Chapter 31: Thin Lips
It was Yu Yeqing who spoke first after a moment of silence.
"Young Master Shao is in the prime of his life. A startled horse incident probably won't be too serious. I'm sure a man of good fortune—"
"Quickly, spit that out!" Song Hemei was startled by his words, furrowing her brows as she turned her head. "You're not allowed to say such unlucky things."
If Shao Wen'ang's health were truly fine, then she would have been happy for nothing.
Fortunately, she had seen it with her own eyes, which gave her plenty of confidence at this moment. She knew Shao Wen'ang's condition could never improve; otherwise, she would have been truly unsettled by such words.
And Yu Yeqing, clearly taken aback by what she said, still heeded her and spat once.
Song Hemei felt a bit more satisfied, but then, thinking about what he had just said, a surge of anger welled up inside her.
Did he so desperately hope that Shao Wen'ang would be unharmed?
She crossed her arms over her chest and squinted at him. "Is that all you wanted to say to me?"
Yu Yeqing's lips moved slightly. There was much he wanted to say, but very little he had the right to utter.
To rashly reveal his feelings would be a terrifying offense; empty promises were the most illusory; an uncertain future was even more absurd. After thinking it over, in the end, he could only respond with silence.
But Song Hemei didn't like him being so taciturn. She simply interrupted his silence. "Alright, you don't need to say anymore."
Her tone wasn't particularly good, carrying a hint of dissatisfaction—both with Yu Yeqing and with herself.
She felt that there was no need for her to be like this. She was the employer; why should she care about what Yu Yeqing was thinking?
If he thought the same as her, that would be the icing on the cake. If he thought differently, as long as he understood that taking money meant getting rid of troubles for his client, and obeyed her orders to do whatever she said, that would be fine.
What was the point of her asking like this? Since she had already paid the silver, there was no need to bare her heart.
She raised her head slightly to look at the person before her, her gaze sliding from the peak of his brows down to his long lashes, then along his high nose bridge to his thin lips.
Anyway, since she was already here, and she had nothing else to do...
Song Hemei pressed her lips together, her expression turning serious. "Come with me."
Yu Yeqing still obeyed her very well. As soon as she turned and walked forward, his footsteps immediately followed.
Song Hemei walked behind a large tree nearby. Seeing that the trunk was clean, she leaned directly against it, tilted her head up to the person before her, and said, "Come here."
After several times, they already had an unspoken understanding. She didn't need to explain herself clearly, nor did she need to use actions to remind him. In a mere exchange of gazes, Yu Yeqing understood her meaning.
His thin lips pressed together, his Adam's apple involuntarily bobbed. His heart, which had been wrapped in disappointment for quite a while, seemed to be infused with a warm spring, making it start beating again.
At the same time, he felt that the woman before him was so vividly bold that it nearly made him lose control.
Yu Yeqing's eyes darkened. He took a few steps to stand before her, fixed his gaze on her bright eyes, and when he sensed the urging in her gaze, he leaned down and kissed her.
Lips and teeth interlocking naturally drew out the taste of passion and intoxication. With nowhere to put her hands, Song Hemei simply wrapped them around the neck of the person before her. It was this action that seemed to give Yu Yeqing silent permission and encouragement. His strong hand directly encircled her waist, lifting her entire body up and pressing her tightly against his chest.
The sensation of their lips grinding together was painful yet numbing. Song Hemei felt her body gradually relax. The hand on her back and waist was very steady, allowing her to lean back without fear of falling.
Only when her tongue root went numb and the feeling of suffocation overtook the instinctive dizziness and buzzing did she gently pat Yu Yeqing's shoulder to signal him to stop.
But he was clearly not as quick to obey orders as before. Even after she signaled him to stop, he still sucked on her lower lip a little longer, as if using a great deal of strength to separate from her.
Song Hemei paid it no mind. She was accustomed to resting her forehead against his shoulder, slowly evening out her breath, while his hand behind her gently patted her back to help her calm down.
"Was I too rough? I'll be gentler next time."
Song Hemei's heart skipped a beat, feeling that his choice of words was inappropriately risqué.
She didn't lift her head but, guided by the strength of his arm, pressed closer to him, letting all her weight rest on him.
Her lips still felt slightly swollen, so she instinctively bit them with her teeth, but her thoughts involuntarily drifted to Shao Wen'ang.
His mouth was also very unruly. Since the carriage accident could smash that place into chaos, why couldn't it smash his mouth too, giving him peace from the six senses, so everyone else could have peace as well?
The moment she thought of him and the Shao family, Song Hemei's heart uncontrollably grew heavier.
Yu Yeqing was like a dream she escaped into from everything. In the dream, she could do as she pleased, and all the shackles of the world would dissolve, no longer trapping her.
But dreams always end. The more joyful the body and mind in the dream, the more the feeling of falling upon waking tears at the heart and lungs, giving rise to a melancholy that is hard to face.
Song Hemei buried her face in his embrace and sighed softly. Slowly, she straightened up and stepped out of his arms. When she spoke again, there was a resolution like a warrior breaking his own wrist. "Alright, that's enough."
She patted his shoulder lightly. "Go back early."
With that, she smoothed her dress, turned, and walked away, leaving Yu Yeqing standing there alone.
