Chapter 99: Insecure
There were few people on the road at night, and the carriage was moving fast, causing Song Hemei's body to bump against his chest again and again.
Being held, she simply raised a hand and thumped him on the back: "What nonsense are you spouting? I've told you how many times not to think of me like that."
Yu Yeqing, upon hearing this, responded with a low murmur but still held her tightly without letting go.
Perhaps it was because he had seen her reluctance to part with Shao Lianzhu, or perhaps because of her familiarity with Shao Wen'ang, this anxiety of gain and loss that was embedded in his heart was stirred up again.
The more content he had been with her these past few days, the greater the power of this anxiety of gain and loss became. Regardless of whether his panic was grounded, any hint that could overturn everything now would give rise to immense unease in him.
He gently nuzzled Song Hemei's neck, his lips lightly pressed against her fair nape, his scorching breath seemingly and imperceptibly winding around it. This made Song Hemei feel a little itchy and she instinctively wanted to dodge.
"Alright, let me go now. We're still in the carriage. Aren't you afraid you'll get dizzy later?"
Yu Yeqing, hearing this, slowly released her but still kept her hand firmly clasped.
Song Hemei was somewhat helpless. The irritation that had arisen from being at the Shao residence was now dispelled by his continuous clinginess, so much so that she could no longer sink into it but instead began to look forward to the days ahead.
"Late at night, and with all these things I've brought, where can we go?"
Yu Yeqing's tone was calm, clearly prepared. "When I first arrived in Linzhou, I rented a residence with my colleagues. We'll stay there temporarily for these couple of days."
Song Hemei was truly surprised. She didn't know what regulations the court had given him and simply asked, "Since you already have a ready residence, why did you insist on staying at the Shao residence?"
Although the Shao residence had prepared a large guest room for him, the room had been uninhabited for a long time, with old dust already embedded in every nook and cranny. It would take someone living there for ten days or half a month to revive the room, not to mention that when he first arrived, the mosquitoes had been terrible.
Upon hearing this, Yu Yeqing raised his pitch-black eyes to stare at her. Many words were hidden in his gaze, but he did not speak a single one. Looked closely, there was even some helplessness and... grievance.
"You tell me," he countered, his voice soft.
Only then did Song Hemei realize. She gave an awkward smile. "I see. It was for me."
She took his hand back and simply pulled it into her embrace, shaking it gently while whispering coaxingly, "But this time it's good. I'll move there with you. From now on, wherever you live, I'll follow you, okay?"
Her words were full of sincerity. Yu Yeqing took them as a promise and nodded solemnly.
The road wasn't that close, but fortunately the horses ran unimpeded, and soon they arrived at the front gate of the residence.
From the outside, it looked unremarkable—a two-section compound, with a doorway neither new nor old. But once inside, one could sense a hidden world of wonders.
Everywhere looked simple, but everywhere used good things.
Song Hemei had also developed good taste from a young age. With a sweep of her eyes, she could tell that any single piece of decoration in this courtyard was extraordinary—far superior to the Shao residence.
But on second thought, it made sense. Who would dare to treat someone sent by the court shabbily? Yet they also feared the suspicion of bribery, so they built such residences that looked ordinary but were actually hidden paradises. It was to be expected.
She couldn't help sighing, "It must have been hard on you. You had such a nice place but ended up staying at the Shao residence with me."
Yu Yeqing, however, held her hand and said in a deep voice, "It's hardly hardship. Now it seems it was all worth it."
He said this seriously, with no intention of coaxing her with sweet talk—of course, he had never been one to say pleasant things.
Song Hemei felt comforted in her heart and leaned gently against his arm.
Passing through the front door, they reached the main courtyard. There was only a gatekeeper in this residence, who had already settled with Chunhui and Suhui in the outer courtyard. Now there were only the two of them. Yu Yeqing asked tentatively, "Which place do you want to stay?"
Song Hemei gave him a strange look. "Naturally, I'll lodge with you. Unless this residence usually has visitors and you're afraid of being seen?"
"No, I'm just worried you might not be used to it."
For ordinary married couples, they too had separate bedchambers. He worried too much—feared she would be uncomfortable living with him, feared she would think it too fast and seem improper, feared that he would act impetuously and cause misunderstanding and hurt her.
Now that it had come to this, he was somewhat reluctant to move forward, not knowing how to get along with her.
But Song Hemei understood his delicate thoughts and simply said, "What's there to get used to? We haven't slept together for the first time, you know."
She took his hand and led him into the room first. Yu Yeqing let go of her hand, took out a fire striker, and lit up the room.
The room was clean and tidy. On the small couch was a traveling bag, likely Yu Yeqing's belongings. The rest of the commonly used items were placed on the table, new and clean, clearly just purchased.
Yu Yeqing stood behind her, his deep voice traveling from her back to her ears. "When I interrogated Shao Wen'ang today, I knew I could take you away tonight, but it was somewhat abrupt, so I could only hastily ask someone to prepare things. Though they aren't fine, don't worry—this won't happen again in the future."
