After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 19
Happy December 1! As a gift, here’s a full 3,000 word chapter ?( ??? )? • *?
This was scheduled on Dec 1 LMAO but I’m not taking it back because I know ya’ll have been waiting for this reunion.
Chapter 19: Reunion After a Long Separation
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The willows along the lane swayed, and the carriage had already passed through the city gate.
Li Yifang’s expression showed a slight unease, Ruan Xi didn’t manage to buy any snacks, and the child’s two little hands and the front of his clothes were smeared with dirt.
Ruan An used a soft cloth to wipe the child, feeling that something should have happened just now. Panic gradually surged in her heart, fearing that Li Shuying’s people had come to track her again.
At this moment, Li Yifang lifted the curtain and looked towards the direction of the city gate. The man’s brows furrowed lightly, as if speaking to himself, and he asked in confusion, “Why did he catch up?”
“Who caught up?”
Ruan An’s eyes changed slightly, and she asked in a trembling voice.
Ruan Xi leaned towards Li Yifang, also peering outside the curtain, and said in a childish voice, “It’s the strange uncle from earlier, it’s him! He dropped my jade pastry on the ground and even picked me up.”
The boy was still indignant about what happened earlier, and his chubby little face looked puffed up as he spoke.
Li Yifang replied in a faint tone, “It’s Marquis Dingbei, Huo Pingxiao.”
As soon as the words fell, Li Yifang saw a sudden change in Ruan An’s expression. The young lady’s demeanor was filled with panic and fear.
Beside her, Ruan Xi remained naive and innocent. Upon closer inspection, Yifang felt that the child’s features were remarkably similar to Huo Pingxiao.
Li Yifang suddenly realized and asked in disbelief, “Could this child’s father be…”
Ruan An frowned, and shook her head at Li Yifang, not denying it, but indicating that she didn’t want Ruan Xi to hear anything.
“Coachman, make the horse go faster!”
“Miss, it’s not that I don’t want to go faster; it’s just that this horse is getting old and can’t run fast!”
“I beg you to try to make it run faster. I’m willing to pay more silver. If it gets injured or dies from running, I will compensate you for a new horse.”
“Sigh, alright, I’ll give it a try.”
After the coachman spoke, Ruan An immediately hugged Ruan Xi to her lap, protecting the child and gently admonishing him, “Xi’er, there might be some bumps later. Hold on tight.”
Ruan Xi obediently nodded his little head.
Ruan An’s heart pounded faster like a drum. She vaguely felt that Huo Pingxiao might have discovered the secret of this child, but for a moment, she couldn’t figure out how to deal with it.
She didn’t know how to face Huo Pingxiao, afraid that he might use his power to directly take the child away.
The moving carriage became more and more bumpy, and the curtains swayed in the damp spring wind. The hoarse voice of the old horse sounded mournful and harsh.
“Exhale——”
In an instant, the gentle spring breeze around suddenly turned into a roaring gust of wind. Ruan An’s heartbeat suddenly paused.
Looking up again, she saw a sturdy figure leaping through the air at the top of the carriage curtain, rushing towards them with a majestic momentum.
Four hooves landed, and the large horse came to a stop in front of the carriage.
Although the coachman timely restrained the horse, Ruan An’s almond eyes trembled in panic, her pupils suddenly shrinking. Yet, she didn’t forget to tightly protect the child in her arms.
The frightened voice of the coachman came from outside the carriage: “Sir, we are just ordinary townsfolk leaving the city. You… you can’t stop our carriage and horses privately…”
The appearance of the unfamiliar man before him was imposing, his figure tall and cold, but he remained unmoved by the coachman’s words, still blocking their path forward on horseback.
What is going on? Could it be that Lord Li has offended some powerful figure?
“Miss Ruan, please come down; we need to have a good talk.”
The man’s voice was deep and familiar. Ruan An was at a loss, completely unprepared for the fact that Huo Pingxiao actually knew she was in this carriage. She wanted to ask Lord Li Yifang to take good care of Ruan Xi first.
Before she could speak, Li Yifang stopped her with a gesture, saying, “You and Xi’er stay in the carriage. I’ll go down and see him.”
