Chapter 424: Third Young Master Xie, Xie Mingyuan

Chapter 424: Chapter 424: Third Young Master Xie, Xie Mingyuan

Xu Jingxi hesitated.

"I will not acknowledge Second Madam Xie as my mother," he said with a frown.

Second Master Xie shook his head. "I will admit that you are not her son. I will also admit that I had another child before I married her."

Xu Jingxi was stunned.

"If you do that, people will guess that I am General Fang’s son."

Second Master Xie had already thought of that.

He gazed at the distant sunset as a gentle breeze rustled the hem of his robes.

"It was because I cared too much about what others said that I was forced to obey my mother all those years ago and marry a woman I did not love."

If he could do it all over again, he wouldn’t care about social conventions or his mother’s pressure.

He would choose only the one his heart loved.

Second Master Xie looked at Xu Jingxi. "After all these years, I’ve come to understand that the best way to deal with rumors and gossip is to simply ignore them."

"No matter what I do, the rumors will persist. Why should I neglect my own flesh and blood just because of a few whispers from others?"

A flicker of emotion crossed Xu Jingxi’s eyes.

His usually calm expression showed a hint of something different.

"Then... what did General Fang say?" he asked.

Second Master Xie’s gaze fell. "She wishes to remain faithful to Liang Shi’s memory. We have already discussed this. If you are to be acknowledged, it would be as Liang Shi’s heir."

Xu Jingxi understood. Fang Qingdai was unwilling to rekindle her old romance with Second Master Xie.

He pressed his thin lips together. In the twilight of the setting sun, he gazed at the man before him—the biological father he had never met since birth.

"I am willing to return to the Xie family with you," he said suddenly after a long silence.

Second Master Xie looked up in disbelief. He had thought he would fail, just as he had with Fang Qingdai.

"Truly?!"

Xu Jingxi nodded seriously. He had already thought it through.

"But I have one condition. Please allow me to continue supporting Grandpa Xu. Also, although I will be entered into the genealogy scroll with the Xie family name, let me keep the name Xu Jingxi."

Second Master Xie agreed in an instant, his face beaming with joy. "No problem."

He was overjoyed and quickly stood up. "Let’s go back right now. I’ll ask my elder brother to invite the clan elders and set a time for your entry into the genealogy scroll."

Perhaps because he stood too quickly, Second Master Xie suddenly felt dizzy, and his knees went weak.

Seeing him sway and look as if he were about to fall, Xu Jingxi quickly stepped forward to support him.

"I’m fine, I’m fine. I’m just so happy," Second Master Xie said, waving his hand and letting out a hearty laugh.

But Xu Jingxi’s gaze fell to his legs.

Before he had met Second Master Xie, he had secretly hated his biological father in his heart.

He imagined his father was a scoundrel who had abandoned his wife and child, forcing his mother to flee to the border while pregnant.

As he grew older and learned the story of Second Master Xie and Fang Qingdai, he found peace with it.

Now, seeing Second Master Xie’s legs, he understood that time had not spared the once high-spirited general either.

The man who most needed to be on horseback, galloping across battlefields, had instead become a cripple who vomited blood.

Fate had punished Xie Dizhi. As his son, he had to support his father with his own two hands and make his future days less difficult.

"Let me help you," Xu Jingxi said, slowly helping Second Master Xie down the hillside.

Their shadows, cast long by the setting sun, resembled two straight and tall bamboo stalks, a father and a son.

And so, the moment the news of Xu Jingxi acknowledging his ancestry and returning to his clan spread, it caused a tremendous uproar in the Capital City.

「At the National Academy.」

Ye Shangyi and Lu Shaoyuan were both utterly shocked.

"Xu Jingxi used to be a poor kid whose clothes were all patched up. I can’t believe he’s actually your third brother?!" Ye Shangyi’s eyes widened.

Shen Ningning, dressed in a small, pomegranate-red skirt, lifted her fair, lovely little face, her dark eyes sparkling.

"Of course!" she said, her eyes curving into a sweet, proud smile that revealed faint dimples. "He’s so outstanding and handsome. Is it really that strange for him to be my third brother?"

