……

After a while, Qingyi arrived as promised.

Xiao Zi brought her to the Mingtang in the front hall with steady steps. She said nothing along the way and walked quietly.

Ye Wanqing was chatting with Yu’er when she saw Qingyi coming for a home visit. She quickly straightened her dress and stood up to greet her. She looked calm, her hair fluttering in the wind, and her whole temperament seemed to be shrouded in a layer of moonlight, ethereal and illusory.

Ye Wanqing couldn’t help but think, you little brat, how dare you provoke others when you have such a big face?

When the time really came, a sense of calm surged in her heart, and a steady and composed expression slowly flowed from her eyes. The two stood opposite each other, each leaned forward slightly, and saluted each other.

At this time, Xiao Zi smiled and said to Yu’er in a very considerate manner: “Senior, shall we go out for some snacks?”

Yu’er smiled very happily, stood up happily, and said with a smile: “Well, there’s really nothing I can do to you.”

After the two of them left, Wanqing and Qingyi were the only ones left in the hall. They looked at each other quietly, sat down one by one, and fell into silence at the same time, as if they were a little embarrassed and didn’t know how to face each other.

“…That girl is weird, she’s not a good person.”

Qingyi suddenly spoke coldly, saying this out of nowhere, which confused Ye Wanqing. She looked at her in slight surprise, and then realized that the woman she was talking about was Xiao Zi.

I never expected that the first thing she said when she saw me was to complain and ask her to be careful of… my son’s girlfriend.

“…I know that she is from the Yanyue Sect, and her family background is not clean.”

Ye Wanqing gathered her hair, looking more gentle and generous, and said softly: “However, the look in that girl’s eyes when she looked at my son could not be fake, so I am willing to turn a blind eye to her.”

Qingyi immediately and keenly sensed a strange feeling. If she had to describe it, it should be that it is better to have one more person who loves him than one less, right?

She seemed to understand something in her mind, but she did not delve into it further. Since even the master had acquiesced, all she could do was to give him a few reminders.

For a while afterwards, the two began to chat casually, talking about some things, some about the sect, some about cultivation, but they kept avoiding mentioning the real business they were going to talk about today.

Both sides seemed somewhat hesitant.

Faced with this situation, Qingyi suddenly laughed at herself and felt very weak.

Why bother to act in a pretentious manner? It is better to get straight to the point and speak quickly, so that both parties feel relieved.

She just said, “Master Wanqing, I think you know something.”

“Yes.” Ye Wanqing’s heart tightened, and she immediately apologized: “I’m wrong, it’s all because I, as a mother, didn’t teach him well…”

Before she could finish, Qingyi gently raised her hand to stop her from talking, then gently shook her head and sighed, “No need to do that, I’m not here to accuse you.”

Things have developed to this point, so how could she not be wrong?

As she spoke, Qingyi’s beautiful eyes stared straight at Wanqing, “I came here today for only one thing.”

She suppressed her voice and tried to remain calm, “Since he is known to be lustful, young man Mu Ai, why not let nature take its course and find a suitable woman for him as soon as possible, and agree to marriage and become a Taoist couple.”

Then he paused, “In this way, it is good for you, me, and even him. It is a legitimate and appropriate relationship for husband and wife.”

The ancients said that when a person is young, he will admire his parents; when he knows how to be lustful, he will admire young girls; and when he has a wife, he will admire his wife.

In fact, there is another sentence behind it: The greatest filial piety is to admire parents.

This is what Qingyi thought in her heart. She felt that according to the character of the traitor, once he got married and established a status, he would not be so unscrupulous and would be able to settle down after a while.

That’s why he was going to discuss with Wanqing about finding a wife for Ye Hong. After all, she was just a master. What was wrong with him always asking for favors from her?

Some things, after all, cannot be forced.

Ye Wanqing was really shocked. She could never imagine that Liu Qingyi would discuss her son’s marriage with her?

Is this something she should worry about?

After a while, she slowly spoke, “This… really troubles you.” Then, she sighed softly, “That child is very clingy, right?”

Qingyi was silent for a moment and said, “No.” She even felt that sometimes he was so crazy that it made people feel sympathetic and even a little distressed.

After thinking carefully for a while, Ye Wanqing found that it was not as difficult to accept as she had imagined.

If she had to say it, even if her son had killed someone, even if the other party deserved it and made such a mistake, she could understand and ultimately choose to accept it.

Then why can’t you accept the fact that he married, took concubines and established a harem?

Cheating is wrong, which means that the act of cheating is wrong, just like killing is wrong. The act of arbitrarily depriving someone of their life is wrong in itself, regardless of whether there is a legitimate reason or not.

Obviously, killing is more excessive and unforgivable…

Thinking of how her son had confessed his hypocrisy and selfishness in her arms yesterday, Ye Wanqing now felt that she was also very hypocritical and selfish – when really encountering such a thing, her morals, her qualities, her kindness, all of these would become invalid and she would give way to her son first.

Chapter 156 I Reject

Human nature is inherently selfish and hypocritical. People always use morality and social norms to “disguise” themselves and cover up their true desires.

From a psychological perspective, selfishness and hypocrisy can be explained as a protective mechanism. When people have certain desires in their hearts that conflict with these norms and standards, they will use hypocrisy and selfishness to hide their needs and subconsciousness in order to prevent themselves from being hurt and condemned.

Coincidentally, Liu Qingyi and Ye Wanqing both felt the same way at the same time. Their words were full of pretense and hypocrisy. Perhaps being more direct could solve many problems, but how could people easily tear off their faces when getting along with each other? Wouldn’t that be shameless? This meant that they were doomed to be unable to discuss or exchange opinions openly.

