Chapter 28: A Bitter Heart
Yu Yeqing had nothing to say to this man; he had long since outgrown any connection to the Lu family.
But Shen Qi stood up to block his way, his expression filled with apparent difficulty: "Lord Lu... he has his own hardships too."
Yu Yeqing had heard such words before, and not for the first time.
The first time he learned of that Lord Lu in the capital, his mother had not yet passed, and Minglian was still in her womb.
The man's fine brocade and elegant robes could not conceal his noble bearing and aloof pride, utterly out of place in that humble little courtyard.
It seemed he had searched long and hard to find this place, and his eyes, which looked down on everything, carried a trace of light mockery: "This is the life you choose?"
He had been very young then, held protectively in his mother's arms, and he could clearly feel her body trembling.
She was afraid of that man—so afraid that she could scarcely maintain the pretense of calm on her face.
Not until the man's gaze fell upon him did his mother seem to snap back to her senses, hurriedly pulling him behind her. But in doing so, she revealed the swell of her belly.
The instant darkness that swept across the man's face was like a blaze intent on reducing his mother to ashes. Then he lunged forward, seizing her by the throat, his voice seeping out in a terrifying snarl: "You have some nerve, daring to carry another man's bastard!"
He remembered fighting with all his might, hammering at that man with his fists. He only hated that he was too young, lacking the strength and skill to fight back. His blows and shouts could not force the man back an inch; instead, he was kicked aside.
At that moment, Shen Qi, who had followed the man, caught him in his arms and clamped a hand over his mouth. Just as his mother was about to suffocate, the man finally released her, and as she clutched her chest and coughed violently, he dragged her inside the house.
What happened within those walls, he did not know. Shen Qi kept him outside the door, coaxing him in a low voice: "Little master, don't be anxious. Lord Lu would never truly harm Madam Yu. Be at ease."
He couldn't understand—the man had already shown such ferocity, had even grabbed his mother by the throat, and this was called not harming her?
He didn't listen, didn't believe. He kept struggling desperately, even if it meant dying then and there, he wanted to die together with his mother.
But when the sound of a shattered jar came from inside, the door finally swung open. The man emerged with a gloomy expression and walked toward him, as if intending to take him away.
His mother stumbled after him, wrapping him tightly in her arms, stubbornly facing down that man: "You have more than one son. Why must you take mine?"
The man sneered: "Do you think I would tolerate my son calling another man 'Father'?"
His mother's eyes glinted with derision: "Your son is not worthy of calling anyone else 'Father' either."
That was the first time he had heard his gentle-mannered mother speak such sharp, cutting words.
"Don't flatter yourself that I still have lingering feelings for you, that I bore your child out of love. You are sorely mistaken. If it hadn't been so far along, I would never have kept your bloodline. I once thought of strangling it—I was truly afraid he would grow up to be someone like you. If not for my husband's kind-hearted intervention, do you think he would still be alive today?"
Her words stabbed at the man like daggers, and he too was not spared.
But his mother was not yet done: "He takes my surname. I would rather have people gossip that I gave birth out of wedlock, or call me a discarded wife, than let him acknowledge my husband's ancestors as his own. He is not worthy. He carries your blood in his veins—he is not worthy!"
These words only enraged the man further. In his fury, he would have struck his mother again, but by then, he had already broken free from her embrace and thrown himself at the man's calves, refusing to let go no matter how much he was kicked.
Losing all patience, the man bent down and grabbed him by the front of his clothes, hoisting him up: "So, you heard all that?"
"Will you return to the mansion with me and acknowledge your lineage, or will you stay here, continuing to acknowledge that mother of yours who looks down on you?"
He didn't hesitate for a moment. He shouted at the man that he wanted to stay.
The man, in his rage, actually laughed. He released him and tossed him to the ground before striding away without looking back.
Later, his mother held him and wept for a long time. When his father returned, she did not mention what had happened. He understood her intention and took the blame for the shattered jar in the house.