Lu Shaoyuan clicked his tongue in amazement. "Incredible. A figure like the Star of Scholarly Grace who came from a common background turns out to be the only son of the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s Second Master."

"So Xu Jingxi really is living proof of the saying, ’A golden fish is no common thing in a pond; once it meets the wind and clouds, it transforms into a dragon’?"

Shen Ningning picked up a pastry and took a bite, her puffed-out cheeks rosy and tender.

She hummed proudly. "Of course! My third brother is a dragon, a big, big dragon! Isn’t he the coolest?"

Ye Shangyi leaned in curiously. "Hey, so is your third brother’s mother really General Fang? The rumors have been flying like crazy all over the Capital City recently. Just tell us!"

The news of Second Master Xie suddenly announcing he had a legitimate son who had been living elsewhere had already caused a huge stir.

Unexpectedly, Second Master Xie even said that the son was not born to Second Madam Xie.

The identity of this Third Young Master Xie’s mother became the subject of wild speculation.

Most people guessed it was Fang Qingdai’s child.

However, Fang Qingdai had a daughter, and based on the timeline, General Fang was already at the border and married to General Liang by then.

Another faction believed the child was born to one of Second Master Xie’s close female confidantes.

Before long, some people even spun a tale of a poignant and sentimental romance.

They claimed that because of her low status, Second Master Xie’s confidante was not accepted by the Xie family and could only give birth in secret, later sending the child to find his father on his own.

In short, all sorts of theories were floating around, but the Xie family offered no response.

When the rumors got too out of hand, there was no need for Xie Suzhi or Second Master Xie to act; the two Xie brothers, Mingxu and Ming An, would deal with it directly.

The more silent they remained, the more curious everyone became.

Shen Ningning saw Ye Shangyi and Lu Shaoyuan staring at her with wide, curious eyes, round like bronze bells.

The little girl quietly lowered her head and stuffed her mouth full of pastries with her small hands.

Then she shook her head, mumbling indistinctly, "I dunno, I’m jusht a wittle glutton~"

As she spoke, she looked up and saw Xu Jingxi surrounded by a crowd of young masters from noble families.

Every one of them wanted to befriend him.

Those who had once offended Xu Jingxi or mocked his poor background were now filled with regret.

They were pestering Xu Jingxi so much that he was getting a massive headache.

Seeing her third brother, Shen Ningning suddenly leaped up and scampered over.

"Third Bwother, wun!" she urged, giving him a meaningful look.

Xu Jingxi was already fed up with the crowd pestering him. Seeing his chance, he scooped up Shen Ningning and strode away.

Ye Shangyi, Lu Shaoyuan, and the other classmates gave chase relentlessly.

"Wait, Ningning! At least explain before you go!"

Xu Jingxi’s jaw tightened. He quickened his pace, moving as if carried by the wind, and managed to escape.

Held in his arms, Shen Ningning covered her mouth, giggling secretly.

Like an adorable little hamster, her sparkling, watery eyes peeked out.

’It feels so good to have three older brothers.’

’Big Brother takes care of me and plays with me; Third Brother teaches me my studies and protects me at the National Academy.’

’Mmm, as for stinky Second Brother... he’s for venting my anger on.’

’It would be even better if Mother were here too.’

The day Xu Jingxi was to be entered into the genealogy scroll was a wonderfully sunny day.

Shen Ningning had woken up early that morning, buzzing with excitement. Sticking her little bottom in the air, she peeked through the window only to see that it was an overcast day.

The little girl immediately took out two golden beads from the Immortal Realm and tossed them into the sky.

In an instant, the dark clouds scattered, and a torrent of brilliant light poured down upon the world.

"That’s more like it! Today is a special day for my third brother to be welcomed into the family. Mr. Sun, you can’t hide away and rest!"

Muchun and Wanchun escorted Shen Ningning to the ancestral hall.

Under the watchful eyes of Xie Suzhi, Second Master Xie, and Third Master Black Wolf King, Xu Jingxi was finally entered into the Xie Clan Genealogy.

His registered name was—

Xie Mingyuan.