Chapter 42: Humiliation
For no reason, Song Hemei felt that these words sounded sinister in her ears.
The summer cicadas, not knowing where they had come from, suddenly chirped in unison all around, accompanied by the still somewhat oppressive sky, making her heart even more vexed.
She did not understand—what was he being so sarcastic about?
It was he who had left without a word back then, and it was also he who now appeared without a sound and then disclaimed any familiarity. Now that he had returned home in glory, he put on this demeanour, as if intending to flaunt his success and mock her?
Then he might as well not say a single word. Was he not just lodging here? Then each should return to their own place. An unrelated man and a married woman should by rights never interact until death.
She took a deep breath, not letting her inner agitation show on her face, and calmly turned back, forcing a faint smile. "Your Excellency jests."
As she lifted her eyes, she met Yu Yeqing's deep gaze, and could even faintly see the reflection of the candlelight and her own figure in his pupils.
He seemed somewhat displeased, his thin lips pressed together, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on her, which only made her feel more stifled.
She had treated him to fine food and drink—what was there to be displeased about? Or was he planning to settle old scores?
It was merely an affair. Now that he held official rank, if he truly exposed it, it would do him no good either.
Song Hemei maintained the same tone. "There are many mosquitoes in the residence; it seems the servants were negligent in attending to Your Excellency. I hope you will not take offense."
She stepped slightly aside to indicate the path, then turned and walked forward slowly, leaving only her back.
The tall shadow on the ground paused for a moment, but soon followed.
He kept a distance from her, neither close nor far, trailing only half a step behind, but at a glance it seemed as if they were walking side by side—just as before.
Yet she thought, it was indeed different from before. If it had been the old days, she would have had to urge him to walk faster and come to her side.
The Shao residence was within the bounds of a prefect's mansion, yet not too small. After all, when they had first arrived, the Shao family had been at its peak, with a bright future ahead, and every corner of the residence displayed refined elegance. Fortunately, this meant she did not feel too shabby in front of Yu Yeqing.
The residence had few servants. Most had been let go when her former father-in-law fell from grace—first, to cut expenses in preparation for emergencies, and second, it would not do for the younger generation to live lavishly while the parents suffered hardship, lest others talk.
But as a result, as they walked along, there were only the two of them, which felt a little odd.
When they exited the corridor and stepped onto the stone-paved path in the small courtyard, Yu Yeqing spoke out of the blue. "Second Miss, have you ever thought that I would return?"
His low voice, accompanied by the crunching of gravel underfoot, made her heart skip a beat. From the corner of her eye, she caught the tall figure in the blue robe at her side, and she suddenly sensed a hint of danger.
But this feeling had barely arisen when it was suppressed by another thought.
He actually called her Second Miss. Had he not said they were not well acquainted? Why was he now pretending to be familiar?
She replied coldly, "To be honest with Your Excellency, I truly never imagined it."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a burning gaze fall upon her.
Oddly, she felt that the suffocation she had endured all evening had finally found some relief.
The corners of her lips curled into a faint sneer. "Your Excellency's official career is smooth and prosperous—why would you ever return to such a remote and impoverished place? Moreover, I am now a married woman, busy managing the inner quarters, guiding my husband and educating my child. I truly have no spare energy to attend to extraneous matters."
"Is that so?"
Yu Yeqing let out a displeased scoff. "Then why is it that in the official matchmaker's records, the marriage certificate between the Shao and Song families is nowhere to be found?"
Song Hemei's heart jumped—how did he know about this?
These three years had also sharpened Yu Yeqing's tongue. "Second Miss Song is truly kind-hearted, lodging in the Shao residence for so many years and even helping manage the inner quarters and guide husband and child."
Song Hemei gritted her teeth.
He was insulting her, he must be insulting her.
Any onlooker might think she was clinging to the Shao family, staying by Shao Wen'ang's side without even a proper title.
She did not want to show weakness, so she did not turn her head, replying in a harsh tone, "Lord Yu's court duties must be very leisurely, to be so well-informed about the domestic affairs of a mere prefect."
Yu Yeqing walked slowly beside her with his hands behind his back, his voice cold and deep, as if trying to distance himself. "Second Miss, you overthink things. I was merely ordered to conduct a thorough investigation into Senior Lord Shao's nine clans."
Song Hemei could not help it—her footsteps unconsciously faltered.
Nine clans? If there were nothing serious, who would order such a thorough investigation into the nine clans?
What exactly had Senior Lord Shao become entangled in, to invite such severe consequences? No wonder Shao Wen'ang had been dancing around the issue, trying to dissociate himself—the root cause was here.
After the initial fear receded, she actually felt fortunate.
In truth, her parents had once suggested finalizing the long-delayed betrothal card, but she had refused.
She felt that once the betrothal card was exchanged, she would be a Shao woman for life—even in death she would be buried in the Shao family tomb, and her epitaph would read "Shao-Song."
But as things stood now, it seemed she had escaped with her life. After all, she was not truly Shao Wen'ang's wife. If something did happen, as long as she found a way to dissociate herself, no nine-clan punishment would fall on her head.
