Chapter 104 - Question
This time, Song Zicheng truly was angered into falling ill.
Song Xiao took control of the entire company and also declared to the outside world that Song Zheng was forbidden to use the surname Song. His own father had been cuckolded for over a decade; this matter was truly humiliating, so he didn’t mention it, and merely a.s.serted that he didn’t acknowledge Song Zheng.
The matter of Qiu Mingyan hiring a murderer became increasingly widespread. Originally, it was difficult to find evidence for a transnational crime like this, and there would be various obstructions during the process. In many instances, such crimes would remain unsettled. However, the main culprit this time had once been a star, and public interest, in this case, was unusually high. Because of its huge social influence, the Ministry of Justice attached great importance to the case and decided to see it through to the end.
To grab attention, some media outlets specially released news with an opposing view and claimed that Qiu Mingyan also had no choice. She had been frozen out by her company, and now Song Zicheng wanted to hand the entire company to his son; there was no way out for her anymore. Illegitimate children should also be cared for properly. This wasn’t the woman’s fault; as a father, Song Zicheng should treat his children equally and take proper responsibility for his own mistake, and give the illegitimate daughter the family a.s.sets that she deserved.
Once news like this got out, it was promptly met with the curses of countless online users. They were worried and afraid that the gentle top scorer Song would forgive the mother and daughter, or be forced by his father to come to a compromise. The whole of the Internet yelled b.l.o.o.d.y murder.
Blocking such petty news, Song Xiao posted a short Weibo message.
Gentleman Like Bamboo V: Returning good for evil, why repay with kindness?
Head lowered to send the post, Song Xiao then raised it to see that a beautiful convertible had driven over. He blinked, then opened the door of his own accord and got in.
“How self-conscious of you – zhen isn’t here to pick you up.” Yu Tang frowned. He was actually on his way to the kindergarten to pick up Yu Lin, and had simply been pa.s.sing by Xinghai’s company entrance. Seeing Song Xiao standing there by himself, he had inexplicably pulled over.
Song Xiao looked at the emperor’s serious expression and went on to fasten his seatbelt. “Just now, I was going to look for the emperor. I saw your car, so I got in.”
Only when he heard these words was Yu Tang satisfied, and he started the car with a ‘hmph’. He had been waiting the last two days for Song Xiao to ask him how he found out about Song Zheng’s ident.i.ty, but hadn’t been able to meet Song Xiao so far.
“My dad’s in the hospital.” Song Xiao knew what Yu Tang’s snort was about, and he explained himself in a soft tone.
It actually wasn’t anything serious – Song Zicheng just fainted from anger, and kept having chest pains after he woke up. The doctors said that they couldn’t find anything wrong with him for the time being, and wanted him to be hospitalised for a bit for careful monitoring.
“That’s why it’s troublesome taking a concubine; you don’t know for sure whether the child is yours or not.” Yu Tang stopped the car and pulled Song Xiao out to crowd around the kindergarten entrance with the other parents.
Song Xiao’s lips quirked. “Is that why Your Majesty never took a concubine?”
Yu Tang gave him a sidelong glance. “It’s because zhen has no money.” When other people kept an empress, they only needed to provide 200 liang a month, but his empress wanted an official’s salary of 10,000 liang a year – where would he have any money left to take in other concubines?
“…” Song Xiao was speechless.
While they were talking, the little children in the kindergarten walked out in line. The other children threw themselves at their parents when they spotted them, so Yu Lin, who was walking at a sedate pace, looked especially out of place, and could be found at a glance.
“Yu Lin, I’ll bring you chocolates tomorrow ah!” The concubine who loved to cry waved at him.
Yu Lin didn’t even turn his head as he walked faster and quickly reached his brother’s car. “Greetings to imperial brother, imperial sister-in-law!”
Dugu An took Yu Lin’s little school bag to carry it for him, and conscientiously crouched in the back of the car. A convertible only had a pa.s.senger seat and a driver’s seat. Yu Tang had picked Song Xiao unexpectedly, so now Yu Lin had nowhere to sit.
“I’ll carry him ba.” Song Xiao had long wanted to hold this squishy didi. When Yu Lin started studying with him in his last life, he was already much older, and wasn’t as round and as cute.
Yu Lin couldn’t help taking a step back. He looked up at his big brother, and — sure enough — saw his eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with killing intent. “How… how about… I just crouch in the back with Anyi?”
