Song Yuzhang: Chapter 33 - Troublesome
Chapter 33: Troublesome
Song Yuzhang returned to the room next door. Song Mingzhao was still asleep, sprawled out in an ungainly position—long limbs tossed all over the bed, as if he were flailing in a dream. A faint flush from a hangover still colored his face, making him look like a naive and youthful boy.
Song Yuzhang walked over to wake him.
“Fourth Brother, time to go home.”
Song Mingzhao scrunched up his face, clearly annoyed by the disturbance. He rolled over with a groan, curling up like a bow and continuing to sleep with his face buried in the bed.
Song Yuzhang’s gaze lingered on the most curved part of that ‘bow,’ his fingers itching—it was a desire he had already suppressed for quite some time.
That day when Meng Tingjing tied him to the bedpost, besides panic, he had felt a strong thrill.
A brash and rebellious aristocrat like Meng Tingjing… that kind of temper could really stir something in him.
Still, the same thought—if it came down to the bed, who’d end up on top wasn’t a given.
Song Yuzhang resisted and resisted, but still couldn’t help himself—he smacked Song Mingzhao’s butt.
Maybe it was all the regular training, but that butt was firm and springy. When Song Yuzhang slapped it, it jiggled softly in his palm.
Unable to restrain himself, he was about to go for a second slap when Song Mingzhao woke up. He raised his sweat-dampened face, bleary-eyed, and asked, “Who hit me?”
“Fourth Brother, you're awake.” Song Yuzhang quickly hid his hand behind his back. “Time to go home.”
Song Mingzhao was still groggy and confused. Seeing Song Yuzhang, he asked, “Why are you here?” He sat up in bed. “Where am I?”
Song Yuzhang calmly explained that he'd gotten drunk the night before, refused to go home, so he brought him here to sleep it off.
As Song Mingzhao slowly recalled the drunken mess he had made and all the private thoughts he had spilled to Song Yuzhang, he felt a wave of embarrassment. He had always considered himself a composed, calculating man—who would've thought one night of drinking would bare his soul so completely? Face flushing, he jumped out of bed without another word and went to the bathroom to wash up.
Looking at the messy bed sheets, Song Yuzhang let out another sigh.
Good lord, now even a messy bedsheet turned him on.
He was really going insane.
Soon, Song Mingzhao emerged from the bathroom. His face was clean, his clothes slightly straightened. He muttered, almost to himself, “I swear someone smacked my butt…” He glanced suspiciously at Song Yuzhang, wondering if his younger brother had taken advantage of him.
With a straight face, Song Yuzhang said, “Maybe you were dreaming, Fourth Brother.”
Song Mingzhao studied him—every inch of him was neat and proper. “Did we sleep in the same bed last night?”
“No,” Song Yuzhang answered honestly. “I slept next door.”
Song Mingzhao gave an "oh," thinking to himself, “Did he find me annoying because I was drunk?”
That thought made him uncomfortable. Showing his real feelings left him feeling exposed—especially when Song Yuzhang didn’t return any obvious affection in kind. It felt like he was pouring his heart into a black hole—utterly futile.
Well, no surprise. Song Yuzhang was on the rise. So what if he was an illegitimate son? Wasn’t he already stepping over the legitimate young master’s head?
Lost in his thoughts, Song Mingzhao flinched when Song Yuzhang suddenly reached toward him. But all he did was gently fix a folded collar on Song Mingzhao’s shirt.
Song Yuzhang gave him a soft smile, as if he hadn’t even noticed the flinch.
There was nothing mocking in that smile at all. Though Song Yuzhang was three years younger, he looked like he was the one humoring an awkward elder brother.
“Last night, your symphony performance was a bit much. I couldn’t handle it, so I had to…”
Song Yuzhang smiled lightly, his eyes filled with a teasing glint. Song Mingzhao understood instantly. His face turned red, but he felt an odd kind of warmth. Throwing an arm around Song Yuzhang’s shoulder, he scolded playfully, “Nonsense, I never snore!”
“Oh? Then which bedmate of yours told such a kind lie?”
“You brat! Quit making things up!”