Upon reflection, this was actually a great stroke of luck.
Ever since Senior Lord Shao was demoted, the big business he had schemed with her father had already fallen apart. She had once mentioned to her mother that since associating with the Shao family no longer brought any benefit, why not let her seek an amicable divorce, to avoid being implicated one day?
But her family had all disagreed. Her mother said a woman should not marry twice; an amicable divorce would ruin her reputation. Her father said a merchant must value trust; seeking an amicable divorce at this time would be kicking a man when he was down.
Her heart had grown cold, and she had never returned to her maiden home until this month, when her mother wrote to say her father's illness kept recurring—several times he had suddenly fainted while walking. Fearing he might one day close his eyes without warning, he insisted she come back to see him. That was why she had returned to Changzhou.
But now, if it involved nine clans, could they still detain her and prevent her from going home?
Song Hemei's mood improved considerably, but she did not say anything pleasant. "I am not included among the Shao family's nine clans, so it seems I have provided Your Excellency with some amusement. It is merely an old incident from days gone by, yet you could not wait to dig it up for idle chatter."
She had not yet fully adjusted to the fact that the Yu Yeqing of today was no longer what he used to be. Even though he was more refined than before, wearing fine silks, and even the scent of ink no longer had that thick, cheap quality.
She felt he was deliberately mocking her. Successful people always resent those who knew them in their obscurity, as if meeting old acquaintances reminds them of their former poverty.
She had seen plenty of such people. Moreover, she had once forced him to submit.
Just ignore him—it would be best if they never acknowledged each other again. She would quickly send him to the guest quarters, burn some mugwort to drive away mosquitoes, and be done with it.
She quickened her pace, but could still feel the person beside her following in the same manner, still half a step behind.
Then suddenly she heard a scuffling sound, as if pebbles had been kicked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blue robe sway. Her mind went blank for an instant—before she could even tell if he was about to fall, she had already seized the person's wrist and pulled him steady.
And because of the force, she had pulled him even closer.
Summer clothes were thin. The moment she grabbed his wrist, the warmth from his skin transferred to her palm. She was still staring blankly at his long, slender fingers when she heard a low voice above her head. "Second Miss, what is this?"
Song Hemei instinctively looked up. Being so close, she could clearly see Yu Yeqing's face. Moonlight spilled from the side, falling on his sharp profile, and her breath caught. That familiar feeling of intimacy crept up.
She had once looked at his face from just this distance, could see her own image filling his eyes, leaving no room for anything else.
But immediately after, she felt regret. Why had she reacted so quickly? He had clearly been standing steadily—why hadn't she first confirmed whether he was truly about to fall before grabbing him?
He was not a child; even if he had fallen, what harm could come to him in this place?
And at that moment, Yu Yeqing's dark pupils revealed no discernible emotion. In fact, as she stood stunned, he pressed further. "Second Miss, why are you not speaking?"
Song Hemei took a deep breath, pulled at the corners of her lips, and finally put on an indifferent expression as she released his hand. "Lord Yu's person is precious. If anything should happen to you, the Shao family could not bear the responsibility."
She wanted to step back and break this uncomfortable proximity, but Yu Yeqing instead seized her wrist, preventing her retreat.
Song Hemei's body stiffened. She could feel Yu Yeqing's breathing grow heavier.
He was too close to her. His tall frame cast a shadow over her, and his low, husky voice sounded right beside her ear. "Second Miss never imagined I would return, but I have been thinking all along about the day we would meet again."
He lowered his head, leaning even closer. The scent of ink on him seemed to coil around her neck, making it hard for her to breathe.
"I thought Second Miss would be afraid, would be flustered. I never expected that you would not be worried in the slightest."
These words truly stunned Song Hemei.
Afraid of what? Flustered by what?
It was merely a fleeting affair. In the end, she had done nothing else to him.
She had neither beaten nor scolded him, nor humiliated him, and had even given him quite a bit of silver. Where could he find such a generous patron?
Although she knew that men generally found such matters humiliating, he had not suffered any loss. Wasn't it quite enjoyable for him at the time? Or had he now forgotten all that pleasure and only remembered the humiliation?
He was still very strong; once he grabbed her, it was hard to break free. She did not waste her energy struggling and said directly, "Lord Yu is now an Investigating Censor. You ought to be magnanimous. Why must you remember such stale, rotten trifles so clearly? Is everything not fine with you now?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she sensed something amiss in the man before her.
He seemed angry.
His breathing became harsh. His deep, dark eyes stared at her, and even though it was summer, she felt a chill down her spine. Those thin lips seemed as if they would bite her neck at any moment.
Song Hemei parted her lips, feeling that this was truly wrong, and was about to say something else when she suddenly heard a call: "Mother!"
In the next moment, something rushed toward her and directly hugged her calf.
Her heart pounded twice. She looked down—it was Lianzhu.
Vexation rose again, but Yu Yeqing still had not released her. Instead, he also looked down.
"Is this the child you gave birth to?"
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