Since Tang Li is Lai Wenyan's daughter, even if she's an illegitimate child, the father-daughter relationship is undeniable. If Tang Li gets married without Lai Wenyan's knowledge, and if he criticizes her in public later, a single word - filial piety - could bring her negative influence.
By then, each side would have their own justifications, and it would become an endless debate.
The mandates of parents and words of matchmakers, to some degree, ensure that the woman isn't looked down upon after marriage. At least when mentioned by others, they won't describe the woman's marriage as a scandalous union.
Tang Li is a child that Lai Wenyan fathered outside his marriage. Upon learning this, Xiao Minglan couldn't help but have some thoughts. Hearing her son protecting Tang Li in such a manner, she sighed silently, knowing her son, after more than thirty years, finally found romance, yet has to worry constantly for the other party.
