Chapter 92: Beloved Wife
Song Hemei spoke casually. In her view, it was only natural to inform her deceased parents after the engagement was settled. But Yu Yeqing's long lashes trembled slightly, and a flickering light seemed to stir in the depths of his eyes.
He answered with solemn gravity: "Alright."
Song Hemei turned her hand to hold his, lifting it idly to take a look. His long fingers were well-proportioned, with calluses on his palm save for the area where he gripped his brush—and then there was that scar, the one she had caused.
She held his palm in both hands, gently rubbing and pressing over the scar, but Yu Yeqing caught her fingertips instead. "Don't look."
He didn't want her to blame herself, and he himself thought that scar was terribly ugly.
Song Hemei tugged his hand. "Your hand is so much bigger than mine."
She hooked her fingers through his, pulled them toward her bosom, then raised her bright eyes to look at him. "How come you're so fair? When you used to work the fields, weren't you bothered by the sun?"
Yu Yeqing's thin lips moved, but for a long while he couldn't find words.
Song Hemei leaned in a little closer. "I don't think I've ever told you this, but you smell so good too—like you've been steeped in ink for a long time. I've thought so ever since three years ago."
Her voice was very soft, and when it reached his ears, it was like a goose feather stroking his heart again and again.
Yu Yeqing's breath seemed to catch, but he didn't retreat half a step. He stood right there, letting the woman before him draw near little by little, until she gently leaned against his chest.
"It's not even dark yet. Why have you come looking for me at this hour? Did you miss me?" Song Hemei lowered her voice, speaking only into his ear. "What a pity—Shao Wen'ang is in my courtyard right now, keeping Lianzhu company. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to stand here talking."
Yu Yeqing's free hand instinctively rose, encircling her waist and pulling her whole body into his embrace.
"Will he stay the night?"
Song Hemei clicked her tongue. "Didn't I already tell you? I don't sleep in the same room with him."
Yu Yeqing felt as though he wasn't quite clear-headed. The fantasies of the past and the reality of the present intertwined, leaving him somewhat dazed.
"Then... what do we do?"
"What else can we do? You probably can't come tonight. But—"
The corners of her lips curved into a smile. "I did get some good news. Madam Zhang will be arriving in Linzhou any day now. Once your official business is more or less settled, we can leave directly."
Yu Yeqing was also surprised, but it was genuinely good news. He didn't want her to stay in the Shao residence a single day longer than necessary.
He gazed at her lovely brows and eyes, her straight, delicate nose, and her lips... She must not be wearing any lip balm.
Once certain things begin, it's very hard to hold back afterward.
Before, he dared not overstep and could only wait for her permission. But now it was different. He had obtained her explicit consent, and it seemed that no matter what he did to her, she wouldn't get angry or think he was going too far.
She indulged him, even welcomed him.
After enduring years of restraint, breaking his vows was merely an instant's affair. And the new habits fostered by greed were firmly imprinted after only a few times, as if urging him to give in to indulgence.
Yu Yeqing's Adam's apple bobbed. His gaze fell on her lips, but before he could make a move, Song Hemei rose on her tiptoes and gently pecked him on the lips. "This is what you meant, isn't it?"
She wasn't surprised; in fact, she found him slow.
For the first time, she even thought it was a bit inconvenient that he was so tall. The sensation of craning her neck and standing on tiptoe wasn't very pleasant.
Because of her action, she could clearly sense his breathing grow heavy and rough. But before he could continue, Chunhui's voice came from the direction of the moon gate: "...Madam said it was stuffy inside and came out for a stroll."
Song Hemei instinctively looked toward the sound, and saw the silhouette of an ink-colored robe approaching.
It was Shao Wen'ang.
How annoying.
With no other choice, she raised her hand and lightly patted Yu Yeqing's chest, signaling him to let go. "What a nuisance. Bear with him for two more days."
Yu Yeqing's gaze was deep. When he looked toward the arriving figure, his eyes held a sharp, biting coldness.
He didn't want to let go—partly because he couldn't bear to part with her, and partly because he wanted everyone to know that she had chosen him, especially in front of her nominal husband.
It was as if this could warn Shao Wen'ang that he no longer had any reason to dispose of her freely, reminding him that the so-called title of husband was nothing but a useless, worthless thing about to be cast aside.
But his impulse didn't last long, because Song Hemei patted him twice more to urge him.
He took a deep breath, suppressing all his thoughts, loosened his grip, and stepped back to create some distance. At the same moment, Shao Wen'ang stepped through the moon gate.
Seeing them standing not far apart, Shao Wen'ang was slightly startled, but quickly put on a smiling face. "Lord Yu, what brings you here?"
He walked forward slowly and beckoned to Song Hemei. "Mei'er, come here."
Song Hemei gave him a cold look. She had no intention of playing along with his husbandly posturing, and stood her ground.
She asked casually, "How did Lianzhu agree to let you out?"
Shao Wen'ang's expression stiffened slightly. Perhaps he felt that her disobedience in front of an outsider had wounded his dignity.
He forced a faint smile and stepped forward. "He's fallen asleep. I went to your room to look for you, but you weren't there. I thought since you wanted to take a walk, I might as well join you. But how is it that Lord Yu is here?"