Huo Pingxiao had already dismounted. When the carriage curtain was finally lifted, the person who came out was not the girl he wanted to see but the unfaithful Lord of the Capital. His sharp eyes couldn’t help but narrow slightly.
Li Yifang, with a dignified expression, walked up to the man. He was not afraid of Huo Pingxiao’s power, and his whole demeanor exuded the upright aura of an official. He coldly questioned, “Although Marquis Huo holds a title, he cannot privately stop the carriage and horses of the common people in front of me, the Capital’s Prefect who acts for the people.”
“To act for the people?”
Huo Pingxiao sneered, a faint trace of hostility visible in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows: “You made an engagement with someone, yet you left the girl in Jiazhou for several years. Two years ago, the emperor granted you a decent official position, but you never mentioned bringing her from Jiazhou to Chang’an.”
As he spoke, Huo Pingxiao clearly suppressed his anger.
He had already determined that Li Yifang was the fiancé mentioned by Ruan An, and he could imagine how difficult it was for the girl to raise a child on her own.
Perhaps the fate between her and Li Yifang was destroyed, and it was related to the accident they had in the past, but Li Yifang was not a man worthy of trust.
If he really wanted to marry that girl back then, he should have immediately brought her to Chang’an.
Li Yifang was a bit puzzled; he felt that Huo Pingxiao’s accusations were completely baseless, as if there was some misunderstanding.
Even if there was a misunderstanding, he impregnated Ruan An, a young girl, stained her innocence, and then abandoned her. What qualifications did he have to accuse others?
“Not like Marquis Huo, committing the wicked act of forcibly taking a virtuous girl and then abandoning her.”
“What happened back then was purely accidental, and I don’t know the whole truth. Let Ruan get off the carriage; I have something to discuss with her alone.”
Huo Pingxiao finished speaking in a deep voice and didn’t want to argue further with Li Yifang. He decisively walked straight to the carriage, intending to have Ruan An come out.
However, Li Yifang stopped Huo Pingxiao, who was slightly taller than him, with a determined tone: “I’m afraid that’s not possible; Ruan girl probably doesn’t want to see you.”
“She is the mother of my child. If I want to see her, you don’t have the authority to say no.”
With those words, Huo Pingxiao’s eyes showed a hint of disdain. The man’s deep, ink-like eyes stared at Li Yifang, seemingly saying, “Don’t force me to get rough.”
On the other side, Ruan An held Ruan Xi in her arms, using both delicate hands to cover her son’s little ears.
She didn’t know how much of the man’s words her son had heard, but she heard the conversation between Huo Pingxiao and Li Yifang clearly.
She was afraid that if the two continued their verbal clash, Huo Pingxiao would injure Li Yifang.
Originally, this matter had nothing to do with the two men; it was her own insistence on giving birth to Ruan Xi.
Ruan An didn’t expect that, since her rebirth, things had taken an increasingly uncontrollable direction, and everything seemed to be happening by chance.
Huo Pingxiao had discovered the secret of this child, so sooner or later, she would have to face him.
She could avoid it for a while, but not for a lifetime.
Outside the carriage, the two men were still in a standoff. It was only when Ruan An opened the curtain that they stopped arguing.
As soon as Ruan An jumped off the carriage and barely stabilized herself, she noticed that Huo Pingxiao’s gaze had fallen on her. Carefully holding Ruan Xi after she landed, the boy immediately hid behind her.
Huo Pingxiao seemed to be walking towards the direction of the mother and son.
After a while, their footsteps finally came to a stop.
The man’s gaze towards the mother and son still couldn’t conceal his astonishment.
***
The group found a secluded tavern.
Ruan An finally found an opportunity to explain the misunderstanding to Li Yifang. The child looked at her with a confused expression, hesitating to approach Huo Pingxiao.
Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a warmth on her wrist. It turned out that the man’s rough hand had grasped it, gradually enveloping Ruan An’s smooth and warm skin.
“Come with me first,” Huo Pingxiao said in a low voice, then tried to pull Ruan An directly into the private room of the tavern.
Seeing the girl’s anxious and helpless expression, Li Yifang spoke up to stop him: “Let her calm down first.”
Huo Pingxiao turned his head, coldly glancing at Li Yifang. His tone also carried a chilling indifference. “We’re already here. You don’t need to follow. This is a matter between the three of us, and it has nothing to do with you.”
