Chapter 713: A Man Does Not Shed Tears Lightly

Li Xun bolted as soon as he got out of the carriage.

He burst back into the room, his heart filled with joy, only to freeze in place.

Because his mother was nowhere to be found.

Besides the servants and maids, the only people in the room were his father, his grandparents, and a strange woman.

For some reason, Li Xun found the woman strangely familiar. In a flash, he remembered something—his father had once painted many portraits. They were all of the same person: the woman standing before him.

Later, Si Yun had told him that the woman in the paintings was the Regent Queen—his real mother.

Hua Manman called out happily, “Gou Dan.”

It had been a while, and Li Xun had not only grown taller but also thinner. His skin was tanned, and his bright, dark eyes were fixed on Hua Manman.

Seeing him standing there in a daze, Madam He walked over, took his hand, and introduced gently.

“Xun’er, weren’t you always crying for your mom? This is your mom. Go on, call her Mom.”

Li Xun mumbled, “But my mom doesn’t look like this…”

The mother in his memory had a completely different face.

Madam He, unaware of the circumstances, couldn’t help but laugh. “If your mom doesn’t look like this, then what does she look like? You silly child, you’re talking nonsense.”

Hua Manman understood what Li Xun was thinking. She turned to Madam He and Li Ji.

“I’d like to talk to Gou Dan alone.”

Li Ji said, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Since he was leaving, Madam He and Hua Dingzong naturally followed him out as well.

Soon, only Hua Manman and Li Xun were left in the room.

Hua Manman beckoned to Li Xun.

“Come sit over here.”

Li Xun hesitated for a moment before slowly shuffling over.

‘This woman will probably try to prove her identity now,’ he guessed silently.

‘I wonder what kind of proof she’ll offer.’

The next moment, however, he saw the woman beside him pick up a pastry and begin to eat it at a leisurely pace.

“Let me tell you a story,” she said as she ate.

Li Xun pressed his lips together and listened quietly.

Hua Manman began. “This world isn’t as simple as you think. Other worlds exist outside of this one. The main character of the story I’m about to tell you lived in one of those other worlds. She was just an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life. Then one day, she suddenly crossed over from her world into this one.”

Li Xun was completely baffled. “What does ‘crossing over’ mean?”

Hua Manman picked up two pastries. She placed one on the left and the other on the right. Then, she dipped her fingertip in some tea and drew an axis on the tabletop.

“Let’s say this line represents time, and this other line represents space. You are this pastry, right here. The girl in the story is that pastry over there. She was supposed to be over there. But suddenly, she crossed the time and space axes and—SWOOSH—appeared right next to you. That’s crossing over. Do you get it?”

Li Xun stared at her blankly.

A giant, invisible question mark seemed to float above his little head.

He didn’t just not understand; he was even more confused than before.

Hua Manman sighed in resignation. “Never mind. Don’t worry about the details.”

She picked up the two pastries from the table, popped them into her mouth, and continued her story as she chewed.

“When that girl crossed over into this world, she not only took on a different appearance, but she also gained a new identity. Later, she married into the Prince Mansion, became the Princess Consort, and gave birth to a clever and adorable baby boy. But sadly, she was forced to leave this world for a time. Even though she wasn’t physically in this world anymore, her soul would occasionally float back to visit her son. It wasn’t until seven years later that she finally returned. But she came back in her original body, so no one recognized her. Only her precious boy recognized her at a single glance.”

At this, Hua Manman gave Li Xun a pointed wink, her smile full of pride for her son.

By now, Li Xun was beginning to understand.

He asked, his eyes wide with anticipation.

“Then why do you look different again?”

Hua Manman explained nonchalantly, “Because my original body disappeared. I had to come back to this one.”

Li Xun stared at her, stunned.

He wasn’t the same clueless child he used to be.

He had been through a lot in that time; he knew what the word “disappeared” meant.

—People only disappear from this world when they die.

Li Xun felt a sting in his nose, and tears welled up in his eyes against his will.

He began to cry, but his questions were fierce.

“Who hurt you? Who was it?”

The sight of her precious boy crying made Hua Manman immediately pull him close. She wiped his tears away and soothed him in a soft, gentle voice.

“What are you crying for? I’m right here, perfectly fine. The past is in the past. A man shouldn’t cry so easily. Stop crying now, be a good boy.”

Li Xun sniffled, trying to hold back his tears. “Did Li Qiong hurt you? Or the Empress Dowager?”

“Neither,” Hua Manman said.

When he looked like he was about to press further, Hua Manman ruffled his hair and said gently,

“The one who hurt me is gone now. I took care of him.”

Li Xun looked at her with tear-filled eyes. “Really?”

Hua Manman raised her right hand and said with the utmost seriousness, “Of course it’s true. I’d swear on it.”

Li Xun muttered sullenly.

“He got off easy.”

‘Letting him die so quickly was getting off way too easy.’

Hua Manman was taken aback for a moment, then she couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, he’s dead, so let’s not talk about him anymore. Tell me, how have you been? What have you been up to?”

Li Xun collected himself, wiped away the tear stains, and began to recount his experiences.

He did his best to avoid the heavier topics, sticking to everyday trifles about food and drink.

Hua Manman listened intently, chiming in with a soft response every now and then.

「Outside the room.」

Madam He hesitated for a moment before walking over to Li Ji and asking in a low voice,

“Some time ago, a young woman came to the Zhong’an Bo Mansion looking for me. She said she was acting on your orders, Your Highness, to go to the Imperial Palace and retrieve Xun’er. Later, to help me escape the palace with Xun’er, she used herself as a decoy and was captured by people sent by Princess Consort Zhen. I haven’t seen her since. I’m very worried about her safety. I was wondering if Your Highness could send someone to look for her?”

Li Ji knew the young woman Madam He was speaking of was Manman.

But he couldn’t tell her the truth and could only offer a white lie.

“Rest assured, she’s very safe now. She has already returned home.”

Hearing this, Madam He relaxed and said with a smile, “That’s wonderful.”

Just then, Hua Dingzong also came over.

He began cautiously, “Your Highness, how do you plan to deal with Princess Consort Zhen and…”

He had wanted to say “the Saint,” but he feared displeasing the Regent King. After a moment’s thought, he decided he should use a different title.

“How do you plan to deal with Princess Consort Zhen and her son?”