Chapter 36: A Fleeting Affair
It felt as if a chilly breeze had swept across the back of her neck. Song Hemei subconsciously shrugged her shoulders. When she turned around, she met her elder brother's gaze fixed upon her, his eyes carrying a strange, unexplainable look.
She patted her chest in surprise. "Brother, what are you doing hiding here in broad daylight to scare people like this?"
Song Yunyao tugged at the corners of his mouth, deliberately asking, "Usually, I never see you come to watch Jilang study. What brings you here in such a good mood today?"
Song Hemei's expression remained unchanged. "Just taking a stroll. By the way, where is Yu Yeqing? There's no one guarding my brother's side."
Song Yunyao crossed his arms over his chest, his tone utterly flat. "He took leave. I don't know why."
So that was it.
That worked out perfectly. She would go see him and personally deliver the reward money.
She nodded at her brother and turned to leave, but Song Yunyao caught on to her intention and called out to stop her. "Where are you going? The entire household now knows you are pregnant. It's not suitable for you to be moving about at this time. You should be resting quietly in the residence."
Song Hemei paid no heed to her brother's words and casually brushed him off. "Fine, I won't go anywhere."
At worst, she would just sneak out. She would be very careful and make sure not to be seen by those who didn't want her leaving the residence.
Like her brother, for instance.
But Song Yunyao was not one to indulge his younger sister's habit of sneaking out of the residence, as he had when they were children.
He called her to a halt, not stating it explicitly, but his words were laden with meaning. "Yu Yeqing is nothing more than an insignificant servant. You need not concern yourself with him. He's just a study companion. Replacing him with someone else is hardly a difficult task. Changzhou is a large city; is it really so hard to find someone who studies well?"
He took two steps forward, lowering his gaze to stare at his sister's back. "Besides, Jilang is getting older. Even if he no longer has a study companion by his side to constantly supervise and watch over him, it won't be a problem."
Song Hemei's footsteps halted in their tracks. She felt her brother was being very strange today.
Yu Yeqing had merely taken leave. Why did it provoke such displeasure in him?
She turned back and saw her brother's expression was somewhat gloomy. "The situation has only just stabilized. We shouldn't create any unnecessary complications. If you're truly bored staying in the residence, why not go to the Shao residence and visit Shao Wen'ang?"
Song Hemei could not help but feel displeased at this. Her brow furrowed slightly. "Brother, you've taken to lecturing me on this matter? We worked so hard to make this happen. I want to avoid any mishaps even more than you do, so I don't have to go back to the Shao family and bow and scrape all over again."
Song Yunyao suddenly realized his tone had been a bit too harsh. His expression softened considerably at once, and his voice followed suit, becoming gentler. "That's not what I meant."
He raised his hand and gently grasped Song Hemei's shoulder. "I know you've suffered grievances. I would rather it be me who bows my head to the Shao family."
Song Hemei didn't like hearing this kind of talk.
It wasn't that she didn't believe him, exactly. It was just that now she understood more clearly that all the "ifs" and "supposes" were empty. Even if spoken with the utmost sincerity, all they could achieve was to make one feel a little better inside, to make the hardships that followed more willingly endured.
She shifted her body slightly to the side, pushing her brother's hand away.
It was at this moment that Song Jilang came out from the door. Seeing them, he beamed cheerfully and called out, "Big brother, second sister, what brings you both here to see me today?"
Song Hemei stepped to the side, and Song Jilang dashed forward a few steps to throw himself into her arms.
But as soon as he hugged her, he quickly stepped back, keeping his distance, and said cautiously, "I just heard that second sister is pregnant. Would this hurt the baby?"
The pregnancy was a fake to begin with. What harm could a quick hug do?
But at that moment, the tutor also walked out from the room. Song Hemei had no choice but to smile. "We do need to be careful. It's still very early in the term. It's already a feat that a pregnancy pulse can be detected."
Song Jilang nodded as if he understood, while Song Yunyao understood his sister's meaning. He personally saw the tutor out and ordered a servant to go to the accounting office and add an extra portion to the tutor's stipend.
