Song Yuzhang: Chapter 22 - Movie
Chapter 22: Movie
Song Yuzhang and Meng Tingjing had become close—this stirred quite a commotion in the Song family. The most shocked of all was Song Jincheng. Upon hearing the news, he immediately went to sit for a while in Meng Sushan’s room.
“Your Younger brother seems to be getting along well with Fifth Brother. They've been going out together a lot lately?”
“Really?” Meng Sushan was delighted. “That’s great. Fifth Brother’s new to Haizhou and doesn’t know anyone. You brothers are all busy and don’t have much time to look after him. It’s perfect that Tingjing is taking him out for a stroll,” she smiled with her lips pressed together. “Also, Fifth Brother is good-looking, and Tingjing’s proud and picky—finally, someone he sees as a friend.”
Song Jincheng was helpless toward his wife, who, despite being over thirty, was still as innocent and cheerful as a young girl. He also knew she was sheltered and naive, so he let it go. “What’s that strange smell in here?”
Meng Sushan said, “New medicine.”
Song Jincheng was silent for a moment, then reached out and clasped her hand. “All medicine has some poison in it—don’t take too much.”
“It’s just to help regulate the body...” Meng Sushan leaned on his shoulder. “What if it works?”
Song Jincheng embraced her, his palm rubbing gently over her shoulder. “You’ve had a hard time. I… I’ve got something this afternoon, so I’ll head out first.”
As anxious as Song Jincheng was, Song Yekang was just as restless.
Song Yuzhang getting close to Meng Tingjing—what did that mean?
Song Jincheng had married Meng Tingjing’s sister. Even a fool knew the Meng family supported Song Jincheng. If Song Yuzhang got friendly with Meng Tingjing, wasn’t that basically saying he was siding with Song Jincheng too?!
Song Yekang was burning with frustration, but he could do nothing about it. Song Jincheng had been born six years earlier than him and had always overshadowed him. Whether at the bank or in the family, it seemed like the eldest brother called all the shots. He resented it, but he didn’t have the strength to fight back against this ‘natural-born’ eldest son.
Even when it came to winning over Song Yuzhang, Song Jincheng was faster to act!
Furious and stifled, Song Yekang couldn’t afford to lose composure at the bank. At that moment, he had the impulse to go smash open the safe and take out Song Zhenqiao’s will for a look—just a look, and he might finally give up.
Song Zhenqiao was a ruthless father. He had never shown favoritism to any son. He simply arranged them into their roles based on their order of birth.
The whole family moved according to his design, until half a year ago, when his health suddenly declined, and things began to change.
But the change was extremely limited.
Before falling ill, Song Zhenqiao had already arranged everything in the family down to the last detail. Though he now lay in a hospital bed, his presence still loomed over the household, and the Song family continued to operate as if nothing had changed.
The second variable was Song Yuzhang.
What unsettled Song Yekang more than Song Yuzhang’s striking beauty was the unusual importance Song Zhenqiao placed on him. Just a bastard child—why did Song Zhenqiao care so much? Was it simply because illness made people sentimental? And had Song Zhenqiao, in a moment of vulnerability, perhaps written a biased will?
His mind was in chaos.
But it wasn’t the time to panic yet!
Even if Song Jincheng had the Meng family’s backing, that didn’t mean Song Yekang wouldn’t find his own support!
While undercurrents churned in the Song family, Song Yuzhang seemed to be doing quite well in the midst of it all.
In this life, power, wealth, and beauty were the big three—and Song Yuzhang liked all of them. Of course, he wanted them all. Having been around the block for years, he understood that life didn’t always give you everything. Too much greed would bite you back.
He was naturally restless, loved the thrill of risk. This kind of temperament needed extra caution—after all, he’d nearly lost his life once, and he meant to cherish what he’d gotten back.
In reining in his more reckless impulses, Meng Tingjing had helped a lot. Song Yuzhang had never dated anyone quite like him before—just the novelty of the man was enough to keep him intrigued for a while.
As he clattered down the stairs, Song Mingzhao caught up with a grin and threw an arm around his shoulder. “Fifth Brother, where you headed?”
Song Yuzhang gave him a clear and breezy smile. “Movie.”
“Movie? That new one with Le Yao’er?”
“Yeah.”
Song Mingzhao’s face changed, displeased. “You forgot what we talked about? Going out to have fun on your own and not even thinking of your Fourth Brother?”
Song Yuzhang said, “Fourth Brother, you’re supposed to be focused on your studies—I wouldn’t dare interrupt.”
Song Mingzhao snorted, “Cut the crap. How many people at university are really studying? Don’t tell me you did nothing but attend class at Oxford. I heard things are even wilder overseas—wasn’t syphilis invented by Westerners?”
Song Yuzhang laughed. “Fourth Brother, aren’t we going off-topic?”
Song Mingzhao gave him a quick squeeze around the shoulders. “Not off-topic—right on point. Come on, let’s go see the movie together!”