Laughing and joking, Song Mingzhao kept his arm around Song Yuzhang’s shoulder as they walked out. Somehow, he felt a burst of joy. He could feel it—Song Yuzhang did like him, just as he liked Song Yuzhang. Yes, Song Mingzhao finally admitted it to himself: he really liked this younger brother. Who cared what anyone else said? He liked him!
“Ah—!”
A sharp scream from downstairs startled both of them. Song Mingzhao froze mid-step, frowning. “Who was that?”
But Song Yuzhang recognized it instantly—it was Xiao Yuxian! He shook off Song Mingzhao’s hand and rushed downstairs in long strides.
Daytime Vienna was different from the brightly lit Vienna of the night. In the daytime, it was pitch-black—heavy curtains blocked all the sunlight. A single spotlight illuminated a scene like a stage: Xiao Yuxian held hostage in the center.
Song Yuzhang froze, his gaze locking on the man seated in front of Xiao Yuxian.
That man seemed to sense his eyes on him, but didn’t move. He lazily rubbed the jade ring on his thumb and said coolly, “Go on.”
“Stop,” Song Yuzhang said sharply.
The man didn’t seem to hear him. “Go on,” he repeated.
The person behind Xiao Yuxian raised a stick. “Don’t you dare!” Song Yuzhang stepped forward, voice hard.
Finally, the seated man reacted. He slowly turned his face, eyes landing on a stranger—and suddenly froze.
“Fifth Brother?!”
Song Mingzhao had followed him down and was shocked at the scene below. “Shen Chengduo?! What are you doing?! That’s my fifth brother!”
Shen Chengduo’s gaze swept over Song Yuzhang from head to toe like a brush painting a portrait. “You’re Song Yuzhang?”
He had already heard that the Song family’s Fifth Young Master was stunning—like a modern reincarnation of Pan An. So he had asked someone beside him, “Who’s this Pan guy?”
The person answered, “Pan An was a famously handsome man.”
Shen Chengduo said, “How come I’ve never seen him? Is he from Haizhou too?”
The man beside him instantly broke out in a cold sweat and explained to him that this was an ancient person—already long dead.
Shen Chengduo burst out laughing. “Saying someone looks like a dead man—how unlucky is that?”
Although Song Yuzhang had a reputation for being mysteriously beautiful, Shen Chengduo didn’t take much interest in him. Rumors all described Song Yuzhang as a tall, handsome young lord—people like that were hard to get close to. Shen Chengduo had no desire to waste effort courting; he was only interested in pleasure.
Xiao Yuxian was a better choice—beautiful, sweet-voiced, with a supple body. Unfortunately, he didn’t know what was good for him.
Song Yuzhang had been around, seen all kinds of people. Facing Shen Chengduo’s ill-intentioned gaze, he stayed calm and said, “I’m Song Yuzhang.”
Song Mingzhao knew Shen Chengduo’s nature well. He immediately stepped forward to shield Song Yuzhang. Song Yuzhang had just returned from England and wasn’t much for socializing; he probably didn’t realize how troublesome this man could be. Song Mingzhao said, “Boss Shen, what’s the meaning of this? You came to inspect your own establishment and then barred guests from leaving?”
Hearing this, Song Yuzhang felt a little speechless.
So this was Shen Chengduo’s turf.
Did that mean he’d snatched someone from right under the owner’s nose last night?
Well—that was a little over the line.
He looked over at Xiao Yuxian, who hung limply between two men’s arms, head lowered. He’d clearly fainted. There was a bloodstain on the floor—its source unclear. Song Yuzhang turned to Shen Chengduo and said, “I was the one who stopped Xiao Yuxian last night. It’s not his fault. If you’ve got a score to settle, take it up with me.”
Song Mingzhao looked at him in astonishment. “Xiao Yuxian?”
Song Yuzhang didn’t explain and only said to Shen Chengduo, “Please let him go first.”
Shen Chengduo twirled the jade ring on his finger, his expression neither angry nor amused, his tone full of curiosity. “So you were the one who popped his cherry?”
The crude language made Song Mingzhao explode with rage. “Shen Chengduo, watch your damn mouth!”
