Mu Shaoling stopped talking when he heard this; even he couldn’t articulate what exactly he was feeling.
It was a kind of affection mingled with uncertainty, which, after striving to restrain, became harder to control than if he hadn’t tried at all. Before he sought to curb his feelings, it seemed to him that he wasn’t that infatuated, but after trying to hold back, that thought deepened even further.
So, he ultimately decided not to restrain himself anymore, better to confront his feelings than to achieve the opposite of his intent.
However, he hadn’t expected that she was already carrying a child, and now he found himself slightly annoyed. Indeed, he was quite vexed, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her, so Mu Shaoling wickedly did something—he decided to make Ye Zi’an share in his agitation.
That’s why he changed a few words in the letter he wrote to Ye Zi’an that night.
By the time Ye Zi’an received the letter, he was already far in the northern lands.
Opening the letter, he was initially overjoyed, but by the end, his fists were clenched tightly.
"This Mu Shaoling—if I don’t beat him to a pulp when I see him, that would be strange."
Mr. Luo saw his clenched fists crackling and looked at him suspiciously, "What has Mu Shaoling done to provoke you? Even if he did, are you able to beat him?"
But Ye Zi’an did not answer that question right away; instead, he looked earnestly at Mr. Luo and said, "Sir, I don’t want to take part in the Imperial Exam this spring; I want to return to Funan."
"What did you say?" Mr. Luo’s voice instantly rose, and his eyeballs bulged.
Those familiar with him should have known Mr. Luo was angry—it would likely be only a second before he started to chide someone.
"My wife is pregnant, I’m going to be a father," said Ye Zi’an with joy, completely ignoring Mr. Luo’s anger.
Mr. Luo was momentarily stunned at the news, eventually understanding why he was so elated.
But the next moment, Mr. Luo was less understanding, feeling that ever since he had come to know Ye Zi’an, his bouts of rage had become increasingly frequent.
"So what if she’s pregnant, the baby won’t run away, and it’s not like you’re the one carrying it. What good will you do by going back? Can you take her place and carry the baby, or give birth for her?"
"I’m going back to take care of my wife," Ye Zi’an replied cheerfully. "Mr. Luo, a trip to the Capital City would take several months, and by the time I return to Funan, it would already be April or May at the earliest. If I delay further, I might miss my wife giving birth. She’s going through the hardship of bearing and raising my children, and yet I wouldn’t be by her side at this time—it’s not what a true man should do."
Mr. Luo was nearly amused by his exasperation, "What a true man should do is to attend to his wife all day? Governing the state, managing the household, bringing peace to the world—these are what a true man should do. Providing for one’s wife and children, standing as their protector—this is what you should be focusing on now! Having become a father, you should all the more not act so rashly. You can choose to be mediocre for a lifetime if no one objects, but as a father, you should endeavor to give your children a good starting point."
"Do I need to remind you again how big of a scandal your examination incident has become? The whole of Great Zhou is thoroughly investigating the Imperial Exam. Do you realize how many people are watching you? I’ve told you before, with the Mu Family, the Luo Family, and that gentleman behind you, if you perform poorly in the exam, others will use it as an excuse to attack these families, and this is not alarmism. Your relations have indeed been noticed by some individuals. Official families might be unaware, but those from ancient clans and the nobility certainly have some who have discovered it. You should know that each of those grand houses has a history of hundreds of years and numerous secret guards; if they want to investigate, they certainly can."