Tie Ye stood outside the prison cells, his expression grave as he gazed at Lin Yaochen and the others behind the bars.
"Release them," he said at last, his voice low yet carrying an uncharacteristic softness.
"Prepare guest chambers. Give them the best care."
The guards were taken aback, but none dared question the order. They moved at once.
Lin Yaochen, Ge Zhiyao, Luo Yan, Mozi, and Ge Ruifeng were unshackled and escorted to a spacious set of guest rooms. The furnishings were simple but clean and refined, and attendants were assigned to tend to their needs.
The following day, Yao physicians arrived to treat their wounds, applying healing salves and preparing nourishing tonics.
Lin Yaochen and Mozi were baffled by the sudden generosity. Zhiyao frowned slightly, her vigilance undiminished.
Only Luo Yan remained silent, his gaze drifting unconsciously toward Tie Ye's quarters. He understood what lay beneath this unexpected kindness. It was guilt. And a father's belated attempt to make amends. The realization stirred conflicted emotions within him, suspicion interwoven with an unwilling ache.
That evening, Tie Ye sat alone in his study under dim lamplight. Spread across his desk was a finely painted portrait of a woman—his late wife, Luo Junyan. Since her death, this painting had been his sole comfort. Each night, he spoke to it as though she were still there.
Softly, he murmured,
"Junyan… I've found our son. But he won't acknowledge me."
His fingers traced the painted contours of her face. Pain and helplessness flickered in his eyes.
"I know he has suffered too much all these years. I failed him. I failed to protect him… and he paid the price."
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"My lord," a guard announced from outside, "Young Master Luo Yan requests an audience."
"Luo Yan?" Tie Ye drew himself back to the present.
"Let him in."
The door opened gently. Luo Yan stepped into the study, dressed in plain robes, his expression cool and guarded. His eyes swept briefly over the room before pausing on the portrait. He frowned slightly at the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar face.
Tie Ye rolled the painting up and stood.
"You're injured. You should be resting," he said evenly.
Luo Yan did not bow, nor did he bother with pleasantries.
"I didn't come to acknowledge kinship," he said bluntly.
"I came to ask you this: did you force Uncle Ge to forge weapons for you? Did you seize the weapon designs created by his wife?"
Tie Ye's brow furrowed. He was silent for a moment before pouring himself a cup of tea, which he did not offer.
"You're here because of that girl," he said quietly.
"Yes," Luo Yan replied without hesitation.
"She's a descendant of the Ge family. She's my companion."
He paused, then continued firmly,
"But I'm not here only for her. I want to know whether my father is the kind of man who abuses power and persecutes the loyal."
The teacup trembled slightly in Tie Ye's hand.
"I am not the man you describe," he said at last.
He looked up, his gaze sharp as steel.
"You may resent me. I won't fault you for refusing to acknowledge me. But I will not allow you to condemn me based on rumor."
"Then answer me," Luo Yan stepped closer, his voice grinding with restrained fury.
"Yes or no. Did you force Uncle Ge to make weapons for you? Did you touch those designs?"
"No," Tie Ye replied coldly.
"Iron Ye has never needed coercion. Ge Ruifeng is a master craftsman I respected. I never laid a finger on his wife's designs."
"Then why was he arrested?" Luo Yan pressed.
"Why was the Ge family exiled to Golden Yao Valley?"
Tie Ye's face darkened. After several seconds, he spoke in a low voice.
"The intelligence came from Gu Ying. The evidence pointed to treason. I failed to investigate further. That was my mistake."
"…I trusted the wrong person."
Luo Yan's fists clenched, his chest heaving.
"One careless decision from you destroyed her family. Her people died. Her father was imprisoned. She's been running for her life since she was a girl. Do you know how she survived?"
Tie Ye's expression twisted with bitterness.
"I cannot undo it. But I will take responsibility. I will restore the Ge family's name. I will extract the truth from Gu Ying myself. If she framed them… I will deal with her personally."
Luo Yan stared at him for a long moment before speaking.
"You'd better mean that. Because whether or not you're my father, I will stand with her."
