CHAPTER 399: CHAPTER 367: WANWAN LEARNS THE IDENTITY OF HER BIRTH MOTHER (FIRST UPDATE)

Before Song Wei could speak, she continued, "My father told me that when I was three years old, I was playing and accidentally fell into an ice hole. You stepped in and saved me. Although I don’t have memories of that time, I think the fact that you could recognize whose child I was at a glance and escorted me home after saving me, indicates you must know my father. Since you know my father, you must also know my mother. So, you have seen her."

"..."

Song Wei suddenly realized that it wasn’t that she hadn’t thought to ask these questions in the past few years, but rather there hadn’t been an opportunity to spark her curiosity about her biological mother until now.

"Husband, do I look like my mother?"

Her eyes were filled with curiosity, and that pure spirit reminded him of the naive little girl who once mustered the courage to write six words on the ground for him to marry her.

"You do." Song Wei said.

Since the other party had already become aware of it, continuing to hide it would only deepen the conflicts between them as a couple.

Song Wei did not want to lose Wanwan’s trust in him because of a lie.

"How much do I look like her?"

Wen Wan asked this question, recalling when she was heavily pregnant, trudging through the snowy mountains with her father and husband to pay respects to her biological mother. Upon returning, she asked, and her father told her she didn’t resemble Mrs. Lu.

She vaguely remembered that after returning home that day, she stood in front of the mirror for a long time, unable to understand why she didn’t resemble her father or her mother, even suspecting that she wasn’t their biological child.

"You look like you were carved from the same mold." Song Wei said honestly.

The man’s unreserved answer dispelled Wen Wan’s potential urge to make a big fuss over further concealment.

Taking a deep breath, Wen Wan said, "Mother’s surname is Lu, and she has jewelry from the inner court, indicating she’s of wealth or status, and we look alike, quite a coincidence."

Indeed, it was a coincidence. In the Capital, there was a person whose original surname was Zhao, married into the Lu family, noble in status, and once a Princess. The first time Wen Wan met her, she thought she saw herself many years into the future.

Thinking of this, Wen Wan lifted her head, as if controlling her emotions to prevent tears from falling.

Song Wei moved over and enveloped her, thin blanket included, into his embrace. His voice thick and rich, "If you’re really upset, just cry it out."

Wen Wan reached out to cover her face with both hands, as memories since she was three years old flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.

She remembered the despair of waking up to find her voice was gone and all she could do was cry.

Father Wen, in order to find treatment for her, hurriedly sought doctors far and wide daily, even sold the family’s only valuable mule.

Becoming a mute who couldn’t speak, the village playmates either avoided her or openly mocked her. Her father, knowing she was upset, would spend long periods consoling her, making her smile, and saying his daughter was the smartest and prettiest girl in the world, accompanying her every year to the mountains to pay respects to "Mrs. Lu."

Thinking of having honored an empty tomb for over ten years, with the tomb’s owner not only alive but also having had considerable interaction, Wen Wan didn’t know whether to cry over her biological mother abandoning her child to remarry, or to laugh because her biological mother was alive, showing she too had a mother.

She recalled once telling Fanghua that she didn’t resent her biological mother.

But when this day finally arrived, certain emotions couldn’t remain unaffected.

Perhaps at that time, she spoke from an outsider’s standpoint and couldn’t empathize with her current self, which now seemed exceptionally indifferent and carefree.

At the moment when the truth lay bare in front of her, she realized she wasn’t as strong as she imagined. If not for the man beside her, Wen Wan might not have lasted this long.

Song Wei held her, and besides the rustling of the water clock, there was no other sound in the room.

Wen Wan didn’t cry or make a fuss, nor did she loudly question why Song Wei hadn’t told her the truth sooner.

Having stayed by his side for so long, her thoughts matured, and she was no longer the naive teenage girl unaware of worldly matters. She could empathize with others, and if telling the truth would benefit her, he wouldn’t have kept it this deep.

Song Wei lowered his eyes, unable to see any expression of immense grief on Wen Wan’s face. She appeared calm, like the tranquility following a fierce internal struggle.

Seemingly sensing his gaze, she looked up and smiled, "Husband, I’m sleepy."

Remarkably, she didn’t mention anything about her biological mother.

Song Wei nodded, his tone gentle, "If you’re sleepy, just sleep. When you wake up, I’ll still be here."

These words were somewhat sentimental, not fitting his usual style, but felt perfectly suitable at this moment.