When only the two of them remained, Song Jilang put on a serious little face, his expression grave. "Second sister, what does it feel like to be pregnant? Does it make your body uncomfortable?"
Song Hemei pursed her lips and answered vaguely, "It's alright, I suppose. It's too early now, no discomfort."
Song Jilang nodded, but then he asked, "Is Young Master Shao treating you well now? Has he stopped bullying you with other women? If you're still angry, then don't give him a child. Master Sun's mother died giving birth to his younger brother."
Song Hemei's heart softened, and much of the displeasure in her eyes dissipated. She bent down slightly and tapped the tip of his nose. "Alright, I understand, little brother."
Song Jilang, after all, was not very old. He didn't have deep thoughts, and his joys and sorrows shifted quickly.
Hearing his sister's words, he felt she wouldn't let herself be wronged anymore, and his words turned to another matter. "Oh, sister, I haven't told you yet. I've already passed the prefectural examination and am now a tongsheng (licentiate). Father said that in a few months, I can go take the prefectural academy examination."
Song Hemei felt a surge of joy in her heart. This was truly excellent news.
Although the court now permitted merchants to sit for the imperial examinations, there were still many layers of obstacles in between. For it to go so smoothly now, it was inevitable that the Shao family had pulled some strings.
She looked at her younger brother, her gaze tender.
She was very happy that her little brother's future was now bright.
But amidst the joy, she also clearly saw that, in the entire Song family, only she had truly endured the hardship. There was resentment and complaint in her heart, but when she saw the joy, affection, and dependence shining in her little brother's bright eyes as he looked at her, she felt a hole being poked in her resentment, letting her discontent leak out silently, unstoppable.
She didn't think she was being willing. The word "willing" would be a betrayal of the self that once refused to pinch her nose and accept it.
But as she gradually felt her unwillingness being repeatedly squeezed and crushed by this joy, her intense resentment was kneaded, twisted, and flattened, pressed down, with no telling when it might stir up trouble again.
She had been cherished by her parents and elder brother and respected by her younger brother. These indulgences, once envied by her close friends, had now become her shackles and an insurmountable hurdle. She had to admit that she was just someone who couldn't harden her heart. Her decisiveness, in front of her family, would always be heavily compromised.
The resignation of having no choice but to accept her fate enveloped her. In front of her, she forced a smile at the corners of her mouth, pinching her handkerchief to wipe away a small ink stain on her brother's forehead. "Then you'll have to study even harder from now on."
Song Jilang nodded emphatically.
Song Hemei suddenly felt a faint ripple in her heart.
She missed Yu Yeqing a little.
Perhaps it was because rebellious acts always carried the pleasure of release and the addictive lure of temptation.
"Young Master Yu took leave. Did he say why?"
Song Jilang answered honestly, "It should be because his younger sister is sick. He went back early yesterday."
Song Hemei couldn't help but feel a little worried, but she didn't show it in front of her younger brother. She only said a few more words before returning to her courtyard.
Her brother forbade her from going out, so she called for Jin'er and took out banknotes from a lacquer box. "When we first went to hire Young Master Yu, you came with me to his house. Do you still remember it?"
Jin'er thought for a moment, then nodded in affirmation.
Song Hemei handed over the banknotes. "Go and handle this discreetly. Find a doctor and take him to the Yu family. Give the rest of the banknotes to Young Master Yu and tell him to buy some nourishing supplements."
Jin'er promptly agreed and immediately set off.
It had rained for a long time last night. The river was swift. If a person were to walk carelessly along the bank and fall in, by the time someone was sent to fish them out the next day, they would likely never be found.
After several blows with a club, the pain had reached its peak and he had long since lost sensation. When he was thrown into the river, the ropes had to be untied.
Without irrefutable evidence, there was still room for negotiation and a chance to turn things around. But if he were fished out still bound, that would require more than just silver and favors to resolve.
Yu Yeqing was fortunate to have survived, after all. As he drifted downriver, a fallen tree happened to be in the water. Its branches caught him, and in the midst of suffocation, he desperately endured the pain, using his broken arm to grab hold of the branch, eventually crawling ashore bit by bit.
