Chapter 91: Wishful Thinking
Song Hemei's tone was airy, but the lighter it became, the more it carried an unspeakable implication.
Shao Wen'ang's expression turned somewhat ugly. His arms tightened around Lianzhu, causing the child in his embrace to softly call out, "Father."
Song Hemei looked at him, her gaze sweeping over his half-angered face a couple of times before she let out a soft, light laugh. "Look at you, where has your mind wandered? I only felt the heat too oppressive, and my body was a bit sluggish from walking. What, now you can't bear to spend even a bit of firewood money on me?"
Shao Wen'ang's eyes flickered. He gave an awkward tug at his lips. "Mei'er, what nonsense are you speaking? As long as you are here, you may take anything from the Shao residence at your leisure."
Song Hemei narrowed her eyes, her expression faintly mocking. "Since you're so generous, I won't stand on ceremony. Ah, I nearly forgot something important."
She leaned gently against the doorframe. "Lord Yu is an incorruptible official; naturally, he won't accept bribes. In a few more days, he'll be leaving. Everything in Linzhou will be handled according to the law. As the saying goes, even with no merit, there is still effort. I imagine he won't do anything too harsh to you. So rest assured?"
At these words, Shao Wen'ang truly breathed a sigh of relief. The displeasure that had flickered across his face a moment ago dissipated entirely. He stepped forward to meet her, remembering at last that he was supposed to be a "loving husband."
His voice turned gentle. "Mei'er, you've had a hard time. Has Lord Yu given you any trouble?"
"No, he treated me very kindly. Isn't that what you said?" Song Hemei gave him a smile laden with hidden meaning. "Lord Yu and the Song family have a past connection. Why would he make things difficult for me?"
These words left a bitter taste in Shao Wen'ang's mouth.
When the matter was still undecided, being able to pull on old ties between the two families was the best outcome.
But now, with the clouds parting to reveal the sun, that old connection felt oddly awkward—even humiliating for him.
She was the girl he had loved since childhood, the one he had longed to marry. How could he bear for her to have a past with someone else?
He couldn't help but ask: "Mei'er, were you very close with him before? Why, when we first met Lord Yu, he didn't mention it at all? Instead, he acted like a stranger."
Song Hemei turned her head, looked at him, thought for a moment, and couldn't suppress a sneer. She raised her hand and gestured for someone to take Lianzhu away for now.
Left alone in the courtyard with only the two of them, she spoke bluntly: "Didn't you know long ago that he once had a post at the Song residence? Wasn't it precisely for that reason that you deliberately chose me to guide him and probe his intentions? Why pretend now that you know nothing?"
Shao Wen'ang, caught red-handed, still had his own self-justifying logic for such matters.
"Knowing someone doesn't mean being familiar. I just asked casually; I didn't say anything else. Look at you, so quick to get angry."
He threw the dirty water back at her, making it seem as though she were the one feeling guilty.
But guilty she was—not because of a false reputation, but because her secret had not yet been exposed to the world. She did not feel ashamed for failing to keep her chastity for the Shao family over an empty title.
Song Hemei sidestepped his words and countered directly: "Then in your heart, do you hope I am close to him? Hmm... I suppose you do. If I weren't familiar with him, how could I help mediate on your behalf?"
Shao Wen'ang's expression flickered. Perhaps because she had hit the nail on the head, or perhaps because he felt he had lost face as a man, he forcibly maintained a gentle demeanor. "Mei'er, you're overthinking. I just asked offhand. Familiar or not, it's all in the past. It has nothing to do with the present."
He stood before her with his hands clasped behind his back. "Lord Yu is not what he used to be. No matter how close you were in the past, I'm sure you've grown distant now. Besides, his future is bright—promotion after promotion, marriage to a daughter of a high-ranking family, enfeoffment as a noble. Mei'er, I'm just advising you: don't judge the present based on past ties, to avoid—"
He deliberately paused, leaving the unpleasant part unsaid while maintaining a considerate and kind demeanor. "Forget it. I won't say more."
Song Hemei's face betrayed nothing, but her hand clenched tight in her sleeve.
She understood. He was warning her not to entertain any delusions.
With the day of her departure from the Shao family approaching, he must have been afraid she might indeed climb a higher branch, leaving him in an awkward position.
But she knew full well: Shao Wen'ang's current attitude wasn't about preventing her from climbing higher. It was more that he didn't want that branch to be found by someone else, robbing him of all benefit and losing her for nothing.
Not wanting to waste time arguing, Song Hemei answered perfunctorily: "I know my boundaries. By the way, have you sent a letter to your mother? Last night, Lianzhu told me he missed his grandmother."
Shao Wen'ang's face stiffened. He coughed lightly behind his hand. "Mother has been worried about me for a while. She said she wanted to come see me. According to her travel schedule, she should be arriving in a couple of days."
Song Hemei was slightly surprised. It was faster than she had anticipated.
But having known Shao Wen'ang for many years, she could see through his evasiveness. Nothing was hidden from her.
Madam Zhang being so concerned and rushing to see him was a lie.