Dragged along with his arm around him like a hostage, Song Yuzhang kept smiling. He actually found Song Mingzhao pretty amusing—a clever fool, really. Fortunately, he wasn’t bad-looking. Otherwise, he would’ve been too annoying to bear.
The two brothers came out looking like conjoined twins. Across the lawn, Meng Tingjing, who had been feeding birds, caught sight of the scene. His expression shifted slightly as he casually tossed the rest of the bird feed. The big white bird squawked twice like a goose and began pecking the grass furiously with its sharp beak.
“Brother Tingjing!”
Song Mingzhao, pretending to be pleasantly surprised, called out, “What brings you here?”
Meng Tingjing looked at Song Yuzhang. The latter stood with his hands behind his back, smiling silently. To Meng Tingjing, that smile was incredibly grating—he and Song Mingzhao weren’t even real brothers, so what was with the flirty smile?!
Meng Tingjing pulled out a handkerchief and casually said while wiping his hands, “We agreed to see a movie together.”
“So that's how it is. Fifth Brother, why didn’t you say anything? In that case, take me along, and the three of us can go support Le Yao’er together!”
“Le Yao’er?” Meng Tingjing looked up.
Song Mingzhao grinned. “Brother Tingjing, you’re going to support someone, but you don’t even know who she is? Le Yao’er is currently the most popular movie star in Haizhou. This time, she’s starring alongside Zheng Kexian, who's been famous for years and remains unbeatable. A golden couple, a powerful duo—they're a perfect match.”
After hearing that, Meng Tingjing looked speechless. His gaze darkened as he glanced at Song Yuzhang. “You can take my car.”
Song Mingzhao, satisfied that he had squeezed into the group, didn’t insist that Song Yuzhang go with him. He generously let go and even nudged Song Yuzhang toward Meng Tingjing.
Caught off balance, Song Yuzhang stumbled closer to Meng Tingjing. But Meng Tingjing ignored him, turning to get into the car first
Song Mingzhao noticed this and smiled slightly. As he passed by Song Yuzhang, he bumped him lightly with his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him. His expression practically screamed, “See? He’s not your real brother—he’s not easy to please, is he?”
Meng Tingjing was already seated in the car, watching the two through the window. He noticed that in front of Song Mingzhao, Song Yuzhang carried an air of restrained elegance, mysterious and open to interpretation—somewhat different from how he acted around him. With him, there was less pretense.
As soon as Song Yuzhang got into the car, before he could sit properly, his sleeve was tugged. “Did you do that on purpose?”
Song Yuzhang looked at Meng Tingjing, his expression innocent. “I didn’t know Fourth Brother would suddenly appear.”
“I'm not talking about him.” Meng Tingjing glanced at the driver up front, then reached out, hooked his arm around Song Yuzhang’s neck, and pulled him close. Lowering his voice to whisper in his ear, he said, “I'm talking about Zheng Kexian.”
Meng Tingjing didn't have the scent of those young gentlemen Song Yuzhang had been with before—no cologne, just the fresh smell of soap. It was surprisingly pleasant. Keeping his voice low, Song Yuzhang replied, “What about Zheng Kexian? I don’t know him.”
Meng Tingjing's eyelashes lowered, his gaze sharp as if trying to see through whether Song Yuzhang was lying.
Perhaps Song Yuzhang himself didn’t realize it, but in Meng Tingjing’s eyes, he was nothing more than a breathtakingly beautiful liar. Meng Tingjing remained cautious, holding onto a sliver of doubt about everything he said or did.
“If you don’t know him, then forget it.”
Meng Tingjing let go.
He had only half-spoken, and most people might be curious enough to ask further. Song Yuzhang was curious too, but he wouldn’t show it easily. He never gave others the satisfaction of keeping him in suspense.
Acting as if nothing had happened, he rested one hand against the car window, watching the scenery pass by.
Meng Tingjing could be just as patient. If Song Yuzhang watched the scenery, so did he.
Neither of them spoke. They weren’t acting as ‘close friends’ as the rumors suggested.
Tonight was the movie premiere. Zheng Kexian had extensive connections, and Leyao was at the height of her fame, so many influential people in Haizhou were attending. The entire theater had been booked.
Chapter Avoiding the crowd, Meng Tingjing and the Song brothers entered through the back door. Song Mingzhao found this odd. “Why aren’t we going to the front to join in the excitement?”
Meng Tingjing replied, “Forget it. Let’s not steal the spotlight.”
“Steal the spotlight?”
Meng Tingjing glanced at Song Yuzhang, then at Song Mingzhao. “What do you think?”
Understanding dawned on Song Mingzhao, and he burst out laughing. Wrapping an arm around Song Yuzhang, he said, “Fifth Brother, if you went into acting, Zheng Kexian wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Song Yuzhang smiled faintly, thinking he’d have to be tired of living to step into the movie business. Did he want to make it even easier for his enemies to find him?
That was the problem with Haizhou—too lively, too many newspapers, too many cameras.
He just had to get through this for a while. Once Old Master Song passed, he would play the role of the dutiful grandson, mourn in proper mourning garb, and then make a fortune off the whole affair!