Rain fell on his face and body, but no matter how much he forced himself to carry on, his body had already reached its limit. He closed his eyes, intending to rest a moment to gather strength to get up, but the moment he closed them, when he opened them again, it was already broad daylight.
Before his eyes was the canopy of a bed. Beneath him was soft brocade bedding. His damp clothes had been changed. Only the dizziness in his head and the pain in his body reminded him that he had barely cheated death.
"Young master, you're awake?"
Shen Qi's voice reached his ears first. He looked over and saw Shen Qi standing beside his couch, his face weary. "The young master has finally awakened. If something truly had happened to you, I really wouldn't know how to explain it to the Lord—"
"Minglian." Shen Qi's words were cut off mid-sentence.
Yu Yeqing's voice was hoarse, his mind not yet fully clear, but he insisted stubbornly, "Go save Minglian."
Shen Qi sighed. "I have already brought Miss Qi back. I called a doctor to see her, but she has been suffering from a fever for a long time, which has triggered the heat toxin she has carried since birth. I'm afraid the prognosis is grave. She is currently in the next room, being sustained with ginseng decoction."
Yu Yeqing's pupils contracted sharply. Ignoring the pain in his body, he forced himself to sit up.
Shen Qi knew he couldn't stop him, so he quickly reached out to support him. But when he actually managed to get up, descend from the couch, and step onto the ground, he realized just how severe his injuries were. Every inch of skin and flesh seemed bruised, and the tendons in his legs now flared up, sending excruciating pain through him.
Yu Yeqing couldn't help but inhale sharply. He steadied himself for a moment before gritting his teeth and continuing to walk out.
When he reached the next room, he staggered a few steps, pushed aside Shen Qi's supporting hand, and went to the bedside alone. His body lacked the strength to stand, so he half-knelt down. His raised hand trembled slightly, but he hesitated to lower it.
Minglian was sleeping, her complexion even paler than usual. A damp cloth was placed on her forehead. Silver acupuncture needles were still in her hand. She looked even more on the verge of death than when he had left home yesterday.
Seeing him like this, Shen Qi bowed his head and stood behind him, unable to help but advise him, "Miss Qi's lifespan was never long. The fact that she has endured until now is already remarkable. Sometimes, letting go early is a kindness to her. There's no need for her to suffer in this world—"
"Uncle Shen, are there truly no other options?"
Yu Yeqing's voice was hoarse. When he turned his head, his eyes were bloodshot. "Uncle Shen, I beg you to go find another doctor. Yeqing will always remember your kindness. I will repay it in the future."
By the end, his voice seemed choked, whether from fear or terror.
He only had this one younger sister, the only family he had left.
His sister was raised by him. No matter how hard life had been in the past, he had never given up on her. He had finally seen her grow from a tiny, thin little thing who could only cling to his leg and call him "brother" into the obedient and sensible girl she was now, with only three years left until she reached marriageable age.
Many people said she wouldn't live, but only he knew how difficult it was for his sister to take her medicine, and the loneliness and pain she endured in her suffering. But she never cried or made a fuss. She wanted to live more than anyone else. She said she would stay by his side in place of their parents.
Yu Yeqing grasped Shen Qi's wrist. The anxiety and fear he had felt as a child when his parents died one after another surged back, entangling him, refusing to let him go. He could only cling to the last straw before him. "Uncle Shen, I beg you."
Shen Qi quickly crouched down. "Young master, your words are too kind. The doctors in Changzhou are probably useless. Perhaps... perhaps we should return to the capital ahead of schedule. Then I can ask the Lord to submit a request to the Imperial Academy of Medicine and invite an imperial physician to take a look."
It was easy to say. The distance from here to Bianjing was vast. Even a healthy person would find the journey difficult, let alone one so gravely ill.
And would Lord Lu really trouble himself to personally invite an imperial physician for an unrelated orphan girl?
But there was no other choice. It was a case of treating a dead horse as if it were still alive. If they didn't go to Bianjing, then there truly would be no hope left.
