C144. Discovery.

C144. Discovery.

Chu Hechao reacted quickly, and in the next instant, he stood up, moved a chair to the table, and appeared to be earnestly sipping tea.

Just as he settled down, the door was pushed open by Madam Chen.

Madam Chen entered with an arm linked to a basket, looking anxious. When she saw Yuan Li, she let out a sigh of relief. She was about to speak when she noticed Chu Hechao seated at the table.

Surprised, she remarked, "General is also here."

Chu Hechao nodded slightly, calmly responding, "Aunt."

Madam Chen smiled and walked briskly to the bedside, scolding Yuan Li with a glare, "I heard at home that you sprained your foot. I hurried over to check on you. How can you be so careless at your age?"

Before Yuan Li could say anything, Chu Hechao furrowed his brow lightly and calmly said, "It wasn't Le Jun who was careless, but a child had dug up a pit of mud in that place. If it weren't for Le Jun discovering this pit ahead of us, someone else might also have sprained their foot."

After his explanation, Madam Chen felt reluctant to lecture Yuan Li and nodded in agreement with Chu Hechao, "General is right."

Chu Hechao continued, "Aunt is Le Jun's mother, and calling me General seems too formal, you may address me by just my name, Ciyè."

Madam Chen hesitated for a moment, looking at Yuan Li.

Yuan Li smiled and nodded, "Mother, you are the elder, it's appropriate to call him by his name."

"In that case, I will call you Ciyè," Mrs. Chen smiled, "Ciyè, thanks for taking care of Le Jun."

Yuan Li looked at Chu Hechao with a smile on his face.

The man who was teasing him just a moment ago seemed to have transformed into a humble and respectful person. "Le Jun and I are as close as brothers, so it's only right for me to take care of him," Chu Hechao said.

Yuan Li felt as though he didn't recognize Chu Hechao anymore.

Madam Chen's smile deepened as she was delighted to see the bond between Chu Hechao and Yuan Li. She placed the basket aside and sat on the bed, expressing her concern, "Where is the injury? Let me take a look."

Yuan Li refused, "Mother, it's not a serious injury, please don't worry. Ciyè has checked it and said it will be better in a few days."

Madam Chen became even more worried, "It will take a few more days to heal? Li'er, let me see, I'm worried."

Yuan Li, feeling helpless, extended his foot for her to examine.

Madam Chen, upon seeing it, was taken aback, "It's swollen, and you say it's not serious? Li'er, your foot looks almost like a pig's trotter."

Chu Hechao chuckled silently behind Madam Chen's back.

Yuan Li gave him a glance, "Mother, don't worry, it just looks alarming. In a day or two, the swelling will go down."

Madam Chen sighed, "My child, I understand you are getting busier and have more things to do, but you must take care of yourself. I don't want to see you hurt. Please take care."

Yuan Li nodded obediently, "Mother, I understand."

"Your father is also very worried about you. He originally wanted to come as well, but he's too busy with official duties, so he said he'll come to see you tonight," Mrs. Chen removed the dark cloth covering the basket. "I thought you might want to eat something I cooked since you're injured, so I made a few dishes for you."

"Father can focus on his work, he doesn't need to come tonight," Yuan Li peeked into the basket, sucked in the fragrance, and smiled with relaxed brows. "Mother knows me best, I'm actually hungry. Place these dishes on the table, I'll go and eat."

With that, he instructed Lin Tian to get the utensils.

Following her words, Madam Chen placed the dishes on the table and assisted Yuan Li in sitting at the table. Chu Hechao seemed to have no reason to stay anymore, and logically, he should have left, but he sat firmly in his seat, not leaving.

Naturally, Madam Chen didn't forget about him, "Ciyè, would you like to try my cooking?"

Chu Hechao's lips lifted into a smile as he responded positively.

Madam Chen couldn't help but say, "General, your smile is truly handsome. Ciyè, you're still unmarried, perhaps aunt can find someone for you?"

There was a moment of inexplicable silence in the air, and Yuan Li, without any change in his expression, interjected, "Mother, let's eat."

Madam Chen realized she had said something she shouldn't have. She maintained her smile and said, "I'll go to the kitchen to see if there's anything else. You can start eating, don't wait for me."

As she left, Yuan Li's expression turned sour. He kicked Chu Hechao under the table and said, "Why are you laughing?"

Chu Hechao picked up a side dish with his chopsticks, grabbed Yuan Li's leg with his right hand, and leisurely said, "You're venting your anger on me."

Yuan Li watched him carefully for a moment, "Why does everyone want to matchmake you?"

"Haven't you heard?" Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow and looked at Yuan Li with a smile, "Your mother says I'm exceptionally handsome."

Yuan Li gave him a stern look, "You should call her mother."

Chu Hechao patted his leg, "I dare to call her that, will your parents agree?"

Worry creased Yuan Li's brow, and he fell silent.

Seeing his expression, Chu Hechao felt sorry for him. He sighed, leaned over, and kissed him on the cheek. "It's fine, even if it's a secret for a lifetime. Yuan Li, as long as you're with me for life, everything will be okay..."

Whispers became indistinct as they passed through the closed door.

Madam Chen, standing outside the room, froze in place. Her hand, which was about to push the door, trembled. Her face turned deathly pale for a moment, her eyes changing expressions, before slowly retracting her hand.

She listened quietly to the conversation behind the door, her breath so light it was almost non-existent.

"Chu Ciyè!"

The man chuckled softly, his embarrassment evident, "No one here."

Madam Chen's lips lost all color, and she closed her eyes.

She didn't want to believe what she had heard.

