The Runaway Bride in a Substitute Marriage Story 36

In the main hall of the main courtyard, bright candlelight flickered gently.

All was quiet, then suddenly a crisp "bang" rang out, like the sound of a teacup being swept to the floor, clearly audible from within the room.

Madam Xie didn't even glance at the teacup that landed by her feet. Her face was ashen as she scolded angrily, "Qingyan! Do you still have any regard for me as your mother?"

"Now that you've taken a wife, you won't listen to a word your mother says, is that it? What about the books of sages you read daily, and the filial piety you've learned? I think you've cast them all aside!"

Even under such reproach, Xie Qingyan's expression remained unchanged. He said in a low voice, "Your son wouldn't dare. But at tonight's palace banquet, Miss Xue, the daughter of Censor Xue, deliberately tried to make things difficult for Yao. That was arranged by you, wasn't it?"

"I didn't..." Madam Xie's hand on the table trembled slightly, and she instinctively tried to retort.

"Whether it was you who arranged it or not, I can discern that myself." Xie Qingyan interrupted her calmly.

Before Madam Xie could speak, he continued in a cold voice, "But a husband and wife are one. With this move, you weren't just trying to embarrass Yao—you were disregarding your son's dignity as well, especially in front of His Majesty and all the civil and military officials."

"How could Mother mean that? But look at Chen Yao—she can't do needlework, she's not proficient in music or chess, and she spends all day thinking about eating and having fun. She doesn't have a trace of a refined lady's demeanor!" Madam Xie said with a frown.

What was even more unbearable for her was, "Besides, it's been over half a year since she married into this household, and there's still no sign of a child in her belly. Since Miss Xue is so devoted to you, Mother just—"

Xie Qingyan's expression darkened, and he interrupted her harshly again, "Mother, I've said that in this life, I'll only have Yao. I don't know any Miss Xue or Miss Wang, so there's no need to bring them up again."

"You and Father are deeply devoted to each other and can't tolerate a third party. As a woman yourself, how can you bear to put my Yao through such injustice?"

"As for the matter of heirs, I've said time and again that Yao is still young, and it's I who don't want her to suffer the pains of childbirth so early. I have my own plans for this."

"How can that be the same? Since I married your father, I've truly given the Xie family three sons and a daughter."

Madam Xie snorted coldly. "But Chen Yao has failed to conceive even now—she hasn't fulfilled her duty. So don't try to fob me off with your old excuses again."

Seeing that she was truly stubborn, Xie Qingyan lowered his eyes and, surprisingly, his tone became calm instead. "In that case, if Mother truly can't tolerate Yao, I'll take her and move out of the mansion. That way, you won't have to see her every day and find fault with her."

"Qingyan, what do you mean? If you move out after starting a family, will the clan and outsiders think you want to set up your own household? Your father has painstakingly groomed you for all these years—are you going to give up the Xie legacy for a bit of personal affection?"

Madam Xie clutched her chest, staring incredulously at her most outstanding son, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Xie Qingyan was silent, not answering at once.

Ever since he could remember, as the eldest son of the Xie family, he had always been diligent and hardworking, strictly adhering to etiquette and family rules, never daring to step out of line.

From a young age, he had been instilled with the duty to inherit the family business and keep the Xie name prominent. He had poured much effort into that and certainly wouldn't willingly give it up.

But the premise was that if doing so meant he couldn't even protect his beloved wife, then what was the point of all his scheming half his life?

Soon, Xie Qingyan's gaze hardened again, and he said expressionlessly, "Mother, rest assured. I'm only taking Yao to my own residence, not leaving the clan or setting up a separate household."

"As for inheriting the Xie family, I'll fight for it with my own abilities, not by sacrificing my happiness. Mother, think it over carefully, and please convey my intentions to Father as well."

Xie Qingyan picked up the teacup in front of him and, ignoring that the tea had long gone cold, drank it in one go, then set the cup down heavily on the table.

"I've said all I have to say. It's getting late, and I won't disturb your rest. I'll take my leave."

With that, he stood up decisively, shook his sleeve lightly, and left the main hall without waiting for Madam Xie to say another word.

He knew well that although Madam Xie was the one openly concerned about heirs, without Lord Xie's tacit approval and encouragement behind the scenes, Madam Xie wouldn't have gone this far tonight, no matter how disapproving she was.

Xie Qingyan walked hastily back toward Fufeng Courtyard.

The moonlight was bright, stretching the man's tall figure long and thin, as if it were dragging him into the boundless shadows.

He understood that, given the situation just now, Madam Xie had probably taken some of his insistence to heart. But even if this crisis passed, their concessions and endurance wouldn't hold out for long.

So this was only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

Xie Qingyan curled the corner of his mouth, but fortunately, he had already made up his mind completely. Give it a little more time, and this problem would be permanently resolved.