within her sleeve, her heart churning with emotions. She had that dream, Hongye had that dream, and now even Ming'er... Could this still be simply called a "dream"?
The details were so vivid, the narrative so clear it was chilling, it was almost like... like a life that had truly happened! But how could such a bizarre thing happen in this world?
If everything in the dream is real, then when did it happen? Could it be... that ethereal "previous life"?
Li Wan's mind was in turmoil, immersed in the earth-shattering idea that had just occurred to her, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond to her son's question.
"Your mother has recently become more open-minded, simply because she has come to understand things clearly and has suddenly gained a clear understanding."
Ji Hongye spoke up at the right moment, his voice gentle, to help his wife out of the predicament. He looked at Li Wan and gently guided her, "As for the dream, it does sound bizarre. I've never heard you talk about such a dream before. You must have never dreamed of anything like it, right, Wanwan?"
Li Wan felt a pang of confusion upon hearing her husband's words. Why didn't he tell Yun'er the truth?
But trusting her husband as always, she didn't think too much about it, nodded in agreement, and whispered, "Yes... I haven't had such a dream."
A hint of disappointment flashed across Ji Yun's eyes, and he nodded slightly: "Son understands."
"You were so concerned about that dream just now, was it because of Yutong? What are your feelings for her now...?" Li Wan couldn't help but ask.
“Mother is overthinking it,” Ji Yun interrupted expressionlessly, his tone indifferent. “It was just something that happened to be mentioned, and I asked casually.” His expression was calm and unwavering, revealing no sign of anything amiss.
Li Wan sighed almost inaudibly, about to speak again, but Ji Hongye smiled and followed his son's words, saying, "Yes, Wanwan, the two children have been annulled for a long time. If they really had any feelings for each other, why would they wait until today?"
"I've heard that Yutong's clinic is thriving, and she herself is both talented and beautiful. There must be quite a few young men in Lin'an who admire her and want to befriend her. It seems that their fate is ultimately shallow. We should find other noble ladies for Yun'er as soon as possible."
“Father,” Ji Yun interrupted abruptly, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly before relaxing quickly. However, a subtle, barely perceptible hesitation seemed to creep into his usually calm voice. “I have no such intention for now. There’s no need for you to trouble yourselves with this matter. It’s getting late, so I’ll take my leave now.”
A knowing glint flashed in Ji Hongye's eyes. He put his arm around his wife's shoulder, stood a little longer under the eaves, and said gently, "Go on, get some rest."
After Ji Yun's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, Li Wan frowned and looked at her husband, her voice filled with confusion: "Just now he asked about the dream, why did you stop me from telling him the truth? You, me, and Ming'er all dreamed about this, this is no ordinary coincidence."
Ji Hongye's gaze was calm and profound as he slowly said, "What you say is correct. This dream is by no means unfounded. In fact, it could be said that if the two children had not broken off their engagement, many things might have actually unfolded according to the dream's trajectory."
The two of them, without prior arrangement, recalled Meng Yutong's tragic end in their dream. They looked at each other and saw the heaviness in each other's eyes.
Ji Hongye continued, "I suspect that Yu Tong probably had a similar dream. And her dream was perhaps more vivid and detailed than ours. That's why she was determined from the beginning to break off the engagement with the Ji family and sever all ties."
Upon hearing this, Li Wan swayed slightly and involuntarily took half a step back, her voice trembling slightly: "If that's really the case... shouldn't I stop hoping she'll marry into the Ji family?"
"Whether it's a blessing or a curse remains to be seen." Ji Hongye nodded, his tone becoming clear and open-minded. "I think these things in the dream are more like a warning bell, reminding us not to repeat the same mistakes. However, a dream is still a dream, and there is always a layer between it and reality."
"If we become overly immersed in it and hold ourselves back, we will only be wasting our present real life. Wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse? Who knows if this situation is not a chance for him to turn things around? Why let those vague and illusory past events bind his current choices and future path? We might as well observe the changes and go with the flow. Perhaps when the time is right, Yun'er will understand the key to it."
In short, with her husband by her side to plan and steer the course, she doesn't need to worry too much about many things.
Ji Hongye has always been thoughtful and composed, with everything under his control. He can always find the key to things amidst the chaos, which puts people at ease.
Li Wan suddenly remembered what her husband had just said and asked, "How do you know that Yu Tong... has many suitors?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Hongye's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile. Although he was nearing forty, the elegant and refined demeanor of his youth was still evident in his features, and this smile added to his composed and mature air.
He not only knew about this matter, but he also couldn't hide the fact that his son had secretly dispatched guards to protect Zhaoyutang day and night.
But he deliberately didn't point it out at the moment. He simply held his wife's hand gently, sighed softly, and said in a tone that was both teasing and affectionate, "My wife's mind is now entirely on our son, which makes me quite envious. Have you forgotten that the men who pursued you back then had far more impressive entourages?"
Li Wan's cheeks flushed slightly from his teasing, and she smiled and gently pushed him away. The couple then left together.
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