Chapter 29: This is Your Father?
Just as he spoke, an old man in a grey robe suddenly walked up to Li XuanYue. He bowed his head and offered a respectful salute.
The manâs hair was a salt-and-pepper mix of white and grey, and his back was stooped with age, making him look no different from one of the clan elders. But as Li XuanYue studied him more closely, she noticed that the old manâs eyes were seven or eight parts identical to Zhong He’s.
Could this elder be a blood relative of his?
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Zhong He himself spoke.
âFather, is there something you need?â His tone was flat, so devoid of emotion it was as if he were speaking to a complete stranger.
The old man, Zhong Zhou, frowned with displeasure.
âThis is your father?â Li XuanYue asked Zhong He in a low voice, her expression a little strange. She found the fact hard to believe.
After all, one was as dashing and elegant as a jade tree in the wind, while the other was stooped and withered with age. Looking at them, from their clothes to their bearing, it was difficult to imagine they could possibly be father and son.
Had she misheard?
Zhong He frowned back at her. He didn’t want to answer the question, but when his gaze met her clear, inquisitive eyes, he finally gave a slight nod of admission.
âYes.â
His voice was soft, but the confirmation it carried was absolute.
âThen, you two should talk.â
Since his identity was confirmed, Li XuanYue wasnât one to be unreasonable. It was only right to give them the space they needed, lest they think her a harsh mistress, unwilling to grant even this small request.
âThank you, Your Highness,â Zhong Heâs father said, thanking her gratefully.
A flicker of some deep, unreadable emotion passed through Zhong Heâs eyes. For Li XuanYueâs sake, he did not refuse.
In the end, Zhong He’s father found a spot he deemed quiet enough, and the two of them sat down together.
âFather, if you have something to say, you should just say it,â Zhong He began, getting straight to the point. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing left for him and Zhong Zhou to talk about. But since the man had come to find him personally, he was at least curious to know why.
âDo you know that your mother has gone missing?â Zhong Zhou asked, his murky eyes fixed on his son.
Though his tone was probing, his gut instinct told him that Zhong He was undoubtedly involved. His son cared so deeply for his mother; it was impossible that he could remain this calm after learning of her disappearance.
Just as he suspected, upon hearing his words, Zhong He remained as still and unshakable as a mountain. Not only was there no trace of anxiety or worry in his eyes, but his expression was perfectly peaceful and composed.
âIsnât that something you should be worried about? Why are you telling me?â
In his fatherâs eyes, wasnât his mother just a pawn to control him? Now that she was missing, shouldn’t he be the one frantically searching for her? Why had he come all the way here to question him?
âIt was you, wasnât it?â Zhong Zhouâs eyes bored into him, his stare deadly.
Aside from Zhong He, his father couldnât think of anyone else. The timing was far too coincidental. The moment he had arrived at the Phoenix Clan, the room his wife was staying in had caught fire, and then she had vanished without a trace. Zhong Zhou refused to believe that this wasn’t all planned in advance.
The only explanation was that his son had orchestrated everything long before he ever came to the Phoenix Clan.
âDonât you think you owe your father an explanation?â
Zhong Heâs eyes instantly turned to ice.
âExplain what?â he retorted. âOr have you forgotten, Father, what you promised me before I left?â
He reminded him, word by word, âYou said you would protect my mother.â
That was the only reason Zhong He had agreed to the political marriage with the Phoenix Clan in the first place. Everything he did was for his mother’s safety. With his talents, what kind of woman couldn’t he have? There was absolutely no reason for him to suffer the indignity of sharing a wife with other men. And the one responsible for all of it was his father.
âBut now sheâs gone. And your first thought isnât to send people to find her, but to come here under the guise of a family visit to interrogate me. Donât you find that laughable?â
Did he really think he wouldn’t fight back?
Zhong He was not a man molded from soft clay. The only reason he had tolerated his father for so long back in the Crane Clan was for his motherâs sake. He had sworn an oath to her that no matter what happened, he would never commit patricide. Otherwise, how could he have let this man live for so long?
Zhong Zhouâs face flushed red with shame at his son’s scathing words.
âStop putting on an act! If it wasnât you, then who else could it be?â he burst out, flustered and angry.
This son of his was cunning and had been mature beyond his years since he was a child. He could commit a crime and not even bat an eye. Only his mother could ever break through that composure. But just now, when he had mentioned her disappearance, his son hadnât shown even a flicker of the man-eating rage he used to back in the Crane Clan. Something was clearly amiss.
âHeh.â
Zhong He laughed, his voice light.
âAnd your evidence?â He shot a razor-sharp look at his furious father. âEverything requires evidence. Without any proof, you want to pin this on me? Do you really think Iâll allow it?â
âYou!â
The problem was that his father had no evidence. If he did, he wouldnât be standing here suffering his sonâs insolence.
âHmph!â He gave a cold snort and flung his sleeve in disgust.
Zhong He completely ignored his fatherâs murderous glare and calmly straightened his own robes before standing up.
âWell, itâs getting late.â He glanced at his fatherâs humiliated face and said perfunctorily, âIf thereâs nothing else, Father, Iâll be returning to rest.â
He had no desire to waste any more time here with him.
Hiding behind a rockery in the shadows, Li XuanYue couldn’t believe the explosive secret she had just overheard.
She had originally thought that the families of the other four clans had all been properly settled by her and Yin Xin. Only Zhong Zhou had been forgotten, since he had broken away to speak with his son. She had intended to come over personally and tell him where he would be staying for the night. It was a way to show that she valued Zhong He, so that he wouldn’t lose face in front of his father.
But after listening to their conversation, she realized that the relationship between this father and son was anything but good.
Moreover, the only reason Zhong He had agreed to marry into the Phoenix Clan was because his father had threatened him with his motherâs safety.
In her past life, she had never known the real reasons why her five consorts had agreed to marry her.
Only now was she slowly beginning to understand.
They hadn’t willingly agreed to this union. Each of them had their own hardships, their own impossible situations.
She just never knew.
As the truth dawned on her, to say a pang of sadness didnât pierce her heart would be a lie.
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