Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

He stood before her, his hand trembling as he reached out to touch her, then quickly withdrew it. His hoarse, broken words, "I've finally found you," echoed in her ears again and again, and the sharp pain in her heart finally spread in waves.

A chill ran through her limbs and into her internal organs until she was trembling uncontrollably. She dared not close her eyes, for if she did, his pale face lying on the bed would become even clearer.

She didn't know how much time had passed, nor what time it was. It was still pitch black all around. After lying there for a long time in the boundless silence, Ling Xi still felt a chill all over her body. Finally, she sat up numbly and walked out of the room in the dark.

In the deep darkness, the night wind swept in, but she was completely unaware, following only the thoughts in her heart, she walked step by step toward Xiao Ce's guest room.

At that time, outside the guest room, two maids on duty were leaning against each other and dozing off. Ling Xi quietly passed by them and pushed the door open to enter.

The room was silent, with the candlelight flickering. In the outer room, Qin Qi lay on his back on the soft couch. He had just settled the Consort Rui, who had fainted from crying, and was already exhausted. He was now fast asleep.

Ling Xi slowly turned around, her gaze shifting to the bedside, when she suddenly stopped abruptly.

On the footstool in front of Xiao Ce's bed, a small figure was curled up. He was slightly hunched over, his head resting gently on the edge of the bed, as if he had been waiting for a long time and was already tired. The dim candlelight fell on his small shoulders, making the figure look lonely and stubborn.

Ling Xi's heart clenched, all the confusion and numbness vanished, leaving only astonishment. She held her breath and slowly stepped forward. When she finally saw that small face clearly, her throat still trembled slightly.

"Yue'er?"

Upon hearing the sound, Ling Yue froze abruptly, immediately turning around. His dark eyes suddenly shone brightly in the dim night, filled with unexpected astonishment.

He clearly hadn't expected to see Ling Xi here, but the surprise on his face vanished in an instant, and he quickly turned away silently without saying a word.

Looking at his stubborn little figure, Ling Xi suddenly remembered what Wushuang had said during the day, and her heart suddenly felt heavy.

She slowly crouched down, carefully pulling him into her arms, and then sat down beside him. The moment she embraced him, Ling Yue's tense body slowly relaxed. Ling Xi tightened her arms slightly, her palms gently stroking the top of his head.

"Why isn't Yue'er resting in her own room?"

She lowered her voice, her tone as gentle as the night breeze.

"And what about Auntie? Why did Auntie come?"

The little one in her arms remained silent for a moment, not answering her question, but instead asking her a question in return, with the stubbornness of a child.

A simple sentence caused Ling Xi a sharp pain in her heart. Her throat tightened, and although she opened her mouth, she couldn't answer. She could only hug him tighter.

"They're saying Uncle Rui might die, is that true?"

In the quiet night, Ling Yue slowly turned his face, looked up at her, and the candlelight made his clear eyes shine slightly.

His words, though spoken softly, carried immense weight, instantly shattering Ling Xi's carefully maintained composure. Her nose stung, her eyes reddened, and her hand, which had been gently stroking his head, trembled uncontrollably. Even the arm around him began to feel weak.

The night was still and silent. She gazed at the worry and fear that Ling Yue couldn't hide in his eyes, and her heart ached terribly. She couldn't lie, and she dared not tell the truth.

"Will I die?"

Ling Yue asked again, his dark eyes filled with stubbornness.

"No...no! He won't die."

Ling Xi felt a dull ache in her chest, and the trembling she had been suppressing for so long could no longer be contained. At this moment, she suddenly felt an almost obsessive stubbornness, just like Ling Yue who had asked her the question earlier.

"You're lying!"

Ling Yue suddenly shouted, her clear voice tinged with a sob and grievance.

Ling Xi was taken aback. She suddenly felt a little dampness on the back of her hand. She looked down and saw that Ling Yue's usually calm and sensible eyes were now filled with tears that seemed about to fall, showing only the helplessness and grievance of a child.

"You guys just love to lie!"

Ling Yue slightly broke free from her embrace, and the emotions he had suppressed for so long finally collapsed completely.

Ling Xi looked at his slightly trembling shoulders, her throat tightening and feeling choked with emotion. He had always been more sensible and more patient than others since he was a child, and she hadn't even seen him shed a tear in a long time.

Looking at Ling Yue's tearful and aggrieved appearance, she became increasingly suspicious. There was something clearly wrong with him.

"Yue'er, do you... know something?"

She tried her best to suppress the unease surging in her heart and tentatively spoke in a soft voice.

The tremors in Ling Yue's shoulders gradually subsided. He raised his hand and hastily wiped away the tears on his face, then nodded gently.

Ling Xi's breath hitched for a moment, and the trembling in her hands stopped abruptly for a second before starting to shake even more violently.

"What...do you know?"

Her voice was completely hoarse, and the last glimmer of hope in her heart was slowly disappearing.

Ling Yue slowly turned his young face, his eyes revealing a calmness and grievance beyond his years.

"I know, Aunt... is my mother."

He paused, his gaze passing through the dim air and looking directly at Xiao Ce on the bed.

"Uncle Rui... is my father."

boom--

In an instant, Ling Xi's mind began to buzz. Her pupils shrank again and again, and she froze completely. It took her a long time to regain a sliver of her wandering consciousness.

"How...how did you know?"

Her lips trembled slightly as she looked at Ling Yue, who had already stopped crying and looked calm, with a hint of bewilderment and incoherence.

"On my and Ling Yu's birthdays, I overheard what you and Grandmother were saying."

Birthday? Ling Xi suddenly came to her senses. That day, her mother had earnestly advised her to find a good match again, but she hadn't hesitated at all, refusing outright and saying that she only wanted to live a peaceful life with Yue'er. Her mother, however, said that Yue'er could never recognize her as his mother again...

It turned out that he had already heard all the secrets about his background two months earlier.

No wonder, no wonder he seems like a different person lately, becoming more taciturn than before. At such a young age, he has to ponder the secrets of his past all by himself.

Ling Xi reached out and gently pulled him into her arms. A surge of guilt and heartache welled up in her heart, and warm tears streamed down her face.

"I'm not Ling Yu's younger brother, I'm older than him, right?"

Ling Yue buried himself in her arms, his voice muffled. Ling Xi couldn't see the expression on his face, but she could definitely hear the unconcealed grievance in his voice.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, my Yue'er, it's your mother who has wronged you."