"Jiang Huai, can you tell your mother when your son recognized him as his father?" Jiang Shan asked murmured, holding her son tightly in her arms.
"Sweet...?"
When Fu Qiyuan stopped his horse, he heard Jiang Huai's indistinct "Father" with perfect clarity. His gaze fell on the mother and child inside the carriage, his eyes softening with tenderness.
Jiang Huai poked his little head over, happily stretched out his hand, and grinned so wide his eyes disappeared.
Fu Qiyuan held his hands in his arms for a while, then took the chubby little hand and called out with a smile, "Huai'er."
Jiang Huai smiled even more sweetly, called out "Darling" twice, and reached out to ask Fu Qiyuan to hug him.
Jiang Shan, his face dark, pulled Jiang Huai's hand back and said angrily, "What are you shouting about? You ungrateful little brat, call me 'Mom'!"
Jiang Huai pouted and wiggled his ball-like body, muttering softly, "Fairy...sheep!"
"Don't call me Shanshan! And remember, it's 'Mom,' not 'Sheep'!" Jiang Shan angrily twisted her son's ear.
As Fu Qiyuan watched the interaction between the mother and child inside the carriage, the smile in his eyes seemed to melt away the snow and ice.
Jiang Shan coughed lightly and said, "Why bother making this trip on such a cold day?"
Fu Qiyuan gazed at her intently, as if trying to etch her voice, appearance, and smile into his very bones.
After a long silence, he sighed softly, "If you don't want to see me, I have no choice but to come see you myself! Also, I didn't come to see you off; I just came to tell you."
After a pause, Fu Qiyuan looked down slightly at the mother and child in the carriage, "Take care of yourselves, and Huai'er too, wait for me!"
The carriage had driven quite a distance when Jiang Shan stared blankly at the increasingly smaller dark figure, feeling a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.
"Darling..." Jiang Huai whispered, burying his head in Jiang Shan's arms and falling completely silent.
Jiang Shan touched his head sadly, pressed her face against his little hand, and said, "Mommy's here!"
Fu Qiyuan watched the carriage disappear into the distance, the snowflakes already covering his hood with a layer of white mist.
"Young Master, let's go back!" Fu Shu looked at his master with some heartache, feeling a little resentful of Jiang Shan's cold-heartedness.
Women's hearts are like needles at the bottom of the sea; I really don't know what they're thinking. They can turn on you in an instant, ignore you without a second thought, disappear without a second idea, and leave without a second thought!
It's just a pity for the young master; he's been so tormented by this mother and son that he's become quite thin.
Fu Qiyuan slowly withdrew his gaze, and as he turned his horse around, he said, "Three days later, we'll close the net!"
Fu Shu's expression changed slightly. He replied with a "Yes," and spurred his horse to follow closely behind.
"Young master, why don't you explain things clearly to the young lady? You never said you wanted her to be a concubine. It was all the Pei family's doing. The young lady is clearly blaming you!"
"What's there to explain? Even if I were to marry her now with a grand procession, would she agree? She doesn't have me in her heart yet."
"But if it weren't for the Pei family, Miss wouldn't be so estranged from you! Look how sad the young master is..."
"Therefore, the Pei family must pay the price!"
Jiao's residence.
The charcoal fire inside the house was burning brightly. Jiao's mother sat in the main room, holding a small hat in her hand. The hat was embroidered with a cute little tiger.
Her eyes were somewhat vacant, and she seemed to have lost her soul, remaining in this position for an hour.
Wang Si Niang brought over a cup of hot tea, gently took the hat from Jiao's mother's hand, and sighed softly.
Jiao's mother's gaze followed the hat in Wang Siniang's hand, and after seeing who it was, she raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye.
"What are you doing here on such a cold day?"
Wang Si Niang forced the hot tea into Jiao's mother's hands, saying, "Old lady, I'm not trying to criticize you, but what did Manager Jiang say to you when he left? What promises did you make to him? He hasn't even gone far yet, and you're already so distraught! If you ask me, why don't you go to Yuzhou with them, mother and son? Wouldn't it be better if the whole family were together?"
With a forced smile, Jiao's mother said in a hoarse voice, "Fourth Sister, you don't understand. I... I can't go to Yuzhou... I just can't bear to leave Shan'er and Huai'er. This big house is all empty except for me. I... I feel so empty and can't calm down!"
“I don’t know why you would be willing to give up the reunion of three generations of your family. All I know is that you need to be on your best right now. Manager Jiang is most worried about you. If she knew you were like this, she would be extremely worried!”
"Don't let Shan'er know!" Jiao's mother grabbed Wang Siniang's hand, choked back tears as she wiped them from the corners of her eyes, and forced a smile, saying, "I'm fine, just talk to me for a bit, I'll be alright soon, really!"
Wang Si Niang came here to comfort Jiao's mother. Jiang Shan had specifically instructed her to spend more time with Jiao's mother to help her relax and relieve her boredom.
The two had barely exchanged a few words when the butler brought Fu Qiyuan over.
Wang Si Niang withdrew at the opportune moment.
Looking at Jiao's mother's red and swollen eyes, Fu Qiyuan stepped forward and gently embraced her, whispering, "Mother, Shan'er and Huai'er are gone, and my heart aches so much!"
Jiao's mother closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.
She pounded on Fu Qiyuan's shoulder, yelling, "You unfilial son! How can you face Shan'er? She's already had enough. Why do you have to rub salt into her wounds? If you dare to belittle her, I'll beat you to death, you unfilial son!"
"Mother, I didn't! I only want Shan'er in this life. If I can't marry Shan'er, I'd rather grow old alone!"
“But you made her a concubine! You made her a concubine in your Fu family! You’re tearing my heart out and roasting it on a fire!” Mother Jiao pounded on Fu Qiyuan’s body again and again, crying her heart out.
"It was the Pei family who, in an attempt to curry favor with me, took it upon themselves to bring in a governess from the capital. It was not my doing, nor was it my intention! Mother, please believe me!"
Jiao's mother took a step back, pointed at Fu Qiyuan, and said angrily, "Then why are you protecting the Pei family's evildoers! Don't think I don't know, you have already investigated the Pei family's various crimes, but you have not yet convicted them. What exactly do you intend to do!"
Fu Qiyuan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes red, and said, "Mother, the Pei family's influence has already infiltrated the capital. If I cannot strike decisively, it will leave a lasting legacy of trouble! Most importantly, those people in the prison think that Shan'er is pregnant with my child. I cannot let them spread the news. I need time to plan, to divide the Pei family's collateral branches and direct branches. I need to cripple the Pei family so that I can buy more time for Shan'er and Huai'er!"
Jiao's mother stared blankly at Fu Qiyuan, asking incredulously, "You...you mean you had it all planned out long ago? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Fu Qiyuan pursed his lips, swallowing hard the burning and dryness in his throat. "This is of utmost importance. I cannot let you suffer any more harm! Since I have no choice in my birth, I can only use it to protect you. Whether it's the Pei family or the Cheng family, I will not let what happened to my father repeat itself on me!"
Jiao's mother felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She staggered to her feet and ran back to her room in a panic.
(Author's note: Dear readers, the map will be changed in the next chapter!)
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