Pure Love Imprisoned: My Ex-Boyfriend, Who Blamed Me, Imprisoned Me in Love

He's father wasn't in the study, but in the small garden outside. He was standing sideways, shaping a potted Podocarpus macrophyllus.

The pruned branches lay scattered on the ground. He pressed down on a section of the branch and used wire to forcefully wrap it into curved lines.

Upon hearing the sound, He's father looked over indifferently. He was dressed casually in a loose white shirt and black trousers, but his aura was sharp and imposing. His gaze was fixed on Lin Mian, as if he wanted to see right through her.

Lin Mian felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She instinctively became defensive, her bright eyes fixed on him, her body tense, like a small animal about to bristle.

He Duoye took a step forward, blocking his father's view.

"It's good that you're back." Father He said, his tone ordinary, neither intimate nor distant. "Go sit for a while. After I finish this pot of flowers, I'll take you to see Duoye's mother."

He Duoye said, "How long will that take? I don't have that much patience, Father."

Father He glanced at him indifferently; his hands, covered with age spots, were still strong, steadily bending the sturdy branches of the Podocarpus macrophyllus.

He said calmly and gently, "You should already know that your mother passed away some time ago. I didn't tell you because I was afraid it would upset you."

He Duoye nodded: "I am quite heartbroken. How will you comfort me?"

Father He raised his eyes, glanced at He Duoye, and then looked at Lin Mian: "Is there anything you want, Xiao Mian? Consider it a gift from me to you when we first meet."

After he finished speaking, he added, "It's also compensation."

Lin Mian had learned to ask for an exorbitant amount from He Duoye during this time. She said, "Gold, the more the better, so we can sprinkle it at the wedding to bring good luck."

Father He paused for a moment, but he quickly looked away with a normal expression and continued to tightly bind the Podocarpus macrophyllus with metal wire.

"Then I'll give you gold," he said calmly. "Duoye, your mother is on the bookshelf, go see her."

This sounded like a horror story. Lin Mian felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but turn around to look into the study.

The room has an entire wall of bookshelves, each shelf filled with books and decorative antiques. In the corner of the middle shelf, three round blue and white porcelain jars stand out out of place.

These are three urns containing ashes, without any markings, photos, or names.

Lin Mian suppressed the chilling horror that ran down her spine and tried to discern the identities of the three urns—whether they belonged to three people or one person who had been divided into three parts.

He Duoye's voice suddenly rang out: "I guess the one on the far right is my mom."

Lin Mian turned to look at him and asked softly, "Are there three people here?"

He Duoye said, "Inside are the most promising eldest brother and He Jingjun's mother."

Given He's father's temperament, his favorite elder brother would definitely be placed first, even though, to him, the elder brother placed here was merely a tool for intimidation.

Lin Mian was still in shock when He Duoye put his arm around her shoulder and said, "The ugly daughter-in-law is meeting her mother-in-law. Say hello."

"..."

Lin Mian wanted to hit him, but there were three urns in front of her, and she was afraid to do anything rash.

Moreover, He Duoye's mother is among them.

Looking at the third urn, Lin Mian mustered her courage and called out, "Mom."

No sooner had she finished speaking than He Duoye burst into laughter. He had his arm around Lin Mian, and his laughter was clear and smug. Lin Mian couldn't take it anymore and stomped on He Duoye's foot.

Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly said in her mind: Hello, Auntie, my name is Lin Mian, and I am He Duoye's... fiancée.

After laughing with his arm around Lin Mian's shoulder, He Duoye turned his head slightly and met his father's probing gaze. He knew his father would be watching him and Lin Mian and would definitely notice something amiss, so he hadn't even considered hiding anything this time.

Upon noticing He's father's gaze, He Duoye looked at him and gave him a fearless and arrogant smile.

He Duoye and Lin Mian left quickly, while He's father continued to steadily and meticulously train the Podocarpus macrophyllus, twisting each branch into the shape he desired, and then snapping off all the unruly twigs.

