Chapter 4: Sweet Relief
The maids exchanged glances, unsure how to broach the question.
Song Hemei gave them a faint, indifferent look and said in her usual tone, "I left it at the Shao residence."
The events of the previous night had been somewhat chaotic. After her undergarment had been pulled off, it had been carelessly tossed aside, inevitably stained with dirt.
She couldn't wash it, nor could she hang it out to dry. She hadn't bothered to see how Yu Yeqing had disposed of it—most likely, he had just thrown it away somewhere.
But since the maids had asked, saying it was at the Shao residence was the safest answer. On their wedding night, a bride leaving her undergarment in the groom's room—who would dare to go and ask about it directly?
After changing into her everyday clothes, Song Hemei studied her reflection in the bronze mirror.
Yesterday, the barely contained anticipation and joy in the mirror's image had made even her feel shy. But today, looking at herself, she felt utterly lifeless.
She watched, her eyes wide open, as the maids slowly combed her hair into the style of a married woman.
Suddenly, she let out a laugh.
Seeing this, the maid's hand holding the comb trembled. "Miss..."
Song Hemei took a deep breath. "It's nothing. Continue combing."
From outside the door came the intermittent sound of her elder brother and Yu Yeqing talking. Although their voices were lowered, they were loud enough for her to hear, probably because her brother was truly furious.
"I had people searching for her all night! I was terrified that some scoundrel had kidnapped her. I dared not make inquiries, dared not shout. And you—she was with you the whole time, and you couldn't even send a message!"
Song Yunyao paced in agitation. "If she wouldn't let you send word, couldn't you have sneaked out to do it after she fell asleep? All that studying has addled your brains! You're so stubborn! Thank goodness I found her first, and didn't bring anyone from the Shao family. If they found out you two were alone together all night... Ai! What would become of her reputation!"
Song Hemei closed her eyes. The smile faded from her face.
Why hadn't her brother asked if she had been mistreated? His every word only cared about her reputation.
But then again, her reputation now didn't just concern the Song family; it concerned the Shao family as well. And it was the Shao family—her wonderful brother and parents were all waiting to ride the coattails of the Shao family's power.
Suddenly, the image of Yu Yeqing's cold, silent expression flashed through her mind. He must feel terribly wronged, caught up in this undeserved disaster.
With that thought, Song Hemei stood up, intending to go out and stop her brother's ranting. But just as she pushed the door open, she heard a clear, calm voice: "Second Miss doesn't wish to marry."
Song Hemei halted her steps. Through the half-open door, she saw the man standing in the courtyard with his hands behind his back.
Yu Yeqing gazed at Song Yunyao. His tone was even, but the conviction in it was palpable.
"Since that is the case, Eldest Young Master should not send her back to the Shao residence."
He stepped closer to Song Yunyao, then turned. His tall frame blocked Song Hemei's view, as if shielding her behind him.
"Selling your daughter for personal gain—that is the act of a petty man."
His voice was not loud, but each word, lightly spoken, carried a strange weight.
Song Hemei was momentarily stunned. She had never told him about her brother's words.
How did he know?
But Yu Yeqing had always been clever. Even without knowing the specifics, it wasn't surprising that he could deduce it was a matter of selling a daughter for advancement.
Yet Song Hemei felt a deep bitterness in her heart. Even an outsider understood such a basic truth.
So why didn't her brother and parents?
She hadn't expected that, from last night until now, Yu Yeqing would be the first person to speak in her defense.
But Song Yunyao, after a brief moment of being impressed, quickly recovered. "This is a matter for the Song family. What right do you have to speak!"
In his eyes, Yu Yeqing was, to put it nicely, his younger brother's study companion. In reality, he was no different from a servant.
And now he dared to lecture him!
He was about to let out a sarcastic retort when Song Hemei pushed the door open at the right moment. "Brother, what are you making a fuss about?"
Song Yunyao choked back his words, suppressing whatever he was about to say. He walked around the man blocking his path to look at his sister.
He had watched this girl grow up. Now that she was married, her hair was pinned up, signaling that she now belonged to another family.
And his sister, who always smiled cheerfully at him, now had coldness in her eyes. There was a smile on her lips, but it was only a sneer.
His heart felt a little uneasy, as if he were being painted as a terrible person. How could he not cherish his own sister?
He sighed softly and stepped forward to put his arm around his sister's shoulders. "Brother knows you've been wronged. See, I'm taking you to seek justice right away, aren't I? I've already informed Father and Mother. When we get back, we'll all go to the Shao residence together."
The half-dead hope in Song Hemei's heart was reignited by these words. Her eyes sparkled with light.
"Really?"
"How could I lie to you?" Song Yunyao wished he could raise his hand and swear to heaven.
"Those unclean women absolutely cannot stay. But you know Shao Wen'ang's character. Are you going to abandon him just because of a concubine? Can you bear to?"
The light in her eyes was extinguished, vanishing without a trace.
Song Hemei said nothing.
But it wasn't because she couldn't bear to part with him.
People's minds can be strange sometimes. After what had happened last night, she felt a vague sense of having turned the tables. The nausea she had felt upon discovering everything yesterday had been replaced by a quiet, secret pleasure.
She couldn't help but wonder—if Shao Wen'ang, her parents, and her brother found out about what had happened last night, what would their reactions be?
She anticipated it, and that anticipation brought her a secret thrill. But she couldn't tell them.
