6. Family Bonds, Forbidden Thoughts

Seeing his mother naked in the bathroom, Lu Yang quickly froze. His gaze fixated on her beautiful body, and he wondered if it was an E or D.

"Wait, I am her son. This is not right," he thought to himself.

However, the original owner of his current body was already deceased, reminding him of the blurred boundaries of familial relationships.

As obscene thoughts invaded his mind, he momentarily forgot the intensity of his gaze, distracted by his mother's alluring and attractive figure.

Lu Meiying's face burned with embarrassment as she shyly covered her bust and love tunnel. Her hands trembled as she glanced up at Lu Yang, her voice barely audible as she stammered, "Lu Yang... c-can you please close the door?"

Lu Yang quickly regained his senses, feeling a surge of embarrassment. He desperately wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole, anything to escape the shame of realizing he had been staring at his mother's chest.

Hastily, he closed the door, consumed with thoughts of how he would face his mother after such an awkward incident.

Despite his nervousness, he mustered the courage to speak in a trembling voice,

"M-Mother, I'm going to wash myself in the river."

He heard a faint, "O-Okay" from inside the bathroom, and with a beet-red face, he hurriedly left the house.

Soon after Lu Yang went to the river, Lu Meiying emerged from the bathroom, her face an evident mix of embarrassment and flushed cheeks. She hurriedly made her way to her room, burying her face in a pillow, desperately trying to smother the unsettling emotions that had taken root within her.

Confusion washed over her.

"What's happening to me? Why am I feeling this way?"

Suddenly, images of Lu Yang's face flashed through her mind.

"No, I'm his mother. Why am I having such inappropriate thoughts? We've seen each other naked before when he was a child. It wasn't awkward then, but why is my heart beating so rapidly now? It was the same when I unintentionally caught a glimpse of him changing in his room. Am I starting to see my son as a man? No, it can't be… but the intense gaze he locked onto my chest, his lingering eyes stealing every inch of my form—he couldn't have meant it that way. Or could he? No, this is just a coincidence. I was caught off-guard. There's no way I have developed romantic feelings for my son y-yes I don't have any romantic feelings for him I must be tired too much."

After regaining her composure, she stood up from the bed, her face still flushed with embarrassment. With a hint of red lingering on her cheeks, she reluctantly began to prepare dinner.

After cleaning himself in the river, Lu Yang felt incredibly self-conscious. He struggled to figure out how to face Lu Meiying and wondered if he should explain that he had no idea she was in the bathroom. However, he couldn't come up with any excuse for why his eyes were fixated on her bust. He knew the upcoming interaction would undoubtedly be awkward.

Lu Yang considered intentionally wasting time, hoping that Lu Meiying would finish dinner and go to bed before he returned. But the effects of the soul-cleansing pill had left him utterly exhausted. Combined with his hunger and the biting cold outside, he couldn't resist the urge to rush home, his heart pounding with anxiety about what was going to happen.

With trembling hands and anticipation, Lu Yang knocked on the door. His mother answered and their eyes met, causing both of their faces to flush with embarrassment. They quickly averted their gaze, unable to find the right words to break the awkward silence.

"Um... dinner's ready," Lu Meiying stammered awkwardly.

"Alright," Lu Yang replied, his voice less steady than he'd hoped.

It was an uncomfortable silence during dinner. Lu Yang, thinking to himself, muttered, "I knew the atmosphere would be awkward. What should I say to ease the tension?"

Lu Meiying remained silent, her gaze fixed on her plate, still flustered from earlier thoughts.

As they continued to eat, Lu Yang attempted to break the silent atmosphere, "The dinner tastes nice today."

The meal was their usual fare nothing special, the same they had shared countless times before. Lu Yang struggled to find something to say to fill the quiet, so he simply blurted it out, hoping to steer the conversation away from the discomfort.

"Is it t-thank you" replied Lu Meiying.

The atmosphere remained awkward.

Unable to bear the discomfort any longer, Lu Yang said, "I didn't know you were inside; otherwise, I wouldn't have opened the door," his voice laced with embarrassment.

"It's okay; I know you were tired," Lu Meiying responded.

Lu Yang followed up, aiming to lighten the mood and change the topic, "I've got some good news too – I've been accepted as an inner disciple at the Azure Phoenix."

