The Young Master Becomes a Wife Chapter 34 Part 1

Chapter 34: Origins  

Walking along the moss-covered bluestone path, Yan Jingshu stepped onto the stairs. The guard had already opened the door for him, and a bitter medicinal scent mixed with the smoky smell of cheap charcoal rushed out.  

Yan Jingshu stepped inside. The small courtyard had been abandoned for years, and though the furniture inside had not rotted, it was worn and old. Layers of cobwebs clung to the corners and beams, making the place look dilapidated and desolate.  

In the dimly lit room, Xie Shi sat upright on a round chair in the main hall, her eyes closed. More than ten days had passed since their last meeting, and now her hair had turned mostly gray. Her slightly worn clothes hung loosely on her thin frame, and her gaunt, sallow face, free of makeup, no longer carried the dignified elegance of the past.  

"What, you won’t even call me 'Mother' now?" Hearing his footsteps, Xie Shi, who had been waiting for some time, opened her eyes.  

At this point, pretense was unnecessary. Xie Shi’s gaze at Yan Jingshu was filled with undisguised coldness and resentment, mixed with unmistakable disgust.  

Yan Jingshu was not surprised. In his past life, when he had been locked in here, he had already seen this look from Xie Shi. He knew this was her true face—the way she had always regarded him.  

"You’ve never liked it when I called you that, haven’t you?" He stopped in his tracks, meeting Xie Shi’s eyes calmly, his tone indifferent.  

Yan Jingshu’s aloof, dismissive gaze darkened Xie Shi’s expression further. She stared at him fiercely, as if he were not her child but a sworn enemy. Her voice hoarse, she cursed, "You bastard, you vile half-breed, an ungrateful white eyed wolf! I should have strangled you at birth—strangled you—!"  

"...Bastard? Half-breed? Then what does that make the woman who bore me?" Yan Jingshu said expressionlessly, though only he knew how tightly his fists were clenched at his sides.  

"I bore you?" Xie Shi let out a cold laugh, her face twisting with malice. "You? A lowborn bastard born from an illicit affair, how dare you call yourself my child?"  

Yan Jingshu’s pupils contracted sharply, as if thunder had exploded in his ears.  

From the moment he could remember, he had known his mother disliked him. She would remind his elder brother to dress warmly, serve him food with her own hands, and dote on his younger sister, cradling her in her arms. But him? Only in front of his father and grandmother did she show him any kindness. In private, she acted as if he didn’t exist. Even if he was injured and bleeding in front of her, she would only impatiently order the momo to carry him away, as if he were something filthy and unsightly.  

He had always thought she hated him because he was a shuang'er, or because his inauspicious birth characters had brought misfortune to her family. But now, it turned out—he wasn’t even her child at all.

Seeing Yan Jingshu’s composure shatter, his face pale and dazed as if struck by a devastating blow, a glint of satisfaction flashed in Xie Shi’s eyes. She continued, "A bastard like you should have been drowned at birth. Yet you stole my son’s name, enjoyed over a decade of wealth and privilege that should have been his. Now, it’s time for you to return it all."  

His emotions in turmoil, Yan Jingshu remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking in a slightly hoarse voice, "...What do you want?"  

Xie Shi sneered. "What do I want? To take back everything that was never yours—your identity as the Second Young Master of the Duke of Anguo’s household, the dowry money you took from the estate when you married. All of it belongs to my son, the true Second Young Master, not a bastard like you."  

Yan Jingshu’s lips pressed into a bloodless line, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, yet he felt no pain.  

He didn’t care about the title of Second Young Master, nor did he care about the tens of thousands of taels in dowry. In his past life, he had lost everything, yet Jiang Chenghan had remained steadfast. But if the Dowager Lady and the Duke of Anguo were to learn of this, he didn’t know how devastating the blow would be. And the Duke’s household, along with the Xie family, would surely become the subject of gossip.  

To take revenge on him, Xie Shi was willing to drag everyone down with her.  

Yan Jingshu’s silence only drew a scornful laugh from Xie Shi. "What? Can’t bear to part with the wealth and status of the Duke’s household?"  

Closing his eyes, just as Yan Jingshu was about to speak, Xie Shi suddenly said, "The Dowager Lady and your father doted on you so much. If they found out you aren’t of the Yan bloodline, who knows how heartbroken they would be? Especially the Dowager Lady—at her age, if she were to suffer from the shock..."  

Yan Jingshu’s eyes snapped open, dark and icy as he stared at Xie Shi. "What do you really want?"  

The exposure of his origins was his greatest fear—not for himself, but for the pain it would cause the Dowager Lady. Xie Shi’s words struck directly at his weakest point, but they also made him realize she must have another motive. Otherwise, why summon him here instead of simply revealing the truth outright?  

Xie Shi wasn’t surprised that he had guessed her intentions. This adopted son of hers had always been clever. Cutting to the chase, she stated her demand plainly: "Persuade the Dowager Lady to arrange a marriage between Yu’er and the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo. Do this, ensure Yu’er marries into the Duke’s household, and you’ll remain the Second Young Master forever."

Yan Jingshu had expected her to ask him to plead for her and Yan Jingyu’s freedom. This demand took him completely by surprise.  

In truth, Xie Shi did want freedom for herself and her daughter. But she knew the Dowager Lady would never release her so easily—not after what she had done. And Yan Jingyu had already lost the Duke’s favor. Even if freed, nothing would change.  

The only path left was marriage. If her daughter could secure a good match, the Duke, for the sake of the family’s reputation, would not abandon her. Once Yan Jingyu established herself in her marital home and gained influence, Xie Shi could finally leave this place and reclaim her position as the Duchess.  

"You do know that the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, Mu Tingyuan, once... Even so, you still want to marry Yan Jingyu to him?" Yan Jingshu knew Yan Jingyu had feelings for Mu Tingyuan, but he also knew Mu Tingyuan had no interest in her—especially now that they were enemies. There was no way Mu Tingyuan would agree to this marriage.