Children didn’t have stable balance, and Yu Lin would easily fall over if he crouched in the back. In the end, after wrangling for a long time, it was Song Xiao who wound up driving the car, while Yu Tang held his brother and sat in the pa.s.senger seat.
“We should have a car seat for kids.” Song Xiao looked at the two brothers. The car’s safety belt couldn’t ensure a child’s safety.
“I’ll hang on to him,” Yu Tang said expressionlessly, as he pulled on his little brother’s jug ears with both hands.
Song Xiao: “…”
Yu Lin: “…”
Mother Yu was already used to Song Xiao coming over from time to time and spending the night, and didn’t especially treat him as a guest; instead, they ate dinner together like a regular family.
“I heard your father was hospitalised?” Mother Yu asked Song Xiao at the dining table.
“Yes. He was angered into falling sick two days ago, but the doctor said that it wasn’t anything serious,” Song Xiao put down his chopsticks and replied obediently.
“It’s good if it’s nothing.” Mother Yu smiled and picked up a large prawn for Song Xiao. “You’re still a child, and have to take care of so many things at your age; you must eat more to keep up your energy.”
Song Xiao snuck a look at Yu Tang next to him. This one handled even more things than him, so why didn’t the empress dowager voice any concern for her son?
“Hmph.” Yu Tang snorted and s.n.a.t.c.hed away the large prawn that had just been placed in Song Xiao’s bowl.
“How childish.” Mother Yu glared at her son and gave Song Xiao another prawn.
Yu Miao looked at the adults curiously and elbowed her little brother with a strange expression on her face. Yu Lin pretended not to understand, and bowed his head to eat earnestly.
Song Xiao wanted to return home after dinner, so Yu Tang drove him. Right after they left the villa, Yu Tang parked the car on the side of the road. “Don’t you have anything to ask me?”
Song Xiao frowned slightly. “Why is the empress dowager treating me so well all of a sudden?”
Yu Tang choked for a moment. “How would zhen know?” Saying this, he reached out to pull Song Xiao into his embrace.
“…” Song Xiao looked at him, lost for words. “Since Your Majesty doesn’t know, what did you want this servant to ask?”
“Aren’t you curious to know how zhen found out about Song Zheng?” Yu Tang couldn’t help reminding him.
“No.” Song Xiao just leaned against Yu Tang and yawned. Actually, it was very simple. Yu Tang wanted to help him, and so had gotten someone to investigate Qiu Mingyan. Song Zicheng definitely wasn’t Qiu Mingyan’s only lover back then, and it wasn’t difficult to discover the clues. Yu Tang probably initially wanted to use the physical exam as an opportunity to create a fake evaluation report and tarnish Song Zicheng and Song Zheng’s relationship first. Who could’ve guessed that he would get lucky, and these two really weren’t related.
His wife was too smart, and he couldn’t recite this script anymore. Embarra.s.sed and angry, Yu Tang directly pressed Song Xiao down onto the seat.
“Wu… I didn’t ask… En…”
“Zhen himself will answer.” Yu Tang expressionlessly explained everything he did, then exerted his strength as he said, “You listened, so you have to pay up.”
“You… ah…”
Song Xiao suddenly gained a lot of fans overnight. Everyone was here to observe the overbearing chairman, when the news about ‘Pudding Gongzi’ from many years ago was suddenly dug up.
Everyone sighed with regret one after another. The young and fair youth back then had now become an overbearing chairman – who knew how long this would last for. The online users were very curious, but after turning the Internet upside down, they couldn’t find any recent photos of Song Xiao, until one user weakly said, “I feel like Pudding Gongzi looks a bit like the empress.”
This sentence came out of nowhere and many people overlooked it. Only a few people took note, and everyone hurried over to Huangye Wanhe’s blog and soon found that group photo. The delicate and pretty man standing on the author’s left really did look a lot like Pudding Gongzi…
【Could it be that Chief Song is…】
【Chief Song’s real name seems to be Song Xiao. Doge face】
【It seems that we’ve discovered something extremely important!】
Little Theater
‘Should Follow The Plot’
Fish Tang: (Chairman Face) You want to know? Beg me!
Xiaoxiao: (Submissive face) I’m begging you
Fish Tang: Begging me for what, hm?
Xiaoxiao: Begging you to let me sleep wu…
Fish Tang: …Sleep after you recite your lines. You should be saying, ‘Begging you to tell me the truth’
Xiaoxiao: Don’t wanna, I’m really sleepy
Fish Tang: …
Baobao Notes
Jules and I just finished translating the main story, so two chapters daily until the end! We’re super close to it!