He had heard about the Song family's troubles earlier, feared being dragged down, and couldn't bring himself to propose an amicable divorce. So he sent a letter to call his mother over—that was the truth.
Song Hemei had long witnessed his hypocrisy and ruthlessness. Far from feeling sad, she actually saw it as a good thing.
A smile curved at the corner of her lips. "What a coincidence. It must be the bond between grandmother and grandson that made her so eager to visit."
Shao Wen'ang was studying her expression as well. Seeing no displeasure, he felt both relieved and a strange, indescribable feeling.
It seemed she really didn't care about this, or hadn't even considered that once his mother arrived, her time here would come to an end.
Why wasn't she sad? She ought to feel reluctant to part with him and Lianzhu. After all, the Song family was no longer what it used to be—her greatest support could only be him.
Shao Wen'ang simply assumed she hadn't realized it yet. Perhaps the heat had made her muddle-headed.
He said considerately, "Mei'er, go bathe quickly. Though it's hot, don't be too greedy for cool water. Use plenty of hot water to avoid getting sick."
The moment his words died, Song Hemei stepped back into the house and slammed the door heavily, shutting him out completely.
Shao Wen'ang's face stiffened. He hadn't expected her to be so blunt in shutting him out.
But it didn't matter. He had always been indulgent with her little tempers. He simply turned and went to find Lianzhu.
Song Hemei didn't spare him another thought. She had lost all interest in dealing with him. After barring the door, she walked straight to the side room, where water had already been prepared.
The wooden tub wasn't as large as the one from the night before; it was replaced by her usual one. But even so, the moment she stepped inside, all those decadent memories surged up unbidden.
Yu Yeqing's powerful arms, the splashing water, her body rising and falling in the bath... Song Hemei took a deep breath and decided to just stand and rinse off quickly.
Shao Wen'ang's words earlier had felt extremely inauspicious, but in the end, she still added more hot water to the basin, just to ensure his words wouldn't come true.
After tidying everything, she lay back on the bed to rest. In the days before she met Yu Yeqing again, she lived like this every day: the summer heat heavy, nothing to do but laze in her room. The fatigue from last night hadn't faded, so she took the chance to catch up on sleep.
When she woke, dusk had already deepened. Seeing her awake, Chunhui came close and lowered her voice: "My lady, the master has been at the young master's rooms all this time. He hasn't left yet."
Song Hemei stared at the canopy of the bed, thinking he was just making trouble for himself. Usually, he didn't seem to enjoy spending time with Lianzhu so much.
"Mm, I know."
Hearing her reply, Chunhui seemed to have more to say. She leaned even closer and lowered her voice further: "But... Lord Yu has arrived. He's waiting at the moon gate right now."
Song Hemei snapped to full alertness. It wasn't even fully dark yet. Why had he come now?
She quickly got up to change clothes. "Didn't he come into the courtyard?"
"No, I saw him and stopped him. Even though the master isn't in your room right now, it wouldn't do to lead him directly to you."
At being put so bluntly, Song Hemei felt a bit awkward. She avoided Chunhui's gaze and said in a muffled voice, "That's best. If they actually ran into each other, I'd waste breath explaining."
Chunhui served her while nodding in agreement. "You're right, my lady. Lord Yu knows you've always had a husband, but since you've already set your heart on him, you should be more considerate of his feelings."
At this, Song Hemei couldn't help but shoot her a glance.
What she had meant by "wasting breath" was wasting it on Shao Wen'ang.
But what Chunhui meant was that she was worried Yu Yeqing might be displeased and that she should spare him the trouble of knowing.
Song Hemei didn't bother to explain. It was normal for Chunhui to think that way—just like before, she had naively believed the Shao family was a good place for her, and now she naively thought Yu Yeqing would care whether Song Hemei was intimate with Shao Wen'ang or not.
Once dressed, she walked out of the house, took a few detours to the moon gate, and poked her head out. There she saw Yu Yeqing standing in a nearby pavilion, staring at something, lost in thought.
She had Chunhui keep watch while she approached him alone.
"What are you looking at? There are no flowers or grass here."
Yu Yeqing turned around. His tall figure stood against the twilight, the last rays of sunset falling on his handsome face, making him all the more approachable.
Song Hemei subconsciously quickened her pace. But Yu Yeqing already stepped toward her, and when he reached her, raised his hand—though in the end, he simply took hers.
"Looking at the sky. There shouldn't be any rain in the coming days."
Song Hemei glanced casually. "You can read the weather?"
Yu Yeqing was taken aback, then lowered his head and gently squeezed her hand. "Not exactly reading the weather. When I was young, I farmed the land, so I needed to tell whether it would rain or be sunny."
Song Hemei looked at him, trying to imagine what he looked like swinging a hoe in the fields. Every time she saw him, he seemed nothing but a handsome scholar.
She couldn't help saying, "When we get back to Changzhou, take me to your home."
She blinked. "Oh, and we should pay respects to your parents."
Get instant access to all chapters now.
Post a Comment