His gaze shifted to Yu Yeqing. As he drew closer, Song Hemei, unwilling to be near him, used her handkerchief to lightly cover her nose and took two steps back to put some distance between them. This, however, let Shao Wen'ang squeeze in between her and Yu Yeqing.
Yu Yeqing looked over with narrowed eyes. The tenderness in his gaze had vanished the moment Shao Wen'ang appeared.
He could only reply perfunctorily, "I came looking for you, Lord Shao."
Shao Wen'ang raised an eyebrow, likely not believing him, but he couldn't say much on the surface. He had to ask, "I've kept you waiting, my lord. May I ask what business you have? Perhaps we could move to the study for a detailed discussion."
Yu Yeqing's gaze fell on Song Hemei, who was behind Shao Wen'ang. She let out a silent sigh and then nodded.
"Very well. Please lead the way, Lord Shao."
Shao Wen'ang raised his hand with a gesture to proceed, still able to spare a moment to speak to the person behind him. "Mei'er, don't worry. I'll come back to join you for a walk later."
With that, he turned and, with another "please," took the lead to guide the way.
Song Hemei stared at their departing figures and couldn't help but frown.
Chunhui pressed close to her and called softly, "Madam, the master came so suddenly. This servant couldn't stop him, but why did you..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but the implication was clear: why hadn't Song Hemei taken the person farther away?
Song Hemei withdrew her gaze. "It doesn't matter. He'll find out sooner or later anyway. Do you believe me? Even if he saw me and Yu Yeqing sleeping together, he wouldn't expose it."
Chunhui's lips moved, but she bowed her head and said nothing.
Song Hemei said casually, "It's best to save him a little face and part on good terms. If we can't, then there's no help for it. But as long as we don't push him too far, he'll help smooth things over for his own sake."
With that, she stopped concerning herself with the two men and went back to her room.
As for Yu Yeqing, he followed slowly behind Shao Wen'ang, listening to him describe the covered corridors of the residence, his mind somewhat wandering.
But then he heard Shao Wen'ang say, "The Song residence was extravagant in the old days. Even at night, lanterns were hung along the corridors. Over the course of a year, who knows how much extra was spent on lamp oil and candles."
Yu Yeqing swept his gaze over and saw Shao Wen'ang shaking his head with a helpless smile. "My wife has been spoiled since she was young. She likes unique scenery and a courtyard with covered walkways all around. But unfortunately, my humble home can't compare to the Song family's wealth. We only have this single courtyard to live in."
After speaking, he seemed to wake from a dream and waved his hand. "Look at me, rambling on about old times. I must have made a fool of myself in front of you, my lord. But that's how merchant-class women are—they never consider the family's difficulties."
Hearing this, Yu Yeqing fixed his gaze directly on Shao Wen'ang. "What do you mean by that, Lord Shao?"
Shao Wen'ang acted as if he had just realized something, putting on an apologetic look. "Please forgive me, my lord. I've been chatting too much today. But I suppose you, my lord, have never married, so you probably don't know the saying that a wife brings prosperity to three generations. Though my wife comes from a humble background, we've known each other since childhood. I love my wife dearly, and as long as she's happy, I am naturally willing to spoil her."
"Love your wife?"
Yu Yeqing repeated the phrase slowly, his tone carrying a hint of a sneer.
"If you, Lord Shao, hadn't said 'love my wife,' I might have thought you harbored considerable dissatisfaction with Lady Song."
Shao Wen'ang observed his expression, then waved his hand with a laugh. "We've been husband and wife for many years—what dissatisfaction could there be? Sure, we have the occasional little disagreement, but nothing major. Why do you ask so suddenly, my lord?"
But before Yu Yeqing could answer, he continued on his own, "Since you, my lord, have ties with the Song family, you must know something of my wife's temperament. She was spoiled even as a girl. Back then, I found it endearing and cute. But after we married and actually started living together, it became a bit... ah, let's just say her background alone is a source of criticism here in Linzhou. And with a personality like hers, she's not well-liked. The wives of my colleagues don't care to bring her along when they go out for tea or listen to music."
The more Yu Yeqing heard, the darker his expression grew.
He understood the meaning behind Shao Wen'ang's words. He was deliberately belittling Song Hemei in front of him, and speaking so bluntly, without any sense of whether it was appropriate to say such things in his presence.
What was he trying to do?
Had he sensed something unusual between him and Song Hemei, and wanted to make him dislike her?
Yu Yeqing remembered Song Hemei's instruction—he only needed to endure for a few more days, not make things too ugly, to avoid any gossip spreading from Shao Wen'ang's mouth later.
But at this moment, he had another idea.
"I've heard, Lord Shao, that you intend to seek an amicable divorce?"
Bringing this up so abruptly made Shao Wen'ang's expression shift slightly. He wanted to deny it, but he was afraid that this man had indeed learned something.
He could only ask ambiguously, "Why do you ask so suddenly, my lord?"
Yu Yeqing looked straight at him. "I've merely noticed that you seem to have many grievances against Lady Song. To be honest with you, I once promised Elder Song that if possible, I would look after his younger sister. If you truly intend to seek an amicable divorce, then I—"
"No!"
Shao Wen'ang suddenly raised his voice before him. "Lady Song is my beloved wife, married through proper matchmaking and all the rites. How could we ever agree to an amicable divorce!"
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