Qiao Yujing didn’t tell Wang Cheng’an about his relationship with Xie Wenyin, not because he had any other plans. It was simply because Wang Cheng’an had a special identity. If their father-son relationship were to be exposed, as a trusted eunuch of the emperor, Wang Cheng’an would definitely be suspected. So unless absolutely necessary, it was better for them to keep their distance.

Moreover, Qiao Yujing had always been used to solving problems on his own and had never received care or love from his parents. He subconsciously forgot that he now had someone to rely on. So, when he received the news that his biological father wanted to meet him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.

As a son, he felt he hadn’t done well at all; he was only letting his father know about his marriage plans after everything was almost settled. His father must be anxious to meet him, probably worried sick. To avoid being scolded, Qiao Yujing had to stay up late and cleverly made a piece of inner clothing for his father as an apology gift.

Thus, they met the next day.

Wang Cheng’an stormed in, furious, but before he could even ask anything, he saw the clothes his son had made for him, and his anger dissipated by more than half.

“Father, please go behind the screen and try on this inner clothing to see if it fits! If it doesn’t fit well, I can make adjustments right away. There are many people in the palace, and I could only make you something inconspicuous. I’m sorry for the trouble, Father.”

“Once you retire from the palace, I’ll make you a proper robe, okay? Father, I’ve never made clothes for anyone else, not even for my mother, only for you!”

Qiao Yujing hugged his father’s arm, trying to curry favor. His affectionate and spoiled behavior made the usually serious and stern Wang Cheng’an very happy, his face breaking into a smile.

“Alright, let’s see how it fits.”

Wang Cheng’an eagerly went behind the screen to try on the clothes. He hadn’t expected much, thinking that even if it didn’t fit, he would still praise his son to avoid hurting his confidence. After all, no matter how unappreciated he was in the Bo family, he was still a legitimate son, and it was unlikely he would excel at such rough work.

However, once he put on the clothes, he found the fabric comfortable, the embroidery exquisite, and the fit was just perfect. They had only met once, yet his son had remembered his figure so well. His eye for detail and embroidery skills were no less than those of the palace seamstresses.

Wang Cheng’an felt both happy and pained. “Jing’er, you have such skills in needlework; you must have suffered a lot!”

“Father, I haven’t suffered. Although the people in the Bo family don’t treat me well, I’ve always been clever. The maids and wet nurses around me are all loyal, and they’ve taken good care of me. Otherwise, how could I have grown up like this?”

Qiao Yujing didn’t want his father to worry too much, so he smiled and twirled around to show off.

Today, when he came to see his father, he didn’t hide his appearance. His slender yet not weak figure, fair and rosy complexion, and delicate skin all showed that he had been pampered while growing up. Although most of the money spent on this pampering was earned by himself, it proved that he had indeed been living well.

Wang Cheng’an had privately investigated his son’s past and naturally knew the inside story. Seeing his son so considerate of his feelings was both comforting and heart-wrenching. How much had his son endured to be so understanding?

Thinking of the actions of those in the Yongchang Bo family, Wang Cheng’an felt furious and suddenly remembered the important matter for today, quickly asking, “Alright, Jing’er, don’t just bring good news without mentioning the bad. I know all about your situation! Those people in the Bo family are no good; they even forced you to marry an old rich merchant. I’m aware of that.”

“Quickly tell me, there are rumors in the capital that you and a poor scholar fell into the water and got engaged. What’s going on? You’ve been schemed against like this; how are the people I sent to protect you doing?”

Wang Cheng’an was extremely anxious. He had given his son quite a few capable people for protection. With so many skilled guards, how could his son still be schemed against? This was serious!

Seeing his father so worried, Qiao Yujing quickly explained, “Father, don’t worry. The engagement was intentional on my part.”

“What? You did it on purpose? Do you like that scholar?”

Wang Cheng’an became even more flustered upon hearing this explanation. He feared that his son might be foolish like he was in his youth, falling for someone he shouldn’t. There were too many examples of poor scholars deceiving noble young ladies for their future!

Qiao Yujing could see what his father was thinking but didn’t dare to reveal the truth about being threatened into marriage by Xie Wenyin. He knew very well that although his father was a formidable character and held power now, he could easily have Xie Wenyin killed to eliminate the threat.

But what if something went wrong? With Xie Wenyin’s vengeful nature and capabilities, both he and his father would be in trouble!

After all, Xie Wenyin in his past life was not just a weak scholar; he had been exiled to the border and had fought on the battlefield as a cannon fodder soldier, surviving against all odds.

Facing someone like that, Qiao Yujing didn’t dare to take risks. Moreover, he didn’t mind marrying Xie Wenyin. Many men in the world were fickle, but Xie Wenyin loved power more than beauty. A husband like that would keep the backyard much cleaner.