Ruan Xi blinked his big black eyes, continuously sizing up the unfamiliar and imposing man in front of him.
Under the innocent gaze of the child, Huo Pingxiao gradually released the girl’s wrist and looked at the child.
The child was very obedient and quiet. Although he shared more facial features with Huo Pingxiao, his temperament was more like his mother’s. The occasional expressions he revealed also resembled the impression of that gentle and shy girl in his memory.
Ruan An nodded at the child, indicating that he didn’t need to worry.
After following Huo Pingxiao into the room, the girl felt quite at a loss. Since he intercepted her carriage, her heart had been pounding non-stop, filled with uncontrollable turmoil.
On the way to this tavern, she had actually thought of a set of explanations, but due to nervousness, she had forgotten them all.
After Huo Pingxiao took his seat, he looked up at her and said in a calm voice, “Please, have a seat.”
Ruan An found a round chair and sat down. However, she saw Ruan Xi taking small steps and following her into the inner room.
As memories from the past gradually surfaced, Ruan An still couldn’t figure out how Huo Pingxiao knew about this matter. She felt that Ruan Xi shouldn’t be present during her conversation with Huo Pingxiao, so she asked the man, “Can I ask him… to go find Lord Li first?”
Huo Pingxiao lowered his gaze to Ruan Xi and didn’t refuse outright, but he didn’t agree either. He asked, “What’s the child’s name?”
Ruan An truthfully replied, “He carries my surname and is called Ruan Xi.”
“Which Xi?”
He lowered his tone and asked patiently.
“Xi from Xihe.”
Ruan An replied softly, her long and thick eyelashes slightly lowered. She felt that Huo Pingxiao might have read the “Classic of Mountains and Seas” because she hadn’t mentioned the meaning of Xihe when talking to the man.
After learning that she was pregnant with Ruan Xi, she quickly decided on his name. Xihe means the goddess of the sun. At that time, Ruan An thought that if she gave birth to a boy, she would name him Xi, and if it was a girl, she would name her He.
For a boy, he would be as dazzling as his father, like a little sun.
For a girl, she would take the “Ping” character from her father’s name, meaning peace.
Watching the boy still eyeing him cautiously, Huo Pingxiao tried his best to soften his tone and said to him, “Ruan Xi, you go out first. Find the Mr. Li that your mother mentioned. I have something to discuss with your mother alone.”
However, Ruan Xi’s little feet were unwilling to take a step, and only when he saw his own mother nodding in his direction did he reluctantly pout and leave the elegant room.
“As for you and Li Yifang…”
Before the words could be spoken, Huo Pingxiao saw tears welling up in the girl’s eyes.
He had seen many women cry before, but the girl’s tears always made him feel a sense of pity.
He couldn’t recall the details of that day, but he wondered if Ruan An was so afraid of him because he had caused her some harm.
“Miss Ruan, did I…”
Force you.
Before these four words could be spoken, Ruan An shook her head and replied, “I don’t remember much about that night, but it shouldn’t be what you think.”
After saying this, Ruan An had more or less sorted out her emotions.
She didn’t want the man to hear the tremor in her voice, so she forced herself to say calmly, “Marquis Huo, you once said that you would grant me two wishes when we meet again. I wonder if Marquis Huo will keep his word?”
Upon hearing these words, the man’s strong eyebrows furrowed slightly. Of course, he could see what Ruan An was thinking. He then said in a low voice, “But he is my son. I can’t just abandon him.”
Ruan An’s voice also raised a bit as she spoke. She knew her humble background prevented her from competing for the right to nurture the child with him, but she still wanted to fight for it as much as possible.
She had redness in her eyes, gritted her teeth, and said, “But I’m the one who gave birth to him and raised him. You haven’t put in any effort from the beginning to the end!”
At this point, Ruan An took a deep breath and continued, “You’ve only spent the time it takes to burn one or two incense sticks, but I have spent years giving birth to him and raising him!”
When she mentioned “the time it takes to burn one or two incense sticks,” the furrow between Huo Pingxiao’s eyebrows deepened.
But now, he couldn’t care less about discussing the length of time with Ruan An.
