Having heard from Madam Ruan that the Wudang Mountain succession ceremony was only a few days away, Song Qingshu worried that something might happen along the way. Early the next morning, he bade farewell to Madam Ruan and Shen Xiaolong.
As for Shen Biqun, she was returning to Jiangnan to pay respects at her parents' graves, so naturally she would be traveling with him.
Madam Ruan knew he had matters to attend to and did not try to keep him. She merely stroked her swollen belly, her expression tinged with reluctance. When no one else was around, Song Qingshu fiercely kissed her belly several times. "Wait for Daddy to come back."
Instead, he made Madam Ruan blush scarlet. She spat lightly. "After the child is born, he will have to carry on the Yang family line. If you bring these matters up before him every time, the child may find it difficult to accept for a while."
"Can't he call me Dad, then?" Song Qingshu was immediately displeased.
"Of course not. Children are guileless. If he accidentally reveals the secret between us, everything will be over." Madam Ruan's eyes shimmered. "But... he can recognize you as his godfather. That way, when he calls you Dad in the future, no one will suspect anything."
"That works too." Song Qingshu knew she was right. Not to mention that he was currently far from powerful enough to control the world—even if he truly did control it, he would likely be helpless in the face of all those moral conventions. Being the child's godfather was a perfect compromise.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiaolong kept instructing Shen Biqun. "Little sister, your elder brother can't get away to go with you this time. You must light a few extra sticks of incense for me before the Shen family."