The warmth in his embrace vanished, making the sudden sense of loss in his heart even harder to bear. What did she mean by "that's enough"? Did she mean to end it here with him?
He turned his head, his gaze following her gradually receding figure—a figure he had seen so many times before. But this time, it filled him with escalating panic. The unbearable, dull pain gradually gave rise to courage.
He thought, he had to ask clearly. Even if it meant ending things here, he needed to ask for a clear answer so he could be completely resigned.
This was the first time he followed that figure, following his heart, and then, he grabbed her wrist.
"What about the future?" he asked.
Song Hemei, clearly not having anticipated this move, paused in her steps with a dazed expression. "What?"
Yu Yeqing's Adam's apple bobbed. "When will we meet next?"
This question also made Song Hemei feel vexed. Once she went to the Shao residence, everything would be beyond her control. How could she possibly move in and out of the estate as freely as she did now?
She sighed helplessly. "We'll talk about it later."
This answer seemed to shatter all of Yu Yeqing's foolish hopes. He felt that every breath he took, as it passed through his lungs, dragged with it a pain of betrayal.
Was this a polite refusal? Was it a hint that this was the end?
Yu Yeqing's handsome face turned somewhat pale, but Song Hemei had no idea what was going through his mind.
Having wallowed in her misery enough, she raised her head and smiled at him. "But they won't be able to keep me locked up. Once I figure out a way, I'll come find you."
She thought, although her start with Yu Yeqing was born from impulse and a desire for revenge, now that she was going to the Shao residence to live as a widow in all but name, why should she remain an empty room for a man like Shao Wen'ang?
Her family used her to fill a hole, the Shao family used her as a cover. She might as well do something unconventional and rebellious. It was only fair, wasn't it?
It was just a pity for poor Young Master Yu—his hopes of ending this ill-fated entanglement with her were bound to fail.
In a good mood, Song Hemei magnanimously sympathized with him. She reached out and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. You won't be shortchanged."
But Yu Yeqing's heart was numb with surprise at her words. The palm gripping her wrist felt scalding hot. The blade that was about to fall had been lifted again by her own hand. She allowed him to continue lingering pathetically by her side.
"Good," he said in a low voice, but only he knew the eagerness within. "This humble one is at the Second Miss's disposal."
Song Hemei was very satisfied with his attitude. It seemed this forced melon had finally accepted its fate.
She had taken her resentment and bitterness out on him, threatening him with his sister to drag him into this muddy water. She wasn't a good person herself. Since that was the case, she would treat him a little better.
As they parted, she took an embroidered pouch from her sleeve and pressed it into Yu Yeqing's hand. "An advance on your retainer. Consider it a reward for being obedient."
She took two steps, then paused and turned back. "Oh, I saw you at Jufu Vegetarian Restaurant today. If you go again, you should try the food there. It's not bad. Just mention my name. I'm on very good terms with the eldest daughter of the restaurant's owner. It'll be charged to my private account, so no one will notice."
Yu Yeqing's hand, holding the pouch, paused. He didn't explain why he had been there, only nodded and acknowledged her words.
Song Hemei went straight back to the Song residence. Qiu Wan had already returned and informed Father and Mother Song of the matter. As soon as she entered the house, she was summoned to her parents' courtyard.
They asked where she had been. She vaguely replied that she had gone to the medical clinic to check on Shao Wen'ang's injuries. The moment she said it, her parents' faces turned grave as they asked about the severity of the injuries.
With her parents, of course, she had to explain everything in detail. She recounted everything from Shao Wen'ang's injuries to her conversation with Madam Shao.
Her father's face visibly lit up. "Good news! This is good news!"
He must have been thinking the same thing as her. Song Hemei took a sip of tea and said nothing.
Father Song paced around the room, pondering how to broach the topic when he met with Lord Shao. Then, looking at Song Hemei, a wave of paternal affection surged within him. "Hemei, go back and rest now. Xiqiu, see Hemei to her room."
Mother Song responded, took Song Hemei's hand, and led her out.
From the moment she heard the news, her face had been full of worry. Now that the mother and daughter were alone, there was no need for circumspection in their speech. "Hemei, life is going to be hard from now on."
Song Hemei heard this but felt a trace of mockery in her heart.
When she spoke of hardship, she meant life in the Shao residence. With Shao Wen'ang's line cut off, and with outsiders unaware of the truth, gossip about her would be inevitable—not to mention the difficulty of a marriage without such relations, and the future necessity of considering an adopted heir.
Her mother would only think of the difficulties more deeply and thoroughly than she did.
But no matter how hard it was, no matter how clear her mother understood, why couldn't she even say a perfunctory phrase like "stay at home"?
In her mother's heart, when she heard the news, was she more pleased that the Song family's situation had taken a favorable turn, or did she feel more pity for this daughter she had raised and cherished since childhood?
Some things, some words, it's better to muddle through them and not get too clear or speak too plainly.
Her parents were both merchants; they could calculate their schemes more precisely and cleverly than she could.
A smile curled at the corner of Song Hemei's lips. "It's all right. Since we can't share a bed after all—"
"From now on, the nights will be long. It's only logical for me to find something to pass the time, isn't it?"
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