Ye Wanqing told Qingyi that marriage cannot be decided by her alone, and if her son has a girl he likes, she will help observe.

If the other person has good character and is suitable in all aspects, you can settle on him/her first.

In a few years, when I reach the age to get married, it would be nice to have someone to marry right away.

This is naturally a mature and prudent statement, which cannot be faulted.

Before leaving, Qingyi said, “I will come again.”

Ye Wanqing nodded slightly and personally saw her out the door. She watched her disappear into the distance and then stood alone on the hilltop for a long time, like a white jade statue of a goddess.

I don’t know how much time has passed, Xiao Zi came over, frowned and tilted her head and said, “Madam, the guests should have left, why are you still standing here?”

Ye Wanqing reached out and tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, then slowly turned around with a gentle expression, “Well, I’ll go back now.”

The two walked one after the other. On the way, Ye Wanqing suddenly said calmly, “Xiao Zi, do you want to marry him?”

“Marry… marry whom? Madam, are you talking about the young master?”

She seemed a little surprised and found it very funny in her heart. Who said she was going to marry him?

“Ah.”

Xiao Zi immediately shook her head gently and said in a tender voice: “I don’t want to marry you…”

“Why?” Ye Wanqing wanted to hear her reason.

“Madam, although Xiao Zi is not very experienced, she knows that loving someone has nothing to do with marrying someone.”

“How many men marry women just to show off their love for them, to let people know that there is a legal wife. On the contrary, if they can’t get a wife, they will spend more time on the women they can’t get.”

Ye Wanqing was speechless. She wanted to correct her but was too lazy to speak.

Besides, there are some things that even she herself hasn’t figured out.

……

In the afternoon, Ye Hong returned home exhausted. Although he had made some progress in body refining, he was still not completely sure about drawing heavenly thunder into his body. The next step was to replace ordinary thunder with heavenly thunder, continue to sharpen himself, and repeat the process of quantitative change leading to qualitative change.

It’s not that he can’t practice on his own mountain and must go out, but he is afraid that when he is in great pain, his mother will be heartbroken.

He walked straight into the house, but keenly discovered that his mother seemed a little different from usual. He moved closer, lay in her arms, took a deep breath of her fragrance, and immediately felt that he was almost well again.

She gently placed her forehead against her son’s and said softly, “I met with Liu Qingyi today.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Hong raised his eyebrows slightly and uttered a “huh”, but he didn’t take it too seriously.

Since you have done it, then don’t be afraid of others knowing it, even if it is something shameful and disgraceful. If you are really afraid of social failure, then you shouldn’t do it in the first place.

“Hey, I was wondering why I didn’t see her…”

He seemed curious, “Mom, what did you guys talk about?”

“Nothing, she just advised me to find you a Taoist partner.”

As she was talking, Ye Wanqing gently pinched her son’s little face and whispered, “Stinky boy, have you told Liu Qingyi about what happened between us?”

“No, she doesn’t know.”

At most, there are some doubts.

Ye Wanqing hummed with some satisfaction, and then asked her son about his opinion on marrying a Taoist partner.

“What do you think?”

Looking for a Taoist partner who is well-matched with you?

He didn’t hesitate too much, “…Let’s not do it.”

At first she felt somewhat relieved and happy, but also a little sad, “Why? You still don’t want to get married?”

He raised his head and said as a matter of course, “Because I am a mama’s boy. Mom, you are the most important relative in my life and the most important source of strength in my life. I am grateful to you for giving me life and for everything you have done for me. Therefore, no matter how close we are, it is natural.”

Hearing this, she felt an indescribable sense of relief in her heart and was really moved by her son’s words.

Ye Hong continued, “But, this is really unfair to the girls, right? When we were dating before, didn’t the matchmaker tell us not to marry a woman who supports her brother, and not to marry a man who is a mama’s boy? So, it’s better not to harm others.”

When Ye Wanqing heard this, a trace of apology seemed to appear on her pretty face, and she felt that she was a burden to her son.

“…That’s right.”

I don’t know why I feel so sad and want to cry.

This guilt actually has nothing to do with whether she actually hurt her son, but rather with whether she thinks she has hurt her son.

The fact that her son is in love with his mother has become an established fact and can no longer be reversed. There is no way to make the relationship pure again, but she still hopes to do something for her son, no matter what it is, big or small, even something like that, she hopes that he can be happy anyway, and she only needs to be a good mother, that is enough.

Staying by his side forever, never leaving him, is the only thing a mother should do for her child…

At this moment, a bold guess suddenly popped up in her mind, and her heart trembled a little. Could it be that her son’s girlfriends were all chosen deliberately?

Because they all have more or less personality or physical defects, they will not threaten her status in this life, so she won’t feel sad if they are abandoned.

Her eyes began to blur, and she whispered, “Mom actually doesn’t object to you…you falling in love with another woman, because the world has changed. In this era, it is normal for men to have three wives and four concubines, and it is even very open for women to keep lovers. If you forcibly adhere to the moral concepts of modern society and use these to demand others, that would be inappropriate. So, so, son, be nice to the people who love you, and cherish the one in front of you.”

“…Mom, why are you suddenly talking about this?”

He could even easily feel the shame and sadness emanating from his mother.

“nothing.”

Ye Wanqing wanted to say something but stopped herself. After all, she was unable to match her son’s almost abnormal calmness and self-reflection. Her face was filled with worry, and she had to rely on him to guess and speculate on everything.

What she actually wanted to say was that only a mother like me knows how hot-tempered you are. If you say you want to break up, you break up. If you say you don’t love me anymore, you don’t love me anymore…