Today, the sky was particularly gloomy, with heavy clouds hanging over the Capital City, hinting at an impending storm, yet remaining calm and windless.
At the Xie Family residence, in the Jinyuan courtyard, Xie Jinning lay idly on a rocking chair, reading a book. His jet-black, silky hair was gathered in front of his chest, the ends tied with an ink jade hair ribbon, resembling a fine satin glistening with a delicate sheen.
After flipping through a few pages, he lost interest, placed the book on his waist, and looked up at the sky, only to see a gray expanse.
“Sigh.”
Xie Jinning let out a long, frustrated sigh. Upon closer inspection, faint bruises were visible under his eyes, and his once full lips were no longer moist, his spirit wilted like a hibiscus deprived of sunlight.
He hadn’t been resting well these past few days.
In the past, this would have certainly worried his mother, Lin Jinhua, who would gently inquire about his well-being, bring him calming herbal medicine to drink, and instruct the servants in Jinyuan to thoroughly clean the courtyard and rooms, ensuring all disturbances were eliminated.
But now, there was nothing.
In the vast courtyard, there was only Xie Jinning, accompanied by flowers, grass, insects, and fish.
This was his third day of being confined to the courtyard.
…
That day, Xie Jinning was anxious and hurriedly got into the carriage, urging the coachman to return home as quickly as possible.
Xie Jinning had been frail since childhood, with several high fevers in his youth damaging his health. Even with years of nurturing with precious medicines, he couldn’t match the health of an average person. He couldn’t even touch slightly strenuous activities like cuju or polo.
The rush had already drained most of his energy, and after getting into the carriage, he felt a dull pain where he had bumped against the seat back, with a burning sensation in his chest, making it uncomfortable no matter how he sat.
Distracted, he almost missed a step getting off the carriage, narrowly avoiding injury thanks to a guard who helped him.
Without saying much, he headed straight for his mother’s courtyard.
But Ahe tugged at his sleeve, preventing him from running. Xie Jinning had to restrain his impulse, though his pace was still faster than usual. When he reached his destination, he plopped down, barely catching his breath, and began to complain with a hoarse, dry throat.
Lin Jinhua, dressed in a soft smoke-blue Luo dress, was sitting at the table embroidering. Seeing his sweaty forehead and slightly red eyes, she thought he had been wronged outside and was about to ask when she heard him say, “Mother, can you drive Xie Zhu out? Better yet, wait… no, immediately, right now!”
Her hand, which was wiping his sweat, froze. Lin Jinhua asked, “What’s wrong, my dear? Did he do something to upset you again? Tell me.”
“It’s not him… no, it is him!” On the way here, Xie Jinning had been thinking about telling his mother that Xie Zhu was an illegitimate child, but when it came time to speak, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
If his mother found out that his father had a child with someone else outside, and perhaps even kept a mistress, with her gentle nature, she would be heartbroken.
He picked up a teacup and gulped down half a cup of water, muttering, “Oh, Mother, don’t ask. Just listen to Ning’er and drive him out. Ning’er doesn’t like him at all.”
His mother doted on him the most and always fulfilled his every request. Xie Jinning thought this time would be no exception.
Lin Jinhua carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead and said softly, “I know you had some disagreements with him recently. Did my dear get wronged?”
Xie Jinning almost nodded his head off, his long lashes fluttering as he looked at Lin Jinhua with bright eyes, waiting for her to speak.
Unexpectedly, she changed the subject, “But that child is cold by nature and not good at socializing. My dear, just wait. After some time, when you get to know each other, I’ll have him apologize to you, okay?”
“Who wants to get to know him!”
Xie Jinning exclaimed in surprise, then leaned against Lin Jinhua’s shoulder, acting spoiled, “I don’t care. I just don’t like him. Being in the same house with him makes me uncomfortable all over. Mother, do you think he’s a jinx to Ning’er?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Lin Jinhua lowered her eyes, hiding her emotions, and gently patted his head, “You can’t say things like that.”
Why won’t she relent? Does he really have to tell her the truth?
Xie Jinning bit his lip, conflicted, and decided to take a step back, “Mother, you love Ning’er the most. Please be merciful and drive… no, send him out of the Xie residence. He’s just a branch family member. Our Xie family has several properties in the Capital City. Any one of them would be enough for him to move into.”
As long as he’s out of the house, everything will be fine.
But he still didn’t succeed.
In the end, Xie Jinning threw a tantrum, acted spoiled, and said everything he could, but Lin Jinhua didn’t express her stance.