To reach the theater hall from the back entrance, they had to pass through a corridor. Song Mingzhao chatted as they walked, but noticing that Meng Tingjing seemed distracted, his keen instincts kicked in. Finding an excuse about needing to ‘relieve himself,’ he strode ahead, giving the original pair some alone time.
What he didn’t expect was that after he left, the two of them became even quieter, neither bothering to start a conversation.
Song Yuzhang found Meng Tingjing’s restrained silence amusing, while Meng Tingjing was determined not to entertain him.
Their footsteps were silent.
Turning a corner in the corridor, Meng Tingjing suddenly stopped and pulled Song Yuzhang back, pressing him against the deep purple crape myrtle blossoms to hide. The flowers brushed against Song Yuzhang’s forehead. He turned to look at Meng Tingjing, who gave him a small shake of the head.
A moment later, the sound of a heated argument between a man and a woman reached them.
“You asked for my opinion, and I already told you—this child cannot stay!”
“Why? On what grounds? This is our child!”
“Precisely because this is our child, this child cannot stay!”
The two spoke in hushed but intense voices. Song Yuzhang listened for a moment and quickly lost interest—it was just another typical lovers’ quarrel. He turned his attention instead to Meng Tingjing’s sharply defined jawline. From the side, Meng Tingjing didn’t actually look like a delicate pretty boy. His features were edged with a firm, almost ruthless sharpness, not soft at all.
Meng Tingjing lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable as he looked at Song Yuzhang.
Song Yuzhang didn’t bother hiding the fact that he had been staring. He smiled slightly.
As Meng Tingjing leaned in, Song Yuzhang thought he was going to kiss him—just like he had at the theater a few days ago. But Meng Tingjing didn’t. Instead, he whispered in his ear, “Like what you see?”
Song Yuzhang chuckled and whispered back, “It’s alright.”
Meng Tingjing smiled too. “Not as stunning as you, though.”
Beyond the vast cluster of crape myrtle flowers, one pair argued while another whispered in secret. The quarrel between the man and woman gradually quieted. Song Yuzhang leaned past Meng Tingjing’s shoulder, parted the leaves, and peered through. His lips curled slightly as he leaned in close to Meng Tingjing’s ear. “It’s Le Yao’er and Zheng Kexian… They’ve left.”
Meng Tingjing let go and glanced once more at the now-empty corridor. “Let’s go.”
He released his grip, but Song Yuzhang caught his sleeve, his smile laced with mischief. “Zheng Kexian—was he your…?”
Meng Tingjing stood still, his gaze sweeping Song Yuzhang from head to toe like a brushstroke. “Are you jealous?”
Song Yuzhang replied, “Not at all. Who doesn’t have a past?”
Meng Tingjing scoffed coldly. “Judging by your tone, yours must be quite colorful.”
Song Yuzhang waved a hand modestly. “A true man doesn’t dwell on past glories.”
Meng Tingjing chuckled coldly a few times before suddenly pulling him forward in an embrace, much like Song Mingzhao would. “Zheng Kexian is someone your eldest brother keeps outside. Don’t put labels on me. Isn't one Xiao Yuxian enough?”
Song Yuzhang glanced back, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling brilliance. In them, Meng Tingjing saw an unrestrained thirst for chaos, and it stirred something dark within him as well. He leaned closer to Song Yuzhang’s ear and murmured, “Besides Zheng Kexian, your eldest brother also keeps a woman outside. Guess who?”
Song Yuzhang immediately caught on. “Le Yao’er?!”
Meng Tingjing’s palm brushed against his chin in amusement.
Song Yuzhang had only invited Meng Tingjing out for a casual night, never expecting to witness such a dramatic spectacle. As they walked, he mused, “So those two had a child… That’s…”
“Zheng Kexian doesn’t want the child, but Le Yao’er refuses to give it up,” Meng Tingjing said. Song Yuzhang sighed in response. “What a pity. This won’t end well. Zheng Kexian is right—they’re both powerless, unable to control their own fates. This child cannot stay.”
“I think Zheng Kexian’s approach is shortsighted. If it were me, I’d let Le Yao’er have the baby.”
Meng Tingjing’s voice dropped to a near whisper, barely more than a breath against Song Yuzhang’s ear. “Once the child is born, who would know whose it is? With a little deception, it might just slip through the cracks and be raised as the precious young heir of the Song family.”
Song Yuzhang hesitated for a fraction of a second, then cast a sideways glance at Meng Tingjing. Meng Tingjing met his gaze with deep, unfathomable eyes.
Song Yuzhang smiled slightly, his mind racing through countless possibilities in an instant. “It’s not that simple. Wouldn’t they do a blood test?”
“Blood test?” Meng Tingjing chuckled, keeping an arm around him as they walked. “You and I studied abroad. Don’t tell me you still believe in those crude blood-dripping tests meant to fool the ignorant and uneducated? Germany now has a method of verifying blood relations through blood type. It’s highly reliable—one test, and the truth is clear. I was just joking earlier. The eldest young master of the Song family isn’t a fool. He wouldn’t fall for such a trick so easily.”
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