Not for the sake of her own reputation, but for Yu Yeqing's.
She secretly lifted her gaze to look at the man before her. To her surprise, Yu Yeqing was also looking at her. The expression in his dark eyes was complex, making it impossible for her to decipher what he was thinking.
At any rate, those dark eyes were not as alluring as they had been last night, uncontrolled and unfocused.
Was he afraid? Afraid she would reveal what had happened last night? Or was he pitying her, pitying that she had resorted to using her own body to take revenge out of helplessness?
But her silence was interpreted by both men as tacit agreement. Song Yunyao breathed a sigh of relief. "Be a good girl. Get on the carriage."
Song Hemei did not refuse. He carefully helped her into the carriage.
The Song family's processions were always grand, but since this was about retrieving a runaway bride—not a glorious affair—they only had one coachman and two maids. The departure was meant to go unnoticed.
The usually desolate little house fell silent again. Yu Yeqing watched the departing carriage, his hand unconsciously clenching inside his wide sleeve.
A sense of powerlessness enveloped him completely, a constant reminder of his own inadequacy.
He shouldn't have let her go. He should have kept her there, regardless of the consequences. But when he should have said those words, he had hesitated.
He was not worthy of her. Last night, he should have stopped her, should have prevented her from acting rashly.
Yu Yeqing closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw the horse slowly emerging from behind the house.
It was the horse she had ridden here last night. But it seemed no one had remembered it. It had been left behind, abandoned—just like him.
But in the next instant, impulse overwhelmed reason. Yu Yeqing's eyes darkened. He stepped forward, vaulted onto the horse, and followed the direction the carriage had taken.
Song Hemei gazed out the carriage window in silence.
Song Yunyao wouldn't stop nagging. "Dear sister, a concubine really isn't a big deal."
Song Hemei suddenly turned her head and asked a question she had never thought to ask before. "Brother, do you have a concubine?"
Song Yunyao was completely thrown off by the question. He stammered, unable to form a reply.
How could he discuss the affairs of his own chambers with his sister?
Song Hemei nodded. "Then that means you do."
She curled her lips in a meaningful smile. "No wonder Brother is so understanding towards him."
It must be tough on her sister-in-law.
Song Yunyao was choked by her words. He was indeed a little angry, but he had never lost his temper with his sister since they were children. Even when he was furious, he would just sigh a couple of times and let it go.
He gave a rueful laugh and looked her up and down. Suddenly, he asked, "Mei'er, where are the hair ornaments from your trousseau?"
His expression immediately turned cold. "You didn't have them stolen, did you? This won't do. I have to find them for you. Those were made specially for your marriage, commissioned by Mother when you were born."
Seeing how serious he was, Song Hemei helplessly reached out and stopped him, casually glossing over it. "They must have fallen off somewhere. It's not important."
She said softly, "Prepared for my marriage? Those weren't prepared for me. They were prepared for my future husband."
"It must have been hard on Mother, starting from the day I was born, to prepare such a generous gift for her future son-in-law, whom she had never even met."
A dowry—you had to be married first before you had a dowry. If she never married, would they have specially made hair ornaments for her? Since they were meant to be displayed for her future husband to see, how could they be considered as given to her?
Song Yunyao couldn't stand to hear any more. "What kind of talk is that? Of the three of us siblings, Mother loves you the most. Giving you that set of gold hair ornaments was to give you leverage in your husband's home, so you wouldn't have to beg with your palm up, so you wouldn't have to read anyone's expression."
Song Hemei turned to look at him, a faint trace of mockery in her eyes. "Rather than giving me gold hair ornaments, it would be better to grant me an amicable divorce and let me return home. But brother, would you allow it?"
Song Yunyao was irritated by her stubbornness and was about to say something more, but Song Hemei had no desire to listen. She simply closed her eyes and ignored him.
The carriage fell silent, broken only by Song Yunyao's heavy sigh.
The road back to the Shao residence was short. Such was the way of the world—the more you wanted to slow down, the faster it went, always working against you.
Song Yunyao got down from the carriage first. Shao Wen'ang was already waiting at the gate. When Song Hemei stepped down, holding her brother's hand, she looked up and saw him.
The red silk hangings still decorated the Shao residence's gate, and the red fragments from the celebratory firecrackers were embedded in the cracks between the paving stones, reminding everyone of yesterday's joyous event.
The moment Shao Wen'ang saw her, joy immediately appeared in his eyes and brows. He stepped forward to approach her.
But just then, Cao Lingchun suddenly emerged from somewhere. She ran to Song Hemei first and knelt down. "Madam, it's all this servant's fault. Please, Madam, vent your anger on this servant. Do not blame the First Young Master."
Her preemptive strike made Song Hemei stop in her tracks.
Cao Lingchun had a slender figure, but her belly was large. Kneeling there, she looked pitiful to the extreme, as if Song Hemei were intentionally making things difficult for her.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Song Hemei's lips. She wasn't even pretending anymore.
But before she could speak, a familiar shout rang out. "Which insolent slave dares to create a scene in front of my sister? Watch me whip you!"
Song Hemei was startled. She followed the sound and saw her younger brother, Song Jilang, sitting on a horse, brandishing a whip.
But her gaze did not linger on her younger brother for long.
Because there was another person behind him, riding the same horse.
It was Yu Yeqing, whom she had just parted from.
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