Chapter 87: A Debt of Kindness
Song Hemei did not want to stay to share breakfast, even if Yu Yeqing was also there.
She did not owe him that meal, but with Shao Wen'ang, one fewer meal together was one fewer meal.
"No need. Lianzhu will make a fuss if I'm not there. You entertain Lord Yu on your own."
She bent slightly, looking at the round stool, then at Shao Wen'ang. She felt something was off, but she was unwilling to expend any more mental energy pondering over him. She turned and left with Chunhui.
Shao Wen'ang, perhaps feeling she had embarrassed him, immediately stood to block her. "Mei'er, we still have a guest. What is the meaning of this?"
But before he could take half a step, Yu Yeqing spoke first, his voice cold. "Lord Shao has a good appetite."
He set down his bowl and chopsticks on the table, smoothing his sleeves. "Lord Shao, take your time and enjoy your meal. I will go to the government office alone."
With that, he stood up.
Shao Wen'ang, naturally unable to remain seated, scrambled to his feet with a fawning smile, following him closely. "My Lord leads by example. How could I, a subordinate, indulge in pleasure? I must naturally advance and retreat with you, my Lord."
Song Hemei had not gone far. Standing in the covered corridor, she turned back to see the two men leaving one after the other. Yu Yeqing glanced in her direction, as if wanting to speak with her, but with Shao Wen'ang clinging to his heels, he could only quickly avert his gaze and step directly through the moon-shaped gate.
"Madam, this..."
Chunhui tentatively began, and Song Hemei lifted her chin. "Go get the food and bring it back. Neither of them wants to eat, wasting my trip. You take it and share it with Suhui."
She raised a hand to rub her slightly aching arm, but found that besides her arm, her waist and legs were also sore. However, she couldn't reach down to massage them in public.
Once back in her room, Song Hemei lay down again on the couch. Her mind went blank, and she subconsciously thought back to Shao Wen'ang's unusual behavior.
He had never seemed to care about the propriety between her and Yu Yeqing.
By "care," she didn't mean the displeasure a husband might feel towards another man approaching his wife. It was the natural, ingrained habit cultivated from childhood in official families during ordinary interactions.
There was no need to dredge up past events. Just now, what official host, in the presence of a superior, would insist on keeping his wife for breakfast? He hadn't even asked for the superior's opinion, much less thought to adjust the seating arrangement. He had simply wanted her to sit between them.
She remained vigilant, thinking she must be cautious in these last few days.
During the day, only she was left in the residence. When Lianzhu woke up, he came looking for her. Suhui carried him to her bed, and Song Hemei let him crawl around as he pleased.
In the past, she had seen too much of him to be charmed. Now that they were about to part, she couldn't help but look at him more. Lianzhu, still too young to understand anything, saw her watching him and immediately offered her the toy in his hand, babbling, "Mama, Mama."
Song Hemei replied dismissively, "You keep it. Mama doesn't need it."
Lianzhu just smiled, put the toy aside, and directly pounced into her arms, nuzzling his head against her to find a comfortable spot.
Song Hemei stroked his head. "Your grandmother is coming. Do you miss your grandmother?"
Lianzhu paused, then said, "Yes."
Then he giggled. "Miss Mama more."
Song Hemei felt a slight release of tension in her heart.
Compared to Madam Zhang, Lianzhu was indeed closer to her. But besides her, he was undoubtedly closest to Madam Zhang, even more so than Shao Wen'ang, the father he saw daily.
To be fair, he was a very neglectful father, but it seemed fathers everywhere were the same.
Like a mountain—silent to the point of being ignored in normal times, indifferent and uninvolved. Yet at certain times, they could be so heavy and oppressive that one could barely breathe.
To be honest, when she was young, her father had been very good to her. But that didn't stop her from almost being crushed by that mountain when she didn't follow his wishes.
If she had stayed in the Shao residence and Lianzhu had grown up by her side, she would have raised him with great care. But if she wasn't there, she truly dared not imagine what he would become.
Would he be like Shao Wen'ang in his youth—seeming gentle and refined, but full of lies?
Or she couldn't even imagine the scene: this tiny child, one day arranged by Madam Zhang to "learn the ways" with some maidservant in the house.
The thought that sprang up disgusted her. It was just a mental image, and yet she already felt the urge to push the child in her arms far, far away.
But before she could even raise her hand, a maidservant's voice came from outside. "The master has returned? Madam is still resting in her room, and the young master is also..."
Before the words were finished, Shao Wen'ang had pushed the door open.
The entire Shao residence was his; he needed no one's permission to go anywhere, including her room.