Her son, involved with Chu Hechao...

...

Not long after Yuan Li and Chu Hechao were left alone, Madam Chen pushed open the door and entered.

Yuan Li, observing her empty hands, couldn't help but ask, "Mother, where are the things you brought?"

Madam Chen smiled and sat down at the table, appearing unruffled, "Look at me, I forgot that this is the Chu Mansion, not our home. I wandered around but couldn't find the kitchen, so I came back. Let's wait for Lin Tian to arrive, and I'll send him to bring the food."

"Alright," Yuan Li said, "Mother, please sit and relax. We don't need anything else, this is enough."

Lin Tian quickly brought the utensils. Madam Chen had already eaten before coming to the Chu Mansion, so she smiled as she watched the two of them eat. When her gaze fell on Yuan Li, there was an added sense of warmth and love.

When Yuan Li took a sip of tea, Madam Chen suddenly said, "Li'er, I want to talk to you about marriage."

Yuan Li accidentally sprayed his tea out of his mouth, "Pfft."

Ignoring his reaction, Madam Chen continued in a soft voice, "You're twenty-four now, it's time for you to settle down. I recently found a girl for you, she's beautiful, kind, and virtuous. I really like her."

Chu Hechao clenched his fists under the table.

Coughing lightly, Yuan Li wiped his lips with a handkerchief, "Mother, I..."

"I can't wait any longer, I want a grandson," Madam Chen interrupted, her tone still gentle but firm. "Li'er, I'm getting old, I don't know how much longer I'll live. The world is unstable, and I can only be at peace when I see you married and with a child."

Chu Hechao felt a heavy weight on his heart, but before he could speak, Madam Chen turned to him. "Ciyè, since you've called me aunt, speak up for me. I only have one son, Yuan Li, to entrust everything to. He's only twenty-four and already so accomplished. In a world where everyone his age is married with children, it's urgent for me to see him settled down."

She wiped away tears, each word echoing in Chu Hechao's ears. "Ciyè, he should get married. Don't blame me for being harsh, he's been at the Chu Mansion for six years now, that's six whole years! He entered your doors at eighteen and now he's twenty-four. When we celebrated your brother's wedding in the past, your mother also mentioned that Yuan Li will also get married someday. Ciyè, I'm begging you, help me convince Yuan Li."

A moment of silence filled the room.

Chu Hechao's nails dug into his flesh, he tugged at his lips and smiled as usual. "Aunt, I'm thirty-two and still unmarried, you've got the wrong person."

After a brief silence, Madam Chen turned to Yuan Li, "Li'er, tell me, what kind of girl do you like?"

Sighing, Yuan Li replied, "Mother, I like a person who stands up for me when I'm being bullied, who gives me all the potatoes to eat, who shares his ice block with me in summer and makes me a scarf from his hunting spoils in winter..."

He paused, looked up at Madam Chen, and said, "Mother, I like..."

Madam Chen suddenly rubbed her forehead with a weary expression, "I'm a bit tired, Li'er, I'm going back to rest."

Without waiting for Yuan Li and Chu Hechao to say anything more, she quickly left.

Watching her disappearing figure, Yuan Li murmured, "She already knows."

Yuan Li had a sense that something was off from the moment Madam Chen spoke.

How could she, who had stayed at the Chu Mansion for a while, not know where the kitchen was?

"That's fine," Yuan Li finally said, "They will know sooner or later."

*

Back at the Yuan Mansion, Madam Chen locked herself in her room and refused to see anyone.

When Yuan Song returned and went to her room, he asked, "Wife, how is Li'er's injury? Shall we go back to the Chu Mansion to check on him?"

The room was dimly lit by candles.

Under the candlelight, Madam Chen was sewing a robe.

Yuan Song was slightly surprised, "Wife, who are you sewing this robe for? Why don't you let the maids do it?"

Madam Chen smiled gently, the warm yellow light reflecting on her lips, "I went to see Li'er today, his injury isn't serious, but the clothes he was wearing didn't look comfortable. I thought of making a new set for him myself. I didn't give him anything nice on his birthday."

"Nonsense," Yuan Song sat down beside her and adjusted the candle wick, "On a child's birthday, it should be the child who appreciates the mother, not the other way around. How can you give gifts to your son on his birthday?"

Madam Chen scolded, "I just wanted to do something nice for him."

Yuan Song shook his head with a hand on his beard, remembering his earlier question, "Is his injury really not serious? Shouldn't we go check on him again?"

"Master," Mrs. Chen smiled, "It's late and you've just returned, you must be tired! Just have a good meal and a rest, don't worry. Li'er said so, you can trust him!"

Yuan Song felt relieved, "Then I'll listen to Wife, I'll go check on Li'er in a couple of days when I'm free. By the way Wife, how did the girl you were considering for Li'er look?"

Madam Chen pricked her finger with the needle, wiped the blood away, and smiled, "No rush."

Yuan Song was puzzled, "You were in such a hurry before, and now you're not. How come after visiting the Chu Mansion, your thoughts have changed?"

Brushing her hair with the needle, Madam Chen said softly, "I just don't see many girls in Jixian who are worthy of my son. Li'er may be getting older, but we can't rush him into marriage. He's busy now, and if he marries someone troublesome, it won't be peaceful at home."

Yuan Song frowned, "He's already twenty-four now."

Tears fell silently from Madam Chen's eyes, she wiped her face with the back of her hand, and spoke calmly, "Master, let's not rush, not at all. Let him be, this child has always had his own ideas."

Yuan Song sighed, "Alright, let's wait a bit longer."