Her voice was gentle and doting, as always. She sighed softly, “My dear, although I don’t know why you’re so insistent, I won’t ask anymore. Let’s discuss this matter in a few days, okay?”
A few more days? If he stays another day, Xie Zhu might turn the tables and take over!
When he got up angrily, Xie Jinning’s mouth was so pouted it could hang an oil pot. He avoided Lin Jinhua’s hand reaching for him and left with a belly full of frustration.
It was the first time mother and son parted on bad terms.
On the way back to the courtyard, the more Xie Jinning thought about it, the more upset he became. Just then, a patrol of guards greeted him, and he had a sudden idea. He pretended to have Lin Jinhua’s orders and led a group of people to the Bamboo Pavilion, intending to take advantage of Xie Qing and Xie Zhaoming’s absence to act first and report later, determined to make Xie Zhu leave the Xie family.
Unexpectedly, his plan fell through. Before he even arrived, he was caught by Xie Qing, who had just returned home. After asking the reason, Xie Qing’s face turned cold, and without listening to explanations, he ordered the servants to confine him to the courtyard.
Confined! For five whole days!
Xie Jinning had never been punished so severely since he was born.
On the first day of confinement, Xie Jinning tried to climb over the wall. With Ahe and a few young servants forming a human ladder to send him up the wall, he was so scared when he looked down that he froze, his fear of heights making him dizzy, and he almost fell headfirst, failing.
That afternoon, all the young servants in the courtyard were driven out.
On the second day of confinement, he dressed in a maid’s clothes, trying to blend in while delivering laundry, but was caught by a sharp-eyed guard as soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, failing again.
Even his personal maid, who took care of his daily needs, wasn’t spared.
This time, Jinyuan was left with only him.
Xie Jinning cried and threw tantrums, smashing porcelain treasures all over the room, and even went on a hunger strike, though he only lasted half a day before he couldn’t hold on, unable to change his confined situation.
Unable to leave, and with the room too messy to step into, he had no choice but to move to the courtyard.
After lying down for an hour, almost falling asleep, Xie Jinning suddenly sat up.
It’s already the third day, and no one has come to comfort him!
Not a single person!
Blaming it all on Xie Zhu, Xie Jinning threw the book to the ground, “Stupid Xie Zhu, poker face, bastard!”
He didn’t want this person as his brother!
Still not satisfied, he looked around the courtyard, his gaze landing on the wooden training dummy in the corner—something he had bought on a whim to practice martial arts like in the plays, but his interest only lasted two days before he had it stored in the utility room.
Perhaps the servants had taken it out to sun during the recent sunny days and hadn’t put it back yet.
He walked over and treated it as Xie Zhu, punching and kicking it.
The injury on his shoulder hadn’t been treated, causing a twinge of pain with each punch, making him grimace.
Turning pain into anger, Xie Jinning vented his frustration, eventually tiring himself out, panting and flushed, looking more spirited.
At some point, his hair ribbon had fallen off, and his long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. A few strands brushed against his nose, making him sneeze, his eyes filling with tears.
Impatiently, he gathered his hair with a hand, looking around for the hair ribbon.
It was spring, and the grass was lush and green. The ink-colored hair ribbon was like a stone sinking into the sea, nowhere to be found. Xie Jinning looked left and right but couldn’t find it.
He frowned, recalling that during his punches, his arm seemed to have hit something, perhaps knocking the hair ribbon further away.
“Next time, don’t use this color.”
Not wanting to go back inside to get another one, Xie Jinning complained with his hands on his hips, then walked a few more steps, finally spotting a corner of the hair ribbon near the wall.
He squatted down, carefully parting the grass with his fingers, picking up the ribbon, and gently blowing off the dirt. Just as he was about to tie it back on, a glint caught his eye.
Xie Jinning turned to look and saw a faint light coming from a hole hidden by the grass in the corner.
His eyes lit up.
*
Meanwhile, at the Xie Family Ancestral Hall.
The incense on the lotus candle holders was lit one by one, the candlelight reflecting on the rows of tablets made of purple sandalwood, the words “Xie Family” seemingly glowing with a golden light.
Xie Qing picked up a stick of incense, lit it, bowed three times, and inserted it into the central incense burner, then turned to stand aside.
Xie Zhaoming followed suit, standing next to Xie Qing. When he saw the figure behind his mother, his lips moved as if he had something to say, but in the end, he said nothing.
Heavy curtains blocked the light from outside, absorbing sound as well. In the hall, where even a pin drop could be heard, only the faint sound of burning candles could be heard.
