Xie Yichuan was somewhat at a loss facing Leng Jinyu's sudden enthusiasm, and stood there stunned for a long time.
Finally, he gave an awkward smile.
Leng Jinyu's gaze had not left Xie Yichuan since he entered the room.
"Uh, General Leng, I came to visit you tonight to ask about something," Xie Yichuan spoke first.
If he didn't speak soon, Leng Jinyu would probably stare a hole through him.
"Young Master Xie, you don't need to be polite with me. Ask whatever you want," Leng Jinyu still wore a fatherly smile.
"It's just, I wanted to ask about your son. I heard someone say that your son went missing when he was just a few years old and hasn't been found. Is that true?" Xie Yichuan asked with some embarrassment.
"Yes, Young Master Xie. If he were still alive, he would be about your age. However, I have searched for him for many years, but I haven't found any trace of him."
As Leng Jinyu spoke of this matter, his previously smiling face instantly turned sorrowful.
When he looked at Xie Yichuan's familiar eyes multiple times, he had an illusion that his unfortunate son had returned.
This was why Leng Jinyu wanted to talk to Xie Yichuan last night, but he was rejected on the spot. Fortunately, Xie Yichuan came to see him tonight.
After Leng Jinyu finished speaking, a long silence fell between them.
Xie Yichuan felt that he had suddenly asked about someone's painful past and felt it was quite presumptuous.
However, this matter was related to his own background, and he had to find out today.
"Did your son disappear at the deep pool behind Qiyun Temple?"
At this moment, Xie Yichuan broke the silence and asked.
Upon hearing his words, Leng Jinyu's eyes suddenly flashed with sharp light.
"Young Master Xie, how did you know that my son was lost near that deep pool?" Leng Jinyu asked with agitation.
But Xie Yichuan did not answer Leng Jinyu directly. Instead, he asked again, "May I ask, General Leng, does your son have any special markings?"
Hearing this, Leng Jinyu did not hide anything from him.
"Hundreds of years ago, our Leng family's ancestor once rescued a distressed immortal. After the immortal recovered, he asked my ancestor what he wanted, but my ancestor refused. To repay my ancestor, the immortal imprinted a unique red plum blossom mark near my ancestor's ear. He also informed my ancestor that any descendant with the Leng family bloodline, regardless of gender, would have a unique red plum blossom birthmark near their ear, so that he could identify the descendant of his benefactor in the future and repay his kindness. Therefore, from birth, all Leng family descendants have a unique bright red plum blossom birthmark on the side of their left ear, the same for both men and women."
At this point, Leng Jinyu's lips curved slightly, forming a beautiful arc.
"I have one on the side of my left ear too."
Leng Jinyu added with a smile.
But Leng Jinyu's words stirred up a storm in Xie Yichuan's heart, and he felt very oppressed, because there was a bright red plum blossom mark on the side of his left ear.
"General Leng, may I tour your mansion now?" Xie Yichuan suddenly made a strange request to Leng Jinyu.
"Of course!"
Leng Jinyu readily agreed, looking at Xie Yichuan, who had eyes similar to his son's.
"Let's go. I'm free tonight, so I'll take Young Master Xie around the mansion."
Leng Jinyu said with a smile, immediately stood up, and led Xie Yichuan towards the back courtyard.
Xie Yichuan did not stand on ceremony. He quickly got up from his chair and followed closely behind General Leng to his back courtyard.
In fact, General Leng's mansion was not small. There were more than twenty small courtyards in the mansion, and the back garden had lakes, rockeries, bamboo groves, flower beds, small bridges, flowing water, pavilions, and so on. Everything was complete, and the environment was very beautiful.
Although General Leng's mansion was not as grand as those of princes and grandsons, it was not much inferior. Some even said that General Leng's mansion was much more distinguished than Duke Lin's mansion and Prime Minister Qin's mansion.
More than twenty years ago, the current emperor, upon his ascension to the throne, bestowed this mansion upon Leng Jinyu, who had made great contributions to the new emperor. This caused quite a stir of jealousy and envy among the court officials.
But they could do nothing, because Leng Jinyu had followed the emperor since childhood, risking his life for him and saving him many times, earning great merits.
They could only envy him in private, but had to flatter him openly. However, Leng Jinyu was not swayed by their flattery at all.
At this time, Leng Jinyu was leading Xie Yichuan and introducing him to the situation of his mansion. As they walked, they arrived at the Mingyue Courtyard, where Leng Ruoli lived before her marriage.
"Young Master Xie, this courtyard is where my daughter lived before she got married."
Leng Jinyu's lips curved upwards as he looked at the plaque of the Mingyue Courtyard. Although he had lost his son, his beloved daughter was very caring, filial, and intelligent, making him proud.
Xie Yichuan lowered his eyes and looked at the smile on Leng Jinyu's face, realizing how much he doted on his daughter.
Otherwise, his daughter had been married for almost a year, and her courtyard was still preserved and kept so clean and tidy.
"General Leng, may I take a look inside this courtyard?" Xie Yichuan asked again.
"Of course you can!" Leng Jinyu readily agreed.
Steward Qi, who was holding a lantern by the side, was very observant and quickly lit the way for them. As they entered the Mingyue Courtyard, Leng Jinyu and Xie Yichuan followed behind Steward Qi.
Upon entering, Steward Qi quickly lit the two rows of lanterns on the main path of the Mingyue Courtyard, and soon the garden of the Mingyue Courtyard was brightly lit.
Xie Yichuan's narrow and handsome phoenix eyes carefully scanned the surroundings of the courtyard. Finally, his gaze fell on the swing on the lawn in the garden, and a familiar scene instantly entered his mind.
In the scene: a man was busy driving stakes into the ground on the grass in a small courtyard with a plump little boy. Beside them, a pregnant woman with a bulging belly sat on a stone bench. This family of three, together, looked very warm and loving.
But Xie Yichuan regretted that he could not see the faces of these three people clearly, only saw that their faces were blurred.
"Daddy, will the baby in Mommy's belly be a brother or a sister?" the little boy suddenly asked, looking at the woman's belly.
"Haha, Daddy, how would I know? Do you prefer a brother or a sister?" the man asked back with a smile.
"A sister." the little boy blurted out.
"Why?" the couple asked in unison.
"Because little sisters are usually cuter." the little boy replied without hesitation.
"And if your mother gives birth to a brother, will you not like him?" the woman and the man asked the little boy.
"No, then I will protect Mommy with my brother and Daddy." the little boy replied sincerely, looking at the woman.
Hearing the little boy's words, the couple smiled happily.