His mother never explained those words to him afterward, but he could more or less guess the truth.
As hurtful as her words had been, he could still feel whether she cared for him.
Just like when facing that threat, the strength with which his mother had held him close was never a lie.
No one willingly bears the child of someone they hate. He dared not imagine the torment his mother must have suffered, wavering between loathing him and being reluctant to let him go.
He had no right to demand that his mother treat him without resentment, no right to ask her to explain those hurtful words. All he could do was try his best to be obedient, so that whenever she saw him, she wouldn't be reminded of that detestable Lord Lu.
But he never expected that after his mother died, he would see that Lord Lu again.
At that time, his father had been devastated by his mother's death but still had to toil for him and his sister. One day, while going up the mountain, he accidentally fell, and by the time he was found, half his body had been devoured by wild beasts.
His aunt held a grudge against his mother because of this incident. But with his mother already gone, that hatred fell upon him.
He struggled to care for his little sister alone. When he encountered Lord Lu again, he thought about going to beg that man.
His father had taught him to read and instilled in him a sense of integrity, but had also told him that sometimes integrity and pride couldn't fill one's stomach. His little sister was frail, born with an illness from the womb. If he clung to his self-respect, it would harm his sister.
Yet when he went to beg Lord Lu, the man merely glanced at him dismissively: "You can come with me, but that little bastard cannot."
He said nothing, but the man pressed further: "Apologize to me in your mother's place. Admit she was wrong—that she should never have stayed in this lowly place."
He didn't comply.
He could abandon so-called integrity and pride, but he still remembered his mother's unyielding, unbowed defiance when facing this very man.
His knees had no right to bend in her stead.
In the end, after the man called him ungrateful and stormed off, Shen Qi sought him out privately, sighing several times: "Little master, Lord Lu has a hard mouth but a soft heart. He grieves for Madam Yu's death. In these past days, he has lost a lot of weight. You can see it in the dark circles under his eyes and the stubble on his chin. Lord Lu's heart is bitter."
He turned to Shen Qi and begged him to save his sister. It was Shen Qi who told him: "It's not that Lord Lu is unwilling to save her. That little girl doesn't have an illness—she has poison. Even if she were saved, how long could she live? The reason Lord Lu spoke that way was to make you sever all ties here and return to acknowledge your lineage without a second thought."
He refused to listen or believe. Shen Qi couldn't change his mind, but before he left, he pressed a thick stack of banknotes into his hands.
So, all these years later, although he was unwilling to have any dealings with the Lu family, when Shen Qi suddenly came looking for him, he still agreed to meet.
Yu Yeqing stared at the man before him, his tone indifferent: "Lord Lu has no shortage of sons. If he falls ill, I'm sure there's no lack of people to serve as his filial heir."
Shen Qi was torn between laughter and tears: "But he is still your father, young master. Speaking such words goes against the laws of heaven."
He blocked Yu Yeqing's path: "Young master, just do me this favor. Come back with me to see Lord Lu. Over the years, he has changed a great deal. He has long regretted what happened to Madam Yu. His heart is bitter. His feelings for her run deep, but fate has not allowed them to be together. Now, the only one he cares about is you."
Only after death does one realize the depth of love. Only when separated by the veil of life and death does one feel the anguish. This kind of drama was dull and ugly.
Yu Yeqing had no interest in it, but just now, he had seen Song Hemei and Shao Wen'ang walk into Jinjin Pavilion together.
He wanted to try one more time.
Since that man claimed to be so deeply in love, he would no longer force him to apologize in his mother's stead. As long as he allowed him to take Minglian away, he would be willing to bow his head.
Yu Yeqing clasped his hands to the man before him: "My younger sister is frail. Would it be permitted for me to keep her by my side?"
Shen Qi hesitated: "This... Miss Qi's origins make it difficult to place her even in the capital, let alone the fact that the poison is incurable. That she has lived to this age is already a victory stolen from the King of Hell. Why force the issue, young master?"