Lin Jinhua was dressed particularly solemnly today, with an ink jade gold hairpin, a deep brown satin dress, dark eyebrows, and red lips, her well-maintained face appearing noble and elegant, a stark contrast to her usual gentle demeanor.
Heavy makeup covered the fine lines that had appeared at the corners of her eyes. Her eyes were red, and after taking a deep breath, she accepted the incense stick handed to her by Xie Zhaoming.
The hall remained silent.
It seemed as if today was not the grand occasion of Xie Zhu’s recognition and addition to the family genealogy, but just an ordinary worship ceremony.
After she finished her bows and inserted the incense into the burner, the figure in the shadows moved.
There were several prayer mats in front of the offering table. The young man stepped forward, lifting his robe to kneel. Just as he bent his knees, Xie Qing, who had his back to the tablets, suddenly spoke, “Have you really thought it through?”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it was like a thunderclap, breaking the heavy silence in the room. Xie Zhu paused, then stood straight, meeting Xie Qing’s gaze.
This was his biological father.
His obsidian eyes reflected the candlelight, and under the faint yellow glow, the young man’s face showed no emotion—no anger, no resentment, not even grievance or sadness, as calm as a still pond.
Lin Jinhua looked at his features, which had become more similar after days of nurturing, and her emotions became uncontrollable, choking up suddenly.
In just a few days, the peaceful life of the Xie family had been completely disrupted.
Before this, the Xie family had never imagined that the child they had raised from a jade-like dumpling to a graceful young man, whom they had cherished and loved for sixteen years, was not their biological child.
And their own child, who had grown up in a poor village far away, had traveled a long distance to stand before them, and was…
Surprisingly sensible and outstanding.
However, due to various factors, the Xie family would not publicly reveal his true identity. To the outside world, they would only announce that Xie Zhu was the third young master of the Xie family, who had been lost and was now found.
Moreover, soon, he would replace Xie Jinning and accept the imperial edict.
People’s hearts are made of flesh. Call them biased or selfish, but the outcome of this battle between kinship and blood ties was already clear.
A tear slid down Lin Jinhua’s cheek. Her lips trembled, “Child, you’ve suffered. It’s our fault. You…”
Before she could finish, she seemed to be burned by the fire in the young man’s eyes, turning her head away in guilt, her red lips pressed into a thin line, unable to bear looking any longer.
The first incense stick was about to burn halfway. Xie Zhaoming’s brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, “It’s getting late.”
It was a prompt.
Taking in the reactions of the three, Xie Zhu’s lips curled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Should he say he truly was the Xie family’s flesh and blood? The coldness in his bones was identical.
Did he resent them? Of course, he had resented the mother who had swapped him, leaving a message when she was dying, the father who had known the truth but kept it hidden, finally giving him all his possessions as travel expenses, and the three Xie family members who wore guilt on their faces, saying he had “suffered,” yet gave him no room to refuse.
But these emotions dissipated in just a few days because he had known from a young age that no matter his origins, he had to walk his own path.
The only one he could trust was himself.
As for Xie Jinning.
The image of those round, clear cat-like eyes appeared in his mind, glaring at him with watery eyes, pouting lips, more like acting spoiled than angry, reminding him of the raccoon cat in the mansion that would run to the pond to catch koi, only to be splashed with water.
He wondered how the Xie family had raised him to be so arrogant and foolish. If he were to switch identities, he might be tricked and swallowed whole the moment he stepped out of the house.
Better to keep him well-fed in the mansion.
He pulled his thoughts back and said loudly, “No need to discuss further. I’ve made up my mind.”
Xie Zhu lifted his robe and knelt on the prayer mat, his posture straight as bamboo, truly living up to his name. He looked up, facing the rows of tablets.
This was an unusual entry into the family genealogy, without prior ancestor worship, without elder witnesses, without announcing to the clan, and with no servants present, more like a hurried, secretive ceremony.
“To the ancestors of the Xie family, today, the second son of the first wife, Lin, Xie Zhu, who was lost at a young age, has been found. Please enter the ancestral hall and be added to the genealogy.”
The two bowed in silence. Xie Qing was the first to rise, inserting the incense into the burner and opening the wooden box containing the genealogy. Just then, a thunderclap sounded outside, and the room suddenly brightened.
A gust of wind blew through the hall, causing the candle flames to flicker, nearly extinguishing them. Lin Jinhua was blinded by the wind, raising her sleeve to shield her eyes. When she lowered it, she gasped.
“My dear?”