Chapter Twenty-One: Human Affection

Climbing over walls?
No!
She would never climb over walls.
She was the mistress of the manor; she could walk through the main entrance with dignity!
Wang Heng, holding the honeycomb, ran out with quick, determined steps.
She crossed the courtyard, circled around the winding covered walkway, and arrived at the gate.
Outside the gate, seven or eight attendants, three or four of whom had thrown themselves to the ground, acted as cushions, securely catching Lou Dalang.
The armored man had already fought his way to the front.
He gripped the reins with one hand; the horse’s two front hooves rose, rearing up straight.
Wang Heng’s eyes widened, her rosy lips forming an “O.”
Wow, what a heroic, domineering general he was.
Sword drawn, mounted on a steed—majestic and awe-inspiring!
Even that aura of menace, which radiated without anger, Wang Heng could feel it from a dozen paces away.
“…You little wretch, how dare you behave so unruly!”
The man’s angry rebuke, if listened to carefully, carried a hint of relief—
That little rascal, falling from a wall more than ten feet high, was fortunate his attendants reacted swiftly, positioning themselves as cushions just in time.
Otherwise, even if he didn’t die from the fall, he would have been seriously injured.
Although the man was enraged by his son’s disobedience and reckless arrogance, this was, after all, his only son, and she… He valued and cared for his son deeply.
His uncontrollable shouting just now was partly out of anger at his son’s misdeeds, and partly out of anxiety seeing him dancing atop the courtyard wall, fearing he would fall and, in a moment of urgency, he called out.
Having finished his shout, he realized he shouldn’t have yelled so loudly, lest he frighten his son.
If his son were startled by him and then fell from the wall… Realizing this, the man grew even more anxious, frantically urging his prized steed forward at the fastest speed.
He was prepared to catch his son with his own hands.
Though he didn’t manage it, seeing his son unharmed finally eased the tension in his heart.
Once he was certain his son was safe, the anger he had suppressed surged back, further fueled by his concern—his fury doubled.
Before the horse’s hooves had returned to the ground, the man leaned over, reached out, and firmly grabbed Lou Dalang’s collar.
A boy of seven or eight, already shoulder-high to an adult and weighing over seventy pounds—
Yet, the man lifted him effortlessly, holding him suspended in midair.
“You little wretch, answer me: was the incident at the Wang estate this morning your doing?”
“…Hmph!”
Seeing his father for the first time in ages, Lou Dalang’s eyes flashed with delight.
But he quickly recovered, “You came all this way just to accuse me?”
Not because he missed him, but to punish him?
“You little beast, you act wickedly and show no remorse, and now you dare question me?”
“You caused trouble, and the aggrieved party brought their complaint to my military camp—how could I ignore it?”
The man on horseback, Lou Dalang’s father, was Lou Jin, the head of the Lou family.
Not yet thirty, his skin was fair, his features bold and striking.
The Lou family, once known as the He Lou clan, were northern aristocrats, with pure northern blood.
This was evident in their appearance: high noses, deep-set eyes, and sharply defined features.
Lou Dalang, as Lou Jin’s son, inherited only those deep-set eyes.
His nose, mouth, and face were softer, bearing the gentle elegance of the southern lands.
Unlike his father, Lou Dalang resembled a handsome southern jade boy.
But his unruly nature made others notice only his wild, reckless behavior, not his delicate looks.
“I’m a little beast? What does that make you? An old beast?”
He finally got to see his father, yet his father hadn’t come out of longing.
Before even arriving, he started scolding him from afar.
Now he called him a “little beast”… Already mischievous, Lou Dalang grew even more brazen in his anger.
“Hmph, aren’t you the beast? You gave birth but didn’t raise me! Raised me but didn’t teach me!”
He knew well that Old Madam Cui harbored ill intentions, yet still entrusted him to her care.
In only two or three years, Old Madam Cui turned him into a notorious troublemaker.
Did they really think Lou Dalang was foolish? He had read about Zheng Bo conquering Duan at Yan, and he knew what it meant to be “killed by kindness.”
He simply went along with the flow and let Old Madam Cui suffer the consequences of her own actions.
…All of this was caused by Lou Jin.
Lou Dalang lost his mother, and his father only cared about leading troops to war. Though surrounded by many, not one treated him sincerely.
For all his unruliness, Lou Dalang was still just a seven-year-old child.
Deep down, he yearned for family, longed for love.
Yet Lou Jin, being a man, never considered these things.
He was always too busy; when he had a rare moment of respite, he was off “searching for someone.”
That woman, a frail lady, vanished without a trace.
Years had passed, Dalang had grown so much, and aside from a few clues proving she was alive, Lou Jin had never managed to find her!
“…You—little wretch! What nonsense are you spouting? I am your father!”

A son daring to insult his father?
No matter how young, that was unacceptable!
Hearing the words “old beast,” Lou Jin’s temple veins bulged.
He raised his horsewhip, intending to give his son a thorough beating.
But when his gaze fell on Lou Dalang’s familiar face, his raised arm hesitated.
Dalang, he looked so much like “her.”
As a child it wasn’t obvious, but as Dalang grew, his features matured, and every time Lou Jin saw him, he felt a sense of disorientation.
In the past two years, he had entrusted Dalang to his stepmother—not just because he was busy, nor only due to the dangers of the frontlines, but also because of this face.
It wasn’t hatred, but longing—a love and yearning that had penetrated his bones, invaded his soul… He dared not look too long, fearing he would lose control and abandon everything just to find that heartless woman!
Taking a deep breath, Lou Jin lowered his hand gripping the horsewhip.
He relaxed his other hand, gently setting Lou Dalang back on the ground.
“What happened at the Wang estate was your fault! Since you complain of ‘raising without teaching,’ today I shall teach you properly.”
“Attendants—”
Lou Jin looked away from Dalang, hardening his heart, and summoned his guards.
“Tie this rascal up. I will personally take him to the Wang estate to apologize!”
“Hold on!”
Just as the guards obeyed Lou Jin’s orders, closing in to capture Lou Dalang, a clear voice echoed from not far away.
Lou Jin’s eyes narrowed: the newcomer was Wang Lin!
Wang Lin, though born into a noble family, was known for his scheming.
For power and wealth, he was even willing to forsake the woman he loved… But that was ultimately none of Lou Jin’s concern.
And, to be fair, setting aside his character, Wang Lin’s abilities were exceptional.
In just a month or two, he had brought order to Hedong.
Lou Jin secretly criticized Wang Lin, while Wang Lin observed Lou Jin.
He followed Lou Jin closely, but hadn’t stepped forward.
Thus, he overheard the entire quarrel between father and son, and saw Lou Jin’s horsewhip, raised high then quietly lowered… Lou Jin truly cherished his son, Lou Dalang.
Dalang’s lawlessness was the result of Lou Jin’s indulgence.
Wang Lin quickly made up his mind: in that case, I must ensure Lou Jin owes me this favor!