-“Miss Ruan, apart from Ruan Xi, you can ask for any wish, and I can promise you.”
With a mother’s determination, Ruan An did not want to experience the heart-wrenching pain of separation from her son again. In an instant, the delicate features of the beautiful woman revealed anger and determination.
She had learned that Huo Pingxiao had become the Grand Marshal of the current dynasty. With his power and the influence of the Huo family, it would be an easy task to reclaim Ruan Xi.
Huo Pingxiao was willing to have a calm conversation with her here because she had once saved his life.
Holding back tears, Ruan An lowered her voice and choked, “Marquis Huo, I don’t want any gold or silver. I don’t care about material possessions. I just want my child.”
After saying this, Ruan An suddenly stood up from her seat, and her slender shoulders were trembling.
Seeing her like this, Huo Pingxiao also stood up and walked towards her.
When Ruan An raised her head, she met his deep and unfathomable eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and then she quickly looked away.
“I am too.”
A deep and dominant aura brushed over the top of her head. Ruan An raised her head again, looking at him in disbelief.
Huo Pingxiao, is he going to compete with her for Ruan Xi?
Ruan An’s pale pink lips trembled slightly. Unexpectedly, the man’s voice was low and said again, “I want both you and that child.”
Both?
What does he mean by that?
Ruan An looked at him puzzled, and Huo Pingxiao continued, “What’s going on between you and Li Yifang now?”
After asking, he reached out his distinctively knuckled right hand, intending to wipe away the tears from the girl in front of him. However, he was afraid that his actions would make Ruan An uncomfortable, so he slowly lowered the hand hanging in the air.
“I and him… I saved his mother, so I asked Lord Li to send me and Ruan Xi back to Jiazhou.”
Ruan An’s emotions were still unsettled, and her speech was somewhat incoherent. The girl also remembered the tense confrontation between the two men just now and said again, “Don’t go looking for trouble with him. The relationship between me and him is not what you think. My fiancé…”
However, Huo Pingxiao frowned and interrupted her, “I won’t judge Li Yifang’s private morality. He is indeed a good official, and his transfer is a matter for the emperor and the Ministry of Personnel (Civil Affairs). All I manage is the troops and horses of Great Li.”
In her past life, Ruan An had heard a lot about the methods of his father, Huo Lang.
Huo Pingxiao holds military power, while Huo Lang is quietly discussed by palace maids as the shadow emperor of this dynasty. He controls the entire six ministries, and besides, the position of the Jingzhao Magistrate is one that is often subject to reassignment.
Ruan An still wanted to say a few words for Li Yifang, but Huo Pingxiao had not forgotten the main topic. He continued to stare into her eyes and solemnly asked her, “Miss Ruan, since you haven’t settled down with Li Yifang, have you considered what I mentioned just now?”
Ruan An’s heart trembled, and her slender hands were trembling slightly.
“Does Marquis Huo want me to become a concubine? Or… does he want to find a residence to settle me down as an outer chamber wife?”
“I won’t take concubines.”
“I will never be your concubine either.”
Ruan An’s tone was resolute. She thought that if Ruan Xi could live as the legitimate son of the Huo family, it wouldn’t be worse than following her in Jiazhou. The premise was that the noble lady Huo Pingxiao would marry could tolerate Ruan Xi.
In her mind, she quickly thought about how to explain this to Ruan Xi and make him accept another woman as his mother.
While she was contemplating with a furrowed brow and about to bring up this matter with Huo Pingxiao, the tender skin below her eyelids was suddenly lightly pressed by the warm fingertips of the man.
“Don’t cry.”
Huo Pingxiao’s eyelids drooped slightly. His movements were careful as he furrowed his brows, wiping away her tears one after another.
“I won’t let my child be an illegitimate son or a bastard.”
In reality, he was quite stunned by the sudden appearance of a son. The feeling was truly complex, and he was forcing himself to remain calm.
For Ruan An, who once saved her and gave birth to his son, Huo Pingxiao was naturally filled with guilt. Since Ruan An was the mother of his child, he was destined to have a connection with her.
Now, he could only do his best to make amends and take responsibility.
“Miss Ruan, what do you think of marrying me? I will take you as my wife, and this way, Ruan Xi will be our legitimate child.”
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