Chapter: The Price of Letting Go
The afternoon sun filtered gently through Snow Manor as Ning walked beside his wife, Mrs. Bi. Today, he presented traditional greetings and tea to the elders, his posture calm, measured, and dignified. This was not merely a formality—this was a declaration. The woman at his side was his wife, and he would show it to the world.
"Respectful greetings," Ning said, bowing alongside Mrs. Bi.
The elders returned their bows, visibly pleased. Their smiles were warm, approving. A bond had been formed today—not just between two individuals, but between two families. Snow Manor and the Bi family would stand stronger than the surrounding clans.
As they settled into the tea ceremony, Ning made a small but deliberate gesture: he adjusted Mrs. Bi's sleeve gently, guiding her to sit beside him. The motion was fluid, unassuming, but deliberate. His hand lingered lightly on hers for a brief moment before letting go. It was a silent assertion: she was his wife, his partner, his equal.
The elders noticed it. One of the senior matriarchs gave a faint nod, a subtle but unmistakable acknowledgment. Ning offered a small, confident smile to Mrs. Bi, and she returned it softly. No words were needed—their union was clear, respected, and visible to all.
The siblings lingered nearby, observing quietly. Zhang Wei, Zhang Lie, Fei Fei, and Zhang Mi exchanged glances, understanding the weight behind the gesture. Little White, Wei's child, lay swaddled safely nearby, protected from the teasing laughter of the elders.
Zhang Lie leaned toward Fei Fei. "He's… really claiming her, isn't he?"
Fei Fei smiled faintly. "He's always done what he believes is right, even if it's unconventional."
Ning's calm smile never wavered, but inside, he felt the weight of the day. Two days from now, he would depart the manor, and the rapid pace of events still made the world feel unreal.
Zhang Wei placed a small bowl in front of Ning. The gesture reminded him of past warnings and tragedies, but Ning accepted it quietly.
"It's alright," Ning said softly. "I'm scared…but not foolish enough to believe everything."
Later, as the elders relaxed and retreated, the siblings remained. Only then did Wei speak to the private truths that no elder could know.
"…Your wife," Ning asked, glancing at Wei, "what was she like?"
Wei's eyes met Ning's. "You really don't expect me to answer that lightly," he said.
Then, deliberately: "She didn't die. She survived the birth. And yes… she is the same woman—the maid, the mother of Little White."
The siblings froze. Zhang Lie's jaw dropped. Fei Fei's hand flew to her mouth. Ning's fingers stilled.
"She… she doesn't know?" Zhang Lie whispered.
"No," Wei replied. "Before I gave her the pill, I ensured she would be safe. Free from all of this. She remembers nothing—nothing about me, nothing about him, nothing about this family. To her, I am just a husband in name, nothing more."
Shock rippled through the siblings.
"But… she's your wife!" Fei Fei protested softly.
Wei's eyes hardened, voice steady. "Yes. And yet, I made the choice that was best for her. Before the pill, I ensured she could live untouched by this family. The pill erased all that would have bound her here—my face, my name, the child. She was safe. She was free."
Zhang Lie ran a hand down his face. "That's… merciless."
Wei's lips curved faintly. "Sometimes, the most precious gift is letting go."
Ning let out a rare, soft laugh. "I… didn't expect you to answer like this."
A few minutes later, Wei rose again, returning empty-handed. He did not carry Little White, nor did he bring any gifts. The siblings instinctively knew something serious was coming.
"I have a second secret," Wei said quietly, "something none of you know—and something I share only with you."
The siblings leaned forward, tension tightening the room.
"I… I never intended for anyone to raise him but myself," Wei said, gaze falling on the empty cradle. "I have raised him alone. Ning, you know… he is mine—your blood brother's son. The child of my past, my responsibility, and my burden. But I had to carry it quietly. I could not let anyone interfere, and I could not let anyone know the truth until now."
Silence filled the room.
Zhang Lie finally broke it, voice shaking slightly. "You… kept him hidden? All this time?"
Wei noded for now. And yet… I trust all of you now. I trust you to protect him quietly, until he is ready to face the world."
Fei Fei's eyes glistened. "All this… and you carried it alone?"
Wei's lips curved faintly. "Sometimes, the most precious gift… is keeping secrets until the right time. Until the right people are ready to know."
Ning let out a low, incredulous laugh. "And I thought today was just about greetings and tea."
The night passed quietly. Wei, still holding Little White in his arms at times, sat among the siblings—not distant, not aloof, but quietly present. Ning, his hand brushing Mrs. Bi's as she stood beside him, let his rare smile linger. The elders had seen the surface—the husband and wife, formal and dignified—but only the siblings knew the deeper truths, the sacrifices and burdens hidden beneath the calm exterior.
Sometimes, the greatest love, Wei had shown, was not in keeping someone close— but letting go