Chapter 49
"Hmm? Still thinking of running away?" Xu Heming raised an eyebrow, leaning close to Li Zhiwei's ear as he spoke.
"Your Highness, this matter... I cannot decide it alone," Li Zhiwei replied, momentarily stunned before silently cursing Xu Heming for his cunning.
Had he ever asked for her opinion on this?
Perhaps because the Lin family was finally facing due punishment, Li Zhiwei’s state of mind had shifted considerably.
Moreover, with Li Tianyou now holding an official position in the court, she felt a little more confident.
"Then who can decide?" Xu Heming asked, watching her closely.
"Stepmother, don’t you want to marry my father?" Xu Qingshi, standing nearby, pouted in dissatisfaction as he watched the two whispering to each other.
"I never said that," Li Zhiwei retorted, shooting Xu Heming a look—this man was truly devious.
"But, Your Highness, as the saying goes, marriage should follow the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. Shouldn’t my father’s opinion be sought?" Li Zhiwei felt that before, she had no choice, but now things were different.
"Indeed, it’s only proper to inform my future father-in-law," Xu Heming nodded, seeing no issue with that.
"Your Highness..." Li Zhiwei hesitated, unsure if her next words would anger him or make her seem ungrateful.
"Do you have any other requests?" Xu Heming was surprised by how expressive her eyes could be.
Back when Xu Qingshi first brought her home, Li Zhiwei had always kept her head lowered.
Now, she seemed much more vibrant.
"If you have any conditions, just say them outright." Xu Heming sensed that she still didn’t fully trust him, and it left a bitter taste in his heart.
"Father, it must be because you’re too intimidating that Stepmother doesn’t want you," Xu Qingshi said, eyeing Xu Heming with disdain.
"Stepmother, if you think my father isn’t good enough, why not consider me instead?" The little boy patted his chest proudly as he stood before Li Zhiwei.
"Enough of that, you little brat! This is none of your business," Xu Heming scowled, his face darkening at his son’s audacity to compete for his future wife.
This rascal wasn’t helping—instead, he was making things worse!
"Father, if you can’t handle it yourself, don’t stop me. I quite like this stepmother," Xu Qingshi huffed stubbornly.
Li Zhiwei watched in amusement as father and son nearly came to blows over her.
"Besides, I was the one who brought her home. You already took her belongings—why not let her go? Isn’t Third Aunt Zhou quite fond of you?" Xu Qingshi spoke like a little adult.
At the mention of Zhou Yuying, the disgust in Xu Heming’s eyes couldn’t have been more obvious.
He despised women who put on false sweetness in front of him.
"Xu Qingshi, if you like the Zhou family so much, I’ll have you sent there right now," Xu Heming threatened coldly.
"Stepmother, look! My father hasn’t even married Third Aunt yet, and he’s already trying to send me away. Soon, I’ll be an unwanted child—you must take me in!" Xu Qingshi clung tightly to Li Zhiwei’s leg, putting on his most pitiful expression.
Li Zhiwei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She glanced at the boy’s father, silently urging him to comfort his son.
"Men and women should maintain propriety—don’t you know that?" Xu Heming grabbed Xu Qingshi by the collar and plopped him down a good distance away from Li Zhiwei.
"I’m just a child!" Xu Qingshi protested, inwardly cursing his father’s heartlessness.
"A child who’s already thinking about marriage?" Xu Heming scoffed.
"Your Highness, the young master is still young," Li Zhiwei said worriedly as Xu Heming dangled Xu Qingshi like a kitten.
"He’s already scheming to steal a wife," Xu Heming grumbled.
"Children say the darndest things," Li Zhiwei reasoned, wondering how a grown man like Xu Heming could be so petty with his own son.
Yet here he was, seriously arguing with a child.
"See? Stepmother is on my side!" Xu Qingshi, still dangling from his father’s grip, couldn’t resist taunting Xu Heming.
Having lost his birth mother at a young age and with Xu Heming often busy, the young prince had been doted on by the Dowager Princess out of guilt, leading to his spoiled nature.
"You little brat, she’s your stepmother! Stop this nonsense!" Xu Heming sighed in exasperation, shooting an awkward glance at Li Zhiwei.
"Pretty sister, save me! Let’s get away from this tyrant. I’ll have Grandmother introduce you to someone better!" Xu Qingshi waved his little arms dramatically at Li Zhiwei, putting on quite the show.
Anyone watching would think he was being kidnapped.
"Xu Qingshi! That’s enough!" Xu Heming gritted his teeth, glaring at his son, who seemed determined to sabotage him at every turn.
"Your Highness, didn’t you say the young master should be copying the Book of Rites?" Li Zhiwei reminded him with a smile.
"Hmph, only because Zhiwei is pleading for you—I’ll let you off today," Xu Heming set Xu Qingshi down, though he was still fuming.
After all, if not for this troublemaker, he wouldn’t have had to humiliate himself in the palace, performing feats of strength for the Emperor and his concubines.
The thought alone made Xu Heming radiate cold fury.
"Since Your Highness has returned, I should take my leave. My father is waiting for me," Li Zhiwei said, ignoring the still-bickering father and son as she made her escape.
"Stepmother, take me with you!" Xu Qingshi tried to dash after her but was yanked back by Xu Heming.
"Father, why are you stopping me?" The boy glared indignantly.
"Behave," Xu Heming snapped, his patience wearing thin as he watched Li Zhiwei walk away.
"Pfft! If you can’t keep your wife, don’t blame me! Father, with that icy face of yours, no wonder Stepmother ran off!" Xu Qingshi stuck out his tongue and bolted.
"You little—!" Xu Heming clenched his jaw. Clearly, he had been too lenient with the boy.
No sooner had Li Zhiwei stepped out of the An Manor than she collided with someone.
"Are you blind?" Zhou Yuying snapped.
"My apologies," Li Zhiwei blinked in surprise—hadn’t this woman been the one to bump into her?
"It was you who wasn’t looking where you were going!" Cuiguo stepped protectively in front of her mistress.
"Oh? If it isn’t the Miss Li who was abducted by Young Master Leng," Zhou Yuying sneered, eyeing Li Zhiwei with disdain as if she were something filthy.
"I thought I heard a dog barking. So it’s the Third Miss Zhou," Li Zhiwei replied coolly, refusing to back down.
If someone was going to be rude, she saw no reason to be polite.
