The roar of the luxury car's engine sounded subtly subdued, a stark contrast to the turmoil of emotions that had just erupted in the market district. In the back seat, the atmosphere was solemn. Wei Yan, the Maestro who had just crushed the bones of elite bodyguards without touching them, now looked incredibly fragile and serene. He was fast asleep, his head resting on Wei Ruoxin's lap.
Ruoxin's rough hands, scarred by years of hard work, gently stroked her son's hair. She gazed intently at Wei Yan's face. The line of his jaw, the shape of his nose, and even his eyelashes—all highlighted the similarities between them. Wei Yan was a more perfect reflection of himself, a masterpiece he had once thought lost to the cruelty of the world.
In the driver's seat, Li Yuantong occasionally glanced through the rearview mirror. As one of the main wives who had given her allegiance and heart, he sensed something he had never felt before from Wei Yan: absolute serenity. Through the resonance of their souls, Yuantong sensed that the "black hole" that usually existed in Wei Yan's heart—the emptiness that made him possessive—was now beginning to fill with a warm light.
"He really misses you, Auntie," Yuantong whispered softly, afraid to break the beautiful silence.
Ruoxin smiled faintly, her eyes never leaving her son's face. "And I miss him more than my own life, son."
Three minutes before reaching the mansion gate, Wei Yan slowly opened his eyes. He felt a warmth that was unfamiliar yet all too familiar. He stood up and straightened himself, while Ruoxin swiftly held his shoulders and upper arms, making sure his son was comfortable.
"Look how mature you've become, Yan-er," Ruoxin said, her voice wavering between pride and confusion. "I don't know what to ask you. It all feels like a dream."
Wei Yan smiled sincerely. "It's okay, Mom. It's all real. I can support myself now, and even more so. So, Mom can rest easy from now on. There's no more market, no more dust, no more Wei family people daring to look down on you."
"Calm down?" Ruoxin looked at him with deep concern. "How can I be calm after seeing the 'miracle' you performed in the market earlier? You flicked the air, and those people fell. How did you do that, son? And what scares me most... I know such a powerful ability can't be learned without great obstacles. Tell me, what have you been through all this time?"
The barrage of demands left Wei Yan speechless. He couldn't possibly explain his thousands of years of wandering. Seeing Wei Yan struggling, Li Yuantong stepped in. "Don't blame him, Auntie. Wei Yan has extraordinary blessings. And did you hear him get angry earlier? You're his motivation in life. All this time, he's been trying to conquer the emptiness in his heart, so please understand."
Wei Yan sighed in relief. "Never mind, Mom. We'll discuss it together later, okay? Besides, the house we'll be living in is just up ahead. So don't bother Yuantong yet."
Ruoxin smiled curiously. "Oh? Seeing you two, it seems like something's up. And your mother feels like her child has been kidnapped by him."
"Eh," Wei Yan and Yuantong muttered simultaneously, awkward expressions on their faces.
Ruoxin leaned forward. "Yuantong, right? Tell me who you are to Wei Yan?"
Yuantong was just about to answer when the car stopped in the lobby of the mansion. Outside, Ning Shuang was already standing cheerfully. She was the only one who dared to shout to break the silence.
"WELCOME HOME, WEI YAN!" Ning Shuang shouted, waving.
Behind Ning Shuang stood ten women with beauties capable of toppling cities: Shen Ruolin, Xia Chunyu, Luo Mengyi, Shen Ruobing, Lin Huayu, Su Yan, Xiao Ruqin, Liu Caixi, Zi Lan, Feng Xiuyi, Yao Moli, Ao Ningyan, and Lan Xiyi. Although they all sensed Wei Ruoxin's aura in the car, they remained silent, not daring to greet or act rashly, as Wei Yan had yet to officially confirm who the woman beside him was.
The car door opened. Wei Yan got out first, then carefully helped his mother out. The atmosphere suddenly became very formal and filled with respect.
Wei Yan cleared his throat, his face flushed as he looked at his mother and then glanced at the row of beautiful women in front of him. "Mother... I'm sorry. I... I seem to have been too naughty all this time."
Hearing the word "naughty" from Wei Yan's mouth, the expressions of the women in the car varied. Some looked down in shame, others looked away with blushes, and still others smiled faintly, but still looked extremely embarrassed.
Ruoxin, who had been curious, now began to realize the absurdity of this situation. She saw the extraordinary beauty of each woman, then looked at her son with a stunned expression. "Yan-er... this... they... y-you..." Ruoxin began to stutter, her brain trying to process how her son could be surrounded by a group of goddesses.
Wei Yan scratched the back of his neck, which wasn't itchy, and gave his final answer in a resigned yet responsible tone. "Mother... let me introduce you. They are all... your daughters-in-law."
Instantly, the mansion lobby fell silent, leaving only Ruoxin's heart pounding at the sight of her vast "army" of daughters-in-law.
The atmosphere in the lobby of the magnificent mansion suddenly froze. The word "daughter-in-law" from Wei Yan's mouth seemed to stop the flow of time for Wei Ruoxin. She stood frozen, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her shabby clothes, contrasting sharply with the polished marble floor beneath her feet.
Ruoxin's gaze swept over the faces of the goddesses before her, one by one. Her eyes widened as she recognized some of the faces she often saw in economic news or high-end lifestyle magazines.
"You... you're Shen Ruobing? The legendary business queen of the Shen Group?" Ruoxin whispered, her voice almost fading. "And you... aren't you Xia Chunyu? The genius former COO of Megastar Corp.? I've heard your name mentioned as one of the city's economic drivers..."