More of the same words.
The faint hope in Yu Yeqing's heart died. He felt there was no need to continue the conversation. He turned to leave, but Shen Qi still blocked him: "Young master, please stay. Though it is difficult, I will try to plead your case. Perhaps it can be arranged."
But before he could respond, Shen Qi paused and added: "However, there is one more thing. This time, the Second Young Master has also come here with the First Young Master. This matter must not be made public. It must be arranged by Lord Lu himself upon returning to Bianjing."
Yu Yeqing nodded in acknowledgment. But at that moment, cries of alarm suddenly came from outside the window.
He instinctively looked out and heard the shouts of the townsfolk mixed with the neighing of a horse. Looking down the left side of the street, he saw chaos. A mad horse, carrying a rider, was galloping straight toward them. As it turned to the right, it was stopped by the street patrol, and the rider was violently thrown off.
Only then did he see clearly who it was—Shao Wen'ang.
Beside him, Shen Qi's expression changed dramatically when he saw the horse. His gaze swept around and then settled on a young man slowly riding a horse not far away.
He spoke hastily: "Young master, I must take my leave now."
With that, he turned and left, heading directly downstairs.
Yu Yeqing frowned slightly. He shifted his gaze away from Shao Wen'ang and involuntarily looked up, only to lock eyes with Song Hemei, who was standing on the opposite side of the street.
He didn't know when she had appeared there. Below, her husband was howling in pain, surrounded by a crowd, while she stared at him with a puzzled expression, her lips slightly parted as if about to say something.
But the next moment, Song Hemei was pushed from behind by Qiu Wan.
"What are you standing there like a fool for? He's fallen so badly—why aren't you going over to check on him!"
Song Hemei snapped back to reality. Seeing the Shao family retainers crowding around, she hurriedly lifted her skirt and rushed out.
For now, she had to set Yu Yeqing aside and get to Shao Wen'ang's side. She had to show concern, to care for him—because she was his wife. It was best if everyone saw that their marital relations were harmonious.
But from Yu Yeqing's perspective, it looked as though she was panicked with worry, reckless enough to rush toward the danger despite not knowing whether the mad horse had been subdued.
As Song Hemei threaded her way through the gawking crowd, she finally saw clearly that Shao Wen'ang had already fallen unconscious. His clothes were stained with straw, the hem of his robe was soaked in blood, and his entire body was impaled on a cart beside him. At that moment, he was being lifted off.
Anyone who saw such a scene would be shocked. She had never witnessed anything so horrifying. The color drained from her face, but she still had to steel herself and step forward.
"Husband!"
She pushed aside the servant beside her, bent down, and cradled his face: "What are you all standing there for? Hurry and fetch a doctor!"
The Shao household servants had been panicking, but at her command, they found their bearings and immediately went to find a nearby physician.
She turned to look at the horse, which had been subdued. She didn't know much about horses, but having grown up around the family business, she had a decent eye for quality. The horse's coat was glossy and fine—clearly no ordinary beast. And Shao Wen'ang was no horseman. Where had the horse come from, and why would he willingly ride it?
She didn't know the details, but she sensed something was wrong. She quickly ordered the Shao family retainers: "Where did this horse come from? Seize it at once!"
The servant who had returned from the medical clinic brought a stretcher. Together, they lifted Shao Wen'ang onto it. As they raised him, a pool of blood could be seen on the ground.
It was truly horrifying and sickening. Song Hemei frowned involuntarily but couldn't openly show her disgust. She covered her mouth with her handkerchief, feigning a worried and sorrowful expression.
At that moment, her sister-in-law came up beside her and helped steady her, patting her on the back: "Don't cry, don't cry. Your husband will be fine."
Song Hemei nodded and followed her sister-in-law as they moved forward.
But just two steps in, she looked up and happened to see Yu Yeqing standing behind the crowd—
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