Reborn as a Noble's Son

Upon seeing Li Lixue alone, Nie Zhenbang felt somewhat puzzled and promptly greeted her with a strong hug. Smiling happily, he said, “Lixue, why did you come alone?”

At that moment, Li Lixue took the luggage from Nie Zhenbang’s hand and, with his arm linked in hers, walked towards her car. As soon they got in, Li Lixue turned to Nie Zhenbang and said, “Zhenbang, I need to tell you something. Please, don’t overreact. Wan has been grounded by her grandfather.”

Listening this news, Nie Zhenbang was stunned. Then, from his understanding, he realized that, as unexpected as it was, it made sense.

The Dong family’s reputation could not be thrown away recklessly. After all, he had run away, and now that the news was out that his grandfather intended to choose the Yang family, it was clearly unrealistic for old Dong to remain unperturbed. This control over Dong Wan seemed to be an indirect stand made by the Dong family. Their daughter was not unwanted, nor did she have to marry Nie Zhenbang.

Seeing Nie Zhenbang lost in thought, Li Lixue said in a solemn voice, “Zhenbang, sometimes, I think I’m luckier than Wan. At least, I can still be with you.”

Li Lixue’s words made Nie Zhenbang feel a bit heartbroken. The deeper meaning was clear: it was better being a common person, with no one in the family opposing even if she was an underground lover. At least, she wouldn’t be like Dong Wan, stuck in an awkward and difficult situation.

Nie Zhenbang’s expression became awkward and he turned to look at Li Lixue, saying, “Lixue, I’m sorry! If… if you are willing, I can…”

Nie Zhenbang felt guilty. Whether it was Li Lixue, Dong Wan or Yang Anna, they were all exceptional women who loved deeply. At this moment, he regretted why after his rebirth, he unintentionally got involved with so many emotions. If only he could have been simpler.

At this moment, Li Lixue’s face changed slightly, but she shook her head and said, “Zhenbang, once you have loved someone, it’s hard to get over it. This life, whether it’s me, Wan, or Anna, we probably can’t live without you. I understand what you mean, but without you, would we really be happy? An identity, a certificate, to me, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care.”

Back at their residence, Nie Zhenbang felt somewhat depressed and gloomy. Going into the bathroom, he turned on the tap, filled the bathtub with water, and felt better after taking a relaxing bath before he finally came out.

In the room, the dim pink lighting was somewhat hazy. The warmth of the room made him feel a bit flushed, and on the large red bed, the silhouette was tantalizing, stirring some heat within him.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Li Lixue turned her body to face him. Under the thin veil, the black lace lingerie ignited something in Nie Zhenbang. Their burning lips connected… a night filled with spring-time passions brought sweetness and happiness, which also alleviated some of Nie Zhenbang’s worries.

Early the next morning, Nie Zhenbang woke up. At this time, Li Lixue, who was curled up in the quilt, opened her eyes groggily and was surprised to see Nie Zhenbang already dressed. She asked, “Zhenbang, why are you up so early?”

Nie Zhenbang looked at her with determination and said solemnly, “Lixue, I’ve been thinking. Running away is not the solution. Today, I’m going to the Dong family to clear things up. Wan’s car is still here, right? Where did you put the keys?”

After taking the key from the drawer, Nie Zhenbang gently pecked her forehead and said softly, “Lixue, have a good rest today. I’m going to the Dong’s now.”

He took the elevator straight down to the garage. In there, another of Dong Wan’s sturdy Land Rovers was parked in the private underground parking lot. Unlike Li Lixue who enjoyed driving sports cars, Dong Wan preferred SUVs. The car roared out of the garage, heading east in the direction of the Dong estate.

The various special permits of Dong Wan’s car allowed Nie Zhenbang to park directly outside the Dong mansion without any obstacles.

Seeing the car, the old man of the Dong family, who was practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard, looked puzzled. However, when he saw Nie Zhenbang get out of the car, his beard bristled with anger. On seeing Nie Zhenbang, old Dong was fuming.

The daughters of old Dong’s family were dearly cherished, how dare he insult them by making them his mistress! Immediately, the old man snorted coldly, stopped his Tai Chi exercise, and strode angrily back into the mansion.

Don’t be fooled by these elders’ high-ranking positions at work. In daily life, they too can be somewhat temperamental. Especially after stepping down from their responsibilities, they tend to let their guard down, and their true colors show even more.

