After the coquettish fake master was driven away - Chapter 2

Today, the sky was unusually gloomy. Thick clouds hung low over the capital, as if a storm were brewing, yet the air remained still.

At the Xie family residence, in the Jingyuan estate:

Xie Jinning was lying bored in a rocking chair, reading a book. His glossy black hair fell over his chest, tied at the end with a dark jade ribbon, glimmering like fine silk.

After flipping through a few pages, he lost interest and laid the book on his lap, staring up at the gray sky.

“Sigh.”

Xie Jinning let out a long, frustrated sigh. Looking closely, faint bruises still lingered under his eyes. His full lips were dry, and he appeared listless, like a hibiscus flower that had never seen sunlight.

He hadn’t rested well for several days.

In the past, his mother, Lin Jinhua, would have been concerned, softly asking about his wellbeing, bringing him calming tonics, instructing the servants to meticulously clean the estate, eliminating all possible disturbances.

But now, there was nothing.

In the vast courtyard, he was completely alone, accompanied only by the flowers, plants, and insects.

This was the third day he had been confined to the estate.

That day, Xie Jinning had been anxious. As soon as he got into the carriage, he instructed the driver to return home as fast as possible.

Xie Jinning had always been physically weak. Several childhood fevers had left lasting effects. Even with years of expensive herbal care, he was still frailer than most. Vigorous sports like cuju or polo were strictly forbidden.

The rush that day had exhausted most of his energy. When he finally sat in the carriage, he felt pain in his back and chest, uncomfortable no matter how he positioned himself.

When he dismounted, he almost misstepped, only saved from injury by a guard holding him steady.

Without delay, he headed straight for his mother’s courtyard.

Ah He tugged at his sleeve, trying to stop him, but Xie Jinning pushed on with faster steps than usual. When he arrived, he plopped down, still out of breath, his dry throat ready to complain.

Lin Jinhua, wearing a soft sky-blue embroidered dress, was at the table, stitching. Seeing his flushed face and sweaty brow, she assumed he had been wronged outside and was about to ask. Instead, he blurted:

“Mother, can we send Xie Zhu away? Immediately, right now!”

Her hands froze as she wiped his sweat. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Did he do something to upset you?”

“It’s not him… no, it is him!” On the way, Xie Jinning had planned to tell his mother about Xie Zhu being a secret child, but when it came to it, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

If his mother knew that his father had another child out of wedlock, and perhaps even maintained a mistress, her gentle heart would break.

He picked up a teacup and drank half a cup hastily. “Mother, don’t ask. Just do as I say and send him away. I just don’t like him.”

His mother had always spoiled him, fulfilling every whim. He believed this time would be no exception.

Lin Jinhua gently wiped his forehead. “I know you’ve had some disagreements recently. Were you upset?”

Xie Jinning almost nodded vigorously, eyelashes fluttering, eyes sparkling, waiting for her to say it.

But she changed the subject. “That child is just cold by nature and not good at socializing. Wait a bit, once you get to know him, I’ll have him apologize to you, alright?”

“Who wants to get to know him!”

Xie Jinning exclaimed, frowning, and leaned against his mother’s shoulder, pouting. “I just don’t like him. Being around him in the house makes me uncomfortable. Mother, isn’t he jinxed for me?”

“Nonsense,” Lin Jinhua said, her brows furrowing. “You can’t say such things.”

He bit his lip, unsure whether to tell her the truth. “Mother, you love me the most. Just be merciful and send him away… He’s just a branch of the family. We have several estates in the capital—any one of them would do.”

Once he was gone, everything would be fine.

But she still didn’t give in.

Finally, Xie Jinning exhausted himself with tantrums and tears. Lin Jinhua still hadn’t agreed.

With her soft, indulgent voice, she sighed, “My dear, I don’t know why you’re so insistent. Let’s discuss this again in a few days, alright?”

Just a few more days—and Xie Zhu might take control and become a real threat!

Fuming, Xie Jinning stomped off, pouting, and avoided his mother’s reach. That was the first time mother and son had parted in disagreement.

On the way back, the thought made him angrier. A group of patrolling guards greeted him, and he impulsively pretended it was by Lin Jinhua’s order, leading them toward the Bamboo Pavilion, planning to oust Xie Zhu while Xie Qing and Xie Zhaoming were away.

But his plan failed. He hadn’t even arrived when Xie Qing returned and caught him. After questioning, Xie Qing’s face went cold. He ordered the boy confined to the courtyard.

Confined! Five full days!

Xie Jinning had never been punished so severely in his life.

On the first day, he tried to climb over the wall but froze at the height. The guards had to hold him to prevent him from falling.

That afternoon, all the servants were sent out.

On the second day, he disguised himself as a maid to sneak out but was spotted immediately.

Even his personal maid was not spared.

Now, Jingyuan estate held only him.

He had cried and thrown tantrums; porcelain and treasures lay broken on the floor. He had even refused food for half a day, but none of it changed his confinement.

With no way out and the house in disarray, he moved to the courtyard.

