Son-in-law and Mother-in-law

Inside the carriage, Ye Lingling nestled in Fang Xuan's arms.

Recalling the events of the past few days, she felt as though she were in a dream, yet it was all undeniably real.

Her feelings for Fang Xuan were shifting every moment, but always in a positive direction.

She found herself growing increasingly attached to him, wanting to understand him better; after all, this was the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

"Fang Xuan, will you ever abandon me?"

Ye Lingling suddenly spoke up, asking the question.

Fang Xuan lowered his head to look at her, catching the worry and unease in her eyes.

At this moment, Ye Lingling looked like a frightened kitten, clinging tightly to him as if afraid of being discarded.

"What's wrong, Lingling? Why would you ask that?"

Fang Xuan was certain that Ye Lingling was not the type of girl to let her imagination run wild.

Yet, he couldn't help but feel that something was off about her sudden concern.

"I... I'm afraid you'll stop wanting me, just like my father abandoned my mother and me."

In truth, Ye Lingling had never seen her father since she was a child. She had once asked her mother where he was.

The only answer she ever received was that she had no father, and that the man was a heartless scoundrel.

Because of the unique nature of the Nine Star Begonia martial soul, she might only be able to give birth to one child in her entire life.

In this era, having only one child meant a thin bloodline, and if that child were a daughter, it was equivalent to the end of the family line.

"So that's what it is."

Fang Xuan suddenly understood, and his heart ached all the more for the girl in his arms.

He kissed her forehead gently and spoke in a soft voice.

"I swear by my martial soul that I will never leave you or forsake you in this life. If I break this vow, may I be struck by lightning and suffer a fate worse than—"

Before he could finish the word "death," Ye Lingling stopped him.

This was an era favored by the gods, and swearing by one's martial soul would draw the gaze of the divine.

"Don't. I believe you."

Ye Lingling was too kind; it was in her nature. Possessing the Nine Star Begonia martial soul, she was destined never to be a cold-hearted or ruthless person.

"I was just too scared. You don't have to do that."

Seeing that Fang Xuan hadn't hesitated to swear by his martial soul just to put her at ease, she knew she had made the right choice.

Fang Xuan was a man worthy of her life.

"Don't worry, I will find a way to cure the defect in your martial soul."

Whispering softly into her ear, Fang Xuan tightened his arms, pulling her even closer.

A sense of responsibility was a miraculous thing; it was like deciding on a course of action and knowing it had to be fulfilled.

It had nothing to do with profit or loss, only the desire held within his heart.

Soto City was a considerable distance from Heaven Dou City, and the carriages of this era did not travel quickly.

It took about half a month to reach their final destination.

During the journey, Fang Xuan helped Ye Lingling conduct a thorough examination of her physical condition.

Since he intended to help her resolve the issues with her martial soul, he had to understand it completely.

Throughout this time, Dugu Yan would also occasionally seek him out for more Life Dew; after all, the sensation of having a functioning brain was quite wonderful.

Of course, besides asking for Life Dew, there was the matter of her own condition.

The toxins of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor were not currently eroding her too severely, thanks to the suppression by Dugu Bo.

However, at the current rate, Dugu Yan's toxicity would exceed her threshold once she reached the Soul King level, at which point her life would be in danger.

But she was only at the third ring now, still some distance from the fifth.

Besides, Yu Tianheng had promised to obtain a spirit bone for her.

As for whether he begged his family or used other methods, that was none of his concern.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait for me to handle the arrangements?"

"Aunt Ye doesn't have the best temper. If you just show up like this, I'm afraid something might go wrong."

Dugu Yan hadn't expected Fang Xuan to be so bold as to prepare to go head-to-head with her future mother-in-law.

"It can't be hidden. If you could see the abnormality in Lingling, don't you think her mother, who deals with medicine constantly, would notice it too?"

Ye Lingling's mother, Ye Qinru, ran a medical clinic in Heaven Dou City.

The Nine Star Begonia was a top-tier healing martial soul, so she was quite well-known in the city.

The fact that Ye Lingling was able to attend the Heaven Dou Royal Academy showed that her mother's status was not low.

After all, it was an aristocratic academy; it wasn't easy for an ordinary person to get in.

At that time, Ye Lingling did not even know Dugu Yan, so it was impossible for Dugu Bo to have helped out.

Moreover, Ye Lingling had no father and was raised entirely by Ye Qinru alone.

With such a strong-willed woman, trying to play mind games with her would only be a low-class move, causing her to hold an even worse opinion of you.

He hadn't understood the situation before, which was why he had thought about asking Dugu Yan for help.

However, after talking with Ye Lingling over the past few days, he realized just how absurd his original decision had been.

"How about I ask my grandfather to go over and put in a good word? Since the matter has already happened, and I can see that you are genuinely good to Lingling—plus you could be considered to have done me a favor—I can still help with this."

Dugu Yan's expression was actually not very good; she knew exactly what kind of temper Ye Qinru had.

The way she treated her daughter, Ye Lingling, was no less than how her own grandfather treated her.

The moment the woman found out about her daughter's ordeal, Fang Xuan would likely be torn to pieces.

"No need. What must be faced must be faced."

Fang Xuan shook his head, declining Dugu Yan's kind offer.

"Some things cannot be solved just by having someone intervene. However, if possible, please help me minimize the impact of this matter when the time comes, or even shift all the blame onto me."

He had a worthless life anyway and no worries to hold him back; idle gossip was no more than an itch to him.

But Ye Lingling had thin skin, and the damage from such words would be immense for her.

Although it couldn't be avoided, he wanted to reduce it as much as possible.

As for the rest, he would find a way to resolve it himself.

Hearing this, Dugu Yan fell silent; she had gained a whole new perspective on Fang Xuan.

"Even if you hadn't asked, I would have done so anyway. Lingling is my best friend, after all."

Leaving those words behind, Dugu Yan did not linger and rose to leave.

The carriage drove into Heaven Dou City.

Yu Tianheng returned to his family first, as he also wanted to resolve Dugu Yan's matter as quickly as possible.

As for Dugu Yan, she went home to find her grandfather; she couldn't handle Ye Lingling's situation on her own and had to seek outside help.

As for the others, they had no major connection to this affair and simply followed the normal procedure to return to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

In the end, only Ye Lingling and Fang Xuan remained in the carriage, heading toward the Ye Family.

Passing through long streets and crossing alleys, they finally stopped at a location situated on the outskirts of the very center of Heaven Dou City.

Ye Lingling did not go to her family's apothecary, but instead brought Fang Xuan directly to her home.

Stepping off the carriage, she gripped Fang Xuan's hand, her heart filled with trepidation.

It was only with Fang Xuan's encouragement that she finally knocked on the door.

"Mom, I'm home."