"How did you manage to get directly accepted as an inner disciple?" his mother asked.

Lu Yang explained, "There was a test for those who thought their talent was no less than an inner disciple and wanted to be directly accepted as inner disciples. Although the test was challenging, I managed to pass it. Plus, the monthly salary of an inner disciple is 2500 spirit stones."

As the conversation flowed, Lu Yang unknowingly mentioned, "The Sect Master, Fairy Xi Yuan, was also remarkably beautiful."

"When Lu Meiying heard Lu Yang complimenting another woman, she felt an unfamiliar discomfort, a sensation she found unsettling, making her uncomfortable with the words he spoke about Xi Yuan. In response to this subtle but troubling feeling, she clenched her fist, her nails pressing into her palm. Lu Yang noticed her reaction.

Then, with a hint of curiosity, he thought, 'Wait, could it be that Mother is jealous? No, it can't be. Let me make sure of this."'

"While Lu Yang was talking about the sect master's beauty, Lu Meiying, with her clenched fist, thought to herself, 'What is this pain in my heart? It's not like I'm getting jealous or anything. Why am I getting angry?"'

As she was lost in her thoughts, Lu Yang said, 'Mother, mother.'

Lu Meiying, returning from her thoughts, replied, 'Y-Yes, I'm listening.'

With a hint of sincerity, Lu Yang continued, 'Though my sect master possesses undeniable beauty, it pales in comparison to your own.'

In his mind, Lu Yang silently admitted, "Well, my sect master is certainly beautiful, but my mother is just as stunning as Master Xi Yuan."

"Just as Lu Yang said that, he noticed his mother's cheeks turning red, and her clenched fist relaxed. The atmosphere suddenly grew silent. He observed his mother's flushed face and thought, 'Oh, I see. Better strike while the iron is hot and take this relationship further than just mother and son,' with an evil and playful smile."

'What's going on, Mother… why did you suddenly stop eating? Is everything… alright? Your face is quite red… do you feel unwell?' he inquired.

Lu Yang bombarded her with questions, making her feel like he was genuinely worried.

After saying this, he moved his handsome face close to Lu Meiying, deliberately trying to fluster her. Gently, he placed his hand on her forehead, all while acting clueless."

"When Lu Yang touched Lu Meiying's forehead, with his handsome face so close to hers, her heartbeat went crazy—fast and loud enough that even Lu Yang was able to hear."

"Lu Meiying replied, 'No-no, I'm fine,' her voice slightly faltered as she responded, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

Lu Yang said, 'Really? Thanks heaven. I got worried when you stopped eating, and your face was so red. Please don't push yourself too hard while working. I'm always with you if you need me.'"

"As Lu Yang spoke, Lu Meiying's heart raced so loudly she was sure Lu Yang could hear it. She felt incredibly embarrassed.

'I'm already full. I'm going to sleep,' Lu Meiying said, quickly making her way to her room with a slight smile gracing her flushed, embarrassed face."

"Lu Meiying couldn't help but smile playfully. 'I am prettier than the sect master,' she remarked, 'and he cares about me so much.'

Her laughter followed, a mixture of shyness and intrigue. 'Could it be that he holds more than just motherly affection for me?' she wondered. 'No, it can't be. He sees me as his mother, not as a woman.'

'However, he did say I am pretty,' she thought with a touch of amusement. 'It's not unusual for children to compliment their parents.'

'I felt so happy and embarrassed that I couldn't stay any longer.

'But, I am his mother,' she pondered with a hint of concern. 'What would people think of me—a mother entertaining such thoughts about her son?'

'But I can't deny these feelings for him.'

With these conflicting emotions swirling, Lu Meiying drifted into sleep."

I didn't know my mother saw me as a man, well, who am I to say when I am also the one with the same thought?

But I really do have feelings for my mother. It wasn't surprising for me to know I have feelings for her, as my previous life was only filled with loneliness.

Reincarnated into another world in someone else's body, and having these feelings for this body's previous owner's mother is not good. I should see her as my mother, but the motherly bond is not made overnight.

Witnessing her care for someone who yearned for love and emotional support his whole life was enough to develop these feelings for her.

"Now that mother also has feelings for me, I shouldn't hold back my own feelings. I will definitely make her mine, even if this is a taboo relationship."