Tie Ye's eyes trembled. He placed the now-cold tea back on the desk.
"My word stands."
Luo Yan said nothing more. Though the anger in his chest had not fully subsided, his gaze was no longer purely hostile. He gave a short nod and turned to leave.
Outside the guest quarters, he found Lin Yaochen standing beside a tall, unfamiliar man.
"Ah-Chen?" Luo Yan frowned.
"Shouldn't you be resting? And who's this?"
Lin Yaochen shrugged lazily.
"I'm mostly healed. Another hour in bed and I'd start growing mold. I was going to find Mozi, but he's with Uncle Ge and Zhiyao. They're all talking about my dad and old history. I had zero interest, so I came to find you."
He jerked his chin toward the stranger.
"No idea who this uncle is. He was already here, said he was looking for you."
The man stepped forward, composed and steady.
"My name is Han Yunkun. I'm an old associate of Marquis Tie Ye and once served as his deputy. I wished to speak with you privately."
Luo Yan raised an eyebrow but allowed him inside. Lin Yaochen followed, plopping into a chair by the window and grabbing a string of dried jujubes from the table.
Han Yunkun sat, his expression solemn.
"Do you know how your father and your mother met?"
Luo Yan shook his head.
Han Yunkun took a sip of tea and began.
"In his youth, Marquis Tie came from a modest family. The Tie household ran a cloth business, somewhat known in their town. Your mother's family owned a dye workshop. Their families did business together, though mostly through the elders."
Lin Yaochen suddenly choked on his own breath.
"Wait—Tie Ye is your father?!"
Luo Yan said nothing, which was answer enough.
Lin Yaochen stared at him in disbelief.
"So that's why… No wonder he suddenly let us out, gave us rooms, called healers, sent tonics. We were practically treated like honored guests. Turns out it was because of you."
Luo Yan replied quietly,
"Not because of me. Because of his guilt. And I'm not ready to accept it."
Han Yunkun cleared his throat.
"May I continue?"
"Ah—sorry, sorry," Lin Yaochen waved.
"I'm just… shocked. Please go on."
Han Yunkun smiled faintly.
"One early autumn, Lord Tie's father fell ill and injured himself in the warehouse. At the time, Tie Ye had just returned from military service. He was asked to deliver cloth to the Luo household in his stead."
A trace of nostalgia crossed Han Yunkun's eyes.
"That was the first time he saw Luo Junyan. She wore a plain white jacket, selecting dyes by the vats. Her fingertips were stained indigo, yet she looked as clean and luminous as a painting."
Lin Yaochen couldn't help asking,
"Love at first sight?"
Han Yunkun nodded.
"He told me that very day he would marry no one else."
Luo Yan's voice was soft.
"And… did she agree?"
Han Yunkun smiled ruefully.
"Not easily. The Luo family valued standing. They weren't nobles, but they wouldn't readily marry their daughter to the son of a cloth merchant turned soldier. As for how your father pursued her… I could write volumes. He'd 'forget' bolts of cloth just to return to the dye house. He practiced calligraphy in secret, wrote poems for her. He stood outside the workshop in the rain just to catch a glimpse of her."
"Eventually, Lady Luo herself agreed. She said:
'If a man can guard me the way he guards fine cloth—careful, patient, unwilling to allow even a single crease—then marrying him would be worth it.'"
Luo Yan fell silent.
"…But he didn't protect her in the end."
Han Yunkun's expression darkened.
"He hates himself for that. Every night he speaks to her portrait. The paint is nearly worn smooth under his fingers. When he found you… he truly wept. He hasn't lived for fame or power for many years."
He looked at Luo Yan steadily.
"I know you still carry anger. But know this: he never stopped loving your mother. That love was real—unyielding, even unto death."
Luo Yan lifted his head, emotions churning.
"I'll uncover the truth about the Ge family. And I'll decide whether he's a man worth acknowledging as a father."
Han Yunkun nodded, relief softening his tone.
"That's enough. If you can forgive him someday… then let him be a father again. You're the only thing left in this world that still matters to him."