Chapter 115: Entering the Capital
Song Hemei's cheeks were cradled, but at this moment, no amount of comfort could do anything but make her heart ache even more bitterly. Her tears traced the corners of her eyes, falling straight down into Yu Yeqing's palm.
"I don't know either..."
She pressed her lips together, pulled free from his grasp, and buried her face in his chest, holding him tightly.
Yu Yeqing could only gently stroke her back, accompanying her as she endured the pain bit by bit.
Originally, they had planned to set out for the capital the next day, but because of this, Song Hemei wanted to stay first, to keep vigil by her elder brother's spirit for the seven days until his burial, and then go to the capital after it was all done.
But Yu Yeqing disagreed. He could not bear even a moment's separation from her. After their previous parting had stretched into three years, now that everything had finally settled, such a great calamity had occurred at a critical moment. He dared not think what would happen if they truly went their separate ways.
He cast aside his original plans and stayed with her. The matters of keeping vigil and burial were not handled in an ordinary manner either. Father Song lay bedridden, Mother Song was frail, and Qiu Wan was incapable of managing affairs. Everything relied on Jilang to hold things together.
Song Hemei stayed to help. Song Jilang was relieved but worried for her. "Sister, brother-in-law still needs to return to the capital as soon as possible to report on his duties. I have the rest under control. You should go with him first."
With her elder brother gone, even addressing her by her birth order now felt difficult and raw.
She patted Jilang's shoulder. "I also want to see my elder brother off on his final journey. Besides, how could I feel at ease leaving you alone?"
Song Jilang's eyes were red as well. He hastily turned his head away and wiped away the falling tears with his sleeve.
Song Hemei kept vigil for seven days, and Yu Yeqing stayed by her side the entire time. Only on the day after the burial did they finally set foot on the road back to the capital.
Yu Yeqing comforted her. "Don't worry. It's far from here to the capital. If we push hard on the road, we can squeeze the travel time down to seven days. Even if we can't, arriving two days late won't bring any reproach."
Song Hemei nodded listlessly and leaned gently against him.
From Changzhou to the capital, the journey took a full two months. As Yu Yeqing had said, they managed to shave off four days, but they were still three days late.
Song Hemei's heart was no longer as grief-stricken as when she had first left home. The scenery they passed along the way allowed her to temporarily suppress her sorrow.
The weather in the capital was much hotter than in Changzhou. The farther south she traveled, the more uncomfortable she became. She remarked matter-of-factly, "Good thing I reglued the marriage certificate. Otherwise, it would definitely have gotten damp and moldy. In Pingzhou, where moisturizing creams sell best, the people who glue marriage certificates wouldn't be focused on preventing dampness and mold, would they?"
Yu Yeqing loosely wrapped his arm around her, afraid to get too close in the heat lest it backfire and she push him away again. He could only rest his chin lightly on her shoulder and said with a smile, "You're right. Our marriage certificate has already overcome its calamity ahead of time."
Song Hemei let him take her hand and lead her, her mind only thinking of meeting Minglian and wondering if she would like the things they had bought along the way.
The young girl had always been easygoing, so she would probably like anything, but Song Hemei still hoped to please her more.
The carriage entered the capital, passed through bustling streets, turned a few alleyways, and arrived before a residence.
Approaching home, Yu Yeqing felt somewhat nervous, afraid she wouldn't like it or wouldn't be comfortable. He stepped down from the carriage first, then reached out his hand for her to support herself as she descended, and led her inside.
The gatekeeper saw him, cupped his hands and addressed him as "Lord," then noticed Song Hemei by his side, showing no surprise on his face.
She asked him in a low voice, "Did you send word ahead? I've been with you all day; how come I didn't know?"
Yu Yeqing thought for a moment. "I only mentioned it a few times in my letters to Minglian. She must have given instructions in advance."
As they walked into the courtyard, the residence was not particularly impressive. Land in the capital was worth its weight in gold, so a property this large certainly wasn't cheap, but the scenery and layout were far inferior to the Song residence.
Song Hemei examined every place they passed, noting everything in her heart. When she had been full of thoughts for Shao Wen'ang, she hadn't even observed the Shao residence with such care on her first visit.
Perhaps it was because, no matter what, she would never truly be the one managing the Shao household. But in Yu Yeqing's residence, things were different. From now on, every blade of grass and every tree here would also belong to her.
But the more seriously she looked, the more nervous Yu Yeqing became. His grip on her hand tightened. "I know you don't like it. The scenery here is too simple. In a few days, I'll take you to choose a large mansion, whatever you like."
Song Hemei quickly refused. "Forget it. There are only three of us—you, me, and Minglian. There's no need to change to a bigger residence."
"But in the future—"
Yu Yeqing's voice paused. He cleared his throat twice, trying to keep his tone as normal as possible. "What if we have children in the future? We'll need more rooms."
Song Hemei wasn't nearly as flustered as he was. She thought it over and said, "Then we can change when the time comes. After a child is born, they'll still need to share a room with us for a while."
She talked about having children as simply as eating or drinking, making Yu Yeqing's hesitation and the faint, imperceptible romantic feeling seem somewhat dishonest.
But in his heart, he was delighted by her plan to spend a long life with him. He could only hold her hand all the tighter.
When they reached the end of the cobblestone path and passed through a moon-shaped doorway, they saw a tall figure standing under the pear tree in the courtyard. Yu Yeqing's expression immediately darkened.
"Why are you here?"
Yu Yeqing's voice was alarmingly cold, heavy with vigilance. "Didn't I say that you are not allowed to come to the residence when I am not here?"
Hearing his tone, Song Hemei looked at the man who had turned around and made a guess in her heart.
This was most likely his biological father, Lord Lu.
The man was around forty years old, dressed in splendid clothes with an imposing bearing—the kind of authority honed by long years in officialdom. His brows and eyes did bear some resemblance to Yu Yeqing's, but his gaze was colder and his lips thinner. Recalling Madam Yu's past experiences, Song Hemei felt an instinctive disgust toward this man.
She hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should speak. If she took the initiative, he might think she was trying to flatter him; if she didn't, it would seem like she, as the younger generation, had lost her manners.
But before she could figure it out, Lord Lu spoke first. "I haven't come during the time you've been away from the capital. I only came today because I heard you were back and wanted to see you."
Then, Lord Lu's gaze fell on her. His hawk-like eyes narrowed. "So this is that Song woman? Qing'er, you are truly foolish and impulsive. A woman from a merchant family—was she really worth all this trouble for you?"
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