Usually, his steps were light. As soon as Song Hemei heard the commotion outside, she steeled herself, so his sudden intrusion never startled her.
But today was different. Partly due to last night's events, she felt a subconscious guilt. Also, his steps were too fast, not giving her enough time to react. He had already pushed the door open, passed the screen, and stood before her.
Shao Wen'ang's expression was off. When he saw Lianzhu in her arms, he furrowed his brow instinctively. "Take the young master back to his own room."
Hearing his father's voice, Lianzhu turned to call out for him, but there was no reprieve. He was reluctantly carried out.
Once the maidservants had retreated from the room, Shao Wen'ang made to sit on the edge of the bed, his manner quite rude.
Song Hemei frowned instinctively. "Don't sit. It's dirty."
Shao Wen'ang's face changed. He had injured his body back then and was prone to... uncleanliness, making him extremely sensitive to such words.
In the past, even when Song Hemei wanted to use this to taunt him, she did it subtly, pretending to be unaware. She had never been as blatant as she was today.
Seeing Shao Wen'ang's frozen figure straighten up, Song Hemei watched his expression and felt a surge of satisfaction.
She hadn't tried such reckless satisfaction in a long time. The feeling was quite good, even shaking her reason, making her wonder: if she gave up all the Shao family's silver, in exchange for thoroughly venting her anger at Shao Wen'ang, would it be worth it?
She couldn't bear to give up either option easily. Before she could make a decision, Shao Wen'ang spoke first. "Mei'er, you embarrassed Lord Yu today. You've really made things difficult for me."
His tone was accusatory, blaming her for things she didn't know about.
"What, did he give you a hard time?"
Shao Wen'ang raised his hand and pressed his brow. "It wasn't just me. Everyone in the government office caught the brunt of it today. Tell me, what was so impossible about staying for breakfast?"
Song Hemei caught the inconsistency in his words. Narrowing her eyes, she studied him. "How could I possibly have such influence as to displease him so much?"
She curled her lips into the same smile she had worn for the past three years. "You must be misunderstanding me. Perhaps it's you and your colleagues who are incompetent in your duties."
Perhaps this act fooled Shao Wen'ang. He ignored her words, pulled over the round stool, and sat directly in front of her.
"Good Mei'er, why don't you go and talk to him? Tell him not to probe too deeply. If he wants something, he can just say it. I and my colleagues will find a way to satisfy him."
What was this? Bribing a superior?
Song Hemei gave him a strange look. Even if he was socially inept, weren't his colleagues?
Leaving aside whether Yu Yeqing would accept it, just talking about bribery—naturally, the fewer people who knew, the better, and the more discreetly it was done, the better. Ultimately, it came down to reading the person. If you guessed right, all was well; if you guessed wrong, you were out of luck.
Where was there a case like this, where a man used his nominal wife as a direct messenger?
Song Hemei had a vague guess forming in her heart, and immediately felt a fire burning in her chest. She asked deliberately, "How am I supposed to ask? I'm not the Emperor. It's not like I can ask and he'll just answer."
"You have to try. After all, you're a woman, it's different from us men."
Song Hemei watched him coldly. Shao Wen'ang thought she still didn't get it and couldn't help but spell it out more clearly.
"Mei'er, Lord Yu was a study companion in your home for several years. You must be familiar with him. I remember you helped him a lot back then. You must be special to him, different from others. Maybe he will remember this favor."
He reached for her hand, but she dodged.
Shao Wen'ang gave an awkward laugh. "I know you resent him. After all, he was the presiding judge in your elder brother's case. But to be fair, Big Brother did break the law. His conviction wasn't unjust. You can't ruin your own future just because of him."
Meeting her icy glare, he was both impatient and uncertain. His next words were disjointed. "Although we are headed for an amicable divorce, there is still our marital bond. I can look after you a bit. But have you thought about what would happen if I got into trouble? As long as I still hold this post as subprefect, I can protect you. If I become a commoner, what do I have to protect you with? Mei'er, this is for your own good."
The words entered her ears, and for a moment, Song Hemei was dazed. They felt so familiar.
They sounded just like the words used to persuade her to return to the Shao family.
Back then, she was told to consider the Song family more, that everything was for her own good.
Truly, he was the son-in-law her parents had chosen! He used the same tactics.
But there was one thing she didn't understand. When her parents used this tactic to pressure her, she was willing to bow her head because they were the ones who raised her. She had lived a uniquely carefree and happy life in her maiden home.
But Shao Wen'ang? What face did he have to say such things to her?
She thought for a moment, then a faint smile curled at the corner of her lips. "Alright."
You said it yourself. Better not regret it.
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