Chapter 882: Father and Son Recognize Each Other
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S T E L L A R C L O U D
[Galetron]
O R A N G E S T A R
[Alma S.] [Azurixa] [Christine G.-L.] [K.Rom]
[Lily J.] [Nevy] [Ziana K.-P.]
Y E L L O W S T A R
[Anasi G.] [Jwyla C.] [Passerby] [Xena]
G O L D S T A R
[Anne C.]
R A I N B O W S T A R
[Debra W] [Smurfinbatik]
T H E S U N
[Kiiayame]
C E L E S T I A L C O N Q U E R O R
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[Raquel G.] [Sophia W.] [Val Nes] [Woon Li Ying]
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Marquis Xuanping clutched his chest, his mind filled with a single overwhelming thought, what should a father do when his son is just too adorable?
Xiao Heng had been adorable as a child too, but as he grew older, he became increasingly upright and serious, rarely letting his old father catch a glimpse of that once silly and endearing side of him.
Especially now that he was married; every time Marquis Xuanping tried to tease him, the boy refused to play along.
Marquis Xuanping stepped into the room.
As a man trained in martial arts, he could tell from the sound of one’s breathing whether someone was awake or not.
Not to mention, Shangguan Qing had just delivered the most eye-burning performance of his entire life.
Marquis Xuanping had already recovered from the initial tension and was now able to face his son calmly.
He cleared his throat and called out, “Qing’er.”
Shangguan Qing’s intelligence seemed to have collectively deserted him as he blurted, “He’s not here!”
Marquis Xuanping: “…”
Marquis Xuanping couldn’t help it and burst out laughing.
Once the impulse to tease his son took over, his words became even more outrageous, “Yo, isn’t this Brother Qing? Weren’t you the one who promised to look after your dear Marquis here, to go out drinking with me, and visit brothels together? Turning your back on me so quickly?”
Aaaaahhhh!
Please stop talking!
This Brother Qing only has this one dark stain on his entire record!
And you just had to stumble upon it!
Marquis Xuanping laughed so hard that his shoulders were shaking.
Under the blanket, drenched in sweat, Shangguan Qing could hear the barely-suppressed laughter, and it made him grind his teeth in frustration.
No laughing allowed! Brother Qing’s fists are really hard!
Marquis Xuanping knew when to stop. After laughing his fill, he cleared his throat again and walked over to the bed, intending to sit on the edge.
But when he saw his son looking utterly unsure of how to face him, he hesitated, then stepped back and pulled a chair over to sit down instead.
This distance was neither too distant nor too intrusive.
They were father and son by blood, yes, but twenty years of unfamiliarity and the chasm between them couldn’t be crossed in a single step.
They both needed time to slowly get to know each other.
“Qing’er.” Marquis Xuanping called out again.
Shangguan Qing remained silent.
He had been hiding under the covers for a long time, and Marquis Xuanping, worried he might be stifled under there, sighed and said, “Alright then, get some rest first. I’ll leave now and come back to check on you later.”
Shangguan Qing, still hidden beneath the blanket, paused slightly and perked up his ears.
He heard the sound of footsteps gradually moving away, and something in his heart felt a little strange. Then he heard the door quietly close.
A sudden emptiness welled up in his chest.
“So he just left like that, didn’t even stay a while to coax me.”
He pouted slightly, feeling a tiny bit aggrieved.
He had grown up without a father.
He had grown up poisoned.
He had always thought that other children might also be poisoned, but he never once thought that other children might also be fatherless.
It was as if he had known, since birth, that every child ought to have both a mother and a father.
Once, while eating, he suddenly clutched his bowl and asked his mother, “Where’s my father?”
That year, he was five.
His mother didn’t know how to answer him. After that day, he never asked again.
There were children in the village who had no fathers too.
Those children were often bullied by their peers. He had been bullied as well, but of course, he fought back every time.
He never told his mother about it.
More than once, he had wondered, was his father truly dead, or not?
And if he had died, then how exactly had it happened?
If he wasn’t dead, then why hadn’t he come looking for him?
Could it be that his father didn’t like him?
“Humph! I knew it. He really doesn’t like me! He left so quickly!”
“Well, I don’t like you either!”
Shangguan Qing, both aggrieved and angry, flung the blanket off with a dramatic sweep!
But the moment he turned his head, he was stunned to see Marquis Xuanping sitting there in the chair, not even a single toe had moved out the door.
Marquis Xuanping curved his lips and looked at him, the indulgent fondness in his eyes practically overflowing.
All the dissatisfaction in Shangguan Qing’s chest vanished in an instant, like clouds dispersing under the sun.
Marquis Xuanping tilted his head slightly and leaned forward a little. Smiling, he asked, “So, who is it that you don’t like?”
Shangguan Qing choked on his words, then turned his face aside with a pout. “Didn’t you say you were leaving?”
His tone was perfectly calm.
Marquis Xuanping said, “Then should I go now?”
Shangguan Qing bristled and put his hands on his hips!
Try walking out and see what happens!
Marquis Xuanping burst out laughing uncontrollably.
Honestly, once the tension had broken, it wasn’t so embarrassing anymore.
Besides, Shangguan Qing had inherited much of Marquis Xuanping’s own nature; his embarrassment only lasted for a fleeting moment.
So what if he had gained a father?
What was the big deal?
They were both men, after all!
Shangguan Qing soon settled down and stopped feeling ashamed about his outburst and his little patch of black history.
“Let’s talk.” He said.
“Alright, let’s talk.” Marquis Xuanping replied with a smile.
Shangguan Qing opened his mouth, “You…”
Damn it, where was he supposed to start?
He was completely unprepared for this.
No one had warned him before coming to the border that he would be picking up a father along the way!
Seeing that bitter, conflicted look on his son’s face, Marquis Xuanping decided he had better take the lead, “You know about your background, don’t you?”
Shangguan Qing nodded lightly and said, “Mm, my mother told me.”
Marquis Xuanping wasn’t surprised. Shangguan Yan had mentioned before that Xiao Qing was aware of his origins.
“She told you everything?” Je asked.
It was a pointless question. He was just trying to find something to say.
Shangguan Qing let out a grunt of acknowledgment, raised his eyebrows, and said, “She told me everything, that my father is a Marquis of the State of Zhao and my birth mother is a princess of the State of Zhao, as well as my poisoning, and that younger brother of mine I’ve never met, Xiao Heng.”
He brought up Xiao Heng because Xiao Heng was Shangguan Yan’s biological son.
Shangguan Qing looked at him solemnly and said, “You’re not allowed to blame my mother.”
Marquis Xuanping opened his mouth and said, “I don’t blame her.”
He had no right to blame her, because whether it was Xiao Heng or Xiao Qing, both were his sons. No matter which one received the antidote, he would lose the other.
Shangguan Qing stared into his eyes, not looking away for a moment, until he was sure there was no hypocrisy behind his words. Only then did he speak again, “My mother has treated me very well. She has suffered a lot over the years. If not for trying to cure my poisoning, her life would have been much easier.”
Marquis Xuanping let out a long sigh. “I know… these past years haven’t been easy for either of you.”
“I had it pretty easy.” Shangguan Qing said, spreading his hands.
With the Imperial Advisor’s Hall supplying him with antidotes, all he had to do was eat, drink, and enjoy life.
Sure, the poison would act up a few days every month, but he had long since gotten used to that.
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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Description:
In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.
When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.
The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.
From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.
***
Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.
After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"
Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"
Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”
Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
He hasn't finished his lines yet though…