As he spoke, his words rang like a vow. Song Hemei felt that his next sentence might be accompanied by a raised hand for an oath.
She turned around and looked up at him. "Why are you so nervous? It's just a temporary stay. How could I fault you on that?"
Yu Yeqing slowly let out a breath. His tall figure stood before her with lowered eyes, seeming somewhat at a loss.
Song Hemei stepped forward two steps, raised her arms to encircle his waist, and buried her head in his chest. "Relax. Tonight is a good day. You're acting as if I'm inspecting you."
With her chin resting on his chest, she looked up at him, her tone somewhat seductive. "It's late. Don't you plan to rest?"
Yu Yeqing's Adam's apple moved. He raised his arm to circle her back and nodded slightly.
There were no servants in the residence, and Chunhui and Suhui were also unfamiliar with it. But fortunately, Yu Yeqing had an eye for work. He went to the side room to heat water and arranged the bedding.
After she had bathed and was sitting on the bed in only her undergarment, watching him still seemingly busy, Song Hemei couldn't help urging him, "What are you still bustling about? Won't you come rest? It's not like I'm going to eat you."
Yu Yeqing was still organizing things she might need. Hearing this, his body paused and he slowly turned to look at her.
In the room, only two candle flames were lit, both placed beside the bedding. The warm, fluffy candlelight seemed to cast a gentle glow on her. Moreover, her hair was loose, and her moon-white thin undergarment wrapped around her body, making her look tranquil and gentle. Not to mention her bright eyes that were constantly watching him, as if he was the only one in them.
Yu Yeqing's throat tightened. He felt as if he had fallen into a ridiculous dream from some night.
But in that dream, she looked at him gently because she was afraid of him, feigning tenderness to escape, trying to lure him over to kill him.
But now, her beautiful eyes blinked their long lashes at him, then slightly furrowed her brows, her tone carrying some impatience. "What are you standing there for? I told you to come rest. Don't make me say it twice."
Yu Yeqing felt that her words turned into a pair of slender, gentle hands, yet with no small strength pushing him on the back, pushing him in front of her, making him slowly bend down before her, bowing beside her legs, enabling him to raise his arm to encircle her waist and bury his face in her bosom.
He nuzzled gently, smelling the clean scent on her, as if at this moment, all his beautiful dreams had become reality as a matter of course.
Song Hemei was rendered without temper by his actions. She raised a hand to pull him up. "Alright, come up quickly. Can't you hold me while lying down?"
The bed was not large, but two people could sleep while pressed tightly together.
Song Hemei used some strength to pull him, and Yu Yeqing followed her strength onto the bed. After blowing out the candle, he pulled her into his arms and gently kissed the top of her head.
"Rest early. Did Madam Zhang bother you today?"
Song Hemei let him hold her and casually said, "She did come to bother me, but I'm already used to her. It doesn't matter if she says a few unpleasant words; I've given them all back anyway."
Yu Yeqing fell silent, his eyes cold in the darkness.
Song Hemei didn't notice. She closed her eyes. Though it was a new place, lying in his arms made her feel very at ease, and sleep came quickly.
She managed to ask another question, "Has Shao Wen'ang's matter been resolved? Did he really kill someone?"
Murder requires life for life. Even if Shao Wen'ang died, it would be fine, but she felt pity for Shao Lianzhu.
If it was really murder, with such a father, Shao Lianzhu would likely never be able to pursue an official career in the future.
Yu Yeqing, with his lips close to the top of her head, began to explain. "No. After leaving the residence, he had been staying in that establishment all along, and he always had that one male prostitute serve him. But that male prostitute had an entanglement with one of the establishment's courtesans, which was discovered by the courtesan's regular customer, who accidentally killed him. That person conspired with the courtesan to exonerate himself, promising to redeem her after the matter was settled, and thus pinned the blame on Shao Wen'ang."
Song Hemei thought it over and discovered a point. "Shao Wen'ang was also a regular customer of that establishment, wasn't he?"
Yu Yeqing paused and gave a low affirmation.
Song Hemei gave a cold laugh. "He really is incorrigible. What else could he be doing there?"
Could it be that after ruining his health, he couldn't even perform with a woman?
If he hired a courtesan, it might be for visual pleasure, but what was hiring a male prostitute about?
Song Hemei found it disgusting and didn't want to think deeply about it. The more she thought, the clearer her memory of the smell of powder on him became, as if that scent could haunt her like a restless ghost.
She took a deep breath, but Yu Yeqing's hand reached under the covers and caught hers.
"I don't know what he did either, but he wasn't too stupid. He knew it was disgraceful to visit male prostitutes, so he didn't reveal his identity at first. Otherwise, those people wouldn't have dared to pin the matter on him."
He paused, his voice losing some confidence. "When I passed judgment on him today, I didn't take the opportunity to punish him. Will you blame me?"
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