Shen Ruobing and Xia Chunyu simultaneously bowed deeply, showing a respect they never even extended to their greatest business partner. "Yes, Mother-in-law. Please guide me," they replied almost in unison. Chunyu smiled faintly, tidying her hair awkwardly, a stark contrast to her usually cold and unflappable professional image at Megastar Corp.
Ruoxin tried to steady her rapidly growing breath. She looked at Wei Yan demandingly, then back at the group of women. "Wait... if you're all... that... means..." Ruoxin pointed at Shen Ruolin. "Then the armed guards who helped you at the market were hired by you, right? You're from a wealthy family."
Shen Ruolin took a step forward, her usually stern face now flushed bright red. She looked so small in front of Ruoxin. "I'm sorry, Mother... based on information from my colleagues and my investigations, they weren't my people. They were actually special forces under Yuantong's command... M-Mother-in-law," Ruoxin said, her voice growing smaller by the end of her sentence, embarrassed that her contribution today had been far less than Yuantong's.
Ruoxin turned her head stiffly, looking at Li Yuantong, who was still standing beside her with a calm expression. "Huh? Yuantong? I thought he was just skilled at martial arts to look after you, Yan-er."
Yuantong smiled faintly, a rare and gentle smile. "You're mistaken, Mother-in-law. They are indeed my subordinates. I'm in charge of this sector's security for Wei Yan."
"But... but their appearance just now... they looked like market thugs, so rambunctious and intimidating—" Ruoxin tried to protest, remembering the men who had chased the villagers away.
"Don't worry, Mother," Wei Yan interrupted, gently putting his arm around her shoulder to ease the tension. "I assure you, those men were all loyal under Yuantong's command. They deliberately blended in so as not to stand out prematurely. They are the most trustworthy shields."
"B-but... how could you... I mean... 15 people?!" Ruoxin felt her blood pressure suddenly rise. Her head pounded with the realization that her son had not only returned with extraordinary strength, but also with an "army" of wives, all of whom had high-profile profiles—from military clans to former top executives of giant corporations.
Ruoxin's vision began to blur. The world around her felt like it was spinning. His body, exhausted from years of hard labor and the emotional shock of the day, finally reached its limit.
"Mother!" Wei Yan exclaimed in panic as he saw his mother begin to sway.
"Mother-in-law!" the fifteen women shouted in unison, their voices filling the mansion lobby with pure worry.
Wasting no time, Wei Yan caught his mother before she hit the floor. With a fiercely protective gesture, he carried Ruoxin in his arms bridal style.
"Yuantong, prepare the master bedroom! Everyone in!" Wei Yan commanded firmly.
Wei Yan strode into the mansion with sweeping strides, while his 15 wives—Shen Ruolin, Xia Chunyu, Luo Mengyi, Shen Ruobing, Lin Huayu, Su Yan, Xiao Ruqin, Liu Caixi, Zi Lan, Feng Xiuyi, Yao Moli, Ao Ningyan, Lan Xiyi, Ning Shuang, and Li Yuantong—marched behind him like personal bodyguards.
Once he reached the spacious main bedroom, he placed his mother on the soft mattress. Wei Yan sat on the edge of the bed, his hand gently moving over Ruoxin's forehead. He didn't need any outside help. Through his palm, he radiated warm, pure energy, combing through every nerve in Ruoxin's body to instantly stabilize her heart and blood pressure.
In an instant, Ruoxin's previously labored breathing calmed down, and her pale face slowly regained its rosy hue.
"She's just in deep shock. Years of physical exhaustion combined with a massive emotional shock caused her system to collapse briefly," Wei Yan whispered, continuing to channel calming energy. "But now, she'll sleep soundly."
The 15 women stood around the bed with anxious faces, each holding a sense of guilt for making their mother-in-law faint on their first meeting.
"Xia Chunyu, Luo Mengyi, Shen Ruobing, Lin Huayu, Su Yan, Xiao Ruqin," Wei Yan called out in a low but powerful voice. "Try to feel it carefully. Do you feel any sort of resonance? Or perhaps... something that's leading you to feel specifically for someone? Specifically, another man?"
The question silenced the room. Ning Shuang was the first to speak, frowning. "For some reason, lately I've been feeling a strange attraction to someone in another class... It feels like there's a thread pulling me, but I don't know who he is."
Lin Huayu, Su Yan, and Xiao Ruqin looked at each other with undisguised disgust. "We feel it too, Wei Yan," Lin Huayu said. "We used to feel very close to Chu Feng, but for some reason... suddenly this overwhelming repulsion has arisen even before we've gotten to know you. It feels like destiny is trying to connect us with that 'trash'."
Wei Yan narrowed his eyes, the corners of his lips lifting into a thin, meaningful smile. He knew perfectly well that it was the Law of Fate and the presence of this world's Protagonist, trying to lure their "Woman of Destiny" back. However, his presence had disrupted that frequency.
"I'll explain everything in depth when Mother regains consciousness. This has to do with how this world works in the future event," Wei Yan said calmly. "So, right now, our focus is on preparing the celebration for Mother's return. I want this to be the most magnificent welcome possible."
Wei Yan took a deep breath, his aura overflowing into the room. "Oh yes, one more thing. I'm going to summon all the women in Pagoda World. I want Mother to know exactly the extent of my abilities and who will be guarding her from now on."
At that, the women there were stunned. They knew that if all the inhabitants of Pagoda World came out, this mansion would no longer be just a home, but a fortress for a power that transcended the logic of this world.
"Prepare everything," Wei Yan ordered. "Today is Mother's Day, and in the future, the world will begin to learn that there is me, someone they must reckon with. Especially, those man that holding a great destiny."