After leaving the study, Su Yan, who was accompanying Lin Mian, began to introduce the layout of the old house.

Although the house is designed in an antique style, the facilities inside are not old at all.

"Because the Third Young Master's mother is frail and sickly, the Master has specially set up a sanatorium, which not only has professional caregivers and nurses, but also emergency medical equipment."

As he spoke, he pointed to several houses not far away: "This is where the Third Young Master's mother used to live. If I remember correctly, the Third Young Master lived next door when he was a child."

"Miss Lin, would you like to take a look?" Su Yan said. "Over the years, the master has kept the room exactly as it was. All the old things are still there, oh, and the photos too."

Hearing this, Lin Mian naturally wanted to go and see.

He Duoye's childhood room was surprisingly small, just a single room with a single bed against the wall, a wardrobe, a desk and a matching chair, and a bookcase above the desk.

A family photo is placed on the first shelf of the bookcase.

There were only five members of the He family inside. In the middle were He's father and the eldest son who had died. He Jingjun and He Zhengchuan stood on either side, while He Duoye stood alone at the very edge, a distance away from everyone else.

He Duoye in the photo looks only eight or nine years old, but he is already very tall with a straight frame. He stands casually with his head slightly tilted and looking at the camera without much expression.

Lin Mian moved closer and stared intently. He Duoye had always had a well-defined bone structure, showing the potential to be a handsome man. However, he looked even more aggressive when he was a child.

As an adult, He Duoye would use a half-smile to mask his aggression, but as a child, he was completely outgoing and made no attempt to hide his unapproachable nature.

Lin Mian took a picture of this.

She also looked at the rest of the house. He Duoye had always lived a minimalist lifestyle since he was a child, and he only had two sets of clothes to change into every day.

The wardrobe was empty, with only a few clothes inside. She couldn't find any odds and ends she wanted to keep as collectibles.

He Duoye himself leaned against the door the whole time. He had no nostalgia for the house where he had lived for several years when he was a child, and he was too lazy to even walk in and take a stroll.

It's Lin Mian who would be curious about such trivial things.

After Lin Mian finished looking around, she couldn't help but say to He Duoye, "Your room doesn't even have a bathroom..."

There was a hint of resentment in her tone that she herself was unaware of.

He Duoye raised an eyebrow: "So you're already feeling sorry for me?"

Lin Mian: "..."

I really don't want to talk to him.

After leaving He Duoye's room, passing through an empty living room, and then going around a section of corridor, you will reach the place where He Duoye's mother lives.

Compared to He Duoye's simple house, his mother's room was much more refined and spacious, with even a television in the bedroom. Lin Mian's gaze swept over the room and noticed the photo frame on the bedside table.

She couldn't resist going over to check.

It turned out to be a photo of He Duoye and his mother. He Duoye was probably only two or three years old at the time, with chubby cheeks. Even at such a young age, his face had lost its innocent and cute expression, and he was looking at the camera coldly.

He Duoye's mother was very beautiful, with clear and three-dimensional features, especially her delicate and bright eyes. With her hair down, she held He Duoye and gave a somewhat unnatural smile to the camera.

The mother and son stood in the corridor, with some old walls and wooden doors behind them, and a huge Chinese knot hanging conspicuously on the door.

Lin Mian saw this Chinese knot on that street today.

The same door, the same Chinese knot... So, what He Duoye is looking at today is the house where he used to live with his mother.

Did he, like that child, spend all his time leaning on the railing, waiting for his mother to open the door and let him in?

He Duoye reached out and took the photo frame. Lin Mian looked up at him, her gaze soft, the emotions within it as obvious as could be.

He Duoye raised an eyebrow. He casually put down the photo frame, lowered his head slightly, and looked closer. His gaze slowly slid over Lin Mian's soft lips, finally settling on her eyes, and he whispered, "You really want to pity me that much?"