Favoring a Hidden Mistress? Engagement Broken-Chapter 121 - 99:

"...The marks she deliberately made for you to see, I don’t know how she got them there, but I can only be certain that I never touched her from beginning to end."

Terrified of being misunderstood, he was almost baring his soul.

"Before our engagement, I never touched another, and in the two years we’ve been married, I have only been with you. In two lifetimes, I’ve never shared a bed with a woman other than you."

He looked at her, his voice hoarse, word by word, "Neither Liu Manrou nor Er Xia."

Everything she had firmly believed in was suddenly overturned. Xie Wanqing was in turmoil, as if listening to an ancient script.

In the instant their eyes met, dazzled by the brilliance in his eyes, she hurriedly looked away and quickly said, "You think I’ll believe you?"

"You’re concerned that the Second Madam Lu cannot accept that her late husband has offspring outside, yet you also cannot allow the Lu Family bloodline to disappear. Arranging for Liu Manrou to be a concubine in the second house would be enough, so why elevate her to the position of a legitimate wife?"

"Because I owe the Lu Family,"

Lu Ziyuan said, "At first, I thought the same as you, that Liu Manrou, being from the second house, could be arranged to be a concubine in the second house. The children she bears, whether male or female, would continue the second house’s bloodline, relieving pressure on both you and me. But later, I discovered something..."

He paused slightly, his lips parting and closing, voice hoarse: "I am not the Lu Family’s biological offspring."

Xie Wanqing had been listening quietly; she indeed wanted to know the whole truth. Even though the past was like a story from a previous life, she still wanted to know. Upon hearing this, she suddenly looked up, incredulously at him, "What did you say!"

"How could you not be a biological member of the Lu Family!" She even doubted if she heard wrong. They had known each other since they were young, growing up together like childhood sweethearts.

He was the only descendant of the illustrious and loyal Lu Family!

"You see, even you are so shocked. Can you imagine how I felt when I first heard about it?"

Lu Ziyuan coughed lightly twice, self-mockingly smiled: "I am indeed not the biological son of the Lu Family. This matter, besides the women of the household, my grandfather and father, including my biological father, all know about it."

Xie Wanqing had not yet digested what this meant when he continued speaking.

"Even though they all know, it is an indisputable fact that I was raised under the Lu Family’s kindness. Lu Yunpei is the only blood of the Lu Family. At that time, my thought was, under no circumstances should he become illegitimate."

The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate is like an insurmountable chasm, a world of difference.

Lu Yunpei is Liu Manrou’s son. If Liu Manrou is not legitimized, he would inevitably only be a concubine’s son.

An illegitimate child has no inheritance rights, nor can they enjoy family resources. Although they can participate in the imperial exams, their illegitimate status requires them to put in more effort than legitimate children to stand on an equal footing.

Lu Ziyuan, at a young age, held significant power, all earned through his own skills on the battlefield.

He is proud and forthright. If he didn’t know, it would be one thing, but since he knows he’s not a Lu Family descendant, he cannot act against his conscience and suppress the true bloodline of the Lu Family.

Having benefited from the Lu Family’s upbringing, he felt indebted to them. In compensation, he inevitably wants the Lu Family’s only scion to have a smooth future, inheriting the family’s legacy.

The room suddenly fell silent.

Xie Wanqing raised her eyes, dazed, looking at the man opposite her. Lu Ziyuan gave her a gentle smile, apologizing, "There are several reasons why I haven’t told you."

There was nothing more to hide, he said: "First, I am a most ordinary man. I just wanted to present myself as tall and proud before the woman I love, making you proud of me, rather than becoming someone who occupies a nest that doesn’t belong to them, stealing the legacy of a loyal and prestigious family, with a complicated background..."

He paused again, then said: "Secondly, the matter of my true background must not be known to others. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but the less you know, the better it is for you and for those around you."

"You grew up in a deep boudoir, witnessing nothing more than backyard schemes. The treacherous and unpredictable nature of the court is beyond your imagination. I don’t want, nor can I allow, you to fall into danger."

... Into danger.

Lu Ziyuan’s voice choked, tears nearly falling.

He believed he had eliminated all threats, protecting her entirely. Under his protection, she shouldn’t encounter any mishaps.

As long as he lived, he would love and protect her for a lifetime. If he died, she could still safely return to the Xie family and continue to be a noble lady.

But he had overlooked his own "family."