Wen Wan emerged from his embrace, pulled the thin blanket over herself, and lay down.

Song Wei tucked her in, but unable to sleep, he got up and sat at the table, slowly drinking tea.

Her mind filled with too much earlier, Wen Wan indeed felt sleepy. Once her eyes closed, she found it hard to open them again, unaware of when Song Wei finished his tea and lay beside her again, or when he left for the Hanlin Academy early in the morning.

...

The morning bird song drifted in through the window.

Wen Wan opened her eyes, seeing a steamed bun-like face very close.

With a start, her drowsiness disappeared. After blinking a few times to ensure it wasn’t an illusion, she sat up, looking at the little fellow by the bed, "Why are you here so early?"

Jinbao pointed outside, "Mother said today we’ll go herding sheep, yet the sun’s shining on your back, and you’re still asleep, shame on you～"

Wen Wan: "The sheep haven’t even woken up yet, why are you in such a rush?"

The little fellow rebutted, "Not every sheep is as diligent as Jinbao. If no one calls them, they’d want to sleep till it’s dark."

Wen Wan: "...No one criticizes their own mother like this, go away!"

"Fine, I’m going." The little fellow snorted twice, walking over to open the wardrobe and rummage through it.

Having just dressed, Wen Wan turned her head to see him haphazardly tossing quite a few clothes from the wardrobe onto the floor, immediately blackening her face, grinding her teeth, "Song, Jin, Bao!"

The little guy found the clothes he wanted to wear, turned around, and flashed a grin at his mother.

Wen Wan glared at him, "Are your hands itching?"

The little guy, hugging the clothes, timidly stood aside, not daring to look at his mother.

Finally finishing folding all the clothes and placing them nicely, Wen Wan saw that he had somehow managed to put on the set of clothes he dug out.

Not having changed the inner clothes, he messily put on the outer one, with the shoulders and sleeves left unstraightened, looking not tidy at all.

With his short little arms, he couldn’t fix it himself and could only look at Wen Wan with expectant eyes, calling out for his mother.

Squatting down, Wen Wan helped him take off both inner and outer clothes and dressed him again, saying, "Mother doesn’t want to speak to you for the whole day."

Not long after, dressed and ready, the little guy was too excited to eat breakfast, pulling his mother’s hand to go to the village to catch fish and herd sheep.

Still pondering over last night’s events, Wen Wan couldn’t muster much enthusiasm, but she had promised her son and couldn’t break her word.

Having Yun Cai prepare snacks, water, and a fresh set of clothes for Jinbao to be loaded onto the carriage, Wen Wan took her son to bid farewell to her mother-in-law.

Granny Song, hearing that she was going alone, felt uneasy, "Why not call a servant boy from the courtyard, in case anything happens, someone can lend a hand."

Knowing Wei Qian would secretly follow along, Wen Wan shook her head, "No need. The village isn’t far from the city, at most we’ll be out for an hour or so, bringing more people would be too conspicuous and not look good."

Knowing her daughter-in-law was different from others, had anything been wrong, she would’ve known already, so Granny Song did not insist further, personally seeing the mother and son off to the door.

Throughout the journey, Wen Wan spoke little.

Granny Song noticed her daughter-in-law wasn’t in high spirits.

At the carriage, Granny Song lifted her grandson onto it, turning to Wen Wan, "Did you argue with Third Son?"

Wen Wan snapped out of her thoughts, barely smiling, "No, why does Mother ask?"

"I see you seem listless, worried that you and your husband had a quarrel." Granny Song thought of her youngest son, dismissing the notion, "Though others may not understand Third Son, as his mother, I know very well he’s more steady and reliable than his elder brothers, wouldn’t resort to big arguments even if upset. If he did quarrel, perhaps he’s distressed by office matters, so please show him some understanding, it’s not easy working for the Emperor."

Accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger; if displeased, those below suffer, especially someone like Song Wei, who meets the Emperor frequently, naturally finds it tough.

However, Wen Wan reflected that Song Wei seemed to never bring his work-related mood home, so quarrels over such matters barely existed between them.

Rarely did granny seriously talk to her, so not wanting to brush aside the elder’s goodwill, Wen Wan nodded vaguely, "As a daughter-in-law, I’ll take care in the future."

Taking Jinbao’s little hand, she bade goodbye to her mother-in-law and boarded the carriage with her son heading to the village.