Volume 1: Gathering Winds Chapter 23: On the Verge of Departure

  "Endocrine disorders lead to memory confusion, sorry." An Xin smiled wryly and replied dryly, feeling disappointed in his heart, mocking An Liancheng's behavior that ended with the protection of his mother.

  "What did you mean by that?" An Liancheng glanced sideways at An Xin, who was trying to gloss over the situation, and suddenly felt that this daughter he hadn't seen in nine years was quite unfamiliar.

  "She often says things that don't make sense, just get used to it." With the comforting interlude, the awkward atmosphere in the courtyard was alleviated, and Ling Susu's racing heartbeat gradually returned to normal.

  "Susu, since you've already agreed to go back with me, let's set off today. The carriage is ready." An Liancheng's mouth curved up, his eyes shining with a soft affection, as if a large net was trying to envelop the person in front of him.

  "I'll just tidy up a few things with Xiao Xin, General. Please wait for a moment." Ling Susu's lips curled into a perfectly timed smile as she nodded slightly and beckoned to An Xin.

  With a carefree and busy expression, she ran over with a big smile on her face towards Ling Susu.

  The mother and daughter entered the inner room, each carefully picking up some items with commemorative significance.

  "Be careful, after you go back, you will definitely have to learn many rules and etiquette. Your mother had always hoped that you could become a lady of the house, but was afraid that today would come, who knew it still came." Ling SuSu sat on the wooden bed, gently brushing over the floral pattern on the quilt with her fingers, her tone somewhat melancholic.

  "Mother, I'm just a simple village girl, not suited for high society. If that self-proclaimed noble circle can't accommodate me, my legs are mine to take wherever I please. The palace doesn't keep people by force, there's always another place that will." An Xin smiled carelessly, the imperial palace with its gilded exterior and rotten interior was a place she wouldn't set foot in unless her mother or a grand procession came to invite her.

  "It's not as serious as you said, we live in the general's mansion and only need to return to the palace occasionally, we don't have to stay there every day." Ling Susu was comforted by the words and couldn't help but laugh softly. She suddenly felt that no matter where she was, as long as An Xin was with her, her heart would be at peace. "Little one, mother forgot to tell you, you also have an older brother."

  "Brother? Biological one?" An Xin raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked.

  "Of course, you're the only brother I have. When I was pregnant with you, it was twins, and your brother was born one moment earlier than you." Ling Susu gave her a white eye, scolding her, then suddenly seemed to think of something, and her face turned pale in an instant. The gloomy color at the bottom of her eyes flashed by, and her voice was ethereal, with ambiguous meaning, "It's been nine years, perhaps the General's Mansion has already welcomed new people, and you may have several younger brothers and sisters."

  "Mother, I have a question for you." An Xin looked straight into Ling SuSu's eyes and asked solemnly.

  The last bit of doubt also dissipated with mother's words, it turned out that her father, learning from the ancients' practice of having three wives and four concubines, enjoyed the blessings of others, which provoked mother and even caused her to leave home and come here to avoid the world.

  "In Mother's heart, is Father a general or a husband?" An Xin asked, seeing Ling SuSu nodding in agreement.

  "What's the difference? The general is my husband after all." Ling Susu felt that this question was quite contradictory, and she couldn't help but furrow her brow, asking in confusion.

  "There's a big difference, to put it metaphorically, I call him father but won't call him dad. It's because he gave birth to me and the blood flowing through my veins is his. This blood relationship can't be severed. I respect him, but don't get close to him." An Xin's voice was calm and clear as she spoke, looking at Ling SuSu's increasingly astonished face. Her eyes flashed and she continued, "If father is just a general in mother's eyes, then all mother needs to do is keep her place and treat father with respect. But if in mother's eyes, father is her husband, then he naturally belongs only to you, this feeling can't be shared with others."

  Although An Xin's words were somewhat ambiguous, Ling SuSu understood the underlying meaning very clearly. Looking at her daughter sitting in front of her, Ling SuSu was shocked to the core, knowing that An Xin was extremely precocious and could instantly grasp things that she herself couldn't understand. She had previously thought that An Xin was just naturally clever and perceptive, but now it seemed that she not only understood human relationships but also knew the ways of husband and wife incredibly well!

  Although An Xin's words were somewhat ruthless and almost cruel, Ling Su couldn't help but admit that what she said made a lot of sense.

  "Be careful, your father loves you so much that he wants to give you the best things in the world." Ling Susu heard her daughter's disdain for An Liancheng and fell silent for a long time, with a complex expression.

  "Who knows? I don't have any memories from before I was five years old, those past things, can't think of them." An Xin shrugged indifferently, her expression somewhat languid.

  Mother is a clever person. The ancient women's moral codes have little effect on her. Given time, Mother will figure out the twists and turns.

  "You will understand later." Ling SuSu lowered her eyelids, covering the faint glow, and after a moment, she got up and pulled An Xin's small hand, walking out of the inner room.

  "Susu, Xiner, let's go." An Liancheng, standing in the courtyard, smiled and said as he saw the mother-daughter duo come out.

  Jing Ling nodded slightly, and An Liancheng's eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement as he glanced at An Xin.

  An Xin raised her eyes and met An Lian Cheng's gaze, but only for an instant before looking away. She sensed the profoundness in his eyes and smiled lightly. As the youngest great general of Dong Ling, it was a given that he had exceptional martial arts skills. Just now, she had caught a hint of internal energy fluctuations, which meant he had been eavesdropping on their conversation inside the house. In fact, those words were not only spoken to her mother but also intended for his ears.

  An Liancheng's thoughts were deep and immeasurable, even she could only make simple guesses, unable to delve deeper.

  Digression

  As for this book, Duo Duo can only say that the plot has been conceived for a long time, with many foreshadowing elements. As for whether it's abusive or not, it depends on the development of the story, but it will definitely be very exciting.