At that moment, many people at the Dong’s had already been awakened. As Nie Zhenbang was approaching the door, several young men rushed out, standing by the iron gate. They looked at Nie Zhenbang, with the leader among them saying, “You are Nie Zhenbang, huh? Boy, you got guts. We didn’t look for you, but you take the initiative to show up here. If it weren’t for my sister’s intervention, I’d already be out in Xibei cutting you down.”

“What’s there to blabber about with this kid? Just beat him up. He’s got guts, coming into our home to make trouble. He even thinks the Nie family is the best in the world. I want to see what you can do to me after I cut you down,” another man angrily added.

Nie Zhenbang could understand the indignation of Dong Wan’s brothers, because he himself has a sister. If Nie Ziyu was mistreated by others, he would be the first to object. Putting himself in the Dong brothers’ shoes, he thought they were actually being quite reasonable.

Regarding the crowd, Nie Zhenbang calmly responded, “Brothers, today, I didn’t come to show off or argue. I came to see Wan and your respected father. Can you let me in to speak?”

Just as the Dong brothers were about to respond, Dong Wan appeared at the door, “Brothers, stop arguing. Grandfather said to let him in.”

Under the watchful eyes of the Dong brothers, Nie Zhenbang entered with a calm demeanor. He glanced at Dong Wan who was standing by the parlor, looking a bit haggard and significantly thinner. As he passed by Dong Wan, Nie Zhenbang lingered for a second, whispering, “Wan, you’ve lost weight.”

This simple statement seemed to make Dong Wan shudder a little, as if all her perseverance was suddenly validated.

As he entered the parlor, the father of the Dong’s looked very stern and serious. Looking at Nie Zhenbang, he addressed him directly, “What are you here for? Isn’t it enough trouble that you’ve caused for my Wan? Do you think that just because I am old, you can bully us however you wish? Wan has too many brothers. You can’t just do as you please.”

The father’s words disregarded the social standing and backgrounds of both families. This made Nie Zhenbang feel slightly relieved, as it was a positive sign.

After a moment of silence, Nie Zhenbang spoke humbly, “Dong’s father, I understand that I have displeased you and the Yang’s over this marriage issue. Even my own grandfather was dissatisfied. Here, I would like to apologize. I ask for your forgiveness.”

Hearing Nie Zhenbang’s apology, the Dong’s father’s expression softened a bit. For the past few weeks, he had been deeply worried about Wan’s state. But his stubbornness and obstinacy had been supporting him. Now, Nie Zhenbang’s presence allowed him an opportunity to make amends with Nie.

Although his attitude was softened, it did not mean that he would allow Nie Zhenbang and Dong Wan to ambiguous about their relationship. So, the Dong’s father paused and cautiously added, “Originally, I would have discussed this with your grandfather. However, since you came today and you seem to be rational, I’ll just lay it out for you. You have to choose between Dong Wan and the young lady of the Yang family. There’s no perfect solution to this. You can’t have the best of both worlds. Don’t even fantasize about it.”

After a moment, the Dong’s father continued, “If you’re willing to be a wealthy man or something, maybe there’s some wiggle room. But if you want to succeed within the system, then you must make a choice.”

The Dong’s father made it clear that, having multiple relationships amongst the descendants of the noble families in Jingcheng, wasn’t anything new. However, the issue was that Nie Zhenbang’s choice was somewhat shocking and unconventional. But, if the children didn’t mind and stayed persistent, Nie Zhenbang could consider dual citizenship if he was outside the system. However, if he intended to stay within the system, then this was totally unacceptable.

After contemplating for a bit, Nie Zhenbang met Dong’s father’s gaze, responding solemnly, “Dong’s father, I chose not to make a choice this time because I didn’t want to hurt Wan or An Na. I didn’t want to hurt either of them. Therefore, I would rather they made the choice. I respect their decision. Before I knew the final outcome, I took the risk of infuriating my grandfather and ran from the wedding.”

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and no one can hide what they really feel. The Dong’s father has seen many personalities throughout his life. Seeing Nie Zhenbang now, he felt a wave of ease. After a long silence, he sighed, looked at Dong Wan nearby, and quietly said, “Girl, you’ve grown up. I can’t control you anymore. Seeing you suffering these days made me feel distressed. Whatever, you can go and discuss this with An Na. I’m not going to intervene in this anymore.”

PS: The fifth update, 15,000 words have been released. Brothers and sisters, only one day of extra support at the beginning of the month, only 13 monthly tickets today, Old Cai’s heart has gone to rock bottom, so broken hearted, without a drive and go straight to bed.