So, Qiao Yujing hesitated for just a second before shyly nodding. “Um, I like him…”

Wang Cheng’an’s heart sank immediately!

With his own experiences from youth and the examples of palace concubines who fell in love with men and met unfortunate ends, he was now allergic to the topic of love.

Wang Cheng’an said anxiously, “Jing’er, why do you like that poor scholar? People in this world are often ungrateful; those who are infatuated rarely end up well.”

“Don’t say he guarantees to treat you well in the future; who can predict what will happen? Wealth and honor are the reality; love or not is unimportant. A real good man is one who can provide you with a life of comfort!”

With his son’s beauty, even a royal grandson would be worthy of him, yet he let a poor scholar take advantage of him.

Qiao Yujing nodded, fully agreeing with his father’s words. “Father, I understand everything you said. I’m not foolish; I can’t endure a life of hardship.”

“I do like Xie Wenyin. He is young and handsome, exceptionally talented, and in terms of appearance, he is not inferior to those noble young masters. But besides this feeling, it’s also because he truly has a bright future ahead.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Wang Cheng’an became interested.

He knew his son was a reborn person, and since he said this, Xie Wenyin must have been a very impressive figure in his past life.

Qiao Yujing didn’t hide anything and directly shared Xie Wenyin’s past experiences. His father was a eunuch, and the most important thing in this life was him. Telling his father wouldn’t hinder anything; in fact, hiding too much would affect their trust.

“Xie Wenyin was really that powerful? He even destroyed the Chu Kingdom? And single-handedly caused chaos among the nations?”

Wang Cheng’an was shocked after hearing this.

He didn’t care about Xie Wenyin’s reputation as a treacherous minister; after all, he had also turned dark and wasn’t a good person. In his son’s past life, to help the crown prince ascend, he had also done things that everyone condemned.

What he found hard to believe was that Xie Wenyin, a powerless and lowly scholar, could still achieve such feats after being exiled to the border in his later years.

Qiao Yujing shrugged and smiled. “Father, don’t say you find it hard to believe; even I, who experienced it firsthand, find it hard to believe he could achieve such heights. With his determination and willpower, as long as he is guided well, he will surely rise to a high position again.”

“The reason he became a treacherous minister in his past life was largely due to a series of unfortunate events. No matter what, his talent cannot be denied.”

Wang Cheng’an pondered, “That may be true, but the world is unpredictable. Sometimes, a small matter can change the future. Just because he could turn the tides in his past life doesn’t mean he can succeed in this life.”

“His past achievements are closely related to his tumultuous life experiences. Those experiences can be seen as his suffering, but they also shaped him.”

“From what I see, although Xie Wenyin is smart and ambitious, he is still too young and eager for quick success. Even with your help, it would be hard for him to escape being targeted again and facing exile to the border…”

“Jing’er, this marriage is not appropriate. No matter how successful he becomes in the future, I don’t want you to take risks and suffer with him.”

Being a wife of a poor man is not an easy task. Even if his son had a rebirth experience, he had died too early in his past life and had too little experience, so he was still somewhat immature in character.

Qiao Yujing understood all this.

But Xie Wenyin was also reborn, so those issues didn’t exist for him!

Others might not know, but he certainly knew the other party’s true background!

The high-profile and eager demeanor Xie Wenyin displayed now was merely a facade. After all, a young man who hadn’t even reached his twenties was too perfect and too shrewd, which would make others wary.

But he couldn’t tell his father about this.

Qiao Yujing could only hug Wang Cheng’an’s arm and weave a story, mixing truth and lies. “But Father, I really like him. After I died in my past life and was thrown into a mass grave, it was Xie Langjun who passed by, felt sorry for me, and helped bury me.”

“He even said I was good-looking, and if I were alive, he would definitely marry me. He has always remembered me and never married or had children; he truly loves me!”

Qiao Yujing’s expression was shy, acting like a lovesick person.

Wang Cheng’an felt utterly hopeless!

Wasn’t that because he couldn’t marry anyone else? He was exiled to the border, and no one wanted to marry him!

Qiao Yujing continued to act spoiled, “Father, please support me. I believe with you helping me from behind and using my memories from my past life to guide him, Xie Langjun will definitely not repeat the mistakes of his past life.”

“Father, I’ve never been willful since I was a child because I didn’t have the right to be. Now, I really want to be willful just this once…”

Wang Cheng’an looked at his son’s sorrowful and pitiful appearance and ultimately softened his heart.

Fine, let him be infatuated.

At worst, if that person dares to hurt his son in the future, he would just break their legs. As long as his son was happy, that was all that mattered.

“Alright, since you’re determined, your father will help you plan this out well.”

Wang Cheng’an nodded affectionately.

But in his heart, he had already made up his mind to check on what kind of person Xie Wenyin was, to have captivated his son to this extent. Truly, a handsome man could be a disaster!