After lying down for a while, almost dozing off, he suddenly sat up.

This was the third day—and no one had come to comfort him.

Blaming Xie Zhu, Xie Jinning threw his book to the ground. “Stupid Xie Zhu, poker face, bastard!”

He was done with this so-called brother.

Looking around, he noticed the wooden practice dummy in the corner—bought long ago for martial exercises he had abandoned after two days.

Perhaps the servants had taken it out to sun earlier, and it hadn’t been returned.

He went over and attacked it with punches and kicks, imagining it was Xie Zhu.

The pain in his shoulder throbbed, but he turned it into anger, exhausting himself. His face flushed, and he looked more spirited.

The ribbon had fallen somewhere. A few strands of hair tickled his nose; he sneezed, eyes misted with tears.

Irritated, he searched for the ribbon. The lush spring grass hid it well, but near the corner, he spotted it.

Crouching, he brushed off the dirt, about to tie it back in his hair—when a glimmer caught his eye.

He turned and saw a faint light from a corner, as if there was a hidden opening.

His eyes brightened.

Meanwhile, at the Xie family ancestral hall:

Lotus-shaped candle holders burned in sequence, illuminating the rows of ancestral tablets. The golden letters “Xie” shimmered in the firelight.

Xie Qing picked up an incense stick, bowed three times, then placed it in the central burner and stepped aside.

Xie Zhaoming did the same. Seeing a figure behind their mother, his lips moved slightly, as if to speak, but he said nothing.

Heavy drapes blocked the outside light and absorbed sound. In the silent hall, only the faint crackle of the flames could be heard.

Lin Jinhua was dressed exceptionally solemnly today: dark jade hairpins, a deep brown satin gown, her well-preserved face appearing noble and dignified, contrasting with her usual gentle demeanor.

Heavy makeup concealed the fine lines at her eyes. She drew a deep breath and accepted the incense from Xie Zhaoming.

The hall remained silent.

It did not feel like the joyous occasion of welcoming Xie Zhu into the family records but an ordinary ritual of worship.

After placing the incense in the burner, a shadow moved.

A young man stepped forward, lifting his robe to kneel. Just as he bent his knees, Xie Qing, standing behind the tablets, spoke:

“Are you sure about this?”

His voice was calm but resonant, breaking the oppressive silence. Xie Zhu froze, then straightened and met Xie Qing’s gaze.

This was his biological father.

Obsidian eyes reflected the candlelight. Under the yellow glow, the boy’s face betrayed no anger, resentment, or grief—utterly calm, like still water.

Lin Jinhua, seeing his features refined after days of care, could hardly contain her emotions and choked back a sob.

In a few short days, the peaceful life at the Xie estate had been completely upended.

No one had anticipated that the child they had nurtured for sixteen years, doted upon and loved, was not their own flesh and bl00d.

Meanwhile, their true child had grown up in a distant, impoverished village, coming to them fully grown, unexpectedly mature and talented.

Yet, due to circumstances, the Xie family would not reveal his true identity. Publicly, he would only be announced as the lost third young master of the Xie family.

Soon, he would even replace Xie Jinning in official duties.

Human hearts are biased. Some might call it favoritism or selfishness. In this battle of kinship and bl00d, the outcome was already clear.

Tears ran down Lin Jinhua’s cheeks. Trembling, she whispered, “Child, you’ve suffered… we’ve wronged you…”

She stopped, feeling the fire in the boy’s eyes. Ashamed, she turned away, pressing her lips together, unable to look.

Xie Zhaoming frowned, “It’s getting late,” urging them along.

Xie Zhu observed the reactions of the three, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Could he be considered truly the Xie family’s flesh and bl00d? His calm indifference reflected his lineage.

He had resented them—for replacing him, for leaving him to suffer, for keeping the truth—but these feelings faded quickly. From a young age, he knew that no matter his origins, he alone must walk his path.

As for Xie Jinning, he recalled those round, clear cat-like eyes, the pouting lips that held no threat even in anger, more like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum—reminding him of a mischief that once soaked koi in the pond.

Perhaps it was better to keep Xie Jinning in the estate, raising him as they had, arrogant and foolish as he was.

He collected his thoughts and spoke aloud: “No need to discuss further. I’ve made my decision.”

Xie Zhu lifted his robe and knelt on the mat, straight and upright as bamboo, facing the ancestral tablets.

This was a secret induction into the family register—no prior ancestor worship, no elder witnesses, no servants, hidden and urgent.

“The Xie ancestors above, today the second son of the main Lin household, Xie Zhu, who has been away since childhood, has now returned. Please admit him into the ancestral hall and record his name in the genealogy.”

The two bowed silently. Xie Qing rose first, placing the incense in the burner, and opened the wooden box holding the family register.

At that moment, a thunderclap shook the sky outside, and the hall suddenly brightened.

A gust of wind blew through, flickering the candles, almost extinguishing them. Lin Jinhua shielded her eyes with her sleeve and let out a startled cry:

“Sweetheart?”