Yu Yeqing forced himself to agree. "Alright."
Hearing this, Shen Qi immediately called for people to start packing.
The young Lord Lu was still on official duty at the moment. As a member of the Court of State Ceremonial, in addition to overseeing city defenses, he also needed to negotiate with the Northern Wei. He couldn't leave immediately. But the Third Young Master Lu had to return with them.
Shen Qi hesitated, then said, "The Third Young Master has been thoroughly spoiled by his mother. Though he is willful, his heart is not bad. If he says something impulsive during the journey, please don't take it to heart, young master."
Yu Yeqing agreed and turned back to look at his sister. At this moment, he had no spare energy to concern himself with a playboy young master.
Shen Qi looked at his silent form and ventured to ask, "Young master, your body seems to have marks from rope strangulation. When we found you, you were already covered in injuries on the riverbank. But it doesn't look like an accidental fall into the river. Could someone have deliberately harmed you?"
Yu Yeqing's long lashes fluttered slightly. He didn't speak, but his mind uncontrollably recalled Song Yunyao's words from the previous night.
Song Hemei was pregnant. It was the Shao family's child.
To eliminate this trouble he posed, she had specifically summoned her elder brother to ensure he was no longer a threat.
He had thought that perhaps one day, she would tire of him. But if she had only told him directly, he would never have pestered her.
But why? Why did she have to be so ruthless? Why did she want this fleeting tryst between them, along with himself, to vanish completely from the world?
His selfishness had led him to pay whatever price he deserved, but why did it have to happen yesterday, at the most critical moment for Minglian, forcing her to suffer the bitter consequences along with him?
A surge of rushing fire rose into his chest. Yu Yeqing coughed violently several times. Both the palm he pressed to his lips and the corners of his mouth were stained with traces of blood.
Amidst Shen Qi's exclamation of alarm, he lost consciousness, carrying this tangled mess of emotions, and fell into a faint once more.
Jin'er returned to the Song residence in the evening.
Song Hemei was idly fiddling with an abacus. When she heard the announcement of her return, she hurriedly rose to greet her, pulling her into the room the moment she reached the door.
"How did it go?"
Jin'er looked up at her, then lowered her head again. "Rest assured, miss. Miss Yu's illness has improved a lot. There's no danger. Young Master Yu also said to thank the young lady."
Song Hemei felt relieved. It was good that nothing was wrong.
She slowly let out a sigh, but then suddenly felt that something was off.
Minglian had been ill for many years. The number of times she had been severely sick was not small. But Yu Yeqing had never taken leave before. After all, taking leave for a day meant losing a day's wages, making the next month even harder. She guessed that in the past, he had relied on Madam Qi to look after her during the day.
This time, he took leave, which must have meant the situation was serious. He had even left early yesterday. How could she have recovered so quickly?
And since she had already improved significantly, why hadn't he come to the residence today?
Song Hemei cast a casual glance at Jin'er, then slowly walked toward the desk, idly playing with a freshly washed wolf-hair brush.
She let out a light sigh. "Young Master Yu's life hasn't been easy. Orphaned of both parents, and now he has to look after a five or six-year-old younger sister. Life must be truly hard. By the way, did you get a chance to see the child's condition?"
Jin'er hesitated for a moment before replying, "I did see her. When the doctor went in to take her pulse, I watched right there by the side. The child didn't cry or make a fuss. Young Master Yu said she looks much better than yesterday."
The moment the words left her mouth, Song Hemei's expression abruptly darkened. She whirled around and stared at her.
She tugged at the corners of her mouth in a semblance of a smile. "Jin'er, now you dare to lie to me, of all people?"
A flash of panic passed through Jin'er's eyes. She immediately knelt down. "Miss, please calm your anger. Every word this servant speaks is true. I would never dare to lie."
Song Hemei let out a cold laugh. "Do you take me for a fool? Miss Yu is now twelve years old. If you had truly seen her, could you not tell the difference between five or six and twelve or thirteen?"
She flung the wolf-hair brush heavily to the ground. "Who gave you the courage to come and deceive me like this?!"
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