Lou Baili didn''t understand why Lou Yuhuan had such a strong reaction to Liu Ming''an''s name. He also didn''t know why Liu Ming''an looked so incredulous upon hearing this question.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Yuhuan was still eagerly waiting for Liu Ming''an''s answer. After a moment, they saw the young man nod.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"It is these two characters, and..." Liu Ming''an paused, a thought shing through his mind.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He continued: "My father said the meaning behind giving me this name was exactly the eight characters you just mentioned - wisdom and courtesy, a peaceful life."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Now it was Lou Baili''s turn to be surprised. Both "Ming" and "An" weremon characters used in names, with various meanings. How could Lou Yuhuan urately state the meaning behind Liu Ming''an''s name?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Was this young man deliberately agreeing with him? To curry favor?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
But when Lou Baili looked towards Liu Ming''an, the young man''s eyes were clear and bright, open and honest, without any trace of ttery or ingratiating behavior. Even when facing him, a high-ranking official, the youth remained neither servile nor arrogant, but polite andposed.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Before Lou Baili could figure out the reason behind this, Lou Yuhuan was already tearful beside him.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an watched as the old Grand Tutor rose from his seat and walked to his side. When he opened his mouth, his voice was choked with emotion: "Your name is Ming''an, Ming''an, Ming''an... He gave you this name... I knew it, how could there be two people so simr without reason..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Yuhuan stared intently at Liu Ming''an, tears blurring his vision. In his daze, he recalled that afternoon when the whole family was in a flurry of excitement.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Father, sister-inw has given birth! It''s a boy! I''m an uncle now, and you''re a grandfather, haha..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Oh, Father, have you chosen a name for my nephew?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Lianyu? Call him Lou Lianyu? Hmm~ That''s too literary, hard to pronounce! I''ll name my own children in the future."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"If I have a son, haha... I''ll call him ''Ming''an'', meaning wisdom and courtesy, a peaceful life..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
...<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Baili, seeing his father in tears, was greatly rmed and quickly stood up to inquire: "Father, what''s wrong?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an felt a tightness in his chest, that seemingly absurd thought from earlier seeming to be reality.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"My father''s name is... Liu Qingzhi. The ''Qing'' of green hills and the ''Zhi'' of arriving in session," Liu Ming''an stood up, looking at the old man before him, slowly speaking of the person in his memory, wanting to confirm something: "He had excellent calligraphy and could paint. He knew the Four Books and Five ssics by heart... He had a red birthmark the size of a broad bean on his right wrist."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an stopped there, because there was no need to say more. The expressions of the Grand Tutor and the Tutor said it all.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"You are... you are Qingzhi''s child!" Lou Yuhuan seemed to use all his strength to utter thisplete sentence.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an sighed, allowing Lou Yuhuan to weep on his shoulder, unsure of his own feelings. He had thought that in this world, apart from Jiang Ning, no one else had any connection to him. Yet unexpectedly, in one night, he had gained so many rtives.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
And all these rtives were connected to his father who had passed away many years ago.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Why?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Why did his father, clearly born as the son of a wealthy official family, change his surname to be a rural viger?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Why did these family members seem to care so much about him, yet Liu Ming''an had never heard his father mention even a word about them?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Reuniting with rtives should be joyous, but Liu Ming''an felt a wave of bewilderment.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Baili, watching his father cry tears of joy, felt a surge of emotion. He could only reach out and gently pat the old man''s back.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Yuhuan cried for a while, barelyposing himself. He turned away, using his sleeve to carefully wipe the tears from his face before turning back, looking at Liu Ming''an with an eager expression and asking: "Good child, where is your father? Where have you been living all these years? Who is your mother? Have you been living well? Do you have any siblings? How old are you now..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Yuhuan''s questions came one after another. He wanted to make up for all the missing twenty-plus years of time.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an was stunned. How should he answer? Should he directly tell these two that Liu Qingzhi had passed away fourteen years ago?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Baili, seeing Liu Ming''an not answering, thought he might be having difficulty epting his newfound identity, so he suggested: "Father, Ming''an, it''s windy here. Let''s go to the study and talk slowly."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Good, good!" Lou Yuhuan agreed repeatedly, affectionately holding onto Liu Ming''an and saying: "Ming''an,e with grandfather to the study. We''ll talk slowly, no rush, we''ll talk slowly..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Grandfather...<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an repeated this title in his heart, feeling an indescribable bitterness rising from within.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The saying "blood is thicker than water" was indeed not empty words. Once he realized these two people were blood rtives, Liu Ming''an couldn''t remain indifferent no matter how he looked at them.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Alright," Liu Ming''an heard himself say. He also had many questions to ask. He wanted to know what kind of person his father, who had given him life, really was.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an stepped forward, helping Lou Yuhuan walk towards the study alongside Lou Baili. During this time, Lou Yuhuan kept his eyes fixed on him, his gaze a mixture of joy and sorrow.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Once they were seated in the room, Lou Yuhuan eagerly repeated the questions from earlier. Liu Ming''an lowered his gaze, avoiding their intense stares, and answered what he could.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I''m from Lingshan Town, under Baoji County in the southwestern prefecture. I live in Lotus Flower Vige. My mother is also from Lotus Flower Vige, her name is He Shuyun."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I have no siblings, I''m my parents'' only child."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I''m neen this year, turning twenty in half a year."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"As far as I can remember, we''ve always lived in Lotus Flower Vige."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Yuhuan''s eyes reddened again, nodding continuously.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Are your parents still in Lotus Flower Vige now? Or did theye to the capital with you?" Lou Baili still asked this question.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Yuhuan also looked at Liu Ming''an expectantly, waiting for his answer.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an raised his eyes, looking at those two pairs of hopeful eyes, feeling a dull ache in his heart.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He slowly opened his mouth, his voice sounding as if it was being forcefully squeezed out of his throat: "My parents... have both passed away. I''m the only one left in the family."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"What?" Lou Yuhuan and Lou Baili eximed in unison, their eyes full of shock, their faces suddenly turning ashen.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Qingzhi, dead..." Lou Yuhuan murmured these words, two streams of hot tears falling down his face, which was filled with unbearable grief.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
There was visible moisture in Lou Baili''s eyes too. That young man in his memory, always smiling gently, for so many years he had only thought they were separated by mountains and rivers, each living well, never imagining they were now separated by life and death.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"How did Qingzhi..." Lou Baili couldn''t bring himself to say the word "die."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an naturally understood what Lou Baili wanted to ask. He spoke heavily: "Fourteen years ago, he went hunting in the mountains, encountered a sh flood, his body was never found."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Encountered a sh flood, body never found..." Lou Yuhuan repeated these words, and after a while, suddenlyughed bitterly, his eyes full of destion: "Qingzhi! Did you n this? You''ve made me, with white hair, send off one with ck hair. You are truly unfilial!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Having said this, he broke down in tears.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0