Shen Chengduo said, “I’m a rough man, not refined. But even I know how to respect seniority.” He gestured, and the two men holding Xiao Yuxian dragged him forward. Shen Chengduo yanked his head up by the hair—his eyes were shut tight, clearly unconscious. His delicate face was swollen, lips split and oozing blood. “This whore agreed to meet me and then stood me up all night.” He pointed at Song Yuzhang and said to Song Mingzhao, “Spent the whole night serving your fifth brother instead. Tell me, Fourth Young Master—how’s that for civilized or reasonable?”
Song Mingzhao turned to Song Yuzhang again, eyes full of disbelief. “Is what he said true?” He pointed at the unconscious Xiao Yuxian, his lips trembling. “You were with him last night?”
Song Yuzhang fell silent, unsure whether to admit it or not. If he confessed, Song Mingzhao would likely blow up and accuse him of fighting over a lover. But if he denied it, Xiao Yuxian would’ve been beaten for nothing—and might not escape further torment.
So—admit it. Either way, he didn’t care what Song Mingzhao thought. He didn’t care about his own reputation, either.
“Yes,” Song Yuzhang’s lashes lowered slightly, and he tilted his face down. “He spent the night with me.”
Song Mingzhao was furious all over again. “You—you—” He spluttered for a while and finally snapped, “Why can’t you learn from Third Brother instead of picking up the bad habits!”
For Song Yuzhang, coaxing people wasn’t difficult. Ignoring Song Mingzhao for the time being, he turned to Shen Chengduo. “Boss Shen, what will it take for you to let him go?”
Shen Chengduo thought for a moment, eyes glinting with interest. “Tell me—how did you play with that little whore last night?”
“Shen Chengduo!” Song Mingzhao was trembling with anger. He felt humiliated on Song Yuzhang’s behalf and grabbed his arm, trying to drag him away. But Song Yuzhang didn’t budge. Not only did he stay, he said, “Fourth Brother, go on home. Let me have a word with Boss Shen.”
Song Mingzhao froze. He looked at Song Yuzhang’s serious expression—no trace of a joke there. Then he let go, eyes filled with fury as he hissed two words through clenched teeth: “Bastard.” Then he turned and stormed off without another word.
Hearing that, the mockery in Shen Chengduo’s eyes dimmed slightly. He began to study Song Yuzhang seriously.
Song Yuzhang was, indeed, beautiful. The kind of beauty that demanded distance and reverence—an untouchable, sacred beauty. That was the type Shen Chengduo hated most. He liked things within easy reach—pleasures that could be bought with money. If he had to chase and beg, that wasn’t pleasure—it was pathetic.
Shen Chengduo smiled. “So, little Young Master of the Song family—are you a bastard?”
Song Yuzhang was unfazed. “Let him go first, and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
Shen Chengduo stared at his face. Song Yuzhang’s features were soft, his eyes long and elegantly shaped, pupils deep and dark with a hidden gleam. His nose was tall—so tall it might’ve looked too sharp on anyone else, but against his slightly sunken cheeks, it was all in harmony. Unusually beautiful.
After staring for a while, Shen Chengduo realized that this man was not perfect in any one feature, yet somehow, there wasn’t a single flaw—and the more you looked, the more beautiful he became. It was hard to dislike someone like that. Having someone like this snatch your prize didn’t even seem that unacceptable anymore.
He waved a hand and turned slightly to his assistant. “Send him back to White Tower.”
“Thank you, Boss Shen, for giving me this courtesy,” Song Yuzhang said with a slight nod.
Shen Chengduo replied, “No need to thank me. That face of yours is worth it.”
Apparently, Shen Chengduo was the blunt type. Song Yuzhang had never cared about how others evaluated his appearance, so he said, “I hope Boss Shen won’t trouble Xiao Yuxian again in the future.”
Shen Chengduo said, “I don’t touch things that have been touched by others.”
Song Yuzhang smiled faintly. He talked like he had a taste for cleanliness, but his business was all about coercing people into prostitution.
When he smiled, Shen Chengduo’s hand stopped mid-spin on the jade ring. He lowered his voice. “You slept with him, yet I feel like you were the one at a loss.”
Song Yuzhang chuckled lightly. “In that case, I should become a monk so that I don't suffer a loss.”
It took a moment for Shen Chengduo to register what that meant, and when he did, he roared with laughter. He laughed like he was about to devour a feast, revealing a full set of neat, white teeth. Laughing, he said loudly: “Young Master Song—you’re one hell of a character! I like you!”
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